Production News

LD Systems invests in Robe FORTES

USA – Houston and San Antonio, Texas-based rental and event production solutions company LD Systems has invested in 32 new Robe iFORTE LTX moving lights, purchased specifically to pair with its existing 14 RoboSpot remote followspotting control systems.

“The iFORTE LTX is a proper ‘Swiss Army knife of fixtures’: highly versatile and very robust,” commented LD Systems’ lighting operations manager, Nathan Brittain.

The company already has substantial quantities of other Robe products – Pointes, MegaPointes and Spikies – in its rental inventory which are in constant use on touring, concert and festival systems as well as special events, spectaculars and one-offs, plus the RoboSpot Systems which up to this point had been working with BMFL LT fixtures.

Nathan explains that they were looking for an IP-rated high-powered moving light, especially for the festival season.

One of their regular events is the annual Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, for which they have talked about swapping the conventional followspotting system for an LED alternative. iFORTE ticked all the relevant boxes – super bright, long throw, reliable and weatherproof – as well as several others.

“It’s so much more than just a long throw, with a great zoom range taking it from wide to medium throw, so you can position the light virtually anywhere and it will do a great job,” he confirmed.

Apart from these features, Nathan and his team value the excellent CRI which is perfect for highlighting faces both live and on camera. “The source is just fantastic,” he enthused.

LD Systems received the fixtures from Robe North America in time for the 2024 rodeo which they used as a testing ground, with three iFORTE LTXs set up and running on two of their RoboSpot BaseStations. The fixtures were tried in a few different positions around the NRG Stadium to evaluate the throw distances and prove their concept of transitioning to LED worked. It was also a great opportunity to compare the iFORTE LTXs alongside conventional 4kW followspots which were also used to facilitate the 360 degrees followspotting utilised on the entertainment and music sections of this event.

Everything went well, so the plan is to implement the full iFORTE LTX / RoboSpot system for the 2025 event, having 16 fixtures covering 12 positions onto the in-the-round stage with throw distances of up to 300 feet and the shortest being around 230 feet.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo entails lighting 20 major music shows in 20 days with a diverse line-up and some A-list headliners, and 2024’s event also proved a great chance to get feedback on the RoboSpot / LTX system from some visiting LDs.

Since then, the new iFORTE LTXs have been out on a number of other shows and events, including the Two Step Inn festival in Georgetown, Texas, the NCAA March Madness Music Festival in Phoenix, Arizona and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee.

They are proving every success that Nathan and his team was anticipating.

LD Systems will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, providing quality professional audio, lighting and video equipment, production services and AV integration products. The company has two main divisions: event production services and audio-visual systems integration. They have been servicing the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with technical elements since the 1980s.

The Robe investments started 11 years ago with the first purchase of Pointes and Nathan commented that they believe Robe is “at the top of their game” right now. “All the lighting professionals are happy to work with Robe, and the products are also constantly in demand, making them great for cross-rentals.”

He adds that the support from the Robe North America team is “excellent” which is another vital consideration for any busy rental / production enterprise when investing in a brand.

photos: LD Systems

6th September 2024

grandMA3 Runs in Live Mode for Third Eye Blind’s Summer Gods Tour

USA – Rock band Third Eye Blind has completed the fourth edition of their Summer Gods Tour, covering much of North America. Clay Joiner, associate lighting designer at New York City-based Live ReDesigned, which is known for crafting unforgettable experiences, served as the tour’s lighting programmer, utilising grandMA3 in an unconventional live mode. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of MA Lighting products in North America.

The summer tour kicked off in June in Airway Heights, Washington and wrapped up on 3 August in Houston, with dates at Red Rocks and the Fontainebleau, Las Vegas in between.

“My friend Chris Denholm designed the show and asked me if I’d program it,” says Joiner. “We were looking for a joyous, summer, seductive feeling and the ability for the band to move around on stage and interact with the audience. We wanted them to feel the energy of the band and to make sure the band didn’t feel robotic as can happen with a timecode show. They needed to be more organic yet still hit all the right vocal notes and guitar strums: at least 50-100 cues for every song in cue stack.  There were more than 2,000 manual cues in 70 minutes with an acoustic set in the middle.”

In programming the show it was Joiner’s goal to “push for all the same things you get in a timecode show while having a manual show. grandMA3 gave us the freedom to streamline the process of a manual show and still have all the elements you expect from a timecode show.”

Joiner used two grandMA3 full-size desks for the tour, which were provided by lighting vendor Solotech. Grey Nicholson served as the lighting director and board operator.

Joiner cites grandMA3’s Phasers effects and chasers and Selection Grids as “hugely” important to the manually-driven show. “We were able to manipulate the order of the fixtures on the fly on the grid, something we didn’t realise we’d need until we used it,” he points out. “We could fire intricate Phasers and effects in one cue, creating very dynamic and beautiful looks way better than we could with grandMA2.”

grandMA3 also “made dealing with lots of pixels easier,” he says. “On some of the bigger shows we had thousands and thousands of pixels in pixel strips and grandMA3 enabled us to quickly manipulate specific sets of pixels. grandMA3 also made it easy to grab and manipulate groups of pixels in our Robe Tarrantulas and Flares.”

Joiner easily ported the Tarrantula fixture profile from grandMA2 to grandMA3. “I stored all the presets to the fixture type, imported the profile and grandMA3 Show Creator pumped out all the presets flawlessly. Once we had the colours, strobes and zooms, we could store them and take them out at will.”

In addition to lighting, grandMA3 controlled Pangolin lasers through a profile that also was previously built and ported over to the new software. grandMA3 also drove a pair of MDG theONE atmospheric generators through cue stack. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of MDG products in North America.

“TheONE is the industry standard,” says Joiner. “I love its ability to go back and forth, giving us hazy atmosphere to make things feel full visually then switch to very smoky for some really big moments.”

He notes that he has “only used grandMA3 on shows this year. It has greatly improved my quality of life and made programming faster. For the Third Eye Blind tour, grandMA3 allowed us to run a manual show on the most modern piece of equipment out there. That’s super cool!”

“grandMA3 software is one of the platform’s best advances in a long time,” says Live ReDesigned chief creative officer Nick Whitehouse. “It’s the future of lighting software.

“We were one of the first to use grandMA3 for Carrie Underwood’s Las Vegas residency, and we had full support from ACT to make it work,” adds Whitehouse.  “ACT and MA Lighting have been outstanding partners for us.”

“ACT made it easy for me to move from grandMA2 to grandMA3 and has responded immediately when any issues arise,” says Joiner. “They are always there to make sure my shows succeed.”

photos: nolenryan & m.a.n media

www.malighting.com 

6th September 2024

ETC Full Boar 4 Controls RENGANEK Tour

Italy – In the summer of 2024, Italian music legends Francesco Renga and Filippo Neviani, known as Nek, embarked on an electrifying tour that celebrated the best of their extensive discographies. This highly anticipated tour, aptly named RENGANEK Live 2024, masterfully blended Renga’s soulful rock with Nek’s dynamic pop-rock, offering audiences a unique musical experience grounded in a shared rock matrix.

Designed with flexibility and sustainability in mind, the tour utilises a semi-production set-up that integrates essential aspects of a full-scale production with a more efficient and simplified approach. This combination ensures smooth execution across numerous tour dates, while also providing the adaptability to address the unique challenges and opportunities of each venue.

At the heart of the tour’s lighting set-up is a sophisticated control system managed by renowned lighting designer Pietro Bardelli. Bardelli has employed two Full Boar 4 consoles from ETC’s Hog 4 family – one primary and one backup – to ensure flexibility, speed and reliability throughout the tour. This decision was driven by the need to adapt quickly to varying materials and conditions at each venue while maintaining high standards of visual consistency.

Bardelli, who has a long-standing reputation for excellence in live event production, explains: “This is a rock and roll tour and with the semi-production set-up, I encounter different fixtures at each stop. It was crucial to use a control setup that provides the flexibility, speed and reliability required for this kind of tour. The ETC Full Boar 4 consoles, along with two DP8000 units for expanded DMX universes, offer significant advantages in terms of programming logic and console power.”

The lighting design for the RENGANEK tour places a strong emphasis on clean and precise programming, particularly given the absence of an LED wall. The visuals rely heavily on the lighting design to create an impactful experience. Bardelli notes: “Practically at every date, I have to replace the fixtures while maintaining the same effects. The palettes must be transported faithfully and even with different lighting fixtures, the result closely matches my vision. Typically, within a couple of hours, I can set up new fixtures, adjust the patch, and recall palettes and colours efficiently.”

The tour's concert experience is further enhanced by the integration of timecode for most pieces, with Bardelli also retaining the flexibility to manually mix certain segments during performances. The dynamic interplay between Renga and Nek, highlighted by a thrilling rock medley where Nek showcases his bass skills, adds to the tour's excitement.

As the tour progresses, the synergy between Francesco Renga’s emotive rock style and Nek’s high-energy performances remains a highlight. The lighting design, which shines without the aid of an LED wall, ensures that the visuals are as captivating and precise as the music itself.

6th September 2024

Disguise Powers AR workflow for RTHK’s Innovative Broadcast of the Summer Olympics

Hong Kong – Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Hong Kong’s public television broadcasting service, revolutionised its coverage of the summer Olympic Games in Paris by integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into their show to create a uniquely immersive experience for those watching at home. RTHK chose a Disguise workflow to facilitate blending real-time AR elements with narrative storytelling so the graphics complemented and enhanced live-action content without overwhelming it.

RTHK mixed 3D animations and real-time overlays, including data visualisations that enhanced the storytelling aspect of the show. The graphics needed to be versatile enough to integrate seamlessly with varying scenes, from high-energy performances to more intimate moments.

With its seamless fusion of technology and art, RTHK’s innovative use of AR not only captivated viewers but also created a level of interactivity that traditional formats can't achieve. The combination of a compelling narrative with stunning visual effects made the show an unforgettable experience that resonated with a diverse audience.

The most important aspect was ensuring the synchronisation of live action and AR graphics. Any lag or misalignment would detract from the viewers’ experience. RTHK needed a reliable system for 18 hours of continuous live broadcasting that could also manage real-time data synchronisation plus implement robust failover protocols as well as scale its infrastructure to handle peak viewer loads efficiently.

