One of the bonuses of working with innovative and influential artists like dance music producer and megastar DJ Hardwell … is that you get to work on some unique and interesting shows …
“Symphony: The Global Revolution of Dance” was one of those moments for lighting and visuals designer Andre Beekmans of The Art of Light and operator Jaap Kamps.

The event was a live performance and collaboration between the globally popular and world leading electro DJ and multiple Grammy winning Metropole Orkest at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, celebrating 30 years of dance music. It was staged to coincide with the renowned Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) conference.

Andre and his Eindhoven based creative visual practice The Art of Light – who have designed and co-ordinated Hardwell’s lighting for some years – were approached by organisers Fourmation Events and MOJO and asked to create a memorable and appropriate ligating environment … for which he specified over 200 Robe moving lights – Pointes, Spiiders, BMFL WashBeams and BMFL Blades.
The show presented many challenges to Andre and his team which included Art of Light colleague Jaap Kamps, who is Hardwell’s regular lighting director on the road.

Pyramid shape stage

A key starting point were the main set elements, designed by Freek Cornelissen of 250K, including a large pyramid shape upstage comprising four equilateral triangles each filled with LED screen.
Flown just in front of this was a skeletal trapezoidal shaped lighting sculpture made up from multiple triangles outlined with pixel-mapped LED battens … which were under the control of the lighting department, fed content via a Hippotizer media server.

The back wall featured a large triangle filled with more LED screen and another flown triangle downstage was positioned just above Hartwell’s DJ booth. The orchestra platform on the deck involved several layers and was also outlined by LED strips arranged in triangular sections.
The roof was filled with flown trusses – the two main ones also triangular in shape to maintain thematic continuity – to provide lighting positions. As the production lighting designer, Andre’s brief – in addition to lighting the “Symphony” show – was to create a rig that could be used to light a hardstyle evening on the Saturday night hosted by Q-dance, so he needed to produce a flexible solution that would work for both.

The whole “Symphony” performance was divided into three parts – and the primary need was to produce a hugely dynamic range of looks – to cover all the musical genres featured in the history section, giving each one and the overall whole performance an epic edge. He needed to create a special style to match the incredible texturing and detail that came with combining the energy of electro dance beats with the richness of orchestral instruments.

On top of that, the lighting generally had to deal with practicalities like ensuring the orchestra could see the conductor at all times and had sufficient light to read their music … but not so much that they were irritated! Having said that, Metropole Orkest are known for their left-field and out-of-the- box projects! Just to ramp up the pressure that bit more for everyone on the production … the event was live-streamed via Hardwell’s website … so that was another major concern for lighting.

The sixty-three Robe Spiiders were all rigged on the over-stage triangular trusses where they were ideal for top and back light on the orchestra. There was a substantial 18 metres of trim on these, but the Spiiders provided plenty of power and intensity to light the stage and the orchestra effectively and bring fabulous colouring, immersion and depth to the picture.

The triangles making up the flown pyramid were outlined with Robe Pointes, with the balance of the 115 Pointes – in total – dotted around the other trusses. The Pointe has been a staple of Andre’s designs since it was first launched 5 years ago – and he is one of the top designers who has helped establish the fixture as an industry standard for lighting dance events. As usual, it was selected for its multifunctionality, speed, small size and the sheer scope and variety of looks that you can get out of this little luminaire.

BMFL Washbeams and Blades

In addition to these Robe fixtures, Andre positioned eight BMFL WashBeams each side of the stage on the Ziggo Dome balcony ring to augment the options on orchestra cross lighting. These are positions regularly utilized for getting a good layer of light onto the stage. The high lumen punch of the BMFL WashBeam made it ideal.

Topping off the Robe line-up for this show were sixteen BMFL Blades, used to key light Hardwell, the conductor and the orchestra itself. Lighting equipment – which also included other profile moving lights, lots of LED strobes and the LED battens on the triangular sculpture – was all supplied by rental company Phlippo, with Virtue Projects taking care of the lighting technical production and support for all the 2018 ADE associated events taking place in the Ziggo Dome.
The main challenges for lighting were in the programming and the LED mapping, the latter was completed via media server, which was run by Andre together with the camera and key lighting, while Jaap ran the main show lighting, both using grandMA2 full size consoles.

They used a combination of timecode and manual operation. All the basic ‘building block’ looks were timecode triggered – with signal received from the DJ mixer – with all the fine tuning, accents, details and specifics run live – manually – on the night; a process that required plenty of quick thinking, rhythmic fluidity and improvisational skills.
Hardwell and Metropole Orkest spent time together rehearsing in the studio, so while the lighting team had constantly updated versions of the music for their programming, they only had one full live rehearsal at the venue on the afternoon prior to the show.

Expertise and talents

So, it was down to everyone’s expertise and talents to pull off this amazing show which ran for two hours and highlighted the creativity and great music of influencers, innovators, and rhythm warriors taking the infectious beat and vibe of dance music from its underground roots through to the superclubs. Video equipment was supplied by Faber, with content and control by Eyesupply, and the event’s technical production was delivered by Backbone international.

