Project News

Yamaha Launches PA Demo Space at guitarguitar Glasgow

UK – Yamaha has unveiled a new PA demo space at guitarguitar in Glasgow, where visitors to the store can listen to and compare the sound of all Yamaha’s D-series powered loudspeakers. To launch the new facility, Andy May, long-time front of house engineer for Status Quo and other high profile artists hosted a free live sound masterclass.

The new PA demo space is the result of a shared vision between Yamaha Pro Audio and guitarguitar, a key destination for musicians throughout the UK with branches in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Birmingham, London and Epsom.

As well as instruments, guitarguitar sells equipment for every aspect of both live and studio production, making it the ideal partner to showcase Yamaha’s full range of powered D-series PA loudspeakers, TF, MG and EMX series mixers.

The demo facility features a bespoke switching matrix, using Yamaha’s flexible ProVisionaire Touch app, which allows customers to quickly switch between systems by simply touching an iPad screen. They can try all of the D-series loudspeakers, from the flagship DZR, through the DXR, DHR and DBR models, adding or removing DXS and DXS-XLF subwoofers, as required.

“We believe this to be the best D-series demo space / experience of its kind in Europe, and quite possibly the world,” says Chris Irvine, Yamaha MIPA product manager, UK and RoI. “It enables customers to really hear the difference and find the right live PA configuration for their needs.”

As expected, the live sound masterclass was both highly informative and entertaining, with Yamaha’s Tom Rundle asking Andy May about his career and approach to live mixing in front of a sold-out audience. A long-term user of Yamaha mixing consoles, Andy was happy to share his years of live sound advice, along with a number of memorable road tales.

“I’ve owned and toured a Yamaha PM5D-RH digital console for over 18 years. It’s an amazing piece of kit, nobody could have better value out of a mixer,” says Andy. “My take on being a live sound engineer is that, first and foremost, you need reliability and the predictability of the sound you’re going to get. This is ingrained in all of Yamaha’s live sound products, so I was more than happy to help launch the new PA demo space at guitarguitar. It was a good night and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

“We were very happy to welcome Andy to our Glasgow store and enjoyed hearing his stories of life on the road, as we introduced our customers to this superb demo facility,” says guitarguitar product specialist John Buchanan, himself a former live sound engineer.

“Every musician is a potential live performer and we are committed to investing in our bricks and mortar stores to provide all they need. The quality of Yamaha products speaks for itself, we want to grow our PA business and Yamaha is the perfect partner.”

The Yamaha PA demo space can be visited at guitarguitar, 22 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5ES. Opening hours are Monday - Saturday 10am - 5:30pm, Sunday 11am - 5pm.

photo: Adam Speck

5th December 2022

Canvas Manchester becomes epicentre of live music and club nights with L-Acoustics

UK – After a two-year hiatus, Manchester’s long-standing tradition as a musical epicentre is once again bolstered by the arrival of a ‘next-generation’ cultural destination, Canvas. Located just off Oxford Road in the heart of Circle Square, the multi-purpose space is a blank canvas featuring live music, club nights, a member’s lounge with events, as well as a seven-days-a-week bar open until 4am and a restaurant. Featuring the latest technology for visually and sonically led entertainment experiences, the sound is delivered via an L-Acoustics A Series system, specified and designed by L-Acoustics UK distributor, Audiotek, which was commissioned supply AV requirements across the venue’s three main spaces.

The team behind Canvas is not new to the entertainment industry, having previously founded two of London’s most prolific music establishments, The Pickle Factory and Oval Space. Christopher Kmiec, Audiotek’s UK director, explains how excited his team, which includes projects manager Ash Attwood and design engineer James Bentham, was when the opportunity presented itself to work with the Canvas team on an entirely new space.

“We have dealt with a number of the team behind Canvas before, and were thrilled to work on a full, brand-new venue with them,” Kmiec recalls. “Canvas was a complete new build, in a totally empty space, with Audiotek delivering sound, lights and video for the performance room, member’s lounge and the bar and restaurant areas.”

In the main performance space, the client brief was short and clear: “They wanted to be as rider friendly as possible, and to make a real impact on the Manchester scene, so everyone knew from the start that the technical infrastructure of the venue would be key to its success,” explains Kmiec.

The Audiotek team specified and designed the L-Acoustics system in house, with A Series fitting the brief perfectly by providing optimum coverage and SPL in a budget friendly package. “Apart from sounding and looking very impressive, the system is also rider friendly, so it ticked all the boxes,” Kmiec continues.

The final design comprises three A15 along with two KS21 subs positioned left and right side of the stage. It is a “fairly simple set-up”, according to Kmiec as, being purpose built, the performance space has good views of the stage from every part of the room, and means a simple L/R system is ideal. “The main L-Acoustics arrays also cover the VIP balcony, which was great,” he adds. The entire system is powered by LA12X and LA4X amplified controllers.

The Canvas team was delighted with the results, as Archie McIntosh, one of the founding members at Canvas, comments: “Working with Audiotek on this project was very easy and, after a series of meetings and discussions on our vision for the venue, they adjusted and perfected the design of the system,” concludes McIntosh. “The team understood what was required right from the start. On site the guys were great. They’re always helpful and they really put the hours in to ensure everything was done to a ‘T’.

“The venue is built to be as flexible as possible, and we needed a system to cope with all our events. From yoga on a Sunday morning, through all music types and live acts right through the night, the A Series sounds incredible, and with so much power coming from the system we will never get complaints from visiting artists. We’re very happy with the result, L-Acoustics really is a major asset to the venue!”

2nd December 2022

Andrew Ayers Calls on Chauvet Professional to Transform Salem Baptist Satellite Campus

USA – Salem Baptist Church sits on a beautiful 104-acre wooded campus with winding paths and gently rolling bluffs that provide an idyllic setting for worship services and bible studies, as well as a variety of recreational activities by its community of worshippers. Completed in 1979, the church building itself is also warm and welcoming, and features a modern video-ready lighting system.

Salem recently opened the first satellite campus in its 152-year history. Located 12 miles from the main campus, the new Salem at Keys Ferry building, which was acquired from another church, seats approximately 300. Like the main campus, the new building was designed to support a welcoming worship environment. However, it did not have comparably modern lighting. To address this issue the church contracted StageCulture to design and install a new lighting system for the Keys Ferry.

“The church’s vision was to create a space in this building that would be more contemporary,” said Andrew Ayers, owner of StageCulture. “We welcomed the opportunity to upgrade the lighting system since this space offered excellent possibilities to create a modern lighting rig.”

Among the features creating exciting possibilities at the new building is its 50-foot wide stage. With an eye toward this stage being used for future livestreams and video projects, Ayers ensured that it would have a smooth, even and consistent field of light across its entire width.

“We were able to achieve 50 Foot Candles  across the front of the stage, to dial it in for future video expansion, so it looks great both in house and on camera,” said Ayers. “Appropriate fixture selection, placement and focus were essential in achieving this goal.”

A collection of eight Chauvet Professional Ovation E-160WW 3031 K warm white LED ellipsoidal fixtures flown in a row over the front of the stage are providing key lighting at the new building.  Drawing on the Ovation fixture’s built-in 16-bit dimming, the church’s lighting team can create smooth transitions, while its Pulse Width Modulation ensures the flicker-free output that will be critical once videos are done at the facility.

Adding punch and variety to the lighting rig are its four Rogue R1X Spot fixtures. Arranged across the upstage deck, these 170W moving lights fill a variety of roles at the church. Drawing the fixtures’ motorised iris and frost, the design team uses them to create aerial effects. They are also relied on to project a variety of colourful gobos across the stage, as well as on the walls and ceiling.

On the subject of gobos, Ayers notes that they: “Fall in line with wanting to keep the church’s rig modern and contemporary.” He adds that “gobos are a great way to add texture to a space giving it a very contemporary feel.”

Drawing up plans for the new rig  in previz, Ayers and his team took five days to install the entire system. This included rigging, cable pulling, fixture installation and commissioning. When it was completed, church leaders, including Worship Pastor Brian Petersen, who Ayers says was instrument in the success of the project, took a look at the new lighting system.

Their reaction? “They client was surprised,” said Ayers. “I don’t think they were fully aware of how well a small number of fixtures placed in the appropriate locations could really transform a space.”

Now, as Salem Baptist prepares to create video content in this space, the church will find even more happy surprises lay ahead.

2nd December 2022

Pharos in control at the MVM Dome

Hungary – In the Hungarian capital city of Budapest, the MVM Dome is a 50,000 m2 multi-functional arena with the capacity to accommodate 20,000 people. It is Europe’s largest handball arena, built to coincide with Hungary being named as the host nation for the 2022 European Men’s Handball Championship.

As well as a venue for a wide array of indoor sporting events, the hall can also be configured to host concerts, conferences, exhibitions and trade shows, making it an important part of Budapest’s entertainment offering.

The building’s façade is inspired by the anatomical drawings of Michelangelo, designed to conjure up images of skeletal muscles. This striking look is enhanced at night with the clever use of dynamically changing, specially created lighting.

The vibrant, flowing lines of light swirl across the entire façade, dividing the surface of the building into a variety of planes, slices and shapes. These geometric fragments then serve as windows in certain positions, while the steel cladding, which is powder-coated in two shades of grey, plays a key role in the optical resolution of the building mass.

The lighting and control system has been designed, supplied and programmed by BE LIGHT! The system is unusual in its approach with the lighting fixtures hidden in the façade’s mantle to strengthen the architectural character of the arena.

BE LIGHT! were brought into the project by architects Közti Zrt, along with interior design house MCXVI Építészműterem Kft, and electrical engineers Hungaroproject Mérnökiroda Kft. BE LIGHT! chose solutions from Pharos Architectural Control to deliver dynamic control of the lighting scheme.

BE LIGHT! required a DMX protocol communication system for the RGBW fixtures, assigning 11,328 digital addresses to the façade alone so the luminaires could be controlled individually. They designed a distributed control solution using multiple Pharos Designer LPCs (Lighting Playback Controllers). The compact LPCs are positioned within the façade to provide local DMX to the fixtures, and networked together to still act as one seamless, cohesive control system. A total of 21 LPC 1 and 15 LPC 2 were required for the façade, and a further six networked LPC 1 were distributed inside the Dome to control the lighting in the arena and public areas. The LPC is the perfect choice for this type of installation, providing a flexible and reliable control system and allowing dynamic, precise and fully customisable pre-programmed lighting to be created.

Additionally, two Pharos Designer TPS (Touch Panel Screen) units were installed so staff could override scheduled programming and directly select both the decorative lighting and the sports lighting looks at the MVM Dome. The TPS offers a customisable touch screen user interface that lets users create multiple pages of lighting controls for the Pharos Designer system.

