production news

Classic Adamson Subwoofer Technology chosen for German Science Experiments

The professorship of Mechatronics at the Helmut-Schmidt University / University of the German Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg has invested in 16 Adamson B-118 Subwoofers. The department, headed by Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Delf Sachau, is internationally respected as a leading research institute for cabin acoustics and active noise cancellation technologies and has multiple partnerships with global players in the commercial aerospace industry.

The new sound reinforcement system was projected and installed by Adamson Europe’s Jochen Sommer, in cooperation with Dr.-Ing. Oliver Pabst and Dipl.-Ing. Kai Simanowski. It will be used as the primary sound projection source with an aircraft passenger cabin model. This experimental speaker rig will be used for studying the effects of noise emissions of the controversial propfan engines inside of the cabin, and the effectiveness of active noise cancelling measures. The B-118 subs are utilized to re-create a specific acoustic signature of the engine at realistic sound pressure levels.

A compact, powerful low frequency loudspeaker with a frequency range of 40- 400 Hz, with extended high pass characteristics was needed . Furthermore, the speaker had to be cost effective, as a greater number of units was needed in order to achieve increased flexibility in respect to pattern control through physical placement of each cabinet, and individual processing.

A decision was made for direct radiating single 18" cabinets from Adamson. The B118 is a classic Adamson design, employing a single AW18 driver, which has the as the World's first 18" woven Kevlar diaphragm driver. With its extremely high stiffness to mass ratio, Kevlar virtually eliminates the effects of cone fatigue while providing enhanced long term reliability. Today the AW18 continues to be used in a variety of Adamson speakers, including as the LF extension in the very powerful Y18 cabinet, as well as in the SpekTrix Sub enclosure. The 16 units of B-118 subs are powered by two Lab.gruppen C48:4 amplifiers and controlled by a single Xilica XA-2040 processor.

After the jumpstart of their new engine, the members of Prof. Sachau’s department expressed a great deal of satisfaction. "The Adamson speakers met our specifications and demands in terms of output, reliability, and acoustic focusing. Further positive effects of the controlled low frequency radiation are greater energy efficiency, and reduced spill towards neighboring test rigs. Flexibility and control of this system offers new possibilities for our acoustic research projects." Dipl.-Ing. Kai Simanoswki concluded.

3rd February 2012

Ashley KLR-4000 Amps Power Community Loudspeakers at the Wanna Play? Stage at 2012 NAMM

For the second year in a row, Ashly’s efficient and powerful KLR-4000 amplifiers powered Community loudspeakers and subwoofers at the 2012 NAMM Wanna Play? Stage in Anaheim, CA. Michael Bell of Bell Event Services handled production at the stage, which featured an inspiring collection of hand-picked up-and-coming artists.

The stage takes its name from NAMM’s “Wanna Play?” campaign, which encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to take up a musical instrument. Last year, the Wanna Play? Stage used a similar Community/Ashly configuration that set off alarms in the parking lot next door!

The Ashly KLR-Series amplifiers leverage the company’s decades of experience building reliable high-performance amplifiers and uses the latest technologies and materials to dramatically increase efficiency, while maintaining sonic purity and decreasing cost. The Ashly KLR-Series amplifiers are dual channel, and each of the nineteen KLR-4000s used at the Wanna Play? Stage delivers 2000 Watts per channel to 2 Ohm.

The Wanna Play? Stage is located just outside the convention center area, adjacent to the arena fountain. A four-way Community-based system powered the stage, consisting of four bi-amplified Solutions-series SLS960 horn-loaded array cabinets, four iBOX i215S double 15-inch bass cabinets, eight VLF218 double 18-inch subwoofers, and iBOX i2W8’s for front fill, all optimized and protected by Community’s new dSPEC processors. In addition, six Community M12 stage monitors were used for artist foldback.

3rd February 2012

Jands Vista Controls Lights for British Rock ‘n’ Roll Legends

Busy UK-based lighting designer Derek Jones recently bought a Jands Vista S1 to help service his busy autumn season, including legendary British artist Cliff Richard’s “Soulicious” tour and another with equally maverick performers, The Hollies.

With both tours overlapping Derek took his new Vista S1 out on The Hollies, while he called on Lars Kristiansen to operate Cliff Richard and the Shadows on his Vista S3.

Derek bought the Vista S3 some two years ago, and it has been on the road ever since. He has been running the next generation Vista v2 software since its launch and comments: “It’s brilliant.”

Vista v2 was designed from the ground up to allow all levels of user get the most from whatever mix of technology they have available, whether dimmers, moving lights, LED, or media. Available in a wide range of hardware options Vista v2 offers both the simplicity to work fast, with the power to control the finest details, so everyone can focus on creating a great looking show rather than on programming a desk.

Derek has worked with The Hollies for the last six years. The band, known for their fabulous, rich vocal harmonies were among the UK’s leading groups throughout the 1960s and 1970s, are still hugely popular. They tour twice a year for five weeks each, playing to completely sold out audiences in theatres and concert halls nationwide.

Being in constant demand, Derek brought in Gareth Pritchard to cover the shows when he was unavailable. With each song programmed into a “Snapshot”, Derek was able to pass the show over, and with the single press of a button - each song was set up, labelled and ready to go.

The lighting rig, supplied by Blackburn based Lite Alternative, consisted of a front and back truss featuring Martin Professional MAC 700s and MAC 250 moving lights, Mole Richardson MoleBeams, Sunstrips, plus a selection of PARs and ACLs.

The band performed an intensive two hour set, encompassing 28 songs, with each number having an individual look.

Next on Derek’s schedule are flamboyant US disco divas “Scissor Sisters” in Australia, the Pacific Rim and Asia, where a Vista S1 will be in control and simply toured with the backline.

Jands Europe’s Neil Vann commented: “Vista v2 offers designers like Derek the perfect balance of power and simplicity. It is fast to use, yet allows for detailed control of even the most demanding shows. With a wide range of hardware options, there is a console to fit almost every style, scale and budget of show. Make sure that you take a look at Vista v2 for yourself and see what this exciting next generation of control can offer you.”

In picture: Jands Vista with The Hollies

www.jandsvista.com    

3rd February 2012

‘It Must Have Been Love’ as Vari*Lite Gives Roxette ‘The Look’

2011 was a fantastic year for Swedish Pop duo Roxette as they embarked on their first world tour since 1995. Forming the backbone of LD Calle Brattberg’s spirited lighting design were Philips Vari*Lite VL3000 Spot luminaires, supplied, for most of the tour, by Scandinavia’s largest rental company of stage, lighting and sound equipment - Starlight.

So successful was the 2011 tour that this year Roxette will embark on yet another ‘Round the World’ popfest with another 65 shows planned for 2012, and Brattberg will be with them. “The look for Roxette is fresh, sharp and vivid,” explains Brattberg. “I wanted the lighting to work in synchronicity with the well-known, upbeat Roxette pop anthems. I also wanted the feel of the show to resonate with the ever faithful fans.”

