The current Beautiful Trauma world tour by US rock star Pink is benefiting from the Philips Vari-Lite VL6000 Beam luminaire. Lighting designer Baz Halpin is employing the fixture to provide dramatic punctuations to the energetic and spectacular production.

“This is a hybrid between a very theatrically-lit show and a punchy rock and roll show,” says Halpin. “The fixtures chosen needed to be able to live between those two worlds. We were specifically looking for a fixture that could cut through the brightness of the LED screen and act as a powerful rear side-light to dramatically draw attention to the action.”
The VL6000 Beam fixtures are grouped together on two giant, actuated arms that hang over the stage. “We tightly clustered the fixtures in groups of three to give them a unique personality in the context of the rest of the lighting rig,” says Halpin.

Le VL 6000 Beam Philips Vari Lite

Halpin and associate lighting designer Eric Marchwinski were drawn to the VL6000 Beam not only for its specific “helicopter searchlight” effect, but also for the versatility and brightness which would give them design options throughout the show.
“They are powerful enough to cut through the immense amount of light generated from the LED screen, which is a big help when trying to draw attention to people or props on stage,” says Halpin, adding, “The power and the optics of the VL6000 are among the best in the rig… I hope to use more of them in the future.”

Martin Palmer, Philips Vari-Lite Product Manager for Signify, says, “This is another great application for the unique looks and power of the VL6000 Beam. It has the output to register against the brightest backgrounds, the flexibility to serve a variety of design requirements and the physical presence to look great as part of any rock and roll set design.”

Signify became the new company name of Philips Lighting as of May 16, 2018. The legal name of Signify will be adopted across all global markets in the course of 2018-2019. Signify’s Entertainment Lighting Group comprises the Philips Vari-Lite, Philips Strand Lighting and Philips Selecon brands, as well as the Philips Showline range of LED stage luminaires.

More on the Signify website and the Philips website

Ayrton is extremely proud that lighting designer, Jerry Appelt, chose more than 700 Ayrton fixtures for his stellar design at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Appelt chose not to incorporate any video element in the show, instead returning to a lighting-based design in which Ayrton fixtures were a key creative feature adding depth, architecture and variety to the visuals. With over 2000 fixtures using 300 universes and 150,000 channels, Eurovision is the biggest production in the world and demands the highest production levels.

“The exemplary cooperation with Ayrton was vital for the success of the show and the almost 800 fixtures from Ayrton gave Jerry an important addition to his toolbox, enabling him to create a magnificent, multi-layered design that was absolutely needed to master this beast without having LED screens or any other video canvas in our set up,” says ESC Head of Production, Ola Melzig. “And guess what, we did not miss video for a second of the whole eight hours of spectacular broadcasts we created in the wonderful city of Lisbon.”

© Ralph-Larmann

With so many unique performances in one night calling for a different look for each one, Appelt needed fixtures that would give him plenty of variety and choice, and the ability to mix it up for each number. He also needed fixtures that would deliver total reliability in the huge rig, and under live conditions with such a large global viewing numbers.

Appelt, who has lit the ESC extravaganza for three consecutive years, chose Ayrton because the entire product mix offered exactly what he needed for such an ambitious project: small, lightweight, powerful lights with a great optical efficiency and, moreover, absolute reliability. “This all matters not only for my creative work but also in terms of a hassle-free production, load, static, power consumption, output, service and labour cost, etc, none of which should be forgotten, despite not being visible on stage,” confirms Appelt.
The aesthetic surrounding the deep circular stage of Florian Wieder’s ambitious set relied upon the three-dimensional interplay between strong backlighting, a series of flowing wooden vertical ribs and a back wall of 351 Ayrton MagicPanel™FX fixtures rigged on a custom-built aluminium wall, fabricated and installed by Ampco Flashlight.

© Ralph-Larmann

MagicPanel-FX is a 5×5 LED matrix fixture with Ayrton’s revolutionary optical zoom system delivering a 3.5°- 53° beam spread, and continuous pan and tilt capability. Its square lenses offer exciting design possibilities from interaction with beam shape and colour blending to create unique 2D graphic and 3D volumetric effects.
The MagicPanel-FX were used to create a large variety of effects that gave bespoke looks for each entry of the 43 countries taking part. This included using the face of the MagicPanel-FX to make starcloth-style twinkles, pixel-mapping effects and run video layers to act as a low resolution video wall, as well as dramatic beam effects through the scenic ribs.
Ampco Flashlight installed the wall with millimetre accuracy, using laser guidance precision to position each of the MagicPanel-FX fixtures to ensure perfect symmetry. “We were able to make some great looks with the MagicPanel-FX which were key to the architecture of the design and added great depth to camera shots,” says Appelt.
“The MagicPanel-FX wall was used very subtly with no temptation to blast the audience with their full power,” says Marc van der Wel, co-production director with Marco de Koff, for Ampco Flashlight. “Jerry used them in a way which was appropriate to each act, with maximum effect delivering a totally different look for each performance.

“On some numbers a scrim was dropped in between the wall and the artist, and the depth effect from a combination of the MagicPanel-FX and the LED strips on the wooden ribs was amazing. It goes to show the quality of the lighting designer and what these fixtures can do in the hands of an artist like Jerry.”

© Ralph-Larmann

Also embedded in the back wall, interspersed among the MagicPanel-FX were 64 Ayrton Mistral™-TC LED spot fixtures which were used to create powerful rays of light that emerged from the deep end of the stage through the entire arena.
“This was the most surprising and convincing fixture onsite for me”, comments Appelt on his experiences with the Mistral-TC. “I would have never expected such a relatively small-looking, light LED spotlight to have such a convincing output and vast range of features. Even the quality of light is second to none.”

Ninety-six of Ayrton’s newly released MiniPanel™FX units – a miniaturised 2×2 configuration of the MagicPanel-FX- were embedded in two rows around the sloping front fascia of the main stage facing the audience. “The MiniPanel-FX were just the right size for this and gave a beautiful effect,” says van der Wel.

©Ralph-Larmann

“Those Minipanel-FX fixtures fitted really well into the shape of the stage, arranged in two lines with a railcam in between, and were instrumental in transporting the look and idea from the backwall to the mainstage,” added Matthias Rau, ESC Technical Manager Lighting and Production Gaffer.

