project news

Robert Juliat Profiles for Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

Built in the 1960's, the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall is the largest interior venue within the Hong Kong City Hall complex, which also houses a theatre, an exhibition hall, gallery and numerous restaurants.

Administered by the Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department, the 1434-seat Concert Hall is a multi-functional space capable of adapting to performances of symphony, chamber, recital, jazz, opera and chorus music, in addition to other forms of performing art, such as dance, drama and Chinese opera.

The Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department approached Robert Juliat dealer, Pacific Lighting Ltd, seeking to replace the venue's existing, aging lighting fixtures - a move which came about following the successful installation, in January 2008, by Pacific Lighting of 22 RJ 710SX 2K profiles into the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.

Pacific Lighting's director, Hugh Chinnick, reports: "The Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department requested some 1K profiles for the City Hall following positive feedback from the Cultural Centre where the RJ 710SX 2K profiles were a proven success. We provided a demonstration of Robert Juliat's 1K RJ 600 Series profiles on site at the City Hall Concert Hall. This confirmed that the optical quality and coverage capabilities of the Robert Juliat units were ideal for the venue and for the variety of uses to which they would be put."

24 RJ 611SX profiles were duly delivered to the City Hall Concert Hall where they have been installed on the Front-of-House bridges, bearing testament to the continuing popularity of Robert Juliat profiles in concert halls across the world.

www.robertjuliat.com

Martin Provides System Solution to Abercrombie & Fitch Ginza Store

Abercrombie & Fitch, the successful American fashion retailer, opened its doors in Tokyo in December in the prestigious Ginza shopping district. It is the brand's first flagship store in Asia. Similar in design to its New York flagship store, the Ginza flagship is 820 square meters and has the largest hand painted mural in the world.

The Ginza Abercrombie & Fitch is colossal at 56 metres and is the tallest structure in the entire Ginza shopping district. The 11-story building is packed with the hottest store models in the world. The atmosphere is unlike any other, immersed with vibrant youth, an elite All-American lifestyle, and unmatched beauty inspired by the natural terrain of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Add to the mix heart pumping music playing through 114 speakers and 83 subwoofers for a store experience unlike anything else in the world.

Abercrombie & Fitch is thrilled to have opened their first flagship store in Ginza, where their Japanese fans can experience the brand firsthand. The brand's reception was overwhelmingly positive. Long lines of A&F fans wrapped around the block, waiting to meet the models and check out the store.

The store's unique façade design, featuring louver frames filling both sides of the building and leaving no space for windows, raised the need for not only a remote control system but a system monitoring solution. Reliable Martin Cyclo 02 color temperature changers equipped with dual control ballasts and two T5 28W 2700K fluorescent tubes were chosen to illuminate the louvers.

A custom made touch screen based control and monitoring system was developed.

From the touch screen system it is possible to execute regular lighting scenes, run maintenance orientated programs, and visualize alerts on possible lamp or ballast failures. This way, once an error is spotted, service staff can go directly to the fixture in question and proceed with the necessary replacement, after accessing a cleverly designed louver pull-out mechanism.

In total, 130 indoor Cyclo 02 and 44 outdoor Cyclo 02 IP65 luminaries are mounted at the bottom of each louver on the building's façade, as well as another eight Cyclo 02s placed at the 1st floor shop window area. The whole package was provided by Martin Professional Japan Ltd.

Following Tokyo, Abercrombie & Fitch is scheduled to open a second store in Fukuoka, in southern Japan in 2010. In addition to its existing New York, Ginza, Los Angeles, London and Milan locations, a flagship store in Copenhagen is also being projected in order to strengthen the brand's European presence.

photo: Yuriko Takagi

L-Acoustics dV-DOSC Installed in Indonesian Church

The Bethany Christian denomination church, which has many houses of worship across Indonesia, has installed an L-Acoustics dV-DOSC system into the 4,000 capacity Bethany Manyar church in East Java.

As the Bethany Manyar Church is located in an old building in Manyar Street, Surabaya, the dV-DOSC system was ground stacked and not flown. The church's dV-DOSC system consists of 12 dV- DOSC modular line source cabinets (six per side), four dV-SUB subwoofers (two per side) and four SB28 subwoofers (two per side), powered by five LA8 amplified controllers. The installation also included a monitor system of two 115XT HiQ active stage monitors powered by an LA8 and a distributed system of four 12XT coaxials driven by an LA4. The system was installed by L-Acoustics' Indonesian representative Tri Tunggal Abadi in just three days, working closely with the church's engineers. "The new LA8 and LA4 amplified controllers sound really good; the presets make everything easier and we can make any adjustments using the new contour EQ of the amplified Controller," says Andre Bonang from Tri Tunggal Abadi.

According to Bonang, the church's head of music Canessa Lawanto decided to buy dV-DOSC just 20 seconds after hearing it, finding the sound to be very natural and suited to the church environment.

For the Bethany Church sound department, the installation of L-Acoustics represents the fulfillment of a long-held dream since hearing it in Japan 12 years ago. Tri Tunggal Abadi were appointed L-Acoustics' representative in Indonesia in 2008.

In picture: L-Acoustics installation at Bethany Manyar church, Indonesia.

Scarlet Dancers with d&b in China's Venice of the East

If Don Quixote ever wanted to put down his lance and dance, this is the place. For Scarlet is no ordinary dance club; an unexpected juxtaposition of Spanish Colonial interior design as context to contemporary dance music. Scarlet is rightfully attracting the young and trendy of Shuzhou in ever growing numbers. Located in one of the most beautiful cities of Jiangsu Province on China's east coast, Shuzhou as a city is no stranger to fabulous architecture; its labyrinth of canals, stone bridges and pagodas rightly earned it the soubriquet 'the Venice of China'.

That's Spain, Italy and China in one breath, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to find Germany added to the mix, for when it came to audio Mr Feng Pan of Nanjing Li Te Mei Technology Co, Ltd would only recommend loudspeakers from d&b audiotechnik. "There is a recent tradition in China for dance clubs to install enormous PA systems," explained Mr Pan, "much bigger than is needed. The owners of Scarlet recognised this error and charged us with supplying a correct solution; one that takes the emphasis away from quantity and focuses instead on quality. For us that meant only one thing; d&b audiotechnik."

The Scarlet also benefits from similar wisdom when it comes to interior design; the acoustic is well suited to a modern sound reinforcement system and presents few problems in terms of reverberance. As indicated, the club resembles nothing less than a Castilian palace; the furnishing is all dark heavy and wooden, carved and sculpted. A large gallery overlooks the main public area, with balustrades that wouldn't disgrace a Spanish galleon and affords the perfect vantage point from which to observe the revellers below. Small tables fill much of the floor area, and dancing is informal, taking place between the seated areas. The atmosphere is relaxed, impromptu, and great fun.

Nanjing Li Te Mei Technology Co, Ltd received design support from Alex Poon at d&b Audiotechnik (China) Ltd. "The final installation design is well dispersed," explained Poon. "It's a big room with lots of area to cover. Mainly we used Ci7s with Ci7 subwoofers and E12s for the balcony area. The extended low end is enhanced by the addition of two B2 subwoofers so this is still a very powerful system. There are also more than a dozen MAX12 loudspeakers that are used flexibly for both live singing and DJ monitors. The whole system is remote controlled via the d&b Remote network; we programmed two presets, one for DJ and dancing, one for singing, which is done karaoke style to playback. I have to say Mr Pan and his team made an excellent job of the installation." Scarlet has been packed ever since the installation was completed, though as yet there are no reports of a myopic Spanish knight stopping by to boogie.