Lighting is indeed animated and colourful, however Brattberg has been careful to light the duo from a number of angles and, as the mood of the music changes, the Roxette set is punctuated with dramatically intimate, tightly focused looks.

“The reliability and accuracy of the VL3000 Spot’s optics and zoom are ideal for achieving the diversity of moods the Roxette set demands,” says Brattberg. “The ability to rotate a gobo smoothly, really slowly or zoom out to max and maintain the same focus are some of my favourite features. I‘ve always found the luminaires to be reliable with consistently uniform output, even across a large number of fixtures.”

Brattberg, who is based in Stockholm, is no stranger to the Philips Vari-Lite brand. “My first contact with Vari*Lite was in 1986 with the VL2b, and I can honestly say I have never looked back,” says Brattberg. “The output and quality of projected gobos and the vibrancy of the colours remain unbeatable. They move better than any other light and are spot on accurate every time. In fact, the VL3000 spot has everything I could ever want in a spotlight.”

The Vari*Lite VL3000 Spot luminaire features a 6:1 zoom optics, CYM colour mixing, variable CTO colour temperature correction, a six-position colour wheel, three gobo/effects wheels, a beam size iris and separate dimmer and ultra-fast strobe mechanisms. A standard pallet of gobos, effects and colours are provided, however custom gobos, effects and colours are available.

www.vari-lite.com

2nd February 2012

Oslo Audio Invests in L-Acoustics KARA

Oslo Audio has become the first rental company in Norway to invest in an L-Acoustics KARA WST line source system, ordering 24 cabinets from local distributor, Scandec Systemer. The system is powered by L-Acoustics LA-RAK amplified controllers and supplemented with SB18 sub woofers.

"KARA has a flexibility that will enable us to use the system for pretty much all venues in Norway," says Paal Klaastad from Oslo Audio. “For us the audio performance of the KARA system was never in question. As a long-time L-Acoustics user, we are confident that the sound quality is first class. The reputation of the brand ensures that the end users are also confident of the system’s performance. The scalability of the system, its integration with the LA-RAK platform and the ease of rigging and handling makes us confident that this will provide a good return on investment for years to come. We look forward to putting the system to use, and to collaborating with other network agents in Scandinavia.”

Oslo Audio’s KARA system was used for the first time at the 10-year anniversary concert of Crystal Canyon Studios, with a lineup of Kåre & The Cavemen, Ulver, Paperboys, Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O and André Holstad. The system consisted of the 24 KARA cabinets with 12 SB118 subs and six 115XT HiQ coaxial monitors, powered by LA-RAKs.

photo: L-Acoustics KARA system arrives at Oslo Audio

2nd February 2012

DPA’s d:fineTM Headset mics do time in Prison Musical

DPA’s new d:fineTM headset microphones have been used for the musical Lelies, a Judas Theaterproducties production at the Antwerp Fakkeltheater.

Audio equipment was provided by Stage Unit, whose managing director ToonVan der Veken suggested sound engineer Stefan De Reese try out the new DPA d:fine single-ear headsets. Suitably impressed, De Reese chose to use omnidirectional versions of d:fine, supplied by DPA’s Benelux distributor Amptec.

“I knew I would need a headset which was robust, as invisible as possible, displayed greatly reduced sensitivity to contact noise, was easily switchable between left and right ear - and of course had excellent sound quality,” says De Reese.

All nine of the production’s all-male cast were miked with a d:fine headset, and the robust build quality, together with the mic’s ability to stay firmly in place once mounted, wasn’t lost on them. Leading actor Hans Peter Janssens, a veteran of London’s West End theatre, commented that the d:fines successfully withstood the rough fighting scenes throughout the entire production without any damage, were easy to attach and almost invisible when worn. Meanwhile, the musical’s composer (and managing director of Judas Theaterproducties) Sam Verhoeven was very pleased with the sound quality and low profile of the mic.

“I’m convinced that asking Stage Unit to provide the new omnidirectional d:fine headset was the right choice,” continues De Reese. “I was pleasantly surprised that after the last show all the microphones were still 100% intact without any loss of sound quality!

“The single earpiece also offers a huge improvement in contact noise compared to other headbands. A simple collar shirt touching a headband in the neck creates a lot of noise, all of which is solved by using a d:fine headset. No doubt that for my next design the headsets will again be d:fines.”

“Lelies is Belgium’s first musical production to use the new d:fine microphones, and the headset’s sound quality and reliability are outstanding on stage,” adds Peter Van Houten, pro audio sales at Amptec. “More demo’s and try-outs have determined that d:fine will be the new standard for the Belgian musical stage.”

Based on the theatre play Les Feluettes, Lelies is set in a prison in 1952. All roles, including female, were played by a company of male actors including Timo Descamps, Matthew Michel, Door Van Boeckel and Hans Peter Janssens.

photo: Luk Monsaert

2nd February 2012

Robe Takes Holiday On Ice

Leading European lighting designer, Belgian based Luc Peumans from Painting With Light, specified 62 Robe ROBIN 600 LEDWash fixtures for the current Holiday on Ice Speed tour.

Peumans has designed lighting for the high energy ice extravaganza produced by Netherlands based Stage Entertainment Touring Productions since 2005, and so this is now his seventh production of the show.

The Robe fixtures, along with the rest of the lighting equipment, are being supplied by Belgian based rental company Phlippo Showlights MV.

Peumans has used Robe products before on some of his work, but this is the first time he has integrated such a large number of Robe fixtures into one of his creations, and the first time he has used the hugely popular LEDWash 600.

Most of the Holiday on Ice tours will have a lifespan of three to five years, and so he was looking to replace a number of discharge fixtures with LED washes for several reasons, including their more sustained long-term luminosity, and also because they require less on-going maintenance. He also needed fixtures with a bright output … and that's where the ROBIN 600 LEDWashes entered the creative equation.

The lightweight and small size of the fixtures was also a consideration, which is an increasingly important parameter for any touring production that can save on many costings, and something that Robe’s ROBIN series product design team has addressed from the outset.

Before making his decision on which LED wash lights to add to the plot, Peumans visited the Robe factory and undertook a thorough testing session. Another really important factor was that the fixtures could produce a good quality white, and when he saw then in action, close up, at Robe. He soon realised that this was an area in which they excelled.

Another feature with much appealed about the Robe LEDWash 600, was the three individually controllable LED rings, which make fabulous 'eye-candy' effects.

Of the 62 fixtures, 38 are in the air on the overhead trusses and 24 are on the floor, ten of these rigged to a moving bridge that tracks along the ice during the show. The overheads are used to wash the ice while the bridge lights either back lighting the dancers on the ice or highlighting them whilst performing on the bridge. "They are extremely flexible and very reliable," he comments.