Ádám Kis, head of control system from BE LIGHT! said: “The architecture of the MVM Dome is truly stunning and we were delighted to be appointed to deliver the lighting scheme to accentuate this. By using innovative control solutions from Pharos, we have given the venue a flexible and dynamic lighting system that can easily be adapted to suit the differing needs of the arena.”

Mark de Gruyter, regional sales manager for EMEA at Pharos Architectural Controls commented: “The MVM Dome is a very impressive venue, attracting global talent across sport, entertainment and music. It is very rewarding to see Pharos solutions playing a key role in the success of their events, ensuring the arena can deliver fantastic results for the thousands of visitors attending each year.”

The adjustable sports lighting is suitable for HDTV broadcasts of high-level world competitions, as well as super slow-motion recordings thanks to the flicker-free technology. The lighting system also plays an integral role in the successful staging of events and concerts, as it controls the auditorium colour temperature as well as delivering dynamic lighting.

When used for a show, dynamic effects such as flashing or running light can be presented based on a pre-written programme. This also means the hall can change its function through the lighting control system, which is something of a unique solution in European venues.

Since its official opening, the MVM Dome has a full line-up planned, featuring sporting events and concerts from music legends such as Tom Jones and Michael Bublé. 

1st December 2022

dBs Institute of Sound & Digital Technologies Installs PMC Monitors in Two New Dolby Atmos Studios

UK – PMC’s reputation as an industry leader in the immersive audio market has led dBs Institute of Sound & Digital Technologies to choose the company’s loudspeakers for two new Dolby Atmos Music studios it is opening at its Manchester and Bristol campuses.

dBs Institute, which also has a campus in Plymouth, offers degree and master’s programmes across a range of music production, audio technology, games development and digital technology disciplines. The new Dolby Atmos studios will be used by all students, including those working in game development, game sound and sound design.

“We are always striving to be at the forefront of all technologies, as our facilities demonstrate,” says Nige Burt, dBs institute’s director of HE. “As such, it is vital that we provide Atmos facilities for students to access as it is becoming increasingly commonplace in the industry.”

Matt Bernard, head of operations at dBs, adds: “We spent a lot of time researching Dolby Atmos set-ups and received a lot of support from Dolby and our acoustic designer, Miloco Builds. It became clear from the research that PMC is an industry standard for Atmos studios, and we wanted to make sure our students were working with the same kit that they will find in commercial environments. Also, the fact they sound incredible helps!”

Originally founded in 1998, dBs Institute believes sound is a powerful force, and one that should be leveraged for good. This philosophy informs everything it does, including how it approaches audio technology education. Students are given personalised attention and support and are encouraged to foster enduring relationships with each other, with staff and with the local community.

With the centres in Plymouth and Bristol well established, dBs turned its attention north to Manchester for its newest campus. Often nicknamed the ‘Gateway to the North’, Manchester has a rich musical heritage and a strong reputation in the creative world for its media, sound and gaming scene, so it was the ideal place for dBs Institute to focus its expansion plans.

“Manchester is such a thriving city for the creative industries that we felt we could really help in improving that development further,” Nige Burt says. “It’s vitally important in our provision that we have great links with top employers in the area and with Manchester being such a hotbed, it made sense for us to set up in that environment.”

Further impetus was given by the redevelopment of Manchester’s New Century Hall, which is where the new dBs Manchester campus is based. Dating back to the 1960s, this iconic venue has played host to artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Hollies, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Kinks, as well as being the venue for the legendary all night Acid House parties of the 1980s MADchester era.

“We had the opportunity to be part of New Century’s redevelopment and we saw it as an amazing opportunity,” Nige Burt says. “The venue is absolutely incredible and our involvement with it means that dBs Institute’s live sound students can gain practical experience in a real working environment. The venue also links down to our studios, providing endless opportunities for exciting projects.”

dBs Institute Manchester opened in September 2022 and has already welcomed its first cohort of degree students. In terms of technical facilities, it has one 7.2.4 Atmos studio with 11 PMC 6s and two PMC Sub 8-2 monitors. It also has a large control room with an AMS Neve Genesys Black console and three more production studios, all of which are equipped with PMC result6 monitors. There is a large live room and two separate recording booths which can be patched to any space via analogue and Dante tie-lines. In addition, there is a 40-seat lecture theatre with a 2.1 monitoring system comprising PMC 6 and Sub 8 monitors.

“PMC’s new SoundAlign software was really helpful when we were setting up the lecture theatre as it allowed us to easily calibrate the monitors in the room,” Matt Bernard says.

This year’s upgrade to the facilities at dBs Institute Bristol have also been significant. Alongside the installation of a new Dolby Atmos studio, dBs installed a Games suite, made improvements to the common spaces at its Mitchell Lane campus and invested in more d&b T Series speakers so that it can provide a full line array for small festival stages.

“When we decided to install an Atmos studio in Bristol we faced some particular challenges with the allocated space,” Matt Bernard says. “To ensure we met the height requirements for the overhead speakers we needed a thin speaker, so we opted for PMC Ci65s because they were perfect for this. Similarly, the Atmos studio also has to accommodate a number of students, so we wanted side and rear speakers that did not protrude too far into the room. The Ci40 speakers were the answer as they worked within Dolby requirements for the sides, while PMC Ci65s gave the required SPL for the rears.”

In total three PMC6-2s were installed, along with six Ci65s, two Ci140s and two PMC8-2 subs. The studio, which also had an Avid MTRX, is now fully operational while the Atmos room in Manchester will be ready for students to use in January 2023.

Staying at the forefront of emerging technologies in the creative and technical arena and providing students with both the practical and personal skills they require to succeed in the audio industry are key tenets of dBs Institute’s philosophy. Alongside regular staff, the Institute also brings in guest lecturers whose experience of the real world is vital for student learning and development. PMC will be supporting these efforts by organising workshops in Bristol and Manchester so that students can learn tips and techniques from audio professionals who are already mixing Dolby Atmos projects.

“The ability to be innovative requires that the students have the freedom to be so but also access to innovative teaching concepts and the facilities to push the limits of what exists at present,” Nige Burt adds. “That has been a major aim of the dBs Institute for the past 25 years and remains so.”

For more information about dBs Institute of Sound & Digital Technologies, please visit: https://www.dbsinstitute.ac.uk/

In picture: James McCrea, Matt Bernard and Nige Burt.

1st December 2022

Clear-Com IP Systems Enhance ‘Smart City’ Initiative in Brazil

Brazil – For nearly four decades as a Clear-Com partner, Savana Comunicacoes Ltd. has provided Clear-Com technology for a wide variety of applications, including Broadcast, live events, corporate, house of worship and industrial projects.

Now, in partnership with Painal Multiservicos, Savana has extended its reach into public and government sectors with a unique application in five Brazilian cities to aid the city’s police and emergency services as part of Brazil’s “Smart City” initiative.

Initiated by Ricardo José, technical director at Painal Multiservicos, the result is an easy-to-use system utilising communication over IP that speeds up response time and enhances the ability of emergency services to coordinate and react to virtually any type of issue that might present itself in the urban landscape.

“When it comes to law enforcement, police, and civil defence, as well as SAMU [Brazil’s ambulance service], these teams cannot afford to wait for communications in the middle of a catastrophe,” Ricardo explains. “They need access to immediate communication. Their core business is critical mission tasks, so they adapt and benefit the most from the solutions Clear-Com delivers.”

Savana’s director of engineering, Joao Pedro Machado Homem (‘JP’) describes the system as “cloud comms”: an idea that became a reality during the pandemic, a means of expanding Savana’s services while adapting to the growing trend of intercom as a service. They rent IP ports on an Eclipse HX Digital Matrix Intercom System (Omega Frame) with an E-IPA card, which is installed in Savana’s technical centre in Rio de Janeiro and connected to the public network. Then, they rent out Iris panels, Clear-Com headsets, and Agent-IC licences for all users to communicate remotely out in the field. It’s a system that works seamlessly: “They install the panel, I send the IP address and password, and it just starts to work,” JP says.

Since the initial implementation of the system in the cities of Indaiatuba and Barueri, three additional municipalities – Maua, Jundiai, and, in early 2022, Tatui – have adopted it. While Tatui was the last city to adopt the system, “it’s the most exciting one,” JP adds, citing how effective it was during a popular festival celebrating the city’s candy industry, Feira do Doce, in July 2022.

Tatui’s Clear-Com system also strengthens security in public schools, allowing emergency services to communicate effectively and respond more quickly to any situation with precision and efficiency. The schools already have ‘smart’ security cameras that automatically send an alert to the police when necessary. JP explains: “But cameras and information aren’t enough. You have to be able to communicate and send that information to the proper people in the emergency services so they can take action.”

For Tatui, where theft from public schools has been an ongoing issue, it’s an important partnership. “The communications technology they supplied us with is fast and instantaneous,” says Elizângela Cecilio, Secretary of Education for Tatui. “This has been greatly beneficial for the safety of our children and employees, and we want to tell our friends, the municipal teams in neighbouring cities [about it], so they can also implement Clear-Com’s technology in their communities.”

Ultimately, the system dramatically improves productivity and efficiency for all those currently using it, adds Francisco Carlos Severino, director of security strategies for Tatui. “We used to work blindly, receiving, or even checking an occurrence without having information in real-time,” he said. “This results in far quicker response times regardless of the situation.”

The system also enables fluent cooperation between the five cities, allowing law enforcement and emergency services to communicate with their counterparts in other jurisdictions to provide seamless security. “We’re always working on improving the service when there is an alert,” says Marcos Roberto, deputy commander of Tatui’s police force. “This kind of monitoring system works really well for us, and Clear-Com’s quick response time, service, and support made it easy to deploy the new technology.”

This, however, is only the beginning, JP says, adding that the goal is to deploy Clear-Com technology in more areas of Brazil as 5G connectivity spreads. “Now we have five cities that can talk to each other over IP, so they can cooperate. The next step is to use Agent-IC in police and emergency vehicles instead of radio."

30th November 2022

Yamaha Delivers the Soundtrack for Spectacular Kamuy Lumina Enchanted Night Walk

Japan – From June through to November 2022, Kamuy Lumina, an immersive night walk at Lake Akan, is taking place in the Akan-Mashu National Park on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. A Yamaha audio system has helped to give visitors a taste of the indigenous Ainu people’s mythology in this impressive multimedia experience.

Created by international multimedia studio Moment Factory, Lumina Night Walk experiences have been presented in many countries, using soundscapes, light, projection mapping and other digital technologies. Kamuy Lumina is especially significant, as it was the first Lumina Night Walk to be staged in a national park anywhere in the world.

Designed to highlight the unique culture and natural beauty of Akan, Kamuy Lumina was commissioned by the Akan Adventure Tourism Corporation, proving so successful when first staged in 2019 that it has been repeated in 2021 and again in 2022.