Love In The Air for Robe DigitalSpots at Ibaraki Wedding Hall

Robe DigitalSpot 3000 DTs have been installed into the new Ibaraki Wedding Hall in Kenkyu Gakuin, Japan. The venue is a new build venture operated by the company K.K. Felice in the busy commercial district of Kanto, 60km north of Tokyo.

There are two wedding suites in this guesthouse style venue, each consisting of a chapel, garden and dressing room (called the Bride's Room), with a Banqueting Hall accommodating approximately 120 seated guests. This allows two weddings to take place simultaneously.

When it came to lighting, the owners were looking for something contemporary and completely different to make their venue stand out from others - the wedding market in Japan is fiercely competitive, and there are more than 6 other wedding facilities - including hotels - with the facilities to host weddings in the same business complex!

They approached Robe's Japanese distributors, Tokyo-based MediaFace and described their ideas, to which MediaFace responded with some unique and original creative solutions involving the DigitalSpots.

The MediaFace team was led by Mr Yukio Aida who suggested the installation of two DigitalSpot 3000 DTs in both the Banqueting Halls.

The fixtures are finished in a customised smart white to match the white walls and decor of the environment and the vibe of the occasion. They are rigged in the ceiling of each hall in positions where their projection and lighting capabilities can be maximised to produce multiple effects. They can project on to any of the walls or any objects around the room such as the floor, tables, etc.

Aida specified DigitalSpots because of their great versatility - not only are they very bright and reliable projectors that can handle mixed media content, but the LED module on the front offers the additional functionality of being able to wash the entire space in a spectrum of different colours and hues - ideal for changing the mood and atmosphere.

As well as the extensive onboard library of effects and media already in the DigitalSpot units, bespoke content - be it video clips, stills images, etc., can be uploaded to the fixture heads as required, and using MediaFace's own software, make each wedding banquet completely special and personalised. The units are controlled via a LightJockey PC-based system, which also runs other lighting in the rooms.

Reliability of the fixtures was also a key factor in Aida's choice, something of which he is well assured, as MediaFace has supplied very large amounts of Robe DigitalSpots to all market sectors since the product was launched in 2008. Japan has been a massive success story all round for Robe's Digital series.

The Ibaraki installation has also been an instant commercial triumph, so much so that the Halls are already booked well into 2011 and the company is opening another new wedding facility with the same lighting/projection system.

www.robe.cz

Elegant Exterior Martin Lighting for Auckland Museum

Auckland, New Zealand's War Memorial Museum celebrated its eightieth birthday by turning on its new exterior lighting installation at the end of 2009. The venerable building on Auckland's skyline is made of creamy Oamaru stone and was a perfect subject for François Roupinian's subtle lighting design.

Roupinian had lit some projects in the interior of the museum and was engaged to design and implement the exterior lighting project. Having used Martin Professional fixtures on a number of projects in his native Canada, he was keen to integrate them into this project also.

In the end he used a number of Martin Inground 200 full colour mixing fixtures to uplight the main northern portico and also the east and west fountains on the corners of the building. The Inground 200 is a discreet, programmable 150W buried luminaire.

In addition, he used a number of pole mounted Martin Exterior 200 colour changers to provide the base colour wash over the northern facade. It was important for his design to have the CDM lamped Exterior 200s to fill gaps between the LED fixtures that were used to highlight architectural elements and also where necessary to provide a clean white light onto the stone surface of the building if required.

The colour brief was simple and pastel to match the style of the building and serve its major function as a war memorial.

François worked with electrical engineer Tim Euinton of NDY and Martin's New Zealand distributor Kenderdine Electrical to design and implement a Maxxyz-based control system for the entire building exterior and selected interior area control.

It was decided to run the control network over the existing Ethernet network in the building due to the long distances and multiple positions required for all four sides of the building. With an area of 10,800 square metres, it was straight forward to run the lighting control as Ethernet to the closest point and then convert back to DMX to drive the Martin and LED fixtures.

The Maxxyz PC based system is augmented by three MaxModule Button stations, one at each end of the building and one in the security control room. The Button module offers up to 30 customisable direct access buttons. The base program is run on astronomical time, but there is the ability to run and change programs simply as the Museum requires. In addition, with the network available at most points in the building, local events can be easily integrated into the complete look of the building.

Robert Juliat Resides in Two Happy Valleys

Robert Juliat has supplied a large number of Cyrano 2500W HMI followspots to two of China's most popular theme park resorts.

OCT's Happy Valley theme parks pride themselves on their spectacular live entertainment which, fusing song, dance, lights, pyrotechnics, split stages and the very latest in special effects, draw on various aspects of Chinese culture and are immensely popular with the large audiences that attend. Daily performances take place at each of the 10 Happy Valley parks across the country within giant purpose-built theatres.

Happy Valley Shenzhen, the site of the first Happy Valley theme park, is now 12 years old and recently took delivery of 12 Robert Juliat Cyrano 2500W HMI followspots which have proved the ideal products for the large venue.

Robert Juliat Cyrano followspots offer a beam angle of 3°-8° which is perfect for the long throw distances involved. The Cyrano also has the renowned Robert Juliat optics and ergonomic design that make them so popular with lighting designers and operators alike.

The latest OCT theme park, Happy Valley Chengdu in Sichuan province, the opening of which was delayed by an earthquake in 2008, finally opened in August 2009. Two additional Cyrano units have been taken for its live shows in the Tian Ji Theater on site. The opening celebration featured the famous Chinese singers Sun Nan, Jane Zhang and Black Duck and lighting designed by Beijing Olympics Lighting Designer, Mr. Sha Xiaolan, who had also used Robert Juliat followspots - Lancelots and Cyranos - on the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Live entertainment at Happy Valley Chengdu includes the shows Caribbean Pirate, Conscription and Compass, in addition to a number of special events throughout the year including celebrations for Chinese New Year, youth culture and magic.

photos: Beijing Feng Shang Shi Ji Culture Art Co., Ltd., installers for Shenzhen Happy Valley

www.robertjuliat.com

Robert Juliat Shines in the New Hefei Grand Theatre

Robert Juliat has supplied a substantial number of 2K profiles, PCs, Fresnels and followspots to the newly completed Hefei Grand Theatre in China's Anhui Province.

Hefei is the political, economic and cultural centre of Anhui Province with a strong history of opera originating in the traditional Lu Opera. Lu Opera has a rich and vivid style which evolved from many artistic forms such as folk songs and folk dances.

The region is very proud of this cultural heritage and has recently completed the construction of the new Hefei Grand Theatre, a 7.5b RMB/ 95 million USD purpose-built venue covering an area of 57,000m2 and housing a 1600-seat Theatre Hall, a 1000-seat Concert Hall and a 500-seat Theatre Studio.