To achieve this, they deployed a robust AR platform to overlay interactive graphics in real-time and calibrated the AR elements using depth sensors and precise tracking systems to ensure perfect alignment with the live action. 

Two Disguise VX 4+ industry-standard media servers, eight IP-VFC-12G next-generation video format conversion cards and two Porta OnPrem systems were used for full control of the graphics.  The gear integrated with stYpe Follower motion capture and the StypeLand plug-in for Unreal Engine and a Unilumin UMiniIII P1.56 LED display.

“Disguise provided advanced visual effects and real-time rendering capabilities that significantly enhanced the production quality,” says Disguise technical solutions manager Wayne Law. “With us, RTHK were able to integrate complex graphics and live feeds seamlessly, helping engage viewers more effectively and maintain a dynamic broadcast.”

In addition, Disguise was able to integrate with their existing systems with a user-friendly interface that simplified complex visual effects.

The broadcaster established a collaborative workflow that integrated pre-production planning with real-time monitoring during live broadcasts. This included using asset management and remote access for team members allowing for quick adjustments on the fly. These workflows minimised downtime and improved communication among team members. 

Disguise’s expertise in real-time rendering and adaptability to RTHK’s workflow not only set Disguise apart from other providers but enabled them to achieve a level of visual quality and interactivity that was crucial for our project’s success.

With real-time updates and cloud access, crew members could swiftly adapt to changes, enhancing overall efficiency and making sure that everyone was on the same page throughout the production.

6th September 2024

PMC Gets Immersive at The Royal Academy of Arts for The Michael Craig-Martin Retrospective

UK – PMC loudspeakers have been chosen to power a large-scale immersive audio and video experience, which will be a major focal point at the forthcoming Michael Craig-Martin retrospective, opening at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in September.

Sir Michael Craig-Martin RA is one of the key figures in British art. With a 60-year career that encompasses a broad repertoire across sculpture, installation, painting and drawing, he is perhaps best known for his pop art transformations of recognisable objects: household items, technology devices, famous art and modernist buildings. As an educator he has inspired a new generation of artists, including the likes of Damien Hirst. The exhibition will bring together over 120 works spanning his career from the 1960s to the present day.

The journey through the exhibition will conclude with works conceived specially for the retrospective with a dynamic digital experience, featuring floor-to-ceiling projected images and an immersive audio soundtrack. PMC Ci series speakers have been specified by the Royal Academy to provide the very best audio experience for the exhibition’s visitors.

The Ci series, which is the reference for Dolby Atmos music mixing, will be installed with the Ci45 models for the front and rear channels, Ci65 for Surround channels and Ci30s for the overhead channels. A Ci140 sub will provide the low frequencies and all will be powered using a pair of PMC power750-8 multi-channel amplifiers. The individual channel DSP capabilities of the amplifier will ensure the highest levels of fidelity in the gallery space.

The cinematic soundscape for the cosmos section of the exhibition has been created by Benji Fox, head of audio visual at the Royal Academy of Arts. Using an Audient Oria immersive audio interface and a plethora of digital and analogue sources. Fox has developed the soundtrack at his own studio, before referencing the mixes at PMC Studio London with PMC’s Phil Millross.

“We are delighted and honoured to have been chosen by the Royal Academy to provide the speakers for the immersive audio experience at this major exhibition,” says Jeff Willcocks, PMC CEO. “The opportunity to work closely with Benji and the team at the RA on this project demonstrates the esteem with which PMC is held in the world of music and the arts. With the Ci series established as the global reference for Atmos mixing, we know the combination of mixing the soundtrack at PMC Studio London, and playing back on the Ci models at the RA will give visitors the very best immersive experience as they travel through the life and works of this great artist.”

The Royal Academy of Arts’ Michael Craig-Martin retrospective opens on 21st September and runs until 10th December at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London.

5th September 2024

Brian Willison Creates Free Flowing Vibe at Northern Nights with 160 Chauvet Professional Fixtures From 4Wall

USA – It’s easy to get lost in the redwood forest in and around the Cooks Valley Campgrounds, especially if you journey to this beautiful piece of paradise located 794-feet above sea level, when the annual Northern Nights Music Festival takes place. 

Ok, maybe you won’t be ‘lost’ in the literal sense of the word, i.e. not knowing where you are, but you’ll be so absorbed by the sensory experience that this festival has to offer that the question of your exact whereabouts won’t really matter much during its three-day run.

Such is the magic of Northern Nights, which features things like tent camping on the Eel River, yoga in the woods and the chance to catch some sleep in rows of hammocks strung along stunning rows of giant redwoods.

Adding to the atmosphere this year was a new lighting rig designed by Brian Willison that featured 160 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by 4Wall Entertainment. Included in this mix are 22 Maverick Force S Spots, 12 Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes, 32 Color Strike M motorised strobe-washes, 14 Rogue R1 FXB units, 62 COLORado 1QS RGBW wash lights, six Rogue R1 Washes and 12 COLORado PXL 16 motorised battens. 

The colour rendering prowess and intense output of these fixtures were used to create a variety of deeply evocative looks that contributed to the transformative vibe of Northern Nights. When designing the rig, Willison strove to create a harmonious balance between the lights and the 31.3ft by 18.8ft video wall.

“Our colours follow the video wall colour,” said Willison. “The seamlessness of colours between video and lighting to me is one of my favourite parts of the rig. This was by far my favourite rig ever to design.

“I went really pixel heavy with this one, because my programmer Jason (Magellan) Hager is excellent at creating super unique looks and effects. I just love the outline of all the truss with pixels. Having multiple layers of vertical pixels and horizontal pixels created a really nice depth on the rig.”

Looking back on how this rig came about, Willison said that he originally was going with a “fairly basic/generic festival rig that would fulfil most of the rider requirements. The kind of rig that could fit with a single video wall on one semi.

“That is usually my limitations for what I can design,” Willison explained. “But this year we had an artist add a complex floor package in the final weeks before the show that forced us to get a second truck from LA. That allowed me to pre-rig most of the truss, which in turn allowed me to redesign the rig not only to accommodate that artist’s needs for their set, but to beef up the rig for the entire festival weekend!”

Since acts on Northern Nights mainstage were primarily EDM artists, Willison emphasised strobes and pixels in his rig design to allow “flash and trash when needed.” At the same time, he notes that the Maverick Force S Spot and Maverick Storm 2 BeamWash were used to provide more dynamic looks for big moments. Finally, he noted that the addition of the COLORado 1QS “just topped everything off!”

Headliners at the festival brought their own LDs: Lorcan Clarke for BACKLIST, Hunter Girard for DIPLO, and Alex Vanroon for LSDream. The other acts were lit by Hager. Other members of the production team that contributed to the festival’s success were master electrician Carter Adams, lighting technicans Ben James, Ollie Hudson, Michael Combs, Adam Smith, Shad Mayer and Travis Davenport, and stage manager-James Spektrum.

Working with his team, Willison successfully negotiated the path between the limitations of budget and the aspirations of creative vision. “Even though I knew we had more space on the truck, I still had to stay within the festival budget,” he said. “Beyond staying within budget, it is a matter of trying to fill all the space on stage with light, which I think was accomplished pretty well.”

Pretty well? Those who got lost in the magic of Northern Nights this summer under a full California moon, would want to amend that to say: “Extraordinarily well!”

5th September 2024

Mammoth AV Stumpfl screens are the very best solution for The 1975

Worldwide – A duo of bespoke 32-foot (9.75m) projection screens, created to order by AV Stumpfl, provided the backdrop to the innovative, award-nominated set design for The 1975’s recently concluded At Their Very Best and Still … At Their Very Best world tours.

The chart-topping indie-popsters paired the custom projection surfaces with 180,000 lumens of ultra-bright IMAG projection for the critically acclaimed back-to-back tours, which ran from November 2022 to March 2024.

Compared to the band’s previous concert tour, At Their Very Best and Still … At Their Very Best were more personal affairs, with the production emphasising the band itself rather than the highly digital design cues that were central to 2018–2020’s Music for Cars (in support of the social media-themed concept album A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships). Whereas Music for Cars leveraged a bombastic setup featuring several giant, automated LED cubes, the brief for the latest tours, spearheaded by the band and their management was for a stripped-down, ‘classic’ look that could only be achieved with projection technology.

“The design concept on a 1975 tour is never the ‘same old’, they always like to do something different,” comments the tours’ head of video, Ed Lawlor of Visual Certainty, who has been working with the band since 2014. Alongside production manager Josh Barnes, tour manager Maarten Cobbaut and creative director/show designer Tobias Rylander, Lawlor was responsible for turning the band’s vision into reality, from early concept drawings to the final product.

Discussions on the direction of the tour design began in the first half of 2022, and while a number of early ideas were discarded on cost grounds, the shows’ core concept – the modular ‘house’ stage design which resembles a deconstructed home – was there from the beginning, according to Lawlor. So, too he says, was the brief for the video design, which needed to make heavy use of IMAG in order to provide a cinematic experience for fans in every row.

“It was clear from previous tours that the band wanted IMAG to be closely integrated into the overall design,” he explains. “On previous tours, this link was drawn through the use of LED and blurring the lines between IMAG and stage surfaces for live cameras.” For the At Their Very Best and Still … At Their Very Best tours, however, “there was very little on-stage video, and the band's priorities were for the IMAG to offer more of the wider stage view to the audience further back than usual,” he continues. “This necessitated large surfaces and plenty of brightness.”

For the initial leg of the At Their Very Best tour, which played a mix of arena and large theatre/auditorium-sized venues, a ready-made solution was sufficient: Lawlor and team sourced 24-foot AV Stumpfl Vario projection screens – the largest off-the-peg option available – from PRG’s rental stock, which were paired with two 30,000-lumen Panasonic PT-RZ31K projectors per side.

However, on the band’s return to North America the following year, when they stepped up to playing stadia and outdoor amphitheatres, as well as larger indoor arenas, it was clear a larger solution was needed. “For the bigger venues, management requested a larger option, and it was at that point we commissioned the 32-foot AV Stumpfl screen, which was the largest practical option in a fast-fold product,” Lawlor explains.

AV Stumpfl’s brief was to provide PRG was a rear-projection screen that was “as large as reasonably possible”, recalls Lawlor, with the added caveat that it should be made from standard AV Stumpfl VarioLock parts to facilitate easy set-up, dismantling and transport.

