Old english tradition, indeed ! It’s panto time again in the UK… with the slapstick, craziness and innuendos flying as fast as a foam pie in the face… At Blackpool Grand this year, putting both beauty and some beast attitude into the show, lighting designer Andy Webb specified 81 x Robe fixtures – 98 per cent of them LED sources – for a brand-new version of the classic tale produced by UK Productions for the 2018-19 season.

It’s the fourth consecutive year that Andy has lit the famous UK seaside resort’s panto, which was directed by Damian Sandys with whom he also worked on the 2017-18 production. This was a huge advantage to the fluidity and creative flow of this year’s show, together with knowing the venue, a beautiful original Matcham house that is notoriously tight for space when installing the complex modern productions of the 21st century.

Lighting panto as a genre

Andy chose Robe as his main lighting fixtures for several reasons. “I’ve spec’d and worked with Robe on numerous shows and I know the products really well” he explained, adding, “there is a great choice of fixtures, their LED light sources are of an excellent quality and overall the kit is super reliable”.
He relishes the chance to light panto as a genre which is seriously fast-paced and offers huge scope for colour, melodrama and fun – simultaneously playful, exciting and scary – all great ambiences to embellish with light. Lighting a brand-new production for the first time was also really exciting, and it offered the opportunity to set the ground rules and create some spectacular signature elements.

To give the Beast’s character more gravitas and depth, Andy introduced some proper darkness and foreboding to his castle domain.
That darkness was also an imaginative starting point for the lighting to evolve, as they needed to be able to flip between this state and a host of bright mischievous lighting for the comedy scenes – of which there were plenty!
Lighting was also used for other metaphors – throughout the show, as the Beast slowly but surely falls in love with main female protagonist Belle, more lights and festoons, etc, are introduced to his castle environment transforming it from a dingy, grubby den to a brighter more vivid and alive space.

Andy started with ten Robe DL4S Profiles, eight distributed between LX bars 1 and 3 with the other two rigged at FOH. Eight Spiider LED wash beams are also on LX 1 and 2 as Andy wanted a BIG lush wash lighting effect covering the whole stage.

Three DL4F fresnels on back light bar – LX3 – create a look that has become one of Andy’s ‘classic’ panto scenes; “the fresnel lens as a back light really brings a different take and quality of light to the picture” he said. On the same rear LX bar are six ParFect 150s and two Robe LED Strobes used for lightening effects critical to the big fight scene, helping the audience to feel every push, shove and punch.

On the final upstage LX bar are another four LEDBeam 150s utilised for special pickups at the back of the set and for set dressing – in conjunction with two VIVA Spots and one VIVA CMY on the same bar – plus another two VIVAs on the pros perch (FOH). Four LEDBeam 150s on the house bars either side of the pros point into the audience for blinder effects and movement cues. As with all pantos, audience interaction is fundamental to the genre.

Andy also reveals he was inspired to capitalise on these side pros lighting positions after working on the ‘Cirque Robe’ live performance show at the 2018 Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt… with Lighting Designer Nathan Wan.
There is also an LEDWash 300 on both pros’ bars for the low-cut shadow work in the castle scenes and for those featuring The Beast.

A total of 20 x ParFect 100s and four ParFect S1s are deployed in various positions including eight at FOH acting as a contrasting set wash, with the rest on side stage boom ladders for cross stage lighting and a pair upstage swooshing across the Cyc.
Traversing the stage floor at the front – in the footlights position – are four CycFX 8 LED battens which provide excellent moody shadow lighting onstage and swing around into the audience for dramatic specials that build excitement at strategic moments in the narrative.

Do not light the flying wires

Just offstage of these each side is a Spikie. Andy has used the Spikie flower effects to help enhance the magical moments in the storytelling, like when the good fairy is working her spells for peace and harmony to prevail. They also give a nice low cross light for The Beast’s reveal and for his transformation back into a Prince!

Just two of these small fixtures were all that were needed to play an integral role in the production, as Andy needed a neat and compact source zoomed in to 4 degrees so the (performer) flying wires weren’t caught in the beams!
Next to the pros arch each side was a Robe Pointe – the only intelligent discharge fixtures in the show! These were unleashed for wizardry effects and in particular – in conjunction with three half mirror dishes – what Andy calls his ‘magic zap’ effect where super-fast beams of light zap between them, ping-pong style! This was devised to create the effect without using pyro. The Pointes were also used for their more standard beaming effects into the crowd.

A single Robe MiniMe effects projector rigged in the upper balcony came into play during the Beast transformation scene, running sparkling video content. Andy was impressed considering the unit was over 40 metres away from the stage and focussed tightly into the Beast’s chest. Again, the call was for a small and very controllable fixture to avoid revealing the flying wires.
The intelligent lights were supplied by CEG Hire & Productions from Cambridge, and Andy also used the house generics – Source Four profiles at FOH and PARs on some of the side booms.

312 cues for a panto show

As with all his designs the cues are multi-layered and complex! There are 312 cues in the show, all of which Andy programmed into an Avolites Tiger Touch II console which is being operated by the house LX team for the run of 59 shows which went smoothly until the end of January.

