< PreviousJanuary 2022 news 10 Chauvet Professional Continues IP65 Expansion with the New COLORado PXL Bar Versatility is a virtue! The new IP65 rated COLORado PXL Bar 16 and COLORado PXL Bar 8 from Chauvet Professional demonstrate that in convincing fashion, delivering a wide range of performance features, such as seamless pixel pitch between fixtures and fast, smooth motorised tilts up to 200 degrees whether used indoors or out. “We developed this fixture in response to customers who wanted a motorized IP65 rated batten that could be used outdoors at remote broadcast sites, festivals, and amphitheatres, as well as at indoor applications,” said Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “This versatility translates into a faster ROI for our customers.” Regardless of where it’s used, the COLORado PXL Bar16 is loaded with features that will greatly expand creative possibilities for lighting designers, such as its 60, 180 and 200 degree motorised tilt range options. Other examples are the 5.8 to 48.8 degree zoom range of its 16 x 45W RGBW LEDs, and its two zones of control for pulsing effects. The COLORado PXL Bar 8 also maintains pixel pitch between fixtures and has the same zoom range as its larger cousin. However, it has fewer pixels and only one zone of control due to its smaller size. Both fixtures also have an impressive 8,875K colour temperature (at full). Adding even greater versatility of these fully pixel mappable fixtures are their built-in effects, including virtual gobo and movement macros with separate foreground and background colour control. Slotted Omega brackets make it quick and easy to hang the fixtures on truss. They can also be positioned on the ground to provide a variety of different light angles. The latest in Chauvet Professional’s series of IP65 rated products, COLORado PXL Bar fixtures can be controlled via DMX, sACN, Art-Net and Kling-Net and are also RDM compatible for remote accessing and trouble shooting. Constructed with a magnesium-aluminium alloy, die cast aluminium and high impact polymer, the new fixtures are rugged and lightweight (The COLORado PXL Bar 16 weighs 45.6lbs./20.7kgs.) The fixture’s body, as well as its power and data connections, software ports, 5-pin DMX input, and TCP IP input are all IP65 rated to ensure unparalleled performance regardless of the weather. Cromer Pier’s Pavilion Theatre Takes its Performances to the Next Level with PROLIGHTS DeltaPix Cromer Pier’s beloved Pavilion Theatre has recently added a digital dimension to its stage by installing a PROLIGHTS DeltaPix48T LED video wall backdrop. Running for 42 years, the Cromer Pier Pavilion Theatre offers a truly unique experience as home to the only ‘End of the Pier’ show of its kind. With approximately 450 seats, audiences are entertained all year round with rib-tickling comedy, show-stopping vocals, mind- blowing speciality acts and an eclectic blend of dance, in an intimate, one of a kind venue. Keen to return bigger and better than before, the team behind the acclaimed Cromer Pier Show wanted to add new elements to the production and make a strong comeback following the enforced closure of the theatre due to the global pandemic. Cromer Pier’s director, Rory Holburn commented: “Our new PROLIGHTS DeltaPix48T screen has added a lot more versatility to the show and what can be achieved from a backdrop. The stage is limited in space so we needed something that was fairly compact yet robust and Stuart was able to demonstrate the various PROLIGHTS video panels and we felt confident in our choice. We are delighted with how the DeltaPix has been performing and the huge amount of possibilities it has brought with it. The feedback we had from the summer show was fantastic. It certainly has helped bring the show up-to-date, and we feel like we accomplished coming back bigger and better than before.” Leading equipment provider, A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) supplied the PROLIGHTS DeltaPix screens, along with a Green Hippo Amba+ media server and LSC power distribution. AC-ET’s video specialist, Stuart Burdett worked alongside the team at Cromer Pier to ensure they got the right products for the job and environment. AC-ET’s installation sister- company, A.C. Special Projects (AC-SP) handled the installation of the led wall. Rory added: “The Green Hippo V4.6 software is incredibly intuitive, we can create shows very quickly and our musicians can trigger the various cues with ease thanks to the MultiController component. Likewise, the inclusion of the LSC APS distro is vitally important as it is helping to protect our investment.” The Cromer Pier Christmas Show started earlier this month and sees the team getting even more creative with their new technology to take the production to the next level. “We have been delighted with the complete package. It’s helped us lift the show in to the modern era and enabled us to do things we would have never been able to do