Production News

UK pop star Anne-Marie relies on Sennheiser Digital 6000 for unparalleled audio

UK - Over the past decade, Anne-Marie has emerged as one of Britain’s most brilliant female artists. In the ten years since she released her earliest demo, which was shared by Ed Sheeran on Twitter and secured a position as a touring vocalist for drum & bass giants Rudimental in 2014, her distinctive brand of personality-infused pop has garnered billions of streams. As a testament to her remarkable achievements, she recently received a prestigious BRIT Billion Award, and has successfully collaborated with artists, including on her first UK number one hit ‘Rockabye’, a collaboration with Clean Bandit and Sean Paul. Currently on tour promoting her third album Unhealthy, the singer relies on Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 microphone system, which provides unparalleled sound quality, an exceptionally wide dynamic range, and bullet-proof reliability even in the most challenging RF scenarios.

Having cultivated a successful working relationship with the relationship management team at Sennheiser, Edd Sedgwick, Anne-Marie’s tour and production manager, has become a passionate advocate of the Digital 6000 series. He has actively collaborated with Peter Craig, the UK relations manager and the entire Sennheiser crew to bring several artists on board with their Digital 6000 wireless microphone system, which Anne-Marie has also been using for several years.

“The D6000 boasts a modern and premium appearance while also demonstrating remarkable robustness,” begins Sedgwick. “Even amidst unexpected mishaps, such as an accidental mic drop, this resilient workhorse ensures the show must, and will, go on without missing a beat.

“It gives artists confidence; they know it’s going to be a good show with the D6000. Performers can run down into the crowd and interact with the audience without worrying about the range, and Anne-Marie usually does that with her fans. The interchangeability of capsules is a really big factor, too.”

A range of capsules are used depending on the size of the show, which can range from mammoth-capacity stadium gigs to small-scale acoustic performances for Anne-Marie. A more sensitive capsule is used if the stage is large, empty and more prone to room reflections and noise, but equally it can be quickly changed to adapt to a more intimate show that needs a much tighter super-cardioid capsule. This minimises any issues with the artist being in front of the PA.

“The interchangeability of capsules is a great selling point for someone who does shows ranging from stadiums and festivals to large indoor corporate events, knowing we can always get the best and cleanest sound for Anne-Marie’s vocal,” says monitor engineer, Joe Standen. “For us, having the option of analogue and AES outputs is a great advantage, too, we can also process each output separately and have full control of her vocal. We personally don’t use the Dante option but it’s great to know it’s there if we ever needed it.”

The Digital 6000 series is popular with artists embarking on large-scale tours, as its reliability guarantees unrivalled sound quality for any size of stage or production. It delivers a wider dynamic range even in the most challenging RF scenarios and, working with Sennheiser’s proprietary Digital Audio Codec (SeDAC), it also ensures the highest quality. Anne-Marie chose the Sennheiser Digital 6000 series as it aesthetically works for her, too, especially in the custom white. “Anne-Marie loves using the D6000 series, she owns her own system. It’s her choice of transmitter and we’ve never had a problem with it. She’s been using D6000 for as long as I can remember,” explains Sedgwick.

Front of house engineer Chris Whybrow adds: “Where the vocal sound has to be precise, transparent and rock-solid with no compromises, the 6000 series provides the confidence that it will be delivered to the channel crystal-clear for FOH, monitors and broadcast. Anne-Marie’s vocal is the most important thing to put across so trusting we have the tools to do that is a great reassurance, and we can choose a capsule that captures her vocal exactly as it needs to.”

One of the most notable shows for Anne-Marie and Digital 6000 was her appearance at Capital’s Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium back in June. It was headlined by a star-studded line-up of huge acts including Niall Horan, The Jonas Brothers, RAYE and Calvin Harris, and Digital 6000 ensured that Anne-Marie’s performance sounded neat, streamlined and as powerful as possible.

“We love the Sennheiser 6000 series on Anne-Marie. It’s a very sleek and attractive design, whilst being robust, especially now it’s white; nicknamed the stormtrooper,” says Standen. “The unit gives our artist confidence that she can venture off into the crowd or a large B-stage and we never have to worry about dropouts due to its resistance to interference and efficient use of bandwidth and LR mode.”

“I was looking after several artists at this year’s Summertime Ball, including Jax Jones and Sigala, as well as Anne-Marie,” Sedgwick continues. “All of them were using the D6000 series. Sennheiser has always been a brand that I’ve turned to. We know that they will deliver what we need at the shows, especially the larger-scale stadium events. The flexibility really is key with performers like Anne-Marie.”

In addition to his role as tour and production manager with Anne-Marie, Sedgwick also operates his own business, The Fly Pack Company. The company specialises in providing customised fly pack solutions featuring Sennheiser IEMs and Digital 6000, along with evolution wireless G4 microphone systems. These pre-configured systems present a compact and flyable solution that conveniently fits within a Pelican case, serving as a portable luggage case for artists while on the move. “This represents yet another avenue through which we extend support to all our artists, ensuring they have these systems readily available no matter where their journey takes them,” he elaborates.

Anne-Marie’s loyalty to Sennheiser is one that is shared by many of the biggest popstars on the current circuit. “With unmatched sound quality at its core, the D6000 series gives artists the confidence they need to perform in any size of venue, to any size of audience, ensuring that the vocal delivery is always crystal clear,” Sedgwick concludes.

photos: Ben Foster

27th September 2023

Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II “Truly Shines” on Set of ‘America’s Test Kitchen’

USA – There’s no show on television quite like “America’s Test Kitchen” (ATK), a well-known and beloved half-hour cooking episodic broadcast by public TV stations and distributed by American Public Television. To ensure the production crew has reliable multi-channel communications for both “ATK” (and their other production, “Cook’s Country”) AV/Broadcast rental production company Talamas turned to Clear-Com with confidence.

“ATK” is a true passion project of teaching and helping viewers cook with confidence. In its 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of South Boston in the beautiful Innovation and Design building, it is home to dozens of test cooks, food scientists and cookware specialists. During the weeks that the production team shoots episodes, there is a demanding set of requirements for crew communications. Michael Duca, general manager of rental company Talamas, supplies all the gear for their productions and has extensive experience deploying Clear-Com systems in a wide range of applications and configurations. In this case, he chose a FreeSpeak II Digital Wireless Systems to help the on-set crew communicate clearly with ease and efficiency and to allow them to focus on the production needs rather than the hardware they’re using.

“For us, flexibility and reliability are the true advantages in our rental business and Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak allows us to deliver our customer requirements at any time,” comments Michael. “The ‘ATK’ team has been using Clear-Com now for over four years, and it’s been a game changer. The intercom system allows the director, producers, camera operators, teleprompter operators, script supervisor, PAs, and runners to keep in close communication so everyone can focus on the same production goals. The set is busy and can get noisy and FreeSpeak allows the crew to communicate more naturally and with ease throughout the shoots.”

One big advantage of FreeSpeak II is its full-duplex capabilities, meaning users can speak and listen at the same time, which in the past has only been possible by using two frequencies. The system for “ATK” operates in the 1.9GHz frequency band and up to 15 beltpacks are typically deployed for each recorded episode. It has been designed for these types of rigorous continuous communication environments and its feature set has long been applauded by rental houses, production companies and end-users.

“On previous systems, we experienced infrastructure interference, but with FreeSpeak we haven’t had these issues,” Michael continues. “We never have to conduct a frequency study, as the system, signal strength and stability are just rock solid. The audio is crystal clear; it even sounds like a hard-wired system.”

In his line of work, one of the main things that Michael appreciates about FreeSpeak II is its ease of setup. After the technical team sets up cameras, the control room and transceivers, it’s just a matter of plug-and-play and some channel pre-programming for the rest of the comms system. Plus, with its four-wire matrix connection capability, the team can create multiple partylines or seamlessly connect and integrate with any wired partyline systems that may already be in place. “Even if a crew member is remote and roaming around, it’s easy for them to feel like they’re close to the rest of the action,” he says. “Plus, if we need more range, all we need to do is make a cable run, drop an antenna into the system, and we’re up and running. Getting everyone onto wireless was definitely the way to go for us and this comms system truly shines for a show like ‘America’s Test Kitchen’.”

Keith McManus, sound mixer and audio technician for “ATK” adds: “Comms is where it counts. There is nothing that can derail a production faster than not being able to communicate properly with your team. I’ve had these experiences in the past where there are communication gaps or a pack fails and it sends a lot of folks scrambling. But not with Clear-Com; I have complete confidence when using FreeSpeak, as it simply works!”

Since the equipment isn’t being used in a fixed studio, multi-cam set-up, it goes through regular production set build-ups and teardowns, which puts a lot of strain on the equipment. “Plus, the production value of this show is quite sophisticated, which places more responsibility on the comms system. Even in such a demanding environment, the equipment holds up well through it all,” Keith adds.

The freedom of being wireless helps collaboration and helps execute certain elements of the production that aren’t possible on a wired set-up. The crew all need to be connected to the same system yet have the freedom to move around. “I also like how FreeSpeak enables members of the crew to have direct lines of communication with each other,” Keith says. “For example, the producers may need to speak with the PAs, and don’t want to interfere in the conversation the director is having with the camera operators. This type of flexibility and multi-channel intercom really supports production to run smoothly.”

Overall, Michael says they are “really satisfied” with the way FreeSpeak II has improved the production workflow for “ATK.”

“It’s truly made the crew’s jobs easier,” he concludes. “Plus, since it can be configured for just about any production environment imaginable, FreeSpeak is my go-to comms solution.”

27th September 2023

KV2 powers up Electric Bay festival in Torquay, Devon

UK – Described as a ‘game-changing music weekender’, Electric Bay is a unique open-air dance music festival that takes place over two days in the stunning Torre Abbey meadows on the Torquay seafront. Following a completely sold-out first edition last year, the 2023 event promised to be ‘bigger and better’ at every level, with a bigger production, a larger stage, an even more powerful sound system and increased facilities and food and drink options. The 2023 line-up featured some of the biggest names in electronic music, including Hedex, Pendulum LIVE, Dave Rodigan, Andy C, Gardna Live, Sub Focus, and many more. Festival organisers and renowned electronic music promoters, Louder Events, once again turned to local AV rental experts, Future Technical Solutions (FTS) who supplied a kicking KV2 sound system.