The theme of Kamuy Lumina is based on the story of ‘Konkwa’, a song of the owl god and a jaybird. This comes from the many yukaras (epic poems) of the Ainu people, whose mythology conveys the importance of living in harmony with nature.

“The intention was to encourage more people to visit and stay in the area. We looked at several different production ideas to achieve this, but Kamuy Lumina stuck out in terms of featuring the Ainu story and other content unique to this region,” says Mr Hiroaki Mamiya of Akan Adventure Tourism. “We were also impressed by how the night walk allows visitors to enjoy the duality of Akan-Mashu National Park, encouraging them to come not only during the day, but also at night where they can feel like they are in another world.”

Two more important reasons for choosing the multimedia production were because it transcends language barriers – which Akan Adventure Tourism hope will encourage international visitors, as well as from Japan – and also that the spectacle and technical innovation of the production makes the theme accessible to younger generations.

“In this way, we hope the message of the Ainu people, such as the importance of things in life and respect for people and animals, will have a great impact on children,” adds Mr Mamiya. “A key part of Kamuy Lumina is helping children in local elementary schools to understand the concept of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), via the Konkwa story.”

The system was designed by Moment Factory, with Prism, Inc, contracted to install the technical equipment, as well as day-to-day technical operation and maintenance. Reliability was a key factor, as with any outdoor audio installation. This was the main reason why Moment Factory specified a Yamaha sound system.

The production is divided into eight zones on a Dante audio network, with Yamaha XMV series four- and eight-channel power amplifiers driving a total of 32 VXS8 and six VXS5 speakers, including a VXS5 at the reception area. All are carefully camouflaged, so they are not noticed by daytime visitors.

The XMV series amplifiers feature straightforward controls which allow all users, including non-networking specialists, to easily manage the Dante system. All are housed in exterior quality rack boxes which include both air conditioners and heaters, with the temperature and humidity managed by remotely monitoring a Wi-Fi-connected thermo-hygrometer.

“Outdoor events are inevitably affected by the weather, the summer temperature and humidity can be especially difficult,” says Mr Yasushi Matsuura of Prism. “We remotely monitor the thermo-hygrometers using a tablet and, if we think the temperature or humidity is too high, we can activate the air conditioners or open the rack doors to cool them down.

“We have used Yamaha products on Kamuy Lumina for three years and they have been very reliable. The cost:performance ratio is also very good.”

There is still plenty of time for visitors to experience Kamuy Lumina 2022 and, with it scheduled to run again next year, Akan Adventure Tourism is looking forward to again attracting both tourists and a summer migration of working people from the Japanese mainland.

“The feedback from our customers has been very positive and many say they will come back again,” says Mr Mamiya. “ With the help of the Japanese government lifting the limits on overseas visitors, we look forward to welcoming many more people to the amazing experience of Kamuy Lumina. There are new facilities on Hokkaido where they can live here for the summer and get to know the goodness of this place.”

photos: Moment Factory

29th November 2022

Brand New Amare Project Invests in Robe T Series

The Netherlands – The brand-new Amare building is an arts, culture, and educational hub on the Spui in Den Haag, the Netherlands which opened last year at the heart of this lively capital city, after six years of construction. Built on the footprint of the old Lucent Danstheater, Amare is a new centre for excellence and houses the Dance and Music Center, The Hague Foundation, the Residentie Orkest, the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) and the Royal Conservatoire.

Offering a 1,500 capacity concert Hall (2,500 standing) and a 1,300 seater Theatre plus two other performance halls and extensive rehearsal facilities, it was a big deal to get over 100 Robe moving lights specified for the project.

These are a mix of 86 T1 Profiles and 30 T2 Profiles plus 60 ParFects all supplied by Robe’s Benelux distributor Controllux and installed in the two primary venues and their main black box space.

Arjen Bijtelaar is the venue’s stage manager specialising in lighting. He has worked for the venue since 2006, including at the Lucent Danstheater before its demolition and explained that the original tender was for profile LED luminaires offering full white and multi-coloured colour control.

The venue already had a good experience with Robe as one of the first in the country to invest in the DL7 series in 2016. This was for their temporary residence at the Zuiderstrand Theater in Scheveningen Harbour, Den Haag, which operated during the lengthy construction period.

Here the company notched up another landmark as the first cultural institution in Benelux to have Robe’s T1 Profile.

When the Amare build project started, the T2 had not yet been developed, so the initial spec won by Controllux was for the 86 T1 Profiles. However, after moving into the fabulous new facilities last year, some additional funding became available with which they purchased the T2s and ParFects.

The requirement was for lighting that would assist both the Concert Hall and the stage, all genres of dance, plus theatre and concerts.

Of the 30 T2s, eight are on used for the Concert Hall FOH, with four on one of the upstage bars, and the remaining 18 fixtures are in the Theatre, at FOH and in some of the side positions.

The additional power of the T2 Profile made it perfect for the job and the 30 metre throw from the FOH positions to the stage.

The extra intensity of the T2 Profile allows them to light beautifully right to the back of the Concert Hall stage which is around 40 metres from the source. “We are very lucky to get the additional investment,” commented Arjen, adding that having these fixtures in place saves a lot of discussion they might have had in previous times with visiting companies about intensities.

The T1s originally intended for the Concert Hall’s FOH bridges are deployed in other positions around the venue, mostly on the advance bar with some in the side balcony positions, with the four other T2s replacing the previous FOH positions. The remaining 18 T2 Profiles are in the Theatre.

Arjen and Amare lighting technician Mathijs Grool are delighted with the fixtures as are all the guest LDs who have so far visited with their various shows.

Asked to pick their favourite Robe T-series features, the multi-coloured engine without physical colour flags tops the list. “The output quality is great, and it has a certain elegance,” commented Arjen, adding that they also appreciate the refined dimmer curve and other elements like the tungsten fade that have been finished by Robe.

When talking about Robe generally, Arjen and Mathijs agree that the brand is solid and reliable which is important for a busy producing and receiving venue like Amare.

The Concert Hall features a diverse entertainment programme, anything from full symphony orchestra performances to intimate baroque music to full on pop and rock shows. The Theatre primarily stages ballet, musicals and operas, and the different Amare spaces are also available for events, private and commercial hires and other uses.

Approximately four shows a week are staged in both the Concert Hall and the Theatre plus rehearsals, so the schedule for both is constantly and consistently busy.

There have been no complaints about any ambient noise with these fixtures installed: not from the public, musicians or conductors and even the NDT, known for their precision production requirements and who have their own crew and always use the house rig.

Visiting companies have several options. They can either use the full house rig (which also contains LED washes and several other fixtures) parts of it or bring in their own full or partial productions.

The control consoles in the building are all ETC and the DMX merging is achieved via an ACN network.

Amare is a modern, streamlined, gleaming creative jewel that has brought a buzz and a new dynamic to the city centre. Everyone working there and connected to the project is delighted be back producing full-capacity shows for all to enjoy in this new post-pandemic climate.

Controllux’s Kuno van Velzen commented: “The lighting crew at the Zuiderstrand Theatre (the temporary venue for the Amare during the build) were among the first in the world to buy the Robe T1 Profile back in February 2019. It was there that they fell in love with the finesse and potential of Robe’s multi colour solution for theatre applications.”

photo: Louise Stickland

www.robe.cz

29th November 2022

HIVE Media Players chosen for Frameless, UK’s first permanent immersive arts experience

UK – A deployment of HIVE Player_3 4K and 8K media players have been selected for Frameless, London’s first permanent digital immersive arts experience.

Situated in the new Marble Arch Place Complex venue, Frameless blends digitalised art, phenomenal creative vision and cutting edge entertainment technology to present a cultural attraction like no other.

The project has been brought to critically acclaimed fruition by figureheads from the worlds of tech, art, architecture and experiential events to showcase iconic works of art as they’ve never been seen before, via immersive, state-of-the-art video projection.

Creative Technology (CT) delivered the video solution sitewide including projection, digital signage, LED and media servers. HIVE media players, a new generation of carbon-footprint-friendly computers use ten times less power than many market equivalents. This sustainable product choice effortlessly powers the artistic displays that not only cover the walls, but the ceilings and the floors across a staggering 30,000 sq. ft space.

Digital interpretations of 40 masterpieces from 28 artists including Klimt, Monet, Rembrandt and van Gogh lead visitors through the carefully curated spaces; Beyond Reality, Colour in Motion, The World Around Us and the Art of Abstraction.

Working closely alongside CT UK’s systems integration department, Dave Green, Mark Calvert and the team at HIVE Media Players advised on technical solutions, and as video playback vendor, helped to steer the design of the video system for the audiences’ bright and colourful journey.

Deploying a total of 19 Player_3 systems, the right result hinged on highly accurate synchronisation. HIVE technical director, Dave Green, elaborates: “Synchronisation is the key element that holds everything together in an installation like this. The HIVE Player_3 system offers SDI outputs with GenLock from a reference signal and this ensures from device to device, everything is perfectly in sync.

“The video mapping at Frameless is very much at the cutting edge of what’s possible right now. This was achieved in part by CT using Front Pictures Screenberry software for automated camera-based calibration.”

The 8K 25fps equirectangular video playback used in Frameless’s largest space is at the top end of what the HIVE Player_3 device is capable of. Green continues: “The output resolution from the HIVE players is running at 50Hz, but the content was provided in 8K 25fps, so we needed to use the AiM codec interframe interpolation feature to ensure we achieved a smooth video playback on the larger surfaces, and in 8K, that's fairly challenging.”

CT UK’s head of integration, Graham Bunyan, explains how Green added technical expertise to the nuances of this unique project: “It wasn't just understanding the final playback, which is ultimately the result of all this hard work, but the relationship that CT built with HIVE was essential for success; we understood at every stage what the technical challenges were going to be.”

Utilising the latest embedded GPUs developed by NVIDIA, HIVE was able to offer Frameless outstanding performance in a small package at an enviable price point, which in HIVE’s case, doesn’t mean a compromise on quality.

Simon Kentish, Frameless CTO, says: “HIVE’s value for money is amazing in terms of its delivery, its form factor, and its integration with products like Screenberry. It’s right for us, and we’ll be using it moving forward.”

The technical design ingenuity of Frameless also augmented 50 3-Chip DLP of Panasonic laser projectors, which helped to deliver 479 million pixels and one million lumens.

Head of Panasonic UK, Gareth Day, comments: “Although HIVE is a relatively new company; we worked with Dave Green and Mark Calvert on the National Museum of Qatar, and subsequently on the UAE Pavilion and Expo 2020, we’ve found them a great team to work with. It was absolutely fantastic to deal with them again on Frameless.”

