Project News

LDR makes the grade at Novara University

Italy – The University of Eastern Piedmont, UPO, is a public university based in Northern Italy. Founded in 1998 and boasting campuses in Alessandria, Novara and Vercelli, the university is attended by a constantly growing number of Italian and foreign students attracted by its wide choice of curricula.

The Aula Magna at the campus in Novara, which had previously been lit by a rig of outdated discharge and tungsten-halogen downlights, has recently undergone a thorough upgrade. The need for more energy-efficient fixtures, coupled with the desire to creatively use colours to create a suitable ambiance for the many different events held at the venue – from lectures and conferences to shows – has led to the need for a complete re-design of the existing lighting system.

Luci della Ribalta (LDR) and their Milan-based distributor Guido Ammirata Srl were approached to create a solution that could achieve the desired goals whilst minimising the impact of the installation. after months of close co-operation with UPO, the two organisations jointly delivered a lighting system which fully met the university’s expectations.

“UPO requested us to replace the outdated discharge downlights with new LED fixtures, with a requirement for user-friendly and reliable colour-management, whilst using the existing rigging system. Finally, but by no means least, the fixtures were required to be supplied in a special grey colour,” explains Luca Frangi, project manager at Guido Ammirata, who has been the key-man in this project, liaising UPO’s needs with LDR’s R&D and sales team.

“Guido Ammirata Srl has a long-standing partnership with Luci Della Ribalta. We are very familiar with their range of quality products and know their flexibility and fast response. So, the choice of involving LDR in this challenging project was simply straightforward,” Luca continues.

LDR conducted lighting simulations, recommended the appropriate products to achieve the desired illumination level and sent samples to Guido Ammirata Srl. Luca Frangi and his technical team handled site inspections, testing and co-ordination with the public entity, as well as preparing all the necessary paperwork for the contract and overseeing the installation.

UPO’s technical office reviewed the proposed products carefully, making sure they could deliver the requested luminance levels both over the seating area and the podium.

The chosen fixtures include 100W Cetra F and 180W Samba models.

“On the existing truss mounted below the ceiling, we have installed 22 CETRA F100, 100W, 3200K Fresnel luminaires, equipped with 100W COB LEDs at 3200K for high colour rendering and designed to illuminate the seating area below. For the vaulted ceiling, a difficult to light area due to its uneven surface, we used 12 SAMBA 180W, RGBW asymmetrical floodlights. Apart from delivering a beautifully well-distributed beam, these fixtures allow for great flexibility in creating the correct ambiance for each event.

The podium, which was recently also upgraded with enhanced audio and multimedia equipment, as well as the control booth at the back of the Aula Magna, had previously already been equipped with LDR products. These included six CETRA F100, 100W, 3200K Fresnel luminaires with black finish and two ARPA 8/22, 150W, 3200K narrow-angle profile spots.

As for the wiring, the original system was retained, with new DMX cables added to connect the LED fixtures, which are all DMX-controlled. This set-up allows for greater flexibility in colour management and lighting control when needed.

Feedback from the university has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly after comparative tests demonstrated the difference between the old and the new products. “We allowed the client to test the new products alongside the older ones and the improvement was immediately evident and appreciated. Beyond the undeniable quality of LDR’s products, the fact that we are working with an Italian company offering reliable products and fast support has been a significant advantage,” Luca concludes.

This lighting installation at the Aula Magna of the University of Novara represents a benchmark as a well-executed public investment, combining quality, sensible use of public money and practicality. Thanks to the collaboration between Guido Ammirata Srl and Luci Della Ribalta, the Aula Magna is now equipped to handle future upgrades, while keeping both maintenance and energy costs to a minimum.

9th October 2024

Plainfield High School Upgrades Performing Arts Facilities with Electro-Voice and Dynacord

USA – Plainfield Public Schools, located in Plainfield, New Jersey, recently hosted a ribbon cutting for its $4 million renovation of the Plainfield High School auditorium, new eSports gaming arena and black box theatre. PureTek Group, of nearby Boonton, New Jersey, designed and installed Electro-Voice sound reinforcement systems for each venue.   

“The auditorium was completely refurbished to serve as a hub for school performances, community events and assemblies,” explains Dan Litvin, president of PureTek Group. “We outfitted the auditorium, which seats 1,525 people, with left-right Electro-Voice EVA line arrays to cover the main seating area and EVC loudspeakers for balcony fill.”

Each EVA line array comprises three EVA-2082S/906, two EVA-2082S/1220 loudspeaker elements and two EVA-2151D subwoofers. An excellent compact choice for performance space installations, EVA is a true line array that offers all the benefits of concert-type line arrays without their cost and complexity. Each full-range EVA element features two 8” woofers and four 1.25” compression drivers mounted to two Hydra planar wave generators. A wide range of coverage patterns are available for precise configuration and coverage. EVA’s extraordinarily efficient crossover and driver design minimises power and DSP requirements, offering significant system cost and space savings. EVA’s hidden internal rigging design contributes to their sleek appearance while also making them incredibly easy to install.

The under-balcony seating area is covered by eight EVC-1122-95B compact loudspeakers. They offer a small footprint and exceptional all-around performance, making them ideal for fill applications. The EVCs are mounted along the lip of the balcony with black EVC-UB2 brackets, adding to the low-profile look. The system in the auditorium is powered by seven Dynacord DSP amplifiers: three C3600FDi (2 x 1800W) and four C2800FDi (2 x 1400W).

The black box theatre is a new addition to Plainfield High School's fine arts programme. The PureTek team wall-mounted two EVC-1122-95B loudspeakers to the right and left of the stage for ample coverage. One Dynacord C1300FDi amplifier powers the system. The space, which existed prior to the renovation, is now equipped for dramatic arts education, professional development, experimental theatre, or for use as a smaller performance space.

 “When we began the project, the black box theatre room had zero technology,” adds Litvin. “Now, it is a room with unlimited possibilities for the fine arts programme, the school district and the community. The EVC loudspeakers are an integral part of the room's success.”

The last addition to the fine arts programme was the creation of an eSports arena. Since the early 2000s, eSports (electronic sports) has developed into a competitive gaming platform that allows students to compete against other high schools via a streaming platform. The new eSports arena is equipped with three EVID-P6.2 pendant ceiling speakers and EVID-S12.1 compact subwoofers powered by a four-channel Dynacord V600:4 600W four-channel amplifier.

Puretek also created a network that streams the competitions from the eSports arena onto a large screen in the auditorium, allowing eSports fans to view them in the larger space. Microphones placed strategically in the auditorium record the crowd’s cheers, which are played back live in the eSports arena over the pendant speakers, further energising the atmosphere in that space.

Behind every successful installation is a great team effort. “We have worked with Gary Karlsrud at Electro-Voice for a long and have completed several school installs with their gear to great success,” explains Litvin. “Plainfield wanted the best of the best and we knew EV would get the job done. The EV team also did a great job with measurement, making sure everything worked in each space. The pre-ordering engineering was amazingly helpful. Lastly, we know EV stands by their projects, so we were confident they would have our backs to ensure Plainfield was happy with the result.” 

9th October 2024

Shakespeare’s Legacy: Council Backs Restoration of Britain’s Oldest Theatre

UK – Transformational plans to revitalise St George’s Guildhall in King’s Lynn, believed to have witnessed performances by William Shakespeare, have been granted approval.

The Borough Council’s planning committee unanimously approved ambitious proposals to renovate and refurbish this iconic site, transforming it into a national hub for arts, creativity and theatre.

St George's Guildhall, the UK’s oldest working theatre, will be preserved while being redeveloped into a vibrant cultural centre, serving the local community and drawing international visitors.

The project is expected to inject millions into the West Norfolk economy, with estimates suggesting it could generate up to £30 million in local spending and create numerous jobs during both the construction and operational phases.

Councillor Simon Ring, deputy leader and cabinet member for business and culture, commented: “The Guildhall is a historical gem with untapped potential.

“This redevelopment not only preserves its heritage but transforms it into a thriving cultural hub for both locals and visitors. This project offers immense opportunities for our community, enriching the arts scene while boosting the local economy.”

Key to the redevelopment is a focus on making the Guildhall accessible to all, including affordable tickets and educational programmes for local schools.

The site will offer year-round performances, exhibitions and creative workshops, ensuring it remains an inclusive and engaging space.

Vicky Etheridge, interim chair of King’s Lynn Town Board, expressed excitement: “Granting planning permission brings us one step closer to unlocking the Guildhall’s potential.

“These plans will create an inspiring space for everyone to enjoy and we’re eager to see the positive impact it will have on our town,” she added.

The Guildhall’s renovation will also continue to explore its deep historical connection to William Shakespeare.

As the project moves forward, it is hoped further research will uncover more about the theatre’s fascinating history, including its links to Robert Armin, Shakespeare’s famed comedian born in King’s Lynn.

“It’s been a massive body of work the planning application involving over 223 supporting documents, many of them running to 1000 pages, all carefully prepared,” said creative director Tim FitzHigham.

“The historic discoveries have shown – by reaching over 300 million people worldwide – the potential of the Guildhall, but the thing we should all be most proud of to date is the activity on site, working with thousands of children and young people, showing visual arts, cinema, plays, comedy, music and so much more both indoor and outdoor; this proves what an asset the Guildhall site could be in the long term.

“We all accept there is a very long way to go and several big challenges to overcome, but today a key milestone has been achieved with planning permission awarded,” he added.

9th October 2024

Las Vegas' Smith Center Finds its Perfect Harmony with Allen & Heath

USA – When The Smith Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors in March of 2012, it became a cultural hub for Southern Nevada. The Smith Center provides three venues for performances: Reynolds Hall, a 2,000-seat theatre; Myron's, a 240-seat cabaret jazz club and Troesh Studio Theater, a black box theatre that holds 250 people. Key to the centre's success is the sound across each venue, made possible by the recent adoption of Allen & Heath mixing consoles.

John Wrote, head of audio at The Smith Center, has been instrumental in shaping the facility's sound since its inception. Faced with the need to upgrade the centre's audio systems, Wrote turned to Allen & Heath, a company whose reputation for quality and reliability he was already familiar with. “I had worked with Allen & Heath analogue consoles for a couple of different sound companies,” Wrote shared. "I knew the brand produced great quality products."

The choice of Allen & Heath was further cemented by the release of Avantis, which had just started shipping at the time. Wrote was immediately taken with the console’s capabilities and value proposition.

“It was all about bang-for-buck” Wrote explained, when asked about his decision to go with Avantis. "I was able to get Allen & Heath consoles for all three venues, for less than the cost of a single console from some other manufacturers.”

