Over 840 Claypaky fixtures were used on the sixteenth Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC) final which was broadcast live from Minsk to more than 2.7 million viewers globally. The enormous production was skilfully orchestrated by Head of Production Ola Melzig with lighting designed by Alex Manzenko.
“We specify Claypaky products as they’re extremely reliable, and have an excellent output to power consumption and weight ratio,” explains Melzig. “The light-weight of the fixtures always benefits us. Although the Minsk Arena has a very good roof structure, it’s good to know the weight of the fixtures won’t restrict us in any way.” Heavily laden with LED video walls and flooring, it’s imperative for any Eurovision Song Contest that the fixtures’ output stands out against the video content. Melzig says, “If we run the video screens too low, we will start to lose colour and contrast. It’s important that we use fixtures that stand out against them, to find a balance between lighting and video.”
Manzenko’s multi-role lighting was paramount to the production, creating an atmosphere for the 15,000 attendees in the arena, as well as manufacturing looks that would translate accurately for the millions watching the televised live final around the world.
“Our brief was to make a functional, yet beautiful lighting design in the hall and on television,” says Manzenko. “The Axcor Beam 300, Scenius Spot, Sharpy and B-EYEs helped me to create the atmosphere in the hall, while the Scenius Unico made it possible to get a high-quality picture on television due to the high CRI, and framing system.”
Manzenko used the Claypaky Axcor 600 Profile fixtures to highlight the audience in the back and on the sides of the arena. “We used the fixtures to expand the space and scale of the hall,” he says. “We didn’t have to use all the parameters of the fixture because it was bright enough, but when we tested it we were able to increase the brightness of the fixture by 20% with the brightness boost feature. The CMY system in the new fixture has also become noticeably smoother, which is very important when lighting for television.
Creating vastly different looks for each of the performers
“Using the Claypaky fixtures makes it easier for me to create vastly different looks for each of the performers, of which there were more than 20 including the interval performance.”
The versatile A.leda B-EYE K20 which boasts a 4-60˚was zoom wrigged along the outline of the stage. Manzenko used the fixture for highly saturated washes to create a large stage space, as well as effective visuals by making the most of the 37 individual zones of control to create dynamic imagery.
“We used all of the features across the Claypaky fixtures, animation wheels, gobos, prisms, and frost devices, because without them it is often impossible to create the desired function both on the stage and in the hall,” Manzenko concludes.
Claypaky fixtures were supplied to JESC 2018 by Minsk-based rental and production house, Blackout Studio. Manager of Blackout Ilya Piatrouski says of the Axcor fixtures: “We’re really enthusiastic about the new line of Italian fixtures. We need powerful units that don’t have lamps to replace our old stock, and this is the solution. This equipment has received very good feedback from clients, and the products are answering the market’s demands.”
“The team at Blackout did such a great job. Thanks to manager Ilya Piatrouski and his fantastic team,” says Melzig. The contest is produced each year by the European Broadcasting Union, in conjunction for 2018 with Belarusian Television & Radio Company. The slogan for this year’s contest was ‘light up’. JESC returned to the Minsk Arena in Belarus to host the largest edition of the contest to date, welcoming a record number of representatives from 20 countries.
Following a highly successful 2018 show, high-end LED video processor manufacturer, Brompton Technology, returns to Amsterdam for Integrated Systems Europe 2019. This year, stand 12-C105 will see the fast-growing company showcase its new Tessera Processor Software 2.2.0 for the 4K SX40 processor, to deliver an enhanced feature set that follows the easy-to-use style of its intuitive user interface.
The SX40 is Brompton Technology’s highest-ever capacity processor and offers support for full 4K screens at 60Hz with 12 bits per colour output, a zero-latency up/down scaler that matches the source to the screen, plus all of Tessera’s industry-leading processing features such as ChromaTune colour correction, On Screen Colour Adjustment (OSCA), and more.
Used in combination with the Tessera XD distribution unit, which is a sophisticated single box solution designed to manage the complications of mass cabling that can arise with large LED display systems, the SX40 provides a cost-effective yet powerful system that will support the biggest, brightest and boldest LED projects.
By updating the SX40 to the latest 2.2.0 software, users can now access a suite of handy new features such as Panel On Screen Display (OSD), Processor Redundancy, 90 degree rotation and Chinese language support in the user interface.
Panel OSD
The new Panel OSD provides detailed status information right on your panels, enabling sections to be quickly cycled through to access Panel Information, Module Information, Ethernet Information, Video Status, Calibration Information, I/O Status, Temperature plots and Error plots, giving engineers a quick and easy way of identifying issues on any part of the screen.
Processor Redundancy
Processor Redundancy delivers ultimate peace of mind for users by introducing an auto-failover mechanism. If, for any reason, a problem occurs with the video input or output on a primary processor, it can be configured such that a back-up processor takes over in just a few seconds, enabling the show to go on. This feature can be used with or without closed loop redundancy, an additional safety mechanism which protects against any cabling faults that may occur.
90 degree rotation
90 degree rotation does exactly what it says, with fixtures now able to be rotated in increments of 90 degrees.
Chinese language support
Finally, the SX40 along with all of Brompton Technology’s processors, now includes Chinese language support, which can be accessed via the Language section of the Preferences menu.
Both the software and any required firmware updates can be installed in a matter of minutes, with technicians informed of progress every step of the way. “Our aim has always been to develop industry-leading products that are of real benefit to our users,” says Brompton’s Business Development Manager, Rob Fowler. “By designing our hardware to be a platform for ongoing software development, we engineered in the capacity to expand functionality right at the very start and, by listening to the technicians who use Brompton processors on a daily basis, we are able to develop new features that truly address what the market wants and needs.
“This means that our products not only expand with changing requirements, but have an extended lifespan which delivers great return on investment. As with all our developments, this latest software release is a direct result of that ethos.”
Brompton will be demonstrating the new Tessera processor software 2.2.0 on its stand throughout the I.S.E. 2019 show on stand 12-C105.
Amadeus have announced they are now shipping the new Philharmonia Mini passive speakers, co-designed specifically for the Hi-Fi market by world-renowned architect Jean Nouvel. Amadeus unveiled the Philharmonia Mini at the High End Music trade show in Munich, Germany.
The band-new passive speaker design is based on the Amadeus’ top-of-the line Philharmonia powered speakers, which were initially created specifically for the Philharmonie de Paris recording and mastering studios.