More info on Robe lighting

2018 is just vanishing away in a yellow (… jackets? 100 % french joke) sunset, yellow like a planet still warming up, or yellow-blond like a dull hair cut disliking Santa Claus, and already 2019 is lighting up in a soft magenta, dawn of a thousand promises.
So pick up your Leatherman, put on your PPE and turn on the music! SoundLightUp wishes you a happy new year, and 3, 2 ,1 ! Blackout and cue 1, go!

Climb up the hills, go for the impossible, reach for the stars and don’t forget that you’ll go faster on your own, but further if together.
SoundLightUp will be with you 365 days a year, and now full speed ahead in english, as a contradiction to the motto « There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch ».

We are and will stay as ever, and against all odds, 100 % free, bilingual, professional, free and close to your trade for a seventh year of even more complete information and easy access, wherever you connect from.

We wish all of you a happy and colorful new year, and now 3, 2 ,1 ! Blackout and cue 1, go!

The first European presentation of the Mac Allure occured at Paris JTSE exhbition end of November 2018. In a dedicated Martin booth, their French distributor Algam Entreprises – who took over Martin’s french distribution a year ago and built a team to fully support the brand – hosted demoes and hands-on tests supervised by Markus Klüsener, Martin Pro Product Manager.
Boldly designed as a totally new game on its own, the Mac Allure doesn’t play alongside actual moving head competitors at all. Simultaneously FX projector, compact Spot, and led matrix, the Martin newborn is above all the first of a new family of multibeam projectors boarding the P3 system. A (re-)birth shot by the SoundLightUp camera down below.

With a french-sounding name (several meanings here : pace, speed, or sheer class), very chic and fashionable these days, the Mac Allure looks like a crossover between a Quantum Profile and a Mac Encore : sharp line, compact body, and led technology.

The Martin series is recognizable at first sight, showing its muscles, but with a specific array of small holes on the back for heat dissipation of the led engine.

Its very peculiar led source makes its inventors very proud indeed: an array of 7 RGBW 60 W leds, arranged in a cluster, propelled by optics and lenses inspired by the Quantum Profile.
The main feature of the Mac Allure is a certainly limited 12 to 36° zoom, but reaching an incredible focussed image of the 7 led engines. Hence, by just playing with the zoom and focus channels, the Mac Allure completely changes its style indeed.
It goes from a standard Spot beam, appropriate for gobos and prisms combinations, to a matrix projection of its 7 led zones to emulate a video-like pixelation, and then a “Flower” effect while adjusting the focus on the led array.
The 5,000 lumens of the luminous flux predicted by the manufacturer, with a weak CRI of 70, categorise the Mac Allure in the compact projectors category, which seems to suit it well enough.

Martin is actually a mix of 2 types of projectors, led matrix and Spot effect.

RGBW mix for each of led segment, color temperature control from 2700K to 6500K, virtual color wheel and multicolor macros, the combination of the 7 leds in 6 circular zones plus a central one allow infinite and yet uncharted universes of colored fantasia. The downside of this system is the plain white projection turning into an expressionist blurred cloud with hues of pink and green. The definitive version of the Mac Allure will provide a custom calibration and frost filter to correct that.

The Mac Allure ergonomics is well considered, with large yellow blockings and carrying handles.

As a welcome addition, the optical modules act as solid teammates. Apart from the 4-facet prism, the iris, the shutter, and the 6 rotating gobos wheel, the Mac Allure provides 2 new skills. Between animation wheel and effects wheels, the 2 superimposed gobo wheels allow multiple morphing projections.
The first one combines “Glass” type figures and a set of blades, while the second one uses reversed vortex. This way, mixing the effects of focussing, colors and optics, the Mac Allure beam multiplies in numerous chromatic kaleidoscopes.

The projector cools down its led source by a combination of passive cooling and active air flow thanks to 4 fans placed at the rear. Thanks to this system, the Mac Allure remains compact, less than 18 kg and 60 cm high, quite noiseless while keeping its internal temperature down, with easy handling, in particular with the rear handle.

On the connectors’side, everything is goes by pair: DMX 5-pin XLR in/thru, RJ45, and True1 mains in/thru. The menu display is close to a USB port for P3 updates.

Culmination of all theses functions, a world premiere is the implementation of the P3 protocol inside a moving head. This way, while controlling the projector in 32 or 64 DMX512 channels, the Mac Allure can receive simultaneously via its Ethernet connectors brightness and colors data by video signals sent to all the P3 items connected. This means the Mac Allure can be part of a global mapping set-up alongside Martin led screens and video screens, and simultaneously be part of a DMX set-up. The Mac allure will be available early march 2019 from your usual Martin Professional distributor.

The P3-System

The P3-System is part of the new Martin team, in which all future products will include this protocol : the up and coming Martin by Harman Mac Aura Allure and its 19 led pixels and the Mac Allure Wash, with PC lens, dedicated to color washes.