“FTS has a working relationship with Louder in other venues for both live and DJ sets, so it was natural that they asked us to quote for last year’s event,” describes FTS managing director, Neil Carpenter. “We specified KV2’s VHD system, having already used it for events up to 5,000 people on the same site. Electric Bay 2022 brought in 7,000 people, but I knew it could do the job. Admittedly, Louder’s production manager, Alex Anderson was dubious at first, but he decided to go with us, and I’m delighted to say he was more than happy with the results!”

Based on the resounding success of the first edition, Louder Events decided to up the ante for 2023 with an even bigger production, this time for 10,000 revellers. Anderson once again turned to FTS for the audio system package. “We had fantastic coverage and superb sound quality across the site last year using our VHD system, and I was confident that it would handle 10,000 people with no problem,” notes Carpenter. “However, we had to do some EASE Focus simulations to convince Alex that we didn’t need delay towers! The system has to face the sea so as not to disturb local residents, which limits coverage towards the long part of the site. However, I’ve always felt that a line array system would cause more problems that it would solve in attempting to cover the complete site rather than a point source system like KV2 that gives great energy in the areas that need it with less than half the number of boxes.”

FTS supplied a pair of VHD2.0 and a VHD1.0 per side as a flown L/R system. Bass and sub-bass was provided by four VHD2.16, eight VHD 4.18 and eight VHD2.21 arrayed in front of the stage, along with a pair of ES1.0 as centre fills. “Essentially it’s the same system as last year with the addition of a fourth pair of VHD2.21s and the ES1.0 centre fills which worked really well and covered the whole of the listening zone with ease,” says Carpenter. “The biggest changes were to the DJ monitor system on stage; last year we used VHD1.21s with ESD15s, largely because Carl Cox has used ESDs before and likes them. However, we had a few issues with sub bass travelling behind the stage and causing noise issues for some residents, so this year we went for an ES rig comprising a pair each (one per side) of ES1.0, ES2.16 and ES1.8. This gave us more bass control options and definitely worked much better for us. The final change was that we added six ESM12 floor monitors to the package to replace the non-KV2 monitors we used last year, as I gathered that wasn’t a popular move!

“Needless to say, the whole system performed amazingly and we’re already looking forward to next year!”

photo: © Electric Bay Festival / Mike Portlock

27th September 2023

Robe FORTE RoboSpot in the Pink for Lukas Graham Tour

Denmark – Danish lighting designer Johnny Thinggaard was asked to create a production design for popular Danish pop / soul artist Lukas Graham’s “The Pink Tour”, for which Johnny presented a clean, modern and stylish environmental concept, with three striking perspective related scenic walls covered in fabric and with integral LED pixels along the tops, enhancing the depth and dimensions of the performance space.

Johnny’s original idea was based on his love of side angled photography and images that reveal details and spatial elements of the background. He also wanted something that was architecturally bold but essentially simple in expression, with stunning results.

For the first part of the tour, he used Robe T1 Profiles as front followspots, running on a RoboSpot system, which worked brilliantly.

When it came to the festival section of the ongoing tour, Johhny wanted to add some more powerful upstage light sources to enhance the aesthetic, and he chose Robe FORTES for the job.

Five fixtures are used in total, four standard FORTES primarily for the band, with a FORTE FollowSpot in the centre comprising the main back lighting on Lukas Graham himself, all controlled via a RoboSpot BaseStation located backstage.

It was Johnny’s original intention to use BMFL WashBeams for the back lighting, a fixture he loves for its power and quality of light, however rental company Vigsø Dryhire A/S had recently invested in FORTES – delivered by Robe’s Danish distributor Light Partner – so they suggested these which are currently Robe’s most powerful LED light source.

Johnny is delighted with the choice!

He notes the intensity, precision and colours of the FORTE which are all “fantastic” and appreciates the optics and the resulting intensity and smoothness of the light beam, all of which “fitted perfectly into the visual style developed for this specific show design.”

He also mentions how quick and easy they are to program and focus during the short festival changeovers.

Whilst not directly involved with the set-up and configuration of the RoboSpot system, its accuracy and the creative possibilities it opens in terms of changing colours, effects and timing make a huge difference to his ability to create the requisite moods and for synching effects with key moments in the music.

Colours and timing are both fundamental tools for Johnny in interpreting the music with lighting and moments of magic will often happen during long colour fades.

His Pink Tour colour palette contains multiple pastels: delicate pinks, mysterious lavenders, and interesting and unusual ambers with almost no primaries. It is strongly subtle: “If that makes sense?” he states, adding that the FORTES have been impressive in creating this collection of more off-beat hues and shades.

Also key to this intricate show is the scenography not diverting the audience's attention from the artist or overwhelming the visual picture, rather supporting and embracing each song. This relatively classical approach and the smart design has enabled musical accents and kicks to often be created via lighting interactions on the set walls.

The fully timecoded show is run from a grandMA3 console (running in 2 mode) with all the FORTE parameters for the four band spots controlled via the console, together with the colours and intensity for Lukas’s central spot.

 

Assisting Johnny with the programming is August Thede and the touring lighting operator is Victoria Enoch.

The lighting crew are Tobias Vohnsen, Rasmus Wiberg, Martin Jepsen, Niels Marcussen and Mikkel Christensen.

Overseeing all things technical on the road is production manager Bent Lauridsen, the tour manager is Anders Nørgaard Nielsen, and the pre-production and advance is being co-ordinated by Jens Qvistgaard.

photos: Allan Niss

www.robe.cz

27th September 2023

HiLights Group invests in Ayrton Cobra, Domino LT and Domino Profiles for MENA and GCC mega events

MENA – HiLights Group has invested in a large shipment of Ayrton fixtures, comprising Ayrton Domino Profile, Domino LT and Cobra fixtures, purchased both for stock and specific projects in the region. “By acquiring a significant quantity of Ayrton fixtures, HiLights aims to expand its inventory and be prepared to fulfil a wide variety of project requirements,” says Hamed Arafa, founder and chairman of HiLights. “Additionally, having these fixtures readily available in stock allows us to promptly meet the demands of our clients and provide timely solutions.”

Established over 30 years ago, HiLights Group is a leading full events solutions company operating in the MENA and GCC regions. Specialising in the delivery of comprehensive services encompassing concept designing, production, and lighting solutions for mega and iconic events, HiLights has established strong partnerships with various stakeholders, including governmental organisations, event agencies, venues, and media animation hubs.

Its experienced team of creative professionals, designers and technical experts have a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and work collaboratively to provide innovative and integrated solutions that meet the unique requirements of each event, leveraging the latest technologies and equipment to bring the best results.

The consignment of Ayrton fixtures mark HiLights’ first investment in Ayrton products which they were attracted to by Ayrton’s reputation for innovative and cutting-edge lighting solutions. “Ayrton stands out in the market due to its commitment to developing new technologies that push the boundaries of what is possible in the lighting industry,” says Arafa. “Crucial to HiLights’ decision were the superior quality and advanced features of Ayrton's fixtures which not only showcased the latest technology but also addressed our specific needs. We found Ayrton products to be unique, offering capabilities that were not readily available from other manufacturers.

“Furthermore, Procom’s sales team demonstrated exceptional support throughout the evaluation and procurement process and we value the comprehensive after-sales services they provide. That commitment to customer satisfaction and ongoing support offered by Ayrton ensures that HiLights will receive the necessary support, maintenance, and technical assistance after the products are implemented, and was an additional vital factor in choosing Ayrton.”

HiLights’ new Ayrton fixtures are to be deployed in its busy programme of mega events across the region where they will prove invaluable. “Moving forward, our strategic plan is to expand our stock of Ayrton fixtures because we recognise the potential and value they bring to our portfolio, particularly for iconic projects and mega outdoor events,” says Arafa. “By increasing our Ayrton fixture inventory, we can meet the growing market demand and provide our clients with a wider range of options.

“The events industry demands lighting fixtures that possess not only power but also durability. Ayrton's equipment, equipped with laser sources and LEDs, offers powerful lighting capabilities and robust construction for enhanced durability and resilience, making them highly suitable for outdoor applications. These fixtures are engineered to be extremely resistant to adverse outdoor weather conditions ensuring reliable performance even in challenging environments.

“We strongly believe that Ayrton's lighting solutions are highly suitable for HiLights as an events solution company. They provide exceptional lighting solutions for a variety events, including international festivals, stadiums, and outdoor mega events.”

The Ayrton Domino Profile, Domino LT and Cobra fixtures were supplied to HiLights Group by Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for the region, Procom Middle East. “We recognise Procom as the largest supplier for HiLights Group and have been highly impressed with their exceptional service and after-sales support,” concludes Arafa. “Their expertise and commitment to providing quality products and services have been invaluable to our business. We are extremely pleased with their level of professionalism, reliability, and dedication to customer satisfaction.”

26th September 2023

Brunch in Tenerife with Odin

Tenerife – El Brunch Nuestro De Cada Dia (Our daily brunch) is an event that took place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the island of Tenerife on the 6th of May 2023. The sound system and lighting fixtures were provided by Musicanarias Audiovisuales.

The event took place on the Plaza Alisios, an area at the back of the iconic Auditorio Adán Martín that overlooks the Atlantic ocean. Starting at 1pm and finishing at 10pm, the event saw performances by Andee, We Are Trash, Bobby Bob and La Maldita. The Plaza Alisios is often used for events and presents unique challenges when it comes to putting together the perfect sound setup. For this event, Musicanarias Audiovisuales relied on an active line-array system by DAP's Odin Audio Systems. The eventual set-up was the result of careful analysis of the area to ensure that the Odin set-up chosen made optimal use of the system’s excellent sound coverage and powerful bass. It included six DAP Odin S-218A active line-array ultra subwoofers and 12 DAP Odin T-8A active line array satellite speakers.

Sound is just one part of a successful event and you can’t have brunch without food, which is why the entrance ticket also included a meal voucher. Lighting is another important element because it adds extra atmosphere, particularly after daylight fades. To that end, lighting fixtures by Showtec and Infinity were chosen. These included the Showtec Phantom 280 Hybrid moving head and the Infinity iB-5R beam moving head which both added colourful, dynamic lighting to keep the energy of the crowd up.

All in all, El Brunch Nuestro De Cada Dia proved to be a tasty treat that stimulated all the senses.

26th September 2023

Audio Teck Pro deploys WPL for José María Napoleón at GNP Acapulco Arena

Brazil – Martin Audio’s Mexican rental partner, Audio Teck Pro, recently deployed a large WPL line array for the performance of veteran singer José María Napoleón to provide comprehensive coverage throughout the 10,500 capacity multi-purpose venue.

Audio Teck Pro systems engineer Raúl Román, explained how the supreme multi-cellular control of Martin Audio once again helped overcome the challenges, particularly in this case of heat and humidity, to deliver a supreme and consummate audio performance.