“The sonic philosophy of the Philharmonia Mini is inherited from the initial model, Philharmonia, which has been our ultimate reference throughout the development process,” said Michel Deluc, Director of Research & Development for Amadeus.
The Philharmonia Mini was born from the prestigious legacy of Amadeus’ success in the professional audio world over the last 25 years. Amadeus’ users include the greatest sound engineers, mixers and producers in France and throughout the world.
Three Philharmonia with their Lawo MC²56 mixing console in the Philharmonie de Paris studios
“The original Philharmonia-first released in 2015 and created from our collaboration with Jean Nouvel and the Philharmonie de Paris-has touched, charmed, and surprised many music lovers over the last few years,” adds Gaetan Byk, Marketing Manager at Amadeus.
“The Philharmonia Mini is a form of response by Amadeus and Jean Nouvel to requests from our customers, users, and partners from the consumer world. Extending the brand and therefore the Philharmonia range was necessary. We had to offer a more compact version, more discreet, less pricey and non-powered and not digitally-managed, incorporating a state-of-the-art passive filtering section, all without distorting the shape, finish and construction technique imagined by Jean Nouvel,” states Byk.
The Philharmonia Mini and its pedestal, totally part of the speaker, and extending it beautifully.
“Designing a passive speaker allows the installer the use of a wide choice of peripherals (converters, preamps, processors, amplifiers, and more) as a complement and not necessarily dedicated to this model” states Michel Deluc.
The new Philharmonia Mini speaker design features a curved structure that is both simple and complex, consisting of 288 wood veneers accurately machined, aligned and glued, offering a distinctive look and volume.
The speaker in itself (resonance volume) features a 432mm height with a 353mm depth. The cabinets are custom manufactured from layered Birch and stand 1.23 meters tall. The speaker enclosure features a unique hybrid laminar port using progressive termination inspired by the original Philharmonia.
A view of the laminar port in the rear of the speaker.
Machined into the wood material along the full height of the speaker system, the very low velocity port yields optimal linearity for the lowest possible distortion, giving a frequency response down to 44 Hz (@ – 6 dB) without any additional correction.
“The distinctive construction technique helps neutralize standing waves affecting sonic clarity and low-frequency definition through an extremely complex internal structure using a combination of interlocking panels arranged in two perpendicular planes, each hosting several tuned notch resonators. This allows a dramatic decrease in sound coloration through a crossed structure of longitudinal and trans-verse reinforcements,” reveals Deluc.
The Philharmonia Mini 2-way, passive speakers feature the original Philharmonia’ 28-mm soft-domed tweeter and a custom 170-mm woofer, for an amplitude linearity range (±2dB) from 54 Hz to 22 kHz, and a cut-off frequency (-6dB) of 44 Hz. The high-frequency driver features very low dielectric losses and high thermal conductivity, loaded behind a fast exponential waveguide machined in wood, which yields exceptional control over spatial dispersion.
The silk dome and its exponential waveguide.
The first millimeters of the horn have been carefully taken care of. To achieve a perfect precision,it has been made out of Corian, a composite material with a mix of mineral filters and acrylic resin.
The pedestal contains the passive components inside the lower part of the speaker enclosure, including the custom Amadeus-designed passive crossover. The outstanding sonic performance of the resistors, capacitors and inductors is achieved through a unique combination of advanced technologies, meticulously researched.
Detailed view of the mounting of the wood layers by wood dowels.
“Achieving such a linear response without active components -and digital correction-created an enormous amount of work on the design of the enclosures’ internal structure, the hybrid laminar port, and the waveguide expansion,” states Deluc
“The passive filter design philosophy matches the aesthetic of the speaker. It is very minimalist. The passive crossover features a subtle combination of two different orders, inducing an absolutely perfect phase summation between the two speakers, and an excellent impulse response.” concludes Michel Deluc.
The rear panel of the pedestal features a pair of beautifully finished, top-quality binding posts from Japan-based manufacturer FURUTECH. These carbon-finished binding posts feature rhodium-plated conductors that are the result of meticulous engineering and careful auditioning of various suitable materials. The FT-816 (R) features a pure copper conductor material for minimal impedance, extremely non-resonant carbon fiber, non-magnetic stainless steel, and eutectic copper alloy housings.
Specifications :
Transducer (HF): Ø 28 mm soft dome
Transducer (LMF): Ø 170 mm bass driver
Recommended Power: 50 – 300W/8Ω
Amplitude linearity (±2dB): 54 Hz – 22 kHz
Cut-off frequency (-6dB): 44 Hz
Peak SPL 1-meter (Pair, IEC Short Term): 118 dB peak
Two hundred and fifty Astera battery powered, wirelessly controlled LED lighting fixtures made a spectacular impact in Frankfurt, Germany, lighting the iconic Paulskirche building for the 70th anniversary of Human Rights Day on 10th December 2018. Eugen Blersch and Benny Coppik of Frankfurt based AES Veranstaltungstechnik drove this project to light the landmark – originally a Lutheran Church in 1789, the year of the French Revolution and now a busy and charismatic events space – in a special blue colour.
In 1848 the Paulskirche became the seat of the first German National Assembly – publicly and freely elected legislative body – and an important symbol in the struggle for human rights. Working for Frankfurt city council and sponsored by the local branch of Human Rights Watch, Eugen and Benny first realised this lighting installation in 2017. AES’s Project’s department has an event safety division with close ties to many of the city’s municipal authorities like the police, fire brigade, ambulance service, etc., and a proposal to illuminate the building for this special day had been in existence for some time… however there were several major physical challenges, explains Eugen.
Impossible to run cables
A seasonal Christmas Market in very close proximity to the Paulskirche made it impossible to run any cables or rig large lights / stands anywhere that was convenient for an effective lighting scheme. Some lateral and practical thinking to overcome this obstacle led to specification of the Astera battery powered wirelessly operated LED system as a solution.
250 Astera fixtures
In addition to the major advantage of needing no cables, the fixtures, which comprised 150 x Astera AX10 SpotMax’s, 50 x AX7 SpotLites and AX5 TriplePARs from the German manufacturer offer seamless battery management plus bi-directional communication and control via a neat, intuitive tablet app. “In my opinion, Astera is the best such LED fixture currently capable of realising a tricky and exacting installation like this in a short timeframe” stated Eugen.