In total, Robert Juliat supplied 40 RJ714SX2 2000W Profiles, 96 RJ329HF 2000W Fresnels and 120 RJ329HPC 2000W PC units which have been installed across the three auditoria, and 24 RJ306LF 1000W Lutin Fresnels which have proved the ideal fixture for the Theatre Studio.

The Robert Juliat fixtures were recommended for their high output which enables them to cope with the long throw distances of the large auditoria, as well as offering the high quality performance which befits such a prestigious new venue.

Six Robert Juliat followspots have also been installed: two RJ Cyrano 2500W HMI followspots and two RJ Super Korrigan 1200W HMI followspots for the main Theatre Hall and two RJ Manon 1200W MSD followspots for the Theatre Studio.

Zhou Liang, lighting supervisor of Hefei Grand Theatre, is very happy with their new Robert Juliat equipment, stating: "The light output and quality of the beam along with its ease of operation has sparked tremendous feedback from the users, including all the performing groups which have landed in Hefei Grand Theatre. We finally have our hands on the best equipment!"

www.robertjuliat.com

Theatreplan Proud to be Associated with President's Award for Genexis at Fusionopolis in Singapore

The innovative technical designs provided by Theatreplan for seating and rigging systems helped Arup and Singaporean Architects WOHA achieve the high honour of ‘Design of the Year' for their work on the Genexis Theatre at Fusionopolis in Singapore.
Currently in its fourth year, the award honours Singapore designers and exceptional designs that are innovative and improve the lives of local and global communities. The award was presented by S.R. Nathan, President of Singapore. Genexis is designed with a flexible stage as well as audience space, which have given it an edge over other theatres in the city. It has made provisions for a retractable seating unit along with multiple rigging and lighting arrangements, so the performance area can be a conventional stage, or used in a flat-floor open arrangement. The spaces here can be used for experimental performances, exhibition, lectures or private events.
At the start of the project, Theatreplan was presented with an unusual egg-shaped shell with every surface curved. The award commented on the practical difficulties of the venue and the design excellence employed to overcome its restrictions."The design of the Genexis Theatre rises to the challenge of an extremely difficult site, and succeeds through a wonderfully cohesive amalgamation of highly technical solutions and innovative design. The result is a composite work of art and technology that transcends the site, and raises the bar for architectural and audio-visual system design for a performing arts venue."
Theatreplan's Neil Morton planned the auditorium design and sightlines, and devised an ingenious seating arrangement on retractable platforms that can be moved in any direction and rearranged for a wide variety of events and performances. The judges noted in their citation: "The theatre's unique features include 560 adjustable seats that are retractable to create a thrust stage, and yet moveable multi-directionally."
John Whitaker, a partner at Theatreplan, was faced with some unusual problems when designing appropriate rigging and suspension to suit the curved walls and ceilings. It took a combination of curved tracks and shaped tormentors and borders to match the contours of the space. Owing to structural loading restrictions, the number of motorised suspension sets was limited to just 20, but by mounting them on rolling beams Theatreplan was able to maximise their potential usage. The versatility of the space is also enhanced by the addition of a full tensioned-wire grid across the auditorium, offering technicians easy and safe access to the lighting positions.
The Jury particularly commended "the strong integration of technical and sensory design delivered with panache in an extremely challenging space, thereby giving meaning to fusion in Fusionopolis".

Anolis Performs at QPAC's Concert Hall

The Queensland Government in Australia, has recently invested $34 million Australian dollars to refurbish the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), located on Brisbane's South Bank, its first major upgrade since opening in 1985. The project has included new seating, installation of the latest lighting technology and improved acoustics for the 2,000-seat Lyric Theatre and the 1,800-seat Concert Hall, as well as new public spaces such as bars, cafés and foyers.

Anolis was one of the high powered LED lighting brands specified for environmental lighting around the Concert Hall, Lyric Theatre and ground level bars, due to its robustly engineered finish, high quality and reputation for performance - not only in Australia but worldwide. Anolis LED fixtures are known for their long life, low power consumption and low maintenance.

Says sales manager Blair Terrace of Anolis Australian distributors ULA: "The choice of LED fixtures provides an overall reduction in electricity, and so, for many projects today, is an instant ‘first choice'. Add to that the excellent performance and effects that can easily be achieved with an Anolis LED solution, and the value proposition is easy to demonstrate - particularly in large venues like QPAC."

All lighting designs and specifications were by AECOM senior lighting designer, Rick Morrison, in collaboration with QPAC's lighting department. The installation allows the QPAC Concert Hall to change mood and theme virtually at will, via subtle changes in the colour and intensity of a series of Anolis ArcLine 36 Optic RGB strips.

It gives patrons a new experience with every production they attend, even before the curtain goes up! Morrison has made use of Anolis on numerous previous applications.

At QPAC, over 50 Anolis ArcLine 36 Optic RGB fixtures are installed in the Concert Hall for roof and wall washing, as well as underneath the foyer bars of the Lyric Theatre and Concert Hall giving seamless illumination. Anolis ArcSource 7 Warm White fixtures are fitted over the tops of the bar creating a rich, warm glowing effect.

Utilizing high powered Luxeon emitters, the Anolis ArcLine 36 Optic RGB strip is designed and made with the highest quality interchangeable optical systems ensuring that the desired effect can be achieved in the widest range of architectural applications.

In total, 14 Anolis Drivers are used to power and control the fixtures in the Concert Hall comprising Anolis ArcPower 360, Anolis ArcPower 144 and Anolis ArcPower 36s.

QPAC's lighting manager Doug Brimblecombe comments that the Anolis product has proved to be "very reliable" and achieved a really good result in terms of creating an interesting and different ambient environment for visitors.

A few strips were left over from the architectural project, so Brimblecombe decided to purchase some extra controllers and make them available to the venues as part of their theatrical equipment inventory. With such a small footprint, they can easily be ensconced into sets and scenic elements where other products would not fit.

A recent example of its use in this context was for the production of Eurobeat - Almost Eurovision - under the main stage riser. "It was a tight space, but the Anolis strips gave the impression that the stage was floating," says Brimblecombe.

www.anolis.eu

Christie Tour of World's Airshows in the Future A350

Following the Le Bourget Airshow in June 2009 and the Dubai Airshow in November, eight Christie 3-chip DLP HD10 projectors will give visitors at prestigious airshows around the world an insight into the Airbus history books and the lowdown on its future A350 wide-body jet. A four-minute immersive experience designed and produced by Master Image Films will be staged at the Singapore Airshow in February 2010, followed by Berlin, Hamburg and Farnborough. The film will breathe life into an aircraft that has only ever been modelled in 3D using computer-generated graphics.

The project began in March 2009 when Master Image Films (Toulouse), an Airbus partner for 20 years, was asked to design a system to allow Airbus to spread the word about its future A350 wide-body jet and use the world's largest airshows as a platform to announce the start of production. To design and complete the project in record-breaking time - less than three months - the brief facing the Airbus teams was to put the innovation and eye-catching appeal into the simple idea of a 1:1 scale model of the interior of the aircraft. In response to this real challenge, Master Image Films instantly came up with the idea of transforming the aircraft's interior into an immersive movie theatre.