in the space without it. The service and support we received from AC-ET and AC-SP was fantastic. Their knowledgeable teams were always happy to help and assist. We are looking forward to dazzling even more people with our Cromer Pier Christmas Show,” concluded Rory. www.ac-et.com ETC introduces F-Drive B-Box, expanding fixture compatibility A new F-Drive accessory is now available, simplifying installation and vastly increasing compatibility with third-party LED fixtures. The B-Box4 uses the RJ45 output of an F-Drive card to position up to four channels of Molex, terminal, or RJ45 connections at any location in an installation. With the addition of B-Box, the award-winning F-Drive LED power system offers more flexibility to meet each facility’s installation needs. Whether using third-party or ETC-manufactured fixtures, specifiers can simplify the wiring required to connect to the F-Drive unit. F-Drive is a modular, centralised solution for controlling LED luminaires. With easy access to swappable driver cards and power supplies, all critical components are readily accessible for maintenance and updates. F-Drive is available as an R12 rack-mounted solution or a W1 wall-mounted solution. A variety of connection options allow facilities to use a wide range of luminaires with B-Box, while taking advantage of ETC’s superior dimming and control technology. ETC’s new F-Drive System Design Tool helps confirm third-party functionality. In addition, ETC’s integration test lab is set- up and ready to receive general market fixtures for testing and performance grading. For more information, schedule a one-on-one virtual product demo with an ETC team member. Find available time slots for an F-Drive demo at www.etcconnect.com/schedule-a-demo/Issue: 347 news 11 Roosevelt Dsouza Creates Flow of Fresh Looks for Sonu Nigam’s Three-Hour UK Shows with Chauvet Professional For loyal Sonu Nigam fans, and there are legions of them throughout the world, his performances never seem to be long enough. It’s easy to see why too. Striking a magical balance between softness and resonance, the Indian playback singer’s voice is the kind that makes time melt away. Then there is the broad range of his repertoire in multiple languages that surprises and delights at every turn during a performance. The full scope of the India-born star’s talent was on full display this November at his UK shows at SSE Arena Wembley and Resorts World Arena in Manchester. On stage for over three hours at each venue, Sonu Nigam performed 37 songs and medleys that included his own compositions as well as songs from his heroes, the legendary singers Mohammad Rafiand Kishore Kumar. Reflecting the vibrancy and versatility of the multi-faceted performance was a Roosevelt Dsouza-designed light show that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by DMX Productions. Flowing as smoothly as Sonu Nigam’s vocals, the lighting followed the singer through every twist and turn of his performance, peaking at intense moments, then becoming gentle for softer songs, all while never repeating a look. This was no small accomplishment, given the all-encompassing nature of the multi-award winnings star’s work. Helping Dsouza accomplish this feat were the 16 Rogue R3 Beams in his touring kit. Arranged in four vertical columns that bordered the video wall panels, the 300W moving fixtures provide Dsouza with plenty of firepower (208,000 lux at 15 metres) to direct beams across the stage. Throughout the concert, he reconfigured the shape, direction, and colour of those beams to create a continuous flow of new looks. “The beam shaper feature of the Rogue R3 was fantastic,” he said. “At some points in the show when you could see the beams open up, it was really impactful. In addition to creating myriad patters over and on the stage, the Rogue R3 Beams were used to highlight Sonu Nigam and different members of his band. The fixtures were also used to create a variety of aerial effects. A key to engaging the audience at the show was the crowd lighting from the kit’s 20 Strike 1 fixtures, which were arranged on truss. “I never worked with these fixtures before and I was blown away by their output,” said Dsouza. “I used theme to create this beautiful warm white light throughout Wembley. They covered the entire arena very impressively. Later when the concert ended, the STRIKE fixtures along with the house lights were turned up to guide the sell-out crowd out of the arena. They were buzzing about the show they just saw, happy as could be, spending three hours, and enjoying every minute of it.January 2022 12 features LEGOLAND Windsor Resort invests in the future with EM Acoustics Overcoming the somewhat inauspicious climate created by the global pandemic, LEGOLAND Windor Resort has continued to invest in its infrastructure. Part of that investment has included the upgrade of their 4D cinema as well as the implementation of a brand new ride, the UK’s first Flying Theatre