An IP65 rating also makes them ideal for outdoor use in scenarios where the weather is unpredictable or inclement, and their beautifully homogenised lightsource produces a rich, high quality output which is essential to wash large surface areas smoothly and seamlessly. The fixtures needed to be positioned all around the building which is around 50 metres long, 50 wide and 20 metres high, and this took some creativity!
Some were clamped to the sides of the church on custom brackets with others positioned strategically on the rooftops of neighbouring buildings as well as on a series of trucks parked on the streets below.
Those attached higher up the building and on the roof positions were installed by a team of experienced ‘working at height’ technicians. Apart from being a total challenge to get lighting units into all these different locations… it would have been near impossible to have had to run cables to all of them!
Gaining access to all the adjacent properties and premises and blocking the relevant parking spaces required a serious amount of time and preparation, and this is also where AES’s local government contacts were extremely useful!
Lumen consuming red brick
There was the additional challenge of effectively lighting the lumen-consuming red brick surface in the deep electric blue colour, which required extremely accurate positioning of fixtures. These specific Astera luminaires were selected to ensure that every centimetre of the walls and the spire of the Paulskirche was evenly bathed in excellent light for the duration of the installation which ran from 5 – 9 p.m.
“These three very strong Astera products provided the comprehensive coverage we needed” commented Eugen, “and thanks to Astera’s carefully calibrated LED engine, we could produce the fabulous blue of the signature colour”. He added that to have all these attributes available in one fixture is a fantastic tool for any lighting designer.
left to right: Benny Coppik (AES Veranstaltungstechnik), Jörg Fleckenstein (Human Rights Watch), Eugen Blersch (AES Veranstaltungstechnik), Dagmar Hesse-Kreindler (Human Rights Watch), Peter Feldmann (Stadt Frankfurt Oberbürgermeister, Lord Mayor), Ulrike v. Waitz (Human Rights Watch) and Harald v. Waitz (Polyma).
With a tight budget, Eugen worked closely with several people, companies and organisations to make the installation happen including Ulrike and Harald von Waitz and the Polyma company, Ulrike Klinke-Kobale on the PR plus MBF Filmtechnik and Uwe Heller and his crew. A hundred of the luminaires were supplied by Kaiser Showtechnik.
Also instrumental were WISAG security and the Frankfurt Town Council administration who green-lighted the project. AES’s Benny Coppik managed all the permissions, while Detlev Funk from Sycra Solutions offered technical direction for the rooftop elements of the installation and Lucas Bouschka co-ordinated the rigging and industrial climbing.
The illumination of the Paulskirche attracted lots of local and national press and was a huge hit with the public, generating plenty of social media chatter and engagement on the night, pulling additional crowds into the area for the evening. Importantly, it recognised and highlighted the seminal work of Human Rights organisations worldwide who tirelessly defend and fight for the basic rights of every human being on the planet.
As a Danish national with extensive experience of living and working in the Far East, Frederiksen is ideally placed to head up DPA’s regional office in Hong Kong, which was opened in 2013 to support the company’s sales partners throughout Asia.
Commenting on his appointent, DPA’s CEO Kalle Hidvt Nielsen says: “I am very pleased to have Thomas on board. APAC is a very important region for DPA. I know that, with his strong background in the pro audio market and his extensive experience in Asia, and in particular Japan, he will help drive the APAC team to develop even closer links with our distributors, dealers and customers across the region.”
Thomas Frederiksen
A fluent Japanese speaker and formerly Managing Director of Shure Japan, Frederiksen is already a familiar face to many in the live sound, installation and pro audio industries. Throughout his career he has held senior sales and management positions for a range of high profile companies, including a four year tenure at Brüel & Kjær, the company that was the forerunner of DPA microphones.
“I am delighted to be joining DPA at such an exciting point in its history and I am looking forward to working for a company with such a strong range of high end products across so many different markets,” Frederiksen says.
“Personally, I see this as an exciting challenge because it will allow me to learn about sectors such as theatre and broadcast that are new to me. However, I am also confident that my knowledge of the Asian market will significantly benefit DPA and help the company consolidate the success it is already having in the region.”
Thomas Frederiksen will be supported by DPA’s existing Hong Kong-based sales staff.
Superstar Dutch DJ Martin Garrix launched his new “ANIMA” live performance concept with two hi-energy, hi-profile nights at Amsterdam’s RAI with the five-day 2018 Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) festival and conference as the backdrop, an event drawing dance music, media and technology professionals and enthusiasts from worldwide to this vibrant city right at the hub of dance music culture.
Garrix’s lighting designer Gabe Fraboni once again had the chance to create a spectacular new visual experience – to be enjoyed by Martin Garrix fans globally for the next 12 months – which he did with the help of nearly 300 Robe moving lights – 80 x MegaPointes, 166 x Spikies and 52 x LEDBeam 150s.
Once again, he worked closely with scenic designer Bart Straver and VJ / video content creator Lorenzo de Pascalis in a rich, provocative and imaginative creative collaboration that rocked some breath-taking results and ensured that Garrix’ shows are right up there among the best and most exciting in the world of dance music. Gabe uses Robe for all of his designs, and comments, “Robe is my default brand of moving light right now! The products are so versatile and the range so diverse that it fulfils everything I need.”
Something completely different this year
While last year’s show had been all about asymmetry, this year Gabe wanted something completely different … but that also retained some threads of continuity like the industrial look and style. At the artist’s request, the central LED ’plus’ sign right behind the DJ booth remained. Gabe again wanted to be able echo this shape and form across the rig, but this time with the harmony and balance of symmetry. In embracing this mindset, another important factor was involving the audience in the action – pulling them right into the show making it an immersive and fully four-dimensional experience, rather than a passive viewing equation.
While last year the ‘repeat’ effect was achieved through the physical setup of the trussing and the rig’s lighting components, this year Gabe introduced automation to accentuate echoes and repeat patterns, a concept that required symmetry yet was totally dynamic. To ensure the complete feeling of envelopment, he decided that this should be above the audience to fulfil the immersive goals of the design.
The Grid
The grid of MegaPointe / LED pods above the crowd was created utilizing 30 of the Robe MegaPointes each rigged on an individual Cyberhoist motor for up / down movement. The automation system was supplied by Unlimited Productions sourced by production manager Bert Kelchtermans. The chain and cables for each Cyberhoist was enclosed in a custom-designed spun aluminium telescopic tube which expanded and contracted as the hoist lifted and dropped the MegaPointes in and out, going as low as 5.5 metres, just above the heads of the audience.