“The diversity of use was especially important in making every song look different: big beams with 4 dots, wash effects or single small dots as twinkle effect. The zoom is the biggest advantage in that ‘tiny’ yet powerful fixture – combined with fast movements for fast effects out of the stage – MiniPanel-FX could do it all.”

Out in the auditorium, the balcony fronts above the audience were rigged with 112 Ayrton Ghibli luminaires which were used for key lighting. Ghibli is Ayrton’s first LED spot luminaire that is factory-equipped with a 100% framing system. It is calibrated at 7,500K and delivers 23,000 lumen output with high TMI30/CRI readings and a fantastic 7°-56° beam spread.

“As with all Ayrton fixtures, Ghibli has a really nice output, colour temperature and colour intensity, all of which made an especially nice impression and proved a good choice,” says van der Wel. Rau agrees: “Ghibli are great fixtures which gave us no problems onsite and were really reliable, with DMX-Modes that proved especially efficient in terms of optimum channel usage.”

© Ralph-Larmann

Thirty Ayrton MagicDot™SX fixtures outlined the outer edges of the circular downstage catwalks and were introduced to increase the dynamic with mid-air effects. An additional 60 Ayrton NandoBeam™S6 fixtures were used in three lines for backlighting the audience in the infield. “With such a high output these LED washlights were perfect for the higher truss-trim in that area,” comments Rau. “The wide zoom spread meant we could transition from beam effects to a nice wash using the same luminaires.”

The Ayrton fixtures were supplied and installed by Ampco Flashlight along with the full lighting, rigging (including the customised backwall), motion control and video package. “I have to say the Ayrton fixtures are absolutely 100% reliable,” says van der Wel. “We did not have to replace any Ayrton fixtures in the full five and a half week production. It is very good equipment. Jerry Appelt is such a precise man and made such careful choices of his fixtures to gather a portfolio that worked so well together for his huge design.”

© Ralph-Larmann

Project directors Marc van der Wel and Marco de Koff, and senior project manager, Ruud Werkhoven, worked together with local Portuguese company, Pixel Light to get everything in place. “It was a pleasure to work with Jerry’s team and experience his professionalism in a project which has the highest production levels and hits the boundaries of possibility for networking,” says van der Wel.
“It was a complex, challenging production – technically, artistically and politically – and very exciting for our people to be involved. We had good service and support from the manufacturers including technicians from Ayrton. We learned a lot and had great fun!”

“And I do not want to miss this opportunity to thank Ayrton for all their professionalism, both in their products and their team on site”, concludes Appelt.

More information can be found at Ayrton website

St. Paul held its annual Winter Carnival from January 25th to February 10th, a winter tradition that the Twin Cities area has been celebrating since 1886! This year’s celebration was especially well attended as it happened to coincide with the throngs of guests in the area to celebrate the 2018 Super Bowl.
The St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation of Minnesota brought event production company Showcore in to design and run the event’s nightly light shows, which included illumination of a 70-foot tall ice palace using Elation Professional IP65-rated lighting.

The massive St. Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palace was built out of ice blocks harvested from a lake in Minnesota and constructed in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul. Showcore used Elation SixBar 1000 IP™ LED battens within the structure to glow the palace walls; IP65-rated Proteus Beam™ moving heads to shoot moving pillars of light from the tops of the towers; and Arena Zoom Q7 IP™ PAR color changers to uplight elaborate ice sculptures carved throughout the run of show. Josh Wabaunsee of Showcore served as lead lighting designer on the project.

Showcore is based locally in the Twin Cities area and has worked with the Winter Carnival for the last four years, this year handling everything from lighting plot design to programming, installation, and nightly board operation. “Our role was to make the ice palace light up in colorful themed looks depending on the celebration of the night, and to provide scheduled time-coded light shows to prerecorded songs that would play in the park,” stated Showcore’s Chris LeBlanc. “We were also responsible for lighting sponsor signs and banners, as well as all of the ice sculptures that are carved over the course of the second week.”
The SixBar 1000 IPs – one-meter long color-changing battens with 6-color LED multi-chips – were mounted to the scaffolding inside the ice palace’s tower walls along ground level and used to uplight the inside of the ice blocks. “Any time there was a change in architecture, such as the second and third inner layers of the tall towers, we added another layer of SixBars inside to uplight that layer of ice,” said LeBlanc.

Over 80 SixBar fixtures were used throughout the palace within the towers and behind the audience-facing ice walls. “They provided a nice, even glow throughout the palace at night and allowed us to change the color of the entire palace with the push of a button on the console,” LeBlanc explained. “The ice was emanating light from within and it gave an otherworldly appearance. We were also able to chase light any direction throughout the palace towers, which allowed us to ‘swirl’ light around in 3D space during the timecode-synced pieces.”

The SixBars allowed the design team to build themed looks quickly for special themed nights. When the American Heart Association introduced the programming one evening, Showcore created a pumping red look by chasing the SixBars slowly like the pulse of a heart. LeBlanc says it was essential to have the flexibility to turn the entire palace different colors quickly.
The SixBar’s multi-environmental protection design is popular among rental companies that work outdoor events as it provides protection against the elements while eliminating the need for weatherproof coverings. LeBlanc comments, “The IP rating certainly helped, given the unforgiving environment of zero degree weather with fixtures encased in ice for two weeks and getting snowed on from above. Despite that impossible environment and blowing the doors off of what any normal IP rating can promise, we had no malfunctioning in any of the SixBar fixtures. I can’t recommend putting any fixtures in that environment, but the SixBars performed exceptionally well.”

Showcore also incorporated effects from Elation’s award-winning Proteus Beam moving head, 2-degree beam lights that also carry a fully weatherproof IP65 rating. The narrow beam effects were used to project animated pillars of light from the tops of the ice palace’s six towers. “We could use them as beacon lights that shot white beams straight up from the towers, or we could make them move and paint the inside of the tower tops to music,” LeBlanc stated, adding that since the fixtures were installed in the tops of the ice towers, they had to lower two of the Proteus fixtures into the highest towers using construction cranes.
“The beams produced by the Proteus fixtures looked amazing, catching the snow and ice blowing around in the night sky,” LeBlanc stated, adding that the pillars of light could be seen for blocks away. “Since it was a celebration of winter, having lights that highlighted the snow and ice in the air really completed the look.”