Given the project's narrow timeframe, Bernard Birebent, CEO of Master Image Films, gambled on Christie's responsiveness to provide eight Roaster HD10 projectors. "Not only did Christie supply the eight Roadster HD10 projectors at the drop of a hat, but they also delivered flawless technical support and competitive equipment in terms of performance and price," explains Master Image Films' CEO. "We knew that Christie would provide reliable equipment capable of running non-stop at each show."

Since very few physical components of the aircraft were available, the model of the A350's interior was created using 3D data from Airbus. The aim is to give visitors an unrivalled immersive experience complete with archive images and CGI representations of the interior of the fuselage. In the centre of the projection space, the visual field is surrounded by four projection surfaces on the front, sides and ceiling. An image can therefore be projected onto the front screen and developed towards the spectator using the side and upper projection surfaces, making the image appear to move and giving the sensation of speed in a world combining real and 3D images screened and calculated by Master Image Films. Basically, it provides a journey inside the fuselage of the future Airbus, alternately in the air and on the ground.

Master Image Films, a company specialising in the creation of event-based and institutional content, was in charge of creating the entire corporate film in high definition using a Red camera and the graphical environment. In addition to the overall implementation of the life-size model, Airbus called on Master Image Films' expertise to assess the feasibility of the project and carry out the technical study for the sound and visual environment, right down to creating the fixtures and fittings inside the model.

The eight Christie Roadster HD10 projectors were used with very short focal lenses to suit the projection environment. Thanks to the illumination power and compact design of the Christie HD10 projectors, mirrors were used to conceal the projectors flat on the floor beneath glass plates. All the images were stored on clusters of rackable PCs and modified Macintosh Minis. The model's "hostesses" are responsible for launching the immersive show from a touch-sensitive panel controlling the Flex-programmed automation (Adobe Integrated Runtime). This application is connected to a network gateway custom-designed by Avant-Garde Imaging and communicates with a Dataton Watchout system comprising over 20 clusters.

Major Spotlight Successes in China

After the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where they provided the lighting for the Olympic Fencing Hall of National Conference Centre, Spotlight of Milan is now present in the most important cultural centres in China: the Guanzhou Opera House, the Chongqing Grand Theater and the Concert Hall in Shenzhen.
For Spotlight in China, as well as in around 100 countries where there are exclusive distributors, means not only fixtures but also training, and in November they had two important seminars on Lighting Design and Lighting Technology, thanks to the cooperation of important local partners.

Together with some senior Chinese stage lighting designers such as Professor Liang Hongzhou - the two seminars were organised by Shanghai-based LasLead Technology. The hosts were two important cultural venues in Beijing: the Dance Academy and the Tianqiao Theatre.

On the equipment supply front, over 350 Spotlight fixturesa are in use at the Guangzhou Opera House on the Pearl River. Designed for the 2010 Asia Games, this big cultural project covers an area of 46,000 square metres. It has 1,800 seats and a multifunctional digital hall with an area of 2,500 square metres. The Spotlight fixtures provided to light this Opera House include floodlights, high power PCs and Fresnels from the Evolution and Sintesi ranges.

Located in Southwest China, in the Chinese municipality with the biggest population, the Chongqing Grand Theatre is home to a 1850-capacity (Grand) and a 930-capacity (Medium) theatre in a total area of about 80,000 squares metres. As a theatre consisting of music halls and opera houses, the Chongqing Grand Theatre is an expressive sculpture, characterized by wide glass plates and represents a ship floating on an ocean of light. Over 450 Italian manufactured Spotlight fixtures have been provided:.PC and Fresnel spotlights and also Domino and Ribaltina floodlights.

Customisation of optics and finishing were amongst the reasons why 100 Spotlight fixtures were chosen for the Shenzhen Concert Hall. This multifunctional cultural centre consists of an auditorium hall with 1800 seats, a small theatre and other facilities such as a digital recording studio, four VIP Lounges, 18 piano rooms (a 150-year-old piano from Austria and dozens of the best pianos in the world) and 20 five-star artist apartments.

In picture: the Lighting Technology seminar at the Tianqiao Theatre in Beijing with Nicolò Oliva of Spotlight with Professor Liang Hongzhou, senior stage lighting designer of the Central Ballet of China; Guangzhou Opera House on the Pearl River; Spotlight luminaries light the stage of the Chongging Grand Theater.

Christie is Preferred Choice for Shanghai Film Group

Christie has announced that Shanghai-based United Circuit (a subsidiary of the Shanghai Film Group (SFG) Corporation) has purchased an additional 100 Christie DLP Cinema projectors for its second phase roll-out. The CP2000 Series projectors are expected to be installed in the circuit's theatres in China within the year. The success of SFG's first phase instalment of Christie projectors re-enforced its decision to continue exclusively with the company.

After conducting a comprehensive and an in-depth industry analysis, United Circuit selected the Christie CP2000 Series cinema projectors to kick-start its digitalisation plan. Over the last year, the Christie projectors have been performing superbly and delivering excellent picture quality, while maintaining a low cost of operation. These factors prompted the group to continue with them for their second roll-out.

As the world's most popular digital cinema projector, the Christie CP2000 Series is industry-renowned for its sheer brightness, resolution, colour reproduction and quality. There are currently more than 7,000 digital cinema projectors installed worldwide, serving more than 70% of the global digital cinema industry.

Xu Xiaoping, general manager for United Circuit, says: "Christie has fulfilled its promise by delivering reliable projectors that provide superior picture quality. This goes hand-in-hand with Christie's outstanding technical support and services. The company's technical team is always responsive, ensuring that all its digital cinema projectors operate smoothly in our theaters. We're very pleased with our collaboration with Christie and look forward to continuing our work with them. Our partnership with Christie continues to ensure the quality of China's digital films."

"United Circuit plays an important role in China's cinema market," says Lin Yu, vice president, Christie, Asia Pacific. "The second phase of SFG's digital cinema plan will enhance the quality of China's digital films. We're very honoured to be chosen again by SFG to work with United Circuit. Christie will continue providing comprehensive support to United Circuit and its other Chinese customers, ensuring their smooth transition to digital cinema."

Meyer Sound M'elodie Line Array for Adelaide Convention Centre

With its recent addition of a Meyer Sound M'elodie line array loudspeaker system, the Adelaide Convention Centre has become an even more attractive events venue for Australia's largest industry gatherings. The centre took top honors at the 2009 South Australian Tourism Awards in the category of Meetings and Business Tourism and silver in the Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism, and in November reported a new attendance record at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Situated on the banks of the picturesque River Torrens, the Adelaide Convention Centre hosts conferences, exhibitions, banquets, and award presentations for groups of 20 to 5,000 people, building on an active client base that spans the medical, travel, and financial industries and colleges. When the center decided to upgrade its sound system, versatility became the key requirement specified by the committee of management and technicians. They soon found the best solution in the M'elodie line array loudspeaker after hearing it at a Meyer Sound audio applications seminar for local technicians.

"As a convention centre, spoken word is our foremost concern," says Richard Builder, Adelaide Convention Centre's technical services manager who oversaw the audio upgrade. "But of course patrons tend to remember events from the artists' performances and forget about the speeches, so there is also a great need for the system to sound beautiful and rich at these times also.