The ‘top’ of each hoist pod was clad in a 3×3 metre square of 3.9MM LED screen with a gap in the centre for the aluminium tube. The home position was 10 metres above the floor which was as much headroom as they could squeeze out of the RAI.
Goosebump Moment
The audience reaction the first time the MegaPointes came in from the pods each night was phenomenal, “a real ‘goosebump’ moment” described Gabe with obvious delight. With those 30 fixtures distributed – and dynamically moving – across the barn like environs of the RAI, he could turn it from a massive impersonal arena into an intimate clubby space almost instantaneously. It was an extremely powerful visual effect which could also shift, twist and bend the architecture of the space.
“MegaPointes can be SO many different things” commented Gabe, “that these 30 fixtures combined with the ones on the main rig and the automation … gave me a different lighting rig for each song.” MegaPointes were also ideal for this specific task due to their light weight and compact dimensions.
Gabe’s original inspirations for evolving this grid effect included Andi Watson’s recent exquisite designs for Radiohead – applied in a very different context. He’s also been consistently impressed by the architectural and structural visions and approach of the late Mark Fisher’s work and of Stufish which continues to develop and originate incredible stage and show imagineering. Making “ANIMA” come to life is something Gabe has found totally “creatively invigorating”.
On stage with a wide LED wall and Spikies
Moving back onstage at the RAI gig … a 52-metre-wide by 9-metre-high LED wall defined the stage area and in front of this each side were structures providing three vertical strips of positions for the Spikies, repeating the form of the ‘plus’ video sculpture. Above and below the main section of this video wall were 10 x MegaPointes and 10 x strobes for silhouetting and accentuating the depth of the performance area. The balance of MegaPointes were rigged on three concentric arc trusses above the stage.
Out in the house, the LEDBeam 150s were located between each of the LED / MegaPointe / Cyberhoist pods. They provided additional effects, fabulous beams, more crowd interaction and effectively lit the audience for an upcoming You Tube stream. As well as the Robe fixtures, the design featured 76 x LED strobes, 100 x 1-lite blinders and 21 x 4-lite blinders, all supplied to the show by lighting vendor Focus / RentAll. Thirty lasers were integrated into these RAI shows, provided by Laser Image from the Netherlands.
Control
Gabe operated the show using a two grandMA2 full size consoles and a light, also triggering the Pangolin laser control. Lorenzo operated a Resolume and Notch VFX Server for video content and camera control. Gabe and Lorenzo work closely on crafting the show’s live visuals, matching the colours, textures and movements between video and lighting into one seamless visual world with which – together with the magic of Garrix’s mixing – offers a truly intense audience experience.
Tuned to the market
Gabe has been using Robe constantly in his work for the last three years. “The products are incredible! The company is really tuned to what the market – and LDs in particular – want and need, they move with the times and constantly produce excellent innovative products that raise the bar, are reliable and good value. The general service side of the company worldwide is also really impressive.”
Martin Garrix’s “ANIMA” show will be touring – with Robe on the specs supplied locally in Latin America and Asia – until the end of the year. From March 2019, Garrix and his talented and passionate creative team will be working constantly across Europe and the US.
Providing robust, location-based application support to Certified Providers and end users has always been central to L-Acoustics ambition to serve international touring markets.
Scott Sugden
Since 2010, in his role as Head of US Touring Support, Scott Sugden has contributed substantially to the success of L-Acoustics touring markets in North America. Sugden’s expertise and the deep relationships that he has forged throughout the industry over the years will constitute an asset as he assumes the position of Product Manager, reporting to Jeff Rocha, Director, Product Management.
“Scott is an outstanding individual who demonstrates a rare combination of both technical acumen and great communication skills, with a keen focus on the user experience, making him the ideal candidate to fill the key cross-functional role of Product Manager,” comments Rocha. “As a member of the L-Acoustics Product Management team, Scott will accompany the new product development process by liaising with key stakeholders across geographies and company functions to help L-Acoustics identify, capitalize upon, and communicate new product opportunities.”
Marcus Ross
Effective immediately, recent hire Marcus Ross assumes the role of Head of Application, Touring, USA & Canada, reporting to Florent Bernard, Director of Application, Touring. Based in L-Acoustics North America headquarters in Westlake Village, CA, Ross will lead application support for all rental production projects in USA and Canada.
As an expert user and ambassador of L-Acoustics technologies, Ross actively contributes to growing the brand by interfacing with key clients and accounts on an ongoing basis in tandem with his business counterparts. Ross additionally provides high-level assistance on major projects and events including sound design and onsite support. These interactions extend to areas of strategic importance for L-Acoustics such as furthering awareness and deployment of L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound and overseeing new developments in the theater market.
Florent Bernard comments, in welcoming Ross to the Application, Touring team, “Marcus brings tremendous technical proficiency and an encyclopedic mastery of the audio chain and its interworking parts at every stage of production, from sound design to showtime. A rich international touring and theatrical background, as well as immersive themed entertainment, includes The Blue Man Group, Billy Elliott, The Producers, Spamalot, Rent, Van Halen, Slayer, The Black Crowes, Porno for Pyros, and Meatloaf, among others.”
Laurent Vaissié, L-Acoustics CEO, USA & Canada, adds, “Marcus’ proven leadership skills and understanding of the full signal chain from mixing to amplification, networking and sound reinforcement will be a tremendous resource for our rental network and end users.”
Vic Wagner
Also new to the US & Canada Touring team, Vic Wagner, Application Engineer, Touring comes to L-Acoustics as one of the top system engineers in the world and certified KSE (K System Engineer), having deployed systems for Sound Image over the past decade on some of the most prominent L-Acoustics tours and festivals including Maroon 5, Santana, Sia, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Zac Brown Band, Linkin Park, Kid Rock, CMA Fest, and Taylor Swift.
Wagner is also passionate about training and education and will be spearheading these efforts in North America. Vic has relocated to the Los Angeles area and works alongside Marcus via the L-Acoustics Westlake Village office. “Vic has been one of our top KSE for the past decade while at Sound Image, winning high praise from tours and festivals all over North America,” says Vaissié. “After a decade spent on the road mastering all aspects of high-end touring system deployment, we are extremely fortunate that Vic chose L-Acoustics for the next step in his career.”
Florent Bernard concludes, “Vic will be a remarkable asset for our production and touring network and, alongside Dan Bowers and Marcus Ross, completes what is arguably the strongest Touring and Rental Application team in the industry today.”