One of the biggest draws of the St. Paul Winter Carnival is the ice carving contests, where carvers create amazing and intricate statues out of ice blocks over the course of several days. Some of the carvers are outside for days in temperatures close to zero degrees to carve their designs in time. At night, Showcore used the Arena Zoom Q7 IP color changers to uplight the sculptures and add dramatic color to the pieces. “We needed a powerful fixture with RGB color flexibility that could light a large sculpture using only one or two fixtures while contributing to the artist’s scene.”

Showcore not only had to meet the challenge of creating spectacular lighting environments, they had to deal with the cold and weather that a Minnesota winter is famous for.
“It was one of the harshest environments you could put a light fixture in since most of them were surrounded by ice but still exposed to snow from above and gusty, freezing wind,” said LeBlanc, who added that throughout the event the average temperature was 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 Celsius) with a low of 9 degrees below zero Fahrenheit one day (-23 Celsius). “We asked a lot of the fixtures to say the least and had very few issues with our gear related to the weather.”

Showcore personnel had to power cycle the Proteus Beams a couple of times, LeBlanc acknowledges, but says the fixtures snapped right back into action once restarted. The SixBars and Arena Pars had zero mechanical issues, he reports, an admirable record given the environment. “The Winter Carnival is a celebration of harsh weather and the IP-rated fixtures from Elation handled everything January in Minnesota could throw at them,” he states.
For LeBlanc, the highlight of the show was the first night, where everything came together for a great opening ceremony and light show. “We kicked off the show with our light show to Prince’s ‘Let’s Go Crazy,’ along with a pyrotechnics accompaniment. It was a great show and it all came together as planned with a massive spectacle and party in the freezing cold. It was an honor to be involved with such a unique local celebration.”

More information on the Elation website

Studer Core 1000

HARMAN Professional Solutions has announced significant upgrades to the Studer Infinity Core Mixing Processor, utilizing Moore’s Law benefits to increase processing power with new models offering 300, 600 and 1000 MEQ channels, and the new Studer Compact Infinity Core, providing Studer processing in a compact 2RU frame with 300 and 600 MEQ versions, each with 4 A-link ports and redundancy.

The new Studer Compact Core 600

The new Infinity Core models utilize Intel E5 Xeon CPUs, which provide 50% more processing power than previous models.

The CoreLink PCIe card

To complete the Infinity Core lineup, Studer has also launched its groundbreaking Compact CoreLink Card, which can turn a COTS server into an Infinity Mixing Processor by the addition of a PCIe card, providing 4 A-Link connections.
The full range of Infinity Core processing options all work flawlessly with the newly launched Vista 5 Black Edition as well as the highly successful Vista X and Vista V consoles.
Studer Infinity Cores are renowned for their performance in critical broadcast applications, where large production processing requirements benefit from the assurance of advanced redundancy features.

Mark Hoskings

“We’re thrilled to be able to deliver these next generation Infinity Cores, following through on our promise to harness the full potential of the CPU-based processing platform.
We’re now delivering more processing power at no additional cost and extending the scope of the Infinity series to both lower channel count and more cost sensitive applications right up to the very highest processing demands that our customers expect,” says Mark Hosking, Director, Broadcast Sales at HARMAN Professional Solutions.
“When you have those larger applications that really push the envelope in processing power demands, it’s good to know you’ve got the processing technology to back you up.”

With the increasing number of global live productions, requiring the mobile flexibility of OB-Van mixing support, the new Studer Compact Infinity Core serves a rapidly growing need – full Core processing and redundancy that can work in stricter space limitations.

Bradley Drummond

“The interest so far in the new Compact Infinity Core has been amazing,” says Bradley Drummond, HARMAN Professional Solutions, Director of Hospitality Marketing.

“Most broadcast vans are so limited on space that they could never utilize the features of a full Infinity Core processor.
So we studied the problem and discovered that 4 A-Link ports serves the needs of most mobile-processed productions, which allowed us to significantly shrink the enclosure footprint, yet still maintain other critical full Core features.”

More information on Harman website.

A key element in the wide-ranging design and structural renewal at ADB is unquestionably the launch of a number of innovative new products. The innovations incorporate cutting-edge technology, with products such as Klemantis and Oksalis, which have fundamentally reshaped the LED concept, as well as solid tradition, with the launch of the Lexpert line of white-light LED fixtures for theater lighting.

Besides these professional lighting products, ADB recently released an updated enhanced version of its well-known Hathor software, intended not only for the numerous lighting operators who already successfully use the system, but also for everyone wanting to try it for the first time. Hathor has always been known for its outstanding reliability, and now it features a continually updated fixture library and a special video tutorial and technical assistance service.
A new logo accompanies the market launch of Hathor 2.0, whose extensive functionalities make it a firmly forward-looking system. Together with the new version of Hathor, ADB has launched Wily! – an invaluable and practical smart tool for remote control (via iPad or iPhone) developed by the young French company Pangolab, and that’s not all!

ADB is posting a series of English- and French-language tutorials on its new YouTube channel. In the tutorials, an expert operator explains in detail how to use the Hathor system on ADB lighting control desks.

Hathor 2.0

Designed with Theaters and Opera House in mind, HATHOR has always been offering a user friendly and comfortable programming environment, with an impressive multi-users networked architecture, a unique drag’n drop function along with right-click contextual menus, an advanced track window with extensive overview of recorded intensities and moving light parameters, that makes immediate editing possible.

Recently, ADB has released version 2.0 of its renowned lighting software, with the following main new features:

• Over 10,000 templates with bi-weekly updates independent from software updates
• Fixed faders in submasters not included in page management like Playbacks with IN&OUT
• Grand Master, Independents, and Fields
• Innovative HSI colors handled by a Color Picker
• The exclusive Park Function, by Device or by Parameter.

WILY! – Exclusive software for Hathor

Wily! synthesizes the best of hardware and software in an elegant and practical virtual console. Mobile, scalable, and modular, Wily! gives you access to a level of control over Hathor lighting software never achieved before.
The Wily! console can be used alone or as an extension of a conventional console. Wily! interfaces with a computing unit that runs the Hathor software. It is a computer that can be found in several forms: independent tower, laptop or included in a hardware console. Once connected to the computing unit, Wily! behaves like the front panel of a classic lighting console.