attraction, ‘Ride of the Sky Lion’. The new attraction forms part of LEGOLAND’s most recent development, ‘MYTHICA,’ an area that was inaugurated for the park’s reopening in early 2021. The LEGOLAND production team overseeing the design and installation of the new ride called on their long-term audio supplier and consultant, Dave Shepherd of D.S. Audio to ensure the audio experience was the very best possible. Shepherd specified a system based on EM Acoustics’ new flagship Reference Series R10 system. Shepherd’s brief was straightforward enough: to design a world class sound system for the new Flying Theatre ride with consideration to budget and future technical expansion. Shepherd began the project by conducting extensive research on similar installations in the US in order to improve on known issues, namely intelligibility. Following his research Shepherd decided on an EM Acoustics system built around a core of R10s. “The ride includes a 15m high parabolic metal screen and three floors of moving gondolas to create an immersive flying experience through the new World of Mythica,” explains Shepherd. “With localised scent, water spray and wind devices on each gondola adding to the immersive experience, it was essential that the dynamic audio content be an integral part of that element, adding excitement yet feeling totally natural.” Shepherd’s research had already shown that intelligibility was a known problem in some similar rides in the US, which meant that loudspeaker choice and placement Issue: 347 features 13 were critical. “I recommended the R10s from EM Acoustics, as the almost clinical response of these loudspeakers combined with exceptionally low cabinet resonance compared to similar products, ensures the audio reaches the guests with minimal disruption from the perforated metal screen,” notes Shepherd. “As the ride building was almost a perfect cube with limited acoustic treatment, the chosen speaker had to do the vast share of the work in delivering intelligible audio to the listener,” he continues. “With a highly dynamic musical score and dramatic sound effects, it would be all too easy for the acoustics in the environment to impair the audio content, so speaker choice and placement were a key part of the design. The rigging flexibility, and choice of waveguides available as standard on the R10 also played a key role in them becoming the obvious solution. “We used a total of ten R10s distributed behind the curved screen screen in such a manner that we avoided any reflections from the screen itself (which was an issue in similar rides elsewhere) and were able to position the detailed audio exactly where it needed to be.” To enhance the cinematic experience of the ride, three EM Acoustics S-218 reflex loaded subwoofers are placed in a steered cardioid format at the base of the screen to allow guests to experience the impact of the full spectrum of the orchestral score and the dramatic accompanying sound effects. A range of EM Acoustics DQ Series amplifiers complete the line- up. Reactions to the new ‘Ride of the Sky Lion’ have been nothing short of ecstatic with ‘amazing’, ‘magical’ and ‘incredible’ coming up again and again, while some have described it as ‘the best dark ride in the country’. Matt Phillips, senior project manager at Merlin Entertainments (operator of LEGOLAND Parks) who was tasked with project managing the creation of the new MYTHICA area of the park, and in particular the ‘Ride of the Sky Lion’ attraction, is proud of what has been achieved: “We were challenged to enhance the audio quality of the new Flying Theatre experience we were delivering. D.S. Audio were recommended to me by members of the LEGOLAND Windsor team; it was apparent very early on in the process that D.S. Audio were innovative thinkers and would take care of the whole delivery from supplier liaison, to design, test and commissioning. The end result is absolutely world class, the EM Acoustics audio system designed by Dave Shepherd at D.S. Audio is simply breathtaking and I’m looking forward to working with him for future projects.” Following the completion of the new ride, work began on upgrading the control system for the LEGO Studio 4D cinema, which had been in place since 2003 and was starting to show its age. In light of the roaring success of the audio system in the ‘Ride of the Sky Lion’, Shepherd specified the same Reference Series R10 enclosures for the main LR elements, a choice that was wholly endorsed by the production team. These complemented the existing EM Acoustics MSE-159 centre and EMS-81 fill speakers that were installed a few years ago to replace previous failed components of the system. “The flexibility of the Reference Series as well as its slim profile allowed me to position them in a more suitable place than the existing speakers to give a more natural placement as part of the 15.1 system as well as giving a vastly improved sound,” remarks Shepherd. In addition to the