Another challenge was that the screen, despite needing to be as large as possible, could not have any vertical structural elements, he continues: “The upper size limit was set by the inability to have any intermediate vertical members in the structure and AV Stumpfl were readily able to explain the compromises we would run into at various sizes and ambient temperatures.”

Designed for use with the company’s modular Vario screens, AV Stumpfl’s plug-in VarioLock connectors make it easy to establish a secure connection for larger projection screens with just a swift 90° turn of the quick locking mechanism.

On the Still … At Their Very Best tour, the custom AV Stumpfl screens were used to extend the theatrical house set, as well as for select non-tour video showing footage of previous tours and archive film of the band. The standard set-up was two screens per show, “although we carried different sizes for smaller venues, where the extra-large model would not fit,” Lawlor adds. To ensure sufficient brightness over such a large surface area, an additional PT-RZ31K was added per side, bringing the number of projectors to six.

Lawlor says he has been a fan of AV Stumpfl projection screens for “longer than I can remember”, so the Austrian manufacturer was the natural choice to help find a solution for the challenges posed by such an unusual video set-up. “The IMAG screens are very much larger than normal for arena touring and I'm grateful for the help of PRG and AV Stumpfl in finding a solution that allowed for rear projection in a fast-fold type frame, with no central member that would obscure the beam,” he comments. “With some additional hardware from the Rigging Co. Ltd we spread the two motor points to four pick-ups on the frame, which helps maintain linearity over the long span.”

After 18 months, and more than 150 shows with AV Stumpfl screens, The 1975 wrapped up the Still … At Their Very Best tour with a sold-out show at the AFAS Live arena in Amsterdam on 24 March 2024. As well as being the band’s most successful and highest-grossing tour to date, the set design was recognised by the prestigious Dezeen Awards, which nominated At Their Very Best for the best installation design in 2023.

photos: Jordan Curtis Hughes

5th September 2024

TMS Opts for PROTEUS Protection for Hangout Fest on Alabama Gulf Coast

USA – White sandy beaches, a mosaic of inspiring music and a reliable lighting package that can weather anything, that was the recipe for uninterrupted fun at this year’s Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Production company TMS chose to go with the proven IP protection of Elation’s PROTEUS line of multi-environmental luminaires for the Shoreline Stage at this year’s Hangout Fest held on Alabama’s southern Gulf Coast. With summer heat, frequent thunderstorms and a windy salt-spray setting to deal with, TMS sought the robust durability and weather-resistant performance of the market’s leading line of IP-rated luminaires.

Held 17-19 May on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, with production management provided by Lambda Productions, the annual three-day music festival serves as the perfect kick off to summer with both established artists and emerging talent playing on five different stages. The event is produced by AEG/Hangout Music Fest.

TMS has handled lighting production for the festival for many years and this year chose a nearly all Elation PROTEUS rig for the Shoreline Stage. TMS’s Ben LoPreto collaborated with festival technicians on the design, utilising feedback from some of the festival’s past lighting designers to refine the set-up, while staying within scope and budget. He says that although the festival did not specifically specify IP-rated gear, for TMS’s own peace of mind, it was the only way to go.

“There is no way we were going to send non-IP rated fixtures to a stage that’s quite literally at the shoreline,” Ben stated. “If we had sent a bunch of non-IP gear to the festival and had it return all broken before the summer even really starts, that doesn’t help us. We needed something we could send out that could withstand the elements, return to the shop for a quick cleaning and then do more shows.”

Located right on the water’s edge and subject to considerable weather, it was also the stage itself that necessitated the use of IP-rated equipment. Ben explains: “Festival organisers wanted to keep the view to the ocean behind the stage so there were no sidewalls or curtains to the stage, which meant only the roof structure provided protection from any weather. That meant if rain came from any direction other than straight up, the fixtures got wet. When we saw the stage and where it was positioned in relation to the ocean and knowing we were using torms and dropdowns to hang fixtures, we knew the rig had to be IP rated.”

Ben had heard from previous LDs that the frontlight options on the mobile stage were subpar so he went with four vertical trusses and cantilevered those out as much as possible, an extended position that meant lighting fixtures were exposed to weather. “During the daytime when we didn’t necessarily need frontlight, we used the PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960’s sparkle effect and fun eye-candy macros out to the audience and had the PROTEUS LUCIUS doing fun gobo looks into the audience as well. When it got dark, we had the 1960s washing the stage along with the LUCIUS spot fixtures to light up the band like a regular frontlight. It was nice not to have to worry about losing those frontlight fixtures if it rained.”

Moving toward the upstage in the vertical truss configuration, Ben had to figure out how to arrange the fixtures in a way that would allow LDs (many of whom were accustomed to horizontal truss set-ups) to easily clone their designs. “We went through a lot of iterations but came up with a scheme that worked for both the headliner bands and the other acts,” he comments. “We ended up laying out the fixtures in a type of horizontal pattern on those vertical trusses – PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960, PROTUES LUCIUS and beam lights – in a mid-stage and upstage configuration to make the cloning process easier.”

Another consideration, he says, was the absence of video in order to not hinder the natural Gulf of Mexico backdrop. Festival organisers did, however, want something upstage to partially fill the void behind the acts. The solution involved a series of vertical torms where Ben could position lights and fortunately, the PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960s fit inside. “We had to hang them in a specific way and make sure it was perfectly level, but they just fit!” Hanging from the bottom of each torm was a PROTEUS LUCIUS.

Somewhat last minute, Ben and his team were asked to light signage and provide aerial looks from shipping containers placed on either side of the stage and the choice fell to the PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960. When the stage wasn’t in use, the fixtures projected searchlight-type effects into the sky while during the day it gave LDs more audience eye candy. Lighting the container signage were Elation PALADIN, another ‘tried and true’ IP fixture that TMS uses regularly for building lighting or signage.

This year’s Hangout Fest experienced inclement weather as it often does but the IP-rated Elation fixtures lived up to their reputation. Ben concludes: “They got a good amount of weather and all came back to the shop covered in a coating of salty sea spray. Our guys washed them down, cleaned them up and they were good to go.”

Note:  Elation PROTEUS MAXIMUS, PROTEUS RAYZOR 760 and DTW BLINDER 350/700 IP fixtures also featured on Hangout’s Boom on the Beach Stage with design and lighting supply by Music Matters Production.

5th September 2024

Billy Talent chooses PRODIGY.MP for stream-lined, robust set-up throughout their world tour

Worldwide – Canadian front of house engineer Matt Blakely is the happy owner of PRODIGY.MP for his personal live audio processing. Blakely has over 20 years’ experience and his latest tour with Billy Talent had dates worldwide, throughout the summer.

A chance encounter initially made him think about his audio interfacing and after trying PRODIGY.MP, he says he will never go back. It is not just the hardware that withstands the demands of a worldwide tour, the relationship and support he gets from DirectOut means other solutions cannot compete.

“It all started when my preferred interface became unsupported,” Blakely recalls. “I can’t remember who suggested I tried the PRODIGY.MP, but I gave it a go for driving the PA. It is a great, simple solution for festivals, but even more useful when we’re touring our own PA as we can have full control of our mix with the 16 by 16 matrix.”

The PRODIGY.MP proved to be a singularly robust solution that would serve all the band’s interfacing needs, but was much more capable than Blakely first realised; a training session in Toronto showed him just how much it could do. One of the features that he now uses most often is the intuitive sample rate conversions for upscaling sample rates between devices.

“We benefitted from training with Luca Giaroli at the Canadian distributors for DirectOut. The workflow was so simple and it just made sense,” he says. “When we’re working with broadcast, we can send the signal digitally from the console, through the PRODIGY.MP, which will clock it and figure out the rest, seamlessly upscaling or downgrading sample rates as needed.”

Blakely soon realised the PRODIGY.MP could replace several separate devices, streamlining his touring set-up and giving him piece of mind in any situation with its multi-level redundancy concept. The PRODIGY.MP benefits from dual power supplies, input managers and EARS (Enhanced Automatic Redundancy Switching).  Thanks to the addition of his RAVENNA module, Blakely also utilises uninterrupted backup streams.

“It really is a powerful piece of equipment and it’s important to have those backups. The PRODIGY.MP does everything I need seamlessly. It drives the PA, interfaces between analogue and digital kit, runs backups and all within a 2U box,” he says. “It’s been great since the day I started using it, which is going on for three years. It’s been rock solid the whole time. It's great piece of kit.” The capacity, control and flexibility that comes with using DirectOut equipment means that, in any application, the PRODIGY.MP can improve the situation.

“It really makes a difference and you can hear it in the digital paths instantly,” Blakely continues. “A really cool example of this happened when we were at a club and I was using my SSL console, clocking at 96K, but the in-house console was older and was on 48k. We sent digital audio from the older console and played it through the system. The signal path now took it through the PRODIGY.MP, which clocked and sampled it up. The in-house guy, who had been mixing in this venue forever, heard it and couldn't understand why his console suddenly sounded better!”

With such impressive features, Blakely is noticing that more engineers are following his lead and choosing DirectOut, as he concludes.

“I think it’s fair to say that my PRODIGY.MP was the first one to be used in Canada,” he says. “Now I’m seeing them in use by many more engineers, either in an OB truck for broadcast, or in the back of some really high-profile consoles. The FIR and IIR filtering sounds great. I think that’s why they’re popping up more and more!”

5th September 2024

Peter Maffay takes GLP impression X5 on ‘Farewell’ tour

Germany – At the age of 74 and after 54 years of writing music history, rock musician Peter Maffay finally said goodbye to the stage as part of his sold-out ‘We Love Rock'n'Roll – Farewell’ tour and leaving with an exclamation mark for 12 stadium shows were scheduled as the tour plan.

Günter Jäckle, Peter Maffay’s long-time lighting designer, developed the design for the tour, together with production manager Bernie Haefner and stage designer Fritze Krauch. He reports: “Fritze and I had the idea early on of integrating an ‘M’ into the stage design. We implemented this idea in two ways: on the one hand, the musicians’ risers form a stylised ‘M’ and on the other hand, we integrated into the stage a video-equipped set construction element in the form of the letter.”

The ‘M’, as a stage projection, was the only stylistic element that defined the look in an otherwise very video-dominated show. In terms of lighting technology, Günter deployed a total of 80 GLP impression X5 Wash and 20 of the new weatherproof impression X5 IP Bar.