DiGiCo is pleased to announce the acquisition of KLANG:technologies as a key new addition to the Audiotonix family that already includes leading audio brands Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiGrid, Solid State Logic and DiGiCo. The deal further brings together some of the most influential and innovative brands within the Pro Audio Industry.
Immersive technology
James Gordon, CEO of Audiotonix comments: “We have had the pleasure of working with KLANG and their pioneering immersive technology for a couple of years and when the opportunity arose for them to join Audiotonix, we were keen to make it happen. We have always stressed that with our M&A we would look at each brand’s requirement and help support them with their aspirations. On that basis KLANG will become a key part of DiGiCo’s future, as they combine forces to improve the listening world of artists and monitor engineers alike.
It is about to sound a lot more natural, with the arrival of I-IEM (Immersive In Ear Monitoring).”
Austin Freshwater, GM of DiGiCo, added: “We have been working in the background with KLANG for some months on increasing our level of integration. Over that time, it was clear the ethos of the development teams was similar, with a lot of shared common goals. Combining the control of the KLANG system into the DiGiCo worksurface will allow I-IEM and 3D personal monitoring to be a part of an engineer’s natural work flow, and that’s just the beginning for us and the KLANG team. We are keen to meet all their existing supporters and help more potential users understand the difference a KLANG system can make.”
Roman Scharrer, CEO of KLANG summarises with: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the team at KLANG. Having the wealth of industry knowledge and relationships that only the DiGiCo team have at our disposal is really going to allow us to demonstrate the benefits of our technology to those we feel will benefit the most from our ground-breaking development work. Being part of the Audiotonix family will allow our R&D team to bring more of our ideas to life. We can already anticipate that 2019 is going to be a busy year for us and we will continue to excite our users with innovative and sustainable solutions.”
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is the world’s largest professional AV and systems integration show. The annual event, which is held at the RAI Amsterdam every February (this year 5-8th), provides a unique showcase of technologies and solutions for commercial and residential applications. The extensive show floor is complemented by a five-day professional development programme curated by the show’s co-owners, AVIXA (formerly InfoComm International) and CEDIA. ISE also showcases a range of conferences, keynotes and events that take place before and during the show at the RAI and nearby locations.
Most recently announced is the Closing Keynote on Friday 8 February, delivered by Tupac Martir, creative director of multidisciplinary art, design and creative production group Satore Studio, and co-founder of the studio’s sister venture Satore Tech.
He has been described by Vogue as “the visual artist and creative director behind some of the most important events in the world”. Satore clients include BMW, Dior, the Saatchi Gallery, Elton John and Beyoncé.
The ISE 2019 conference program has drawn an impressive array of experts from a wide range of sectors and disciplines. There are no fewer than ten conferences taking place during ISE 2019, five of which are being held at the Hotel Okura, a short distance from the RAI Amsterdam.
Smart Building Conference : Monday, February 4th, 8:30 am – 6:00 pm – RAI Forum & E 102 At the Smart Building Conference, opening keynoters include award-winning architect Aryanour Djalali, CEO of world-famous DNA Barcelona Architects. Flying in from New York to talk about the relationship between smart spaces and experience will be Michael L Schneider, Creative Technology Director – Hardware for Gensler, the collaborative design giant ranked number 1 by Building Design in the 2018 World Architecture Top 100. More info on ISE Europe Smart Building Conference
XR Summit Conference : Tuesday, February 5th, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Hotel Okura Amelia Kallman will chair the XR Summit ISE. A futurist, communicator and consultant, Kallman specialises in the impact of new technologies on business and on our day-to-day lives. She has recently written a report on the emerging risks of virtual, augmented and mixed reality for Lloyd’s of London. More info on ISE Europe XR Summit
Digital Signage Summit ISE : Wednesday, February 6th, from 9 am til 1 pm – Hotel Okura Jose Avalos, General Manager of Visual Retail and VP of the IoT Group at Intel, leads the chipmaker’s digital signage programme. He will present a keynote at Digital Signage Summit ISE. More info on ISE Europe Digital Signage Summit
Digital Cinema Summit ISE : Wednesday, February 6th, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Hotel Okura Among the array of international speakers at Digital Cinema Summit ISE will be renowned cinema industry consultant Michael Karagosian.
He was part of the team that launched Dolby Surround Sound, and was also Technology Advisor for the National Association of Theatre Owners for the decade of the transition to digital cinema.
The opening keynote at DCS ISE will be presented by Jan Runge, European head of the International Cinema Technology Association. Previously CEO of trade body UNIC, the International Union of Cinemas, he is also an independent analyst and advisor to the cinema industry worldwide. More info on ISE Europe Digital Cinema Summit
AttractionsTECH by blooloop : Friday, February 8th, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Hotel Okura Chris Lange, Creative Director and head of the in-house creative and design department at Europe’s second biggest theme park, Europa-Park, will be presenting at attractionsTECH by blooloop. Lange’s international work includes India’s first theme park project, as well as attractions in Singapore and South Korea. More info on ISE Europe Blooloop
Hospitality Tech Summit : Thursday, February 7th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Hotel Okura Hospitality Technology Next Generation, a trade association dedicated to driving best practice in the hotel industry through the adoption of technology, is presenting Hospitality Tech Summit by HTNG at ISE 2019. Its COO, David Sjolander, has worked on both sides of the industry: as a hotel IT executive he was responsible for technology at over 1,000 properties in 70 countries, and he has also worked in a product management role on a system connecting 90,000 hotels worldwide to over 1,000 online distribution channels. More info on ISE Europe HTNG
Agora : Thursday, February 7th, 10:30 am – 4:00 pm – RAI E102 Emmy Award-winning sound designer Scott Willsallen will be giving a keynote at the AGORA conference on sports venue technology. A director of the Sydney-based consultancy Auditoria, Willsallen has worked on multiple Olympic and Commonwealth Games Ceremonies. More info on ISE Europe Agora
AudioForum : Monday, February 4th, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm – RAI F002 Donato Masci is an acoustic designer and consultant, working for Florence-based company Studio Sound Service. He will be presenting at AudioForum @ ISE, which for its 2019 edition will discuss sound environments, the listening experience and psychological factors. The event is designed to appeal to those who manage spaces that feature audio systems, as well as to audio professionals. More info on ISE Europe AudioForum
Avixa shows What’s Next… Higher Education Experiences : Tuesday, February 5th, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – RAI E102 Dr Gill Ferrell will be moderating the AVIXA-hosted conference What’s Next… Higher Education Experiences. A consultant with extensive management experience in higher education, she has led and advised on many implementations of IT within teaching, research and administration functions. She is currently the leader of the EUNIS (European University Information Systems) e-Learning Task Force.