"In our experience it is a great advantage to have Martin Audio equipment in our inventory as the brand is frequently requested on artists’ riders, and the systems always respond well. Other brands we have used do not achieve the same results, especially in the treble; this is very important because with other equipment, the treble starts to fall away at a distance of about 50 or 60 metres whereas with Martin Audio it reaches a distance of 100 metres comfortably without problems, which is a great advantage."

He says this is corroborated by the Smaart software readings where the treble part, measures 16,000Hz, unlike other brands, which are 12,000Hz max. “With Martin Audio, everything sounds coherent, very clear and transparent and at the same level, and this is what distinguishes from others,” Raúl Román continues. “And as far as the subwoofers are concerned, there is no comparison; they outperform other brands with depth and tone that other subs do not have.”

By entering the precise information into the software, the system gives you what you really need from venue to venue, he confirms. “When you have done this and start walking around the venue you hear everything completely at the same level, with the same quality of frequency response, with a very clear, transparent sound.”

The full deployment at that Napoleon show included 16 WPL per side for the main hang, eight WPL per side for outfill, run off iKON amps (in 2-box resolution). Subs comprised 24 SXH218 in an Inverted stack array. By designing it in a cardioid arc, it was able to cover 120° and provide a homogeneous and coherent coverage from the first rows to the farthest, right at the top of the venue. So complete was the coverage that only minimal front fill coverage was required.

As one of the technicians tasked with choosing which brand Audio Teck Pro would work with, Raúl Román’s recommendation has been fully vindicated. “I heard other options but was never convinced. I chose Martin Audio and the more I work with it, the more I like it and continue to get more juice out of it. Every engineer who gets behind the console, as soon as they hear the PA they are delighted with the sound.” And this included Napoleón’s FOH engineer, Pepe Toño and monitor engineer, Rogelio Granados. 

With the heat in Acapulco, they are used to temperatures ranging between 36° and above 40° in one of them with a wind chill of 49°. “But even with Acapulco’s hot and humid weather, the sound travels fabulously and remains impressive, both near and far.

The sound that was achieved at the GNP Arena was considered a real breakthrough and Raúl Román believes it will increase Martin Audio’s visibility on tours throughout Latin America. “What took place at the GNP Acapulco Arena was clear proof,” he summarised.

In conclusion, the Audio Teck Pro system designer says Napoleon’s production crew were delighted with the outcome. “They have used other brands but so far this is the only one that has met the requirements in complicated venues where achieving consistent sound pressure and frequency response are challenging. It is always surprising that while other brands need to add delay points to maintain system integrity in the highest and farthest places, with Martin Audio such integrity is present throughout the entire coverage area without the need for delays. Due to these factors, it is great to know that Audio Teck Pro continues to be the first choice for the Napoleón tour.”

26th September 2023

White Light Supplies That Face at Orange Tree Theatre

UK – First performed to critical acclaim in 2007, That Face is a hard-hitting, explosive play that explores the secret lives of the rich with anarchic humour. It’s now making a highly-anticipated revival at the Orange Tree Theatre in a production directed by Josh Seymour and starring Niamh Cusack. It also features a lighting design by Jamie Platt who approached White Light (WL) to supply his lighting equipment.

That Face tells the story of Mia who is on the verge of being expelled from boarding school and returns home to her alcoholic, disinterested mother Martha as well as her increasingly unstable brother Henry. The imminent return of her father Hugh from Hong Kong, who’s promised to sort everything out, serves to push the family beyond its limits.

On his approach to the show, Jamie explains: “I’d worked with director Josh Seymour and designer Eleanor Bull earlier this year on a wonderful production of Suddenly Last Summer in Frankfurt so had a good understanding of their processes and what to expect when I was asked to light That Face. Eleanor’s design put a rotating bed front and centre in the Orange Tree space and I knew that it would be important for me to be able to focus in light to that bed in any orientation, as well as expanding into the wider space. There were also two large floating circles, mirroring the painted circles on the floor and I wanted to use those to represent the breakdown of the family’s cohesion; something I would ultimately do by placing pixel tape inside, which would decay over the course of the play.”

With the play being performed within the Orange Tree, this marked the first time that Jamie had lit a production in-the-round. He comments: “Orange Tree is the most wonderful theatre space though I’ve always previously had some form of upstage to pack full of parcan backlight! With this show, it was important for me to give the audience the same experience no matter where they sat, which reinforced my plan to have a central cone of light above the stage as the primary light source.”

Another important aspect of Jamie’s design was the environmental impact both this and the overall production had. He explains: “I was very keen to use a local hire company, to reduce the transportation impact and I’m so glad that WL, in particular Louise Houlihan, was able to make the hire work for this show; given the theatre and their warehouse are just seven miles apart! I’m also aware of WL’s status as a B Corp and their commitment to sustainability.”

Regarding his actual design, Jamie details: “The primary feature was a Martin MAC Viper Wash DX unit, which was hung centrally. In fact, we never use the pan or tilt during the show, it always points straight down! I was very keen for a fixture that could be super intense and allow me to shutter into the rotating bed in any orientation when desired. The Viper Wash DX was perfect in that regard, with its bright arc source and rotatable internal barn doors. I was also very keen for the optics of a single large glass lens, given the visibility of the rig to the audience.

He continues: “I am often disappointed with the frosts in moving head fixtures (give me a Rosco 119 internal frost any day!) so the super soft diffused edge of the wash light beam was exactly what I was after: for the central bright cone of light to fade off gently at the edges. I also hired 24 birdies to sit on the circle front, which give me a brilliant, uninterrupted low shot that managed to get into the eyes of the cast, while not being too dazzling for the audience sat opposite.”

That Face has now opened to critical acclaim, with reviewers calling it a “stunning revival that will tear right through you” (The Guardian) and “magnetic” (The Times). It runs until 7th October 2023.

photos: Johan Persson

25th September 2023

DiGiCo Quantums make ‘Perfect Sense’ for Arctic Monkeys’ engineers for sensational 2023 The Car tour

Worldwide – Kicking off in Istanbul at the beginning of August 2022, taking in a series of festivals in South America, on to Australia and the Far East, travelling through Europe, then a UK stadium tour and finishing in Dublin in October, Arctic Monkeys The Car tour has been delighting fans with its blend of new material and classic favourites. The band’s long-time engineers, Will Doyle and Matthew Kettle, have relied on DiGiCo consoles (provided by Solotech) to deliver premium sound at both the monitor and front of house positions for many years. Continuing their ethos of providing an exceptional audio experience, this time they have opted for the latest DiGiCo Quantum consoles along with a DMI-KLANG for immersive in-ear monitoring.

Racking up a remarkable combined tenure of 31 years with the band, with Doyle taking on the role of monitor engineer in 2006, with Kettle joining as FOH engineer in 2009. Both are experienced DiGiCo users, with Doyle opting for a Quantum 338, and Kettle utilising a Quantum 5 for the latest tour.

“I first made the switch to DiGiCo for Arctic Monkeys in 2012 and I’ve been using their consoles almost exclusively for nearly all my clients since then,” says Kettle. “I find it to be a very quick, powerful and extremely flexible platform, which I believe greatly contributes to achieving the best sounding shows possible. Over the years, I've increasingly utilised the workflow flexibility, which has truly become second nature to me. It never gets in the way of what I’m trying to do and always sounds great. And the level of support and communication from the DiGiCo team is completely unmatched, not only in this industry but any other. Nobody even comes close.”

Doyle considers himself a relative “latecomer to the DiGiCo party,” stating that he switched from his previous desk of choice in 2017, discovered Relative Group Update Mode and Macro functions and “hasn't looked back since!” Doyle regards the Quantum 338 as the perfect console for the current tour for numerous reasons, not least its exceptional sound quality. “I like to use the Aux to Faders panel to select my outputs, freeing up the centre section and giving me more inputs at my disposal. Having the channel processing controls on the centre screen has significantly increased its versatility for me,” he adds.

Doyle notes that using compression sparingly on monitors allows the musicians to hear as true a representation as possible of their performances, with the Quantum's ability to select the aux send point enabling him to control any unexpected volume increases for the rest of the band while leaving it unaffected for the individual player. “And, as anyone who has used a Quantum will tell you, it's truly wonderful being able to see the screens clearly in daylight,” he notes.

Doyle’s monitor set-up includes 60 inputs from the stage distributed across two shared SD Racks. “This goes up to about 86 inputs with all the shouts, effects, ambients, intros and other elements,” he explains. “Not all of them are used simultaneously, as the band moves around and swaps instruments, so I'm making the most of the Snapshot automation. We have 12 in-ear mixes and six wedge sends, along with a few spares.”

At FOH, Kettle has approximately 80 inputs, with 60 originating from the band and the remaining comprising utility items such as audience mics. "I'm pleased to say that every sound you hear during an Arctic Monkeys performance is played live by a real person, using a real instrument, which is somewhat unusual these days," he says.

Whilst there have not been any major challenges from the previous tour, Kettle emphasises that Arctic Monkeys’ sound is deeply rooted in classic vintage tones, and Mustard processing has proved valuable in bringing that distinct and unique sound to life. Kettle agrees, stating that Mustard’s ability to integrate modelled classic compressors and EQ onboard significantly reduces the need for third-party tools to achieve specific tonal characteristics. He also appreciates the True Solo function, saying: “I have a sense these features are only the beginning, which fills me with excitement and anticipation for DiGiCo to unlock even more of the potential the technology has to offer.”

Doyle had used KLANG for the first time on a lower input show and realised it would be perfect for Arctic Monkeys as the show has lots of mono signals that occupy a similar frequency range. “I’m using the DMI-KLANG, which does wonders separating everything out, leaving room in the middle for whatever the main focus of the mix is. It gives a real sense of space where you can place things in their actual onstage orientation,” he explains. “Placing sounds around the listener makes everything seem less crowded and it’s easier to discern different instruments and lower the overall volume needed to pick things out. It also lets you bring up other sources that might otherwise make things a bit congested in a normal mix. For example, a particularly full keyboard patch might normally overwhelm a mix, but can give everything a bit more vibe when kept slightly more distant with KLANG. Additionally, for the few individuals not using KLANG, Nodal processing is proving to be a great tool for achieving personalised sound.”