He also mentions that he first became aware of Robe as a company over a decade ago, back in the days when they were OEM manufactures making, amongst others, the French Movietec range of fixtures, which also always impressed him in build quality.

Peumans adds that he thinks the LEDWash 600 colour mixing is excellent, together with the optional top hat assembly which he uses on the overhead fixtures as an anti-glare device to contain their intense brightness. This helps to ensure that the brightness is not too overpowering.

The Holiday on Ice show Speed tour started with three weeks production rehearsals in Utrecht, The Netherlands, during which Peumans worked intensively with Paco Mispelters to build and programme their show into a grandMA full size console before it opened at the O2 Arena in Hamburg, Germany.

One of the creative starting points for the lighting design was making sure that the lighting fused and flowed harmoniously with the industrial toned space age set, designed by award winning set designer Bart Clements. Most Holiday on Ice shows also have a theme, and this year 'Speed' automatically suggested a certain rock & roll style of lighting, giving plenty of scope for imagination and spectacle with lots of beams, a proliferation of different moods and big aerial and on-ice effects, all of which matched Clements’ dramatic set architecture.

www.robe.cz

 

1st February 2012

Le Mark's StudioTak at the National Television Awards 2012

Airing live on Wednesday 25th January 2012, The National Television Awards was as glitzy and glamorous as ever before. For the 3rd year running, Le Mark’s StudioTak studio flooring played a key part in its flawless lighting and set design. Le Mark’s high gloss black StudioTak studio floor was the base of the stage design, decorated with a second gloss red layer to give a visually stunning set.

Constructed by London based Blackfriars Scenery Ltd, the set uses state of the art technology combined with StudioTak flooring to make a stage bigger and better than ever before. Project manager Perry Judge says: “we’ve used Studiotak for the last three NTAs and a host of other awards shows over the past few years, it’s a great floor and works really well with the studio lighting.”

Le Mark’s Leanne Baker says: “It’s always a great feeling to see our floors in the telly, especially when they’re used on such high profile events as the NTAs. I hear plans are already in place for next year’s awards which is set to be even more spectacular.”

www.danceandstagefloors.com

1st February 2012

Compact iLive Selected for Strip Down Rodrigo Y Gabriella Tour

Internationally renowned guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriella recently embarked on their EU tour, cutting out the big production and stripping back to just two people and two guitars. Performing in a handful of intimate venues across Europe, the tour also carried a compact Allen & Heath iLive digital system, comprising the iDR-16 MixRack and iLive-R72 rackmount Control Surface, with a Dante audio interface card for virtual soundcheck.

“We kept all the gear down to just what we could carry,” comments production manager, Mike Taylor. “You might think that two guitarists can’t need much but we didn't want to compromise quality just because we had to fly from venue to venue. Both Rodrigo and Gabriella have two set-ups each - a full electric and an acoustic - so in reality we are taking four guitar rigs. We are carrying a total of nine cases of guitars and production equipment, plus luggage, so ‘small’’ was the watch word for this tour. Allen & Heath has nailed it with this iLive system - there is absolutely no compromise, not even slightly!”

As well as being compact, FOH engineer, David Marchant, also wanted a desk that he could call on at a moment’s notice, and supplement what was in-house.

“Rodrigo and Gabriela are extremely high energy and dynamic. We needed a small desk with a big desk capability and we certainly found that in the iLive-R72,” explains Taylor. “We have been turning up at venues and putting our small desk next to these big format analogue consoles and hearing a few sniggers from the local crew but that all stops the second the sound kicks in!”

We managed monitors and FOH from the same console, and also a number of matrix outputs for additional areas. Using inputs and outputs on both the Surface and MixRack we were able to adapt to everything the venues threw at us,” he concludes.

Rodrigo Y Gabriella will return to Europe and on to the US in 2012 with their project “C.U.B.A”, performing all of their hits with a full Cuban band.

31st January 2012

CMG Enjoys Seamless Communication with ASL

Corrino Media Group (CMG) is one of the Netherlands major media production companies, operating as a one-stop-shop for the film, broadcast, live event, advertising and other industries. Clear communications between staff at the events it services are vital, which is why the company has invested in a significant ASL digital intercom system.

“We researched a number of different intercom systems and found ASL to be not only the most versatile, but also in a reasonable price range. The matrix-based system is also easily expanded, so we can start with a small system, and slowly build up to a bigger setup when required,” says Atilla Meijs, CEO of the Amsterdam-based company.

The system includes two DS 4000 M Master Matrix, 12 DS 290 two-channel belt packs, six DS 1630 16-channel tabletop units, four DS 700 interface boxes, three DS 88 intercom hubs, two DS 72 four-wire interfaces, a DS 71 party-line interface, DS 73 audio interface, DS 74 paging interface and a DS 85 booster power supply.

CMG uses the system on a range of events, including multi-camera television productions (such as music festivals and theatre shows), live broadcasts and multimedia events.

“Because we use the system with different types of production, the ID based programming is very useful,” says Atilla. “You're not stuck with a fixed setup that is difficult to alter - you just change the names and IDs and you’re up and running again.

“Another pro for us is the personal programmable belt pack. We've not seen any other system where you can use belt packs which are not interfaced in a party line system. You can easily address one single user so they can communicate in a group or make a person-to-person call with another user.”

He continues: “In a live setting it's also very important to change settings quickly. With the straightforward ASL user interface, even a technical assistant can do this, so the show can go on.”

The versatility of the system was proved just before Christmas, at Dutch radio station 3FM’s annual Serious Request event, during which listeners pledge money to various Red Cross projects in return for hearing music of their choice played on the station.

“We needed a system that could connect several live-broadcasting parties to each other, as well as interfacing with many editorial, technical and show staff. We also used it to interface our hosts' in-ears, so that the director could easily talk to our talent while switching the show,” says Atilla.

“But it doesn’t just work well at big events, it also works perfectly with much smaller productions, like webcasts. That’s one of its great benefits - it’s a very usable, versatile intercom system for all situations.

“A professional user needs to be able to concentrate on the content of the event or broadcast that he is working on and, most importantly, the communication system should never fail,” he concludes. “The ASL system satisfies these requirements. It’s great to use and our crews are very happy using it.”

31st January 2012

Futuristic Set Makes History for Tinie

LS-Live developed and delivered a dynamic stage set to accommodate lively performances from mainstream hip hop’s man of the moment, Tinie Tempah.

Known for his energetic fusion of pop and hip hop, the rapper embarked upon his first UK arena tour in 2011 with a stage design that was both edgy and futuristic, blending elements of live performance with the intensity of a club show.

Tour manager JP Firmin brought his partner at The Tour Group, Antony Randall, on board as show producer and together they created a production team capable of elevating his career to new heights in the touring arena.