R10s, two EM S-218 subwoofers were installed to upgrade the LFE element of the system and help rejuvenate the cinema for the modern audience. “The uncompromising performance of the EM Acoustics products has bought new life to the 4D cinema that had run on its original system since opening as a theatre in 1996, and later converted to a 4D cinema in 2003.” James Dobbs, global entertainment manager for LEGOLAND Parks is thrilled with the results: “The decision to use D.S. Audio and EM Acoustics was an easy one,” he says. “We’ve been working with Dave Shepherd for many years now and we trust his judgement. The audio system in the new MYTHICA ride is nothing short of spectacular so it was a logical step to adopt a similar approach to the cinema which hadn’t really been upgraded since it opened in 2003. Rebuilding a cinema system with 15.1 audio required out-of- box innovation and thinking, something that Dave at DS Audio is well known for. Likewise, EM Acoustics have recently provided an upgrade at both our Harbour and Puppet Show venues and the sound reproduction at both of those venues is excellent; it made total sense that they would provide the speakers for the 15.1 audio at the cinema, just as they did for ‘Ride of the Sky Lion’. I’m pleased to say that the systems for both attractions have proven to be reliable, sound great and, in the case of the cinema, look great which as a venue operator, is all you can ask for.”January 2022 14 features Anolis ArcPar 150s for Wilberforce Monument Illuminations The Wilberforce Monument, a statue dedicated to leading 18th / 19th century politician, philanthropist and anti-slavery campaigner, William Wilberforce, stands on a 31 metre (102ft) high Doric column in the grounds of Hull College in the UK. It has recently been re-lit using Anolis ArcPar 150 Zoom LED fixtures. Graham Roberts of event technical production company HPSS designed the new lighting scheme which is part of a city- wide urban regeneration initiative driven by Hull Council that includes illuminating key city centre buildings and historical landmarks. The Monument, which is Grade II Listed and near to Wilberforce’s birthplace, was previously lit but a more robust and weatherised colour-changing LED solution that would offer sustainable, cost-effective and flexible options was needed. It was important that the new lighting could be integrated and co-ordinated with other building illuminations for special occasions, and the brief also stipulated that the new fixtures must utilise two existing lighting poles already installed across a pond 65 metres away, providing the requisite height. Graham has worked as a project manager at HPSS for eight years and the company already has several Robe products in its rental stock which are in constant use for shows, events, and festivals. When asked to light the Monument, “it made complete sense,” stated Graham, to automatically look at architectural sister brand, Anolis, having had had such a great and consistent experience with Robe over the years. He recalls a visit to the Robe factory in the Czech Republic where guests were shown the Anolis production, “and sure enough, all the same quality of planning, engineering and detail goes into the Anolis side of the business,” he stated. This, plus the great experience with Robe, cemented his decision to go with Anolis. Several other fundamental requirements underlined the choice of Anolis ArcPar 150 Zooms. The first was high output to throw the 65 metre distance between the poles and the Monument. In fact, it transpired that the concentrated 1,600 lumen output of a single ArcPar 150 was similar to that of four of the previous fixtures combined. The Monument is sculpted from dark grey stone which absorbs light significantly, and so intensity was also crucial as, especially in the deeper and richer colours, it needed to register and radiate all around. Equally critical was the beam angle which had to be capable of extremely accurate and narrow focusing and concentration to avoid spillage onto the surrounding Hull College buildings, keeping the emphasis on the elegance of the column and the statue on top! The ArcPar 150 beam angle, reducible to 3.8 degrees, worked brilliantly for this. The fixtures also had to be DMX controllable for hooking into both the existing local Pharos controller and a central Avolites TitanNet Processor (TNP) which HPSS uses for running city-wide lighting events. Utilising DMX over Art-Net, and a Luminex system for wireless transmission. Lighting control is switched from all the local Pharos units to the TNP controller located in Hull Guildhall with excellent roof access for the wireless DMX signals. The new fixtures also needed to be light in weight, so the 8kg ArcPar 150 is perfect for securing to poles, lamp posts and other structures and street furniture. Anolis supplied the units coated in a RAL 9001 graphite black paint finish to blend in with the column and the masts on which they