Avixa shows What’s Next… Enterprise AV : Wednesday, February 6th, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – RAI E102 Taking part in the other AVIXA conference, What’s Next… Enterprise AV Integrated Experiences, will be experience designer and communication strategist Lisa Perrine, CEO of Cibola Systems. Her company has completed over 1,000 consulting projects for clients including Sony Music, United Talent Agency and The Annenberg Foundation.
Additionally, both AVIXA and CEDIA will be offering ‘bite-sized’ training on the show floor, with no need for advance booking. AVIXA’s FlashTracks are 20-minute education sessions held on the association’s stand (13-N110), covering topics within User Experience, AV/IT, Design and Emerging Trends. They are free to attend for AVIXA members. More info on ISE Europe Professional Development Avixa
Master classes et Talks Cedia : Stand Cedia 1-E20 Dubbed ‘the father of home theatre’, Theo Kalomirakis of TK Theaters has designed private cinemas for world leaders, sporting legends and film stars. He is one of three experts giving CEDIA’s new full-day Home Cinema Design Masterclass. The association is also offering an extensive 36-course education programme; an All Access Training Pass gives unlimited entry to CEDIA courses of up to half a day’s duration.
CEDIA Talks will be taking place on the CEDIA stand (1-E20), addressing ten different subjects across the four days of the show. Free to attend, these 20-minute sessions are designed to introduce attendees to new disruptive technologies – such as Web 3.0, Wi-Fi 6 and 5G – and challenge established ways of thinking. More info on ISE Europe Cedia Education
Main Stage : Hall 8 In addition, the Main Stage, located in the centre of Hall 8, will present a full programme of thought leadership sessions across the four days of the show, produced by ISE, show co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, and AV Magazine.
Speakers here will include:
Joseph Aamidor, a consultant specialising in the smart building market, who will discuss the application of blockchain to smart building;
Alex Sanfilippo, Director of Engineering at integrator Kraftwerk Living Technologies, who, in an AVIXA-hosted session, will describe how the company built its award-winning 007 ELEMENTS experience;
Ahmed Refai, Regional Commercial Director of Archimedia, who will reveal the secrets of a CEDIA Award-winning fully immersive home cinema project in a luxury new-build development in Dubai.
Theatrical-grade LED profile luminaire plays multiple roles on new drama Distance. London-based lighting designer Dan Saggars had the opportunity to put Elation’s new Artiste Picasso™ LED profile to the test on the new drama, Distance, at the Park Theatre in London in September and found the theatrical-grade moving head an effective multi-purpose lighting tool.
Saggars required a flexible light that could both wash wide to cover the stage and isolate for dramatic specials and placed the units in overhead and side positions to achieve the desired result. “I was able to get massive coverage with the overhead units,” the designer states, “and then extremely specific specials from the sidelights that were able to perfectly isolate areas, people, even body parts.”
Distance, which played September 5–29 in the theatre’s intimate Park 90 space, is a powerful examination of the trials and tribulations of mental illness. Male suicide provides the context for the play, an intense dramatic experience played out on an express train and through a series of flashbacks.
With a snug setting and an audience in close proximity to the emotion being played out on stage, an important criterion was a muted lighting fixture. With the low sidelight units placed only about a meter in front of the audience, fan noise was a concern. “I sat as close as I could to a sidelight Picasso unit for one of the performances and was extremely impressed with how silent it was,” Saggars comments. “I was very pleased to be able to watch the sound designer put her ear right up against the unit in search of the source of loud fan noise, only to find it coming from the sole projector up in the rig!”
Projecting texture onto the stage and set for greater contrast and depth of look was important and the designer found an array of useful graphics at his disposal. “The variance in different breakups was great and allowed me to really differ looks,” he says. “The glass gobos installed allow projection-like clarity and the image engine as a whole had really useful applications, especially when overlaying the first and second gobo wheels.”
When laying down color, Saggars says he was able to easily shift from the naturalistic tones of a train carriage to the murky, abstract colors that reflect the inside of the protagonist’s mind. He comments: “I loved all of the pastels I was able to create – something I really struggle to find with other units. Using the color and the gobos together produced some gorgeous results with the color sometimes being split over the gobo, creating a two tone look. I found it quite useful.”
Precision and elimination
With precision of illumination key to a clean look as well as elimination of excess back light, the Picasso’s 4-blade framing shutter system allowed the designer to refine both beam shape and angle while creating some realistic effects. “The ‘two thrust motors per shutter’ system in the Picasso makes it so much easier to deal with difficult angles particularly,” he says, “but also the shutters as a whole. I made use of just how narrow the shutters were able to go to make some powerful images. I was also able to swipe the light out using the full blackout functions of the shutters – something that was really useful when dealing with a moving train!”
A smooth dimming curve is essential in theatre and Saggars says the Picasso did not disappoint. “The super smooth dimming meant I was able to easily work in the really low intensity range without worrying about snapping out or jumpy fades. There are whole sections where I didn’t stray above 10/20% and the light looked just as gorgeous as it did at 100%.”
Ultimately the flexibility of the Artiste Picasso meant that Saggars was able to deal with any situation that arose. He concludes, “They seemed to excel in every situation I threw at them which is exactly what I needed in this production and will need again in many other productions! I didn’t feel like I had to succumb to what the unit was capable of doing over what I wanted it to look like. This is a huge deal for me as I feel I’m constantly adapting my vision to what a moving light unit is physically able to do – it was very freeing to not have to worry about that.”
HARMAN Professional Solutions, the global leader in audio, video, lighting and control systems, including networked, today announced its new distributor partnership with Exertis in the UK. The distribution agreement entitles Exertis the right to distribute the collaboration and retail products range offered by HARMAN Professional Solutions. The agreement covers the entire AMX Acendo product family in addition to a selection of AKG, JBL Professional and Martin by HARMAN products.
“We are delighted to partner with Exertis,” said Richard Hutchinson, Regional Lead UK and Eire at HARMAN Professional Solutions, EMEA. “By appointing Exertis as one of our retail and collaboration space distributors in the UK, we will be able to address the new segment demands of the market. We are confident that with Exertis’ vision and high level of expertise, we can significantly enhance our market reach.”