In turn Randall recruited designer Willow Perron into the mix to help shape a creative look for the show and produce video content for the screens. Together they collaborated with LD Andy Hurst, and stage and set suppliers LS-Live.

The latter’s journey with Tinie Tempah began in the early part of 2011, when its in-house team designed and built the artist’s touring stage set for his summer festival run and small gigs.

Said LS-Live designer Gareth Mallon: “Whilst we were designing and building Tinie’s summer stage set in the studio, the then production manager Tobi Oyerinde started discussions with us about requirements for the arena show and we began to pass several designs between us.

“They were pleased that we could create a stage set from off-the-shelf hire kit and build it on site in the studio, where they could tweak the design and do rehearsals. We built a multi-level set from our industry standard LiteDeck, incorporating staircases, handrails, drapes and a LiteConsole with a custom branded front panel. “

Tinie, who is always eager to be involved in the set design process, wanted to step things up for the arena tour and the team tasked LS-Live with designing a more sophisticated stage set for the show. Different designs passed between LS-Live and the show’s Anthony Randall, over the course of several months, but the pressure was on as the final drawings reached the LS-Live design desk just a week before the production was due to load in to the studio in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Gareth Mallon transformed the design sketch into a viable touring system providing detailed CAD drawings and 3D renders, before the design was brought to life in the studio.

Again the set utilised a lot of standard hire kit from LS-Live’s stock. It comprised a raised three-tier LiteDeck stage system with a rectangle base platform, three middle-tier platforms to support custom Versatube frames and two mirrored top-tier platforms downstage of the rear video screens. The set was supported by staircases, handrails and drapes between each level.

Continued Mallon: “We designed three bespoke cages, each using between 20 and 30 colour-changing Barco Versatube LED battens in 1m or 2m sections, which were designed to magnify and work with the effects on the video screens at the rear.”

Adam ‘Bullet’ Bettley, LS-Live project support, commented: “The cages acted as performance spaces for the drummer, keyboard player and DJ and they sat on 8ft x 8ft scissor lifts so they raised up during the show. We also built a 60ft x 8ft thrust at centre stage, which included a manlift for Tinie Tempah’s reveal, and a support for the video wall from our standard truss.”

The set was completed on time for the artist and crew’s arrival at the rehearsal studios. The production team checked in to the ‘LS-Live Hotel’ on the top floor of the studio’s recently expanded adjoining facilities, using all 14 en-suite bedrooms. They also booked the green room, all five dressing rooms, two production offices and catering area for the three days of rehearsals.

Added Bettley: “Their crew re-built the stage set during rehearsals and we offered support to them whilst they were on site answering their questions, and helping them to adjust the height and positioning of some of the staging. Other than these small changes they were very happy with the set, which packed neatly into less than one truck due to its modular format.”

The production crew made use of LS-Live’s collective of backline technicians, taking Andrew ‘Brigga’ Briggs on tour with them as drum technician, who said the stage set was a big success on tour.

photo: www.amandarose.co.uk

31st January 2012

Blackout at the National Television Awards

Blackout Ltd provided bespoke heart-shaped draping for this year’s star-studded National Television Awards (NTAs) held at the O2 Arena in London on Wednesday January 25. Broadcast live on ITV1, the annual event was hosted by Dermot O'Leary and saw stars from across the TV world commended in 14 categories.

Winners included Coronation Street for Serial Drama, Celebrity Juice for Comedy Panel Show, Gary Barlow who walked away with the award for Outstanding Contribution and Ant and Dec who made NTA history when they won Entertainment Presenter for the 11th year running.

This year’s set design was the brainchild of Nicoline Refsing of Rockart Design Ltd and featured a stunning giant heart framing the stage and surrounding a projection screen for the show’s graphics.

Blackout was contracted by NTA Producers Indigo Television and provided extensive draping for the NTAs for the last five years. This year the five-strong team installed a custom made black wool serge drape 60 metres wide with a 24 metre drop , with a heart shape cut out to perfectly fit the set’s design and allow flawless rear projection.

Chris Brain, Blackout’s installation director led a team of five. He said: “This project required a careful eye to detail as the heart shaped drapes needed to be seamlessly finished and cut to the exact dimensions to fit the screen. We liaised closely with Indigo Television, Rockart Design and Blackfriars Scenery, who made the set, to ensure that the drapes followed the precise curves and dimensions required.”

Nicoline Refsing of Rockart Design, the show’s set designer, commented: “The NTAs is always an interesting show for me as the audience is very different to the rock and roll and music clients I also work with. The audience consists purely of television fans and my design was created with a focus on providing the seven million plus viewers with a truly visual experience. This year I wanted to create a strong identity for the awards which built on last year’s well-received design.

“I’ve worked with Blackout on many shows over the years and can always trust them to deliver. As a designer I appreciate the extra mile they go to make things perfect.”

Blackout also provided additional drapes across the staging area of the arena, and extensive pipe and drape for the VIP and after party.

31st January 2012

Martin Gear at Republic Palace Inauguration in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan marked its 20th year of independence on December 1st and President Nazarbayev chose the day to celebrate the inauguration of the fully renovated Republic Palace, the biggest concert hall in Almaty.

Begun only six months earlier, the renovation features a completely new design that includes the latest in Martin Professional lighting technology, a refurbishment that has raised the venue’s profile to a "must visit" stop in central Asia.

Lighting designer for the anniversary show was François Guillet of Lumières Utiles who travelled from France to give life to the beautiful auditorium via the Martin rig.

Lighting and sound equipment was entrusted to APM Group, Martin Professional’s distributor in Kazakhstan. Head of APM, CEO Maxim Vostrov, chose a large Martin package of 14 MAC III Profiles, 24 MAC 2000 Wash XBs, 110 MAC 700 Profiles, 80 MAC 700 Washes, 40 MAC TW1 tungsten washes, and 12 MAC 301 Washes. Complementary smoke and haze effects come from Martin’s Jem family in the form of Jem K1 Hazers, Jem Glaciator X-Streams and Jem Roadies.

Martin Professional’s vice president of distributor sales, Bruno Garros, commented on Martin’s Kazakh distributor, stating: "Over the last two years, APM has achieved a fantastic sales performance in Kazakhstan by increasing their global professionalism and providing their customers a high level of added value in terms of marketing, support, training and service, both for the entertainment and projects markets."

The anniversary show, which featured orchestral music, song and dance, was reserved for the President of Kazakhstan, his government team and invited media.

31st January 2012

Norwest Extends Optocore Capacity for Pan Arab Games

The 12th quadrennial Pan Arab Games took place in Doha, Qatar recently — the first time that the country had hosted the multi-sport event.

Khalifa International Stadium was the main venue for the competition — as well as the Opening & Closing Ceremonies, which were attended by around 40,000 people.