The X5 Wash was set on four trusses in the stage roof as well as on the two front truss frames on the right and left. The impression X5 IP Bars recreated the M shape when placed on the floor, especially for spectators on the flat ground in the stadiums.

Once again, the experienced lighting designer remained true to his basic rule of limiting himself to as few fixture types as possible. “Ultimately the show is dominated by the large video surfaces and the video content,” he admits. “It’s an open-air tour and so we’re playing for an hour in daylight. You can’t do that much of a show with light anyway.”

Günter explains that he opted for the X5 Series because of its superior brightness: “The impression X5 is simply much brighter than the impression X4, and that was certainly the main criterion. But an LED washlight also has its own characteristics as a physical object that I wanted to use; the devices are a stylistic element in the stage roof. In fact, I used them less to illuminate the stage and more like blinders facing the audience, with which I could effortlessly bathe at least the first 50 metres of the audience area in colour. The impression X5, with its high performance and rich colours was ideal for this.”

It was a similar story with the impression X5 IP Bars, which the designer was using for the first time on this tour: “Here, too, the greater brightness of the devices was crucial for me. For health reasons, we generally work without fog on a Peter Maffay tour. However, I could still get a clearly visible beam from the X5 IP Bars even without fog. Nevertheless, these served less as effect lighting, but rather to create atmosphere.”

GLP thoroughly supported the designer and his lighting director Oliver Horn during the prep stage, as Günter emphasises: “Among other things, we both received a device at the show laboratory in order that we could intensively examine the fixtures and make a few change requests. The GLP Team was committed to supporting us, that’s the advantage when a company really cares about the products and their users.”

In the summer of 2024, in particular, open-air shows have been subject to constant scrutiny. “I had high expectations of the GLP devices and, despite some unusual weather conditions, I was not disappointed so far. We didn’t have to complain about a single failure,” concludes the designer.

The lighting system for the tour was supplied by PRG Germany. satis&fy provided the sound system, while epicto GmbH was responsible for video production.

Peter Maffay’s ‘Farewell’ tour ended on 20 July, in Leipzig, which was recorded for a documentary and a live DVD. For this purpose, the lighting rig was expanded by a further 100 GLP impression X5 Wash.

production photos: Ralph Larmann

www.glp.de 

4th September 2024

Hippotizer out in force for South Africa’s National School of Arts

South Africa – Celebrated South African production designer Wilhelm Disbergen has completed an array of video-focused shows across his home country, utilising tvONE's Green Hippo brand of Hippotizer media servers to transform the look and feel of each piece.

Disbergen – who has served as video and production designer for dance and ballet, musicals, opera, theatre and corporate projects – focused on two of Johannesburg’s National School of the Arts (NSA) productions recently, using Hippotizer media servers on both to raise the bar on visual design. One of the National School of the Arts projects was called Project 24, which invited audiences to experience a new generation of emerging choreographers from the school to showcase new choreography. During the production, the students gave shape and form to abstract concepts and ideas as they offered a unique perspective and window into the mindset of young South African creatives.

“My brief for this production was to transform the stage in the main performance space at the NSA, using lighting and video to complement the performance and the specific narrative of each piece,” says Disbergen. “I used my own Hippotizer Nevis+ MK2 and was able to achieve a third dynamic to the staging. Hippotizer enabled fast and powerful programming and visual manipulation, and execution for each dance with effects and video projection and video masking. It was fun as each choreography required its own unique story and visuals ranged from static shapes and colours to emotive videos. I often took inspiration from the choreography, music, costumes and mood. The combination of lighting and video meant that a blank space could instantly be transformed into a unique canvas enveloping the artists.”

Disbergen also served as production designer on the NSA Jazz & Pop Extravaganza, a showcase of the next generation of musicians which played two nights on the magnificent Mandela Stage at the Joburg Theatre. Performed with a backing of South African music, the NSA band were joined on stage by the NSA Choir featuring NSA vocalists, backing vocalists and solo instrumentalists, with the NSA dancers adding movement and drama to the proceedings.

“For this ambitious concert I used the Joburg Theatre’s Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 to drive content from various sources including textile patterns, traditional embroidery and AI-generated art to its large LED screen,” says Disbergen. “It is imperative that the lighting and the video content work together. With an amazing tool like the Green Hippo, colour adjustments and artistic modifications can spur the creation of a novel lighting state and vice versa. Often, an archival image can be changed into line drawing or adjusted to match the mood and colouring of the stage performance. Combining LED screen and mood lighting transforms a static stage into a rich jazz club with warm select lighting, key focal spot, and a minimalist pink neon glow from a thin horizontal line at full punch.”

Thabang Phiri, the head of the music department at the NSA National School of the Arts, commented: “We were thrilled to showcase the exceptional talents of our students and celebrate the vibrant diversity of South African music. This concert is a testament to our commitment to nurturing the next generation of musical pioneers and fostering a love for the arts in our community.”

The Hippotizer media servers were supplied to Disbergen by DWR Distribution. “I always get wonderful support from DWR,” he says. “They are always just a call away, and trusted and kind which is something so important in a stressful get in of a new show. I have had various Green Hippo media servers since its launch in South Africa more than ten years ago. Green Hippo is a trusted co-partner in most of my shows, with unparalleled reliability.”

Dylan Jones from DWR Distribution says: “Over the years we’ve enjoyed seeing Wilhelm use the Hippotizer like an artist uses a paintbrush, transforming his imagination and the tools at his disposal into pure magic.”

photos: © Wilhelm Disbergen / NSA

3rd September 2024

Paris Jazz Quintet Mesmerises Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall with Allen & Heath

China – In late April the Paris Jazz Quintet, one of the most revered names in French contemporary jazz, delivered an unforgettable performance at Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. The group enchanted the audience with a rich blend of musette, classic chansons, traditional folk tunes, and original pieces that exuded the distinct charm of French culture. The concert also featured a special collaboration with Chinese musician Jinlong Fang and pianist David Qu, who performed jazz renditions of well-known Chinese songs, bridging cultures through the universal language of music.

Chinese AV solutions provider EZPro was tasked with supplying the sound system for the concert and with sound quality, ease-of-use and reliability being the primary considerations, they chose Allen & Heath products for mixing duties. 

To handle FOH and monitors simultaneously, EZPro deployed a 64 channel / 42 bus Avantis Solo mixer, featuring Allen & Heath’s XCVI FPGA core in a compact form-factor, with a 15.6” Full HD touchscreen, 72 fader strips (12 faders over six layers), and 18 assignable SoftKeys providing extensive control options. This was partnered onstage with a GX4816 remote audio expander providing 48 mic/line inputs and 16 line outs. 

The concert, part of a series of programmes to mark the 25th anniversary of the venue's reopening, featured 20 input signals. These included piano, guitar, bass, accordion, drums and traditional Chinese instruments like the pipa (Chinese lute), ruan, erhu, and flute. The sound engineer assigned these inputs across fader layers A and B of the Avantis Solo, ensuring that each instrument signal was easily within reach. Additionally, aux buses and intercom channels were configured on layer C, while complex instrument signals were grouped into a DCA on layer D.

The stage monitoring featured six individual monitors controlled via six aux buses, each dedicated to a specific instrument or musician: piano, bass, drums, electric guitar, accordion and Jinlong Fang.

Reflecting on the experience, the sound engineer praised the system: "The Avantis Solo may be compact, but it packs a punch with its outstanding sound quality and user-friendly design. The interface is intuitive, allowing me to quickly locate and adjust settings. I was particularly impressed with how easy it was to integrate the Dyn8 multi-band processor: just a few clicks and I was ready to go. It made the entire process incredibly convenient."

3rd September 2024

nlitedesign Ltd deliver Lana Del Rey to the Coachella Stage with Green Hippo

USA – Phil White, founder of nlitedesign Ltd, has delivered stunning live video productions for artists for nearly 20 years. When he was approached to help elevate the video production for Lana Del Rey’s headline slots at Coachella 2024, he knew he would require incredible processing power from his media servers.

Nlitedesign Ltd an experienced lighting, video design and supply company, provide advanced solutions for live performances. Their expertise has made them a go-to for top artists and events worldwide, including being a trusted collaborator of Lana Del Rey’s production team for over a decade.

For Coachella 2024, Phil chose to invest in the Green Hippo Tierra+ MK2 media servers, having been a devoted operator of Green Hippo products since buying his first Grasshopper from A.C. Entertainment Technologies in 2014. Over the years, Phil has upgraded nlitedesign’s stock of Green Hippo to match the demands of this and other shows and now has a well-stocked supply.

Phil explained: “I chose the Tierra+ MK2 for its power and versatility for large scale visual content over multiple layers and outputs. The fact it still has the available processing for visual effects and Notch, made it ideal.”

The main stage LED configuration was three 4K outputs, with the forth output being a holographic on-stage effect. These were controlled from a lighting control console via SACN, with two Karst+ Mk2 servers being used for projection effects from front of house.

Additionally, IMAG for the entire show was routed through the Tierra+ and layered song by song over content. This allowed for manipulation and effects, with live action and content interacting seamlessly in real time.

When preparing for Coachella, Phil again turned to AC-ET with a clear idea of what he needed. Despite the tight timescale, AC-ET was able to supply two Green Hippo Tierra+ MK2 media servers with Datapath 3G-SDI capture cards installed within a week of first contact. This allowed Phil to set up and program during rehearsals, ensuring everything was ready on-site at the Coachella festival in Indio, California.

Phil highlighted the importance of this support, stating: “AC-ET has always been my go-to supplier as they can always accommodate my requirements and sometimes-tight deadlines.”

With AC-ET’s support, Phil successfully helped deliver Lana Del Rey’s stunning performance on the Coachella main stage, earning acclaim for the seamless integration of music and stage production.

Phil concluded: “They are a perfect addition to my rental stock. They allow me to supply to clients in need of the latest performance media server technology, especially the larger more expansive pixel canvases that are becoming typical in the industry nowadays. Add Notch to that and I have a machine that covers all the bases.”

Stuart Burdett, video sales manager at AC-ET, added: “It’s been a pleasure supplying and supporting Phil on his journey and watching the growth of nlitedesign. From a single HD output Grasshopper, to now, with their quad 4K output Tierra. Lana Del Rey at Coachella is a great example of how Green Hippo still leads the media server market as a true real-time playback and live FX powerhouse.”