Unsurprisingly, the biggest challenge was shoehorning the required programming for a West End style design into three days on site which included Andy doing live updates during the dress rehearsals. Known for his near OCD attention to detail, one of his keys to achieving this was to be well prepped and another was using all the Robe kit.

“This has been a massive bonus for me as it’s offered so many creative options” he stated.
He has also enjoyed being back at the Blackpool Grand: “Knowing the house crew – and them knowing you and your MO is also a great help”.

More info on Robe Lighting.

ALMA International (Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturing and Acoustics), owner of AISE (ALMA International Symposium & Expo), has entered into a co-location agreement with AVIXA (the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association), owner of InfoComm. The two organizations offer content for the audio industry, but in complimentary ways that will benefit participants who take advantage of the education, exhibitions, and networking that make AISE and InfoComm outstanding events.

AISE2019 takes place on June 9 & 10, 2019 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Universal in Orlando, Florida. InfoComm’s conference schedule runs June 8 to 14, with exhibits open June 12 to 14, 2019 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. Attendees can expect ALMA’s acclaimed technical and business content with over 30 hours of education in two packed days along with exhibitors and attendees from around the world.

Next step in dynamic evolution

Barry Vogel, Executive Director of ALMA International.

Barry Vogel, Executive Director of ALMA International, states: “ALMA International’s move to co-locate with InfoComm is the next step in the dynamic evolution of the Association in seeking to broaden our exposure and service to professionals in the Audio and Loudspeaker Technologies industry.
The ability to attend two exciting and beneficial events in one productive trip makes the combination that much more compelling.”

InfoComm is the premier audiovisual and integrated experience event, attracting 44,000 attendees from over 100 countries, and featuring more than 500,000 square feet of exhibit space, 1,000 exhibitors, and more than 150 conference sessions.

David Labuskes, CTS®, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA.

David Labuskes, CTS®, CAE, RCDD, Chief Executive Officer of AVIXA, adds: “We look forward to having ALMA’s AISE2019 co-locate with InfoComm 2019. AISE delivers content that complements well our focus on audio solutions that improve customer experiences.”
ALMA will present two conference sessions at InfoComm.

To encourage participation in both events, attendees of AISE are eligible for a free exhibit pass to InfoComm and attendees at InfoComm are eligible for a free exhibit pass to AISE.
Both require promotional codes which are available at the InfoComm and ALMA websites. Look for further announcements as the events draw closer in only a few months’time.

For more information and updates, visit ALMA International Website and InfoComm Website.

Pink continues her Beautiful Trauma World Tour with Claypaky Scenius Unico and Mythos 2 fixtures shining a light on the American singer’s extraordinary talents. ACT Lighting, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Claypaky lighting in North America.
« As with all Pink shows the lighting design needs to be versatile,” says Baz Halpin of Burbank’s silentHOUSE who is the Lighting Designer/Production Designer and Director of the show. “Pink is equal parts rock show, theater show and aerial cirque show.

With so many facets to the treatment of each of the songs the lighting design and the fixtures chosen need to have enough flexibility to fulfill the needs of each discipline without sacrificing the qualities required. The fixtures needs to have enough punch and response for the highly-cued rock sections.
For the theatrical/dance sections the need for quality of subtle colors and even fields are more important, while for the aerial numbers the need for the fixtures to create a sufficient light level without ever blinding or dazzling is paramount. »

Halpin obtained 93 Scenius Unicos and 118 Mythos 2 for the tour from SOLOTECH. “Since late 2017 we have been enamored with the Scenious range,” he explains. “The Unico, as a well rounded multi-purpose fixture, I believe it is unmatched.
As a key light, a long-distance fixture and a powerful beam-based aerial fixture, the Unico in particular delivers at the highest level on all the demands I have place on it. The Mythos 2 is another fixture that we rely heavily on. As a universal small but powerful beam fixture it slots nicely into that category.”

Mythos 2 for aerial beams & graphics, Unicos for other needs

Halpin has mounted the Mythos 2 on automated trusses and pods over the stage. “These are primarily used as aerial beam fixtures for musical dynamics and creating graphic ‘pictures’,” he says.
“The Unicos are used for the majority of other needs: key and side lighting of performers, lighting and modeling of scenery and lighting of the aerial performers. The key factors that the Claypaky fixtures afford us are brightness, reliability, versatility and quality.”

Halpin notes that, “given the power of the fixtures we don’t make changes from Pink’s arena shows to stadiums. For the most part, the fixtures perform just as well in outdoor environments. Under the fantastic watch of Dean Roney and the team from SOLOTECH, the fixtures have been holding up very well. The care and attention that the lighting crew take in their work is exemplary.

According to Associate Lighting Designer Eric Marchwinski, “the toolset of the Unico provides exactly what we need for our application without overcomplicating the feature set.
The simplicity of the fixture design helps streamline the programming, and the versatility allows for a more unified look no matter the placement in the rig. Additionally, the Scenius line has always had the fastest optical train – zoom, iris, shutters – we have ever seen in a profile or spot unit. This opens the door for a lot of interesting musical programming opportunities outside of the typical or more common effects.”

More info on the Claypaky Website.

As an useful reminder, you can read our exclusive SoundLightUp extensive Scenius Unico test here.