As a reminder, the P3 is a unique protocol designed by Martin to easily interface DMX and video. This system is already included in the VDO Sceptron and the VC-Strip, to quote the most popular “P3 inside” products. It’s actually a “fixture-mapper” for Martin fixtures, with enhanced possibilities, not only video feeds ta a matrix, but also calibration of remote control of projectors.

Schematics of a complete installation using projectors and led fixtures in the same global set-up, controlled by a lighting console and a media server.

This can be driven by a P3 controller, such as models P3-050, P3-150, P3-300 or P3-PC, with features depending of number of pixels and available video inputs. For some projectors, the additional P3 PowerPort, power supply rack and data processor, is used for the Martin video Creative LED range : VDO Sceptron, PixLines, VC-Grid, Strip & Dot. These different products are linked together by special 4 pin cables.

Example of a Martin show for French distributor Algam Entreprises, using a GrandMA2 to control the projectors, and an Arkaos media server. The video from the Arkaos are then mapped by the P3 to the Mac Allure fixtures and the VDO-Fatron and VDO-Dotron.

The main advantage of this ecosystem is pure flicker-free and coherent operation for the whole kit of projectors, as the initial design of the P3 continuously calibrates all the elements in the P3 chain to maintain global and total evenness and sync.
To sum up, the P3 protocol allows creating a unique canvas grouping led projectors, video walls and intelligent lighting projectors, and then use the video as both effect and lighting source for all the fixtures.

The P3-System functions have evolved a lot since its launch, with the opportunity of using a second unit in parallel for real-time back-up or designing a mobile scenery with no hassle. The Kinesys moving trusses can send back their indexed positions directly into the P3, and the video feed will adapt to the new positions of the projectors.

At this moment, the projectors can be mapped in 1:1 mode (all pixels equal in size) or Real World (size closer to the projectors), but the next update will allow a step further with a Scaling tool, and presumably en extra Z parameter in pixel positioning. Finally, to compensate for the slight jerkiness of the videos transitions in the Mac Allure, a Smooth Change option will be included.

ELP profile spots

The warm white profile spot equipped with 26° optics.

Martin unveils for the first time in its history a led profile spot, in two models: ELP WW and ELP CL.
The profile spot named ELP WW stands for Warm White and is equipped with a white led source, with yet unknown references and specs. It should deliver 7,000 lumens @ 3000K, with a CRI of 97.

The ELP CL contains a RGBAL (red, green, blue, amber and lime) led source and boasts a luminous flux of 6,900 lumens @ 6000K in High Output mode (CRI of 85), or 5,900 lumens in High Quality mode (CRI of 90). The available 19°, 26°, 36° or 50° optics are designed in Denmark for a maximum light output and even beam, without hot spot.

Here are their specifications:

• 16 bits dimmer with a choice of 4 intensity curves.
• 26 color presets, Lee Filters and Rosco equivalent, for the ELP CL.
• « Fine focus » adjustment knob on the upper part.
• Fast Focus function for manual adjustment of intensity (direct to 100 % level if “Enter” touch button pressed for more than 5 seconds).
• Tilt tightening handle positioned slightly apart to give the blades more space.
• Gravity center on yoke alignment.
• Anti-glare correction to prevent yellow or bleu halo around the beam.
• Flicker-free guaranteed light beam.
• Instant electronic strobe.
• Fait weight, less than 10 kg.

They will be available end of 2018, you may ask your Martin distributor.

All the ELP profile spot specifications in one figure.

---

More info on the Martin website

Powersoft S.p.A., a global leading manufacturer of energy efficient, high-power compact amplifiers, is set to commence the public trading of it shares on the AIM Italia (Alternative Investment Market), organised and managed by Borsa Italiana.
This bold decision has been made to facilitate further progress on Powersoft’s already exponential growth, which has occurred consistently since its inception in 1995. The move will also allow Powersoft to not only continue but intensify its already impressive R&D activities.

Powersoft’s CEO Luca Lastrucci commented: “We have enjoyed great success in the last few years, which has been evidenced by the significant advances we have made over the last two decades, both technologically and territorially. In order to take the next step forward, we have decided to open ourselves up to a wider world. This will, in turn, give us more capital to maintain our strong focus on R&D, which has been a key growth driver for this company since the beginning.”

Pioneer in switched-mode technology

A pioneer in switched-mode technology, Powersoft has made Class-D a reliable and effective reality, improving its performances to a level unheard of before and making it widely accepted as industry standard.
The company has also introduced other major patented technologies that increased the efficiency of its amplifiers, such as Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), Power Factor Correction (PFC), Differential Pressure Control (DPC) and Smart Rails Management (SRM) to name a few.

Green Audio Power design philosophy

All these technologies, aimed at improving efficiency, and consequently reducing power consumption while expanding capabilities, are part of Powersoft’s Green Audio Power design philosophy. With this kind of approach Powersoft contributes to environmental sustainability, thanks to smaller, lighter and more efficient amplifiers.