Following Coachella, nlitedesign’s Tierra+ MK2s accompanied the rest of Lana Del Rey’s LDR24 Tour. Stopping at venues across the US and Europe, including Boston’s legendary Fenway Park, before finishing with the UK’s Reading and Leeds Festivals.

photos: Phil White – nlitedesign Ltd

www.ac-et.com

3rd September 2024

Martin Audio’s major stage boost at Liquicity four-day dance fest

The Netherlands – Last summer, Dutch drum & bass fans were served up a major treat when the four-day Liquicity Festival again took place at the Geestmerambacht Park in the north of the Netherlands. The programme featured a vast roster of international DJ and live dance acts.

The consolidated, multi-stage event which dates back to 2013, attracts daily attendances of up to 20,000. Returning for their second year, Martin Audio rental partner DSL equipped no fewer than seven stages with premium systems over the four days.

Stated DSL director, Gert-Jan Gomes: “At Liquicity 2023, where we supplied all feature areas with Martin Audio PA, we were able to keep the audience immersed in high quality sound, while at the same time restrict off-site noise to a level within the permit. As a result of this achievement, we were asked to return for the 2024 edition.”

In descending order, the main stage was named Galaxy, followed by Solar, Lunar, Nebula and Temple. “The set-up was similar to last year, except the Nebula stage was five times bigger than the last edition,” explained Gomes.

Their hardest task was during the daytime programme when they had to adhere to strict off-site noise regulations. “This was not easy because in terms of measurement, the wide spectrum of Drum & Bass has a differential between dBA and dBC [weighting scales] that can easily reach up to 20dB. But being able to make use of Martin Audio’s WP series provided the ability to project maximum sound to the audience within the field area while keeping off-site noise firmly in control.

“On top of that, the use of a cardioid sub array provided the rear rejection we needed in the lower frequencies to deliver maximum impact on the audience.”

Thus, on the main Galaxy stage they featured two 10-box hangs of the flagship WPL as the main PA, with 24 SXH218 in a cardioid sub array. Two delay hangs were set with six-box WPC and four SXH218, six TORUS T1215 provided frontfill and six Blackline X12 delivered surround sound. On stage, six Martin Audio LE1500 wedges were available for reference monitoring, underpinned by a pair of Blackline X118.

Solar stage featured two six-box WPL hangs as main PA with 28 WS218X in a castellated sub array. Delays comprised two six-box WPCs on a Layer platform, frontfills consisted of four W8LMVDQ and outfills a pair of four-box MLA Mini with MSX subs. For stage monitors a pair of Martin Audio LE1200, four LE1500 and a pair of Blackline X118 subs were provided.

“For the Lunar stage we used the older W8C series and here we experienced some difficulties,” explained Gert-Jan Gomes, taking up the story. “The permit required us to use a cardioid set-up for the subs whereas the promoter thought it was cool to have the audience wrapped around the DJ booth. Therefore, we had to make use of the older W8CS to deliver some low end at the back of the booth which managed to maintain the tonal balance beautifully, with respect to the levels stated in the permit.”

Meanwhile, Nebula featured two stacks of six W8LM, with six SX218 cardioid subs, Blackline X12+ as outfills and a pair of Blackline X12+ as monitors.

Temple used four Martin Audio FlexPoint FP12 each side, with four SX218 subs and a pair of LE100 for reference monitoring. Four X12 were mounted in the Spiegel Tent and ancillary areas such as the food area saw another eight FP12 being deployed, with further Martin Audio Blackline+ sound reinforcement for the campsite, entrance, yoga space and workshops areas.

For the smaller areas DSL were supported by fellow Martin Audio partner Stairway Productions, who provided additional speakers.

Throughout the event, DSL worked with Westerveld Advies, who were responsible for all off-site noise monitoring. Due to constantly changing wind directions, it was necessary to have frequent communication in order to respond quickly, adjusting levels where necessary to avoid noise pollution.  

In conclusion, Gert-Jan Gomes confirmed: “We received many compliments from DJs and visitors afterwards, on the even coverage and tonal balance of all the stages. As the echoes of yet another sensational edition fades away, attendees are already aching to experience the next chapter of Liquicity!”

Stated promoter Mark van der Schoot (who also performed in his stage name, DJ Maduk), “As an organisation Liquicity benefits from the best possible experience for the public and that’s high sound levels with a well-balanced sound across the entire audience. With these sound systems we are able to achieve that.

“It is important for DJs that their performance reaches the audience so that they can enjoy it optimally. And we have received many compliments from DJs and visitors about the sound.” 

3rd September 2024

Solotech Powers Adele’s Guinness World Records Largest Temporary Outdoor LED Screen

Germany – Adele's highly anticipated residency in Munich, Germany, has not only pushed the boundaries of live entertainment but has also officially broken records. Solotech was the official video supplier for the Guinness World Records achievement of the Largest Continuous Outdoor LED Screen (temporary), a groundbreaking feat in live event production.

The screen is the largest of its kind ever deployed for a temporary live event. This monumental installation provides an unparalleled visual experience for the audience and artist, enhancing the performance's overall impact.

“It is an immense honour to present the iconic Adele with this Guinness World Records title. While Adele is no stranger to holding multiple records for her music, this achievement stands apart, celebrating her remarkable vision for the ‘Adele in Munich’ residency. It reflects the extraordinary experience she meticulously crafted for her fans.

I was intrigued to see how such an expansive and seamless screen would be utilised during the concert. The bespoke visual effects, tailored to each song, truly elevated the performance adding an undeniable ‘wow’ factor. It was a perfect complement to the unparalleled artistry of Adele. She is Officially Amazing,” stated Joanne Brent, official adjudicator, Guinness World Records.

Mickey Curbishley, president of Solotech’s live productions division, USA, UK, remarked on the team’s success: “I am immensely proud of our global Solotech video team for this extraordinary achievement. Growing up, the Guinness World Records book was such a big part of my childhood; I’d get the book every year and it was always amazing to see what could be accomplished. To now see our team being part of this world record is staggering and something to truly celebrate. It's a privilege to see the accomplishment of the whole of our global operations team be recognised.”

The collaboration between Adele, her production team and Solotech highlights the importance of technological advancements in the entertainment industry. As artists like Adele continue to push creative boundaries, companies like Solotech and the other premium providers involved in this project play a crucial role in bringing these visions to life. 

“This Munich residency is unlike anything that has ever been done before. There was no template, no comparison, only possibilities. What makes this show groundbreaking isn't just the scale of the record-breaking LED screen, but the innovative thinking that made it possible. This production redefines how live entertainment can be experienced. Working alongside Adele’s visionary team and all the other top-tier suppliers, we were able to push beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible. It’s this spirit of collaboration and innovation that made the Guinness World Records for the Largest Outdoor LED Screen achievable. I want to extend my congratulations to everyone involved and the entire crew who made this achievement a reality,” said Ian Solotech’s director of global touring and special projects.

2nd September 2024

Ayrton Cobra helps David Guetta drive Valencia crazy with an epic audio-visual performance

Spain – Renowned DJ David Guetta delighted audiences with his show “The Monolith” on 25 July at the Ciutat de València Stadium. For more than four hours, the artist offered an unforgettable musical and visual performance, combining his characteristic electronic sound with dazzling visual effects that captivated the audience. The event brought together more than 18,000 spectators, consolidating itself as one of the major events of the year in the city.

“The Monolith” solidified its status as David Guetta's premier show in Spain, an exclusive production crafted specifically for this event. This meticulously planned performance delivered a singular and unforgettable experience. The impressive, large-scale set design seamlessly integrated the latest technology with breathtaking visual effects, creating a comprehensive sensory impact on the audience. Every detail was flawlessly synchronised, immersing the audience in a torrent of immersive, powerful sounds that harmonized perfectly with an awe-inspiring visual display of laser lights and special effects.

The show not only impressed with its visual design, but also with the inclusion of amazing pyrotechnics, which further elevated the excitement of the night. The explosions of lights and colours in the sky added an extra touch of adrenaline, creating a visual climax that complemented the music perfectly. This level of production transformed the night into an unforgettable experience for the more than 18,000 attendees, who were immersed in an amazing show that will be hard to forget. The mixture of music, technology and sensory effects achieved a perfect balance, consolidating “The Monolith” as one of the most memorable events of the year in Valencia.

Together with Global Live Entertainment SL, producer of the event, and Fluge Audiovisuales, which was responsible for supplying the technical equipment, David Guetta's show became a complete audiovisual masterpiece. The stage set-up included a giant LED screen with a cube-shaped design that ruled the stage, creating an impressive and immersive visual presence. This impressive technological display, along with high-resolution sound, enabled each beat and melody to resonate throughout the audience's body, creating a total immersive experience.

One of the most talked about aspects was the impressive lighting of the event. The 24 Ayrton Cobra laser-sourced fixtures were a stand-out highlight of the show, captivating the audience with a standing ovation and infusing the performance with a dazzling blend of innovation and spectacle. These powerful moving lights, featuring laser phosphor technology, projected beams of light with mesmerising clarity that danced in the air and sky with a hypnotic, fluid motion.

The meticulously crafted laser effects conjured a futuristic ambiance that immersed the audience, making them feel part of the show. The lights' rapid movement and direction changes created the illusion of the light itself dancing to Guetta's rhythm, forging a powerful visual and emotional connection that elevated the experience to new heights.

photos: © Globaly Live

2nd September 2024

Tyler Shapard and Dayne deHaven Fuel Twenty One Pilots on The Clancy World Tour with Chauvet Professional

USA – “We’ve been working on this show for a long time … I think it’s gonna [sic] be my favourite tour that we’ve done.” Twenty One Pilots’ Josh Dun told a Chicago radio interviewer as the Grammy winning duo was about to kick off their 70 plus date “The Clancy World Tour.” Based on the responses of critics and fans after the band’s first shows at Denver’s sold-out Ball Arena on 15 and 16 August, there are a whole lot of people who are going to agree.

More than performing a concert, the band is treating fans to a musical journey of epic proportions on this tour, as their 28-song set (taken mostly from their current album “Clancy”) defines the compelling narrative that they have been developing over the past decade.

Lighting and production designers Tyler Shapard and Dayne deHaven of District 5 got into the narrative spirit of this tour, creating a show that (like the music of their clients) was deep, multi-layered and constantly evolving.  