Tutorials on YouTube
ADB is working on a series of in-depth video tutorials on using Hathor software on ADB lighting desks. Some of them are already available online and provide a valuable guide for users who want to explore all the benefits and features of Hathor and ADB lighting desks fully.

Work is nearing completion on other important initiatives to support ADB users and promote our products among lighting professionals all over the world. Stay tuned!

For more, please visits

• The ADB Stage Light Website
• The ADB YouTube channel
• The Pangolab website

“Nouvelles Pièces Courtes” is a collection of short contemporary dance pieces, created in May 2017 by world-renowned French choreographer Philippe Decouflé and his Compagnie DCA. Each piece tells a different story, which in turn calls for a very separate visual identity to each work.

©Laurent Philippe

“My interest in the short form comes to me via rock’n roll: short, efficient tracks gaining in power what they lose in duration,” says Philippe Decouflé. “For me this system works well for dance, where the composition is often more poetic than narrative, where the format needs to be adapted to its subject, to go through different worlds in a same programme and take the pleasure to get lost.”

©Laurent Philippe

Lighting designer Begoña Garcia-Navas used Robert Juliat fixtures to complement each different dance piece through her use of lighting, choosing 20 Robert Juliat Dalis 860 Cyclight LED batten fixtures to light the massive cyclorama backdrop, and Robert Juliat profiles, including 613SX, 614SX, 713SX and 714SX fixtures, as conventional lighting.

Garcia-Navas also specified three RJ followspots, with the models changing according to which venues the company visits. “In France we use Robert Juliat equipment enormously,” she says. “They are so reliable, ergonomic and practical, and the light rendering is of good quality.”

For “Nouvelles Pièces Courtes”, Begoña Garcia-Navas positioned ten Dalis 860 Cyclight LED battens in the grid and a further ten at stage level, with a minimum distance from the back wall of 40/50cm depending on available space at each venue. From these positions the Dalis were able to cover the 6.5m tall drop with smooth, even colour.

©Laurent Philippe

Begoña Garcia-Navas says her inspiration for the cyclorama ambiance came from the paintings of Mark Rothko, from which she developed a theme based on two-coloured backgrounds.
Using the Dalis fixtures, she created a series of dramatic imagery with the dancers’ bodies framed as stunning silhouettes, formed by the use of strong backlight, against perfectly smooth colours that range from pastel to saturated, solid or graduated.

She selected her Dalis fixtures carefully after trying out several options. “Initially we used some architectural LED fixtures, and then tried around 60 tungsten fixtures with colour gel filters, but I was not satisfied with the result,” says Begoña. “I decided to compare some LED battens and, over several tests, was finally convinced that the Robert Juliat Dalis was the one I wanted.

“Everything about Dalis – the colour quality, smoothing, gradation and colour blends – were by far the best on the list of fixtures we compared. But while the colour possibilities are a great advantage, the determining factor for me in making my final choice was Dalis’s power and brightness.”

Lahlou Benamirouche, Technical Director for Compagnie DCA, is also very enthusiastic about Dalis: “All the operators are convinced by Dalis and recognise the extreme quality of these luminaires,” he confirms. “Dalis are totally trustworthy and reliable. I’ve been using them for the past two years and I recommend Dalis to every other Technical Manager I meet – I am probably the perfect flagship for it as I cannot recommend it highly enough!”

©Laurent Philippe

“Nouvelles Pièces Courtes” toured France throughout 2017 before returning to the Théâtre National de Chaillot, Paris in April 2018. The production is currently in Japan, where the Robert Juliat equipment has been supplied by Robert Juliat’s distributor, Sogo Butai, overseen by Kohei Nishida. The tour started at the Saitama Arts Theater before moving to the Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center and Biwako Hall, from where “Nouvelles Pièces Courtes” will travel to Brazil and Russia later this year.

For more information on the Dalis family (Cyclight, Footlight and Washlight), visit the Robert Juliat website

Meyer Sound has been awarded a United States patent on proprietary digital technologies that enable the Bluehorn™ System to reproduce complex musical signals with absolutely flat frequency and phase response across the full audio bandwidth, an unprecedented achievement in high-power studio monitors.
The new patent, number 9,992,573 B1, is formally titled, “Phase inversion filter for correcting low frequency phase distortion in a loudspeaker system.”

Le brevet

The award document outlines the digital signal processing techniques involved in canceling out the phase anomalies inherent in all loudspeaker systems due to the physical mass of the loudspeaker drivers and resonance of the loudspeaker enclosures.
The patented technology restores the original phase relationships, even at the lowest audio octaves, by applying an inverted phase response.

The patented filter algorithms are hosted in a dedicated hardware processor placed in front of both the two-way, mid-high loudspeaker and the separate low-frequency loudspeaker.
The system-specific correction algorithms hosted by the processor were developed by meticulously analyzing all physical and electrical non-linearities throughout the entire system, from 25 Hz to 20 kHz, in order to bring acoustic output — at any level — into phase and frequency alignment with the input signal.

Essentially, the digital processing nullifies the non-linearities of drivers and enclosures, resulting in a phase-coherent response previously achieved only by open-air electrostatic headphones with their extremely low mass diaphragms.

“This patent award covers the unique digital technology at the heart of the Bluehorn System, and underscores why it has become such an important tool for audio professionals,” says Meyer Sound CEO John Meyer.
“Some studio monitors may flatter the program content with potentially pleasing colorations generated in part by phase anomalies, but that is only misleading to the mixing engineer.

The Bluehorn System is absolutely true to the input signal, and it retains the same precise phase linearity from a delicate whisper up the highest listening levels that would be prudent for even short-term monitoring.”

Complete Bluehorn Systems are available in either stereo or LCR configurations, with each channel comprising a two-way mid-high loudspeaker, a separate low frequency element, and the dedicated digital processing.

Bluehorn System is designed for high-resolution monitoring applications in mid-sized rooms for music recording, cinema post-production, music mastering or other applications requiring the highest accuracy in sound reproduction.
Externally, Bluehorn System’s two-way component shares the same cabinet footprint, driver dimensions and waveguide configuration as Meyer Sound’s Acheron Designer loudspeaker. On the inside, however, it utilizes an upgraded HF driver and new amplifiers with ultra-low noise and distortion.