"A large amount of consideration was taken for audio quality, and the ability to distribute sound evenly across an entirely flat plane," continues Builder. "And sightlines were also considered, so were easy rigging and customer support. The Meyer Sound system ticked all of our boxes."

The resulting system comprises 32 M'elodie line array loudspeakers and eight 500-HP subwoofers, serving as a portable system in the center's event spaces of various sizes. Prior to each event, the technical crew uses the MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction program to design the most ideal loudspeaker configuration, and drives the system using a Galileo loudspeaker management system with two Galileo 616 processors.

In addition to its transparent sound quality, M'elodie's tight control performs to Builder's satisfaction: "Walls can be an issue as it is very difficult to cover an entire venue floor without creating reflections. Unlike most entertainment venues, our system operators are normally situated right up against the rear wall, and patrons are often very close to the walls as well. Even with acoustical treatment, standing waves and reflections can degrade the audio quality. M'elodie allows us to cover all areas on the floor evenly, yet keeping as much sound pressure off the walls as possible."

The use of M'elodie line arrays has reduced the off-axis energy on the stage. "Apart from even dispersion," says Builder, "the line array technology also brings good rejection of audio from the sides of the cabinets, hence giving us much greater headroom for the lectern microphones.

"The system has met all of our requirements, and surprises everyone in regards to the output. Most impressive is the smoothness of the transitions between cabinets in an array and also between stacks," concludes Builder. "As normal when a production company purchases new equipment, you wonder how you got by without it in the past. We are already considering more next year."

Martin Audio ‘Over the Front' in Major WW1 Expo

With Australia's World War One aviation heroics now almost the stuff of folklore, the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra recently embarked on a major exhibit, recording and reproducing the very-real exploits of Australian pilots in the skies over the Western Front in France and in the Middle East.

In a collaborative trans-Tasman effort, Over The Front brought artefacts and visuals from these campaigns to visitors.

Bruce Brown, project manager with Mental Media in Sydney, oversaw the AV installation which included consulting on the hardware design, speci?cation, and documentation in collaboration with Alex Smythe, AV Manager at the Memorial.

The technical infrastructure drew heavily on cinema loudspeakers from Martin Audio.

The exhibit itself featured ?ve aircraft - three Allied types and two rare German ?ghter planes - along with other artefacts including the left boot of The Red Baron (Baron von Richthofen). Aside from the AV, the aircraft and collection objects were displayed in an exhibition designed by Freeman Ryan Design, and including a 21m x 3.5m curved projection screen.

Situated in the Anzac Hall, the virtual blank canvas did represent a number of challenges including non-intrusion or disruption to the rest of the exhibitions in the hall, noted Bruce Brown. "This was achieved by careful choice and placement of the components and by expert system tuning undertaken by Anthony Russo from Technical Audio Group (TAG)."

Russo worked with local dealer Darren Russell from Elite Sound and Lighting and Glen Harrison from HME Engineering, who was responsible for all the tricky steel fabrication to produce a turnkey solution and overcome the vast areas of hard re?ective surfaces.

Suspended behind the curved screen in L/C/R con?guration were three Martin Audio Screen 5 THX-approved cinema active three-way systems, with dual 15-inch low frequency drivers, a large-format mid/high horn containing six-inch horn-loaded midrange, and a one-inch compression driver.

The surround speakers, consisting of two Martin Audio Screen Sub 1A high-powered 18-inch sub-bass units, to THX spec, were suspended far left and right of the space with an overhead dead centre effect speaker.

The sound was produced in 7.1 Dolby Digital Cinema surround sound and once the seven channels left the decoder they were duly processed in the system's DSP.

Using the Martin Audio system components Russo knew he could achieve a sense of realism, stating, "It's mostly about putting sound exactly where you want it and nowhere else. The choice of speakers gave me genuine pattern control down to 300Hz which helped me conquer the space.

"The Screen 5 from Martin Audio is a THX Hollywood cinema-size cabinet and stands well over two metres high. The large format mid/high horn gives hi-?-sounding results but at concert levels. I wanted the people to feel like they were in the cockpit during the air battles, such that the ?y-bys really felt like a plane had just buzzed through the Memorial and over their heads.

"It's a ?ne line between too much volume and effect, and making it realistic. It's no different to riding a major theatre show - a quarter of a dB here or there can make all the difference."

TAG also had to consider the ongoing maintenance of the system, and employed close fault monitoring, so that alerts could be instantly flagged by SMS or email.

In addition, the visual projection was installed by the AWM AV staff with the screen and rigging points ?ne-tuned by Glen Harris of Harris Movement Technology. The visual content was produced by none other

than New Zealand ?lmmaker Peter Jackson - better known for his epic elf wars.

Working with his production company, Wingnut Film Production, Jackson also devised an awe-inspiring piece which made the most of the wrap-around screen. With visual effects by Weta Digital, the installation provided the audience with remarkable insight, enhanced by the audiovisual system.

The entire presentation was controlled by a Medialon system installed and programmed by Interactive Controls as part of the AWM's overall multimedia control system. The production itself was delivered by the Dataton Watchout application running on four computers. Lighting control was from the Medialon system via a pre-installed Jands Vista console and Dynalite dimmers.

Ultimately, the project was required to satisfy a number of principal criteria, not least of which ensuring that the hardware installation had a very low visual impact.

And with a nine-month turn-around from concept to completion, the display has been a high-?ying success. As Bruce Brown summed up: "It looks good, it sounds good, everything works as expected, the client is happy - what more could you ask for?"

Auckland Museum Lights Up with Philips LED Technology for 80th Birthday

Philips Lighting has announced its role in the upgrade of one of New Zealand's most stunning architectural and cultural landmarks, as Auckland Museum unveils a dramatic lighting transformation for the 80th birthday celebrations of its building. The striking installation designed by Light Emotion and specified by New Zealand's Modus Architectural Lighting utilises Philips' latest LED technology both inside and outside the Greco-Roman inspired building, as well as display lighting from Philips Selecon - the Museum's luminaire manufacturer of choice - throughout the interior.

Sitting atop the Domain, the Auckland Museum has watched the growth of New Zealand's largest city below, whilst maintaining its relevance as a place of great historical significance. Symbolising the cultural importance to New Zealand's past, present and future, the Museum will now take centre-stage in the city's night sky alight with bold and emotive colour, thanks to Philips' state-of-the-art programmable and energy efficient LED lighting technology.

"We are illuminating the building, not only to honour its architectural magnificence, but to signify the importance of the Museum's connection with the city. This iconic building should be seen from all vantage points throughout our city, and we are proud to illuminate it in an economically friendly and beautiful new way," says Museum Director Dr Vanda Vitali. "We want to mark the building's 80th year and honour the War Memorial aspect of the Museum in a truly innovative manner."

The Museum's exterior installation utilises Philips ColorGraze Powercore and ColorBlast Powercore fixtures to light the neoclassical structure's façade and columns. Through the use of these small, yet powerful LED lights the Museum can change the exterior's look and feel simply with the touch of a button, enabling the Museum to enhance its profile on the city skyline and create new colorful illumination experiences for visitors throughout each year.