“On this tour, as always, we set out to tell a story,” commented Shapard. “A huge part of telling that story is how the production is slowly revealed throughout the show. We never want to show the audience too much too quickly and have the show feel stale.”

“This particular show is broken up into three main acts,” added deHaven. “Each act reveals a new part of the production and uses the existing pieces from the previous act in new ways so that every part of the show feels new and exciting. For example, we don’t move a single lighting fixture until the end of the third song. Instead, we use automation to move entire sections as one fixture. The production grows and shrinks for the entire show with the mid-stage video wall being a major factor that shows the growth from Act 1 to Act 2, and the content and video is the main shift from Act 2 to Act 3.”

A collection of 63 Chauvet Professional Strike Array 2s supplied by Solotech helped Shapard and deHaven achieve the powerful looks they were after. Positioned throughout the rig in the show’s massive stage, which has a 61-foot downstage trim, the high output warm-white blinders serve as the design’s primary crowd light.

“We positioned them on almost every truss face and show,” Shapard said of the fixture. “Anyone who has ever been to a Twenty One Pilots show knows that the audience is the show! So, seeing the crowd is of utmost importance. We rely on the Strike units to light up the room with the soft warm glow that feels inviting, without being too harsh on the eyes.”

The stage on this tour is divided into two sections, an upstage one that measures 56ft wide by 26ft deep by 7’6” tall for production, and a downstage one for the band that is 56ft wide, by 20ft deep, by 6’6” tall.

“Stage size is everything when it comes to designing a show like this,” said deHaven. “We needed to make sure we had enough space for the band to be comfortable, while also making room for all of the production elements, SFX, cameras, etc. The different heights were also important for access and movement during the show.”

Working closely with Mark Eshleman the band’s creative director, Chris Schoenman content creator, Chris Woltman band manager and Matt Doherty production manager, as well as Dave Evans and Lee Moro of Solotech, the two District 5 designers created a show that flows in sync with the sound of Twenty One Pilots.

“I like to think our design helps fuel the energy of the music,” said deHaven. “We strove to highlight and accentuate the band’s performance without taking away or distracting from it. We go big when the music calls for it and stay small when it doesn’t. At the end of the day, it is all about the two gifted artists on stage. We are just the cherry on top that makes you feel the dynamics of the music they are playing.”

photos: Mason Castillo

30th August 2024

Steph Viallon Creates Enchantment Under a Concorde Jet at Cercle Festival with Chauvet Professional

France – On 21 November, 1783, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes made history when they became the first humans ever to leave the earth and take flight in a hot air balloon. As the two men soared, as if by magic, over the hills of Butte-aux-Cailles, they ushered in a new chapter in Aviation history and started a French love affair with the air that has blossomed ever since.

Tributes to this romance are everywhere to be seen at Musée de l'air et de l'Espace, 150,000 square metre museum located next to the Paris-Le Bourget airport.

Recently, the museum sparkled in a wonderous way during Cercle Festival 2024. Created by Cercle, an artistic movement that produces experiences, events, festivals and immersive musical journeys that showcase artists on unique stages, the festival delivered an absorbing tapestry of sights and sounds.

At the centre of the festival was a stage set up under the fuselage of Air France’s prototype Concorde, supersonic jet airliner, with the dance floor located in in the museum space around the aircraft. Enhancing this immersive setting on a multitude of levels was an inspired lighting design by Steph Viallon that featured 55 Chauvet Professional Color Strike M motorised strobe-washes provided by Magnum.

“I wanted to work on both height and depth, and to obtain reflections under the Concorde's fuselage, which hosted the DJ set,” said Viallon. “At the same time, I wanted to have light sources that allowed me, through their graphic capabilities, to renew the images and not go round in circles for two eight-hour shows.”

Viallon tried the Color Strike projectors on the catwalk. He was very pleased with the product's reactivity on flats and strobes. At that point, he notes: “The choice was obvious and quick.”

Recounting how his design came together, Viallon noted: “In concept lighting, before anything else, I define a set of specifications. In the case of the Concorde stage, I decided on four points. The first was to work on both the height and depth. Second was to create reflections under the aircraft where the DJ stage was located. Next was to use light sources that, thanks to their graphic capabilities (pixel mode), would allow me to renew the images and avoid going round in circles during the shows. Finally, was the commitment of staying within budget.”

Following this approach and drawing on his own design skills, Viallon created a beautiful panorama, one that supported DJ performances on stage, while celebrating flight, not just the flight of aviation marvels, be they hot air balloons or modern jets, but also the most inspiring flight of all, that of the human imagination.

photos: Maxime

29th August 2024

130 Claypaky Tambora Linear 100 Fixtures Shine on the Main Stage at Germany’s Airbeat One Festival for EDM Fans

Germany – For more than 20 years, the Airbeat One Festival has entertained fans with the harder side of electronic music with an event that features cutting-edge stage design, epic light shows and leading international DJs.  Airbeat One 2024 was recently held at Flugplatz Neustadt-Glewe, Germany where lighting designer Christopher Rostalski, CEO of CR Lichtdesign, used 130 Claypaky Tambora Linear 100 LED pixel-mapping bars designed for versatile lighting effects and artistic set decoration. 

The annual event is one of the largest EDM festivals in Germany, drawing some 100,000 visitors. Every year has a different country theme with France being highlighted in 2024 and the stage designs and presentation of the festival reflecting that choice: the main stage was a faithful replica of the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre in Paris.
Rostalski selected 130 Claypaky Tambora Linear 100 fixtures for the main stage where they outlined the venue’s central structures with a total of 12 vertical lines with a maximum height of almost 35 metres. In addition, a variety of Claypaky Sharpys were positioned on the side floors.

The Tambora Linear 100s are hybrid bars, incorporating two complementary effects in one fixture. The first is driven by a system of 400 RGB pixel LEDs, which offer a background light very similar to that of a high-definition LED wall in appearance. This LED array can be controlled as 16 LEDs in 25 groups to provide high quality motion graphics.

The second effect is created by a central line of 200 extremely powerful white LEDs for an overwhelming strobe effect, which can also be controlled through 25 different areas for unparalleled versatility.

“I was looking for a linear effect to draw the outlines and building structures,” says Rostalski. “With the RGB chips in the Tamboras we were able to create a large coloured output and a strong impact with the additional strobe line.”

He also cites the advantages offered by the Tamboras’ extremely high light output, light weight and low power consumption.

“We were very happy with the results,” Rostalski reports. “The guest operators, who travel with the main acts and supervise their shows, were also very happy with the choice of fixtures.” He cites the helpful support provided by Manuel Hahn in Germany during the run-up and pre-programming phase.

Music Eggert/Airbeat One GMBH was the event organiser with Poland-based TSE Grupa providing technical services and the Claypaky fixtures. 

photos: Marcin Kałużyński

www.claypaky.com        

29th August 2024

Sooner Routhier Debuts PROTEUS ATLAS On Coldplay's “Music of the Spheres” Tour

Worldwide – Coldplay’s sensational “Music of the Spheres” world tour has received widespread acclaim since launching in 2022, not only for the band’s celebrated music and engaging on-stage presence but also for their efforts in ushering in a new era of sustainable touring. Award-winning lighting designer Sooner Routhier has been working with Coldplay since 2019 and, keeping with the environmental ethic, she chose to light the shows using greener, more eco-friendly fixtures. The lighting vendor for the tour is a long-time partner, Upstaging.

Routhier’s original tour design launched in 2022 in support of the “Music of the Spheres” album and the band is continuing the current stadium tour with the same design. For this summer’s European leg, which launched on 8 June at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, she was looking for the most effective way to add a searchlight-type effect to the show without using a heavy, power-consuming fixture. “We wanted to add lighting to the seats to expand the overall image of the rig without adding a ton of structure,” she said.

Consequently, Elation’s John Dunn and Chuck Dillingham from Freed Sales brought Elation’s new PROTEUS ATLAS to Clear All Visuals in Nashville for Routhier to look at. “It was actually an amazing and fun experience,” she said. “We had the fixture on the rooftop deck of the office and pointed it in the direction of a rooftop bar down the street. We were able to see the beam shooting across the night sky from over two blocks away!”

The designer found what she sought in the powerful IP66-rated PROTEUS ATLAS beam FX moving head, which debuted on the “Music of the Spheres” tour. “We placed them in the seats behind the stage to add some extra firepower to the rig,” she stated. “Music of the Spheres is a hazeless show, yet even without haze, the fixtures are able to provide amazing beam effects without the use of unnatural atmospherics!”

The PROTEUS ATLAS projects a powerful and razor-thin 0.6° beam comparable to 7kW Xenon searchlights yet offers various design features and operates at a fraction of the power. Compact enough to be incorporated into virtually any lighting set-up, the beam projects from a mammoth 320mm (12.5") front lens, a great look for a large-scale show like “Music of the Spheres.” Routhier’s design includes 48 units lined above and behind the stage in groups of four, all exposed to the elements.

Tour lighting director and programmer Shaheem Litchmore has been with Coldplay for three and a half years and manages the day-to-day handling of the fixtures on the road. “They allow the show to feel massive at moments,” he says, “and because they sit around the stage, they create an intimate, immersive experience. It’s like they give the room a hug that brings it all together!” Referencing the unit’s massive column of light, he says they “feel big but not disconnected. It’s massive but you also feel like you can reach out and touch it.”

The ATLAS creates dynamic beam looks at times, and gobo/prism looks at others to add texture to specific songs. “We love the look of the beams punching through the stadium and touching the clouds; however, it's also cool to have a softer look from such a powerful fixture,” Shaheem remarked. “They expand the depth of our show and push our creativity.” He adds that they look forward to exploring more of the effects package as the tour continues, especially the continuous pan movement.

A Coldplay show naturally includes a lot of ‘wow moments’, one of which occurs right at the top of the show when the lights go down. “One of the first lighting cues involves the ATLAS beams hitting on vertically, touching the sky then falling to the floor of the stadium,” Shaheem describes. “It’s an unexpected and impactful way to introduce the new PROTEUS ATLAS to our show.”

Sooner adds that the fixtures look “incredible” doing a rainbow chase for “Adventure of a Lifetime.” In the song “A Sky Full of Stars,” one of her favourites, massive white beams explode from behind the stage, creating a “lighting firework.” In the hit “Paradise,” the softer side of the fixture is displayed with bold gobo/prism looks.