are rigged. All the installation work was completed by HPSS. Graham hails the versatility of the Anolis installation already, recalling “The Kraken”, a popular and fun public art project created by Hull Maritime this summer where nine giant Kraken sea monster tentacles appeared, disappeared, and were followed around the town over a weekend. These needed lighting at various points and the new ArcPar 150s proved perfect for creating the murky teal, steel, cyan and green ripple effect matching the deep-sea theme of the event. The work of Wilberforce and other historical abolitionists has come sharply back into touch over the last year as the Black Lives Matter movement has gained momentum and presence worldwide to bring awareness, justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe, making this new lighting installation even more significant. photos: Lindsay CaveIssue: 347 features 15 I’m a Celebrity contestants face The Plank challenge – designed and rigged by Unusual A daredevil walk the plank challenge which kicked off this year’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here on ITV, was designed and rigged by Unusual Rigging. ITV bosses are no strangers to the spectacular feats that Unusual is able to pull off, having contracted director Robin Elias as crew chief on several stunts for various different shows. Robin said: “Pre-pandemic, ITV had brought me on board to work with them on the show in Australia. Then when Covid hit in 2020 and the show hurriedly relocated from Oz to Wales, none of the trials involved any rigging, there simply wasn’t the time to devise them. We fully expected to be back in the jungle in 2021, but because of the continuing pandemic, it was once again re-routed to Wales, and I was retained as a consultant.” This year’s opening trial, the one which sees the celebrities first enter the camp, was called Walk the Plank. The team on the show had a rough idea of what they wanted to achieve, basing it loosely on a similar trial that had been filmed from the top of a high rise building in Australia some years back. But of course, the landscape of North Wales is somewhat different to Sydney. So, Robin and crew chief Sam Carter, travelled to north Wales to conduct a number of site visits and came up with two locations and two different stunts. The chosen location was Moel Tryfan, a slate quarry in Gwynedd. One of the biggest challenges faced by Robin and Sam, was how to overcome the complexities of the location, to ensure the trial was safe for the contestants and all those operating it. He continued: “The trial took place on an unstable cliff edge, so it was essential that we conducted thorough weight load testing near the edge. We also had to undertake some excavation of the site and install ground anchors a long way back from the edge. Being a slate quarry, it’s not really the best rock to build on. However, with numerous ground surveys and lots of work on the site to make it suitable, we were able to create a base for our structure.” The result was a structure cantilevered over the edge of the cliff that could accommodate the camera crew, hosts Ant and Dec, celebrities and riggers, as well as containing all the systems necessary for the game: a mechanism to keep the plank in place until the quick release button was pressed, a safety system to prevent the celebrity being plunged into the freezing waters below, a system to reset the plank and a system to retrieve the celebrity following the drop as well as all the other necessary safety features. Testing was initially carried out at Unusual’s HQ in Bugbrooke, using weighted bags instead of humans. Further rigorous testing then took place on site “with the added delights of wind, rain, sheep and wild horses,” said Robin. Broadcast on ITV on Sunday 21st November during the opening show of the season, Walk the Plank was deemed a huge success, both daring and dramatic in typical I’m a Celebrity… fashion, with the impressive rigging structure grabbing the attention of both locals and the national press. “Sam did an amazing job of refining the design and putting all the elements together,” said Robin. Unfortunately, due to the carnage caused by Storm Arwen, and the cancellation of some shows, the second challenge designed by Unusual is unable to go ahead this series. “All is not lost,” exclaimed Robin. “It’ll be kept on file and used for another series in the future.” www.unusual.co.ukJanuary 2022 16 features Hippotizer Boreal+ gets the mercury rising for Queen Relived Formidable Queen frontman Freddie Mercury took to the stage in the form of tribute performer Michael Kluch and his band in September, for a huge concert at Prague’s 18,000-capacity O2 Arena. The group, named Queenie, played the ‘Queen Relived’ show with a rock & roll lighting design and a mix of pre-made and live feed visuals driven by Hippotizer Boreal+ and Karst+ media servers. The three-nighter, big budget production took more than a year to