Norwest Productions again worked alongside event sound designer Scott Willsallen, fielding a specialist crew including Ian Shapcott, Steve Caldwell, Trevor Beck and Justin Arthur. Another familiar presence at the stadium was the giant Optocore fibre ring.

According to Norwest project manager, Andrew Marsh: “The designs for these Opening & Closing Ceremonies almost always use Optocore for the signal distribution. We have a great investment in the Optocore brand and we hold many of the devices in our rental inventory. Optocore is a very unique product that has placed itself at the top of the signal distribution pile.”

Prior to the event Norwest purchased an additional six of the new X6R-FX network converters with Ethernet to add to their already considerable Optocore stock. This enabled them to facilitate the 19 nodes that were required — five of which five collected the bulk of the inputs on the Optocore network.

To achieve the distribution architecture the network was constructed around a mixture of Optocore DD32-E, DD32R-FX, DD4MR-FX, DD2FR-FX, X6R-FX, X6-16 In, X6-16 Out, X6-8 In/8 Out interfaces — deployed across the 19 nodes.

Around 5.5km of multimode 4-core tactical fibre was deployed to link all nodes, enabling Norwest to use the last two cores in the cable to connect Gigabit fibre switches at each node for the purpose of running an audio LAN.

“All nodes were used to deliver system outputs of some kind,” confirmed Marsh, “whether it was PA system outputs, time code, paging etc.”

AES and MADI signals were sent to line array clusters distributed around the stadium. The main L-Acoustics PA comprised 116 x L-Acoustics Kudo and 36 SB218 subs with 16 EAW BH760 subs, 28 dV Dosc and eight dV Subs. The system was powered via 54 L-Acoustics LA8 amplifiers, 36 Lab Gruppen PLM10000Q amplifiers, and mixed through a pair of DiGiCo SD8 digital consoles.

Inputs were split at the source to enter both Optocore and analogue networks at each node and outputs were fed back from the patch to Norwest’s Dolby Lake switching processors, which acted as switching devices at each node. While Optocore MADI devices were used on the primary system Digico Digirac’s were used on the parallel analogue redundant system.

A pair of Merging Technology Pyramix Mass Core DAW's delivered the show audio to the Optocore network using MADI splitters and SRC’s to enable both the playback machines to feed the Optocore and back up networks simultaneously.

Each project brings its own set of challenges and in this instance Norwest’s main task was to get the equipment to site and installed in time, within a stadium that presented its own logistical difficulties. “In general, as people push for increased efficiency, we find that there is less and less time to install events like this. The beauty of Optocore is that it is fast and incredibly flexible in these situations plus the new generation of products has a very high I/O capability.”

The show theatre itself created a dramatic spectacle and went without a hitch. The cultural section included a number of performers from the region such as Jordanian performers Nadim Sawalha and Abeer Issa. There was a solo performance from Egyptian singer Ehab Tawfiq who performed during the pre-show. During the main ceremony there was performances from Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi and Syrian singer Asala Nasri.

Andrew Marsh attributed the success of the show to the technical design and implementation of the distribution system. “We were happy with how our crew and equipment performed and are looking forward to the next challenge. From our client’s point of view, it sounded great and nothing failed … so I think they are very happy.”

30th January 2012

HSL Supplies The Darkness

HSL supplied Electric Fly Productions with lighting equipment for The Darkness’s hugely successful UK tour, working with lighting designer Nick Jevons. This saw the band’s return to the major touring circuit after a five-year hiatus, ahead of the launch of a third studio album, slated for 2012.

Jevons – known as a master of invention with an aversion to convention – regularly uses Blackburn based HSL to supply his shows and events. He says: “They are the best! Absolutely second to none, a great company, superlative service, spot-on attitude, unwavering dedication to the job – and lovely people.”

The Darkness was project managed for HSL by Mike Oates, who comments: “We always look forward to working with Nick and his team at Electric Fly. No job is ever predictable or standard, and the results are always visually spectacular.”

This is the first time that Jevons has worked with The Darkness, asked on board after working with production manager Chris Taplin and The Faces in the summer. He jumped at the chance to design a classic rock lightshow with all the glitz, glamour and fabulousness and none of the clichés and utilising the latest technology and bringing a totally fresh approach.

The amazing results – given the expedient amount of kit – were borne out of the many advantages of having the latest very bright, lightweight moving lights at his disposal. It has been variously reviewed, described, blogged, tweeted and acclaimed as “a truly exciting epic stadium show presented in style and ‘Academy sized’ proportions”.

The band are all really keen to put on the best show possible for their fans, and are extremely good at standing on their marks and working with lighting cues and other effects, all of which added to the runaway success of the tour, fuelling a busy and exciting period ahead.

In spite of having just one truck for the whole production and the venues being ‘variable size’ in every sense of the word, Jevons’ ideas – conceived in close collaboration with the band – were based on rock ‘n’ roll meets the faded freakshow end of the circus scale.

The backdrop was of striking dirty yellow and black circus tent stripes with a big rancid eyeball in the centre, and the backline – minimal for a loud rock band - was also draped in the same material, made by Hangman.

Jevons' rig was based architecturally on six 8 metre long ‘spine’ trusses made from Tomcat 1 lite-beam, rigged slightly off-centre, running upstage / downstage and raked from back (lower) to front.

They proved ultimately flexible. The lengths could be reduced as needed and the way they were rigged modified as required. One of the biggest technical coups of the tour was fitting the entire rig into Nottingham Rock City (using 3 metre spines) and filling Hammersmith Apollo with exactly the same rig – and it looking equally cool in both scenarios as well as for anything in between!

With the mix of venues and spaces, the spines and the fixtures rigged on them were designed effectively as a ‘specials’ package that was used everywhere. With most of the venues having in house front and back trusses and a number of lights, these were also integrated into the Darkness’s show each night.

In the eight venues without the additional house production requirements, HSL’s Chris Taplin and promoters Live Nation cut a deal whereby HSL supplied these elements, which ensured that Jevons had continuity throughout. The ‘extras’ were supplied complete with additional lighting tech Jake Jevons.

Nick Jevons chose the smallest, lightest brightest fixtures available so he could maximise the amount of lights on the plot – and so Martin Professional MAC 101s and Clay Paky Sharpys became the stars of the lightshow.

There were 24 101s and 12 Sharpies, 16 Atomic strobes, 24 2-lite Moles, four GLP Impressions plus two Gem hazers in the touring rig. The ‘local’ production, where provided by HSL, saw the addition of six Robe ColorWash and six ColorSpot 700E AT moving lights, six ETC Source Four profiles, and for Hammersmith, two followspots. Not a large rig for a massive looking show!