The third floor of Taipei’s Nan Shan Plaza – the second tallest skyscraper in Taipei after Taipei 101 – has been created as a vast and open exhibition space. With ceilings at an impressive 8.5 metres in height, the venue occupies a total of 56 square metres but, features no beams or support columns, creating a challenge to any sound design proposal.

With the prestigious space earmarked by Taipei City Government to host an event cooperative to the New Year fireworks countdown, the challenging space required a sound system that was compact and stable, offering excellent sound performance, which to audio installation company, Imagepro System Technology Corp., Ltd., signalled Powersoft amplification.
Victor Shih of Powersoft’s distributor in Taiwan, Seapower Technology Co Ltd., working hand-in-hand with Imagepro’s Yung-Chin Hsu and the Plaza’s project leader Wen-Shan Tseng, planned and designed a discreet sound system in accordance with the requirements of the space, built around the efficiency of just three Powersoft amplifiers, controlled by Powersoft’s simple and easy-to-use, Armonía Pro Audio Suite software.

Armonía Pro Audio Suite software from Powersoft.

In just two months the team had created an audio environment with in-depth but simple control that delighted the customer.
The event management team within the Taipei Nan Shan Plaza, are, ‘very happy with high quality of the Powersoft products and the excellent sound performance.’

The main PA serving the exhibition hall is comprised of a left and right pair of Peavey VR-112 line-arrays featuring four cabinets per side, each flown with a VR-218F sub.
This high output array was matched with a single Dante enabled Powersoft X8 amplification system.

Amazing efficiency

Powersoft X8 amplifier: more than 40,000 W on 8 channels.

As Imagepro’s Yung-Chin Hsu explained, “We considered only the Powersoft X8 for this position, as the top amplifier in the world! Providing eight channels of up to 41,600W output power under the impedance of 2 Ohms: this is amazing efficiency that only Powersoft can reach so easily.”

Transforming the multi-functional space from an art exhibition hall into an arena with more punch, a further 16 Community DP8 pendant speakers are ceiling-flown. Powered by a Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D four-channel matrix amplifier, this supporting audio system can be mixed in with the main system for flexibility and high-quality added reinforcement for press conferences and larger events.

Stage monitoring

With stage monitoring also accommodated and powered by a single, highly efficient Powersoft M-Series M50Q DSP+ETH system – a leader in its class – the exhibition hall scales up in capability to host world-class exhibitions and concerts. Performers and audiences will enjoy the highest quality of audio no matter the size of scale of event due the overall sound quality animated by Powersoft amplification as well as the flexibility and control inherent to the Powersoft systems.

The patented Powersoft SRM (Smart Rails Management) technologyis featured in all Powersoft audio control systems, which maximises efficiency and drastically reduces power consumption in any load and usage conditions. Whilst Powersoft’s X Series leads the way in amplification with its innovative integration of a worldwide compatible power-box and a full feature DSP, Quattrocanali stands equally from the crowd, offering the lowest thermal dissipation in the industry, reducing the need for external cooling devices.

Advanced DSP capabilities

With the advanced DSP capabilities of the amplification linking seamlessly with Powersoft’s Armonía Pro Audio Suite software, the operator is granted in-depth control and monitoring of the full audio path.
With Armonía, a remote, decentralised location gives the ability to tailor the sound and manage the system.

However, within the venue, the easy-to-use Powersoft’s Armonía interface ensures the simple transition to each different audio set up as even non-technical operators can easily switch to the right audio configuration determined by the style and size of event.
This is a feature that ensures all events, including the recent New Year countdown fireworks, will dazzle and inspire.

More information on Powersoft Website.

Obsidian Control Systems and Capture Visualisation are excited to announce a new global partnership agreement to include a Capture license with every ONYX console, allowing all NX console owners immediate access to the popular and powerful lighting design and visualization software.
Every NX2 and NX4 lighting console will include a download of the latest version of Capture after a simple online registration.

Users will receive an unrestricted standard license of a Capture Edition depending on console type. All licenses are eligible for upgrades through Capture or any of its authorized resellers. Obsidian Control Systems and Capture Visualisation will be enhancing connectivity between ONYX and Capture over time for a seamless workflow and true plug-and-play experience, including synchronized patching and real-time autofocus.

Obsidian Control Systems product manager Matthias Hinrichs.

“Capture has been a great partner for Elation over the years and we look forward to strengthening this even further as we evolve the ONYX platform,” says Matthias Hinrichs, Obsidian Control Systems product manager .

“Visualization is an important part of the console programming workflow and we are happy to partner with this leading visualizer. The Capture team is great to work with and is fully dedicated to the visualization needs of the market. We know our users will benefit from the increased cooperation between our companies.”

Capture sales director Vangelis Manolis.

“The team at Obsidian Control Systems and the ONYX platform come with years of expertise in advanced lighting control so the decision to bundle a standard Capture license with every console feels rewarding,” adds Capture sales director Vangelis Manolis.
“It must also be rewarding for ONYX users since on top of visualization they will be able to work with design, reports, paperwork and presentation features, amongst others.

Elation has been a successful Capture reseller for years, and therefore we trust that the partnership with Obsidian Control Systems will also succeed in adding value when Capture and ONYX are used together by our mutual end users.”

Obsidian NX consoles range @ ISE 2019 in Amsterdam.