The Avantis, along with the smaller SQ and QU series consoles, provided Wrote with flexible and scaleable audio solutions for The Smith Center’s various performance spaces. The Avantis system, with its 96kHz processing, ultra-low latency and powerful onboard processing tools, has been a revelation for Wrote, particularly in handling the demands of large-scale productions like The Nutcracker.

The Smith Center’s Avantis also utilises a GX4816 stagebox, which connects back to the Avantis console via SLink and allows for up to 48 microphone inputs enabling comprehensive I/O from the stage. For further scaleability, DX168 expanders are strategically placed in the orchestra pit during larger performances. These expanders provide additional analogue inputs and outputs, ensuring every musical nuance is captured.

One feature that has particularly impressed Wrote is Avantis’ dPack processing, a suite of compressor and preamp emulations that add another layer of sonic depth and character to his mixes. "When I started to play with the tube emulator and PeakLimiter 76, it was a huge revelation,” Wrote enthusiastically shared. "I run the PeakLimiter76 on nearly everything."

The Avantis’s fully configurable layout, with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, has also been a game-changer for Wrote's workflow. "It's so easy to just grab channels and move them around," he shared. "We also use that feature to simplify control when less experienced users are working on the SQ in our other venue."

Beyond Reynolds Hall, The Smith Center utilises an SQ-6 in the Troesh Studio Theater, paired with a DX168 for expanded input capabilities. Lobby events feature a compact Qu-16 digital console paired with an AB168 remote audio rack.

The Smith Center's investment in Allen & Heath solutions underscores its commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences for both artists and audiences. With its state-of-the-art facilities and exceptional audio quality, The Smith Center is poised to remain a beacon of cultural enrichment in Las Vegas for years to come.

8th October 2024

Perfecson Supplies Ayrton and Robert Juliat Lighting and grandMA3 Console to Salle Odyssée

Canada – Salle Odyssée, the cultural performance theatre at the Maison de la Culture complex in Gatineau, Québec, has installed a wide range of Ayrton and Robert Juliat lighting fixtures and a new grandMA3 console provided by Perfecson, also in Gatineau. All three brands are exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment.

Salle Odyssée is a busy venue which daily hosts a variety of shows, including music and stand-up comedy. The new equipment is part of a CAD$5 million project, acquired over the last five years, for a state-of-the-art upgrade of the theatre.

An AV equipment rental facility, an integrator and a production services company, Perfecson worked closely with Salle Odyssée to provide the right equipment for the upgrade. Perfecson also continues to supply local labour to supplement the small team of in-house technicians during performances.

“The theatre was using conventional lights since is opening, so it was time to add moving lights to his inventory,” notes Marc-André Major, Perfecson’s executive director. “They did not have any Ayrton fixtures but had seen them used by visiting bands and performers. ACT’s Alex Monast quickly helped us get demo fixtures and test them against other brands and Ayrton scored the best.”

Salle Odyssée chose 34 Ayrton Eurus S multi-function profiles, 24 Argo 6 FX and 16 MagicBlade-FX luminaires. The Eurus serve as a workhorse fixture mounted in the ceiling grid, on the floor and at FOH. The Argo 6 FX and MagicBlade-FX are also positioned in the grid and on the floor where they deliver engaging eye candy as needed.

Major says: “Salle Odyssée already had older Robert Juliat fixtures, so they knew the quality of the product line and which new lights they wanted to acquire.”

The theatre added 32 Robert Juliat ZEP 2 LED profile spots placed at different angles FOH to front light artists. They also purchased 32 Sully modules for converting tungsten profiles and followspots to LED profiles.

“The Sully retrofit allows their older Robert Juliat lights to become LED fixtures, a perfect solution for lights that were still in great shape years after installation,” Major notes.

Salle Odyssée already had a grandMA3 light and a grandMA3 compact for lighting control but “after adding so many new fixtures in the upgrade, they needed the capabilities of a bigger console, so we installed a full-size grandMA3,” Major reports.

The equipment has been operational for several months and is working well. The venue has a reputation for excellent maintenance and careful usage, so Major is sure the new gear will serve Salle Odyssée well into the future.

In addition to filling the upgrade needs of Salle Odyssée, Perfecson also expanded its own inventory with the purchase of 25 Ayrton Rivale profiles.

“Like all Ayrton fixtures, the Rivales are high end, powerful but really precise and very smooth moving,” says Major. “Most important is their IP65 rating that will be an advantage for festivals and other outdoor projects we do.”

Perfecson already stocks grandMA3 consoles with a compact XT and onPC set-up available.  

photos: Ghislain Bélisle

4th October 2024

Elation Lighting Transforms Aalborg's AKKC with Enhanced Efficiency and Performance

Denmark – Travel to northern Denmark and you’ll arrive at Aalborg, a delightful city with a dynamic cultural scene. At the heart of its cultural life is the Aalborg Kongres & Kultur Center (AKKC), one of Scandinavia's busiest entertainment and convention venues. Hosting concerts, theatre, ballet, exhibitions and conventions, it welcomes over half a million guests annually.

After years of relying on traditional incandescent lighting, the venue decided to upgrade to a more versatile and energy-efficient LED system to better accommodate its diverse events. AKKC lighting technicians Jakob Krøyer and Thomas Nowakowski were instrumental in the search and eventual specification of a new LED lighting system for the venue’s main performance space, ultimately opting for Elation FUZE MAX PROFILE and the KL PROFILE FC luminaires.

Jakob explains the specific lighting requirements: “We needed an ellipsoidal fixture for static front lighting and a moving fixture that we could position to other parts of the stage. Efficient LED sources were essential and the engines needed to deliver the same type of output. We also wanted lighting that could satisfy both theatre and rock & roll lighting designers, so we had to find lights that could really do it all.”

Working with Jimmy Thinggaard Sørensen at LiteNordic, Scandinavia’s leading distribution company for dynamic lighting and Elation’s Danish partner, a shoot-out was arranged at the AKKC facility.

“Jimmy was a frontrunner in arranging the shoot-out and was excited to show how Elation compared to other manufacturers,” said Jakob, adding that before the shootout they were leaning towards another lighting manufacturer. “We hung the Elation fixtures side by side with lights from some prominent manufacturers and saw that both the FUZE MAX PROFILE and the KL PROFILE FC outperformed the others in many areas. I admit we were a bit surprised, but we simply couldn’t ignore the results of the shoot-out.”

After testing for brightness, colour mixing and quiet operation, among other factors, the team selected 12 FUZE MAX PROFILE and 18 KL PROFILE FC to light the different niches that AKKC caters to. “For theatre, good framing, nice colours, and the ability to project gobos were important, while for rock concerts it’s more about output. For AV and television, it’s about quality of light, good CRI and holding the colour temperature. We needed all-round lights that could do well in all aspects, and we got them.”

Uniform front lighting was particularly important and both models delivered with their high-quality RGBMA LED engines, providing consistent output. Maintaining colour temperature during dimming was also a top priority. Jakob explains: “When dimming, some LED fixtures have a tendency to lose or slide in the colour temperature. That was one of the most important tests for us. Especially on camera, you can’t afford to slide too much in the colour temperature and some of the other manufacturers did that. The Elation held its colour temperature the best.”

Jakob says that the new system has made workflows easier and more efficient, from having wider control over the colour temperature to framing out parts of the stage or banners using the zoom and framing system. “And toss in a gobo and we have something more unique than we could have made before.” Another time saver because the older fixtures were white light, they don’t have to use colour frames and filters anymore.

Environmental responsibility is a key focus for AKKC, which is certified under DNV’s Sustainable Development Goals and ISO 20121 for sustainable events. LEDs energy-saving benefits, along with its greater reliability, reduced maintenance and lower cost of ownership, all played a role in the venue’s decision to replace the previous 2kW profile fixtures.

“We are a front-runner in Denmark with the green initiative and for us, that is a big factor,” Jakob stated. “Our fixtures often run for 12 to 18 hours a day, so it’s a lot of power and energy. Before, we used up to 18 2kW lights plus special fixtures on an event, but now we can use fewer lights, often half as many and use much less energy.”

Installed this summer, the new Elation lighting system, which serves both stage and decorative lighting needs, has already been used for a major union conference and one of Denmark's largest political party congresses. 

4th October 2024

Speeldoos Theatre Invests in Robe T1 Profiles

The Netherlands – Located in Baarn, in the Utrecht region right in the centre of The Netherlands, Speeldoos Theatre is a vibrant local and national hub for culture including film screenings and all types of live performing arts: music, cabaret, dance, drama, etc. Last year, the venue which has a cosy 343-seat theatre space, invested in Robe T1 Profiles which were part of a lighting upgrade.

Overseeing this was technical manager Kevin van Boeijen, who explained that they will typically stage over 100 events across a year, screening movies on Mondays and Tuesdays with live shows the rest of the week including opera live streams. Discos and parties are often hosted in the foyer, bands also play in the bar area and the spaces are available for private events. There is constant activity.

The 16 T1 Profiles were purchased to replace all the theatre’s generic PC and profile front light in the theatre space.

The venue was built in the 1970s and does have a front bridge, however a person cannot fully stand up straight whilst on it, so for safety reasons and more recent legislation, this can now only be used for basic technical maintenance requirements, not for more complex tasks like focusing lights.

Kevin and his team had also been wanting to start switching to LED stage lighting for some time and the general consensus was that this would be a good time to commence the process and to also get moving lights permanently into Speeldoos.

They started looking for the best options. Frontlight, CRI, brightness and quality of the light output were all critical and Robe’s T-series stands out for all these attributes.

The venue was already dealing with Robe’s Benelux distributor Controllux for other brands, so they and two alternative brand distributors were asked to propose their best solutions. This was followed by demonstrations and an on-site shoot-out for each one.

From this, the T1 Profile was picked as the best option to fulfil Speeldoos’ frontlighting needs.

“The dimming curve is incredible on the T1,” stated Kevin, “especially in that final critical zero to ten percent where any glitches in the smoothness are highly noticeable.”

The T1 Profiles are rigged onto an additional bar which has been added to the FOH bridge, and they were delivered in time for the start of the 2023-24 season.

Kevin was further impressed with the silent running of the T1 profiles. “Even with all 16 on at 100 percent, you cannot hear them!” he stated, explaining that this was another key consideration for Speeldoos, and the front bridge is in quite close proximity to the audience.

“The price was also excellent,” he noted, “so all of these things combined, plus the outstanding service and support we already know we can expect from Controllux made it the best product for the job.”

Having the T1s installed immediately started making a massive difference to how shows can be lit. “They are seriously better than the previous lights, they look nicer, they provide a nice even and consistent front and specials light source and generally offer so much more flexibility, both practical and creative,” stated Kevin, who originally started working at the venue Speeldoos as an intern 14 years ago.

He is every bit as enthusiastic about lighting, technical production and offering value to every show and audience now as he was then.