Latrucci added: “As well as continuing to break new ground with our world class amplifiers, the listing will also allow Powersoft to keep its place as a global leader in the provision of OEM solutions for some of the industry’s leading loudspeaker manufacturers. We are very excited about the new opportunities this move is opening up for both Powersoft and our customers, and we look forward to maintaining the high standards that we have become known for over 23 years.”

The two sets of Powersoft shares – ordinary shares and Warrants – began mid December 2018.

More information on Powersoft

Recently restored to its former beauty, the architectural treasure of Frankfurt old town was opened in September with a cultural program that included a unique nighttime drone show supported by lighting effects from 88 Elation Proteus Hybrid™ moving head fixtures.
Prior to 1944, Frankfurt had one of the most beautiful and largest medieval half-timbered old towns in Germany.

Drones constellations

The highlight of the three-day celebration was a spectacular production in which drones drew constellations of light in the Frankfurt sky accompanied by a visually stunning light show over the river Main. bright! GmbH was responsible for the concept and technical implementation of the production, as well as the programming of the drone show. Michael Giegerich, one of the managing directors of bright! GmbH and project manager for the constellations, developed the show concept along with Lighting Director Daniel Gündner. Both worked under the artistic direction of Atelier Markgraph.

Weather-proof

It quickly became clear to those involved that the project required weather-proof lighting fixtures. “We were looking for an IP floodlight that combines the best possible beam characteristics with the simplest, most robust design,” explains Thomas Giegerich, managing director of bright!
“Having worked with A&O Technology and Jerry Appelt on the 2017/18 New Year’s Eve show in Dubai, where hundreds of Elation Proteus Hybrids were used, we were very familiar with these moving lights and knew we could use them.”

The Proteus light show was designed to support the drone show over the Main as an additional visual effect yet not steal the show.
Thomas Giegerich comments: “Of course the beams were not allowed to overwhelm the drone show. Rather, it was about creating an additional layer of light in the space to provide the actors – the drones – with an appropriate stage.”

44 Proteus per bank

The bright! team placed 88 Proteus Hybrids as powerful beam elements on both sides of the river, 44 per bank, with fourteen 15W LED pars placed at ground level to act as backlight. “The Proteus Hybrid was fully convincing. Its enormous output paired with its robustness makes it the ideal choice for any demanding outdoor event,” Thomas Giegerich concludes.

More info on Elation Proteus Hybrid

Two of the biggest acts in music today, Drake and Migos, toured North America throughout the second half of 2018 on the highly-anticipated Aubrey and the Three Migos co-headlining run. Of course, a massive tour with a pair of massive headliners calls for a massive production, and neither Drake nor Migos rose to the top of the game by disappointing their fans.

Boxing ring-style stage

The trek boasted a sizeable boxing ring-style stage covered entirely in LED video panels that displayed some truly spectacular custom content. To ensure that the sonic experience was of the same calibre, the tour featured a substantial 360-degree audio system comprised of over 250 cabinets from Adamson Systems Engineering’s flagship E-Series and S-Series, all sourced through Cleveland, Ohio’s Eighth Day Sound.

“I love it,” says Drake’s FOH engineer, Demetrius Moore, about the Adamson system under his control. “The high-end is very natural, crisp, and clean, and you really can’t ask for a better low end.
It sounds big, it sounds powerful, but it doesn’t hurt, and that’s always the goal – a big, clean sound that’s not just there to blow people away with everything in the red.”

Moore consulted with Adamson’s Director of R&D, Benoit Cabot, and Product Manager and Senior Applications Engineer, Brian Fraser, plus Eighth Day system tech Chris Fischer to develop an initial system design.

The final configuration featured: four main hangs of 18 E15 three-way, true line source enclosures firing behind the goal ends of the arena floor; four side hangs of 12 S10 two-way, full range cabinets below four S10ns, which boast the same specs as the S10 save for a narrower dispersion of 80 x 10 degrees instead of 110 x 10; and four 270-degree hangs featuring 15 E15s atop four S10s. Only 10 Adamson IS7p point-source front fills were required for any given date thanks to the arrays’ extensive coverage.

Because the stage is comprised entirely of video panels, the system needed to be as unobtrusive as possible. That informed the decision to fly the E119 subs in eight hangs of nine cabinets.

“We’re on a tour – a hip-hop tour – with no subs on the ground. That’s pretty much unheard of,” says the man who’s also mixed genre staples Lil Wayne and Nikki Minaj from FOH. “Whether you’re standing front-row or up at the back, you’re getting nice, clean, but still high-impact bass.
With any other system, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we’re doing with all of the subs in the air. Other brands have subs you can fly, but here, the subs I’d be using on the ground, we’ve got in the air, and they go up without issue. You couldn’t do that with another system at this level.”