One of the highlight moments in the show, according to Shaheem, is in a song called “Clocks” with no frontlight and the band silhouetted. “There is a big laser moment in that number and the ATLAS add a lot of beams on top of it all. It’s an impactful moment in the show and they punch right through,” he said, adding that “the reaction from the crowd during those moments is why we do this.”

One of the highest-attended and biggest-grossing tours of all time, Coldplay's environmental efforts on “Music of the Spheres” are highly commendable. Stages were developed with a team of sustainability experts and built from reusable materials, displays, lasers, lighting and PA are all low energy and many more ecological initiatives. With its efficient 500W Solid State Phosphor-Converted (SSPC) light engine, the PROTEUS ATLAS aligns with the green ethos of the tour as it operates at a fraction of the power of 7000W Xenon fixtures for a much smaller footprint.

The European leg of Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” world tour is scheduled to wrap up on 2 September in Dublin, the final show in a successful debut outing for the PROTEUS ATLAS.

“Every time I visit the show, I’m in awe at the dynamics they add to it!” Sooner concludes. “They were definitely the perfect addition to the lighting rig.”

​photos:  Kai Kuczera

29th August 2024

Backstage Production Group Adds Glow to SIBIU Theatre Festival with Over 250 Chauvet Professional Fixtures

Romania – Some years ago, the prestigious publication, American Theatre hailed the Sibiu International Theatre Festival as “Romania’s Miracle.” Having just celebrated its 31st year, the festival, which is put on by The National Theatre Radu Stanca Sibiu, is indeed a miraculous achievement. How can it be described as anything else, given the colour and excitement that radiate throughout this beautiful city for ten days, from the enchanting Bălcescu Boulevard pedestrian thoroughfare to the historic Big Square?

Yes, this magical ten-day event originated in Romania, but in reality, it is a gem treasured by the entire world. This was beautifully evident in June, as the festival, which features indoor and outdoor theatre, music and dance, as well as street acts, drew more than 100,000 international visitors, who enjoyed over 830 performances, involving 5,000 artists from 82 nations. Among those performers was acclaimed American actor John Malkovich, César Award winning French actress Isabelle Adjani and legendary Romanian theatre director Silviu Purcărete.

Adding to the magic of the 2024 edition of the festival, which was built around the theme of “friendship,” was a massive collection of over 250 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied and installed by Andrei Popea (‘MAC’) and his team at Backstage Production Group.

The Backstage team deployed 106 of these fixtures, as well as a ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 Console, eight Net-X II nodes and two RDM2go units in the festival’s theatres. Included among this group were 12 Maverick MK2 Washes and 24 Rogue Outcast 2X Washes, which added mood setting colours to the performances. A collection of 18 COLORado Panel Q40 and 16 Chauvet Ovation CYC 1 FC endowed the stage and its background with greater depth and colour, while 32 Strike fixtures were used to accent key moments in the performances.

Chauvet Professional fixtures shined during the festival at SIPAM (Sibiu International Performing Arts Market). Goran Doncic and Amy Kerr gave a keynote presentation on LED gear for the stage. The presentation, which was livestreamed, feature products like the Maverick Silens 1X and 2X, as well as the newest members of the Ovation REVE family.

The festival closed with a star-studded gala, where the celebratory mood was reflected in the brilliant displays of light, created with the help of 146 Chauvet Professional fixtures. Bold criss-crossing patterns of light from Rogue and Maverick fixtures celebrated the sense of excitement that permeated the gala, while the sharp linear patterns from the rig’s EPIX strips added a dash of sophisticated elegance.

Although this bold and vivid light captured the mood at the gala, it was not the only thing that glowed at the event. The room also radiated with the pride and joy of all those involved in creating this year’s Sibiu International Theatre Festival, an event that can rightly be called “miraculous!”

29th August 2024

Production Light & Sound Collaborates with Green Voltage to Empower Events with Clean and Sustainable Energy

UK – Production Light & Sound, a provider of production equipment hire in the live events industry, has announced that it has become the leading supplier in the north of England for Green Voltage's cutting-edge sustainable power solutions.

From its headquarters in Leeds, Yorkshire, the company is taking a significant step forward in providing environmentally conscious power alternatives for events of all sizes.

Its recently expanded offering includes a range of portable battery power systems with solar panels, making it easy to support clients seeking clean, silent and sustainable power sources for events, live broadcasts, film productions and festivals.

Sarah Buckmaster, company director and technical manager at Production Light & Sound, said: “Our commitment to reducing carbon footprint and embracing eco-friendly practices has led us to this exciting collaboration with Green Voltage, a trailblazer in emissions-free and silent mobile generators for the events, film and TV industries.

“At Production, Light & Sound, we love nothing more than transforming unusual venues into unique settings for unforgettable events and these advanced power solutions are perfect for a wide range of events, from local village fetes needing power in the middle of a field to large festivals where discreet, efficient power is essential.

“The possibilities with Green Voltage’s solutions are vast and varied. We’re excited to add these units to our ever-evolving list of innovative solutions for bringing events to life without the logistical challenges of extensive cable runs or the noise of traditional generators.”

Green Voltage’s solutions available now with Production Light & Sound include eight VOLTstack 5kW 230V units, the Wattman 10kW and Instagrid One Max, with access to VOLTstack 20kW. The solutions are designed to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by replacing traditional fuel-based generators with innovative, sustainable technology.

VOLTstack 5k 230V Units:

• Emission-free power: These units eliminate the need for diesel generators, reducing fuel consumption and pollution risks through fuel spillage
• Silent operation: Ideal for sensitive environments like small community events to large-scale festivals where noise pollution is a concern
• Versatile applications: Perfect for events ranging from village fetes to large festivals, these units can power laptops, charge phones, and run kettles, making them highly efficient compared to large generators
• Reliable and safe: With a powerful rated output of 4.8kW and the capability to handle surges up to 7kW, the VOLTstack® units ensure consistent and dependable power
• Compact and convenient: No need for extensive cable setups or on-site fuel storage. The units’ rapid charge times and flexible design offer up to 10 hours of uninterrupted power

 Instagrid ONE Max:

• Perfect portable power solution: Whether for travel, events, production, or workspace, the Instagrid ONE provides fast and convenient power
• Silent and lightweight: Weighing only 20kg, the Instagrid ONE is completely silent and easy to carry
• High performance: Long runtime of 2.1kWh, 3600W continuous power, 18000W peak power, and fast charging in 2.5 hours
• Built-in GPS and Smart App Controller enhance usability

 Wattman 6kW-10kWh E-Generator:

• Robust and versatile: On off-road wheels with solar or grid charging options, the Wattman is designed for various demanding environments and applications.
• Production Light & Sound has already successfully deployed these units at local Yorkshire events.

David Sinfield, co-founder of Green Voltage, commented: “Our range of sustainable power solutions promises a future that's brighter, greener and quieter for the live event industry. We’re delighted to empower Production Light & Sound with these units to help change the way its clients use power forever.”

29th August 2024

Maktive pledges its faith in GLP’s next-generation products

USA – Based in San Diego, California, turnkey production design studio and rental company Maktive says it is “dedicated to bringing the GLP fixture experience to the masses.”

The company has been quick to back up this pledge by ordering large quantities of the German company’s latest generation of IP65-rated fixtures, all on the advanced X5 platform.

When it “blind purchased” 150 of the new JDC2 IPs after seeing prototypes at the LDI booth last November, it became its single largest investment in one type of fixture. And by then it had already bought 100 each of the impression X5 IP Bar 1000 and FUSION by GLP Exo Beam 10s, as well as 50 of the new impression X5 IP Maxx.

The IP fixtures already serve the company well in all elements, as they travel coast-to-coast during the outdoor event season. But Bryan McClanahan, who set up the partnership with Patrick Randall in 2009, knows that with the commonality of GLP’s advanced iQ.Gamut algorithm, they can guarantee. “We are always keen to match our chipsets to create homogenous colour tones,” he says.

Such has been the growth of Maktive, both with its own creative projects and the demands of their pool of production designer clients, he says that “whereas in the past we would buy, say, 24 of each product, we realised we had to start buying fixtures in the 100 counts to be competitive and service both our needs and those of LDs across the United States.”

McClanahan will extol the virtues of the JDC2 IP endlessly. “We knew we could get really creative with them,” he states. “There are so many variables that are seemingly controllable. We understood right away that the DigiFX are, in essence, digital gobos that you can run in 127 channel mode and manipulate them no differently than a moving head. So, it clicked for us the second we saw them.

“A lot of companies had been trying to figure out how to make video work on their products,” he continues, “using complex array video mapping software run through NDI, whereas the JDC2 IP has visual effects built-in alongside NDI integration. And so our idea was to put it on as many shows as possible, even shows that didn’t necessarily have the JDC2s slated for them.”

In addition to being a creative design house in its own right, Maktive’s rental business works in tandem with LDs nationwide. “We placed a [JDC2 IP] at front of house, so when LDs came for their programming window, we could show them how the light worked and they could see how easy it was to use,” explains McClanahan. “Many were expecting us to have a laptop and asking how it could be routed. And I’d say, ‘Yes, it’s an option and your VJ could control it if you don’t want to’, but with the 100 built-in presets, once they’d figured it out, they said they had no intention of letting VJs control it.”

DoLaB’s inventive ‘MACROdose mushroom’ stage at Coachella became the first deployment, while further units travelled to Texas Eclipse for the total solar eclipse celebration (which took place simultaneously). Here Maktive worked with Berlin-based design team Projector 3000, where the fixtures were at the forefront of the design. “In fact, that was a five-show weekend for us, with five PMs, and it was impressive that we were able to pull it off,” says McClanahan.

From there they lit international DJ Solomun in an event at the PanAm Pavilion in San Francisco.

“Our Solomun show was another ‘pinch us’ moment, in that we realised we could light the entire show exclusively with GLP, all the effects we needed were achievable with one brand,” he continues.

McClanahan notes how the touring landscape has changed: “Covid has shaken the way that EDM artists are touring. They are focusing more on one-offs and tours aren’t making as much sense.

“That said, PRG actually took almost our whole order of impression X5 IP Bars for a good six months with Post Malone; it’s pretty exciting when some of these larger behemoths turn to us when they have these tours.” Maktive acquired the X5 IP Bars in October, “since when we’ve not been able to keep them on the shelves. The fact they are IP and a brighter 40W fixture, with a really tight beam angle, made it our choice.”