After 12 months of preparation before its Autumn opening, Green reflects on Frameless’s hugely successful reception: “It's not until the venue opens, and you see the public immersed in the experience, that you really understand what was being created. HIVE is so proud to have worked alongside such experts on a project assembled by a world-class team; the results speak for themselves.”

photos: Antonio Pagano

29th November 2022

Speaking Spirit Ministries installs Wavefront Precision at new campus

USA – Speaking Spirit Ministries of Richmond, VA is a non-denominational Christian ministry, which in the space of nine years has expanded to three campuses, offering over 100,000 sq. ft of worship space.

Known as Glen Allen Campus, the Ministry’s latest facility opened recently and again RTW Media was brought in by pastors, Fred and Inger Wyatt to provide a complete AVL technology infrastructure. Incorporating projection and control, the PA this time was based around a central hang of Martin Audio’s premium Wavefront Precision line array.

“We were fortunate to be able to start with a clean slate,” stated RTW operations manager, Zack Guida. “We knew what they had in their other facilities, so we wanted to match that end user experience, but with a little latitude to design the speaker we wanted. Our engineering team had the flexibility to design the ideal integrated system for the room.”

And he knew instinctively what that speaker would be, having previously experienced a WPS demo, courtesy of Martin Audio’s north-east regional sales manager, Martha Callaghan. “The demo consisted of a nine box hang with cardioid subs and it just sounded great. I was so impressed with how warm the boxes sounded. Everyone can produce a loud line array, but it was the warmth of the vocals here that really impressed.”

“The requirement here was to handle everything from the midweek bible studies and vocal presentation to high impact worship, with church bands.”

The client went with the recommendation of RTW who designed the system as a single mono central hang of five WPS elements, with an SX118 subwoofer set behind, and two further SX118 at stage level. The enclosures are finished in white to maintain the visual aesthetic of the new building.

Zack Guida explained the thinking: “The roof is an A-frame, so we have set the array as high as possible. The flexibility to have one sub in the air, to ensure even coverage, and then a further two to provide high impact from the stage where necessary is fantastic.

Further economies are achieved by being able to power the system from a single Martin Audio iKON iK42 four-channel process-controlled amplifier, configured in 2-box resolution.

Guida says as far as the client is concerned the system “checks all the boxes.” He explained: “The pastor was there with his audio lead when we tuned the system, and they were particularly impressed that a single array would provide the worship experience they were looking for.”

As for that tuning, they set up using SMAART and measurement mics and then did an EASE visualisation. “We let the software tell us what we needed where, and the installation matched the model exactly.” Further tweaking was carried out in Martin Audio’s advanced DISPLAY optimisation and control software.

RTW Media has accomplished four impressive installations with Martin Audio systems in the past 12 months alone, specifying both their WPS and CDD series. Zack Guida is particularly delighted with this latest implementation. “The [listening] experience in the front row is exactly the same as in the back,” he exclaims. “It was very important to Pastor Fred for members in every seat of the audience to have the same worship experience. This was accomplished to precision with the WPS from Martin Audio.”

29th November 2022

TUS Athlone ‘absolutely thrilled’ with Audient ASP4816 console

Ireland – Calling it “the most wonderful learning and teaching tool” in a recent interview, programme lead Michael O’Dowd has nothing but praise for the ASP4816 installed at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Athlone Campus. Recommended by quite a few commercial professional engineers and academics in Ireland, who cited its “compelling price point, excellent quality and overall utility versus the other competition”, the desk continues to delight staff and students of the B.SC (Hons) in Music & Sound Engineering programme.

The music tech department is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility comprising two music labs with 17 PCs in each, a control room and live room, and all of the main spaces are multi-functional. Michael explains further: “Each room is an independent recording room, mixing room and lecture space, and all of the rooms are connected back through an extensive patchbay that is in turn connected to our ASP4816 console.”

Third-year student, Michael Cannon says: “What I love most about the console is how easy it is to use for all my project work. It doesn’t matter if I’m recording instruments, mixing tracks, or doing sound to picture work like foley or voice overs, it has all the preamp gain I need, the EQ is great, and it’s simple to route in and out of ProTools; I’m looking forward to spending as much time as I can with console over the next couple of years.”

Echoing his student’s thoughts, O’Dowd continues: “Not only does the console sound great, we find that our first-year students get to grips with the basic operation of the console very quickly. Students in later years can also comfortably dive into more complex signal routing, incorporating outboard signal processing going to the DAW, as well as full analogue mixing. It just works for every situation we throw at it.

“I think the Audient preamps are wonderful, the console EQ to be very sweet and musical sounding and a sprinkling of the bus compressor really adds a gorgeous weight and glue to any mix we run through the console.”

Recently joining together with the Limerick Institute of Technology to form TUS, Michael has high hopes for the amalgamated educational facilities. “We all have the opportunity to plot and plan a very rich and vibrant future for our respective programmes that will only be limited by our ambition to create meaningful contributions to our students, the professional creative industry and to the communities in our areas.”

29th November 2022

Brooklyn’s ‘Limitless AI’ harnesses Hippotizer to immerse visitors in vast video installation

USA – An army of Hippotizer media servers have landed in Brooklyn to feed vast amounts of visual data to 63 HD projectors inside ArtsDistrict Brooklyn’s Limitless AI immersive experience, filling the 10,000 square-foot main gallery space with a 360 degree video.

Created by internationally-renowned, Istanbul-based artists Ferdi and Eylul Alici of Ouchhh Studio, Limitless AI transports audiences into a world of culture, science and nature. Artificial intelligence reimagines terabytes of data, taking in billions of brushstrokes by historical masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, physics teachings by greats including Stephen Hawking and brainwave responses by musicians as they perform, among many other extraordinary things. The five-part, 60-minute experience is presented as five separate chapters and features a finale with live music and an opportunity to influence the video via interaction.

At the core of the real-time video data manipulation are seven Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 media servers, controlled by a grandMA3 console. “We have Presets in Hippo for each show chapter and the TD computers are generating live data that is being fed over NDI to the Hippo servers,” explains Sofia Claudino, video lead for Limitless AI. “Everything is driven by our Boreal MK2+ servers and they communicate to the grandMA3 via a Multi-Controller and DMX component. Triggering then happens via the console, with the help of a very precise universal clock system that syncs both video and audio systems. It is a very complex system and we are impressed with the ability to run a timecode-based show that requires out-of-sight calling solutions as a continuous timeline doesn’t fit our needs.”
The team says that given the cavernous size of the space, they needed media server hardware that was capable of feeding projections onto multiple surfaces. Inside, there is a revolving stage with a concave and convex projection surface, and 14 walls with a height of more than 14 feet. “We are actually looking to add more projectors, to augment the 63 already in place,” Claudino continues. “There are so many that it was necessary to use the Boreal MK2+ servers to entirely cover our main gallery. We are using 21 units of DataPath that help to control and adjust the output of the images, hence why the necessary ability to support 4K, an internal drive with 4TB which enables our main show at almost its capacity, and a 10Gb Ethernet for super-fast media transfer since we are also using an NDI feed from Touch Designer machines to our Hippotizer servers.”

The 4TB of graphical data is being entirely processed, manipulated and fed to the projectors by the Boreal MK2+ media servers, with the Strata Drive accommodating all of the media. “The fast-processing speed is really important to us, there is no glitching or stuttering for a second and all media plays very smoothly,” adds Claudino.

The Green Hippo support team assisted the visuals team at Limitless AI as they created, built and operated the ambitious show. “The Hippo tech support team has been very generous,” Claudino continues. “They have always managed to help me find the best solutions.”

ArtsDistrict’s chief of business development, Jacob Feldman, comments: “We chose the Boreal+ MK2 servers because the show was envisioned to be live from the start, changing each night depending on the music and performers. The final chapter feeds live data from EEG monitors on the musicians into TouchDesigner and then through NDI to the Hippos. The music that is performed can and does change with every show, which in turn requires extra triggering/calling abilities from a backstage perspective.”

“We are still realising the potential of Hippotizer since we are not only able to program a timecode-based main show but are also interested in exploring other Hippotizer abilities, such as scheduling different timelines for other small and large-scale events here in ArtsDistrict,” adds Claudino. “These functionalities, catering for the needs of our diverse events, just aren’t found in other media servers.”

After a soft launch this summer, Limitless AI is set to open to the public in December.

www.green-hippo.com

29th November 2022

Composer Edward White Installs PMC 6-2 Monitors In His West London Studio

UK – With more than 20 years’ experience as a composer and audio specialist, Edward Patrick White (pictured) knows the importance of creating arrangements and mixes that translate seamlessly between his own studio and a dubbing stage. Having the right tools for the job is critical, which is why he has recently changed his studio monitoring to incorporate a pair of PMC 6-2 nearfield monitors.

“From my perspective, as someone who is writing music for video games, television, films and commercials, I feel that PMC has created the perfect speaker for media composers,” he says. “These days composers are not just writing their music, they are also mixing it and I believe one of the reasons I have a career is because I can bridge the gap between being a composer and a mixer. However, there is always a certain amount of trial and error in terms of the arrangement, the mix and how it's going to translate. The 6-2s really allow someone like me to be making better choices, not just in terms of how I mix the music, but compositionally and in the arrangement.”

Although White’s customers are truly international, his main base is in the UK where he has a Carl Freslov-designed production suite in the garden of his East London home. The studio is equipped with a Mac Studio Ultra, UAD Apollo 16 MkII converters, a powerful PC that is ‘stuffed to the gills’ with RAM, m.2 drives and sample libraries, and a second Mac that he uses for running picture and printing into Pro Tools. The majority his projects are delivered in surround (5.1) and stereo fold downs (2.0), but he also pre-mixes for Dolby Atmos using Dolby Production Suite and Pro Tools.

“Principally, I think of myself as a storyteller who works in the medium of music and sound,” White explains. “There’s a journalistic component to the work I do, which means it’s always to a brief and there’s always a deadline. There’s often not a huge amount of time to ‘find it’, so you need to have a clear idea how to get the most out of your tools and get to where you’re going quickly, without fuss.”

This philosophy inspired his decision to invest in PMC 6-2 monitors, which replaced an older pair of monitors that were getting “long in the tooth”’.

“I knew my old monitors really well, but as a total audiophile I felt I could get even better results if I had the right tool; the right lens to bring everything into focus,” he explains. “I was in Los Angeles in early August and was chatting with my friend Franc Cameli (who founded Sphere Studios in London and Los Angeles). He has some of the finest ears on the planet and he told me about the 6-2s. I auditioned them against competitors in the same space the difference, particularly in terms of the focus in the low end and the smoothness of crossover, was profound. I knew I’d found my new speakers as soon as I heard the PMCs.”

PMC’s 6-2 monitors are small and compact, which White says makes them ideal for his space and for the way he works.