plan and programme, with the staging and tech taking 16 trucks to transport. Renowned show designer and creative Martin Hruška staged an impressive display of pyrotechnics and lighting pizazz, backed by a huge upstage LED screen. The visuals depicted images of Mercury, played by Kluch, on stage. Lighting designer Lukáš Patzenhauer was in charge of the visuals, controlling the Hippotizer Boreal+ and Karst+ media servers via his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M console. “I fell in love with Hippotizer,” says Patzenhauer, who has worked with some of Czechia’s biggest music and TV stars. “It’s such a user-friendly platform, enabling me to harness the power of VideoMapper, effects and masks to create incredible visuals via DMX control from my desk, matching the colours often to complement my lighting design. The Timeline feature in Hippotizer V4 allowed me to playback the show simply, despite a complex array of visuals and effects.” The Hippotizer media servers were supplied to the production by Prague- based distributor LightNeq, and their Hippotizer specialist Karel Bartak, who assisted Patzenhauer during show setup and programming. Show designer Martin Hruška, who designed the visuals continues: “Some of the video content was created in other programs, such as Cinema 4D, Adobe After Effects and others. Some songs were manufactured in the form of livecam and colour corrections and effects adjusted within Hippotizer. “Hippotizer gave us reliability, speed and great synchronisation with the lighting. It’s a really great product.” The production team were also supported by Green Hippo’s central Europe sales manager Evzen Zomer. “The team were really impressed by the Boreal+ and Karst+ media servers and ZooKeeper,” says Zomer. “Both Martin Hruška and Lukáš Patzenhauer used many of Hippotizer V4’s powerful features, including a creative use of LED blocks using VideoMapper which optimised output use, reducing the number of LED processors needed to drive the content to the screens, which looked fantastic.” The three-nights of shows, which had been delayed due to the pandemic, rocked the O2 Arena with the buzz and drama of Queen’s music and performance, reinterpreted by Queenie for the Queen Relived show. On the back of its success in Prague, the show is now gearing up for international dates. photos: Queen Relived / Petr Klapper www.green-hippo.comIssue: 347 features 17 Yamaha and Molto Music Reach New Heights at The Dorchester Bringing new, fresh live music to places where people don’t expect it is the mission of London-based Molto Music. With a flagship project on the roof of The Dorchester, one of the city’s most prestigious hotels, the company is working closely with Yamaha to expand its ‘pop up’ live venues throughout the city. “London is full of live music locations that nobody really considers. People automatically think of the well-known venues, but the city is full of mini live performance spaces. We are bringing interesting, original music to those places where people wouldn’t necessarily expect it,” says Nicky Caulfield, group director at Molto Music. Nicky is discussing Molto Music’s mission to bring new music with interesting staging to restaurants and hotels, so long the preserve of cocktail pianists and crooners. Working with Yamaha, one of the highest profile of these inventive spaces is the rooftop terrace at the five star The Dorchester, long known as a preferred choice of the rich and famous. “What we have tried to do is to make live music fit the aesthetics and atmosphere of its surroundings. To be a feature, but also seamlessly complement and blend into the space, because people still want to have conversations,” says Nicky. The project began earlier in 2021, as government restrictions on social mixing started easing, Richard Newell, food and beverage director at The Dorchester, contacted Nicky with an unusual idea. “Initially, restaurants were only allowed to serve food outside. With the hotel’s rooftop unused, except as a private garden for some of the suites, Richard had the idea of opening it to allow them to serve food,” says Nicky. “He realised that live music with a warm, laid-back vibe would be a way to enhance the dining experience, as well as introducing younger people and new music fans to what the hotel has to offer.” Opening in April this year and continuing until late summer, every three weeks a new chef took over and The Dorchester Rooftop, as it’s called, had a different theme with different live music. With superb food, music and unrivalled views over London, four Yamaha DZR10 and two DZR12 powered loudspeakers, plus a pair of DXS15XLF subwoofers easily met the need for high quality, distributed sound, while coping with the challenges of wind and other outdoor factors. Performances were mixed on a TF-RACK rackmount mixer. “We’ve worked with Yamaha on various projects, so they were the first people we called. We designed a sound reinforcement