Obsidian Control Systems’ ONYX platform was launched in 2018 and has recently begun shipping the powerful and compact NX2 console to its customers.
At NAMM 2019, it introduced the next generation NX4 with enhanced playback options and motorized faders, a first in its class.

Capture 2018 is a comprehensive real-time lighting and video visualization software with world-class library support and rapidly growing user base.

For more information about ONYX and Capture visit www.obsidiancontrol.com and www.capture.se

Formed in 2003, Parkway Drive are an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay in New South Wales with an international following.
Fresh from back-to-back ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) no.1 spots, the band’s Reverence tour in support of their sixth studio album kicked off in Canberra in October 2018 and, hailed as their best live show to date, proved a total sensory overload.
Parkway Drive delivered their most fire laden show yet, which included a spinning, flaming drumkit and, of course, employed 16 Ayrton Ghibli LED spots for the main beam fixtures.

Lighting provider for the Australian leg of the tour was New South Wales-based ei Productions who purchased the Ayrton Ghibli units just prior to the start of the tour. “This was a complex show with lots of lighting, moving staging and pyro flames, and it relied heavily upon the Ghiblis to provide much of the lighting’s punchy looks,” commented Neale Mace, managing director of ei Productions.
“The fixtures were chosen by the band’s lighting designer, Steve Granville, after he heard we were looking at them, and I don’t think I’ve seen a light (especially an LED-based one) have so much punch and colour output, not to mention its zoom.”

Super bright with perfectly flat field

Granville positioned the Ghibli fixtures across three flown trusses where, Mace remarked, “they looked incredible! Having seen this show, I’ve never seen an LED based fixture that is as bright as the Ghibli.
They also have intense colours and can produce beautiful air / beam effects,” he added. “We didn’t actually use the motorised framing feature on this tour, but it’s great to know that we can also use them for front truss profile work when needed.”

LD Steve Granville agrees: “The Ghibli is the first LED profile fixture I’ve seen that is super bright and has a perfectly flat field that doesn’t drop off over a distance,” he says.
“The prism and zoom are nice, the gobos are really good, and the colour mixing is great. I didn’t get into the framing but had a play with it and would love to use it soon on a tour.”

ei Productions continually looks to expand and update it production inventory and, after seeing the new Ayrton products at some overseas trade shows, decided to add some Ayrton Ghibli units to its stock. The decision process was carefully researched as the team at ei looked at several options that would fulfil their requirements for an LED-based spot / profile that had motorised framing shutters, before deciding on Ayrton.

Few options on the market

“There are a few options on the market,” says Mace. “However, as we mostly look to comply with local and overseas lighting riders, we needed a product that was going to be universally accepted, and right now, Ayrton is an extremely popular brand with their products being used on lots of shows.
We also have experience with the Ayrton brand as we already own a lot of Ayrton MagicBlades which have been a rock solid product for us. “As usual, Show Technology (Ayrton’s exclusive distributor in Australia) has provided amazing sales support in getting us demo fixtures and answering any and all of our stupid questions!”

Steve Granville’s design for the huge and dramatic Parkway Drive rig featured a lot of firepower from other fixtures, but the Ghibli fixtures were able to hold their own: “The Ghiblis cut right through them, even in some of the rooms with higher trim height,” confirms Mace. “Out on a tour, they performed flawlessly every night and being trucked across four States and a Territory didn’t faze them a bit.
“The Ghiblis are amazing! There’s a lot to like about these fixtures and although this tour didn’t use all their features, it certainly proved to us (and anyone who saw the show) that they’re a great light and I know we’ll be ordering more.”

Pixel mapped Magic Blades

Also included in the Australian touring rig were 64 Ayrton Magic Blade-R fixtures which Granville ran in full extended mode, running the pixel mapper and content through the High End Hog. The manner in which they were setup was, in Steve’s words, ‘big and offensive’.

“The MagicBlades were arranged in a big block on touring frames and I got so many looks out of them,” he said. “It’s nice to have the options in extended mode where I can, for example, have them all on and use them to wash the stage, and then swap to just having a single cell on to give me a totally different look. I’ve had this design out for nearly two years, in one configuration or another, and I’m still finding new things to do with them. I will no doubt add them back into another design in the future.”

MagicBlade-R units set on fire every two minutes

Steve admits his MagicBlade-R units were quite badly treated on tour as they were rigged on touring frames, thrown around by their hydraulic lifts and nearly set on fire every two minutes!
But, he says, they were solid throughout with very few failures. “I think we toured Europe the last time with only two spares,” he added.

Parkway Drive’s Reverence tour travelled across Australia from October to November 2018 and is currently touring Europe until the end of February before transferring to America between April and May 2019.

More info on Ayrton fixtures here.

Adamson Systems Engineering has announced the appointment of professional audio industry veteran Marc Bertrand as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Bertrand will lead Adamson’s global operations from its headquarters in Port Perry, Ontario, as company Founder Brock Adamson assumes the role of Chairman.

“It’s a tremendous honour to be leading a company as respected and reputable as Adamson – especially amidst an exciting time of growth and continued innovation,” begins Marc Bertrand. “We have one of the most passionate partner networks I’ve ever seen, and close collaboration has led to considerable growth in key territories in recent years.
Their connection to the product and the people that support the network provides a solid foundation as we build on Brock’s vision and proven approach to manufacturing with a host of new products and innovations in 2019 and beyond.”