“The traditional narrative is that you only need 'big-boy' speakers for absolutely critical listening, i.e. when tracking, mixing or mastering. But for the way I work, I’m typically not handing my work over to a third-party for mixing,” he says. “Nine times out of ten, the work is getting delivered straight out of my room, so it needs to sound stellar. Because I’m writing on the 6-2s as well as mixing, I find I’m not just making better mix decisions but that the production is more refined, and the arrangement and orchestration is more focused. It’s no understatement to say that these PMC monitors have completely flawed me in terms of their utility.”

Since installing his PMC’s, White has deployed them on a variety of projects including music for two AAA video games and a feature film called The Waterhouse.

“There’s always a TV commercial or two flying through my room at breakneck pace,” he says. “Recent ones include a commercial for Stella Artois and another for Amazon Prime, I did some of the trailers for the Frontier Games title, Jurassic World: Evolution, which was fun because I got to play around with the original John Williams themes. In addition to this, my most recent shipped video game was the Gears of War title Gears Tactics for Microsoft.”

24th November 2022

UAE’s largest fitness centre keeps up the pace with 200 Martin Audio speakers

UAE – Slated as the largest indoor health and fitness club in Dubai, offering world-class facilities over 75,000 sq. ft, the new Wellfit gym has been fitted out with a Martin Audio sound reinforcement solution.

Located in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), this latest mammoth facility, situated on level 2 of the Circle Mall, features no fewer than 200 of the British manufacturer’s loudspeakers, spanning several different ranges.

It is the second such state-of-the-art sports, health, and fitness centre in the UAE opened by operators Arada, following the successful community pilot in Sharjah last year.

The sound is broadcast through the main activity zones via Martin Audio’s popular CDD series. These coaxial differential dispersion loudspeakers were installed by local partners, PRO LAB, to a specification by Pulse Middle East, who were responsible for the design and build of the venue. They form part of a full audio, visual, lighting, and content management solution provided by the integrators.

PRO LAB has a long history of supplying Martin Audio systems, and in particular the ultra-compact CDD, which offers both even coverage and performance. “It was the coverage pattern in particular that drew us to CDD,” said PRO LAB managing director, Rami Haber.

Since a differential dispersion horn has a trapezoidal dispersion pattern in both vertical and horizontal planes the specified area can be covered with sound more evenly than a system with a conventional, fixed-dispersion type horn.

Distributed throughout the vast space are six CDD10 and 50 CDD8, with low frequencies handled by 14 SX210 and four SX212 subwoofers.

In addition, PRO LAB and Pulse have specified Martin Audio Blackline, detailing 20 Blackline X10, 32 X8B, a pair of Blackline X12B and 18 x X115B subwoofers. These are situated in the corners of the main studio.

In the ancillary retail and leisure areas, they have added a combination of 15 ACS-55T 5.25in passive two-way ceiling speakers, 20 ACP-55TB compact pendant ceiling speakers and 19 ACS 40TS 4in ultra-compact ceiling speakers, all part of Martin Audio’s ADORN series.

The loudspeakers also needed to show their versatility since they take feeds from a variety of sources including PIXILAB which controls all audio, visual, lighting (including architectural) and content, as well as computer-delivered background music, Audix mics, and other AV sources (HDMI TX and RX).

The sound reinforcement system has met the approval of all concerned. Concluded PRO LAB CEO Rami Haber: “After working with many premier speaker systems previously in other gyms the client was very happy with the coverage, performance, and quality provided by Martin Audio and Pulse.”

 

24th November 2022

Pophouse Entertainment chooses Creative Technology as technical partner for Space Stockholm

Sweden – Located in the heart of Stockholm, Space is a digital culture centre created especially for the digital generation that combines the key ingredients of digital culture: gaming, music, content creation and digital know-how, all under one roof. With more than 400 gaming stations, a state-of-the-art event arena to host traditional and hybrid events, and creative areas spread across the multi-floor, 8,000m2 building, Space is a ‘go-to’ hub for collaboration and innovation. As technical partner to Pophouse Entertainment, in charge of the Space project, Creative Technology Systems Integrations (CT SI) supplied and installed a large quantity of AV technology throughout the centre, including LCD screens and media servers in the gaming section, high-end screens in the co-working area, and a massive AV installation in the event arena.

The awe-inspiring venue captures its visitors’ imaginations at the entrance, with a ceiling mounted, 23m by 7m, 4mm pixel pitch Samsung LED screen, configured as an upside-down ‘U’, delivering stunning visuals.

“As the centre was open to the public during installation, we started work early in the morning and needed to finish in time for when the first visitors arrived in the afternoon,” explains Fredrik Lyckman, senior technical advisor at CT, who was involved throughout the project. “First, we installed a specially constructed steel frame and then attached the LED panels to it. We also had to consider the building’s sprinkler system, which required eight gaps to be left between the panels, something that in the end turned out to be a successful design concept.”

The sheer scale of the screen required four weeks intensive planning and installation, and its position required the flexible playout system of a Watchout media server, which handles rotating graphics for the individual LED panels.

“The idea for the entrance is to instantly attract attention and show visitors what Space is all about,” says Lyckman. “The spectacular LED screen has certainly helped to achieve this. The response has been extremely positive, with visitors immediately blown away by the captivating visuals on the ceiling.”

For meetings and events, the arena has enough room to host a 550-capacity live audience. It can hold one or two events a day and has already proven a hit with Space customers booking the venue for their events, including the FIFA eChampionship league Finals 2022 and Stockholm 50. Here, CT SI supplied a massive audio and lighting rig along with a 19m by 5m 8K curved LED screen, which is one of the highest resolution screens in Northern Europe. The L-Acoustics PA system and a powerful lighting rig create an unmatched audio-visual experience for the on-site audience. The entire set-up is connected to a Crestron system which can trigger functions via devices such as iPhones.

“The beauty of the installed system is that it makes the arena fully prepared for virtual and hybrid events, with a brand-new control room equipped with the latest broadcast technologies,” continues Lyckman.

The co-working area, located across three floors, has both open lounge-like office landscapes and traditional meeting rooms, again with technology installed by CT SI. Here, guests are able rent a workplace for a day, a week, a month, or longer.

“Everything with this project is extraordinary,” says Lyckman. “At CT, we are used to delivering premium projects and with Space we deliver premium on an unprecedented scale all the way, straight through, down to the smallest detail.”

Lyckman furthers that in such large projects, ambition has to be tempered, but with Space, not a single detail has been compromised. “It has been extremely exciting for us as a supplier to work with this fantastic customer who has relied on us 100 percent,” he adds.

Even with tight deadlines, the high demands from the client meant only the very best was good enough for Space.

“The challenges mainly revolved around delivery times because of the global situation with production and transportation issues,” Lyckman concludes. “We solved them with a number of innovative solutions, pulling in the resources of other parts of the CT Group to meet the deadlines.

“The entire team at our Swedish offices was involved in this project one way or another. It was great to work with the entirety of our in-house expertise; there was always someone to support you in whatever area it was needed in. Together, we came up with the best solutions and Pophouse Entertainment, the client and Space visitors are delighted with the result.”

photos: Creative Technology

23rd November 2022

Panasonic Projectors Help Frameless – The UK’s Largest Immersive Attraction – Set Art Free

UK – When the creators of Frameless, the UK’s largest digital immersive art experience, were planning their ambitious project to “set art free” at the 30,000 square feet venue in London’s Marble Arch, they knew that their choice of technology partner for the projection technology was going to be critical.

The ambition was to create an immersive experience to excite and inspire visitors of all ages. Frameless would use more than 50 state-of-the-art projectors to elevate the traditional art experience to a whole new level, accompanied by a score of breath-taking classical and contemporary music played over 158 state-of-the-art surround sound speakers.

Ground-breaking techniques used in the galleries included mirrors and wrapping projectors in mirror foil to give the effect of visual infinity, using six-sided projection to place visitors at the heart of an almost spherical land, sea or city scape and using semi-transparent screens in a darkened room to create a maze of content to get lost in.

To test the capabilities of the latest projectors on the market, Frameless worked with its integration partner and live events and immersive experience expert Creative Technology to organise a competitive shoot-out with the three leading projector manufacturers.

“The success of the project would stand or fall on the quality of the immersive experience that we delivered,” said Simon Kentish, chief technology officer, at Frameless. “Once we saw the Panasonic 3-Chip DLP projectors in action, they were the clear leader in picture quality and reliability.”

Panasonic’s original pixel-quadrupling technology in its RQ22K and RQ35K projectors produced stunning 4K+ visuals at 20,000-30,500 lumens. The projectors deliver uniformity in both brightness and colour performance, allowing images to be seamlessly blended, avoiding distractions or blemishes that could break the connection with the viewer.

In addition to the immersive experience, Frameless was keen for the projected images to be easily captured on video and in photos for social media. “The ability for visitors to share images and videos of the spectacular projected art on social media was an important marketing consideration,” explained Simon. “Many of the projectors produced images that did not capture well but, if possible, the Panasonic projector images looked even better on camera!”

The other major consideration was reliability. With a build time for the venue of just over a year, timings were tight. AV equipment would need to be installed and set-up while there was still a lot of building dust in the venue. On top of that, the venue needed projectors that would continue to deliver spectacular images day in and day out for a high profile London attraction. The filterless design and dust-proof optical system, alongside the high performance cooling system ensures the projectors deliver 20,000 hours of real maintenance-free use.

Frameless also uses Panasonic’s MZ16 projection series, which delivers long-lasting brightness and superb colour performance at 10,000lm (MZ10K), 13,000lm (MZ13K), and 16,000lm (MZ16K). This 3LCD technology provides vibrant HD quality images, and reliability is assured by the liquid cooled laser diodes and sealed phosphor wheel that protects against dust ingress to provide long life brightness.

Using more than 50 Panasonic projectors in total, the art projections inside the attraction are delivered by 479 million pixels and 1 million lumens of brightness and vivid colour. Art seeps into every inch of space. Visitors don’t look at a picture, they are inside the picture, with every brush stroke, every splash of colour, every moment of inspiration surrounding them. They can experience truly stunning image quality across four immersive visitor galleries, as well as a fifth gallery dedicated to corporate and educational events.

To create the incredible surrounding immersive effects, Panasonic Ultra Short Throw (UST) lenses are used with 80% of the projectors. These specialist lenses allow projectors to be hidden in the ceilings, so as not to distract from the immersive illusion, and to project at incredible angles to surround the visitor without casting shadows.