Among the first users is noted film composer John Powell, who relies on the accuracy of the Bluehorn System monitoring in his Los Angeles-based 5 Cat Studios. “For the work that I do, I need monitor loudspeakers that do not flatter the music at all,” he says. “I have no time when working to enjoy what we did right; I need to hear when things are wrong so we can fix them, and I can hear those problems better with the Bluehorns.”

More information on the Meyer Sound website

As soon as Nashville-based Premier Global Production took delivery of 26 Ghibli fixtures, Ayrton’s first LED spot luminaire with a factory-equipped framing system, they quickly sent them on tour with country music singer/songwriter Brett Eldredge The Long Way Tour is Eldredge’s first headlining tour, in support of his latest single of the same name, the first leg of which kicked off in April.
Premier Global Production, which provides lighting and staging equipment to some of the biggest musical acts in the world, obtained the units from ACT Lighting, Inc., Ayrton’s exclusive North American distributor, having already had 60 Ayrton MagicBlade fixtures in its inventory prior to purchasing Ayrton Ghibli.

Ghibli delivers a light output of 23,000 lumens in a compact format. Its proprietary optical system produces a 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.

Lighting Designer Nick Whitehouse, one of seven partners in Fireplay, explains the storytelling scenario of the show. “Another of our partners, Kelly Sticksel, was Production and Show Designer for the tour. He took the lead in creating the different seasons of Brett, each showing a different side of Brett’s personality. The narrative is fun and engaging for the audience, and the videowall backgrounds and the props placed in front of them help define the various moods and environments.”

The goal was to design “theatrical-style lighting that would highlight the video set and props then take you into an almost pop music show,” Whitehouse says. He also had to consider the tour’s budget, size and the long-term efficiency and servicing of the equipment.
“One of the production manager’s stipulations for lighting gear was reliability and easy servicing,” he reports. “He insisted we find LEDS that would do the job. But I wasn’t happy with the LED profiles I’d used, so I asked ACT Lighting if they had anything new.
They showed me the Ghibli and put it up against other lights, and I was really impressed. I really like Ayrton products and quality. Ghibli was a nice size and weight; it was a LED source that kept up with the brightness of a 1200W fixture, and the beam looked great too.”

Twenty-three of the Ghibli units on tour are active fixtures and three are back ups. “They act as spot fixtures for theatrical lighting on the set, Brett and the band, and they deliver effects – including aerial big-beam looks – and textures on the stage. They’re real workhorses,” says Whitehouse.

According to Mike Marcario, a Lighting Designer and Programmer who serves as the Board Operator for the tour, six Ghibli fixtures hang in the upstage truss and seven in the midstage truss. Six T-bars hanging off the upstage truss at different lengths have a Ghibli unit at the bottom of each pipe.
Downstage left and right are floor-mounted stick truss each with two Ghibli fixtures inside. “I’m very impressed by the fact that for the first leg of the tour we left with 23 fixtures and came back with the same 23,” says Marcario.

“We had no need of the spares. That’s a testament to the reliability of Ayrton. I hope to use Ghibli in future lighting designs that I’m part of.” “The end results have been fantastic – I’m really happy with the Ghiblis,” says Whitehouse. “I’ll absolutely use them again.”

“We’re pleased with the Ghiblis,” says Dominic Smith, Lighting Designer and Programmer for the tour and also Creative Director at London’s Neon Black. “Ghibli is a perfect fit for theatres and small arenas. It stands up well against discharge sources.
Its flat field is beautiful, it renders colour very well, it doesn’t want for brightness and it focuses well. It also has nice sharp gobos and a good selection of break ups. It offers all the tools you need in a moving spot.”

Eldredge’s The Long Way Tour resumed in June and will play dates in the US and Canada through October. ACT Lighting, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.
More information on Ghibli, including a video presentation, and the extensive portfolio of Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at Ayrton website.

Young Danish singer, guitarist and chart-topping rising star Jacob Dinesen played two spectacular arena shows to kick off his 2018 summer tour, one in his home region of Aabenraa and one in Copenhagen … with Robe MegaPointes and Spiiders prominent on the rig! Lighting for these two shows was a completely new design, also programmed and operated by LD Niller Bjerrgaard.

Niller had only just joined the Dinesen production team for these shows after being recommended by FOH sound engineer Mad Mikkelsen – the two also work for high profile DK heavy metal heroes Volbeat. In fact four of the crew are involved on the production of both artists, and although Dinesen’s material is somewhat lighter … the vibe is solidly and most definitely rock!

Niller took on the Dinesen project with a skeleton design already in place created by Jacob Beckman. He discussed this with the band and their production manager Jonathan Koch, added in some of his own ideas and the resulting rig and brief was to create a big expressive rock rig, which was perfect for Niller’s current visual mind-set!
“I wanted the style and feel of the show to be a bit raw and improvisational, so I constructed the lightshow using a combination of cue lists and live busking pages which enabled me to combine the two MOs,” explained Niller.

Some of the 30 x MegaPointes and 20 x Spiiders at the centre of the rig were actually already specified by Jacob Beckman, however when Niller took over the project, he added some extra fixtures and was very happy to work with both of these Robe products for the first time!

The initial idea had been to have PAR cans on the ladders, but this was changed to the Spiiders, which was ‘ the right move” says Niller. They also moved some of the trussing around to give it a more rocky and attitudinal look and added more LED products. The MegaPointes and Spiiders were purchased new for the tour by rental company Vigso.

Niller commented, “Right now MegaPointes and Spiiders are the most popular fixtures appearing on the specs and riders in Denmark, so it was a great opportunity for me to get to know them a little better!” The MegaPointes were positioned on the four roof trusses – three of which were straight with the back one curved to accommodate a wide backdrop and add structural dynamics to the picture. Eight of the Spiiders were on the trusses with another 12 on six upstage vertical ladders which flanked a portrait LED screen in the centre.

Also on the ladders were Elidy LED panels, used sparingly for maximum impact, adding a touch of tungsten. He also had a few other moving lights, some LED strobe / flood fixtures for blinding and bumping and a bunch of 2-lite Moles.
Niller was well “Impressed” with both MegaPointes and Spiiders. “I have used many, many fixtures in my work and this is the first time I have really had the chance to discover what these can do,” he stated. He thinks the Spiider is “a great wash light” and “loves” the flower effects which he optimised in these Dinesen shows.
“There are so many possibilities,” he says. He has used a competitor brand of wash beam frequently in the past but, on the upcoming Volbeat summer tour, that’s now been changed to 36 x Spiiders, 32 x MegaPointes and 12 x BMFLs which will be used with a remote follow spotting system.