Marc Bertrand.

Bertrand spent a decade with Tannoy North America beginning in the mid-1990s, eventually serving as Managing Director for five years.
Then, in 2009, he became the CEO of TC Group Americas, overseeing a catalog of brands including Tannoy, TC Electronic, Lab.gruppen, Lake, and others through to 2016.

Following his time with TC Group Americas, Bertrand assumed an advisory role with Adamson before formally joining the company in November 2017 as Managing Director Americas, attracted by the entrepreneurial and energetic management team at Adamson.

James Oliver.

In his new role, Bertrand plans to continue building the Adamson brand in the vital North American market while maintaining its strong presence in Europe and supporting its growing Asia-Pacific market position.

“Since I joined Adamson, I’ve worked with Marc both in his role as CEO of TC Group Americas and within our organization. Together, we formalized Adamson’s system approach through the standardization of the Lab.gruppen infrastructure.
This experience led to Marc gaining a deep understanding of the needs of our network and Brock’s vision. Our history of working together will make it easy to support him as he transitions into his new role,” states James Oliver, Director of Marketing and Sales.

“The core group at Adamson is focused and skilled,” Bertrand adds. “Our ability to continue the exponential growth that the organization has experienced under the leadership of Brock Adamson is undeniable.”

Brock Adamson.

In closing, Brock Adamson comments: “In his time with Adamson thus far, Marc has proven that his esteemed reputation in our industry is well-earned, and that his strengths as a leader complement our direction for the future.”

Talking about future developments, Adamson Systems Engineering has already been very active indeed recently, with the launch of the new CS-Series, the world’s first family of mobile loudspeakers to feature onboard Class-D amplification, DSP, and Milan-ready (AVB) network endpoints. The CS7p was the first pathfinder early 2019, but it seems the Port Perry R&D guys have more to come, stay tuned…

More information on the Adamson Web site.

PLASA has announced a free-to-attend seminar covering the latest developments in the EU Ecodesign regulations on 28th February in Lille, France. The seminar is part of PlugFest, a technical event for lighting protocol interoperability, but is open to anyone who may be impacted by the regulations.
It will be presented by Adam Bennette (ETC) and Ludwig Lepage (Robert Juliat).

The Ecodesign lighting regulations have been looming over the stage and studio lighting sectors for several months, culminating in a vote at the EU Commission in December 2018.
Following the vote, the European Entertainment Ecodesign Coalition (a group of European entertainment associations) stated that “further exemptions for the live performance, lighting design and film sectors guarantee that the vast majority of stage and studio lighting can continue to be used.”

This statement will be explained further during the seminar in addition to sector-specific guidance and forecasts for the future.

To find out more and confirm your attendance please visit: plasa.me/ecodesignatplugfest and register free of charge for this seminar.

The rest of the Plugfest seminars, workshops and conferences, from February 26th to February 28th, is subject to regular payment and registering.

Following a successful launch at latest Namm show, Sennheiser confirms end of March availability of its new SK 6212 mini pocket transmitter, flagship of the Digital 6000 range. Designed for live applications, it provides a reliable transmission with high-grade audio quality.

« Ten years ago, the Sennheiser SK 5212 was established as a reference on the every stage in the world as being the smallest available UHF professional microphone transmitter », remembers Tom Vollmers, Sennheiser Professional Audio Senior Product Manager.

Tom Vollmers

« With the new SK 6212 digital transmitter, we write a new chapter. We’ve developed this mini-transmitter hand in hand with our main professional customers, so that it can win their approval thru all its qualities: compactness, efficient use of the spectrum and long battery life. »

The dream tool for artists, art directors and costumers…

The SK 6212 dimensions are only 63 x 47 x 20 millimeters for a mere 112 grams including battery, allowing it to be very discreet, hidden into stage costumes or wigs.

Moreover, the rounded corners and edges of the body and flexible replaceable antenna make the SK 6212 easy to adapt to delicate stage costumes and can be comfortably worn directly on the skin. Its metallic body allows it to resist moisture well.

And no need to worry about autonomy: the rechargeable lithium-polymer battery offers a running time of 12 hours, enough to allow artists and costumers to deploy all their magic on stage.

… and sound engineers and RF techies

Long before the show starts, the SK 6212 shows its effectiveness: it operates intermodulation-free and utilizes an equidistant frequency grid that enables more efficient use of the constantly shrinking available frequency spectrum.
Sound engineers will appreciate that, despite its miniature size, the transmitter offers a complete user interface with OLED display and buttons for functions.

The SK 6212 is equipped with a removable lithium-polymer (BA 62) rechargeable battery providing a running time of 12 hours. The recharge process goes thru a global rack charger L 6000 and the LM 6062 module.

The lithium-polymer BA 62 battery can be removed from the SK 6212 and recharged in the L 6000 rack thanks to a dedicated LM 6062 charging module.
Regarding audio, this transmitter includes the Sennheiser Digital Audio Codec (SeDAC) and long-range mode, also found in the Digital 9000 series. The SK 6212 is fully compatible with the series 6000 receivers, including the EK 6042 for cameras, and the Digital 9000 range receiver.