Once set up, Doyle finds it simple to adjust either on the touch screen – which gives him a great visual aid for where objects are placed – or on the console itself, highlighting that it is very well integrated into the DiGiCo software. “It plays nicely with the Snapshot system too, so it's easy to programme things back to the middle when a musician swaps instruments,” he adds. “Another great application of KLANG is the remote control side of things. With an access point attached, our backline team can control their own mixes on their phones or tablets. Not only can they adjust their mixes to taste independently of me (using either user defined groups, or single channels), but they can also solo individual channels direct to their mix, again completely independently of what the console solo bus is doing. It's made chasing faults a much more streamlined affair.”

For Doyle, the shift from the previous DiGiCo ecosystem to the Quantum consoles was easy. “You feel right at home straight away, just with a few more tools at your disposal,” he concludes. And, with The Car achieving massive success and hailed as "a swashbuckling, strings-fuelled epic" by the NME, it seems certain the quality of the audio is not in question.”

www.digico.biz 

25th September 2023

Robe For Mega-Monsters Tour

USA – "The Mega-Monsters Tour" is a block-busting spring and summer co-headliner that is blistering across North America with Grammy Award-winning heavy rockers Mastodon joining forces with French heavy metal phenom, Gojira, for a mind-blowing double bill that enthrals rock and metal music fans everywhere!

The tour also unleashes the talents of two equally creative and distinctive lighting designers:  Eric Price (Mastodon) and Pete Cary of Summit Production Design (Gojira), who share an overhead rig of primarily Robe moving lights specified by both, to which they added some individual floor elements and SFX.

Gojira’s set features a single circular riser with extensive video elements while Mastodon has two risers and lots of lasers. Apart from that, around 95% of the lighting is shared and, a tribute to the massive versatility offered, is used to produce two totally contrasting yet equally as exhilarating hi-energy light shows.

Lighting equipment was supplied by Jason Reberski at Chicago-based rental specialist JRLX with the FORTES a recent investment by the rental house that both LDs were delighted to add to their respective imaginative toolboxes.

Thirty-two Robe FORTES featured on the second leg of the tour, boosted by ten more fixtures from the first leg.

FORTE is currently Robe’s highest-powered LED Profile and these were supplied together with 30 MegaPointes, 38 Spiider wash beams and some other lights.

The final choice of fixtures was ultimately a five-way collaboration between the two LDs and the relevant artist production, tour and stage managers, but Eric reveals that once he and Pete had nailed the production truss and video design, they both unanimously agreed that they wanted Robe moving lights.

Eric and Pete had not worked together before this, but they thoroughly enjoyed the experience having known one another and mixed in the same circles for some time. The two bands share the same management company, so a great relationship already existed between the two teams.

While they essentially designed the rig together, the base elements were initially Pete’s ideas. “It evolved extremely quickly,” explained Eric who was on the road when it was confirmed, so Pete presented the first design, “which was brilliant for both artists, so we went with that.”

Twelve FORTES were now on the front truss for the second leg, with eight more on two upstage side hangs of truss. When Jason had first offered FORTES, they jumped at the opportunity!

It was the first time Eric had used these on the road after seeing them at a recent Robe event. “They are amazing lights,” he stated, “A very powerful output, especially in dark colours,” and he noted that even with the LED, video and lasers going full tilt, the FORTES push through.

The extra 12 FORTES joining the tour for the second leg are rigged on a run of GP truss upstage on the floor that also has strobes and blinders.

The large upstage block of LED screen is flanked by two left and right columns of LED. All the band risers – Mastodon’s two and Gojira’s single circular one – are bordered with video, and LED panels are attached to the fronts of all eight over-stage finger trusses that are arranged in a chevron shape.

The MegaPointes and Spiiders are alternated along these finger trusses.

Eric and Pete wanted MegaPointes for their sheer scope and ability to change the dynamics of the space, and enabling both to differentiate their shows by looks and programming styles. For Eric, MegaPointes are his ‘fun fixtures’.

Another couple of Spiiders are positioned on the downstage corners of the deck, a great position for interesting sidelight.

“Both of us have used MegaPointes and Spiiders for many years,” stated Pete who has worked with Gojira for seven years, trusted with complete creative freedom on the stage design and lighting programming. He mentions that he also used MegaPointes and Spiiders on his very first Gojira tour.

However, like Eric, FORTES were a new experience! “They are the best spots I have used to date,” he declared!

He was also blown away with the intensity, richness, and potency of the FORTES. While he tends not to use blues and reds so much in his shows for the band, with the FORTES he found he could as they didn’t get lost in the mix.

Pete maintained that MegaPointes are still “by far the best” beam light on the market in his opinion, and he loves their punch and flexibility.

Spiiders are another favourite. He appreciates the quality of the light output, the texture and depth of the wash, the colour mixing and the “excellent” zoom which can also transform the unity into a nice tight, clean beam, “On top of that, there’s the flower effect and the individual pixels. It’s a physically small fixture in appearance but with a huge potential and output!”

Pete loves Gojira’s music which he describes as “very technical in terms of informing much of what I do with the lighting” and adds that it’s a dream for any LD to work for an artist that they enjoy listening to so much. He also lights a lot of E-sports events which are equally as intense and fast paced.

Eric commented that the co-design concept worked “very smoothly” but the challenge came with it being a sizable system suspended on 64 points, an operation overseen by rigger Mike Queally and lighting crew chief Parker Shore.

Not over-using the fixtures was another goal for both. “We really needed all these Robe luminaires to give us both enough latitude to deliver for our artists,” confirmed Eric.

On the road, the running order is alternated each night in true flip-flop style, with a few obvious scheduling exceptions, like Mastodon closing at their hometown Atlanta and Gojira playing last in Montreal.

Much initial discussion was on how changeovers could work flawlessly, so a lot of attention was paid to details and making the rig functional without sacrificing any of the entertainment value or spectacle that fans enjoyed as both bands play their respective one-hour and 20-minute sets.

On tour, Pete operates with a grandMA3 and a custom Resolume set up for video, while Eric uses a Hog4 for lights and lasers with an M-Box server running Mastodon’s video playback.

“It’s a pleasure working with Pete,” concluded Eric, “he’s a very smart guy, very easy-going and fun to be around.”

Pete reciprocates with “Eric is as relaxed and calm as it gets and a great LD. It’s a pleasure working with him on this project.”

The two stage managers are Darren “Bubs” Sanders and Ryan Tarby.

The lighting crew are Dan Arnold, Pepe Salas and Jeff Giancaspro; the video crew chief is Caleb Strong, working alongside video technicians Steven Harkins, Joe Rich and Thomas Ramirez, with pyro and SFX co-ordinated by Elliott Evans and Rick Russ.

The tour’s production manager keeping everything running smoothly on the road is Taylor Bingley.

photos: Clark Terrell Photography and Bryan Matthews

www.robe.cz

22nd September 2023

Chauvet Professional Helps Erich Bertti Bring Multi-Faceted Looks to Ghost Tour

USA – Where does the design process begin? For Erich Bertti, the answer is clear. “When conceiving a design, my first concern is for it to be versatile,” said the Santos, Brazil-based designer.  

Bertti hooked up with the perfect creative soul twin this summer when he created the light show for Grammy-winning Swedish hard rockers Ghost on their 27-date USA tour, which ended with an 11th September show at LA’s Kia Forum.

“The main characteristic that caught my attention about Ghost is their versatility,” said Bertti. “I love their interaction of rock and theatrical. The way they go from real heavy ballads to up-beat tempo rock tunes is great and it demands the same level of versatility from a light show in terms of colour and look changes.”

Working with a set design by Ghost frontman Tobais Forge and Sooner Routhier, Bertti had plenty of opportunities to spread his creative wings in multiple directions. “The truss configuration on this tour made it easy to create symmetrical, yet aggressive, looks that interacted really well with the intense changes between songs,” he observed.

A collection of 36 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK3 Wash fixtures, which were supplied by Premier Global Productions, played a key role in helping Bertti serve up his broad mix of looks. The muscular wash light, which is powered by 27 40W Osram LEDs, was arranged evenly on each of the six ‘fingers’ on the set’s star-shaped truss.

“With the Maverick’s macros I could do so many different things to keep giving the show unique imagery,” said Bertti. “On tunes like ‘Miasma,’ and ‘Watcher in the Sky,’ I used them to get a starship sort of look. On the song ‘Cirice,’ the outer rings created a hypnotic pattern, while in ‘Dance Macabre,’ they brought the audience to a colourful party. I had a lot of fun experimenting with these fixtures in Nashville at Premier Global Productions during some previz to integrate the new fixtures for this tour.”

The set’s high trim also gave Bertti many opportunities to conjure up different looks, including dramatic colour changes, blinding white light effects, evocatively playful shadows and distinctive downlight/sidelight mixes, as well as some captivating accent lighting on an inflatable church backdrop. 

“Having the high trim played a big part on this design due to the ideal rake of the star shaped truss that I had in my mind,” he said. “We had to deal with different limitations on trim height playing various venues, but we made the best out of it. Using downlighting from this rig is my way of giving it a starship vibe and also creating the game of shadows I love so much.”

Bertti also wove the set’s dramatic church backdrop into his design. “This tour was our first with an inflatable church,” he said. “It was one of the best additions to our touring gear due to the way the inflatable responds to light. We also had LED screens in the back to act as the windows.”

Looking at the powerful set in its entirety, Bertti described it as being an “artistic vision” shared by a group of creatives. And like all such visions, this one could not be pigeon-holed. Instead, it moved boldly in multiple directions, exactly the sort of “versatility” that Bertti keeps firmly in his mind at the start of every design process. 

photos: Steve Jennings

22nd September 2023

Claypaky Volero Waves and Panify Light Up Duke Dumont “All Night Long” at The Brooklyn Mirage

USA – Grammy nominated electronic artist and music producer Duke Dumont played a six-hour extended set “All Night Long” at The Brooklyn Mirage on August 25 where 16 Claypaky Volero Wave LED bars, each with eight independent moving heads, teamed with Panify to light up the night. Panify is Claypaky’s innovative solution that turns static, non-moving fixtures into dynamic effects.

Lighting and rigging vendor Gateway Productions supplied the products to lighting and production designer Chris Thoms of Dumont’s Studio Blasé. Thoms is believed to be among the first designers to pair Volero Waves and Panify as the centrepiece of a show in the US.

“We wanted to try something new and innovative which had not been seen in this iconic venue before,” says Thoms. “We also had to cater for a six-hour performance and ensure that we had the tools to create multiple dynamic looks throughout the night.”

Thoms had seen some footage of Volero Waves in action and was eager to use them in the design. He opted for a 4 x 4 grid hung from an automated truss structure as the centrepiece. “The combination of Volero Waves, Panify and Kinesys automation meant that we could completely change the feel of the space as we wished,” he explains.