All the touring shows that Speeldoos receives have also all been happy to use them.

Their technical crew do not have to use the lighting bridge now, only for maintenance and the T1s can all be safely focused and adjusted from the floor.

Kevin and the lighting team were all familiar with Robe as a brand before they received their new fixtures in-house and had seen some of the products in action with incoming touring shows. “We knew it was a top brand in our industry, and we are very happy with our choice,” he concludes.

photo: Louise Stickland

4th October 2024

Teatro di San Carlo: Merging Tradition and Innovation with ETC

Italy – Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest continuously running opera house in the world, is based in the historical heart of Naples. Renowned worldwide for its rich musical tradition, it presents over 250 performances of opera, ballet and music every year. As a leading cultural hub in Naples and one of Italy's most esteemed theatres, it features a state-of-the-art lighting system equipped with numerous ETC products. These choices reflect the proven quality of ETC products and the strong rapport between the theatre's management and the ETC Italia team.

Nunzio Perrella, head of the lighting department and lighting designer, has had a long career at San Carlo, inspired by his father, who was also the venue's lighting designer. Starting young, Perrella staged small performances in his early teens and became a chief electrician for touring companies by his late teens. After gaining experience in television and touring with renowned artists across Italy, Perrella returned to Teatro di San Carlo at 23 as a stage electrician. He worked as a console operator for 18 years before briefly serving as the deputy chief electrician. Following his predecessor's retirement, he was promoted to chief electrician. This period coincided with a major shift in the professional lighting industry, particularly in the theatre field.

"Those were the years when LED products began emerging in the market. Needing new lighting fixtures that could match the quality of incandescent ones, I turned to ETC, a company I've always trusted," Perrella remarks. "Our first test was with ETC's Source Four LED and the results were immediately impressive."

In the years that followed, Teatro di San Carlo continued to upgrade with the Source Four LED Series 2 and later the Series 3, including the Source Four LED Series 3 Daylight HDR. "All these products offer excellent light quality, but their seamless integration with incandescent fixtures, thanks to their colour accuracy, sets them apart. Here at San Carlo, where we host many lighting designers, no one could ever frown upon an ETC Source Four," says Perrella.

To keep up with evolving trends and enhance its equipment inventory, the theatre recently acquired a selection of automated lighting fixtures, again choosing ETC. "On the moving light front, we have numerous SolaFrame fixtures and, notably, among the first in Italy, many Lonestars,” says Perrella. “The choice was influenced by the constraints imposed by the cultural heritage authorities associated with the theatre. We needed an excellent product with compact dimensions and the Lonestar perfectly met our criteria: outstanding performance, excellent colours, compact and manageable. Those who see it for the first time are truly impressed."

All these fixtures required a powerful, modern and flexible console tailored to the unique demands of a theatrical lighting operator. The ideal choice? Eos Apex. "An Eos Apex 5 console arrived first, later followed by two Apex 10s,” Perrella shares. “From what we've seen, along with our operators, Apex is an incredibly powerful, intuitive console and aesthetically pleasing too. We've only scratched the surface of its immense capabilities. Among the features that impressed me are the backlit control surface, the large touchscreen with excellent responsiveness and numerous shortcuts that simplify our work."

Teatro di San Carlo also entrusted ETC with power control, implementing Sensor3. "We already have a Sensor3 system installed and another, soon to be operational, will manage LED lighting in the auditorium. It seemed logical to maintain a ‘basic philosophy,’ using and optimising ETC equipment to create a comprehensive system that works seamlessly together."

Teatro di San Carlo's journey of innovation is well underway, with plans to add even more new technologies and products, reaffirming Perrella and his team's commitment to elevating the theatre's excellence in Italy and beyond.

4th October 2024

Sri Lanka Audio Learning Hub Strengthens Partnership with Audient

Sri Lanka – A new, 16-station audio lab: Audient Creative Hub 2 has been unveiled at Sri Lanka’s Pearlbay Institute, equipped with iD4 audio interfaces. The compact audio interfaces add to the Audient inventory alongside the flagship ASP8024-HE mixing console, further strengthening the bond between the facility and the British manufacturer.

General manager of Academics at Pearlbay Music, Maheshwara Medawatte says: “Audient Creative Hub 2 is designed with a unique classroom concept where the lecturer is able to walk around and monitor classroom activities, whilst the students work on high spec computers purpose-built for music production. Each station is equipped with an Intel i5 computer with 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSDs loaded with four different DAWs as well as the latest plug-ins and VST. Students work with Nektar Impact LX49+ MIDI keyboard whilst monitoring on Beyerdynamic DT240 Pro headphones, and of course there’s the excellent Audient iD4 audio interface delivering high quality console-grade recording and playback!”

Opened in December 2020, Pearlbay Institute was established to inspire the next generation of producers, engineers and artists. Over the last nearly four years it has done exactly that. Its student count is fast approaching 1,000, 12 of whom have completed the Higher National Level 5 Diploma program, pending certification from Pearson. Over the last three years a total of five cohorts of the International Level 3 Diploma in Music Production have been through the system.

“Most of the students progressed to Higher Nationals with us and a couple even transferred to our university partner BIMM to start their bachelor’s degrees,” explains Mahesh. “All of them learnt signal flow and recording techniques on the ASP8024-HE console, the crown jewel of Pearlbay Music Studio.” Pearlbay continues to add to its technology with the recent arrival of the compact ASP4816-SE console which will be teaching students very soon!

Today, a number of alumni are already garnering attention on the international stage. Mahesh cites Teshan Savinda as a rising star who has recently completed his HND: “He has been with us since the beginning and won the ICMP university partnership music production competition in 2022. He is an exceptional music producer with a big future ahead of him. Kenula Kandanaarachi is currently in our second HND batch,” he continues. “He is a go-getter with a lot of talent and his original single, 4,000 Miles charted in the YesFM Homegrown Top 15 for four months in Sri Lanka.” Current Pearlbay student and proud iD44 interface owner, Isiwara Manthrirathna has also been inspired by Audient.

Mahesh confirms there is more to come from the educational division, too. “We have a few different course plans in the works, ranging from Electronic Dance Music Production and DJ Skills to Podcasting. There are long term plans to bring courses in other creative media fields but our primary focus is audio and music technology.

“Additionally, we have been working to bring workshops from notable professionals. We had the pleasure of having Grammy-nominated producer and fellow ASP8024-HE user Romesh Dodangoda join us online for a workshop earlier this year which was a great experience for our students.”

Pearlbay Institute is a part of the Pearlbay studio complex and creative hub which provides recording and production services, education and equipment retail all under one roof. Pearlbay Music Studio, which originally started out as a standalone recording facility, continues to offer a comprehensive, bespoke service tailored to the needs of the individual.

Catching the attention of young, Sri Lankan artists in the early days, Mahesh can attest to the studio’s continued appeal across the board. “We have accommodated some of Sri Lanka's biggest music legends such as Rookantha Gunathilake and Nadeeka Guruge, as well as nationally beloved bands like 2FORTY2, FREEZE and NAADA. We have hosted commercial productions for Sri Lankan Airlines, Caltex and more, and even had the honour of co-ordinating with Penguin Random House, Canada, to record a chapter for Margeret Atwood's audiobook, Burning Questions with renowned marine biologist, Dr. Asha De Vos.”

30th September 2024

State-of-the-art sports facilities meet innovative sound solution from K-array at Milan’s Bocconi University

Italy – Founded in 1902, Bocconi University is a leading European teaching and research institution with a strong international orientation and an offer encompassing the areas of economics, management, legal studies, political science and data, and computer science. A recent expansion of the university's facilities encompasses the state-of-the-art Bocconi Sport Center, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool, fitness area and the multi-functional Bocconi Sports Arena. Studio Sound Service led the integration of a suitably innovative AV system at the new facilities, in collaboration with Laser Entertainment and VideoGecom. Audio solutions from the Italian brand, K-array, were key to providing a high-quality PA system that would withstand the challenges of a multi-sports facility.

“The goal of the project was to establish uniform, high-quality sound diffusion without using loudspeakers that were excessively large or visually impactful,” explains Donato Masci, CEO and technical director at Studio Sound Service. “In the sports arena and the swimming pool spectator stands, the main focus was on increasing speech intelligibility.”

In total, the project at Bocconi University encompassed three main zones: the pool area, the main hall and the gym. The modern architecture of the centre, with expansive open spaces, required careful product selection and acoustic design and configuration to achieve consistent and coherent audio coverage.

The main hall is a multi-purpose auditorium, intended for hosting presentations and events. “We needed a directive system, rather than an omnidirectional one, in order to direct the sound waves towards the audience,” explains Elena Rossi, building engineer-architect and acoustic designer at Studio Sound Service. “K-array’s products use line-array technology with a very narrow vertical dispersion, allowing us to effectively target the audio at the grandstand and overcome the acoustic challenges of the open space.”

Six slimline stainless steel Kobra units are installed near the perimeter walls of the hall, with two, slightly larger Python units recessed discreetly within the walls. Beneath the presentation screen, four Rumble subwoofers support low-end frequencies whilst three units of K-array’s innovative two-metre-long Anakonda flexible loudspeakers are hidden in the steps up to the stage providing centre fill. “By fixing the Kobra and Python arrays to the perimeter walls we were able to keep aesthetic impact to a minimum,” explains Rossi.

The Gym at Bocconi University offers modern training facilities, including an elevated athletics running track, to both students and the general public. Here, the integration of a professional audio system was required to help power fitness and wellness activities. A total of 18 Kobra loudspeakers were installed on the ceiling, alongside four Thunder subwoofers. By angling the loudspeakers at the desired coverage areas, Studio Sound Service could ensure specific audio coverage of the main workout areas, such as the running track and free weights zone.

At the heart of Bocconi Sport Center is the pool and water sports zone, boasting an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a 25-metre training pool and a 500-seat grandstand. To ensure maximum coverage of audio for spectators, a total of 50 GF82 column line array loudspeakers from K-array brand, KGEAR were positioned above the stands, fixed on the ceiling around the main pool and placed on the walls around the smaller pool. Utilising K-array’s innovative PAT array technology, the eight inch tall loudspeakers ensure maximum throw and dispersion in a discreet form factor with a durable IP54 rating. “The small arrays could be positioned directly on the grandstand steps and angled upwards to ensure consistent coverage across the spectator stands,” says Masci. “In the pool area, the ceiling loudspeakers were attached to the already finished Barrisol ceiling, so the white colour finish was ideal.”

Throughout the sports centre, but in particular, in the gym and pool zones, avoiding large and potentially hazardous trussing was critical. K-array’s slim form-factor solutions and versatile installation options allowed Studio Sound Service to minimise potential risks. “We needed to avoid using large elements that stick out from the walls or ceiling as much as possible,” explains Rossi. “In these environments, it is common for balls and equipment to be thrown, so using K-array and KGEAR loudspeakers installed as closely to the walls as possible helps reduce the risk of impacts and damage to the products.”