“We are delighted to be distributing HARMAN Professional Solutions products in the UK,” said Jamie Brothwell, Business Development Director at Exertis. “JBL, AKG, Martin and AMX are leading brands in the industry with HARMAN being known in the industry as an innovator. We are looking forward to offering these paramount solutions to our customers.”
Exertis is one of the leading distributors of IT, communication and home entertainment products in the UK and a wholly owned subsidiary of parent company DCC PLC, Ireland’s fourth largest company.
The distribution agreement comes into effect immediately. Please contact [email protected] for any additional questions.
Launched in 2017 and already available within the same year, the Ghibli made its debut in lighting rigs in early 2018. This very compact moving head, whose 600 W white LED source generates a powerful beam for spot and framing effects, is on its way to becoming one of the standards for this type of fixture.
An ultra-compact fixture
The Ghibli is a fixture designed around a single key word: Compact!
Each component has been designed to create an elegant and compact machine. Every bit of the space gained in the design process has then been well thought out, down to the last detail. Ghibli is quite attractive aesthetically…
The design remains classic, refined and elegant. It appears that Ayrton decided to pay close attention to the design, carefully maintaining the minimum number of visible screws for an impeccable finish. The weight of the unit, 35.6 kg, is well optimized for an LED moving head with this level of power and features.
A very nice beam!
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Ghibli does Ayrton credit with the brightness and uniformity of its beam. Our flux measurement of 20,000 lumens at a 20° beam angle is more than satisfactory for such a compact spot. No compromises in terms of light! The beam is clean and crisp, exceptionally uniform, pure joy. It is very flexible and can be zoomed from 7° to 56°. The zoom is very quick and accurate.
The zoom
After so many tests of units with zoom ranges this wide, we had almost forgotten that this kind of range is impressive! For the record, at a distance of 5 meters the wide open beam of Ghibli covers a diameter of 5.4 meters. That alone is sufficient to make you realize the versatility of this tool in all kinds of situations.
CMY + CTO + color wheel
This white-source luminaire features a CMY color-mixing system, which uses a set of dichroic filters whose insertion into the beam is graduated and cut in a curve. The three primary colors are supplemented by a fourth set of CTO flags.
The color mixing is nice and balanced; even if the green tints are not very bright (typical for this type of unit), they are still quite usable. It should be noted that all the hues that usually soak up light in a subtractive three-color mixing system are compensated by really nice full-tint glassware on the supplementary color wheel.
The CMY color mixing + CTO
You can find a magnificent vibrant green, an ultra-deep red, a tangy orange and a very dense dark blue on this color wheel. This wheel has seven slots with saturated colors and a CRI enhancement filter. This last one allows you to switch from the fixtures native CRI of 75 to a CRI of 90. The filters are trapezoidal, with rounded corners. They are clipped in, so that they can be easily removed for possible replacement or maintenance. We can work with most of the tints, with the exception of the Congo-blue UV, which no white LED source can generate on a par with powerful HMI/MSR or other sources…
Gobos and graphic effects
Ghibli has two gobo wheels, one with eight static gobos and one with seven indexable rotating gobos, all made of glass and of the same diameter. One of the factory gobos is colored. It is a segmented cone with yellow elements that can be mixed with the color of the beam for a wide variety of effects.
The rotating gobos
An animation wheel generates horizontal stripes whose insertion and scrolling in the beam can be controlled. It is unfortunate, however, that there is a lack of sharpness at 5 meters, as the positioning of this animation wheel in the optical path has been optimized for projection a little further away, given that the light output of the fixture is intended for use in large rooms.
The gobos are well thought out and can be used for both graphic projection and mid-air effects in haze. There is a selection of shapes that are very popular in the theater, such as foliage and hazy lines, but also some very original and effective gobos, such as intertwining triangles and circular tracks, without forgetting some classics that border on retro, such as the cone (timeless and always magic), a “starry night” and an “explosion”, all of which are also great and always very effective classics.
The static gobos
The beam can also be softened using two progressive frost filters. One of these is called “Edge”, indicating a rather “soft” frost that slightly blurs the edges of a beam or projection, while the other is called “Frost”, indicating… well, a frost… As a matter of fact, the “Edge” is still quite aggressive and, even if it does allow very progressive variations and is dosed according to its insertion into the beam, it is still quite far from being subtle. Far be it from me to complain, as I spend my time complaining about those pseudo-frosts that are so light they are practically ineffective, and are of no use whatsoever. Here, at least, I’m getting something.
The second frost (and Frost it is!) is even more brutal and will completely blur the beam until it disappears entirely from any projection. Mixing the two is possible, but this doesn’t do anything other than bring the second frost filter into the beam.
Frost and prism effects.
A 5-facet, radial, rotating prism splits the beam and can be used either to effect projections with image multiplication, or to allow large scale aerial effects with a different beam size. The blending of images is very nice, it creates a very balanced distribution between a burst large enough to be effective, overlaid images that can be connected without over blending either one, at the same time preserving an unusually uniform luminosity and sharpness. In short, this prism is flawless!
Various graphic effects.
I had a blast with all the possibilities of combinations for creating graphic effects. The morphing between the two gobo wheels is effective because they are far enough apart to allow a good fade from one to the other. The prism is also very effective and dramatically enhances these effects. You can easily imagine wallpapering an extremely large surface with a multitude of gobos and various projections, the effects of which can be constantly renewed by programming, when your imagination does not necessarily know all the limits.
It cuts hard!
The Framing module allows the beam to be shaped very traditionally in accordance with the possibilities of four blades with total closure. The entire module can be rotated ±45° (with a total range of 90°) to provide a framing plane in any direction. These sharp and fast shutter blades can also be used to generate spectacular special effects, without limiting the use of this tool to subtle theatre framing.
The framing module in use.
Four fully-closing shutter blades mean that they are each inevitably on a separate focal plane, which means that they do not allow an absolutely sharp view of all the blades simultaneously. This is a classic compromise on all current fixtures equipped with framing, and seems to work for everyone. This framing module works very well, even if we were able to see some slight parasitic reflections generated by the blades themselves when projecting on a bright white screen: less than 10 lux of ghost image compared to 4,600 lux at the center. If we weren’t in laboratory conditions, but in a real world situation in a dark room, this phenomenon would barely be perceptible.