He appreciates the brightness of the MegaPointe “even with a saturated colour or a gobo in the light path they are still literally ‘mega’ bright” he enthused, adding that the movement is stable and “super-smooth” for the slower and more subtle shifts and tempo changes as well as all the high speed effects.
Niller operated these shows in Aabenraa Arena and Copenhagen Forum using his own ChamSys MQ500 Stadium console. On these two Jacob Dinesen shows, he worked alongside lighting crew chief Martin Jepsen and Niels Stenger from Vigso.

More information on the Robe website

Best-selling hip-hop artist Post Malone recently wrapped up the North American leg of his 2018 tour in support of his latest album, Beerbongs and Bentleys, which broke streaming records on Spotify the day it was released and zoomed to the top of the Billboard Hot 200.
The 26-city tour of mixed arenas and outdoor sheds was supported by a massive Meyer Sound LEO® Family reinforcement system supplied by VER Tour Sound.

Post Malone

”The LEO system is a beast,” states FOH engineer Joe Hellow, who has extensive studio experience as well as touring credits with Big Sean, Tyga and Miguel. ”This kind of power could be scary for some engineers just starting out, who might be intimidated about keeping control of such a powerful box.
But working with VER I’m backed by great system techs who give me the tools and the confidence to make it happen. I’m really happy with the results on this tour, and everybody has raved about the sound.”

Though system configurations vary somewhat by venue type, with larger arenas and outdoor sheds the main front hangs are — per side — 14 LEO line array loudspeakers over four LYON™-W wide coverage loudspeakers. Outfills per side are six LYON-M line array loudspeakers over six LYON-W, front fills are eight LEOPARD™ loudspeakers, and four UPJ-1P loudspeakers are available for utility fill. Chest-slamming bass is supplied by a total of 30 1100-LFC low frequency control elements: 12 flown and 18 ground-stacked.

A « light » version of the main hangs. 10 Leo, 4 Lyon-W and 6 subs 1100-LFC per side.

”The 1100 is a monster that is rounded and thick,” says Hellow, ”and it doesn’t interfere with my mix. I use the flown subs to keep a linear sound, then I use the ground subs as an effect to just wrap around your body. You can actually feel your shorts moving. In some venues I have to reach for the sub master and pull it down because it’s so massive.”

Beware of your shorts facing such -fans-. They’re falling down ;0)

Production manager Dennis Danneels has been impressed — and gratified — by the throw distance of the main arrays. ”The LEO/LYON rig is one that just doesn’t stop,” he observes. ”It always seems to have more power in the tank. We’ve had some challenging sheds with house delays that haven’t been updated to today’s demands, but we had enough extra horsepower from our own stacks to pick up the slack.”

Post Malone happy enough to fly behind a Leopard !

Danneels also credits the Meyer Sound system and the VER crew for keeping the tour running like clockwork despite the varied venue sizes and configurations. ”In today’s touring market we’re seeing more inconsistencies in the venues on a run, so you need to adapt quickly.

The LEO Family PA has met those challenges, and VER has some great young talent in their dugout, with great skill sets and work ethic. I’ve begun to call them ‘the future’ on this tour.”
Summing up his experience, FOH engineer Hellow concludes, ”I’ve mixed on every modern-day system out there, and now when I go on the road Meyer is first on my rider.”

The VER audio crew was headed by systems engineer Kevin Valind, aided by PA techs Justin Stiepleman and Colten Mortensen. Under the direction of account manager Jeff Priepot, VER supplied a turnkey package that also included lighting and video.
The Post Malone team was filled out by monitor engineer Blair Bondy and tour manager Kurt Kuehn. Creative direction was by Bobby Greenleaf, an associate of the artist’s manager, Dre London.

The front end of the Post Malone tour was anchored by a DiGiCo SD10 paired with a fully-loaded Waves SoundGrid server. Vocal microphone for Post Malone was a Shure Axient digital wireless topped by a DPA d:facto capsule, with vocal processing via a Rupert Neve Designs Shelford channel strip.

Left to Right: Dennis Danneels, Kevin Valind, Blair Bondy, Joe Hellow, Willie Linton, Kurt Kuehn; Top: Colten Mortensen, Justin Stiepleman.

More information on the Meyer Sound website and on the VER website

Integrated Systems Events, the producers of the Integrated Systems Europe exhibition, has announced that its 2021 editionwill be held at Gran Via, part of the Fira de Barcelona exhibition complex in Spain on 2-5 February, To give the exhibition a chance to grow.
The new venue will become the permanent location for the world’s largest AV and systems integration show.

The decision to relocate the ISE exhibition comes after 18 months of research into the viability of remaining at the RAI Amsterdam. With annual growth in ISE exhibitors and attendees approaching 10%, and the international AV market forecast to grow by 5% per annum through to 2021, it was concluded that ISE was outgrowing its popular Amsterdam location.
ISE 2018 attracted 80,923 attendees, of which 22,000 were visiting the show for the first time while 1,296 exhibitors filled 53,000 net sqm of floor space in 15 halls. ISE 2019 is expected to increase on these record breaking figures.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director Integrated Systems Events, commented: “The RAI and Amsterdam have provided a fantastic location, been great partners and contributed to the success of the show. But, demand from exhibitors, and the continued increase in the numbers of attendees, showed us that limited floor space was in danger of putting a brake on the show’s development. In spite of all our best efforts this was not an issue we felt could be solved by staying at the RAI Amsterdam.
“We conducted extensive exhibitor and attendee research and visited many major exhibition centres in Europe before making this important decision. By announcing our move to one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious convention complexes, we can now continue to focus on creating a unique experience for everyone and confidently plan for long-term development.
At the same time, we will ensure that the remaining two editions of ISE at the RAI Amsterdam are the best in its illustrious history and a fitting way to bring our 14-year relationship with the venue and city to a close.”

The Fira de Barcelona is one of Europe’s most prestigious convention and conference locations. The complex has two exhibition venues and hosts 140 international trade shows each year, featuring over 30,000 exhibitors and attracting over two million attendees. In total it has over 400,000 sqm of floor space and 14 halls.