“We started the show with the rig flown in low, using the Volero Wave fixtures as a ceiling of light to create an intimate club feel for the first hour or so. Then we moved the trusses to high trim to reveal our visual content.  Later we brought the lighting truss back into play building the show in layers. It was important for us to be able to create moments where our focal visual content led the show and others where the lighting centrepiece took over.”

Thoms reports: “We were really happy with the Volero fixtures, which have plenty of brightness to punch through when needed and great vivid colours. When combined with Panify, they enabled me to program some looks that I truly don’t think I could have achieved any other way. It was a lot of fun to experiment with them, and I look forward to using them on more projects.”

www.claypaky.com     

22nd September 2023

Church of the Highlands Creates Intimate Aura at Motion 23 with Chauvet Professional

USA – The Legacy Arena stands tall; ten storeys to be exact. It’s also spacious, with an oval floor that measures 24,200-square-feet (2,244.5 m²), but earlier this summer, the big venue, which has hosted concerts by Grammy-winners, the Davis Cup and other marquee events, took on the aura of a warm, soul-enriching space, when it served as the site of Church of the Highlands Motion 23 Conference.

An immersive and inviting production design by the church’s creative director, Brian Worster and broadcast lighting director Griffin McCravy, along with the rest of their team, set the stage for this intimate setting in the 17,000-seat arena.

“This is a student conference born out of our local church’s youth ministry,” said McCravy. “Although the conference has grown over the years to become an arena event, we always want it to reflect this vision. With this goal in mind, we built a rig and design that could be big and impactful, but we also made things feel incredibly small at times. The design of this year’s flown rig was essentially the same linear design of truss as in the past, but at multiple heights. This allowed us to make a lighting design look a certain way, but then we also added the higher elevation trusses, so could make the design look larger and smaller, as needed.”

McCravy and the lighting team accomplished this with the help of over 145 Chauvet Professional fixtures, including 82 Maverick MK3 Profiles, 36 Color Strike M motorised strobes, eight Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes, eight Maverick Storm 3 BeamWashes and 12 Rogue R2X Washes.

This rig helped the design team meet some distinct challenges, including creating depth and texture on a 270-degree stage, without interfering with sightlines. “Trying to fit as many attendees into the space as possible without being in full circle, presented some issues,” said McCravy. “Luckily, Brian Worster was able to position curve LED points in a way that resulted in very little sightline blockages, even for attendees seated beside and slightly behind the rig. On top of that, we also had rear-facing delay IMAG screens that allowed those seated behind the front of the stage to still have a great camera angle to see what was happening.”

Adroit positioning of the Color Strike M fixtures was critical in maintaining clean sightlines and camera-friendly looks. McCravy positioned four of the fixtures on either side of the stage to provide low side light on band members and singers. This made them clearly visible to attendees as well as on camera, without the need to run traditional front light for the entire event. The remaining Color Strike M units were front mounted on the flown lighting trusses at a 90-degree angle. This allowed the design team to ‘pan’ left to right, as opposed to having the fixtures tilt in their normal orientation. There were also times when COLOR Strike M units were used to create truss-warmer type of effects, which enhanced the intimate aura of the conference.

Adding to this embracive mood was McCravy’s well-timed use of dark space. “I live by the phrase, ‘just because the light is there, doesn’t mean it has to be on all the time’,” he commented. “This is especially true when you get into arena sized rigs with hundreds of individual fixtures, but it applies even in smaller spaces as well. In many cases, actually turning off some fixtures will help make the picture you are trying to paint much clearer and more concise.” 

When the lights were turned up, the rig’s Maverick MK3 Profile fixtures often did the heavy lifting. “It was an absolute work horse in this year’s design,” McCravy said of the 820 Watt LED fixture. “I had seen the MK3 profile on several shows but hadn’t had a chance to use it myself. I was thoroughly impressed with it at Motion. With the design aspiration to be an all-profile rig, I really needed a fixture that was able to do it all; so, it could be a very tight, punchy profile, while still having a great zoom range so I could also treat it as a wash type light. The MK3 punched through the arena like it wasn’t even concerned, but it could also get very wide and with the help of the frost filter. It also gave us some very soft wash looks as well.

“Some of my favourite looks at the conference happened when we were able to maintain the clarity of the MK3 Profile after rolling in a gobo and pushing the zoom way out wide,” continued McCravy. “Several moments throughout the event I had the MK3s fanned out throughout the entire room pushed to a wide zoom with a gobo, and it was impressive.”

McCravy conjured up some big wow-factor looks with pyro and confetti and other effects during the show, but these were mere accents. The overall tone of the event’s lighting remained tightly focused on the worship experience.

“Often in the house of worship world, we, as designers, must walk the line,” he said. “We need to make a moment and a space impactful, while not over-doing it and distracting from what the event is truly about: students having an opportunity to worship God, surrounded by thousands of other students wanting the same thing. We always want to keep this sense of togetherness in focus at the Motion Conference.”

In 2023, that’s precisely what The Church of the Highlands team did and as a result, this big-time arena never felt more intimate.

21st September 2023

GLP KNV animates NATURE ONE’s open-air floor

Germany – Top international electronic dance music acts, along with 65,000 ravers, again transformed the former Pydna missile base in the Hunsrück area of Germany into one of the hotspots of the European EDM scene recently. GERDON DESIGN has been providing the NATURE ONE festival with sensational creative designs for over ten years and this year was no exception, with designer Marek Papke’s team again responsible for the event’s open-air floor.

Numerous pyramids, which formed part of the set construction, and the unbridled light output from 64 GLP KNV Cubes played a key role in maintaining all-round consistency for this largest open-air floor of the festival.

“As a design element, the pyramid already existed at NATURE ONE in 2019,” notes Papke. “The pyramids, which were originally made as a special construction, were still available and everyone involved wanted not only to use them again but to develop this theme on a much larger scale. The result was a production design that was extremely coherent in its language and did justice to the technical and industrial look of the event.”

There were 16 smaller pyramids at both stage left and right, with four much larger pyramids on the stage itself, while a huge inverted pyramid hovered over the dance floor, containing a strobe pod (others contained a total of nine KNV Cubes). When viewed collectively, all pyramids revealed a consistent line, with the tips each equipped with a KNV Cube. While the smaller pyramids contained only one KNV Cube, the larger ones were each topped by a matrix of 3 x 3 Cubes and thus had enormous blinding potential.

The smaller pyramids were constructed in such a way that a KNV Cube would fit exactly into the top. “The KNV Cube is simply a spotlight that is still unparalleled in terms of brightness, as both a blinder and strobe effect,” says the designer. “When we fired up all the KNV units, it was as if the sun rose over the missile base in the middle of the night. Indescribable! The devices also have a very compact form factor; they are actually only as big as the pixels they contain. This means they fit wonderfully into such a decorative building.”

With its immense light output of 50,000 lumens and the combination of 25 individual white light power pixels, plus a surrounding RGB pixel ring, the KNV Cube is ideal for flat washes, as well as powerful strobe and creative pixel effects.

“We primarily used the devices as wash lights to bathe the entire floor in light. Single pixel control with programmed effects from the light console and pixel mappings from the media server were also used,” continues Papke. “As a strobe, the KNV Cube is simply incomparable. The four three by three matrices in particular blew us and the audience away in equal measure. A fantastic strobe and blinder effect.”

Since all devices in the KNV series are IP65-certified, the on-site team didn’t have to worry about the weather, he adds: “The weather was extremely bad during installation and surprisingly good from the start of the show. In this unpredictable weather year and with some festivals literally sinking into the mud, it was extremely nice that the sun came out during NATURE ONE.”

schoko pro GmbH was the technical service provider for NATURE ONE, while Motion Rental supplied the KNV Cubes.

Marek Papke from GERDON DESIGN GmbH designed the lighting and media areas and acted as show director. Lighting operators Leon Schwerdt and Kai Müller, as well as visual operators Max Schmalenberger and Artur Kechter, supported the production on site. The laser technology came from Laserfabrik GmbH. FOG GmbH was responsible for the special effects.

photos: Julian Huke

www.glp.de

21st September 2023

Bringing Magic to the Main Stage at Coachella 2023

USA – All of it Now (AOIN), a leading virtual art department and in-camera VFX integration solutions provider, never shies away from pushing the boundaries of creativity. Coachella 2023 proved to be the perfect canvas for their latest artistic endeavour, which involved crafting unique augmented reality (AR) experiences to captivate one of the most demanding audiences on the festival circuit. AOIN turned to Stage Precision’s SP software, a powerful data and control management software they had used before, but now hoped to deploy on a much grander scale.

As the sun rose on Coachella 2023, AOIN faced several challenges. The project brief included enhancing the main stage livestream broadcast to create a new augmented reality platform for artists including Gorillaz, Bad Bunny and Blackpink. As a central component of Coachella's 2023 marketing campaign, Coachella introduced the "mirage effect," an interstitial element that combined real-world objects with digital elements, a task undertaken within Unreal Engine's real-time compositing pipeline. To achieve this, AOIN collaborated closely with Nexus and stYpe's team to develop a custom compositing solution.

"The Coachella project was challenging because we had to manage a large amount of content as well as send out a large amount of data to trigger specific events and effects,” recalls Berto Mora, CTO at AOIN. “This difficulty was compounded by the fact that we were working with multiple teams, which created logistical programming challenges."

Amidst the challenges, SP by Stage Precision emerged as the ultimate operator controller, bringing together the entire workflow. "We used SP board views to create a user interface to monitor all engines and cue lists at a glance,” remarks Vishal Sharma, UE operator at AOIN. “This removed our need to visit each individual machine; a game-changer as we were able to control all six engines from one desk, with timecode, tracking data and genlock united into a single source of truth.”

Alongside control and monitoring capabilities, SP offered the AOIN team other advantages to traditional workflows. "The 3D visualiser allowed us to visualise in 3D space, as opposed to 2D, which helped us to think differently about the environment and space that we were augmenting," says Mora, highlighting the versatility of SP’s software features. “Additionally, we used SP to control our video router to switch between mains and backup engines, whilst the robust cue list system provided us with a method of triggering all engines simultaneously via OSC, with scalable control via unicast commands.”

Using SP by Stage Precision, All of It Now delivered an eclectic mix of incredible augmented reality experiences. Looking to the future, the team considers Stage Precision a key tool in their mission to usher in a new era of AR experiences. “At this year’s festival, we supported three artists as well as Coachella’s marketing team. SP allowed us to maintain the cues and commands for each specific artist, segmenting them so there was no chance of mistakenly cueing the wrong content during a performance,” explains Mora. “With this workflow, we are prepared to scale to support more artists in 2024 and beyond, as well as open the possibilities to support more tracked cameras and engines in the future.”