The sheer number of cabinets going into the air makes Fischer particularly glad that they’re using Adamson. “It’s a nice-sounding system, and the rigging is just incredible – it goes up and comes down so easily,” he says. “It’s just one move and the cart’s off.” He’s also getting good mileage out of the company’s Blueprint AV system design and simulation software. “I think Blueprint is much easier to use than other programs I’ve had in the past when it comes to analyzing the room and fine-tuning the system deployment.”

The reviews throughout the run have been stellar, but more importantly, the social media buzz from ticketholders was beyond reproach, and it was fairly common for the crowd noise to hit 110dB at FOH in anticipation of the show. “The crowd is really into it every night, and they’re getting loud,” Moore said near the end of the tour. “We know who and what they’re there to see, and we’re just making sure that the show sounds as good as it possibly can to deliver that experience.”

More info on Adamson E-Series and S-Series

Philips Vari-Lite VLZ Profile LED luminaires were chosen to meet some specific stage lighting demands on the recent Savage tour by British electronic music pioneer, Gary Numan. For special tour dates, including a showcase performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Numan and his band were joined on stage by an orchestra and choir.

Post-apocalyptic theme

In response to this, the visual design, by Luke Edwards of Cue Design, successfully referenced the post-apocalyptic theme of the Savage album, while combining softer theatrical touches to complement the orchestra’s presence, both on the stage and in the music.

“To light the orchestra, we needed fixtures with a really nice light quality,” said Edwards, “but with so many tunable instruments on the stage we also needed lights that wouldn’t throw out lots of heat. The VLZ Profile was a great option: the optics are beautiful, the colors and the color temperature are beautiful, and it keeps the orchestra members and their instruments cool.”

Placed on high side-trusses at each side of stage, the VLZ Profiles gave side-light, color and texture for the orchestra and choir in the upstage area, as well as for Numan and the band downstage.
“Mostly, we’re using the gobos and prisms to put textured light on the orchestra, to light them in an interesting way,” said Edwards. “But I’m also using the VLZs a lot in open color, just frosting it slightly to soften the light and get everyone lit really beautifully.”

In covering such a broad stage area, Edwards was aided by the powerful output of the VLZ Profile as well as its wide zoom range. “Being able to light that big a surface area with a minimum amount of fixtures, with that zoom range, is a big plus,” he said. “I can point them forward and have these tight beams coming from the side trusses, or they can go extremely wide. They’re amazing fixtures to have on the show.”

More info on the Vari-Lite VLZ on the Philips website

Forthcoming February ISE 2019 will see world-leading high-end digital audio solution manufacturer, DiGiCo, give visitors to the show another opportunity to get up close and personal with its 4REA4 installed audio solution, as well as experience the proven power and flexibility of its acclaimed SD Range and S Series digital mixing consoles.

4REA4 is designed to meet the expanding performance requirements of large entertainment venues, houses of worship, theatres and shared stages at festivals and music venues.
At the heart of the system is the 4REA4 processing engine with DiGiCo connectivity options and powerful 4REA4 control software, providing routing, processing and mix control that allows performance areas to expand across an installation.
The 4REA4 processing engine rack has four dedicated mix areas, or zones, each with its own stereo master output, CGs, and allocated FX. 128 input channel and 48 buss output processing strips allow independently allocated processing to whichever area as required.

Full management

Managing the mixing and routing of each individual local performance area are a range of premium designed hardware control panels and external I/O units, that work in conjunction with the 4REA4 processing engine and control software.
Ethernet connected controller options include the wall mounting single rotary ACONTROL1 with a TFT display for small area performance management, and the ACONTROL8 with eight 100m faders designed for more complex mix and function control.

Local I/O boxes are managed via proprietary Ethernet or Dante connectivity for extended reach across a facility, with options including the new A168 STAGE floor rack and the A164 WALL LCD box, both providing mic and line level connectivity to ensure a premium 96kHz audio experience across the most demanding performance venues.

ISE Amsterdam hands on

“There’s been intense interest in 4REA4 over the past year,” says Austin Freshwater, DiGiCo’s General Manager. “It delivers all the versatility, flexibility and audio quality people have come to expect from a DiGiCo product and ISE is the perfect forum for potential customers to become more familiar with the benefits it can bring to their installation projects.”
Discover more about 4REA4 and DiGiCo’s range of digital mixing consoles on their ISE Amsterdam exhibition Stand 7-K200, February 5-8, 2019.

More web information on 4REA4 and DiGiCo consoles and ISE exhibition

Lighting solutions expert Showtec has made a major investment in Claypaky Scenius Unico and Mythos 2 fixtures to serve its extensive South East Asia markets. The company, which provides industry-leading lighting to entertainment, corporate and exhibition events, now has 100 Scenius Unico and 50 Mythos 2 in stock.
It is based in its Singapore HQ and has regional offices in Malaysia, China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand.

Showtec’s Director of Sales, Vincent Tan, says: “We are always looking to invest in the most innovative products on the market and Claypaky is ahead of the curve, producing world-class quality fixtures with distinctive features that are exciting for our market.