Jevons used his own Martin M1 console for control. As a large chunk of the budget was consumed on the actual design concept and squeezing absolutely as many fixtures as possible into the rig and truck; there was no leeway for any production rehearsals. Instead, Jevons visualised and pre-programmed a vast amount using Martin Show Designer (MSD), a tool he describes as “absolutely invaluable”, some of it in his own studio and some at HSL.

He went to HSL with crew member Mark Callaghan to build the rig in the warehouse and from there straight into the first gig in Mountford Hall at Liverpool University.

Each of the six fingers was loaded (from the upstage end) with two Sharpys, four 101s, another Sharpy, two 2-lites and two strobes, another 2-lite and rounded off with a strobe facing the audience on the downstage end of each.

He laid down all the basic stage washes with the 101s and layered a host of eye-catching, precise and detailed effects over the top using the Sharpys, the two types of fixture contrasting, juxtaposing and working brilliantly together.Two of the ColorSpot 700s were hung on the back truss flanking the anchoring positions of the spines. On the floor were the four remaining ColorSpot 700E ATs, the GLP Impression Zooms, six 2-lites and eight strobes – all scattered around. The ColorWash 700E ATs were on the front truss along with the Source Fours.

Jevons remarks that the 101s are “amazing’. Apart from their effect as a lightsource, including producing super-bright, tight ACL-like beams, they fit eight to a case and four can be picked up in one – large – hand! He is also equally impressed with the power and punch of the Sharpys.

With the success of the tour under their belts and the public’s appetite for the Darkness definitely still rampant, it looks like Jevons will have the chance to develop his timeless rock show with a further twist and take it into bigger venues and more places over the next year.

30th January 2012

Fantasia’s Magic Enchants Switzerland

Although Friday the 13th does not seem to be a particularly auspicious date for a world premiere at first glance, the timeless magic of Disney’s classic Fantasia prevailed and proved a huge success with a spellbound audience at the Lucerne concert hall in Switzerland.

The 21st Century Symphony Orchestra presented this animation masterpiece in front of almost 2000 people. The collection of classic animation short films was accompanied by a live performance of the related orchestral pieces.

One of the most iconic Fantasia episodes shows Mickey Mouse as a sorcerer’s apprentice, who is trying hard to control the magic he foolishly unleashes whilst trying to save himself a bit of work.

The producer of this memorable event, Art Productions Luzern, did not only have magic on their side, but the great experience of Moodbox GmbH’s Martin Kuhn as well.

Kuhn created a versatile setup based on coolux Pandoras Box technology that took care of the video playback, sound effects and additional optical click tracks for the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra’s chief conductor Ludwig Wicki. Using the Pandoras Box output synchronisation guaranteed that the conductor screen was always in perfect sync with the large audience screen. All the necessary equipment was provided by Auviso AG.

The premiere itself proved a big success with the enchanted audience, highlighting the great emotional intensity created through combining live orchestral music with state-of-the-art media playback techniques.

photo: 21st Century Productions; Priska Ketterer

30th January 2012

Clay Paky Present at IAA 2011

The Frankfurt IAA 2011 was once again the international must-attend event for all car enthusiasts. There were lots of highlights to discover at the fair, and not just among the cars on show. The motor show was again this year - as always - a major event for fair stand and lighting design. All manufacturers built elaborate sets for their cars, based on sophisticated lighting and media designs harmonized to perfection.

Several stands included a number of lights distributed by Lightpower, and there were a great many Clay Paky moving heads among the lights chosen. Clay Pakys were used, together with other lights distributed by the German company, on the Daimler AG, Volkswagen AG and Audi AG stands.

One particularly innovative design was to be found at the BMW AG stand in Pavilion 11. The 9000-square-metre stand was illuminated to daylight intensity with 930 moving lights and 700 spotlights. It took 60 DMX-Universen units controlled by 3 full-size grandMA2s, all networked together with eight MA network processing units (NPUs), to achieve this.

The fact some of the cars at this stand moved on a mini-circuit inside the pavilion posed a particular challenge. To illuminate them properly and follow them on their way around the circuit, the Rockservice team - who dealt with sound, lighting and rigging in cooperation with the designer SfS Project - used a new type of automated tracking system, currently only rentable from Rockservice.

photos: Ralph@Larmann.com

www.claypaky.it

30th January 2012

APG Rocks the Caribbean

Formule Teck, one of Martinique’s biggest rental companies and a long-standing APG customer, has recently taken delivery of fourteen DX15 monitor speakers from APG to add to his already considerable APG inventory. The first outing for the new equipment was the prestigious and now traditional event organized each year by the Tourist Office of the Martiniquan capital Fort de France called “Les Boucans de la Baie” on 30th December. Formule Teck handled all the audio requirements for concert in the evening which included a full APG PA and monitor system.

Les Boucans de la Baie is an enormous celebration that involves the whole town and culminates in a spectacular fireworks display over the bay and of course a huge concert held at La Savane, a beautiful 12-acre park that borders Fort St-Louis overlooking the bay. The concert was given by Mahogany, a well-known Martiniquan orchestra of 18 musicians including six violins and a brass section of six musicians led by Manuel Cesaire, noted pianist and arranger. The repertoire was an eclectic mix of mazurka, beguine and quadrille with strong jazz and classical influences.

Formule Teck supplied an APG Matrix Array PA system comprising two APG4000 systems and one APG6000 system per side housed in PA towers either side of the stage supplemented by eight TB218 subs across the front of the stage and two DS15s as front fill. The fourteen new DX15s supplemented by four DS15s provided the stage monitoring system.

According to Formule Teck’s Daniel Noreskal, the event was deemed a great success. “We achieved excellent coverage across what is a large outdoor space. I’m used to working with my Matrix Array systems and I know that they are perfect for this type of event. I was also pleased with the new DX15 monitors. They are extremely light weight and easy to handle with amazing gain before feedback. Furthermore, the two angles give us a lot of flexibility with the musicians, some of whom are seated, some standing. My trusty DS15s have served (and continue to serve) me well over the years, but I have to admit that the new DX Series are in a different league. Needless to say, all the musicians were all delighted with the performance of the DX15s, and that makes me a happy man!”

30th January 2012

Nippy Industries Lift Sun above Trafalgar Square

The Trafalgar Sun – a new art installation replicating an early morning sunrise - brightened up the nation’s capital in Trafalgar Square on Monday January 23.

That particular date has significance. Defined by academics as ‘Blue Monday’, it’s apparently “the most depressing day of the year”.

As an antidote to the midwinter blues, art collective Greyworld were commissioned by fruit juice brand Tropicana (as part of their Brighter Mornings campaign) to create a giant uplifting sunrise over Trafalgar Square. It measured nine metres in diameter, weighed two-and-a-half tons and gave off over four million lumens of light, the equivalent of 60,000 light bulbs.