system and were more than happy for it to be all Yamaha equipment, because one of the things we really like is its consistency,” says Nicky. “You can make live music as big or as small as you like and Yamaha’s consistency and reliability lets us make it as good as it can be. You want the same audio experience, no matter where you are in a venue. With Yamaha we can achieve that and also have remarkable uniformity across multiple venues.” As well as Yamaha mixing and sound reinforcement in all its venues, Molto Music provides Yamaha instruments for the performers. For The Dorchester Rooftop, these comprised a CP88 stage piano, Stage Custom Hip 20 drum kit and TRB-1005J five- string bass guitar. “The idea is that they only need to bring their Oyster card and perhaps some beer money for after their performance,” smiles Nicky. “Everything else is provided.” He continues: “It’s been interesting to see how drummers and keyboard players already love Yamaha gear, but guitarists and bass players tend to be surprised when they try a Yamaha guitar. Some have initially insisted on bringing their own instrument, but are now asking us about buying Yamaha guitars and basses because they’ve played them and liked them. So, we are kind of converting people along the way.” Since the project began, Molto Music has exclusively used Yamaha rigs as it expands its array of ‘pop up’ live music venues across London. “The Dorchester trusted us to be as cool and creative as possible and, from there, it has just snowballed,” says Nicky. “Richard and the team are extremely happy; we’ve now got an ongoing contract with the hotel and customers have been very complimentary. There have been reviews specifically about the live music and a lot of social media coverage. It could not have gone any better.” “Molto Music and its world class partners including Yamaha have been exceptional in allowing us to create and deliver a unique experience at The Dorchester Rooftop, especially with such a rapid turnaround,” adds Richard. “From the get go, the creativity and support has been phenomenal and it has really opened the doors for new opportunities here at the hotel.” “We have received constant reviews about the atmosphere we developed and have continued to adapt, our social and press coverage has been endless. None of this would have been achieved without the support of Molto Music and its partners.” photos: Molto MusicJanuary 2022 18 features GLP impression FR10 Bars help Cate Carter frame Elbow Elbow’s extensive recent UK tour, the band’s biggest in years, was brought to life by their long-term, award-winning lighting designer, Cate Carter, and her use of GLP’s powerful impression FR10 Bars. A massive fan of GLP’s innovative battens, she says that while the classic X4 Bar 20s have been “confirmed favourites that have featured on all our designs”, she took the decision to step up to the more powerful FR10 Bar after originally seeing it at the LDI Show in the United States. With its ten separate sources of 60W RGBW LED, as well as other unique features, the FR10 Bar is becoming increasingly popular with LDs. “We started designing at the end of 2019 for a tour that was due out March 2020. But when COVID hit, it was the last tour to be shut down and the first to start up again,” she explains. The brief had been for a strident light show incorporating lasers, but without video, in a package that would be “big enough to sit in an arena, look impressive in a theatre, and at the same time be able to be shoehorned into a club”. “The band are very into their lighting,” she continues, “and as lovers of the X4 Bars I thought this time I’d give [the FR10s] a try.” Carter could see a unique opportunity to use these fixtures as a scenic element on the risers, she adds: “They were built into the stage set, and although they were on a curve, it really worked.” The designer had immediately been impressed with the fixture’s large aperture. “I also love the individual zoom and colour control, and they produce immense light,” she says. “The aperture around the risers gave an almost footlight feel and was a nod back to the days when shows had banks of parcans.” This harmonised perfectly with an album that the band felt would suit lasers, in deference to the earlier prog idiom of the early 70s. And the FR10 certainly stood up to the task. “We edged the risers in low intensity light using the FR10s in their widest focus, as the beam effect can sometimes be a little too intense, and then we used the tighter focus options to create a frame and full-beam effects.” Carter says everything she had hoped for from the FR10 Bars had come to fruition during pre-vis. This took place at the HQ of Lite Alternative, which also the designer’s preferred, long-term vendor. “The first night at rehearsals my programmer [Franki McDade] and I did a bit of wrangling and the result was absolutely what we had been hoping for in a dynamic, multi-effect, multi-head fixture,” she