Hunger for technology

“The South East Asia live entertainment and events scene is growing rapidly and there is a hunger for the latest technology to achieve stunning and dynamic effects. That’s why we invested in so many Scenius Unico and Mythos 2 fixtures.

“The Scenius Unico is a fantastic multifunctional light – the fact that it can be used as both an excellent wash and a powerful spotlight makes it perfect for so many applications and therefore a wide range of clients.”
Both the Mythos 2 and Scenius Unico have a large electronic zoom range, 4-50˚ on the Mythos 2 and 5-55˚ on the Scenius Unico. In addition, the Mythos2 also has a fixed ‘pipe beam’ mode of 2.5˚.

Both fixtures feature cutting-edge CMY colour systems. The Mythos 2 offers 14 colour filters on three wheels alongside two CTO filters, while the Scenius Unico has a wheel with seven colour filters, and linear CTO.

“We work closely with many lighting designers and we listen to what they want in terms of new kit,” Tan continues. “We are confident that our Claypaky investment will fulfil their requirements. In fact, a large number of both the Scenius Unico and the Mythos 2 went out almost immediately on [Cantopop superstars] Alan Tam & Sam Hui’s ‘Happy Together Classic Express’ world tour, which kicked off in Singapore.

“We’re excited about seeing them go out on many more large-scale concerts and events in the coming months.”

More info on:

– Claypkaky Scenius Unico
– Claypkaky Mythos 2

VodafoneZiggo’s new head office in the Netherlands has just opened, right in the heart of the development that is transforming Utrecht’s west side, uniting 1400 employees in this state-of-the-art location. The area, which includes the Hoog Catharijne shopping complex and the city’s Central Station, one of the busiest in the country, is currently undergoing extensive urban expansion, redevelopment and modernisation.

VodafoneZiggo wanted to create a big impact to celebrate the move, so Olaf van den Berg and Bas Frenkel Frank from live event and activation agency Hadimassa Brand Support teamed up with lighting designer Sander den Otter from T-MINUS Design and stage designer Bart van Rooy of BigVis and technical producers Neoc to create and direct a jaw-droppingly spectacular light sculpture, _CONNECTIONS_. This celebrated the key strategic move by VodafoneZiggo to the aorta of the Amsterdam Maastricht corridor

Sander utilised 91 x Robe MegaPointe multi-purpose moving lights to realise this light sculpture artwork.
The team surveyed the proposed site, a square connecting the Central Station to the Hoog Catharijne – and the historic heart of the city a short walk beyond – which is a constantly busy, bustling thoroughfare filled with commuters, shoppers and visitors.
A large permanent sculptural piece resides there, occupying much of the space, and the team felt that integrating this existing environment with _CONNECTIONS_ as a temporary artwork, would represent a perfect harmonisation between the extensively revamped Hoog Catharijne and the adjacent Central Station.

A place dedicated to innovation and connectivity

They also felt the style of the light art would emphasise the importance of the new VodafoneZiggo HQ as a place dedicated to innovation, connectivity and the future enhancement of the city’s business activities and communities.
Sander knew immediately that he wanted to use a small compact lightsource with high output and a good narrow beam to have maximum effect in this high ambient light space … and MegaPointes were his first choice. He has used the fixtures extensively in his show and festival lighting designs.

Thirteen MegaPointes were positioned on each of the towers which were each 20 meters distance apart from one another … and the fixtures threw light and dancing beams all over the space.
The fixtures were fitted on to custom hanging bracketry – designed and fabricated by Neoc, together with bespoke rain covers to protect the fixtures from the elements. All these special accessories were spray-painted white, and even the cable trays were specially fashioned to ensure that the installation was neat and in keeping with the style of the original structure … so much so that it almost looked like a fixed installation!

The biggest challenge in realising the work was in dealing with the day-to-day public functionality and freneticism of the location which had to be worked around. Sander commented that “Nic Zinnemers from Neoc and his team did a great job on this front”. While the site presented the greatest challenges, Sander also enjoyed the fact that it was in a galvanising and unusual location in which to work, and that once completed and up-and-running, so many people passing through took time to stop, appreciate and comment on the lightshow.

Sander programmed the lightshow on a Hog 4 console, and it ran to timecode three times every hour from 6 and 10 p.m., for seven days in total. A special music track was written and produced for _CONNECTIONS_ by leading DJ Fedde Le Grand, who was also present and performed live on the opening night.
The MegaPointes were supplied by RentAll.

More MegaPointe info on the Robe website.

On a compact, yet very friendly booth, Benoît Israël’s Eclalux team were happy to introduce to some thousands top-notch french professional visitors two new products from Dutch entertainment lighting industry leader CLF Lighting.
JTSE was as crammed as ever, being the only professional exhibition in France since a few years now, a mix between ABTT and PLASA to compare it with UK exhibitions : a lot of theatre/conference halls visitors, quite a lot of rental/service companies as well, and a smaller yet increasing part of installers/integrators over the years.
Considering the wide scope of professionals, it made sense to CLF French distributor Eclalux to show decorative lighting items as well as stage lighting projectors.