Tom Vollmers : « The SK 6212 will allow artists to fully concentrate on their performance because they’ll hardly feel its presence, whereas the sound engineer will be quieter thanks to the transmission reliability, the excellent audio quality, and the long running time. »

More information on the Sennheiser Web site.

With a continued focus on providing customers with superior service and high-quality products, SIXTY82, nicknamed The New Original manufacturer of next-generation trussing and staging systems, has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Codex Events for Luxembourg, and Electro Waves for Finland and Sweden.

Headquartered in Drachten, SIXTY82 has every component required to change the way that lightweight structural systems are used. With over 100 years of experience in the entertainment industry, the team of sixty82 is able to provide the growing demand for craftmanship and technical know-how.
They are committed to the continuation of innovative means of improving product and service, driven by a passion for their craft, to ensure their customers can continue to build incredible stuff.

Scandinavian waves

Electro Waves is a company that has positioned itself as one of the leaders in audio-visual technology, digital signage, and water technology. They offer first-class solutions and bold innovations to their extensive customer network.

“We are very happy with our newly formed partnership with Electro Waves,” says SIXTY82 CEO Fokko Smeding. “It will help strengthen market synergy for SIXTY82 as it creates a solid foundation to penetrate the Scandinavian market.”

SIXTY82 Executive Account Manager, Date Jonkman continues: “Electro Waves is a highly regarded and well-renowned distributor in the trussing and staging industry. Their team is well experienced and, with their expertise and support, we are confident that, together, we can create something special.”

Electro Waves’ knowledge of the market will be invaluable in supporting SIXTY82 to provide Scandinavian customers with suitable solutions to their requests and a service that is second to none. The appointment will leverage SIXTY82’s extensive product range to address the Scandinavian market.

Miko Nurkki, CEO of Electro Waves, comments: “In order to offer our customers holistic, quality solutions, we have gathered the best partners around us – SIXTY82 shares our passion as innovative forerunners and as professionals implementing unique solutions in an ever-changing world. They are a highly versatile, progressive and innovative manufacturer with a big future. So we are proud to be able to use our expertise to put them on the Scandinavian map”.

Codex values

The agreement will enable both companies to cater to the growing demand for high-quality trussing and staging products and solutions.
With their wide product offerings, knowledge of the market and focus on local and technical service, Codex is a real asset to the distribution network of SIXTY82.

As Patrick Risch, CEO of Codex, comments: “Together with the team we have unanimously chosen SIXTY82 as our exclusive trussing and staging brand because they deliver unrivalled quality and top-class support. In addition to the strong points of know-how, flexibility, and an extensive engineering department, SIXTY82 brings innovations which are trend-setting.”

Due to the matching values of Codex and SIXTY82, both companies predict a great future for this partnership.

Johnny Marr, one of the UK’s most prolific songwriters, producers, and collaborators has been on the road again, this time with his fourth solo studio album, Call the Comet.
The former founding lead guitarist of The Smiths has forged a shining solo career since his debut album in 2013, bringing his latest UK journey to a stellar conclusion with a sold-out date at EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney), London, which boasts the first permanent installation of L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology in a European live music venue.

Johnny Marr in lighting rays.

For Marr’s Front of House Engineer, Russ Miller, this was his first date with L-ISA, and his post-show report was glowing: “I was blown away by it,” Russ Miller states. “The separation is unbelievable, without it feeling like it’s separate sources. At sound check our backline techs were amazed: we had people just walking around the venue listening; it sounded the same from front to back and from side to side.”

Miller was contacted prior to the gig by EartH’s Alessandro Melchior, Sound Engineer, and was pleased to have a day in the venue before the show to work with some virtual sound-check material. “You can’t be afraid of new technology,” says Miller. “I say just get involved and see what it can do.”

L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology uses spatial audio processing to position up to 96 sound objects in three dimensions inside a performance space. The EartH L-ISA Frontal system comprises five hangs of seven Kara and a central sub system of four KS28 flown in end-fire configuration in front and above the central Kara hang.
Ten X8 enclosures are positioned along the stage lip for front fill. 12 Syva make up the surround system—four per side—mounted along the left, right, and rear walls. An overhead system of eight ceiling-mounted X8 completes the installation.

Russ Miller, Front of House Engineer.

‘Miller decided to make the most of L-ISA and move to a more object-based mix for the show: “We’ve got the two-channel show to a point where, input-wise and processing-wise, I have the kick, snare, bass, and lead vocals in the centre of the mix with effects specifically to give the lead vocal more width.
I then push the guitars and ‘keyboard’ elements out to the side and use delay cabinets where the precedence effect happens [the Haas region] to clear space for the central elements.

Stereo illusion and mono compatibility

This creates a stereo illusion and gives mono compatibility even when the speaker stacks are a long way apart, so you get pseudo stereo without the old ‘disappearing guitar’ problem when a listener is right in front of the cabinets one side. But switching to L-ISA and not having to jump through hoops to get the separation was amazing. With L-ISA, if you put the vocal in the centre, it’s in the centre and not a phantom centre.”