Andrew Shoben, founder of Greyworld said: “There are very few moments more spectacular and uplifting than watching an early morning sunrise. We have tried to capture the evocative nature of this natural phenomenon and share it with the public by creating our own urban sun.”

The solution created by Nippy Industries involved using a 100 tonne crane to lift and suspend the sun structure and stabilise everything through the use of a steel tension rope cable running from the boom to the floor on self-lubricating guides. This was held down with a four tonne ballast weight.

A double layered trackway was installed to get the crane into position and additional rubber matting was placed underneath to offer more protection to the pavements. “A crane this size isn’t normally allowed onto Trafalgar square,” comments Steven. “But because I’ve done a number of projects here, including the London 2012 Olympic Celebrations, the authorities give me special dispensation.”

In addition to the local authority, Steven had to prove to the crane hire company (Ainscough Crane Hire), and in turn the crane manufacturer (Liebherr), that this project could be done safely without damaging their equipment.

“So you can see why the process took about six months,” Comments Steven. “There was just so much detail to cover.”

Over a six-month development period Steven worked closely with Neil Gavin, the technical director at Greyworld who built the giant sun structure. Steven’s input was important because the way the sun would eventually be lifted needed to be fundamentally integrated into to the overall design. The outer skin was made from a flame retardant PU coated Nylon which enveloped a truss structure. Inside the structure were 48 lamps (made up of 5k and 2K Fresnels) plus two fans for ventilation. The unit pulled 210kW of power which was delivered from a 350 KVA mobile generator.

“With so much power to handle, the heavy power cables were a challenge to rig,” remarks Steven. “They alone weighed 1.2 tonnes and I had to devise a way of putting that much weight down the crane boom which was 52 metres long.”

He concludes: “We were essentially using a crane in a way that was very unconventional. And because this was not standard practice, I had to demonstrate to the crane designers and manufacturers that it could be done. I’m just glad that the weather was kind to us and we had perfect conditions for the rig and de-rig.”

27th January 2012

Game, Set and Match to Crosspoint Solutions and the Yamaha M7CL

Flexibility, sound quality and portability are just some of the requirements which equipment used by Crosspoint Solutions needs to deliver to its clients in the international broadcast market. The company has just purchased a Yamaha M7CL-32 digital mixing console, which is currently serving audio aces at the Australian Open tennis championship.

The Hampshire-based company specialises in the provision of temporary production and broadcast facilities for the television industry. A key service is the supply of master control rooms, where multiple signals need to be distributed.

“Our success in this field, and having relationships with many location broadcasters, led to enquires for more specific services,¨ says Crosspoint head Geoff Mann. “In response to this demand, we developed a small presentation studio that we take to different events around the world.”

The studio normally uses four cameras and a compact, high quality mixing console was needed for the associated audio requirements, including mixed returns from foreign home bases and local clean feeds.

“He had seen an M7CL in operation at other events and spoke to a close colleague, Trevor Beck, who is very well respected in the industry and whose credits include the opening ceremonies for the last few Olympics and other such high profile events. His advice to go with the M7CL has proved absolutely correct,¨ says Geoff.

Supplied by HHB Communications via Shepperton-based Altered Images, the console is already travelling the world with Geoff and his team. As well as the Australian Open, the M7CL will be hard at work at the other three Grand Slam tennis tournaments (Wimbledon, the French Open and US Open) in 2012, the World Swimming Championships in Istanbul, the UN Climate Change Conference in Qatar, celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and other globally-televised events.

“The M7CL is a very powerful console and provides the flexibility which allows us to work on events of all different sizes. It is a pleasure to use and gives us the ability to grow the facility, which is very useful,¨ Geoff continues.

“Yamaha's technical backup has also been excellent. In an industry where the options for equipment are widespread, one of the biggest elements of decision-making is support and reliability - Yamaha has both of these in abundance. We were given training on the M7CL and the session was directed at the right level for our engineering staff. Knowing that support is simply a phone call away is also very comforting.”

27th January 2012

Sennheiser’s Feeling Fine At O2’s Silent Session

December saw the chance for over 100 up-and-coming bands to reach a potentially huge audience as London’s O2 ran its December Sessions music programme, giving music fans the opportunity to enjoy 20 nights of live music at no cost. With Sennheiser equipment featuring on every show, one unique performance saw the company unusually embracing the sound of silence.

The December Sessions took place on a specially-constructed stage in the O2’s London Piazza and were supported by Sennheiser UK, which also sponsors the nearby British Music Experience. For every performance, the company provided ew 300 G3 GB in-ear monitors and e 604, e 614, e 901, e 902 and e 935 wired mics.

In the first of a series of events organised by innovative live events company Silentgig, for one very special performance, the company supplied SKM 5200 wireless mics with KK 105 heads, KMS 105 wired mics and RS 120 headphones. The latter are significant, as this show saw The Feeling perform a ‘silent gig’, with all the audience listening to the show on headphones.

The band are established Sennheiser users, but this was a new experience for all of them, especially frontman Dan Gillespie Sells and bassist Richard Jones, neither of whom normally uses in-ear monitoring.

“In some respects it was quite similar to being in the studio, but having a live audience and no audible PA or backline made it very different,” says Richard.

“We play acoustically, even though it’s electric instruments and Swordy (band FOH engineer and production manager Jon Sword) has always said that he pretty much just puts the faders up and we’re there,” adds Dan. “This was different, because we were giving him a dry signal. He had a lot more to do than usual.”

Of course, the band’s complement of Sennheiser backline mics weren’t used for this particular show, everything being DI’d and drummer Paul Stewart using an electronic kit. But the usual complement of Sennheiser vocal mics was in use, including Dan’s trusty ‘bling’ wireless model.

“Sennheiser has been great, we’ve never had any trouble with their equipment,” says Dan. Richard confirms this, adding, “It took us years of elimination and having to use what was available to find drum and guitar mics that we were happy with.

“It was amazing when we first got them, especially for the drum kit, they make a huge difference to the clarity and top end.”

27th January 2012

RML with Friday Download

Children’s show ‘Friday Download’ focuses on the latest trends in TV, film, music, gaming, fashions and more! The CBBC favourite is filmed in front of screaming kids in a live studio situation and is hosted by Dionne Bromfield, Aiden Davis, Tyger Drew-Honey, Georgia Lock, Ceallach Spellman and Richard Wisker. These young and talented faces are all experts in their different downloads. Each episode different presenters discuss their download subjects and include the crowd at every stage with debate, opinion or even teaching them dance moves or song lyrics. There is also a celebrity performance.

Roger Williams has taken over as lighting designer for the latest series and is supported by Richard Martin Lighting (RML). The lighting rig comprises Martin MAC 700’s and 600’s, Mini MAC Profiles, Clay Paky Alpha Wash 300’s, GLP Impressions and ChromaBanks.