Eye-candy triple effect

First, let’s get high in the sky with exclusive “triple effect” Apollo, designed for TV sets (on its tripod stand for talk-shows or else) or upstage “eye-candy” effect with concentric independent or combined rings of variable hues and saturated colors, at will.
The center tungsten-like warm white / amber LED effect is surrounded by 8 RGB segments which illuminate the iconic golden inside reflector. Then, as a third combined/mixable effect, around the parabolic reflector, 8 individual RGB segments can provide even more mixed creative chromatic moods.

CLF Lighting Apollo on Eclalux booth at JTSE 2018 exhibition.

As a brilliant on its very own combination of vintage tungsten look with bright and colorful LED animation effects, this Apollo model can fly you to the moon indeed, either with basic control or total “matrix” addressing, depending on your DMX light tools ahead …

From 2 to 64 (!) channels, pre-programmed macros of pixel effects can create easily very satisfying and versatile shows, but the 6 (!) different DMX modes bring you precise extensive control of all different LED segments, if needed.
Overall construction is fine and looks sturdy enough, but bear in mind that a well padded flight-case will be more than necessary to keep it neatly in nice-looking shape, as usual with decorative items.

LEDBAR Pro, designed for Pros indeed

The very latest CLF LED batten boasts several strong points in a very compact linear package.

CLF Lighting LEDBAR Pro on Eclalux booth at JTSE 2018 exhibition.

What I found very interesting, as usual with all CLF Lighting products (the R&D team did grow up in the beautiful world of rental indeed !), is:

• the quality and feeling of ruggedness given by the multifunctional rigging system;
• IP65 rating with chassis plugs, allowing for indoor use with standard cables;
• 10 x 20 W RGBW LEDs with nice smooth reflector color mixing, individually controllable LEDs (or global colors);
• The chosen 24° angle and output dimension of each reflector can help you either for wall-wash or pixel-by-pixel purposes, depending on your needs or stage lighting design;
• 5 different dimming curves and flicker-free smooth color mixes;
• Comprehensive choice of control protocols: Artnet & sACN, and RDM.

More information on the APOLLO and on the LEDBAR Pro

In November’2018, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with CineConcerts and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, performed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ in Concert at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, South Australia. It was the first ever use of L-Acoustics L-ISA Hyperreal Sound in the southern hemisphere and took audiences even deeper into the magical world while the symphony orchestra performed the entire score live to picture.

L-ISA was deployed by leading Australian technical production company Novatech, which has been using L-Acoustic systems for events of all sizes and scope around Australia, from music festivals to live concerts and corporate events, for over a decade. A keen innovator and early adopter of creative event technology, the company has always endeavoured to improve the experience for guests and artists alike and has invested heavily into new technology over the years.

L-ISA : ground-breaking technology

When L-ISA was released, Novatech looked for opportunities to use the ground-breaking technology in Australia. The search quickly focused onto one of its long-time partners, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, which has gained a reputation for outstanding contribution to the world of music and, with the nature of the entertainment perfectly matching the application of L-ISA, was a natural fit. “With L-Acoustics being the backbone of our audio inventory, we were excited by the introduction of L-ISA and we were keen to bring it to Australia for a live performance,” remarks Novatech’s Production Manager, James Sacca. “It seemed fitting to partner with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for this Southern Hemisphere first. As always, L-Acoustics was professional to deal with and extremely supportive as we planned this technically complex event.”

The L-ISA set up included 126 input channels and 96 L-ISA objects and used an L-ISA Wide design solution, deploying a total of 84 L-Acoustics Kara cabinets in seven hangs of 12 Kara, each spaced above the performing zone to provide source separation and localization, two extension speaker groups of 12 Kiva II and two flown subwoofer arrays of four SB28 in and end fire configuration in the centre.
The monitor system comprised ten X15 HiQ cabinets and eight X8. Control was via a DiGiCo SD10 mixing console at front of house and an AVID S6L at monitors, connected via three Optocore optical loops.

Charles Gagnon, who mixed the show, made adjustments to the soundscape using the L-ISA Controller software to address the processor and create the soundscape for static information such as object panning, source width, distance, etc., based on input channels bussed from the SD10. Gagnon found the L-ISA Controller software intuitive, with a well-designed GUI that made it easy for him to quickly make broad adjustments to the soundscape. “I was pleased with the result, especially with dialogue clarity and localisation, and overall clarity and coherence of the soundstage,” he says. “It was a great experience and I would most definitely like to use it again.”

“Intrigued, but not surprised”

“I have long been a fan of so-called surround sound and immersive audio,” says Gagnon. “I’ve done numerous recordings and broadcasts in ‘traditional’ 5.0/5.1 surround and have been involved in experimental immersive audio projects going back to the early 2000s.
Advances in processing power and algorithms now make object-based systems practical so I am intrigued, but not surprised, about the emergence of these systems in the competitive live sound market.”