Aside from the integration at Bocconi Sport Center, the on-site chapel also received a new audio system from K-array. Systems integrator, Number One, led the project, integrating four metre-long Kobra units, complemented by two half-metre Kobras, installed around the perimeter walls of the main worship area. Additionally, a further four half-metre Kobra loudspeakers support audio coverage on the balcony. Driving the system is a single eight-channel Kommander amplifier.

Through the collaboration between Bocconi University, system integrators Studio Sound Service and the K-array solutions team, the sports centre project is a testament to the fusion of architecture, technology and practicality. “Working with Bocconi and the K-array team, we were able to identify the best products from both the point of view of integration and architectural design,” concludes Rossi. “The final result satisfies all of the client’s requests technically and visually, with sound diffusion and quality perfectly suited to the unique needs of each environment.”

27th September 2024

Elation Fuse Takes Rijswijkse Schouwburg Theater from Static to Dynamic 

The Netherlands – After successfully transitioning from conventional static lighting to dynamically versatile LED fixtures at Rijswijkse Schouwburg Theater in Rijswijk, Netherlands, Ronald de Blecourt, head of stage technique, reflected on the satisfactory outcome. 

“When you know what you’re looking for and you are lucky enough to have a great team, the full trust of your management board, and of course the means, all you have to do is find the right fixtures,” he reflected. “The new LED lighting from Elation has allowed us to create more visually attractive productions and has enhanced the entire theatrical experience.”

The path to finding those ‘right fixtures’ had its own story. Following several not-entirely satisfactory fixture demos, de Blecourt was contacted by Bert Schmeits, key account manager Benelux for Elation Europe, who believed that Elation’s offerings could meet the needs of the Rijswijkse Schouwburg.  

Bert arranged a demonstration at the theatre and took along Elation’s Fuze Profile LED framing fixture. As the demo progressed, Ronald de Blecourt and his crew became increasingly enthusiastic. 

“After an extensive comparison, they were convinced they were dealing with a serious candidate that could fulfil all their wishes, whereby light quality was the most important factor,” Schmeits recalled. “At Ronald's request, I left the Fuze Profile with them, allowing them to get to know the product and also ask visiting companies their opinion.”

After 14 days of extensive testing, de Blecourt and his team agreed that the FUZE PROFILE was the foundation they wanted to build on. According to Schmeits, the only critique was that in certain instances, from the lighting position on the hall bridge, they wished for a bit more power. 

“The beauty of the FUZE series is that in addition to the Fuze Profile with an output of 10,000 lumens, we can also offer its bigger brother, the Fuze Max Profile,” Schmeits commented. “This LED spotlight has the same high-quality light and feature set as the Fuze Profile but with an output of 21,000 lumens.”

The fixtures sold themselves, said de Blecourt, and the choice for Elation was made there and then with great confidence. “Their RGBMA LED engines can create a near-exact colour match to the Lee standard, the dimming is quite smooth and there is no distortion in shape when using the framing shutters, all of which impressed us. The extra output we get with the FUZE MAX PROFILE at the FOH position is a great benefit and the size and weight of both fixtures are manageable.”

The first phase of the project occurred in September 2023 with the installation of 21 Fuze Max Profile and six Fuze Profile fixtures supplied through Elation’s Dutch distributor Rolight. “After six months in operation at front of house, we received 100 percent satisfied feedback from visiting lighting operators, old-school pros as well as the new generation of Dutch and foreign professionals,” de Blecourt commented, adding that they were especially impressed with the colours and output. 

De Blecourt said the positive response was better than he dared imagine, giving them the confidence to move forward with phase two of the project. Phase two concerned the installation of 47 Fuze Profile on the manteaus of the portal bridge and eight Rayzor 760, a powerful RGBW wash fixture with extremely wide zoom, as stage lights and was executed in July 2024. 

“The project was a lot more ambitious than just making the transition to ‘green’ LED lighting,” de Blecourt said. “A demo of the Rayzor 760 wash fixture convinced us that an additional order would take the transition project to an even higher level.”

The Rijswijkse Schouwburg Theater will use its new Elation LED lighting system across a diverse programme of 200 performances yearly. “I have seldom seen a chief lighting technician with such a well-thought-out plan that was worked out in such detail and in which it was known exactly what they had in mind,” Schmeits concluded. “It makes me proud that we were able to fully realise his plan with Elation.”

23rd September 2024

HH Audio Solution Welcome at Casa Mia

Norway – Casa Mia is a popular Italian restaurant located in the beautiful town of Lillestrom in Norway. Run by Antonio Lepore, who hails from southern Italy and has enjoyed more than 40 years in the hospitality business, Casa Mia presents traditional Italian food as well as well as a range of international dishes in a welcoming and friendly family-focused environment.

As an experienced restaurateur, Antonino is aware of the importance of high quality audio in creating exactly the right ambience for his customers and earlier this year took the decision to install a new sound system at Casa Mia.

Casa Mia engaged local technology specialists Norsk Tele og Data to install a solution and they in turn consulted with AV specialist distributor CBK about the best way forward. Following a site visit and meeting with the owner, Per-Øystein Berglund of CBK recommended HH Audio loudspeakers and subsequently designed a system for the venue.

He explains: “Casa Mia wanted a system that could reproduce audio as a ‘carpet’ in the restaurant, with a focus on very good coverage, the background music was to be present but not overbearing. I saw no phase problems in achieving this using a lot of loudspeakers, the soft furnishings and guests offer good sound absorption in the seating areas.

“We chose the HH Tessen TNi Series speakers for their all-round strengths. They’re well-designed to blend in with interiors and deliver excellent reproduction straight out of the box. They were easy to tune at Casa Mia to deliver warmth and clarity at relatively low levels.”

Norsk Tele og Data installed 12 HH Audio Tessen TNi-W6 6.5” wall-mounted loudspeakers (black) in the downstairs area of the restaurant, with a further 14 to cover most of the upstairs. For the remaining upstairs area where the ceiling is lower, four TNi-W4 4” speakers were deployed.

Per-Oystein Berglund concludes: “The HH Audio solution provided Casa Mia with an extremely cost-effective solution, delivering high value for their investment. I believe they are very pleased with the performance of their new system.”

20th September 2024

Optimal Audio Cuboid Strikes Success at North Gong

Australia – The North Wollongong Hotel is a large multi-faceted hospitality venue in the centre of Wollongong, New South Wales. Popularly known as the North Gong Hotel, it features a bar, bistro, beer garden and an upstairs function area which caters for private events. Live music, DJ sets, televised sport and pool tables all feature in this vibrant and very busy setting, for which high quality audio is essential.

North Gong’s management team recently took the decision to replace the venue’s ageing audio system, recognising that it was no longer fit for purpose and engaged Dan Chapman of Data Dan to install an upgrade. With support from Scott Angove of Audio Brands Australia, Dan designed and installed a future-proof, high-quality system which featured loudspeakers from leading UK commercial audio brand, Optimal Audio.

Josh Hill, the venue’s manager comments: “Having good audio is crucial in creating atmosphere, it’s the basis of people having a good time. The old system was installed in 2003 and we had a lot of dropout points and quiet areas where music would fluctuate in level, so key to our upgrade criteria was to obtain full coverage without pushing the music too hard; we’re in a residential area and we don’t want to impact our neighbours.”

Optimal Audio’s Cuboid 8 loudspeakers were deployed for the indoor spaces. This two-way, full range, passive 8” unit effortlessly delivers rich and detailed sound over short to medium throw distances, outperforming its compact size.

In the bistro and bar areas of the North Gong, the loudspeakers were positioned fairly close together to run at a lower level for background music but still provide smooth, complete coverage in every area. When the party atmosphere ramps up, the Cuboid 8s have more than enough headroom to deliver the necessary punch, with their eight-inch drivers delivering impressive low end.

For the function room, which caters for a wide range of events, the stage area was equipped with a pair of Cuboid 12s and a single Optimal Audio Sub 15 subwoofer, comfortably delivering the impactful low-frequency response required for live music performances and DJ sets. The onstage system was augmented with a complement of Cuboid 8s distributed down the length of the room to ensure even coverage.

Scott Angove of Audio Brands Australia feels that the Cuboid Series was ideal for the North Gong: “This is a big hotel with a large capacity which can get very loud. It quickly became apparent that the Cuboid Series from Optimal Audio would be the best option, particularly the Cuboid 8. It fitted perfectly in the bistro and bar areas, as well as supplementing the larger Cuboid 12s in the function room to great effect.”

Ultimately, customer satisfaction is the true measure of an installation’s success and Josh Hill is in no doubt that the North Gong has made the right choice: “Since installing Optimal Audio we’ve seen that the dropout zones are not there anymore, the quality of sound is really good without pushing it too hard. The coverage means that we now see people inside the venue dancing at their tables. It’s not just in one space where people can enjoy themselves like that, it’s everywhere throughout the whole place!”

19th September 2024

Wharfedale Pro amplifiers deliver laid-back dining at Heathrow Airport

UK – With over 6.1 million holidaymakers passing through Heathrow Airport’s terminal 2 every year, new dining destination jones the grocer has become a welcome addition. Offering gourmet food from across the globe in its casual café and store, Uxbridge’s Middlesex Sound & Lighting deployed an intelligent sound solution to enhance the atmosphere, which includes Wharfedale Pro’s impressive DP-4035F amplifier.

Located in the former Giraffe restaurant, jones the grocer was looking for a complete system overhaul that was reliable and low maintenance. “We chose several brands that we knew would deliver sonic quality, ease of use and reliability,” explains Toby Jones, AV designer at Middlesex Sound & Lighting. “It was our first time using products from Wharfedale Pro and we were really impressed by the brand. The amplifiers are affordable without compromising on quality.”

jones the grocer was originally established in Australia as an ‘unconventional’ grocery store, café and cheese room, but has since branched out to over 30 locations worldwide, including the UAE and India. Mainly responsible for background music, the system at the Heathrow airport store is split into three zones with Wharfedale Pro’s DP-4035F amplifier powering the entire audio set-up.

“The client was clear from the beginning about their budget. We knew that Wharfedale Pro’s products were extremely affordable, but we’d also heard about the premium quality, too,” furthers Jones. “The amplifier was simple to set up and we also liked that the supplied editing software gave a detailed overview of the entire system and DSP features.”

A mighty Class D multi-channel amplifier, the DP-4035F is part of Wharfedale Pro’s DP-F Series. A lightweight DSP amplifier that’s simple to monitor, it has four discrete amplification channels and FIR filtering to give independent control of magnitude and phase, detailed equalisation and optimisation of frequency and power response.