“The content creators have pushed the capabilities of the projectors to their limits and the incredible attributes of the Panasonic projectors and periscope UST lenses has enabled us to create completely immersive experiences across both large (up to 9m high) and challenging spaces,” said Simon. “There is no greater pleasure for me than standing at the entrance to one of the galleries and watching as art lovers, families and children all interact and enjoy the immersive experiences in the room. The joy on their faces is wonderful and it’s the combination of art, content creation, projection and sound that has made that happen.”

photos: Antonio Pagano

22nd November 2022

Alfalite ORIM Giant LED Screen is the Centrepiece of PLAZAMEDIA Hybrid World Cup Studio

Germany – A 132-square-metre LED wall from Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has been selected as the centrepiece for PLAZAMEDIA's new hybrid studio near Munich to broadcast all the FIFA World Cup matches from Qatar. The TV set will use camera tracking and multi-camera systems from Mo-Sys, also the Alfalite LED wall supplier for this installation.

PLAZAMEDIA GmbH is a top live entertainment and sporting events producer and established provider of intelligent digital content solutions in Germany. They have chosen an Alfalite Modularpix Pro VP XR 1.9 ORIM 33 metre wide and 3.5 metre high curved U-shaped LED wall for its new hybrid studio at the AGROB Medienpark to broadcast the 64 FIFA games from Qatar, including 23 live matches. Deutsche Telekom will air all 64 2022 FIFA World Cup matches live on MagentaTV.

The new state-of-the-art XR LED studio in Ismaning near Munich will create a unique experience for viewers at home and in the studio.

Mo-Sys and the Spanish company Alfalite installed the ORIM LED wall in record time, surprising and pleasing PLAZAMEDIA. ORIM (Optical Resin Injection Module) technology is a new termination system for LED panels through an injection of optical resin that improves precision between modules (<0.5mm). It also provides a magnified 175º horizontal and vertical viewing angle.

LED panels with ORIM technology have superior antistatic electricity protection (ESD > 10kV), improved thermal dissipation parameters, and excellent resistance to impacts, liquids, chemicals and fire (with UL94 compliance). They are also easier to clean, suffer less deterioration and have the shortest repair time on the market.

The Alfalite Modularpix Pro VP XR model has a fine pixel pitch of 1.9 millimetres, optical parameters, and brightness cd/m2 > 1,800 nits. This product has revolutionised the LED screen market, providing a solution for virtual production or mixed reality for broadcasting, film, series or advertising productions.

Two extra features make Alfalite panels stand out from other LED panels in the market. One is the low average consumption (35W), and the other is the low levels of electromagnetic compatibility (Certification EMC), which allow Alfalite panels to coexist with other electronic systems without interference, as is often the case on TV studios or film sets.

The 350 square metre hybrid studio set will combine existing set architecture, and physical media feeds with a digitally generated virtual extension ("augmented reality") in a 360° world. Four cameras will interplay virtual and real elements in real-time from the giant Alfalite LED wall during the 29-day FIFA World Cup Event.

To ensure that all camera movements are being transferred to the virtual world, the position of the four studio cameras will be constantly tracked and the data transferred to the render engines using Mo-Sys Startracker camera tracking system and Mo-Sys broadcast Mixed Reality system (bMR).

Jesús Cabrera, CEO of Alfalite, said: "We are thrilled that a prestigious company as PLAZAMEDIA chose ORIM LED Wall for their new and innovative XR LED Studio". He added, "It's great to work with these technology partners and continue improving our technology with Mo-Sys."

Shortly, FIFA World Cup fans in Germany will enjoy a unique augmented reality experience with 14 hours of programming daily, including live games directly from Qatar, conferences for parallel matches and in-studio discussions with commentators.

22nd November 2022

MÜPA Budapest invests in Robe

Hungary – Művészetek Palotája (MÜPA) – Palace of the Arts – enjoys a commanding position on the shores of the Danube in Hungary’s vibrant capital Budapest and is a powerhouse for high quality arts productions. Its prestigious venues include the 1,700-capacity Bartok National Concert Hall and the festival theatre which accommodates 450 people.

The lighting department which comprises 12 people has recently invested in more Robe moving lights, with 30 Tarrantulas and 13 FORTES (Robe’s most powerful LED fixtures) joining the inventory and now in use, mostly in the Festival Theatre.

During the pandemic lockdowns, all MÜPA’s technical staff including the lighting department was kept busy staging streamed shows and they also ran drive-in performances in the car park outside.

MÜPA also seized the opportunity of dark time during the lockdown to upgrade some of the technology – some of which had been in the building since it opened in 2005 – with more contemporary options.

Very democratically, all in the lighting department, had a say in what they thought should be the right choices of new luminaires, which enabled them to whittle it down to a shortlist from which various shoot-outs were arranged.

The audio and video departments were also invited to attend these, so everyone could have input in how new lighting kit might also impact their respective work.

The audio team were concerned about quietness in relation to some of the noise-sensitive performances. They had frequently voiced an opinion on this with the older lights in use, while the video and broadcast teams wanted to ensure that any new lighting technology was camera-friendly, especially with the rising popularity of streamed and hybrid events.

The main objective was to replace most of the old conventional lighting with modern, flexible, and of course more sustainable fixtures, so most of the old wash lights were switched for Tarrantulas, which also replaced the previous generation of LED wash lights in the roof which had arrived about six years ago. In turn these were moved to the optional floor packages for the Festival Theatre.

For Tarrantulas they were looking for a robust product that had a good zoom, as this had continually stuck on the older fixtures.

The first ten Robe Tarrantulas arrived in 2020 and before them the first Robe products in MÜPA were MMX Spots specified for the Concert Hall eight years ago.

Even though 2020 saw primarily streamed events happening that year, everyone did get enough hands-on practice with the Tarrantulas to rate them creatively. They loved the colours and the light output, while the zoom proved rock solid, so getting another 20 earlier this year was an easy decision.

FORTE faced some stiff competition during the shoot outs, but it came through as a clear winner!

The FORTE’S HCF LED engine was critical here as the high CRI is needed to properly and nicely light faces and produce fabulous flesh as well as fantastic colours. In the shoot-outs, FORTE proved itself to be the most sophisticated fixture and the one that offered the most creative options.

Other factors impressing everyone included the FORTES plus / minus green, the quietness, the accuracy of the shuttering and the absence of the 'banana effect'.

On the noise tests with the audio department it was quickly ascertained that the Festival Theatre’s AC emitted more ambient dBs than the lights. And when that was turned off, as the fixtures run cooler, the almost imperceptible amount of audible sound is acceptable, so that was a big plus.

Impressing lighting people with lighting products is one thing, but keeping a sound crew happy takes things to a totally different level!

The new FORTES and Tarrantulas have been in daily use in the Festival Theatre since full live performance and rehearsal schedules were resumed in the Spring. A wide variety of shows are presented there, from ballet and classical concerts to jazz, pop, rock, and some corporate events and even car launches.

Some productions will being their own lighting designers while others are lit by the in-house team, and so far, everyone is happy with the new Robes.

Everyone has a lot of respect for Robe as a brand especially for its reliability, and the lighting department also stress the importance of having a good relationship with the local distributor, in this case AVL Trade, which has worked hard and proactively to get Robe into some landmark installations in the city and around the country.

Other recent installations in Budapest include over 350 fixtures which are part of the house rig at the brand new 20,000 capacity multi-purpose MVM Dome and at the Rumbach Street Synagogue, which is a newly renovated event space, museum, and place of worship.

photos: Louise Stickland

www.robe.cz

22nd November 2022

Audient Interfaces “never let us down” says WaterBear – The College Of Music

UK – Audient iD4s have been chosen for 36 individual workstations at WaterBear – The College of Music based in Brighton. A total of 343 on-site BA (Hons) students will get their hands on the two in / two out compact Audient interfaces during this academic year and resident sound engineer Lewis Dolan is happy to report that the interfaces have proved themselves both reliable and robust. “They are used day in and day out and have never let us down, they can clearly take quite a beating.
“Being able to have a good sounding DI/Hi-Z signal to track live bass or guitar is fundamental to our lessons and the iD4s provide just that,” he continues. Each iD4 is equipped with an Audient console mic preamp, class leading converters and a JFET instrument input, ensuring professional audio performance.

“As the on-site technician at WaterBear, the thing I enjoy about them is I’ve only had two in three years that have needed a small fix. That makes my life a lot easier and puts worries of disaster aside for years to come. For the students, having an interface that is clear and concise in its construction means they don’t have to worry about the tech and can focus on being creative.”

Creativity is what it’s about at WaterBear education facility, where degree courses are tailored towards the musicians, artists and industry professionals of today. “We’re about smaller class sizes, flexible course delivery, one-to-one mentoring and exclusive work experience and career development opportunities for our students, as well as inspiring creative freedom and building communities of exceptional industry connections,“ explains Lewis.

The newest WaterBear campus opens up in Sheffield next year, offering the same courses as those in Brighton. “These are two amazing UK cities with incredible musical roots and heritage.”

Offering his own thoughts as to the future of WaterBear, as well as its audio production department, Lewis continues: “I would scale up the experience from home studio to professional studio level. This would provide multiple spaces for our students to rehearse, record and mix to their hearts’ content.”

22nd November 2022

Captivate AV empowers King’s Church with KLANG and DiGiCo integration

Australia – King’s Church has teamed up with Captivate AV to enhance its worship experience with KLANG’s immersive in-ear mixing system coupled with DiGiCo S-Series consoles. Boasting several key locations across Australia’s Gold Coast, King’s Church encompasses a growing community of connected worshippers that regularly assemble for a variety of services and events. With a vast congregation, including multiple associated school campuses, the church is well-versed in employing high-tech AV solutions to amplify its message.

Endeavouring to offer its followers a technologically progressive experience, both in-person and online, King’s Church produces its own podcast and web-stream services, while delivering potent live worship sessions through song and the spoken word. Recognising seamless audio production as a core component in delivering the impact it wants, the church’s team has enlisted industry expert, Captivate AV, to help optimise its AV capabilities. Chris Lang, Captivate AV’s managing director, spearheaded the leap to KLANG IEM technology in a move that has been extraordinarily well-received by King’s Church’s worship leaders, students and global worship director, Ashleigh Rogers.

“Our church incorporates schools, meaning we have very mixed, multi-purpose use spaces. From services to musicals, the sound system is used a lot – almost every day of the week for different things,” says Ashleigh, as he reflects on the upgrade. “Now, thanks to our DiGiCo and KLANG set-up, we experience significantly better time efficiency and the in-ears have given musicians and singers the confidence to hear exactly what they need, they can simply adjust everything themselves. Having KLANG has massively improved our audio experience and worship quality, I don’t even think its comparable to before!”

Effortlessly augmenting the existing worship set-ups, KLANG offers each performer a personal 3D soundstage, allowing for natural and intuitive monitor mixes with pristine sonic quality. The system also takes advantage of the interrelated KLANG and DiGiCo ecosystems, with DiGiCo’s DMI-KLANG expansion card bringing a generous host of 3D IEM control capabilities to their Quantum and S-Series consoles. Based on ultra-fast FPGA architecture, DMI-KLANG enables the creation of 16 immersive, 3D in-ear mixes of 64 input channels. An extremely powerful counterpart to the ultra-compact S-Series consoles, DMI-KLANG is capable of granting each performer a completely tailored auditory experience.