“Novatech works closely with us as our technology partner to bring the sounds of the orchestra to audiences both small and large,” comments Vince Ciccarello, CEO of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. “We were thrilled and excited to learn of the new L-ISA technology that would more faithfully engage our artists with the audience and are proud to be a part of this collaboration with Novatech and L-Acoustics.”

“As we roll out our L-ISA technology, we look to trusted partners around the globe who have the drive and creative vision to innovate alongside us,” concludes L-Acoustics Regional Sales Manager, Tim McCall. “Novatech has a history of always embracing new technologies to bring a little extra to its shows. Combining this passion and experience with a full symphony orchestra and L-ISA Hyperreal Sound brought a more natural and vibrant experience to the audiences of Australia for the first time.
Congratulations Adelaide, you’ve made history!”

More info on L-ACOUSTICS website

Volt Lites, Inc. of Burbank, California has taken delivery of a complement of Ayrton Ghibli™ and Mistral™TC fixtures, expanding its lighting roster with its first-ever Ayrton purchases. Ayrton is exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Lighting, Inc. Helmed by co-founders Harrison Lippman and Matthew Shimamoto, Volt Lites is a lighting production shop for the greater LA rental community and a wider national clientele.

“Both the Ghibli and Mistral-TC are exquisite LED profiles that hit all the marks and complement each other,” says Lippman. “The Ayrton line has really impressed us, and we’re excited to get the new fixtures into our clients’ hands: Volt Lites is one of the first companies to offer Mistral-TC in the US. The fact that ACT Lighting added Ayrton to their line card means we’ve been able to add Ayrton fixtures to our inventory.”

New workhorse

Ghibli is Ayrton’s first LED spot luminaire with a factory-equipped framing system. Ghibli delivers a light output of 23,000 lumens in a highly compact format. Its proprietary optical system produces an extremely uniform fat beam with no hot spot. Ghibli’s selection of gobos and colours was made in collaboration with lighting designers to meet the needs of the entertainment industry.

Shimamoto sees Ghibli as “a new workhorse for our growing line of spot and profile fixtures. The Ghibli produces bright vivid colours, has a flat, even field for key light and razor sharp optics for mid-air projection. This allows for the light to play a variety of roles. I also love how quiet they are for our more sensitive environments.”

The Ghibli’s factory-equipped framing system is another plus, according to Lippman. “Clients have come to expect shuttering capabilities, and it’s very challenging when a fixture does not offer framing shutters.”

Mistral-TC is a new versatile and fully-equipped LED spot luminaire designed for applications requiring perfect colour reproduction. The ultra-compact fixture has an entirely new LED module using a monochromatic light source calibrated at 7,000K with a native colour rendering index greater than 90 and extremely high TM30 readings, which enables Mistral-TC to produce more than 14,000 lumens. Its optics achieve an extremely uniform flat beam that can render images perfectly in all conditions and at any beam angle.

He finds Mistral-TC to be “a superior, compact LED profile with a very similar range of functions as its big brother, the Ghibli. I like the form factor, the output and the light quality as well as its close-to-silent operation.”

“They are the perfect solution for our clients’ needs when a small, light-weight, high-output fixture body is required,” adds Shimamoto.

Both fixtures have already been in demand by Volt Lite customers. “The Ghiblis are very popular for film, commercials and live television while the Mistral-TCs are starting to go out on all types of live events and corporate projects,” Lippman reports.

More information on Ghibli™ and Mistral™-TC and Ayrton’s extensive portfolio of LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu

PRG Germany have wasted little time in adding large quantities of GLP’s new impression S350 next generation LED moving head to its hire fleet in a deal which will see them taking a minimum of 100 of the fixtures on stock. Some of the units were immediately commandeered by leading LD Jerry Appelt for use on the second MTV Unplugged appearance by rock musician, Udo Lindenberg.

Unparalleled feature-set

The impression S350 profile light offers an unparalleled feature-set in the mid-sized fixture category. This includes unique controllability, a very high colour rendering, a full four-blade framing system with rotating gate and near silent operation. A comfortable optic zoom from 8°- 47° provides an even and flat field with a considerable light output of up to 7.500 lm, with less than a 15% drop in output within the zoom range.
But that’s not all. Other features include GLP’s signature ‘baseless design’, an 8-facet prism, a dual frost filter, and a 0-90° positionable animation wheel. This versatility makes the impression S350 the perfect tool for the wide variety of shows and events supplied by PRG and PRG customers.

Product training

GLP product manager Michael Feldmann and key account manager Oliver Schwendke had already conducted a product training following delivery of the first tranche of 40 units.

Schwendke welcomed the fact that PRG Germany now has the equipment in stock: “We are proud to have supplied such a significant number of units to PRG Germany and to have them as an early adopter,” he said. “The impression S350 offers just the kind of package they need, given the broad range of productions that they service.”

Feldmann added: “We believe that the impression S350 with its high colour rendering, framing unit, form factor and weight, offers the perfect package to our customers.”

More info on GLP IMPRESSION 350

More info on PRG