“Wharfedale Pro offered flexibility and reliability at an impressive price point, which is always important to the customer. From this project forward we will start to spec Wharfedale Pro more, we were pleased with what the amplifiers delivered, the sonic quality was truly excellent and the client was also thrilled with the final result.”

18th September 2024

Robe and Anolis for Icon of the Seas

Finland – Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International’s new game-changing ship, is setting new jaw-dropping standards and records in the world of vacations.

Built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, Icon features more than 40 different entertainment, leisure and retail spaces, including three primary entertainment venues. The Royal Theater presents full-scale productions, including the first rendition of The Wizard of Oz at sea, Absolute Zero is a premium ice-skating arena and the AquaTheater brings adrenaline and thrills centre stage with aqua shows put on by the first cast of aerialists, high divers, robots, synchronised swimmers and more.

Two of Icon’s main entertainment venues – Royal Theater and Absolute Zero – have Robe moving lights at the heart of their installed lighting rigs, while approximately 250 other Robe and Anolis LED fixtures are being used throughout the ship in ten separate areas.

The various Robe fixtures include iFORTE, FORTE FS and iFORTE FS, ESPRITE, PAINTE, Tetra2 and iSpiider moving lights, plus multiple RoboSpot remote followspot systems throughout the different venues.

The entertainment lighting for Icon’s many different areas was specified by Christopher Vlassopulos who oversees all entertainment technology across Royal Caribbean’s ships, working closely with UK-based lighting consultant and maritime specialist Ben Couling from Tristwell Designs and Nick Mugnani from Skylight Services, together with integrators and installers Control AV based in Finland and also operating in Miami.

Royal Caribbean is committed to delivering the highest standard of entertainment and understands the role and importance of good production values and quality equipment.

The project was co-ordinated by Robe’s global maritime manager, Tony Perez, working closely with the vacation brand, Tristwell, Skylight and Control AV in both Finland and Miami. The kit was delivered to Finland via Robe’s Finnish distributor, Lighthouse Entertainment, which played a key role in providing the best support to all involved.

Seating more than 1,200 guests, the proscenium arch theatre venue spans decks 4 and 5 at the forward end of Icon and it currently stages two productions, The Wizard of Oz and SHOWBAND! Live.Music.Now.

The music is played live by a 16-piece orchestra, split into two groups and positioned on both sides of the stage.

Twenty-four ESPRITE PCs and 28 ESPRITE Profiles were chosen as key fixtures, most flown in the overhead rig, with some deployed along the high sides of the stage.

Two FORTE FS FollowSpots with motion cameras are running on two RoboSpot controllers positioned on the lighting bridges, with the FORTE FS luminaires on the most downstage catwalk.

There are also 32 PAINTES in the space, chosen for their small size and powerful output positioned front of house.

The perfect match of colours between all these Robe LED lights was a big bonus for production lighting designers Rui Rita and Matt Taylor who shaped the looks, drama and narrative of this colourful and lively show, and even with many other fixtures involved, the Robe elements stand out from the rest and are at the heart of the storytelling.

Music Hall is a 2-storey bar, night club and lounge that features a line-up of excellent tribute bands covering numerous genres from jazz to rock. Twenty-four TetraX units are used as one of the main effects due to their continuous pan rotation, stunning flower effects and powerful output.

Four LEDBeam 150s in the same venue are strategically positioned to hit the mirror ball.

Absolute Zero is an ice arena located at the aft end of deck 5 and is the largest at sea. It’s the first to feature an oval shape that provides excellent sightlines wherever guests are seated.

Absolute Zero has four FORTE FS FollowSpots running in pairs on two RoboSpot systems, which are each positioned at 90 degrees to one another around the rink, used for specials and highlighting soloists as they whizz around.

The Royal Promenade is the heart of Icon and a connector between the Royal Theater and Absolute Zero at opposite ends of deck 5. It has over 15 restaurants, bars and lounges, including many flavours, atmospheres and favourite brands for numerous tastes.

Nine white ESPRITES and two RoboSpot systems with four white Motion cameras are rigged on both sides (port and starboard). The RoboSpot system was chosen for its unique flexibility with the BaseStations concealed in a remote room off site from the main Royal Promenade neighbourhood.

The ESPRITES are used to pick up various entertainment functions staged around the Royal Promenade’s variety of spaces and were chosen due to their intensity and multi-purpose features.

Several sets of Anolis Ambiane AP RGBW fixtures complete with 67-degree lenses are installed in The Attic, Schooner Bar, and Point & Feather.

The Ambiane AP was picked for its 90+ CRI to accentuate the architectural design. When dynamic colours are needed, the Ambiane AP bursts into vibrance with its unique patented RGBW colour mixing system.

AquaTheater hosts a high energy water-based extravaganza including 17m- and 10m-high diving platforms, synchronised swimming, robotic arms and fountain shows.

The two dive towers are lit with 12 white iSpiiders rigged underneath the towers and on the inner sides of the stage in between them to great effect.

Up lighting the towers are 12 white Anolis Calumma L MC fixtures picked for their durability and quality of light.

Six white iFORTES, two RoboSpots and four IP65 motion cameras are in action for the high diving, slacklining, fountain shows and various other deck-defying entertainment in the AquaTheater.

The flexibility of the RoboSpots paired with the IP65 iFORTE units make the perfect match and a great long-term investment.

The RoboSpot systems were specified because they can control up to 12 Robe moving lights per BaseStation, ideal for full coverage of the high diving in conjunction with the 40,000 Lumen iFORTE units.

Throughout Icon’s Thrill Island and Chill Island – where guests can choose between four pools, nine whirlpools, six record-breaking water slides, and the FlowRider surf simulator among other experiences – are over 60 Anolis Calumma M MC RGBW fixtures, mainly used as accent lights for the structures and water features.

The Calummas were supplied with Robe’s special Harsh Environment coating to withstand the salt, humidity, sea spray and UV conditions.

Tony enjoyed collaborating with Royal Caribbean’s creative team immensely.

“Icon of the Seas was a once-in-a-lifetime endeavour and the involvement of Robe and Anolis on this iconic vacation speaks volumes about the reputation of both brands,” stated Tony. “Inventive lighting solutions including Robe’s Transferable Engine (TE) technology, the remote RoboSpot systems and fully weatherised IP65 rated products all made this job easier and close communication with the factory in the Czech Republic ensured the delivery of top-notch lighting products for the entertainment industry.

“This achievement was a massive team effort from Robe’s side, with key contributors like Lorienn Cochenour, Peter Moore, the late Craig Burross, Tony Morin and Tal Janowitz from Robe North America and international sales director, Ingo Dombrowski,” he concluded.

photos: Edwin Silva

17th September 2024

A duet of TiMax SoundHubs enrich Polish History Museum

Poland – With a coveted Prix Versailles win under its belt, the Muzeum Historii Polski (The Polish History Museum) has succeeded in its goal to grab world attention in order to present the country’s history. The award highlights the world’s most beautiful public and commercial buildings, but the appeal of the Polish History Museum is more than skin deep.

Serious in its pursuit of visitor engagement and experience, the museum wanted the highest levels of immersive suspension and chose the submission by ESS Audio, Polish distribution partner for TiMaxSpatial, to be the implemented audio integration. Two TiMax SoundHub spatialisation engines were deployed separately across two performance venues to create sophisticated object-based soundscapes rendered by the platform’s exclusive dynamic delay-matrix processing.

The Polish History Museum is just one of several significant TiMax installations ESS Audio has executed since undertaking the distribution for Poland just a few years ago.

In each of the spaces, the multi-functional Auditorium Hall and the Cinema and Theater Hall, ESS Audio installed flexible distributed immersive systems built around the powerful spatial audio capabilities of TiMax to ensure a very authentic and natural soundscape, offering every visitor the same level of acoustic experience. Additionally, a sound and video production studio and modern conference rooms are equipped with the latest AV solutions.

One of the biggest challenges ESS Audio had to contend with was the beautiful architecture for which the museum has won awards. Bestowed with such lively interior acoustics, a standard audio set-up would not work, whereas the TiMax distributed and targeted spatial audio solution helps to tame the space. The result is an immersive implementation the gives the impression of the sound system interacting with the natural acoustics of both spaces.

Amongst other events, The Auditorium Hall is used to host acoustic and classical concerts. ESS Audio’s Maciej Barański confirms: “The immersive system is very helpful in this case to obtain the natural sound of acoustic instruments and high ‘audio resolution’ for each listening position.”

TiMax works harmoniously in the space by augmenting the clarity of individual instruments, which in turn, as Maciej observes, “…makes live mixing much easier. I think it would be very difficult without TiMax.”

Barański adds: “We opted for TiMax due to the naturalness of the sound and we have seen that producers appreciate the simplicity of work when mixing sound here. In addition, the possibility of very suggestive identification of the sound source coinciding with the physical location on the stage elevates the listening experience for the audience which adds to the sophistication and appeal of the venue.”

The Cinema and Theatre Hall is intended for theatre performances where the vocal localisation of the actors is crucial, and the TiMax on-board 64-track playback engine also gets used for sound effects for productions.

ESS Audio implemented a predominantly live performance spatial sound system in the Auditorium Hall, where TiMax drives a system comprised of four hangs of JBL VTX A8 loudspeakers with front fill supplied by JBL VTX A6 loudspeakers supported by JBL VTX B18 sub-bass units. Delay through the space is handled by JBL CBT70 supported by Sonance PS-C83T ceiling-installed speakers. The sound mix is handled by Digico Quantum 338 and 225 desks.

The Cinema and Theatre Hall features a similarly configured but smaller system, also with a JBL speaker system spatially processed by TiMax feeding Crown amplification and BSS Audio DSP via Dante signal distribution. A Yamaha CL5 and CL1 integrate with TiMax via MIDI. 

Barański confirmed: “Thanks to TiMax processors, there are no better or worse seats in either room. The audience could hear the same sound scene for each of them.”

He concludes: “The museum is a very multi-functional space. Each hall has a cinema function and enables the organisation of acoustic concerts thanks to active and amplified reverberation time control systems. With TiMax at the heart of the system, the sound system can be easily reconfigured to suit whatever happens in the space.

“Both the end user of the system and sound engineers who had the opportunity to work with it rate the installation very positively, emphasising the naturalness of the sound and the highly suggestiveness of the immersive effect.”

17th September 2024

Netherlands’ Schouwburg Lochem Theatre upgrades with ETC

The Netherlands – The Schouwburg theatre in Lochem, eastern Netherlands, has selected 40 Source Four LED Series 3 luminaires, 12 High End Systems Halcyon Gold and 18 SolaPix 7 automated fixtures to upgrade its space.