"This installation marks the second major landmark that Philips has lit with LED technology in Auckland this year, following the upgrade to SkyCity's SkyTower," says Philips Electronics Australia and New Zealand CEO, Harry van Dyk. "As a company whose heritage in New Zealand spans more than 80 years, and more recently the acquisition of award-winning luminaire manufacturer Selecon, Philips is immensely proud to play a role in transforming Auckland Museum, one of the country's most important institutions."

The two-part lighting upgrade also incorporates an interior upgrade, which includes creating a controllable, flexible environment in the Musuem's foyer with Philips coloured LED technology, as well as the iW and eW Blast Powercore and eW Graze Powercore, energy efficient bright white LED solutions, enabling the space to be aesthetically changed for special events.

The current interior refurbishment also includes the installation of Philips Selecon's award-winning Selecon Display Profile high efficiency 35W metal halide model which combines exceptional light output and power savings with theatrical effect and functionality. Philips Selecon has supplied over 1000 luminaires since the 1990s, enhancing the visitor experience by adding colour, texture, shape and movement, while at the same time protecting and preserving the exhibits for future generations.

The installation was designed by Light Emotion and specified in part by Modus Architectural Lighting.

www.seleconlight.com

Suwon Outdoor Concert Hall Installs Adamson

Suwon Outdoor Concert Hall recently installed an Adamson sound system for its amphitheatre's seated area. One of Korea's most celebrated amphitheatres is located at the heart of a grand oval-shaped park in the centre of Sewon City, in Kyounggi Do province, at a close proximity to Korea's capital city of Seoul.

With its excellent stage design and surrounding landscape, the SOCH was awarded the Korea Architecture Prize in 1996. The SOCH is a place in which the people of Suwon take great pride; such world-class musicians as Pavarotti, Sumi Jo, and Andrea Bocellini have graced its stage. The concert hall is also home to the Suwon Metropolitan Symphony and the Suwon Metropolitan Choir, and from spring to fall, it hosts to a wide range of performances by classical and popular performers who traditionally kick off their nationwide tours in Suwon.

The venue's smallish conventional seated area of 15 metres x 20 metres is taken up by 796 seats, but the oval park's meticulously manicured lawns can hold up to 15,000 additional spectators. The installed system will easily cover beyond the permanent seated area, but was not designed to be used as a full park system.

The design and installation was executed by Adamson's Korean distributor Sound Solution's design team manager Mr. Kim Jin Yong. According to Kim, Adamson was chosen based on a product shootout against another leading high end speaker manufacturer.

The initial design for the venue proved to be problematic due to the nature of the amphitheatre's permanent roof made from a tarp like material. In windy conditions it creates some levels of uncontrollable noise which could not be masked with the previous system's coverage and output. A line array system is much more accurate and directional, and is capable of producing significantly higher SPL than the previous install.

Mr. Kim's design features a classical stereo design of left and right flown arrays made-up of a single double 18" cardioid SpekTrix Subs on top of each array with four 8.5" 5 degree SpekTrix enclosures hung below the bus, and two 8.5" 15 degree SpekTrix W (Wide Angle Vertical Enclosures) for front fills at the bottom of each array. Lab.gruppen C Series 48:4 and 68:4 amplifiers power the Adamson system.

Anolis at The Pier Bar & Grill in Cairn

The Pier Bar & Grill in Cairns has an amazing location overlooking the water with commanding views across the Coral Sea and a fabulous view of all incoming yachts and boats. The hospitality is down to earth, accommodating 350 patrons including a large open deck that gets packed with locals and tourists.

Recently, the venue made a conscious decision to invest in further cost efficient Anolis LED lighting to add mood and ambience, as well as reducing power consumption and maintenance. JVG was approached to supply and install the lighting, and an inventive scheme was designed by JVG's North Queensland sales manager Scott Miller and Pier Bar & Grill owner, John Hassler.

Anolis ArcSource 6 RGB Warm White fixtures are fitted above all the mirrors and columns around the venue and the pool table area, beaming with rich colours and setting the vibes. Anolis ArcLink RGB is used to give a high output boost to the feature lamp shades dotted throughout the venue, providing a seamless, rich glow of colour.

"Everyone loves the results, specially as the room faces the Cairns inlet so at night the lighting changes with the setting sun, creating some truly magical effects," says Miller.

All the Anolis fixtures are powered by Anolis ArcPower 16x6 and ArcPower 144 LED drivers, and controlled via an E:Cue Excite +. "The Anolis additions have definitely made it a more relaxing atmosphere for people to chill and enjoy a nice ice cold beer or glass of wine whilst watching the sunset", explains Miller, adding "John wanted the best in LED lighting, and Anolis was easily that choice."

The venue's dancefloor area already contained existing Robe ColorSpot 170 AT moving lights, and these are used to project bright colours and effects onto the floor for exciting visuals. Miller reckons that their light output, plus the gobos and colours are "Amazing!"

JVG has used Anolis extensively for many other installs including at the Consortium in Townsville and Cocktails & Dreams on the Gold Coast. Miller comments: "I said that Anolis was the way to go! The colours, specially the reds and blues, are beautifully deep and bright, and they are generally excellent and reliable fixtures."

www.anolis.eu

L-Acoustics Installed in Chongqing Grand Theatre

Located in Jiangbei City, the Chongqing Grand Theatre is home to a 1850-capacity (Grand) and a 930-capacity (Medium) theatre. L-Acoustics loudspeaker systems have been installed as part of an upgrade, supplied by Chinese distributor Rightway Audio.

The larger of the two spaces has been designed as a leading world-class venue capable of hosting opera, dance drama, ballet, symphony and other large-scale variety shows, while the smaller theatre focuses on small and medium-size performances, such as dance, drama, modern drama, vocal performances, orchestral music, chamber music, folk music and so on.

In the Grand Theatre, left and right arrays each encompassing 14 KIVA ultra compact line source array cabinets with four KILO low frequency extensions have been flown on either side of the proscenium arch. An additional two L-Acoustics full-frequency 115XHiQ cabinets have also been installed on each side of the stage for infill. Meanwhile, four SB28 high-power subwoofers can be moved around depending on the performance. The system is powered by L-Acoustics LA4 and LA8 amplified controllers.

Additionally, 28 108P self-powered monitors and 12 112P self powered coaxials have been installed in the Grand Theatre, while eight 112Ps are hung around the side of the stages and from the ceiling in the Medium Theatre, for stage and auditorium sound effects such as rain and wind. A further four 112Ps combined with four SB15P subs are used for flexible sound reinforcement. "We appreciate the speed at which this system can be set up," says Danny Lau, director of Rightway Audio. "It is very convenient for rehearsals, which this system is frequently used for."

The Chongqing Grand Theatre was designed by GMP International Gmbh and East China Architecture Design and Research Institute, while German acoustic consultants Muller-BBM completed the architectural and room acoustics design. After winning the tender, system integrator Leifull Light and Sound Enterprises optimised the original design in collaboration with Muller-BBM.

A large-scale performance was held in the Grand Theatre to test all the newly-installed lighting, audio and stage machinery systems. The programme of entertainment was provided by the Song and Dance Troupe of Chongqing.

The audio system gave an excellent performance throughout the show, which didn't go unnoticed by the end users and consultants alike. "This is the best theatre that I've participated in designing in China," says Mr Kummel, the main designer from Muller-BBM. "Despite the effects of the architectural acoustic environment or the sound reinforcement effect of the theatre, L-Acoustics speakers have provided the best sound for this theatre."