Lang expands on this synergy as the ideal solution for King’s Church: “We currently have three campuses across the Gold Coast region with DiGiCo S-Series consoles. Before KLANG, one campus was using foldback wedges for frontline and an older style personal monitoring system for backline. The other campuses were doing IEM mixes straight from the console. Once DMI-KLANG was released, we began installing them across the campuses along with additional wireless stereo IEM kits.”

KLANG offers musicians meticulous control over their own IEM mix via the KLANG:app, providing a matchless dimensionality to performance monitoring. Musicians can simply choose where each instrument, playback source, and other performers are positioned around their head, enriching the listening experience with a sense of proximity and directionality.

Delighted by the spatial authenticity offered by KLANG, King’s Church worship leader and drummer, Callum, describes the way he employs the app and 3D IEM features: “Using KLANG really helps to position everything that you're hearing, to give you that very authentic, open ambient noise from the drums. Depending on what drum I’m mixing, I will generally position each part in the app similarly to an overhead position. This creates a very clear, realistic sound for those drums in my in-ears. Having the 3D option creates a realistic environment when playing and creates this feeling of being in amongst the rest of the instruments and the other band members, whilst still maintaining the clarity of my own instrument in the mix.”

With the power of the KLANG:app, bass player and music director, Adrian, makes the most of KLANG’s 3D soundstage, highlighting the ability to easily discern individual instruments as a major advantage over traditional monitoring methods.

“It’s really good being able to hear specific instruments a lot better than before,” he says. “Having the ability to choose a position for each instrument and vocal in the 3D mode is fantastic. It's great being able to isolate each element, to pinpoint who I need to turn up or down, especially when trying to lead as a music director.”

Speaking to the benefits of a 3D soundstage, worship leader, Isaiah highlights an improved connection with the worship congregation as a key point of difference when using KLANG.

“It’s so much easier to hear what is actually going on,” he states. “The sound of all the individual instruments become very clear with the 3D capabilities. I’ve been able to distinguish every instrument and my voice, along with the other vocals. It’s much easier to interpret than when using on-stage foldback, so it's really helped flowing with the team, being able to lead properly, while hearing the music director, and also being able to connect with the congregation on a different level! My experience with the 3D in-ears has been incredible, I definitely recommend it.”

Giving rise to a renewed sense of enthusiasm amongst the performers bringing worship to life, the KLANG IEMs, coupled with DiGiCo’s S-Series, has made an undoubtedly positive impact on the King’s Church community. Selected and maintained by Captivate AV, KLANG stands as an ideal component in enriching forward-thinking houses of worship, with Ashleigh singing its praises: “We now wouldn’t live without it and could never go back. It’s been amazing!”

www.digico.biz

22nd November 2022

Micro line arrays can deliver more than just vocal clarity

USA – There is a school of thought that micro line arrays are only good for vocal applications. This misconception comes from the type of projects where such a sound reinforcement system usually excels. However, these small format cabinets can also deliver much more musicality than people expect.

When consultants are recommending micro line arrays, it is usually due to a combination of two common factors. First, the application requires a sound system that will not take away from the aesthetics of a space. And second, the venue requires tight control over the audio to ensure intelligibility.

This combination means that houses of worship are often the most common application for micro line array systems like Martin Audio’s O-Line. And the reaction of users in that setting is overwhelmingly positive. “We are extremely satisfied with the performance of O-Line,” said Zachary Ward, director of communications, First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. “With such a unique room, including 42ft-high ceilings and several stained-glass windows reaching more than 28ft tall, O-Line provides even coverage and clarity while accomplishing our main goal, preserving the overall aesthetic of the room.”

However, once the system is put into use, the full capabilities of O-Line become clear. “It’s a very transparent PA, it’s not lumpy in the bottom end,” noted Mozaix director Paul Tucker, discussing St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Melbourne. “We had a consecration service featuring a fantastic viola player and the sound of that instrument was beautiful, really stunning.”

“We wanted to let the choir master, minister and organist hear the quality over the area they wanted to cover, and they were all blown away,” agreed Roger McMullan, Rea Sound project manager, reflecting on an upgrade project at Belfast’s St Mark’s Church. “In fact, they can now hire it out so that bands can play through O-Line as a full range system without the need for additional subwoofers.”

Surprise at the level of musicality possible with a micro line array is a common theme. Most users are expecting the even coverage and improved intelligibility, but expect to sacrifice musical performance as a result. The response when venues find out that they don’t need to make musical compromises is always positive.

“They were ecstatic about the system and blown away with the intelligibility and musicality of the O-Line system,” reveals John Pierce, director of Sales for Audio-Video Group, recalling a project at Washington DC’s historic Capitol Hill Baptist Church. “And even without subs, they were happy with the range those boxes provide, they go pretty low and sound good. I love the O-Line. I’ve done several systems in more traditional churches and they’re fantastic for speech and music as well.”

The result of these reactions has seen an increasing number of people starting to specify micro line arrays for a wide range of projects, from planetariums to conference venues. “The client mentioned in our first meeting that he wanted something that would visually flow with the interior and provide full coverage allowing small bands to play through the speakers for special events,” noted John Wojciechowski, HBS’ engineering services manager AV when discussing a sophisticated conference space at Gentian Financial Inc. “That is when the O-Line came to mind: small and subtle footprint, amazing speech capability, consistent and discreet music coverage.”

As the full capabilities of micro line arrays are beginning to be seen in more applications, there is sure to be an increase in demand for these small, yet powerful systems. “O-Line has proven time and again over the years that it is a flexible system that can deliver outstanding results in a variety of spaces,” said Dom Harter, managing director at Martin Audio. “Adding in a subwoofer will often make the system even more musical, and with O-Line and compatible subs currently in stock, ready to ship, there is a real opportunity for people who are struggling to get hold of other solutions to give micro line arrays a try. I’m certain that they will be impressed with the results.”

22nd November 2022

Fusion LX Lights “Science Fiction Voyage to the End of Imagination” with Help from Chauvet Professional

UK – “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere,” wrote Albert Einstein. Were he around today, even the great physicist himself would marvel at “Science Fiction Voyage to the Edge of Imagination,” an interactive exhibition of unlimited possibilities at the London Science Museum, which opened this October and runs through to May 2023.

Designed by Framestore, a Bafta and Oscar winning creative studio in collaboration with P&P Projects, a Dutch scenic design company, the ticketed exhibit draws on a variety of AR and VR tools including a multi-array projection dome featuring a real time Unreal Engine visualisation of extra-terrestrial beings, to immerse visitors in a universe where imagination knows no boundaries

Guided by 'artificial intelligence of an alien origin', visitors board a unique space ship and explore an unknown planet at this remarkable attraction. Enhancing the transformative journey and deepening the experience of visitors as they leave the familiar behind and enter a new reality is a lighting design from Fusion LX that features 118 COLORado 1 Solo IP65 wash fixtures and four Ovation F-195 FC Fresnel units from Chauvet Professional.

A highly-regarded lighting and AV company specialising in the museum and heritage industry (its clients include The British Museum and Natural History Museum among others), the Fusion LX team specified the Chauvet Professional fixtures for their colour rendering and focusing capabilities.

“We used the COLORado fixtures in a variety of places,” said Fusion LX director Ian Carling, who tendered the fixtures and managed the layout of the lighting system in addition to focusing the lights. “This was the first time, we used the COLORado 1 Solo IP fixtures. They met all of our requirements in terms of colour changing, zooming and DMX. I would definitely specify them again.”

The Fusion LX team positioned the Ovation Fresnel units in the “Cargo Bay,” which is situated at the beginning of the exhibition. “Given the nature of this particular section, we wanted a more impactful level of light, so we selected the Ovation F-195 FC,” said Carling.

Although Science Fiction Voyage to the Edge of Imagination, takes visitors into a wondrous world, having this exhibit come together involved a great deal of hard, detailed work and collaboration amongst many people. “Time was the biggest challenge in this project,” said Carling. “Procuring all elements of our scope and then working around other trades on a busy site to complete on time was our chief concern. All involved in this project were fantastic, which made things a great deal easier.”

Of course, journeying into the magic of this exhibit, visitors aren’t likely to think of all the details involved in making it came together. They’ll be too busy being transported into a boundless world of imagination, and that is precisely what makes science fiction so special.

 

21st November 2022

Leyard Europe leads the digital revolution at celebrated Glasgow museum

UK – Originally opened by the late Queen in 1983, Glasgow’s celebrated Burrell Collection museum was recently reopened by King Charles in one of his first engagements as monarch, following a six-year long, £68m refurbishment. With a bold focus on digital presence and interpretation, LCD screens from world-leading specialists, Leyard Europe, were paramount in the museum’s refit.

Meticulously curated by wealthy Glasgow shipping magnate and art collector, Sir William Burrell and his wife Constance, the prestigious collection was gifted by the couple to the City in 1944, alongside funds for the construction of a museum to house it. After years searching for the appropriate site, the resulting building is a Scandinavian-inspired, award-winning design established in the city’s Pollok Country Park.

Many of the Collection’s significant and unique objects have been in storage for decades or never been on permanent display, but they are now on show thanks to a 35% increase in the museum’s gallery space. Partnering with leading UK audio visual multimedia integrator, D J Willrich, the venue’s AV team introduced digital technology, comprising video walls, interactive and hybrid systems, in a majority of the 24 galleries and public spaces, regenerating the displays with innovative elements to help visitors engage with the stories behind the collection.

“At the forefront of the Burrell’s AV design is a series of bespoke LCD screens by top manufacturer, Leyard Europe,” explains Nicola Jagger from D J Willrich. “We specified Leyard’s Clarity Matrix G3 LX46X 4k LCD video wall system with ERO-LCD protective glass for the video walls throughout the museum to ensure extremely high-resolution image quality and robust build to withstand visitor interaction. Leyard Europe was the first supplier we thought of, and really the only contender when it came to screen quality and realising the ambitions of the museum’s digital team.”

Central to the museum’s digital innovation is a 4m x 6m video wall situated in the Access Core, which has steps rising from the basement to the main entrance at ground level. This impressive display plays stunning imagery of objects from the collection in giant format brought to life against the backdrop of the surrounding Pollock Park to encourage local visitors to visualise them in their local context. The video wall can also be used for presentations by staff members and the area can also be utilised as an event space.