ETC dealer Ampco Flashlight Sales delivered the fixtures to the theatre which houses 400 seats for a variety of performances including cabaret and cover bands.

The venue originally housed tungsten lighting and following European legislations – which ban the use of halogen lights in the long run – decided to make the move to LED. Schouwburg’s team found that in comparison to their original tungsten lights, the addition of the Halcyon, SolaPix and Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures made a huge difference in saving power. The selected fixtures have been placed above the main stage, on the sides of the stage as well as above the audience.

Stage technician at the Schouwburg Lochem, Jelmer Smink comments on choosing ETC to upgrade the venue: “We really wanted to get ahead of the game, both in terms of efficiency and sustainability for the future. Automated lighting is the future for every theatre. It is much easier and faster to get those fixtures into position and saves a lot of time for productions where you usually have to do this manually.”

The venue conducted several tests and demos with different fixtures to decide what was the best fit for the theatre. “We had a demonstration of the Halcyon Gold Hi-Fidelity fixtures and really liked its features, colours and the pricing. The frost filters and nice wash it creates was also a plus point for both Halcyon and SolaPix,” says Smink.

The Halcyon fixtures were particularly suitable for the theatre, with the addition of its DMX channel where fan speed can be infinitely adjusted or turned off where necessary. In addition, the three frost filters can also be continuously operated using their own DMX channel to achieve the desired wash effect.

Another key consideration for choosing ETC for this venue is the company’s industry leading reputation for colour. “The quality of colour is what we love most about ETC products. ETC is known for its expertise in the quality of colour and how to control it. We wanted the front light quality to be especially good and the X8 array in the Source Four LED Series 3 made it by far the best option. We also use a Gio @5 console in the theatre so have access to the powerful Eos software when controlling the fixtures.”

“Ultimately we wanted to take the lighting at Schouwburg to the next level and in order to do this ETC was the best option for us across the board,” adds Smink.

Bas van Schelven, sales manager at Ampco Flashlight comments: “We spent quite a few visits to test and try various options to meet the requirements of Jelmer and Patrick. It was interesting to hear their vision and ideas and learn what experienced end-users find important when using LED fixtures. We are of course very happy that they eventually choose ETC products to start the new season in September!”

ETC Field project co-odinator Robbi Nassi adds: “It has been a pleasure working with Ampco Flashlight Sales, Patrick and Jelmer at the Schouwburg on the project’s transition to LED. We’re pleased to be able to offer a full ETC spectrum replacement for their tungsten luminaires with Source Four LED Series 3 X8 array, Halcyon Gold and SolaPix 7 fixtures. It’s also great to see their transition to Eos for complete colour control and gel matching. We hope they enjoy the upgrade and look forward to seeing the products in action for many years to come.”

17th September 2024

Leading UK venue completes DiGiCo full house during innovative audio refit

UK – Northern England’s iconic music venue, Sage Gateshead – now rebranded as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music – underwent an audio refurbishment to coincide with its reopening, culminating in the introduction of an additional two SD12 all-purpose digital mixers to its inventory of consoles from industry leader, DiGiCo. Not only does the acquisition mark the venue’s transition to DiGiCo consoles in the two main halls but, following an overhaul of the cabling infrastructure to provide MADI across The Glasshouse’s performance spaces, the versatile SD12 models can deliver a variety of functions from various mix positions.

Located on the south bank of the River Tyne, the architectural award-winning building is renowned as one of the UK’s leading music venues, hosting an eclectic mix of high profile classical and contemporary productions for the last 20 years, as well as a vast music-making programme for all ages. Home to Royal Northern Sinfonia, the venue houses two main stages: a 1,700-capacity main concert hall and 600-capacity second hall, plus a 26-room music education centre and social and dining facilities. The venue prides itself on delivering a top calibre programme of internationally renowned artists from across all genres of music, ranging from the London Philharmonia Orchestra one day to Teenage Fanclub the next.

Andy Magee, managing director of AS84 Ltd, has been involved with the venue for many years and, most recently, the overhaul of the venue’s cabling infrastructure to accommodate MADI and cat5.

“I’ve been associated in one way or another with The Glasshouse since its inception, working on the acoustic testing and having the privilege of mixing the first ever performances there. More recently, I’ve designed and commissioned the venue’s main concert hall audio system upgrades,” says Magee. “Over the last few years, we have changed all the ageing consoles to DiGiCo, and with the latest acquisitions, The Glasshouse now has a full complement made up of an SD5 and three SD12s, all with SD Racks.”

The Glasshouse began updating its consoles a few years ago, starting with the purchase of an SD5 for the main hall, followed by its first SD12 as Covid restrictions were lifting. Catering for an increase in broadcast requirements during lockdown periods, the SD12 was stationed in a control room at the rear of the main hall and was complemented with a 32-bit SD Rack for extra I/O, and a Waves processor to assist with the streaming service. With the return of live music after lockdown, the console is still used for live concept streams of orchestral concerts and corporate events and would also be employed on a production in the other hall or to manage monitors in the main hall from time to time.

With a new arena and conference centre complex scheduled to be built alongside the venue, The Glasshouse needed to rename to differentiate itself, settling on the new name due to the building’s 630 panes of glass and the site’s previous history as a bottle factory. To mark the rebrand, the venue decided to replace the remaining older consoles, including the FOH console in the second hall and to provide another console as a portable unit to cover multiple tasks. In addition to the two SD12s, Awesome Since 84 Ltd. supplied ‘Gig in a Rack’ cases to place the SD12s on a mobile rack, containing all power, processing and signal distribution.

“This was another opportunity to invest in two more SD12 consoles. It's the leading brand, the quality is outstanding, and you very, very rarely get any riders or tours who don't want to use DiGiCo,” explains Graham Orchard, technical manager at The Glasshouse. “The venue rebrand was a great opportunity to optimise our systems, and ensure we maintain high standards in our equipment.

“The idea behind the portable racks is to offer engineers a quick and simple setup, whereby a rack can be rolled into any chosen mix position thanks to the venue’s newly installed MADI distribution. Available throughout both concert halls, the new network provides additional feeds for broadcast, recording, in-house streaming, as well as alternative mix stations when required,” adds Magee.

The refurbished venue relaunched in September 2023 with a new season schedule, including a full calendar of Royal Northern Sinfonia concerts, punctuated with appearances from leading names such as Ben Folds, Holly Johnson, Robert Plant and Suzi Quatro.

“We have a lot of visiting engineers, often with high profile artists, and DiGiCo is always a welcome sight. Often, they bring in their own touring console, as artists are able to tour with a much smaller format these days and it is often DiGiCo we see. The data is easily transferable between models, so if you went from using the SD9 or SD12 to the SD5, apart from a slightly different user layout, everything is the same and there's no learning curve jumping between them.” continues Orchard. “Similarly, the in-house team, made up of younger engineers, is very impressed with the SD12. The audio quality is outstanding and the capability it offers, compared to what we could achieve with the previous mixers, is way more advanced.”

Orchard and the team are also very content with the support provided by DiGiCo and AS84 Ltd.

“It’s second to none, for instance, we were lucky enough to host the first weekend of the BBC Proms last year involving a three or four console set up and integrating racks together, and the DiGiCo team offered us great advice,” says Orchard. “Likewise, the service we get from Andy Magee is exceptional. I have worked with Andy since the building opened and he has been involved in a lot of our audio installations. Andy gives us solid support and we have a great relationship with him.”

“We are very fortunate to be able to offer good quality equipment. Our ethos is to ensure we're able to deliver up-to-date, well-maintained equipment by a technically knowledgeable audio team,” Orchard concludes. “Purchasing the SD12s is part of an ongoing process, and with a full fleet of DiGiCo desks in front of us, we are ready to welcome any production to our venue.”

photos: © @benhinesphoto

17th September 2024

HOLOPLOT and Areal increase the immersive sweet spot at Tomorrowland’s Atmosphere stage

Belgium – Now in its 20th year, the iconic festival celebrating all genres of electronic music is hosted in the aptly named town of Boom in Belgium. This year, HOLOPLOT’s X1 system was chosen to provide the sound for The Atmosphere stage, a custom-made circus-top tent featuring DJs including Amber Broos, Dyen, Ellen Allien, Olympe, Adam Beyer and others. At close to 30m high and 30m wide, it can accommodate up to five thousand techno fans. The system utilises two main arrays consisting of six X1 modules each, with six surrounds of two X1 modules each.

The key challenges to overcome were the highly reflective surfaces causing echoes in the listening area, preventing an even sweet spot to fully benefit from the immersive content played at the stage. Pieter Doms, sound engineer at Noizboyz and co-founder of stereo upmixing solution Areal, is responsible for the sound design of all 16 stages at Tomorrowland and chose the HOLOPLOT system to improve the audio experience at Atmosphere.

“I was really shocked with the sound quality that was achievable because I expected beamforming to decrease it,” he says. “It sounds great, almost studio monitor clean. It’s amazing how the quality rises when you just focus audio on the people and don't create any reflections. You get a very clean sound and that improves the immersive experience. It gives you that small club feeling, but you're in a ginormous tent”

The festival is in its 20th year, a massive milestone for the event. It focuses on continually evolving, actively developing and seeking new technologies to push the bar for their music experiences. For Doms, HOLOPLOT was the obvious next step to improve the audio at Atmosphere and enhance the immersive feel of the stage.

In the spirit of technological advancement, Tomorrowland, together with Noizboyz, had already developed a new piece of software, allowing them to upmix stereo signals into multi-channel content in real time. This had been used at Atmosphere for a couple of years already, but the size of the tent and the required distributed system had still proven challenging for the designers in the past, with the additional loudspeakers needed to achieve the surround sound effects causing increased reflections and confusion in the diffuse field. Using X1 allows better control of sound, delivering the immersive results of the upmixed content via Areal to the crowd without echoes.

Enabling this are the two core pillars of HOLOPLOT technology, 3D Audio-Beamforming and Wave Field Synthesis. “Both allow us to control sound in the 3D space,” states Sebastian Boeldt, senior application engineer at HOLOPLOT. “We can precisely shape the coverage areas in the audience zone, but also avoid certain shapes of the venue, minimising reflections and improving the clarity of the performance.”

HOLOPLOT’s horizontal control not only allows for the creation of controllable coverage zones, but also the precise gain and delay alignment between them.

“This means we can increase the immersive sweet spot and minimise the delay spread, a key parameter when designing immersive systems,” Boeldt explains. “The combination of sound control via avoidance of the tent surfaces and division of the crowd into time aligned coverage zones create a perfect base canvas for the Areal technology to shine. It’s a really flexible piece of software that paired beautifully with the X1 system.”

“The widespread misconception that loud is always better doesn't apply here and thanks to the isolated yet aligned zones X1 created and the multi-channel content from the Areal engine we achieved great results. It sounded really tight, giving that small immersive club feeling,” concludes Doms.