The set is divided into different stages which are used for various parts of the show, and Roger does a great job, keeping the look bright, fun and energetic – just what you would expect for a show like this.

Whether you are genuinely interested in being ‘down with the kids’ or just want to see your children’s faces, Friday Download is filmed at the BBC Television Centre and is aired on Fridays at 6pm.

27th January 2012

United Arab Emirates celebrates 40th National Day with Electro-Voice

Each year on December 1, the United Arab Emirates celebrate their independence. The celebrations were especially lavish in 2011, as December 2 marked the formal 40th anniversary of the coming together of the seven emirates to form the UAE. A comprehensive program of cultural and sporting events kicked off on December 1 to make this a true jubilee event.

The organizers entrusted responsibility for providing the sound reinforcement at two of the most important functions to Sound On Stage Events. Through its combination of outstanding know-how and state-of-the-art equipment, the Dubai-based company has established itself as one of the region's premier addresses in the pro audio sector. For this year's celebrations, the team from Sound On Stage Events was responsible for prestige stage productions in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, where well-known Arab artists performed with ensembles of up to 45 musicians.

The event in the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre in the nation's capital drew over 10,000 visitors. The main PA comprised 12 Electro-Voice X-Line line array elements and six Xsubs, whilst 14 XLD281 very compact line array elements served as side and front fills and 16 Xw12 monitors (along with Plasma P1 and Plasma P2 drum fills) rounded off the sonic image. The power was provided by 24 TG7 and TG5 amplifiers. The integrated RCM-26 modules afforded the Sound On Stage Events team the luxury of remote control and supervision.

"We wanted to make sure that all those who attended would retain positive memories of this event," says Mazen Saad, co-owner and managing director of Sound On Stage Events. "The competition in the market is stiff, which is why, whatever the production, we do our utmost to deliver the finest sound quality possible." Sound On Stage Events has already had outstanding experiences with X-Line, and that’s why it was the first choice for this prestigious event, as Rawad Saad, technical manager, co-owner and sound engineer for this production explains: "Our calculations showed that the X-Line was ideally suited to the demands of this event. Unlike rival systems, it offered optimal coverage and plenty of headroom – and even required fewer boxes!"

In Al Ain, the second largest city in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the celebrations were scarcely less lavish, and once again it was Sound On Stage Events using Electro-Voice equipment that set the tone. The audience of 3,000 in front of the open-air stage in the Al Ain Heritage Village, for example, was served by a main PA comprising 16 Electro-Voice XLD 281 line array elements and four Xsubs, complimented by four Rx 112/75 (front fill), 12 RX 115/75 (monitors and side fills), and TG and P3000 amplifiers. "The XLD system combined with the TG amps delivered a level of performance at the open-air stage in Al Ain that was more than remarkable," reports Rawad Saad, "whilst the director of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Committee, our client in the nation's capital, told us that of all the stages in Abu Dhabi, ours had the best sound – something of which we are rather proud and that allows us to approach future events with even greater confidence and motivation."

26th January 2012

IPS is First UK Rental Stockist of New Prolyte H40R Truss

Milton Keynes based Impact Production Services (IPS) has added the new Prolyte H40R Truss to its extensive rental inventory. The truss has been supplied with a powder coated black finish. Launched at the 2011 PLASA show in September, and arriving now in the UK, this innovative product combines the compact dimensions of Prolyte H30V Truss, with the loading capacity of the larger H40V truss.

Manufactured by Prolyte Group, the H40R Truss has three sided webbing with thicker braces on the bottom side allowing easy mounting of fixtures – allowing weight to be evenly distributed on the truss, and avoiding the complications getting hook clamps in the correct chord spacing along the sides of the truss. The H40R also has a clever spigot orientation to enable the truss to be easily fitted together on the floor before rigging.

Jon French, head of rigging at IPS who took the H40R out on its first job says: “This new truss looks really neat when it is rigged – ideal for the corporate world.” The truss first was used for an awards event in a central London hotel, produced by AV Network, and received positive feedback from production manager Karl Saunders.

IPS stocks of Prolyte H40R in black include the reconfigurable Box corners along with straight sections in 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 3m and 4m lengths. The truss fits in with the IPS truss inventory, which includes Litestructures Astralite, Prolyte S52SV, S40T, H40V, H30V, H30D & H30L truss ranges, along with a large selection of corners, base plates and accessories.

IPS has strong links with the Prolyte Group, as a hire partner and rental stockist of many of its product lines – including one of the UK’s largest rental stocks of the now ubiquitous LiteDeck aluminium framed staging system.

25th January 2012

DiGiCo SD9 Lures Soundlink Away from Analogue

Since its launch, the compact DiGiCo SD9 has made a significant impact on audio rental and sound reinforcement companies who need a digital console for medium-sized productions. An example is Soundlink, a Dutch audio company whose SD9 has been in constant use since it was purchased a year and a half ago.

Owned by Bas Jansen, Floris Roelfzema and Hugo van Meijeren, Soundlink is based near the town of Roden, just west of Groningen. After five years of providing sound reinforcement as a hobby, in 2008 they turned Soundlink into a full-time business and have not looked back since.

“In the summer of 2010 we were in the market for buying a new analogue console and multicore,” says Hugo. “We contacted TM Audio in Utrecht and they suggested that we look at digital consoles because of the advantages in size, weight, the convenience of a fibre optic multicore and the many other possibilities that digital consoles offer.

“Although we are a relatively small company, we've always had high standards. After looking at all the available options, we agreed to do a side-by-side comparison between the DiGiCo SD9 and one other digital console. Once we had done the comparison, we all felt the SD9 was the best option. It is very user-friendly - it's really easy to understand if you're used to an analogue console - and the audio quality is excellent. Within a few days of the test we contacted Martijn Verkerk at TM Audio to order an SD9.”

eighteen months later, with the SD9 having been used on every show where more than 20 inputs are required, Soundlink are still very happy with their purchase.

“We use the SD9 on a lot of our smaller shows, where an analogue console would be impractical because of its size and the requirement for outboard gear,” says Hugo.

Recent examples have included one of the many stages throughout Groningen at Groningens Ontzet, a celebration of the Dutch victory at the city’s siege in 1672; Rodermarkt, a festival in Roden which begins with an open air concert, and the two-day Christmas in Harmony, a festive show with orchestra, choir and rock band.

“We also do a lot of community and amateur theatre,” says Hugo. “We will be using the SD9 next summer for one of the largest open-air plays in the northern part of the Netherlands. This takes place over three days and needs around 20 radio microphones for speech and live music. The ability to use snapshots on the SD9 comes in very handy to do these kinds of shows.

“I really love the SD9,” he concludes. “I have barely touched an analogue console since we bought it.”

In picture: James Gordon, DiGiCo managing director, Hugo van Meijeren and Floris Roelfzema.

www.digico.org

25th January 2012

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