continues. “What I like about these is the light curtain feel it creates [which is] quite architectural when it comes to framing the band.” The band also voiced their approval, according to Carter. “They said [the FR10 Bars] looked fantastic, guitarist Mark Potter in particular,” she concludes. photos: Matthew Eachus / The Manc Photographer www.glp.deIssue: 347 features 19 Wycombe Wanderers F.C. enhances fan experience with Dynacord Dynacord’s MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine is at the heart of the new digital audio system at Adams Park stadium, home of Wycombe Wanderers Football Club. The club opted for Landways to design and install this new system, which also includes high-performance solutions for Wi-Fi and security, to help realise owner Rob Couhig’s ambitious vision for a great match-day experience. Designed using optical fibre and a new low-power infrastructure, the system’s nine MXE5s support control and distribution of high-quality digital audio streams to a series of amplifiers located at the edge of the network, all feeding more than 250 new loudspeakers to serve every seat and public space in the stadium. This approach was taken to combat the challenges of audibility, speech clarity, music quality and volume found in so many stadia. It enables the delivery of specified levels of speech and music quality, depending on the needs of different areas of the stadium, all of which were precisely configured to give guaranteed levels of performance. The MXE5s serve as a communications hub for all IP-based peripherals and provide comprehensive supervision of all system-wide commands. In addition to this, the 24 x 24 crosspoint performance audio matrices offer both routing and mixing functionalities. A Bosch Praesensa system handles emergency messages. These can be pre-recorded messages from the system controller digital message storage, or live announcements from two Praesensa emergency call stations. The audio from Praesensa is fed into the MXE5 matrices via OMNEO IP architecture. During an emergency, Praesensa messages are always ready to broadcast at the highest priority and the entertainment audio is automatically muted. The MXE5s handle all of the signal routing and loudspeaker processing while 28 TPC-1 touch-panel controllers, located in the function suites, bars, and corporate hospitality boxes, allow staff and guests to set their own volume levels and choose from different input sources, such as the match day presenter, or a local Dante- enabled Bluetooth interface. Featuring a high-definition 5.7” display, the TPC- 1 touch panel controller is configurable in SONICUE Sound System Software, allowing custom images, texts and controls to be added. The MXE5 and TPC-1 were all programmed effortlessly with SONICUE using the powerful system logic editor, allowing the system designer to create advanced system tasks. Business paging is handled by two custom touchscreen PC call stations located in the match control room and the pitch-side press box. Each PC call station communicates with the MXE5 devices over the network using the OCA communications protocol architecture. The audio signal from an Electro-Voice PolarChoice microphone is distributed via Dante. Dante is also used to transport audio from the MXE5 outputs to the Landways-equipped amplifiers and loudspeakers. “I am delighted that Landways’ digital infrastructure is now fully in place and available for everyone inside Adams Park to enjoy, said Rob Couhig, chairman of Wycombe Wanderers. “Through our partnership with Landways, we are making a long-term investment in digital technology to improve the match-day experience, reduce costs and help our business continue to thrive. It is great that the same underlying energy-efficient infrastructure that delivers our incredibly fast Wi-Fi can also be used to deliver high-quality stadium audio and new safety systems, at the same time as being ready to handle data growth and new digital services in the future.” “Landways’ project at Adams Park highlights just how powerful the MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine is,” noted Richard Leadbitter, sales manager at Dynacord. “This was a complex and innovative stadium sound solution, and MXE5 was exactly the right choice to turn the concept into a reality. The combination with TPC-1 means simple and intuitive control is at the fingertips of stadium staff for every event the venue hosts.” “We are extremely proud to work with Wycombe Wanderers and play our part in the digital transformation of Adams Park, adds Chris Smedley, chief executive of Landways. “We would particularly like to thank the Couhig family, the club’s staff and the Wycombe Wanderers Trust who have been a pleasure to work with throughout this very challenging period for us all. We are delighted that the club’s fans are now back at Adams Park and we look forward to making sure these new systems deliver to them for years to come.”Next >