17th September 2024

Genelec plunges guests into a restful ambience at Immerso

Portugal – Billed as a ‘destination hotel’, Immerso is an elegant, relaxed retreat away from the world’s hub-bub but close to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Nestled in the lush valley of a coastal village, Immerso – Ericeira’s first 5-star hotel – is a haven of serenity dedicated to wellness, mindfulness and the simple pleasures of life in glorious natural surroundings. Since premium audio forms a crucial part of the overall visitor experience, the Immerso team naturally turned to Genelec’s 4000 Series installation loudspeakers.

Guests at Immerso can indulge in a range of wellness activities including sunrise and sunset yoga and pilates sessions on the beautiful wooden deck overlooking the valley. For those looking for something more energetic, a fully equipped gym is at their disposal. Afterwards, guests can relax in the spa where a range of luxurious treatments and massages are on offer. There’s also the option to simply lounge by the beautiful outdoor pool, sip a cocktail in the bar, or look forward to a meal in the EMME restaurant that highlights local goods and organic produce.

For the audio system, the hotel owners contacted local Genelec distributor, Garrett Audiovisuais, on the recommendation of well-known music producer and composer Elvis Veiguinha, who was responsible for developing the hotel’s sound identity. “Elvis has known us for more than 30 years,” explains Garrett’s Raul Fernandes. “He introduced us to the management team and, after our detailed discussions, we were contracted to develop the audio project for the entire hotel complex. Given the premium nature of the project, we chose a Genelec 4000 Series loudspeaker solution.”

The brief was simple: to achieve superior, studio quality sound that would be comfortable to listen to at any volume with no change in performance. According to Garrett, Genelec offered the ideal solution. “We opted for the sleek yet powerful 4020 models throughout the chicest areas of the hotel; that is to say, the restaurant, the bar and the lounge area,” notes Fernandes. Eight 4020s serve the restaurant and bar, while a further four loudspeakers are installed in the comfortable lounge area. “We added an in-wall 5041 subwoofer in the restaurant to reinforce the low end, as well as a pair of the ultra-compact and discreet 4010s in the spa/wellness zone,” he adds. Systems from other brands serve in the outdoor and more casual areas of the hotel.

“Genelec offers so many advantages for this type of application,” continues Fernandes. “As active loudspeakers, we don’t have to worry about finding space or managing cabling for external amplifier racks which makes installation much quicker, easier and neater. The elegant aesthetic of Genelec installation loudspeakers makes them easy to integrate into premium environments and of course, the sound is exceptional. All this combined with the ability to precisely tailor the sound of each loudspeaker to the space makes them a real asset in high-quality, demanding spaces like Immerso.”

For control, source selection and the management of other parameters, Garrett opted for a solution from CUE Systems which offers intuitive fingertip control via a touch panel, as well as a mobile app. A three-zone media player from Audac acts as the sound source.

“We’re delighted with what we achieved at Immerso, and so is the client,” reflects Fernandes. “It’s a truly beautiful space characterised by simplicity and elegance; it’s an organic concept designed to be in communion with nature. These are all values that Genelec espouses, so even philosophically, Genelec was an excellent fit. At a practical level, Genelec delivers everything we need: beautiful aesthetics, excellent sound, long-term reliability and ease of installation. What’s more, at the very end of the project, we calibrated each loudspeaker one by one in the space using the room response controls on the back of each device, which made even more of a difference. The results are stunning and in perfect harmony with the hotel’s environment.”

16th September 2024

Acclaimed Mixer Robin Hunt Chooses PMC Monitors for His New Studio

Germany – Just one week after firing up the PMC IB2S XBD monitors in his JV Acoustics-designed studio, mix engineer Robin Hunt was so impressed with the sound he was achieving that he put his old monitors up for sale.

“I was planning to keep both sets, but what was the point when the PMCs sounded so good?” he says. “I can’t believe how accurate and transparent they are. The mixes that I do on the PMCs translate perfectly wherever else I play them. I work at low volume levels to ensure frequency consistency during the day, but I can still hear everything, right down to the smallest detail, because I have access to the entire frequency range. It is so satisfying to have a monitoring system that has been calibrated to perfectly match the acoustics of my room.”

Originally from the Netherlands but now based in Germany, Robin Hunt discovered electronic dance music as a teenager and began DJing at various venues and festivals, including the Defqon.1 Festival in 2005. After completing his Bachelor of Music degree, Robin moved to Berlin and built a studio in an abandoned casting factory where he worked on a number of projects, including co-producing and mixing Thomas Azier’s acclaimed debut album Hylas. A move to Paris and an engineering job at Ferber Studios followed, allowing him to expand his horizons and work with many artists signed to Universal Afrique.

By 2017 Robin was back in Berlin where he founded the Atlas label with Isa Azier and Ferran Huijsmans and developed artists such as Remme and Stevie Bill. At this point Robin’s work shifted from production/mixing to solely mix work which led to him tackling increasingly prestigious projects such as Faber's Addio album, Anouk’s Wen D’r Maar Aan album, the fully orchestral Deena & Jim album, collaborations with Son Mieux featuring Nile Rodgers, Aloe Blacc's title song for the Believe documentary and Roxy Dekker's two number-one singles in the Netherlands. In addition, he worked on numerous albums, EPs, singles, TV series soundtracks and a soundtrack for the feature film Divine.

“By early 2022, I felt it was time for the next step,” he says. “My self-built Berlin studio no longer met my needs, so I connected with acoustician Jochen Veith, of JV Acoustics, with the vision of building my own mix room at my home in Attendorn. It took two years to complete the studio, which finally became operational in June 2024.”

Although Robin had heard of PMC, it wasn’t until he visited Wisseloord Studios that he realised these were the monitors he wanted.

“My mixes need to sound good on any system and this is where PMC comes in,” he says. “I took along one of my own tracks and when I played it through the PMCs it translated so much better in that room. The combination of the monitoring and the acoustics is what makes a room work. Jochen excels at this and it is one of the main reasons why he got to design Wisseloord Studios. When he built my room he took the same approach and designed the room around the PMC monitoring. His experience of the brand was also a deciding factor. He knows PMC products inside out and was able to recommend exactly the right monitors for my studio.”

Robin’s studio is located on the ground floor of his house, so to ensure proper sound isolation Jochen specified a high-quality room-within-a room construction. This meant lowering the floor by taking out the original concrete floor, digging down into the bedrock and supporting the footing of the house. A new entrance area was also added, and an effective air conditioning system was installed to create a pleasant working environment.

“We decided pretty early on that we’d use PMC monitors and have them soffit mounted,” Jochen says. “The room acoustic treatment, which was entirely delivered by my company, is based on a modular concept but on a highly professional level. Robin and members of his family did most of the building of the studio by themselves and that wasn’t an easy job, so chapeau from my side!”

Although not yet equipped for it, Robin’s room is prepared for Dolby Atmos and he anticipates upgrading to full Atmos monitoring in the future. For now, though, he is busy working on a variety of album and soundtrack projects in a room that he describes as sounding ‘absolutely perfect’.  “I love how it has all turned out and I couldn’t be happier,” he says.

16th September 2024

Community College Theater Transformed with Cutting-Edge Elation Lighting Upgrade

USA – The SC4 Fine Arts Theater at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Michigan, faced an urgent need for a lighting upgrade due to an outdated system that had been in use for decades. Japheth Boivin, director of integration at Mercury Sound & Lighting, an AV solutions company that had previously installed a video streaming system and digital signage for the theatre, spearheaded the lighting design for the renovation and chose Elation KL and FUZE series luminaires.

“The main impetus for the project was that the previous system was failing on all fronts due to its age and obsolescence,” commented Boivin, who says that the previous mix of conventional PARs and ellipsoidals dated anywhere from the 60s to the 90s. “They wanted a technology upgrade to something more reliable, more capable and more versatile.” 

The 300-seat theatre serves a variety of functions, including theatrical performances, lectures, streamed and broadcast events, and other more utilitarian community activities. Boivin noted that the client also required a better lighting solution for the videos produced in the space.

Based in Wixom, Michigan, just west of Detroit, Mercury managed the complete renovation and installation of the new lighting system, working in tandem with the electrical contractor. An important support piece came from Ed Cheeseman and Rob Ludwig of Elation manufacturers rep firm Five Lakes Marketing, with whom Mercury has worked closely for years.

Design work on the project commenced in the fall of 2023, with the main theatrical lighting system centred around two Elation series: the KL and FUZE. “Because the RGBMA emitter sets on the KL and FUZE fixtures match, it makes it much easier to get a homogenised field of light,” Boivin said. “From colour mixing to the white light needed for video washes, the uniformity ensures consistent results across the entire set-up. They essentially have any colour they can imagine available to them.”

The upgrade included KL Profile FC, KL Par FC, Fuze Profile and Fuze Pendant luminaires, which feature an RGBWL LED engine.

The KL PROFILE FC, a full-spectrum ellipsoidal with integrated zoom and the KL PAR FC full-spectrum PAR light populate the electrics in every position, except for the overhead stage wash. “They are used for typical theatrical applications, general washes and dedicated specials for frequently lit areas of the stage,” Boivin stated. “Also, since installing the streaming system, they began to notice the shortcomings of their broadcast lighting system so both of these lights are useful for those applications as well.”

FUZE PROFILE moving heads in the gallery and second electric position allows for remote focus and framing capabilities. “They lend versatility to the space while adding to the ease of use as they eliminate the need to access the catwalk. They wanted that versatility because they use the theatre for such a wide range of events.”

Boivin says the theater’s architecture is unique and features a hard cloud system above the stage rather than traditional overhead electrics. Consequently, overhead washes are recessed, house lighting style, and mounted to the ceiling. He states: “The cloud has acoustical properties so to accommodate that and not have to remove it, we decided to replace the old fixtures with the FUZE PENDANT downlight. It allowed us to maintain the original architecture and have full-colour mixing abilities for an overhead wash over the stage.”

Boivin notes that Mercury uses Elation products extensively on their projects and cites a full-system lighting upgrade at Port Huron’s McMorran Theater as a testament to the benefits of quality installations. “St. Clair was already familiar with the Elation lighting system at McMorran, which is just down the street from them and is the premiere theatre in town. Having that theatre install so near was a great testimonial.”

The new Elation lighting system, installed in July, will debut this autumn and Boivin looks forward to the stark difference that the client will experience. “Often when we complete these installations, the transformation from before to after feels like a completely new space,” he remarked. “The new lighting will undoubtedly open up for new design possibilities and significantly enhance the overall experience.”