21st September 2023

DiGiCo Quantum5 and KLANG deliver perfect solution for Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour

China – Renowned Hong Kong singer and actor Jacky Cheung kicked off his latest tour on 9 June at The Venetian Macao Cotai Arena in Macau, China. The Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour not only signifies the tenth solo concert tour of his illustrious career but also marks the superstar’s first large-scale event after celebrating his 60th birthday. The current world tour, extending into 2024, has already broken records by selling over 109,000 tickets for the Cotai Arena and hosting 11 shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, a feat unprecedented among any previous artist in a single leg of a concert tour in Singapore. DiGiCo Quantum5 consoles and a KLANG immersive monitor system for the tour, provided by Rightway Audio Consultants (RAC), DiGiCo’s official distributor in China.

Revered as an icon in Hong Kong’s popular culture and dubbed the ‘God of Songs’, Cheung’s accolades include a World Music Award for ‘World’s Best-selling Asian artist’, a Billboard Music Award for ‘Most Popular Asian Singer’, and a Guinness World Record for the largest combined audience for a live act in 12 months, with over two million audience members.

At the project's outset, the RAC team offered support in system design, setup and decisions about the mixing console to be used, as well as the connectivity of the KLANG system. It was during this phase that they recommended to use the Quantum5, which comes equipped with the latest features, allowing engineers a greater space to create outstanding results.

Located in The Venetian Macao, on the Cotai Strip, the 15,000-capacity Cotai Arena was opened in 2007 and is known for hosting international televised awards shows and concerts with world-famous artists like Mariah Carey and Shawn Mendes. It is the largest single indoor event venue in Macau and one of the best-equipped integrated indoor multi-purpose exhibition and performance venues in Asia. For the Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour, the set design included a thrust stage, which provided little cover for the band but a clearer view of the stage for the audience. Departing from the previous method of concealing the concert’s band, the team set up a four-story platform on the main stage for a 53-piece orchestra.

The unique nature of the live performance included a large-scale orchestra. To ensure an exceptionally high standard of audio, each instrument was individually picked up by deploying a large number of microphones, and each musician required a dedicated monitor mix capable of being controlled by themselves,” says Pan Weijie, system engineer at Rightway Audio Consultants. “This necessitated monitor engineer, Mike Wong, deploying a substantial number of output busses, plus six groups of MADI outputs. The Quantum5 proved to be the ideal console for effectively managing these complexities, with a total of 175 inputs and 150 outputs being utilised.”

Weijie notes that having so many musicians on stage simultaneously requires them to not only hear their own instruments, but also be aware of the other instruments being played. “This underscores the critical importance of an effective monitoring system,” he explains. “That is why we employed 55 KLANG:kontrollers and five KLANG:konductors, creating an immersive personal monitoring system for the 53-piece orchestra. This marks the first deployment of such a large KLANG system in the Asia-Pacific region!

With the integration of KLANG, the feeling of being sonically isolated is eliminated and effectively brings the feeling of a natural, acoustic environment into the headphone mixes. “This results in heightened clarity for each instrument's sound,” Weijie adds. “It also helped to reduce the players' hearing fatigue and the need for high monitoring volumes, thereby significantly improving hearing protection.”

In addition, the objects could be visualised in the KLANG:app interface, enabling intuitive yet precise positioning of instruments by simply dragging the icons, offering the musicians naturalness and flexibility in shaping the sound within their individual in-ear monitors.

Quantum5 consoles were employed for both FOH and Monitors, with the latter benefitting from DiGiCo's seamless integration with KLANG.

Li Wenxi, RAC’s senior system engineer was on hand for monitoring support during live performances at Cotai Arena and was delighted with the Quantum 5's performance.

“I love its reliability and security,” he concludes. “The Quantum5 facilitates interface control and information interaction between DiGiCo and KLANG, granting musicians greater room for their personal mixes. Boasting over 250 channels, it can satisfy the needs of musicians and singers at the same time.

“After several concerts, the engineers became very proficient with the Quantum5s. Thanks to the powerful DiGiCo and KLANG setup and its intuitive interface, we have established a highly efficient solution which has worked exceptionally for the Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour!”

www.digico.biz 

20th September 2023

Unite the Union Policy Conference inspires audience with AV Stumpfl screens

UK –  Stage Sound Services Ltd offers full production and equipment services from its impressive 50,000 square foot HQ in Cardiff and was recently tasked to support Freshwater UK, a marketing and events agency, with the technical realisation of this year's Unite the Union Policy Conference in Brighton.

The Policy Conference is the supreme decision-making body of the union, held every two years and made up of around 700 lay members from Unite's 19 sectors and ten regions and equality structures.

One of the visual highlights of the important conference was a 24m wide AV Stumpfl Vario projection screen.
“A key requirement for this year’s conference was a large, super wide screen to provide a flexible format for conference images, screen relays and presentations, as well as to achieve a modern fresh look,” explains Stage Sound Services director Phil Hurley.

The Vario frame concept follows a modular system approach, to make it extremely easy to adapt a projection screen's size. Robust plug-in elements are used in addition to extension elements, so that the frame can be scaled to the exact dimensions required by a particular project.

A slightly shorter build time for this year’s conference was easily compensated for, due to the Vario screen system’s great ease of use: “For the previous conference we had used a traditional truss system with a wrap-around front surface. I estimate that the Vario screen, which was 50 percent bigger than the one we previously used, took only half the time to rig and fly.”
Eight Panasonic RZ21K projectors were used to display the conference’s main presentation content, in the form of a seamless panoramic softedge projection onto the 24 metre wide AV Stumpfl screen.
“The client was really impressed with the size and quality of the screen, which added to the overall impact of the conference. Being able to flexibly use the same key components to realise multiple sizes is a big advantage from an asset management, space and cost perspective for us,” adds Hurley.

photo: Stage Sound Services UK

20th September 2023

Robe Colours It Up in Ostrava

Czech Republic – Colours of Ostrava is the Czech Republic’s largest and most eclectic music festival, currently staged against the imposing backdrop of old blast furnaces, cooling towers, ore cauldrons, casting shops and other enormous industrial relics from the amazing Dolní Oblast Vitkovice (DOV) steelworks in Ostrava, the country’s third biggest city.

The 2023 edition was another big success, with over 250 artists appearing across 20 stages over four days. Robe moving lights had a big presence, including on the two largest performance areas: the Ceska Sporitelna / Main Stage, and the adjacent Liberty Stage.

Colours’ technical director Josef “Pepa” Ženíšek led a core production team of 35 from his Prague-based company, SMART Production, who co-ordinated all aspects of the technical production (staging, rigging, lighting, sound, video, audio, stage management and all associated infrastructure). At times, over 550 technical crew were working on assorted aspects of the project from building the site to ensuring that the 50,000 audience enjoyed the best possible guest experiences.

SMART Production dealt with nine main rental companies for technical production, mostly from the Czech Republic, some from Slovakia.

Pepa is also instrumental in the production lighting designs for the six main music stages, and comments: “There’s always a lot of Robe products on site because there are such a wide range of fixtures to choose from and they are very reliable. Exactly what you need for a festival situation.”

This year, leading Czech rental company T-Servis led by Jana Heřmánková supplied lighting and sound to the Liberty Stage for the first time, although they have serviced other smaller Colours performance areas around the site for several years.

Jana was “delighted” with winning the contract for this important stage together with her team including crew chief Ivo Cernohorsky.

The company has invested steadily in Robe over the years and the brand is a “firm festival favourite,” commented Ivo, who designed and specified the lighting kit for the stage. They didn’t receive any input from artists or their riders, so the rig was based on Ivo’s vast experience of festivals and providing good, solid, dynamic and all all-round practical lighting options for everyone appearing on the stage. 

He operated lights for any artists not bringing their own LDs or lighting directors.

Thirty-eight Robe ESPRITES were the backbone of the system, with eight fixtures each distributed across the three over stage trusses, plus another 14 on the front truss where they were “a great choice” for keys and specials, confirmed Ivo.

They were joined by 31 Spiiders, distributed between the front truss and drop-down ladders that were filling in the upstage corners, which greatly enhanced the perception of depth on stage, in turn making a big difference to how artists looked both live and on camera.

Twenty Robe Tetra2 moving LED battens were rigged on the three over stage trusses and used very effectively for pixel effects and other eye candy and 12 Robe MegaPointes – which no self-respecting festival rig would be without – were available as part of the floor package on the deck.

Six BMFL WashBeams on the front truss provided further front lighting, and this year these and the Spiiders were critical in this position as there was no additional front lighting on the FOH tower. This kept all the lighting neat and concentrated on stage.

Other lights on the Liberty Stage included some beam moving lights at the back on drop ladders, with strobes and 4-lite blinders scattered around for stage and audience illumination.

Two consoles resided at FOH, a Hog 4 which is Ivo’s console of choice with a grandMA2 as the second desk. Some LDs also brought in their own console, while others had their own complete floor packages.

Ivo thinks Robe is an ideal choice for festival production designs. “The fixtures are robust and just keep working whatever the weather, providing plenty of functionality and visiting LDs and operators are always happy to work with them.”

For the second year running, Pepa and SMART Productions specified a RoboSpot system for the main stage, which this year comprised four of Robe’s new high powered FORTE LED profile fixtures running on four RoboSpot BaseStations located under the stage. They had originally used RoboSpots in 2022 where this very flexible system was specified for Twenty One Pilots’ set.

Also on the main stage in 2023 were 20 Robe MegaPointes and 18 iPointes, the latter were positioned along the front edges of the stage and the left and right wings in some of the most exposed positions.

Lighting, audio and LED screens for this stage were supplied by HighLite Touring.

New for the Main Stage this year were striking 30 metre wide deco walls flanking the main stage, complete with their own lighting, which helped define the space and kept fans focussed on the onstage action.

The sound system designs and positioning were also tweaked slightly to improve the audio containment across the site, the VIP areas were repurposed and boosted from last year and improvement in the site-wide architectural lighting helped bring the environment to life after dark, highlighting the heavy metal monuments towering in the background.

“We like to keep things evolving and developing each year,” commented Pepa, who has mindfully steered the production forward since the event moved to the DOV site in 2012.