The Call the Comet tour uses DiGiCo SD11 consoles, sharing SD Rack I/O. In this instance, Miller’s FOH SD11 was connected to EartH’s in-house DiGiCo SD12, giving him more real estate to play with and allowing him to get creative with L-ISA. DiGiCo consoles now have natively integrated L-ISA Source Control functionality, so Miller was able to pan from the console, while Melchior provided support on the L-ISA Controller software.

In addition of taking advantage of L-ISA spatialization to place sound objects to reflect their actual physical location on stage, Miller decided to make full use of L-ISA’s three-dimensional processing for a psychedelic moment in the Marr set.

“Johnny has a song on the new album called “New Dominions”. It has a break-down section in the middle that comes down to just bass and drums, and then Johnny comes in and there are delay throws where I change the delay time so that it creates a pitch change. It’s an old trick, but it works for this.”

Trippy and psychedelic

At EartH, Miller took the stereo delay output and sent it to the house console where they could ‘play’ the L-ISA Pan, Width, Depth, and Elevation parameters. “I said let’s go crazy and throw it around – send it over people, to the back, all around,” says Miller. “Johnny always said it should be trippy and psychedelic. It worked incredibly well.”

At EartH, Miller felt that a significant benefit of L-ISA was the exceptional inherent sound quality achieved with minimal effort: “I often have to work with the bottom end to reduce a problem, so you get used to going into venues and wondering what you will have to deal with for that show,” he explains.
“Then, when you’re faced with a really well set-up system, you have to take a moment and think ‘Am I hearing things? I don’t have to do anything.’

“EartH was a step on from that. It was balanced, yes, but felt full range. It didn’t feel like the subs were tacked on; it felt deeper. There’s articulation down there, so it’s easier to separate bass and kick; you can pinpoint things that you just couldn’t hear before.”

Bringing clarity to the soundscape

In what might have otherwise been a challenging space, multiple discrete physical full range sources create a wide sweet spot, bring clarity to the soundscape, and lift a burden from the drivers.

“After only about four minutes of putting stuff through the PA I realised that this system is a solution to a very old problem,” Miller concludes. “It’s a big move into bringing down sound levels so you’re not smashing people in the face, but you’re still producing something that excites and intoxicates the audience.

This technology is amazing, it’s not going away, and it can only become more popular.”

More info on L-Acoustics L-ISA.

Fred Foster, ETC co-founder and CEO has passed away at the age of 61. Foster was a visionary, an innovator, and a role model.
The ETC culture of family, support, and encouragement is attributed to Foster and his vision of a creating a people-focused environment.
It’s difficult to put into words what it has been like to work for and with such an inspiring leader

One of Foster’s greatest qualities was his ability to bring people together and rally them around a goal or a vision. Whether it was a new product technology, a tradeshow booth design, or an employee meeting space, he was always creating, always making, and always giving. His ideas were big, and his heart bigger.

Foster is credited with countless industry contributions ranging from product innovations to student mentorship programs. He has been recognized repeatedly for his philanthropy from a number of organizations.

Foster announced his cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2015 and went through extensive treatment to prolong his life. Foster died peacefully surrounded by family and loved ones. Both of his children, daughter Kate Foster and son James Foster, as well as his wife, Susan Foster, are employed at ETC.

You can read more about Foster and his life of giving on the ETC Website.

Ayrton is delighted to welcome Linnea Ljungmark as the latest addition to its expanding international sales team. Based in Sweden, Linnea will be responsible for Ayrton across the whole of Scandanavia, the Baltic and Benelux countries and the Iberian peninsula.

From left to right, Chris Ferrante, Linnea Ljungmark & Michael Althaus.

Linnea brings to Ayrton a lifetime of experience in the industry, having spent the majority of her working life at Intersonic AB, the family-run distribution company founded by her father Per Olof Jlungmark in 1997.

Ayrton: family business.

“I’ve worked with my father for as long as can remember, first in the office and at local trade shows, and later as general manager of the newly acquired lighting distribution company, One Two Sales,” Linnea says.

The late Valère Huard

During this time Linnea gained in-depth experience in the Scandinavian market and a long association with Ayrton through Intersonic’s distribution of the brand. “I have fond memories of Valère Huard with whom I worked closely and who typified Ayrton’s approach to business,” she says.
“To join Ayrton is a dream come true because the company has everything I love: well organized, good management, high quality products and a very interesting marketing position – on the way to the top whilst remaining down to earth and ‘rock n roll’ at the same time.
“We are delighted Linnea has joined our international sales team,” says Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s Global Sales Director. “This is a time of rapid growth and increased activity for Ayrton and Linnea is a very welcome addition to the team. Her expertise, energy and enthusiasm will be invaluable asset to Ayrton’s adventure going forward and we are excited to welcome her on board.”

Ghibli: innovative example of Ayrton’s portfolio of LED moving fixtures

“Ayrton has always had a great team, and there is fantastic company culture of employing people from all around the globe. Ayrton is a multicultural, very modern, international company on a very interesting path.
I wanted to join a manufacturer that was truly international, and it is the energy in the company, the quality of the products, and the capacity of R&D and production that made me want to join Ayrton”, adds Ljungmark.

“With the new range of high capacity workhorse fixtures, we are a real game changer and these are exciting times for sure. I believe Ayrton is the coolest and best lighting brand there is today!”

More info on Ayrton Website.

Meyer Sound has introduced M-Noise, a new test signal that will promote standardized measurement of a loudspeaker system’s maximum linear output.