Kummel was also full of praise for Leifull's sound system design, engineering construction, and professionality.

In picture: L-Acoustics in the Chongqing Grand Theatre.

Systems Solutions Scores at Soccer City

System Solutions, part of the Gearhouse South Africa Group of Companies, has been awarded a 39 million South African Rand contract by the City of Johannesburg to supply and install a High Definition IPTV, digital signage video distribution system as well as two large format, high resolution outdoor LED screens at the brand new flagship Soccer City Stadium venue.

Offering a 95,000 capacity, Soccer City is located near Soweto, and will see a major part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup action, including the Final and the tournament's Opening and Closing Ceremonies. System Solutions won a competitive tender for the installation, pitching against the leading companies in the industry.

The two 86m² Lighthouse R16i/o-II screens will comprise 224 lightweight LED panels, fed by a Vista Spyder video control system, running in conjunction with Christie Digital's newly released Vista Universal Routing Switcher (URS-1608). The control system has been designed for maximum flexibility, with all common formats accommodated at the input and output stages.

AV Stumpfl ISEO will be the main control platform, pulling all the elements of the installation into one master control system. This has the ability to operate and communicate with all other systems, devices and applications plus monitoring devices, providing detailed fault reporting and analysis to the stadium's property and building management systems. The Venue Operations Manager can override all elements of the AV system for emergency purposes as required.

ISEO will also control the video mixing and switching and all playback devices involved, and will allow a single input to control the entire video flow to the main LED Screens, Digital Signage and IPTV systems.

The high definition video control system, digital signage and IPTV signal distribution systems will put the stadium at the cutting edge of modern technology. System Solutions will supply approximately 160 AV Stumpfl ISEO digital signage systems in all public areas of the stadium for general information and commercial advertising purposes. This will display constantly updated information and pre-recorded media content playback. This together with multiple broadcast mixes can be streamed live to any layer on any display.

System Solutions will also provide a multi-channel high definition and standard definition IPTV distribution system comprising high definition hardware encoders, DVB Gateways at the head end and high definition receivers and display screens to all the back of house, VIP and hospitality suites.

System Solutions has amassed a specialist team to design, engineer and integrate all elements involved in this prestigious contract, headed by UK-based project manager Sally Penney.

Stephen Woodroffe is head of technical, chief systems designer and digital signage specialist on the project. Joe Hayes is the on-site works manager and IT network specialist. Mike Tempest, a highly skilled video technician is in charge of the video control and IPTV Systems. Charles Naidoo is the senior installations technician, co-ordinating the specialised equipment installation and systems integration.

Following the success of its work at Soccer City, System Solutions has just won another 20 million ZAR contract to supply similar technology and services to the 70,000 capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Sean Stewart comments: "It is a privilege for us to be working in the two biggest stadia for 2010. Moses Mabhida is being built as an Olympic Stadium, and with its impressive arches has become an iconic landmark in the area. Its footprint is by far the biggest of all the stadiums in the country. This installation will be a lot easier for SS because all the research and development has been done for the previous stadium, and implementation should go very smoothly."

Mitsubishi Completes Installation of Diamond Vision Screens at Nakayama Racecourse

Mitsubishi Electric has announced that it has completed the installation of two multi-screen Diamond Vision systems at the Japan Racing Association's (JRA) Nakayama Racecourse in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Dubbed ‘Turf Vision', the new screens will go live for the first time on September 12 for the opening day of the Fourth Nakayama Keiba horse race.

Based on Mitsubishi's 12.5mm dot pitch LED screen technology and its latest digital screen controllers, the two Turf Vision screens are able to display a mixture of high-quality video content and a variety of useful information to race course visitors. The 40.8m wide and 9.6m high Turf Vision 1 is installed on the left-hand side of the front stand. This screen can be divided into two parts, to simultaneously display separate content such as dynamic real-time media streams and race results. The Turf Vision 2 screen installed on the right-hand side is 14.4m wide x 8.0m high, and will feature displays of the race track, paddock and racing odds.

Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screens have been incredibly successful in Japan in a wide variety of applications including baseball and football stadiums, horse racing courses and other sporting venues. Recent installations at racetracks in Japan include the 204sq.m screen for the Biwako Kyotei (boat race) in March 2008, the 206sq.m screen for the Utsunomiya Keirin (bicycle racetrack) in March 2009, the 59sq.m screen for the Maebashi Keirin in April 2009 and the 101sq.m screen for the JRA Sapporo Racecourse in June 2009.

East Meets West at Tokyo's Cotton Club with Meyer Sound

In the mahogany earthiness and mirrored elegance of its decor, the Cotton Club of Tokyo echoes its New York namesake, the celebrated Harlem venue revered in memory as the premier showcase of America's jazz age. A fusion of a restaurant, nightclub, and live performance venue, Japan's Cotton Club reaches beyond jazz to embrace essentially all Western popular music styles, which are rendered with intimacy and fidelity through a self-powered Meyer Sound MICA line array loudspeaker system.

According to the Cotton Club's sound engineer, Taro Moriyama, selection of the Meyer Sound system was based in large part by the venue's eclectic musical fare. "Our stage hosts an incredibly wide variety of music, and we've found that Meyer Sound loudspeakers work well with any musical style because they don't color the sound."

A quick sampling of acts that have graced the Cotton Club stage includes jazz's The Crusaders and Ahmad Jamal, reggae's Third World, R&B legend Ben E. King, sultry pop diva Rickie Lee Jones, avant-garde rock's Alan Parsons Project, and country soul songstress Rita Coolidge. Jazz duo Tuck & Patti, famed guitarist David T. Walker, and soulful "ghostbuster" Ray Parker Jr have also performed in this music hall.

Moriyama designed the system in consultation with Acoustical Technical Lab (ATL), Inc. of Tokyo. Accurate room coverage was assured by the MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction program. System installation was facilitated by the Cotton Club staff, again with technical assistance from ATL, Inc.

Dual MICA line arrays of four loudspeakers each are augmented by four 600-HP subwoofers. A quartet of UPA-2P loudspeakers provide stage-side fill, with two more UPA-2P loudspeakers flown as overhead stage monitors. A pair of UPM-2P loudspeakers serves the mixing booth.

"Every time we use the MICAs, or any other Meyer Sound loudspeakers, their reliability, high quality and thoughtful design surprise us, and help assure a great musical performance," summarizes Moriyama.

The Cotton Club is located in Tokyo's bustling Marunouchi commercial district, between the central railway station and the Imperial Palace.

EAS Installs Two Sites at ION Orchard Singapore with Audica Professional

Audica Professional MICROseries audio systems have been installed in two high quality sites at the new ION Orchard complex in Singapore. The systems were designed and installed in the Fish and Co. restaurant and at Epicentre, an Apple Premium Reseller outlet, by Electro-Acoustics Systems Pte Ltd., Audica Professional's Key Installation Partner in Singapore.