Other Robe products in action around the site included 22 Tetra2s on the Drive Stage, also supplied by HighLite Touring, while T-Servis and AV Media supplied the Glo Stage with ten Tetras and 20 LEDBeam 350s among other lights. Cross Audio delivered lighting including 16 LEDBeam 150s to the Cacao Stage.

For all these smaller stages, the production lighting designs were created and specified by SMART Productions.

Eight Robe CitySkape Xtreme LED floods were part of the architectural lighting scheme illuminating the vast industrial structures dating to when DOV thrived as a black coal and raw steel manufacturing plant between 1928 and 1998 when it closed and the decommissioning process started.

Apart from hosting Colours of Ostrava, the site now offers funky office, warehouse, and commercial space for a variety of creative and tech companies, is a buzzing educational, cultural and social hub as well as a popular visitor attraction detailing the region’s rich industrial heritage.  

photos: Louise Stickland

www.robe.cz

19th September 2023

Wavefront Precision provides winning formula for Richmond Jazz Festival

USA – Soundworks of Virginia returned to the familiar 100 acre Maymont Park site in Richmond, VA to help stage the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival, an event for which they have provided sound reinforcement since 2017.

Working for promoter JMI (Johnson Marketing Inc) they fielded their flagship Martin Audio WPL optimised line array on the main stage, deploying hangs of 12 WPL elements on each wing. These were underpinned by 12 SXH218 in cardioid formation, a move largely designed to prevent the stage from vibrating, with a delay tower of eight smaller WPS elements, set around 275ft back and with four WPS deployed along the stage lip as frontfills. Monitors comprised four WPS loudspeakers atop a pair of SXC118 subs, mounted both stage left and right for sidefills, plus 12 of Soundworks’ own SW2 proprietary wedges.

Soundworks also equipped the second stage with 12 WPC per side with eight SXH218 subs in a centre cluster. Monitor provision again consisted of four WPS enclosures above a pair of SXC118 on each wing for sidefills plus 12 of Martin Audio’s powerful XE500 wedges.

Run from iKON multi-channel amplifiers in 2-box resolution, this provided the perfect setting for an all-star line-up headed by Chaka Khan to showcase their art.

Yet although Soundworks’ tech team has worked this site many times in the past, there is still work to be done in advance, and it is far from a case of simply applying existing site measurements, as founder and CEO, Steve Payne, explains: “Maymont shows use a temporary stage, typically a Stageline SL320, and there are several different locations used within the park for concerts. Additionally, the stage is never placed in exactly the same spot each time which means the spatial definition of the audience area varies each time. We have found that the more accurate the audience area definition is the more accurate the results we achieve and for that reason, in order to get the best results possible we opt to measure each time.”

He continued: “We go in once the stage is set in place and do our laser measurements. Then we use Martin Audio DISPLAY software to predict and optimise coverage.” Any time alignment adjustments are then carried out in a Lake LM44 processor.

For this event, the Martin Audio PA was required to broadcast evenly across around four acres for the main stage and two acres for the second. It was reported that around 14,000 people attended over the two-day festival.

As usual, Soundworks found they could run the system with minimal EQ. “As a matter of fact we only had one engineer (for Dave Koz) that wanted a small EQ cut,” reported Soundworks president, Grant Howard. “Then when I showed him that nothing else had been done to the EQ he laughed and made a flat line gesture with his hand, and said, ‘Well, that’s Martin Audio’,”.

After the event, Mike Ferguson, production manager of Richmond Jazz and Music Festival, complimented the team on a successful deployment of the Martin Audio system. “As a producer of music festivals and concerts for over 30 years one thing is for sure, high-quality audio plays a critical role in delivering an exceptional audience experience. Great audio coverage means you need a system that can ensure the music reaches every corner of your audience.

“Soundworks of Virginia has always done a super great job for our audience when it comes to audio. The range of bands at the Richmond Jazz Festival requires a system that has a broad, flat frequency response and a wide dynamic range. The Martin Audio systems cover all the bases. There’s no area of the audience that isn’t properly covered. Exceptional experience delivered!”

Responsible for the success of the event were Soundworks’ Bryan Hargrave and Grant Howard, who handled the overall system design (Hargrave also took care of all the measurements in advance, as well as running the software and loading the amps. Day of show duties were carried out on the Main Stage by Grant Howard (FOH), Joe Carpenter (monitors), Brett Sipos (patch). Second Stage duties were entrusted to Bob McNichols (FOH), Bryan Hargrave (monitors) and Jay Holland (patch).

19th September 2023

Showtec and Infinity at ParkCity Live 2023

The Netherlands – Music, art and culture came together, once again, at ParkCity Live 2023 in Heerlen. This year, the event took place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd of July. SLF Group Rental + Sales BV provided lighting equipment by Showtec and Infinity for both the main stage and the dance area.

ParkCity Live is a family-friendly festival that regularly sells out and this year was no exception with the maximum capacity of 17,500 visitors reached on both days. The festival attracts both national and international acts and covers various music genres as well as comedy and theatre. The main stage and dance area both featured lighting by Showtec and Infinity supplied SLF Group Rental + Sales BV.
The light design for the main stage was created by Wesley Houben of The Nota Experience. Twelve top-of-the-range Infinity S601 Profile moving heads, chosen for their powerful output, wide beam angle and separately controllable blades, beautifully framed the performances. Twelve Showgear Rain Domes provided additional protection from inclement weather. “To add bright accents, I've opted for ten sets of Showtec's brand new Stage Blinder FLEX Blaze,” said Houben. “They added a lot of extra power and punch to the proceedings.”

Rob Debets from Prismatic Lighting was the light designer for the dance area. The large number of lights he had to play with included 28 Showtec Phantom 1220 Zoombars with full pixel control, 12 versatile Showtec Phantom 12R Hybrids and 28 Showtec Spectral M1500 Zoom Q4 MKIII spotlights. Nine strings of Showtec festoon lights added to the atmosphere too. There were also 36 fast-moving Infinity iW-741 RDM washers and 20 Infinity B401 Beam moving lights with colour-bump functionality at his disposal. For optimal control over all the lighting fixtures, the Infinity Chimp G2 light controller was used with the Banana Wing and Peanut Box offering even more possibilities.

ParkCity Live is a festival that has been going strong for many years and the dates for 2024 have already been set.

www.highlite.com                                                  

18th September 2023

US Metal Legends Reunite with Unique Outline and Midas Advantage

USA – One of the most eagerly-awaited returns in the world of heavy rock finally happened in December 2022 as hugely influential American metallers Pantera played their first show in over two decades at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest, with the band's new line-up featuring original members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown plus new alumni Charlie Benante and Zakk Wylde.

Since then, the band has continued to tour across North America in addition to a number of spring dates and festivals in Europe plus a number of shows opening for Metallica, to great acclaim from their very loyal and international fanbase.

System engineer Alex Hollinger has been using an Outline Newton FPGA processor at the heart of his control set-up. He talks about how it is configured and also how its combination with the latest digital mixing console from Midas, the HD-96, offers a technical advantage that is presently unique in the world of live sound: “We are feeding the Newton with AES as well as MADI co-ax from the console for redundancy, in addition to analogue feeds from the monitor console for an added layer of backup. We are also sending the Newton a MADI feed from a MADI-to-AVB converter to use a Meyer Galaxy processor as an immersive-system insert for when we can use a frontal system.”

Alex continues: “From the beginning of Pantera’s celebration tour they always held sonic quality above everything else and the FOH engineer Eddie Mapp chose the new Midas HD-96 to deliver a clear and defined picture of what Pantera is. When it came to picking a drive processor we didn’t want to alter the signal in any way, allowing us to achieve as clear of a sonic picture as possible.”

“It has been incredible to use the combination of a console with 64-bit processing along with the Newton that also runs at 64-bit internally to provide the utmost possible clarity, right now a unique combination in live sound as far as I’m aware. When using the Newton WFIR filters that are being processed in that way it’s clear and defined, there are no odd harmonics generated, just the altered signal and nothing else. I do believe that 64-bit is the future because bit depth doesn’t only give you more headroom, it also gives you truer audio definition and a clarity that is unmatched.”

“For me as the system engineer, the Newton has helped in my day to day workflow: being able to have so much flexibility at my fingertips with filters, backups, signal types and much more. We have used every format that the processor provides to feed different systems around the world while on tour, with the utmost reliability and stability in the audio chain. I also use the Smaart API overlay that the processor provides to be able to see what is happening live over what has already been done to the system to adjust throughout changing environments. The Newton also gives a lot of flexibility in ways and formats of measuring your audio system and sources to ensure you see the clearest picture of what is being provided to the audience.”

18th September 2023

Matt Mills Powers Mötley Crüe Looks on Co-Headline Tour with Chauvet Professional

USA – Each band has sold over 100 million albums. One has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The other has its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Collectively, their wildly intense sound and explosive stage presence have left an indelible mark on metal music.

Reflecting the fiercely independent personalities of Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard in light on a co-headline tour, requires a deftly balanced show, one that celebrates each legend’s journey. A towering, power-projecting, cathedral-like design by Mike Cooper that featured Chauvet Professional Strike Array 4 blinders and Color Strike M motorised strobes did that in brilliant fashion, supporting the individual personality and style of each of the two iconic bands on their recently concluded co-headline USA tour.

Matt Mills ensured that Mötley Crüe was supported by dynamic looks, that reflected the multi-platinum band’s unique identity, while LD Kenji worked on Def Leppard. “I was one of the programmers when we did preproduction for this show last year at Lititz,” said Mills. “On this run of six shows, I filled in for lighting director, Michael Willingham running the Mötley Crüe segment. I had a blast taking the helm again.”

The process of creating distinct looks for each of the acts, plus special guest Alice Cooper, began with having two markedly different truss configurations. For the Def Leppard set, all the trusses were level with a bit of a rake. For Mötley Crüe, the truss structure created an asymmetrical look.

Mills accentuated this configuration in the Mötley Crüe show with his light angles and intensity levels. Much of the colour palette Mills used was determined by video content.

“Our colour choices were made to complement what was on the screens,” he said. “However, we also tried to stay with a brighter colour scheme for the songs earlier in the set. About half of each show took place right before sunset. Later on, we went to more of a darker saturated look. This was different for each of the bands from show to show, because Motley Crue and Def Leppard alternated who closed the concert.”

All but two of the shows on the tour took place in outdoor stadiums. The remaining pair were in domed stadiums. There were two identical stages, which leap frogged from venue to venue on the tour. “This was great; it made life a lot easier,” said Mills. “We had the same rig from one show to the next.”