Gran Via is one of Europe’s largest and most modern exhibition venues. It blends outstanding architecture with exceptional functionality across 8 halls and 200,000 sqm of exhibition floor space. It also offers unparalleled visitor flow and state-of-the art services and logistics. It is conveniently placed for access to the nearby international airport and public transport.

Fira is one of the Europe’s leading trade fair organisations and is closely linked to the Barcelona brand, a city with over a century of trade fair tradition. Its annual economic contribution to the city of Barcelona and its surroundings is estimated at over €2,600 million. Fira is a consortium comprising the Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Generalitat and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, which combines public ownership with autonomous company management.

Both, the ISE 2019 and 2020 editions will take place at the RAI Amsterdam and are forecast to be the largest and most successful in the show’s 16-year history.

Further information on the move to Barcelona for exhibitors and attendees will be available from a live webcast, hosted on the ISE website at 13:00 CET on Thursday 19th July.
Join us to find out more about ISE’s exciting plans for future growth.

The Sage Gateshead as seen from the river Tyne.

One of the most unusual deployments of 40 RCF’s active HDL 6-A line array compact speakers has taken place at Sage Gateshead in Newcastle to coincide with the Great Exhibition of the North.
The installation of these compact elements was sensitively carried out by RCF partner Nitelites, to contour the curvilinear glass and stainless superstructure of the magnificent building. Its purpose is to reproduce a unique and newly commissioned work by Sheffield-based ‘sound sculptor’ Mark Fell, called Protomusic #1.

Half of the HDL 6-A, the little black narrow rectangles visible on top of the glazing frames.

The installation was carried out in just three days and involves bespoke mounting bracketry, manufactured in house by Nitelites, so that each speaker can be optimised at the correct tilt angle, while remaining discreet.
Fell’s soundscape of real world sounds that represent the north of England, have been reproduced by 60 traditional instruments from around the world by Royal Northern Sinfonia, as well as non-professional players and independent musicians, in what amounts to three hours’ worth of material, recorded over a two-month period.

The bespoke mounting bracketry, manufactured by Nitelites, sets the correct tilt angle, while remaining discreet.

Sage Gateshead already enjoys a close relationship with RCF as Nitelites have previously installed flagship RCF systems in their two main rooms. The venue is now exclusively an RCF house.

The soundscape plays using a non-repetitive algorithm at low-level from 10am-9pm daily, with each of the 40 speakers receiving its own independent feed.
At the end of the exhibition, a quantity of the HDL 6-A will be returned to Nitelites’ hire inventory while Sage Gateshead will take ownership and repurpose the remainder. Said their Technical Manager, Clair Willis, “We have a number of halls in which we stage events and the PA is receiving positive feedback. It was based on this experience that I suggested the use of RCF within this project.”

Tracing the background to the commission, Willis said, “With the opening of the Exhibition, the organisation had wanted something to animate the concourse and Mark’s idea was selected by the programming team as the immersive experience it wanted.”

Nitelites’ project manager Ed Gamble said, “To convince Mark about the merits of the HDL 6-A we shipped him a unit to try out.”

Mark Fell picks up the story of his latest excursion into psychoacoustics and his love affair with the HDL 6-A. “Within about 15 minutes of setting up the speaker in my studio and playing different sounds through it I knew that it was exactly what I needed.

Two neodymium 6’’ woofers, a 1,7’’ voice coil neodymium compression driver, FIR processing, 1400 W two-way amplification and a wopping 131 dB max SPL, that’s the HDL 6-A.

“When I arrived on site at Sage Gateshead and considered its spatial and sonic characteristics, I could see it was a particularly complex and challenging acoustic environment, with hard surfaces that there was no point fighting against.
I knew that this project needed a great deal of care and forethought, which was why finding the right speaker unit was so imperative.”

In fact the results surpassed his expectations, he said. “It displayed a stunning level of controllability, clarity and detail. This allowed me to work with an exceptional level of precision within the space, turning what seemed like challenges into creative opportunities. Basically I was overjoyed with the results: the team at Nitelites were meticulous in their planning and execution and I was very impressed with the HDL-6A’s performance.”

From an installation perspective he said, “From the floor of Sage Gateshead it looked amazing — a super neat job. PA companies often have an approach to cable management that I find aesthetically challenging so this was a very different experience.”

A shot a bit distorted but showing most of the speakers inside the concourse.

Nitelites project manager Ed Gamble also added that the speaker’s 100° x 10° vertical coverage was perfect for the project, focusing the sound on the listener. “Because of the control pattern, HDL 6-A provides a seamless audio experience from area to area along the concourse.
The other benefits of using the HDL 6-A are the weight and size, which are incredible.” Mark Fell also invited participation from the public. He made an iPhone and Android app whereby users could record sound, images and add text and this was automatically sent to his server.

In conclusion, the artist says, “I’m really happy with the work, it was a new experience for me to work with so many musicians and that was a great part of the process. Without doubt the HDL6-A enclosures delivered the level of sonic quality that I had hoped for. I’m super happy because I like sonic detail and clarity, and the speakers delivered that.”

The Great Exhibition of the North is run by the NewcastleGateshead Initiative and will run for 80 days until September 9. It is expected to bring a £184 million boost to the North East’s economy.

More information on the RCF website and on the Nitelites website

Marc Carolan has been Muse’s sound engineer for sixteen years. In Australia, JPJ Audio supplied their new d&b GSL System for the tour, the first time that Marc had used the System. “At the beginning of the world tour when we played in the round, we used a mixture of d&b J-Series and V-Series,” he said.

“So to use the GSL System was very exciting. Of course using something for the first time there’s always a sense of trepidation but with it being a d&b product, I was never really afraid. I had heard it before at a show and so I knew it was going to be good. I was happy to take the chance and I knew Bruce Johnston of JPJ Audio wouldn’t put me in a position where I was going to get shafted!”

Marc Carolan face à son XL4 et ses racks de goodies analogiques old school.

Bearing in mind that the d&b J-Series has been developing constantly for over ten years, Marc was surprised that when he first listened to the GSL System, as well as hearing the potential of what it will become, the resolution and detail was incredible.