GLP became a brand that Maktive wanted to prioritise after the success of the JDC1, when they were able to join a networked community, says McClanahan: “But in the new ecosystem – trying to adapt to new norms and budget restrictions – the fact that JDC2 IP emulates video presents a very different proposition.

“[JDC2 IP] becomes a video tool as well if you use NDI [video streaming protocol]. And because of this, the fixture can help alleviate budgetary needs when an artist requires video for a show but can’t afford to have a VJ and video panels. The JDC2 allows us to give the illusion of video being part of a show but still controlled by the LD. It allows us to break through to these projects which was a big selling point. We can deploy it as video as well as lighting, and with no steep learning curve.”

McClanahan continues: “Within a narrow programming window, LDs have been able to pick up the DigiFX quickly and implement it next day which we think is incredible; a light that’s going to have video needs to be that easy to use.”

Despite its desire to integrate a common chipset into shows, Maktive still evaluated the market when seeking the ideal washlight, he says: “We realised that the impression X5 IP Maxx does a couple of things very well: it fits in pre-rig truss, which not a lot of the other big LED washes do, and it’s an incredibly bright washlight. An unexpected bonus is when it zooms all the way down to its narrowest it actually doubles as a beam fixture. We’ve never had a washlight be that strong and tight at 3.5° before.”

But as Maktive moves further into the sports space with its lighting creativity, it arguably had the most challenging deployment when soccer rivals LA Galaxy and LA FC moved their grudge match on 4th July to the iconic 96,400-capacity Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena.

And when Dutch DJ Afrojack played the halftime show at the match there were no fewer than 100 JDC2 IP in a 360° ground surround. “Between the LA Galaxy game and Freedom Fest in San Diego at the same time, the full fleet of JDC2 IP were in action over that weekend,” concludes Bryan McClanahan. “It’s now so in demand, as we’ve really hyped it up to our clients. We believe the light is something spectacular. It’s the new eye candy … the next toy to bring excitement to the stage!”

photos: Ethan Karlin

www.glp.de

28th August 2024

Award winning Sound Designer and innovator Gareth Owen chooses DirectOut for elegant theatrical production solutions

UK – DirectOut is the creator of multi-function audio processor PRODIGY.MX, currently in use across a range of Gareth Owen Sound (GOS) Productions. These include the recently opened production of Starlight Express at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre and The Devil Wears Prada, which is currently showing at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and due to open at the Dominion Theatre in October 2024.

Gareth Owen is one of the world’s most successful theatrical sound designers. Not only is he responsible for multiple award-winning shows, he is also a pioneer in immersive theatrical sound design. Owen was co-founder of Fourier Audio and still holds the title of CCO after the sale to DiGiCo in 2023. He is also CEO of software house Show Control Ltd, creators of EnSnap and other software/hardware tools for use exclusively on Gareth Owen Sound productions.

Owen understands exactly what is needed for theatrical storytelling and this is evidenced by his many Best Sound Design awards, including a Tony for MJ the Musical and Olivier Awards for Merrily We Roll Along, Memphis the Musical and Come from Away. Blending rock and roll presence with theatrical nuance is Owen’s signature style and he is exceedingly happy with the streamlined workflow that DirectOut provides, giving his team peace of mind, night after night.

“We have been using DirectOut on our shows for a few years now. Most shows have a pair of PRODIGY.MX and we use the EXBOX.MD a fair bit, too. I love elegance and simplicity, as hard as that might be to believe from my shows,” Owen explains with a wink! “Chris Lambrechts from Avid is a huge proponent of DirectOut and he said that the PRODIGY.MX would replace a lot of other stuff with one elegant box. That was music to my ears!”

PRODIGY.MX is a multi-format audio matrix with a capacity of 1664 x 1668 audio channels. Interfacing with the whole range of audio protocols offered by DirectOut and with powerful DSP functions, it addresses numerous applications. The hardware is modular and the available licenses are granular, making a reliable and stable choice to meet various theatrical applications.

“We use the PRODIGY.MX primarily as a format convertor. For most shows, this is usually from MADI to Dante and back again. We also use it as a matrix router,” he says. “However, in recent years we have realised we can retire many of our MADI and Dante backup switchers by doing main-backup changeover inside the PRODIGY. We use the Nemesis OSC GPIO box, coupled to a nice panel with some illuminated switches and do all our backup switching internally. This massively simplifies our signal path and removes additional points of failure.”

Theatrical performances happen every night, for as long as the show runs and Owen has designed musicals that are still playing to audiences after many years, shows like Back to the Future in London, that opened in August 2021 and is booking until October 2025.

When your show must perform to the same high standard for years, you need a product you can trust to turn on and work first time, every time. Thanks to EARS (Enhanced Automatic Redundancy Switching), Owen can rest assured that in the event that a back-up is required, switching will be quick and glitch free. The EARS system monitors the condition of the trigger signal on the input and in case of a failure switches automatically to the backup input.

“We have PRODIGY and/or EXBOX.MDs on at least a dozen shows around the world today and they have been nothing but trouble free,” Owen explains. "We come out of the MADI cards on the back of the Avid DSP and convert to Dante which forms the backbone of the rest of the sound system. Connection to playback systems, SoundScape processors, amplifiers and the Fourier transform.engines all flow through the PRODIGY."

Interfacing with the PRODIGY.MX could not be simpler, globcon control manages all DirectOut devices via network, either on Mac or PC. Local display and operation on a touch display facilitates the overview and grants basic control, or third-party control protocols are also available as options.

“Our primary way of interfacing with the units is globcon,” Owen says. “While still a relatively new technology, I can certainly see the potential.”

Huw Semmens, head of sound and technical for Stage Sound Services (SSS), agrees that globcon has an important role to play in addition to interfacing: “A huge surge towards digital radio mics in theatre over the past five years has meant EXBOX.MD, alongside globcon, has been utilised in place of bantam patch bays for radio mic monitoring and patching.”

SSS is responsible for the installation and rental equipment for many of the Gareth Owen Sound shows, including Starlight Express in the Troubadour. Rental companies work closely with designers to ensure that the equipment specified will be suitable for the show and the venue, as Semmens continues. “We’ve been using DirectOut kit since 2013,” he says. “The modular nature of PRODIGY is perfect for us. It enables us to carry host units and swap I/O cards to cater for most requests. Following the initial investment, whenever we had a specific task that required a hardware solution, we found that DirectOut already had a suitable product in their line-up. We now have just under 100 DirectOut assets in inventory.

“For Starlight Express, we knew that PRODIGY was intended to convert multiple streams of MADI/Dante in and out of the Avid E6L-192, then switch multiple Dante streams and function as a digital patch-bay for the production's radio mics. These tasks were previously achieved with several Yamaha RMIO64-D, Autograph Signature Series XDANTE-1, and a DirectOut EXBOX.MD, so combining this functionality into one, stable unit made complete sense.”

When purchasing and using a DirectOut product, rental companies, designers and engineers can be assured not only of the product’s reliability but also of the service DirectOut offers with support and problem solving.

“Some companies treat support like a necessary evil: they know they have to do it, but it’s given begrudgingly and on their timetable,” Owen concludes. “DirectOut are all over it. I don’t think I’ve ever failed to get hold of a qualified engineer on the first call, and I’ve never waited more than an hour for a sensible email reply. The DirectOut team understand that when we are in the thick of an install, the last thing we need to be doing is opening a service ticket. That is invaluable.”

photos: GarethOwenSound

27th August 2024

Concept K Lights Solidays Main Stage With 100 Elation SŌL I Blinders

France – Creative design practice Concept K employed 100 Elation SŌL I Blinders at the Solidays Festival in Paris at the end of June, one of the first uses in Europe of the creative blinder and effect light. Lighting supply was by Dushow, a festival provider for many years, with lighting design by Frédéric ‘Aldo’ Fayard of Concept K.

Solidays is an annual music festival held at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. Organised by Solidarité sida, it brings together more than 150 artists and 170,000 festival-goers for three days with proceeds going to organisations fighting HIV/AIDS.

Aldo, founder and artistic director of Concept K, used the SŌL I BLINDERS to artfully adorn the festival’s main stage, commenting: “Lighting designers have been looking for a source capable of replacing the FL650 and the SŌL I from Elation is the answer to this request.”

Concept K was presented with the SŌL I by Boris Jacob from Elation’s French partner Best Audio & Lighting when the fixture was still only a prototype. “We were a bit reluctant,” Aldo acknowledged, “but we nevertheless agreed to see what this little product had in store.”

Aldo’s first impression was that the power was “quite good,” while the fixture’s dim-to-warm function gave it a “signature neo-retro look.” He also appreciated the ability to produce a multitude of different colours. As if that weren’t enough, Jacob further explained that it offers a variety of configuration options and several possible accessories, allowing users to create different looks effortlessly, making it a highly creative, fun, practical and aesthetically pleasing fixture.

The SŌL I BLINDER is the first in Elation's new series of LED blinders and effect lights. It stands out for its modular design, which allows endless artistic arrangements. Multiple lens options, coupled with a host of accessories enhance the fixture's potential even further. An optional Bowens mount adaptor ring allows several Bowens mount accessories to be attached to the front of the fixture for even more aesthetic designs.

The SŌL I BLINDER offers a remarkable spectrum of colours thanks to a 250W RGB + lime + amber  white LED engine with a CRI of over 93 for high-quality colour reproduction. Wrapped in a durable housing and rated IP65 for use in outdoor environments, the fixture powers out over 9,000 lumens.

“The look of the product is interesting as well because the lens is beautiful,” Aldo adds. “It’s powerful and large, which gives it the ability to decorate and illuminate.” According to the designer, other pluses include its additive colour mixing and the fact that the fixture is an individual blinder and not a set of two, which “may seem obvious, but it’s a real plus and reduces power consumption,” he said. “And finally, and this is not a detail, it is IP65! The benefits in terms of maintenance for outdoor use are substantial.”

In addition to being used as a blinder, Concept K plans to use the fixture for décor lighting purposes. “It will certainly find its place in many other uses thanks to the ability to create various shapes,” Aldo concludes. “Bravo to Elation, who knew how to renew a simple but legendary product!” 

photos: YourWolfAgency

27th August 2024