A mathematically derived test signal that effectively emulates the dynamic characteristics of music, M-Noise enables a far more accurate measurement of a loudspeaker system’s linear peak SPL in any application requiring reproduction of musical content.

The mathematical formula for generating M-Noise(M for Meyer or for Music?) was derived following extensive spectral analysis of a wide variety of music program material. In particular, the analysis measured the varying crest factors in music, and how these measurements compared to pink noise (crest factor is the difference between the average and instantaneous peak levels of a signal).

One can easily see in this diagram the difference between the crest factor in filtered pink noise and M-Noise, with progressive enhancement of the high frequencies above 500 Hz. The upper curves characterise different types of music.

It was discovered that the crest factors of music and pink noise were similar at frequencies below 500 Hz, but with music exhibiting a steadily rising crest factor at higher frequencies.

For Pablo Espinosa (VP Meyer Sound) : « It’s vital to have an accurate and consistently repeatable way to measure the linear peak SPL of a loudspeaker when reproducing music. Pink noise may get you in the ballpark but you still could be off by 6 dB or more when you switch to music program.

However, if you measure your maximum level using M-Noise, following our recommended procedures, you will know for certain your real-world limit for sustained, linear and full-bandwidth music reproduction. The procedure is consistent and repeatable, and it gives you full confidence that your system will have the headroom required for accurate reproduction of dynamics without compression. »

Additional information and a free download of the M-Noise file are available on Meyer Sound’s dedicated M-Noise web site.. File format is 96 kHz WAV with a size of 10.2 MB. Playing time is 53 seconds but playback can be looped indefinitely.

Regarding videos

Schematics of the measurement chain used.

The principle is: recording the transfer function of the system in linear activity, then pushing the level up until the transfer function if distorted in one or several areas of the bandwith (compared to the reference one), and write down the average and crest levels at this very moment.

Measurement principle taken from the distorsion of the transfer function, compared to the one monitored in perfectly liner activity.

To obtain reliable measurements with maximum coherence and correlation between the output signal and the measured signal, it is necessary to free oneself as much as possible from reflections and noises during the placement, which implies a test microphone at relative close distance (except in an anechoic chamber), and of course from any distorsion in the measurement chain. The microphone and its pre-amplifier, to begin with, must be able to accept very loud SPLs with very minimal distorsion, and of course not exceed the admissibles values of the analyser, to obtain function values not altered by the measurement process.

The accuracy and consistency of results will depend on the type and quality of the test equipment (as specified in the video) and adherence to the proper measurement procedures.
M-Noise was introduced to many audio professionals as a concluding point of the Heyser Memorial Lecture by President and CEO John Meyer at the 145th AES Convention in New York last fall.

More information on the Meyer Sound Website.

Launched on the Harman booth (as Martin is part of this large AV group) at the ISE show in Amsterdam a few days ago, the new compact Martin moving head fills a gap in the Spot range of the Danish manufacturer.
Indeed, the worldwide known success MAC 250, dating from the golden period when this spot had complemented the legendary MAC 500, didn’t then had a successor at Martin with such a level of popularity, even though the Mac 250 Entour, with a look of its own, had a nice career some time later.

In the center, between the Mac Allure Profile and the ELP profile projectors, the new Era 300 Profile Martin.

Led replacement for the MAC 250

As a result, the Era 300 allows to switch to led technology for those who want a compact Spot to replace the MAC 250, with even more functions, while remaining (very) slighty under the 4,000 € tag (list price).

Era 300 Profile, 260 W of white leds, CMY, almost 10,000 lumens and gobos choice inspired by the Viper: a small vitaminized Spot.

The range of Martin led moving spots is now divided in 3 levels. The upper one is declined in 4 different models of Mac Encore, in WRM (warm white, tungsten emulation) or CLD (cold white, TV studio, touring and more), and either in Framing Profile Spot or Wash.
The Mac Allure, soon to be delivered in a few weeks in its definitive version, does propose a very original concept with its 7 segments led engine. Last but not least, for more common cases, the Era 300 Spot should address most of the day-to-day mid-size venues or events.

Functions and compromises

See for yourself: 260 W 6,500K white led module, first wheel of 7 rotating/indexable gobos with Shake effects, second wheel with 9 fixed gobos, CMY color mixing (another evolution compared to the more “basic” Mac250), plus additional color wheel, iris, 3-facet rotating prism.
To stay in comparisons between old and new world, it should be noted that, under almost the same format as its widespread ancestor, its light output now approaches the 10,000 lumens tag, formerly reserved for much bigger lamp fixtures.
Comparing functions, the zoom is a strong point for a compact machine like this, even if limited to a quite small excursion 13° to 28°, there we see the light output optimisation/manufacturing quality/price compromise. In the same idea, the CRI of 70 clearly indicates this was designed mainly for Touring or high-range Club installation use.

Similar graphic combinations

Last strong point of the Era 300 Spot, the LD or techie used to bigger beasts will find it more familiar, the gobos choice is very much inherited from the Viper. This leads us to say that a multiple lighting design with several fixtures of different power can now be considered as a whole with the same “family look” of aerial beams and figures.

This model is announced as available Q2-2019.

More info on the Martin website.