“I use a Midas XL4 along with a Midas Pro2 as a sidecar to handle all of my automation and perversely, the newer technology with the GSL has made the analogue console even more relevant because its superior audio characteristics come even more to the fore with this system,” added Marc.
“The low end control is incredible and the noise rejection out the back makes it a killer for any outdoor concerts. I really like that it doesn’t rely on huge amounts of DSP which, to my ear, colour the sound quite a lot and become fatiguing when things are really super processed.

“Sonically it’s a big step forward and what’s even more exciting is that it’s just at the beginning of what it’s going to be able to do.” The Sydney and Melbourne shows saw GSL on the main hangs, J-Series on the side and rear hangs and the new GSL subs on the floor. Marc remarked that because the main GSL speakers are so good at low end in the air, he didn’t need to fly any subs.

“We had quite a small deployment of subs on the floor compared to what we would usually expect to have to get that impact,” he added. “That’s another big plus with this system; it’s going to save a lot on points and weight in the roof. As people’s collective knowledge of the box develops, I think you’re going to see smaller arrays flying.”

More information on the d&b website

NEXO’s flagship modular line array system, the STM Series, with supplementary GEO S12, was used for a very large house-of-worship event in the impressive US BANK Stadium in Minneapolis, USA. 50,000 people attended the free Pulse – Twin Cities show, with Reach Communications providing the 360° NEXO PA system.

Multiple headliners played the concert, including LeCrae, Hillsong and Jaberwockies. The recently-built US BANK Stadium is already known for its challenging acoustics, but, as one of the largest venues in the region, it has played host to many world-class touring artists and their engineers.
All eyes were on NEXO, to see how STM Series would perform! System deployment was in a 360° arrangement, with STM as Main, Out, Side and Delays, S12 as Rear, and M10 for frontfills. Subs were a combination of flown and stacked STM S118, as well as cardio stacked NEXO RS18.

From left to right 18 M28, 15 M46/B112 and, if you check closely beneath the last M46 box, 12 GEO S12 are visible.

Dan Brown of Reach Communications, with on-site support from NEXO’s Engineering Support specialist Val Gilbert and Yamaha Commercial Audio’s Preston Gray, had to specify the STM system according to the load-bearing factors in the stadium.

A hang made of 15x M46/B112 and 2x M28 ready to be lifted.

For main PA, the configuration use 15x STM M46/B112 main and bass sets per side, with side arrays of another 15x STM M46/B112.
Each of the hangs carried 2x STM M28 downfills. 8x STM S118 subs were flown per side, and on the ground were 12x RS18s (running in cardioid mode) and 8x STM S118s (omni) per side.

2 hangs of 12 x GEO S12 cabinets were used for the rear of the stage, and the performance and coverage of these arrays was outstanding, leaving nothing to be desired in the overlap areas between these and the 270° hangs of 18x STM M28s per side.

The system was run entirely powered by 62 x NX4x4 amplifiers over Dante, with an analog backup. System control, EQ, and delays was matrixed from 1 x LAKE LM26 and 3 x LM44.

A view of the large stadium floor. On the right the two delay towers featuring 18x STM M28s each.

“The system by far outperformed our expectations,” commented NEXO’s Val Gilbert, “although the system was appraoching its limits, no-one felt it was running out of headroom, and the engineers were globally satisfied. SPL reached 120dBA peak at FOH. Considering the extremely challenging acoustics of the venue, the overall sound was very good.”
Preston Gray from YCA admits to being “pleasantly surprised by the consistency in coverage we could achieve with a relatively small number of cabinets for one of the largest NFL stadiums in the USA. This is a testament to the power and off-axis response of the STM Series, which hit 120dBA Peak & 131dBC Peak at FOH on a calibrated NTI XL2 meter.”

The stage seen from FOH.

Further information from the Yamaha Pro Audio website and the Reach Com website

Production company PogoArt, owner of the largest NEXO PA system in Poland and a recent investor in Yamaha’s new RIVAGE PM7 digital mixing system, has helped Wroclaw Opera to stage an epic production of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Nabucco’.

Marcin Nałecz-Niesiołowski

The sell-out performances of one of the most recognisable operas in history was presented outdoors, with the Wroclaw Opera building itself featuring in a special stage design capable of accommodating up to 350 artists.
Wroclaw Opera is accustomed to outdoor performance, but the production of ‘Nabucco’ in Wroclaw’s central Plac Wolnosci was a most challenging one, featuring a 700 sq.metre stage with three levels for orchestra, ballet dancers, soloists and the Wroclaw Opera Choir.

Marcin Nałecz-Niesiołowski, dir of the Wroclaw Opera, who was conducting the performances, admitted that large productions are always a compromise because of the changing acoustics. Against the backdrop of the opera house, the massive 35 metre-wide stage demanded a high-performance PA system, so director Krystian Lada called upon Sławek Pogorzała of PogoArt to provide a modular line array, the NEXO STM Series, coupled with Yamaha RIVAGE PM, CL and QL Series digital consoles.

Le ballet, le décor majestueux et 12 x M28 !

“The most important issue was to achieve even coverage of the audience area, providing the highest-quality sound. STM M28 line array modules disperse over a very wide angle so this made it easy. Frontfill completed the coverage of the middle of the audience in the first rows,” says Pogorzała, owner of PogoArt.

Au premier plan la CL5 en charge du chœur, en haut de l’image, la nouvelle venue dans la famille Rivage, la PM7.

For the main PA, left and right arrays of 12x NEXO STM M28 cabinets were used, with a total of 8x NEXO CD18 18” subbass units.
The system, powered by NEXO’s proprietary NXAMP4x4 amplifiers, was set up via a Dante network, with PogoArt’s new Yamaha RIVAGE PM7 console at front-of-house, and Yamaha CL5 with R-series stageboxes to handle the choir. A pair of Yamaha QL5 consoles handled the monitor mixes.

With more than 2000 people attending each sold-out performance, expectations were high for an opera company with an international reputation. “It was vital that the system delivered the best and clearest sound to every spectator; ‘Nabucco’ is a well-known opera, so many people are very familiar with the libretto and melodies,” said Marcin Popek of LAUDA Audio, NEXO’s distributor in Poland.

“There was no doubt that this year’s production sound achieved a new standard of excellence, and this was noted in many reviews which compared it to previous events that had not had the benefit of the NEXO STM system or the Yamaha RIVAGE PM7.”

Une vue des front fills en M28, rendus encore plus indispensables par l’écartement du système principal.

Further information on the Pogoart website