16th September 2024

TYX Studios: “I would 100 percent recommend ORIA to others looking to build an Atmos studio”

UK - “It is ORIA’s rollout in our Dolby Atmos studio that really changed the way that we can interact with our clients,” says Jack Freegard, managing director of London’s iconic Tileyard X Studios. Designed so that anyone can create their next project here, without having to take up permanent space, TYX Studios runs a membership-based structure, with its facilities available for use 24 hours a day. Members have access to state-of-the-art music production suites, photography space, a vocal booth and of course the Dolby Atmos studio.

TYX Studios members get a ‘connect and go’ service, which is much improved since the arrival of Audient’s immersive audio interface and monitor controller. “[Clients] can now come into this space and it’s seamless for them. They don’t have to upset their workflow in order to be able to integrate into the space. ORIA software is intuitive and easy to use and the speaker set-up is very easy to understand too.”

Before ORIA, it was a different story. Jack explains: “Everything was quite convoluted and a lot more time was needed to set up each individual Atmos session. Sometimes it would take upwards of 20 minutes – or even as long as half an hour – to get a client up and running. A far cry from our aim for two minutes!”

Jack continues: “That goes from how the room sounds, the tuning of the speakers and the time alignment, to how quickly can we get someone with their own rig, their own laptop into this space and get them up and running. I think that ORIA is the only solution that can really cater to that.”

TYX Studios member and GRAMMY Award-winning producer, engineer and mixer, Matt Lawrence confirms this. “I have worked in many Atmos rooms – some of them are network based – and it has led to a few problems. It can be quite complex; things can be set up differently for the last person. What’s refreshing here at TYX Studios is that I plug one cable in and everything just works.”  Universal Records approved Dolby Atmos mixer, Matt’s work has been streamed in the billions.

Jack is definitely impressed with the Audient unit. “I would 100 percent recommend ORIA to others looking to build an Atmos studio. I don’t think there is another unit in this price range – or even within reasonable financial reach of its price range – that offers all the features the ORIA does with similar qualitative output,” he says.

Would he do it again? “We are building another Atmos studio and we will be putting an ORIA straight in this time.”

16th September 2024

KUMA Chooses PMC Monitors For its New Dolby Atmos Teaching Facility

Korea – The Korea University of Media Arts (KUMA) has chosen a PMC monitoring system for its new Dolby Atmos studio, which is being used by students to learn mixing and mastering techniques for immersive audio.

The 7.1.4 system features PMC6-2 monitors for the left, centre and right channels, PMC8-2 monitors for low frequencies and a combination of PMC Ci65 and Ci140 monitors for the surround and heigh channels. The studio will soon have an Avid S6 console, reflecting the fact that KUMA is the first university in Korea to become an Avid learning partner.

Professor Munyeon Yoo, head of the university’s music and sound technology department, says: “As an educational institution, we felt it was important to provide students with reference points. Therefore, our aim was to construct a studio for Atmos home entertainment using monitors that were suitable for OTT and Music. Through demonstrations, we experienced PMC's wide dispersion angle and precise monitoring capabilities. In addition, the inclusion of passive speakers for maintenance influenced the studio's overall design.”

Located in Sejong City, KUMA is one of only three Korean universities to offer sound production courses in content production and live sound.

“What sets us apart from other universities, especially internationally, is our emphasis on sound engineering,” Professor Yoo says. “We collaborate closely with departments involving performers and artists during our classes. After graduation, our students pursue careers in various fields of the entertainment industry, such as theatre, live touring, maintenance engineering, mixing and mastering engineering, and distribution of audio equipment.”

KUMA’s Music and Sound Technology department has a total of four studios, including the Dolby Atmos room. PMC monitors are present in two other studios: an SSL Duality-equipped recording and mixing studio, which has PMC IB1S AIII stereo monitors and an Avid S1-equipped 5.1 mastering studio, which has PMC6 monitors covering left, centre and right channels.

“As an institution dedicated to training professionals, we recognised the need for appropriate educational facilities and constructed the studio to accommodate this need,” Professor Yoo adds. “To produce immersive content, sound technology is essential. Among these technologies, we aimed to swiftly adopt Dolby Atmos, which has gained significant popularity thanks to the increasing availability of devices (such as Apple products) that allow the general public to experience immersive audio.”

Professor Yoo adds that the university has already developed a 360-degree surround microphone and applied for a patent. It has also established a close relationship with Korean distributor Music Metro, which supplied the monitors and has extensive experience in building Dolby Atmos studios in collaboration with Dolby Korea.

“Music Metro, a sister company of our school, has been a leading domestic supplier of both PMC and Avid technology for several years, and we were delighted with the help we received from Music Metro director Kim Young-sik and technical support team leader Cha Jun-yeop,” Professor Yoo says. “They placed great importance on the sequential serial numbers during the speaker acquisition process, and their active support in meeting these stringent conditions has significantly contributed to completing our system.”

To ensure that the new Dolby Atmos studio always delivers exception audio quality, Professor Yoo and his team carry out regular maintenance using Smaart.

“The PMC speakers have excellent response, allowing for sufficient calibration through the Avid MTRX Studio's spk EQ,” he says. “The balance is so accurate with minimal deviation. We're thrilled that a short film, which was mixed in the room, has been invited to compete at this year's Jeonju International Film Festival. It's particularly gratifying knowing that the results of our work in the Dolby Atmos studio can be accurately reproduced, even in a cinema theatre.”

Since the opening of the new Dolby Atmos studio, students have benefitted from a special seminar delivered by Grammy award-winning producer David Rideau and PMC’s senior export business development manager, Dan Zimbelman.

“This was a great source of inspiration for the students, and it is fulfilling to be able to provide them with such an incredible experience,” Professor Yoo says. “While we regularly invite top-class engineers from within the country for mentoring sessions, hosting top-class engineers from overseas is a first for us. Personally, I also own recordings produced by David. Such experiences will undoubtedly leave lasting memories for both myself, and the students.”

6th September 2024

Crafting the sound of Italian hospitality with K-array at Portrait Milano

Italy – One of Milan’s leading luxury hotels and part of the Lugarno Collection, Portrait Milano offers guests quintessential Italian hospitality at an address in the heart of the city. Housed in a former Archiepiscopal Seminary dating back to 1565, Portrait Milano is third in the Portrait Collection. Opened in December 2022, the 73-room property recently underwent a large-scale integration of an audio system from fellow Italian brand, K-array.

“At Portrait Milano, they required a solution that would blend seamlessly with the stylish interiors but provide moderately high SPL,” explains Alberto Gaetti, project support specialist at K-array. “We worked closely with systems integrators, A3 System and Next Domus, to design and implement a system that would complement the guest experience at this luxury hotel.”

In total, the project encompassed three unique zones within the hotel, along with a subdivisible meeting space and the integration of audio in the hotel spa. The largest space to consider at the Portrait Milano was the 10_11 Bar, Giardino, Ristorante. A long space, divided into three areas for dining, drinks and socialising, 14 units of K-array’s Vyper ultra-flat aluminium line array loudspeakers in a sleek white finish were positioned individually on poles fixed to the walls to provide consistent coverage.

With Pure Array Technology built-in, each Vyper unit can cover the venue with uniform and coherent audio. Nine Rumble subwoofers provide low-end reinforcement, either recessed in the walls or hidden under built-in seating. Eight-channel Kommander amplifiers provide power and control of the system.

“The main challenge was tailoring the system for moderately high SPL without touching the walls,” continues Gaetti. “The subwoofers have been hidden under the seats, but the Vypers, designed for on-wall or in-wall installation, have been mounted on sleek poles off-the-wall, because of the acoustic finish of the wall surface.”

At the heart of the property lies the Porticato, a long, narrow outdoor space with original stone columns. Here, a continuation of the Vyper and Rumble combination, with eight and four of each, respectively, are installed in loudspeaker/subwoofer pairs on the interior wall, interspersed with individual Vyper units.

The two remaining hospitality areas – an open-air dining area and its adjoining garden – required a different approach. “For maximum audio coverage with a wide dispersion we opted for 14 Tornado point-source loudspeakers,” explains Gaetti. Four Rumble subwoofers, fixed to the ceiling beams were also installed. In the garden, a system composed of four Kobra, metre-long stainless-steel line array elements also featuring Pure Array Technology and a further three Rumble subwoofers create an immersive soundscape.

Portrait Milano also offers a sub-divisible events room to its guests. Users of the space can either enjoy a unique, spacious room or separate the space into three private spaces using two sliding walls. In the smallest room, a lighting and audio solution, RAIL by KSCAPE, delivers an innovative and modern all-in-one solution. For the other rooms, a combination of Vyper and Kobra loudspeakers with Rumble subwoofers offer versatile options for presentations and audio for video conferencing. “In summary, each of the three rooms has its own sound system with individual room inputs,” explains Gaetti. “In case the room is needed for larger meetings, the users can easily configure the control system to ensure the loudspeakers work together as a single system.”

Playing host to ‘The Longevity Suite’, the most advanced biohacking and anti-ageing brand in Europe, Portrait Milano’s Longevity Spa fuses the latest technology with a holistic approach to wellness. Comprising a pool and wet area plus a gym and treatment rooms nestled beneath the ancient vaults of the property, this zone required an audio system that would provide high-quality sound without detracting from the carefully curated interior design.

“K-array Lyzards are ideal for these environments,” continues Gaetti. “The ultra-compact design of the KZ1 and KZ14 models integrate seamlessly with their surroundings.”

A total of ten Lyzard units are installed across the spa reception area and adjoining corridors, including recessed models which allow for direct integration into walls and cavities for a flawless finish. Rumble subwoofers, supplied in a matching white finish, complete the background audio systems.

In each private treatment room, individual GC6 ceiling loudspeakers from K-array group brand, KGEAR, provide clients with an immersive experience through the integration of the loudspeakers directly above the treatment bed.

“For the pool area, we opted for metre-long Vyper units due not only to their discreet form factor but also their durability as they can withstand the higher levels of humidity present in this zone,” confirms Gaetti “Eight of these units, installed flush against the walls of the pool area, are paired with four Rumble subwoofers, completing a system that will provide consistent audio to enhance this calming space.”

The system at the Longevity Spa is driven by K-array’s own Kommanader amplifiers in KA18 and KA28 models. “There are many benefits to powering the system with Kommander units,” says Gaetti. “The use of K-framework3 acoustic simulation software is a powerful tool for sound system designers and allowed us to design a system that pairs the project’s aesthetic requirements with maximum performance. Furthermore, Kommander DSP enabled fine-tuning of the system and correction of imperfections in the room to deliver the best possible sound that exceeds client expectations.”

Portrait Milano is now equipped with a complete audio system that will enhance the experience of its guests, whether dining in the restaurant, enjoying an aperitivo in the garden or indulging in a treatment at the Longevity Spa.

6th September 2024