A key part of that rig, which was supplied by Fuse Technical Group, was the Strik Array 4. There were 44 of the IP65 rated blinders flown on downstage, upstage and FOH truss structures. From these positions, the fixtures filled a variety of roles.

“We used the Strike Arrays for the obvious crowd blasts,” said Mills. “There were a lot of call and response moments in these shows, so crowd lighting was important. However, there was much more the Arrays did than that. They allowed us to create some unique chases with the individual cells. On top of that, they also served as tungsten strobes.”

Expanding the diverse range of looks even further was the Color Strike M. The versatile fixture, which is equally at home serving as a strobe /blinder, as it is as a pixel mapped special effect, was an invaluable workhorse, according to Mills. “We had them all over the place on the rig,” he said. “There were multiple units of them on every truss. Every LD on the tour uses them in a unique way.”

Although, 95 percent of the show was timecoded, there were moments when Mills was able to add improvised flares.

“We had a lot of different effects on buttons that we could use with any song at any time,” said Mills, who added that this improvisation kept things interesting, all while adding new dimensions to one of rock’s most memorable bands.

18th September 2023

John & Jane Creates Single Rig for Two Festivals One Week Apart with Chauvet Professional

The Netherlands – This year’s Kingdance Festival and Dance4Liberation had a great deal in common. Both celebrated important national holidays, the King’s birthday, and the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation in the closing days of World War II. Both featured an electrifying line-up of EDM stars and other performers. And both took place on the same stage with the same lighting rig at the Wijthmenerplas lakeside park.

There was, however, one critical element that separated the two festivals: time! Kingdance ended exactly one week before Dance4Liberation began. A lot can happen outdoors in the 168 hours (or 604,800 seconds) that make up a seven-day week, especially when you’re dealing with a climate as capricious as that of the Netherlands. 

But the rig shared by these two festivals performed smoothy, even though it remained in place for the entire week, thanks to some careful planning, expert installation and wise IP65 fixtures choices by John & Jane. 

Commissioned by Story Event Engineering to create and manage the lighting rig for the dual events, John & Jane exhibited their usual dedication to achieving excellence and tailoring solutions for every application.

Contributing to the success of this dual festival rig in weathering the elements, while also delivering bold, dynamic looks for a wide array of performers were some 250 Chauvet Professional IP65 rated fixtures.

Featured in this collection were the Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash, Color Strike M motorised strobe/wash, COLORado Q40 Panel, STRIKE P38 and Ovation E-260WW IP warm white ellipsoidal. Drawing on the bright output, colour rendering capabilities and other performance features of their fixtures, John & Jane were able to unleash a stunning bounty of looks that connected to the crowd, drew them closer to the performers on stage, and pumped up their energy level.

The lighting in their design worked hand-in-glove with a massive, curved video wall that spanned virtually the entire stage. Lighting positioned on and around the wall surface accented the video images, making them even more powerful. Adding to the visual excitement was a series of breathtaking aerial special effects.

“Kingdance was an absolute blast, featuring three incredible areas to dance the night away with friends: the Main Area, Hard Area and a thrilling addition, the Techno stage. The event delivered an unforgettable experience, offering a diverse range of music genres and an energetic atmosphere,” John & Jane reported, adding that “Dance4Liberation was equally impressive, featuring the Mainstage, Hardstage and the exciting addition of a Techno stage.”

Both festivals drew enthusiastic crowds exceeding 30,000. Quite a few of them attended both Kingdance and Dance4Liberation. Those people likely did a variety of things during the seven-day interval between the two festivals. As for the lighting rig itself, it spent the week quiet and undisturbed: exactly the kind of outcome the team at John & Jane worked so hard to achieve.

15th September 2023

New Iluminati 3D design concept proves a winner for GLP

Belgium – The Antwerpen Sportpaleis played host to a cornucopia projected lasers and lighting earlier this summer when promoters, Zillion, presented their new immersive ‘Iluminati’ dance concept.

This brand new design, conceived by Frank Verstraeten, who co-promoted the event with Yves Smolders, ran over two days, each with nine hours duration. A capacity 14,500 crowd immersed themselves in this unique purpose-built 3D ‘black box’ environment on each night.

Helping to create the magic were an abundance were GLP JDC1 and JDC Lines; some 85 JDC Line 500 and 40 JDC 1 hybrid strobes were deployed. “We used all of these fixtures, not only as a conventional strobe but also to create an atmospheric glow, enabling us to punch through with the other moving heads,” said lighting and set designer, Thomas Boets (from LDP). They placed 45 of the JDC Line 500 on two large trusses above each moving head while the second batch of 40 JDC Line 500 was mounted on the front / left and right side of the DJ stage.

The stage itself (6m wide and 6m deep) could elevate DJs to a height of 8.5m. “We used the Lines in combination with the two long side trusses, to create an extremely powerful effect. These connected the two long trusses to create an even larger look. The variety of colours used to create the atmosphere and the powerful strobe chases resulted in a huge tunnel which attracted people towards the stage.”

To this were added 40 JDC1 hybrid strobes: 20 attached to the main grid in the roof and the remaining 20 to the moving mirror video boxes, which had been custom made for this event and attached on moving hoists. “It gave us the opportunity to play with the different heights and movement of the objects in the venue,” the LD continued. “The ability to create a bigger scenographic effect with these JDC1s was the cherry on the cake.”

In fact the impact created by GLP’s popular hybrid fixtures certainly received the approval of Leon Driessen, who operated the show from a Chamsys desk. “The JDC1 simply remains a power product, especially the combination of the wall wash and strobe in one fixture. The aggressive flash mode – in which the power goes from the backplate to the strobe engine – also makes it especially interesting.”

As for the JDC Line, this was new to him.“But we were very positively surprised that this small fixture could have so much impact; in no way was it inferior to the JDC1.”

This had all come about because GLP’s Belgian distributor, Nils De laeter from A Light Balance BV, had called Thomas Boets and whetted his appetite with the announcement of the new JDC Line fixture. “He then introduced me to it at Pro Light & Sound in Frankfurt,” recalls the designer. “I was immediately surprised by its output and how small this fixture was. The different ways you can use it with the RGBW LEDs were impressive, particularly the strobe impact and the many possibilities created by the different options available.” Some of the fixtures were supplied by PRG Belgium,who were the event’s technical partner, the remainder were sourced from Germany.

On reflection, Thomas Boets confirmed that the many intensive creative meetings with Frank Verstraeten had certainly paid off for this inaugural concept. “We both came up with a unique set-up which had many high tech surprises and special tricks. Frank already had a lot of specials in mind that he wanted to implement and all the pieces of the puzzle came together in the final design.”

He also credited show director André Beeckmans. “He is well-known in the EDM industry so he was a valuable asset for this event.”

And his final verdict on the new JDC Line? “It was the first time I had used them but I was amazed how powerful this small strobe fixture was in its ability to create atmosphere, and in combination with the JDC1 it proved flawless!”

“For a tech geek like me, this was a dream come true,” summarised Frank Verstraeten to which Thomas Boets added: “The event was an unqualified success. We needed a powerful fixture for this type of event and the GLP fixtures blended perfectly into the design. We went really deep into the technical side of this set-up so all the different elements could work together and this created a maximum experience for visitors.”

www.glp.de

15th September 2023

KLANG Brings New Monitoring Tech to Lionel Richie’s Classic Sound

USA – It can take a while to get a group of people to embrace a new way of doing things and it certainly doesn’t help when a two-year-plus long pandemic complicates the process. However, it is easier when the new way is so undeniably amazing that everyone really does embrace it. That was definitely the case when Lorin White, brought on as the monitor engineer for the precursor set of shows for Lionel Richie’s current “Sing A Song All Night Long” tour, was ready to take off in 2020. The multiple Grammy Award winner and his band only managed to get one show in before the world shut down. Fortunately, White recorded that show, which became the basis for his initial experimentation with KLANG’s immersive IEM mixing system.

“During the lockdown, Group One sent me a KLANG-equipped DiGiCo SD12 so I could do some test some mixes from that recording while at home and I really liked what the KLANG system could do,” White recalls. “But I was also the new guy on the team at that point. Some of Lionel’s band members have been with him for over 20 years, so they’ve become pretty settled in their mixes over that time frame. However, I knew that the DMI-KLANG would make a huge difference in the way everyone would perceive the sound on stage. In fact, it could change the way they experience those same songs they’ve been playing with him for so long; it’s that powerful. But you can’t just walk in and say that.”

Indeed, White’s sensibilities are as keen as his mixing ear. The entire band had been on IEMs already and were comfortable with the system they were using; what he had to do was convey the additional creative potential that KLANG’s 360-degree capabilities could bring to their stage experience.

“There are no loudspeakers on stage at this show, so it was all about showing how another approach to IEM could provide an advantage,” he says. During some shows in Europe, with relaxed spacing between gigs, White decided to first approach Richie’s long-time musical director, Chuckii Booker, with the idea of using the DMI-KLANG on the upcoming “Sing A Song All Night Long” tour with special guests Earth, Wind & Fire. “I had developed the band’s trust in my monitor mixes, so that kind of paved the way for this,” he says. “I invited Chuckii over to my world and explained the binaural approach that KLANG uses; how that changes the perspective on stage, opens up the sound, and lets everyone hear themselves and everyone else in a new way. It was a chance to move beyond stereo.”

White had waited for the right moment, and it paid off: Booker was quickly all-in on the use of the DMI-KLANG for the upcoming tour. From then on, White focused on presenting it in a similar fashion to other key members of the band. “One at a time, the band members came by to check out the DMI-KLANG, and they all got it,” he says. “Bass player Ethan Farmer gave me a thumbs up and said, ‘You blew my mind, this opened up new apartments in my head!’,”

For the current 21-date North American tour, Sound Image, a Clair Global brand, has supplied White with a DMI-KLANG card-equipped DiGiCo Quantum7 console, while FOH engineer Gordon Mac is mixing the shows on a Quantum338. As expected, the introduction of the KLANG platform has led to a few subtle but significant dynamic changes to arrangements of some classic songs as the band have begun to experience them and each other in a completely new way.

“The monitor mixes are no longer on just a stereo plane; things can go up and down as well as left and right,” White adds. “The whole 3D aspect of KLANG has brought a new level of clarity on stage, while simultaneously helping to lower the overall IEM levels. It’s not an exaggeration to say that DMI-KLANG has changed everything for the better.”

Lionel Richie’s "Sing A Song All Night Long" tour with special guests Earth, Wind & Fire kicked off in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 4 August and wraps up in Highland, California on 16 September. The run will be followed by a six-show October residency at Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theater. 

15th September 2023