The architecture of the building is open plan, with balconies between levels at the ends of corridors with views down to the floor below. Two long galleries on the main level draw visitors deep into the museum with pairs of 5m high by 2m wide screens set into recessed niches, two pairs in the long gallery and one pair in the shorter gallery. Object cases sit in front of the screens which display high resolution video of the objects in large scale so visitors can explore the detail and are designed to pull visitors through to the further reaches of the museum.

The museum houses a ‘Pater familias’ gallery dedicated to the Burrell family, examining their history. Here a further screen displays life size images of actors playing family members. A similar screen, displaying images from around Glasgow with animated people in the foreground, again some of them life-sized, links the Burrell Family and Glasgow galleries, whilst the Storytelling gallery contains three video walls with light-hearted content, telling different stories about the objects displayed there, and a fourth video wall is loaded with interactive content.

Glasgow-based digital media specialists, ISO Design, created the media and content for the refitted venue, whilst leading interior fit-out specialists, Beck Interiors, managed the setworks for the corridor video walls and people-sized video walls, and design consultancy, Elmwood, managed screen fittings in the central Access Core and Storytelling gallery. The larger video walls required specialist servers, but the smaller devices are run using standard media players, still providing good quality imagery.

“The Leyard Europe team were very helpful and supportive throughout the decision and planning process, and the results are a beautiful, cost-effective solution,” says Jagger. “The galleries containing local content and references have been a big draw for local visitors, who have been delighted to see the artefacts contextualised in local surroundings. Some of the curator team were concerned about the quantity of AV being introduced, but everyone is completely thrilled by it. The Burrell’s digital evolution has been a huge success.”

“We are proud to be associated with the prestigious Burrell Collection and delighted to see our steadfast Planar Clarity Matrix displays adding value to the exhibition here,” concludes Leyard Europe sales manager, Luke Marler-Hausen. “Our partner D J Willrich was, as ever, a stalwart in delivering this spectacular installation during some very tough Covid years.”

18th November 2022

‘tonzauber’ Recording OB Van with Lawo mc²36 MkII Console

Austria – Those seeking a studio in Austria for ultra-high-quality recording of classical music inevitably come to the name “tonzauber”, and for good reason. The studio, whose name means “sound magic”, has gained a reputation for providing superior audio quality and expert engineering services for the performers who record there, which include not only classical performances but other musical genres from jazz to metal.

Now, tonzauber has expanded their capabilities with the addition of a new on-location mobile recording truck, equipped with a state-of-the-art Lawo mc²36 MkII mixing desk. Georg Burdicek, who founded the studio in 1998, says it’s the fulfilment of his dream.

“Building an OB truck was my long-cherished wish,” says Burdicek, “but the need to build it was greatly heightened due to circumstances brought on by the pandemic. When Covid hit, all of a sudden there were orders for many live streams that often had to be implemented within short lead times. This also affected very elaborate mobile productions, which then had to be ready-mixed immediately.”

“It all got to the point where I thought to myself, ‘I don’t like that: – every time packing everything up, driving somewhere, unpacking again, setting up the equipment and then still having to sit and mix in some room, a storeroom or, at open-air events, in a tent’!”

Other factors also drove Burdicek’s decision to build an OB truck designed to meet his specific needs: the limited selections of truck sizes and available options.

“I’ve noticed that for the music productions I’m in charge of in Austria, the trend is toward smaller and smaller TV OB trucks, because you don’t have the budget for more than five or six cameras, which any Sprinter can do, even in 4K and HD. The problem with this is that there is no sound control room built in, at least not one where I would want to mix an orchestra!” says Burdicek.

With all this in mind, Burdicek decided in early 2021 to make his wish a reality. “Especially since the technology was already there, and I only had to build the OB truck,” Burdicek smiles. After working through various possibilities from trailers to box vans, the detailed planning of a sound OB van based on a full-grown truck began in August and construction began in October 2021, with the in-house tonzauber team working with TV service provider Euro-TV, which has extensive experience in the construction of OB trucks. The new mobile studio rolled out in Spring, 2022.

Burdicek banks on IP technology for the future. “Our entire vehicle is based on RAVENNA / AES67 technology, which gives me a level of flexibility not available in the broadcast sector before. My smallest stagebox is 1RU and offers eight microphone inputs, four line outputs, and is powered by PoE. This makes it suitable for distributed use and can replace long analogue multicores,” Burdicek says. “These granular stageboxes, as well as additional devices such as DirectOut’s prodigy.mp for taking over MADI and Dante signals including clock decoupling, leave hardly anything to be desired.”

Drawing on his many years of experience with mixing consoles from Lawo and others, Burdicek chose a Lawo mc²36 MkII All-in-One production console. With its A__UHD core technology, it offers 256 processing channels available at both 48 and 96 kHz, making it possible to master even large orchestral productions. The all-in-one mixer natively supports ST2110, AES67, RAVENNA and Ember+. With an I/O capacity of up to 864 channels and local I/Os, the mc²36 MkII offers extensive connectivity, including three redundant IP network interfaces, 16 Lawo-quality mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs, eight AES3 inputs and outputs, 8 GPIO connectors and an SFP MADI port.

Demands on the monitoring environment are high, so a superstructure with very elaborate acoustical treatment was mounted on a truck chassis, with the outer shell and interior isolated from each other and fitted with thick, 10cm insulation. Designed for “immersive audio”, the truck can accommodate mixing for Dolby Atmos and is fitted with a 7.1.4 sound system.

The new tonzauber audio OB truck triumphantly debuted in May, 2022 at the “Fest der Freude” (“Festival of Joy”), an open-air concert by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, with Burdicek producing the live broadcast for Austrian public broadcaster ORF. Other broadcasts and recordings of concerts by renowned orchestras followed, including the London Symphonic Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle, the Bruckner Orchestra Linz at the “Gmunden Open Air”, and a television broadcast of an Austrian operetta at the Summer Arena event from the City Theater Baden.

“The biggest and most elaborate production so far was the performance of the opera Nabucco by Guiseppe Verdi at “Oper im Steinbruch” (“Opera in the Quarry”) in St. Margarethen in the Burgenland county,” Burdicek relates. “I had 128 channels to mix there, so I have to be able to set up the console perfectly in order to keep track of everything and quickly reach buttons or faders without thinking. That’s the only way to handle a live concert mix of that complexity, and Lawo gives me a big advantage doing so because I can label everything very easily, I am supported by the colour-coded controls, and I can also work with logos and symbols from the new mc²36 MKII. All of this dramatically increases the overview.”

The new tonzauber sound OB truck can do more than just classical music, however. “I built the vehicle primarily for classical recordings, but that doesn’t mean I don’t let other people use it as well,” says Burdicek, noting that he recently went to the metal festival in Wacken (Germany) to oversee a concert production for a client at the Wacken Open Air. “The colleague who mixed the production came with his own prepared plug-ins on his own hardware, which I integrated into our system within minutes. This shows the flexibility of my sound OB truck, audio-wise there are practically no restrictions,”

Finally, Burdicek concludes: “Sound-wise, I’m very happy with Lawo, because the console has no inherent sound; it just delivers what it’s supposed to and responds to my control. I don’t want any big sound colorations. What happens in front of the mic and comes out of the mic should end up with my specifications on the sum. With Lawo, it does.”

18th November 2022

Doornroosje Makes new Robe Investment

The Netherlands – Busy and vibrant live music venue, Doornroosje, in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, has invested in more Robe moving lights for its two main performance halls, which are action-packed with a full programme – currently staging around double the number of pre-covid shows such is the demand – making up for down time during the pandemic.

Doornroosje is run by the local Nijmegen town council and managed by a full-time staff of bookers, admin and technical staff including Robbie Van Reen, who has been head of lighting since 2009.

Twenty Robe T1 Profiles, 12 x T2 Profiles 12 Spiider LED wash beams and eight LEDBeam 350s have recently been added to their house lighting rigs, which help offer fantastic production values to all visiting artists. These were all delivered by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux, with whom Robbie has a great relationship.

The venue’s history with Robe goes back many years. In 2014 when Doornroosje moved to its current site in the city centre the current investments started, initially in MMX Spots which were still going strong last year when replaced with the latest purchases.

They also have DLX Spots and DLF Washes (Robe’s first-generation LED moving lights) which have clocked up over 20,000 hours and were recently moved to the bar area in a reshuffle of existing lights that happened alongside the installation of the new ones.

The largest room in the building is the main 1,100 capacity Red stage; the Purple stage can accommodate 400 music fans and the bar area around 200. The musical mix is diverse, from rock, pop and folk to reggae, world and funk, to metal, hip hop, R ‘n’ B plus a profusion of dance genres, so the lighting rig has always been specified for flexibility and offering numerous creative options.

The 12 new T1s have gone to the Purple stage, with the older DLX Spots and DLF Washes that were there before now moved to the dance floor of the Purple stage and the bar, where they are perfect for the dance nights.

The first ever Robe fixtures to arrive at Doornroosje – before 2014 when it was still at the previous site across town – were some LEDWash 300s, and six of these are still part of the venues floor package. “These and other Robe fixtures have all been amazing value,” Robbie stated.

Twelve of the new T1 Profiles, all the T2s and Spiiders are now installed over the Red Stage. The Spiiders are augmenting some LEDWash 800s that were part of an earlier investment and the eight new LEDBeam 350s are part of a floor package, their small size, massive brightness, and easy manoeuvrability making them perfect for the job!

“Colour mixing was a key feature for choosing the T1s and T2s,” explained Robbie who likes the intense reds and blues these luminaires can create. They are also trying to be as sustainable as possible in their choices, so LED was a natural choice.

Robbie himself lights many of the shows, working with a team of 15 regular freelancers who assist the lighting department who now have no less than 116 Robe fixtures at their disposal across the various different areas of the venue.

During the covid lockdowns, they kept busy with streaming events which also kept the kit in use, which were interspersed with socially distanced and limited capacity shows as and when the restrictions allowed.

Everyone loved the T1s when they arrived, so they then looked at the T2s for the Red Stage and after having a fixture on demo, quickly decided to also purchase these.

“I wanted good, efficient, reliable LED fixtures with a nice quality of output and excellent colour mixing,” commented Robbie who also recently visited the Robe factory, adding: “I like the fact that the products and essential parts like PCBs are all properly made in Europe.”

The numerous visiting LDs to Doornroosje are also enjoying the T1s and T2s, appreciating the many features, accurate shuttering and good selection of gobos.

The venue offers a variety of control consoles in house: grandMA, Avo and a Road Hog.

Robbie notes that having a solid relationship with the distributor is paramount to the continued loyalty to any brand, as it assures quick and efficient tech support and back up when needed.

Controllux’s account handler Maikel Sakkers commented: “It’s always great to work with Robbie and his team, Doornroosje is one of the most consistent and professionally run venues in the Netherlands, so it is an honour and a pleasure to have as a loyal client.”

photo: Louise Stickland

www.robe.cz

16th November 2022