Located at the gateway to Singapore's most prestigious Orchard Road shopping strip, ION Orchard's award winning design was by leading architecture firm Benoy, who brought us iconic malls such as the Bullring in Birmingham, UK. ION Orchard is the retail component of the retail-cum-super-luxury-residential Orchard Turn, a prime landmark project jointly owned and managed by Singapore's CapitaLand Limited and Hong Kong's Sun Hung Kai Properties. The development is strategically situated above the Orchard Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and will enjoy underground connectivity to nearby buildings. When completed, the Orchard Turn development will boast over 640,000 square feet of net letting space and luxury homes.

The Epicentre Apple store required a system with flexibility for its retail area and two training rooms, with the ability for a common background music system for all 3 zones or for the training rooms to operate completely independently, or linked just to each other but not the main retail system. To provide this, Electro-Acoustics Systems used an Audica Professional MICROzone controller/amplifier in each of the 3 zones and utilised its ‘Line-2' facility, which provides a master in/out feed to all units on Line-2, but with independent feeds on all other inputs.

The main retail area uses the master MICROzone, fed from a Biamp 301 mixer which facilitates line and mic inputs. Three Audica Professional MICROpoint loudspeakers are driven from the MICROzone's built in 2-channel amplifier. An output from the MICROzone also drives an Audica Professional 4-channel MICROplus power amplifier, which powers nine Audica Professional MICROdot ceiling loudspeakers in a distributed configuration.

Each training room has a MICROzone, linked to the master on Line-2 for the BGM feed. In these rooms the MICROzone is additionally controlled by an Audica Professional WMR wall panel, which allows all MICROzone functions to be controlled via the panel or by handheld infrared remote. The MICROzone's built in amplifiers are then used to drive a pair of MICROdot ceiling loudspeakers in each room. Another Biamp 301 mixer is used just for the training rooms and, via a Kramer VM-2N audio distribution amp, can provide mic and line input to either or both rooms. A wall plate in one of the rooms facilitates local input for the room it is located in, or for both.

"I was really interested to see the configuration that EAS had employed to provide the Epicentre solution", commented Audica Professional's Derek West. "Simple yet flexible input to provide common or local feed as required to multiple zones was key to our thinking for the facilities of the MICROzone. This is a unique and very neat audio and control solution. With the store being designed for the Apple products it sells, the Audica Professional loudspeakers also provide a design statement very much in keeping with the stylish hi-tech aesthetics".

Fish & Co. is a chain of premium fish restaurants, with locations throughout Asia specialising in the finest ingredients served in an atmosphere that is designed to feel casual and relaxed. Carefully co-ordinated colour schemes, and use of sea ornaments, give a cheerful nautical setting. Requiring a single zone system, Electro-Acoustics Systems installed an Audica Professional MICROzone driving four surface-mount MICROpoint loudspeakers, which provide good BGM quality to 70Hz. Input for the continuous playback of the restaurants own music selection is provided by a 5-disc Marantz CC4001.

In picture: Epicentre, Singapore

RCF Forum 9000 System Installed at Equatorial Guinea Parliament

An RCF Forum 9000 digital conference system was chosen by The Makinen Venture Corporation for the Equatorial Guinea Parliament, located in the capital city Malabo.

The system is composed of 250 FMS 9411-S microphone sets, semi-flush mounted on the desks of the parliament. The consoles are enabled for voting operations, with the possibility to assign a different level of audio to every seat, and to enable simultaneous translation.

Four FDC 9900 dome cameras with high-speed movement allow camera follow to the microphone in use, displaying video images on to two large plasma displays routed via an FVM9844 audio/video-switching matrix.

RCF Acustica C3110 loudspeakers have been installed as the main audio system for the room, delivering a uniform and highly defined audio coverage.

The project and the system start up, which were configured on site, have been carried out by the RCF Forum team, who quickly adapted the system following the request of the customer during the installation process. These were facilitated by the versatility of the Forum 9000 system, allowing on site customization through its PC software.

Renkus-Heinz in Chinese 3D AV Installation World Record-Breaker

Its designers proudly proclaim it as the world's largest LED Skydome, and with 20 million ultra-bright LEDs covering 500 by 32 metres, the LED Skydome at Harmony Times Square in Suzhou Industrial Park near Shanghai is the heart of a remarkably ambitious audio-visual installation.

A 3D-capable Renkus-Heinz ceiling loudspeaker system with Camco amplification tracks the action on the 350,000 square-metre Sky Mall's overhead LED screen through 106 three-way synchronised loudspeakers and 160 amplifiers. Yet controllability and directivity, rather than sheer power, lies behind a specification that reads like an arena or major auditorium system.

Harmony Times Square's designers were determined to break records on several fronts - and succeeded. Until late 2008, Beijing's World Trade Center held the title for China's largest LED Skydome, measuring 250 meters long and 30 metres wide, while Las Vegas' Fremont Street held the title for the world's largest LED Skydome at 400 metres by 25 metres - records that have both been shattered by Suzhou's screen.

The Skydome at Harmony Times Square houses one of China's most impressive shopping malls including the country's largest single department store. Covering the plaza's main boardwalk, the Skydome creates a soaring aerial canopy over the food, beverage, retail and entertainment businesses. Visual effects, programmed by Keyframe, include moving blue skies with clouds, a piano keyboard and an aerial invasion by alien spaceships, along with video content highlighting the attractions of city and its surrounding region.

The audio system designers' challenge was that the audio imaging must synchronise at street level with the images moving along the 500 metre long screen, despite the multi-storey distance from the ceiling. According to John Ho of TICO/CAH, Renkus-Heinz distributors for China, the design goals were "to combine magnificent, artistic architecture, advanced lighting, the largest LED screen in the world, and stunning sound effects". The installation was the work of Beijing Zhongguang Radio & TV Engineering Installation Corporation, with equipment supplied by Foshan Tian Chuang Zhongdian Trading Co., Ltd.

A 106-channel surround sound system, featuring 106 Renkus-Heinz STX-7/44AS-WR high power weather-resistant loudspeakers and 38 DRS18-2BW dual 18-inch weather resistant subwoofers, forms the principal audio source. The STX7 loudspeakers met the project's dual demands for a high sound level and precise directional control by the combination of Complex Conic horns and CoEntrant drivers, which provide the essential pin-point directional accuracy down to 350Hz. TYhe dual 12-inch woofers extend LF response down to 40 Hz with added horizontal directivity.

The loudspeaker system is powered by over 160 Camco Tecton Series amplifiers, equipped with UCA-T-AN cards enabling the WINCAI (Camco Amplifier Interface) audio management system that allows both complete system management and local signal processing adjustment via each amplifiers' UCA controller modules. Camco's CISUS software provides remote operation of the CAI audio network management control software via each amplifier's RJ45 interface, while the Tecton amplifiers' power regime, which offers stability down to a single Ohm load with digitally-controlled gain setting, extending the ability to run at the very low impedances implied by the project's longest loudspeaker cable run of 230 metres.

"The LED Skydome's three-dimensional audio-visual sound system at the Harmony Times Square is made possible by the Renkus-Heinz system's ability to vividly reproduce the stunning sound effects with precisely controlled directivity," commented TICO/CAH Professional Sound's MD John Ho.

In picture: 106 Renkus-Heinz STX-7/44AS-WR high power weather-resistant loudspeakers and 38 DRS18-2BW dual 18-inch weather resistant subwoofers form the principal audio source.

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