The light source
The source is based on what Ayrton calls an “array” of white LEDs, composed of nine lines of sources generating the luminous flux, which is then collected and concentrated by the optics of the source section. The source can be operated “line by line” to generate effects that take on a variety of different looks and are quite fun, depending on the gobos or different levels of sharpness. For example, you can create a flickering light effect typical of old movie projectors. Although it is not an absolute revolution, this original effect deserves to be explored further and will probably be useful in the future.
Photometric measurements
Derating
We begin our test with the derating. With the fixture at full power and the beam centered on our target, we measure the illuminance in the center 30 seconds after striking, and then every five minutes after that. The illuminance of Ghibli stabilizes in less than five minutes at an attenuation of 8%.
Narrow beam
At the tightest beam angle, which corresponds to a divergence of 6.87°, the illuminance at the centre at a distance of five meters reaches 48,020 lux after derating and 52,150 lux at the cold start. The flux of 14,870 lumens after derating reached 16,150 lm when cold.
20° beam
At our standard reference measurement of 20°, Ghibli shows its maximum efficiency. What make it a real worldwide success are its illuminance after derating of 8,811 lux – 9,567 lux when cold – and, above all, its flux of 19,880 lm after derating and of 21,590 lm when cold. It’s a very bright and efficient unit for most situations where power and nice light will be needed. It’s a big spot – just what lighting designers like!
Wide beam
At the widest beam setting, which corresponds to an angle of almost 58°, Ghibli maintains a very high flux of 18,000 lm after derating and 19,600 lm when cold, which gives it a great deal of versatility.
The Dimmer
The dimmer is obviously controlled electronically, using the intensity of the LEDs. The unit proposes two dimming curves in its menu: “Linear” and “Square Law”. We have plotted here the “Square Law” curve, the characteristics of which are very similar to the response of a halogen fixture.
The Square Law dimmer curve from 0 to 100 %…
… and from 0 to 10 %.
Construction
Ghibli’s construction is completely traditional, and as good as the best in this class. It has a very compact base, a large yoke and a particularly tapered and compact head. The only things that protrude from this elegantly designed body assembly are the levers that allow the mechanical locking of pan and tilt for transport or maintenance.
A view of the open fixture with the modules in place.
To access the head, two Philips-head screws, which are captive, are removed and each of the covers is held by a small sling that can be easily detached to facilitate maintenance. The plastic molding of the entire fixture is very well aligned and fits seamlessly together when reassembled. Impeccable! The other outer covers (outer yoke arms, inner yoke arms, base) are fixed with BTR bolts.
The arm covers use four of these. Two pieces cover the entire structure of the yoke, from bottom to top, while two pieces cover the sides. These are the ones that have to be removed for maintenance.
One of the arms houses the toothed belt that drives the tilt, which is connected to the motor through a pulley, while the other arm contains the cable harness conduit, the pan/tilt control board and the pan motor.
A view of the source module, with the LEDs visible behind the output lens.
Inside the head, four parts are clearly distinct, from back to front: the LED source module, the gobos/colors/effects module, the iris/framing module, the front end with zoom/focus/frosts/prism.
The rear section is therefore occupied by the “lamp” housing, in which the source module is enclosed. It is a 600 watt module, with LEDs arranged in an array (nine rows of LEDs at 70 W per row), that emits white light with a color temperature of 7000 K and a CRI of 75.
A rear view of the fixture with the covers removed, showing the cooling system of the source, the tilt belt in the yoke arm, and the wiring and connectors coming from the LED drivers housed in the base.
Behind this structure is the huge heat pipe cooling system that dissipates heat from the source with the help of two fans.
The next module, which can be removed, includes the gobo wheels, the animation wheel, the CMY + CTO module, and the color wheel. The assembly is extremely tight, but it is evidently quite simple to perform routine maintenance. However, this module must not be easy to dismantle!
The colors/effects module.
A view of the color mixing flags. Visible in the background is the animation wheel and a static gobo.
One of the technical solutions adopted to save weight and space is the use of stepper motors of an unusual type. They are cylindrical and a bit smaller than the classic cubical stepper motors that have been used in our fixtures for decades.
A view of the color mixing flags. Visible in the background is the animation wheel and a static gobo.
On this module we notice the presence of a filter that reduces the color temperature when introducing the gobos into the beam. Ayrton’s engineers found that the color temperature of the beam changes as soon as a gobo is engaged, and this small filter automatically corrects this phenomenon. It should also be noted that the user can choose at the software level to use it or not, as desired, to either maintain an identical color temperature in any situation, or to privilege luminous output at any cost. It is also worth noting that the difference is very subtle, and that the filter does not affect the brightness significantly. It is a small detail that, like others, helps to make Ghibli a fixture whose performance can satisfy the most demanding and fussy users.
The next module contains the shutter blades and their small electronic control board, but also the iris. The four blades are enclosed in a complex mechanical unit, with dual motors for each blade, all assembled on a rotating plate.
The back side of the framing module.
The front side of the framing module.
The color/effects and framing modules can be removed relatively easily by disconnecting one small sub-D connector per module and, for the color/effects module, by loosening four small screws. Strictly speaking, these are not captive screws (they can be removed completely), but the trick is that you only have to loosen them slightly to be able to slide a small tab that then releases the module. The screw therefore remains attached to the unit (unless you are not familiar with the system and unscrew it to the end like a dummy…). To remove the framing module, on the other hand, it is necessary to remove the screws…
With the two modules removed, you can see the quality of the machining.
Many technical solutions are available to avoid having small screws rolling around everywhere (captive screws, quarter-turn systems, etc…) and to guarantee easier maintenance for these fixtures, which may have to be serviced between concerts, in the dark backstage.
Finally, the extremity of the head of the unit includes a linkage which supports the zoom and focus and their motors, in front of which is the impressive output lens at the exit of the beam. The arms carrying the prism and the two frosts insert them into the beam just before the light passes through the zoom/focus system.
A view of the open fixture with the modules in place.
Each module is equipped with its own driver board, which allows the electronics of each element to be separated and the routing to be streamlined. It is a technique that has become common practice. No more monstrous motherboards in the base of the fixture. This new technique – which is made possible, among other things, by the miniaturization of components – has the advantage of considerably reducing the size of the cable harnesses that circulate throughout the unit. Disassembling the base reveals a tightly packed space. Here we find the two power supplies: one for the control electronics and the other for the LED source. A LumenRadio receiver for wireless data transmission is soldered directly to the circuit board. It can be configured in the menu.
In the base, there is also a small battery holder (Lithium type ICR-14500, 3.7 V) that allows you to access the menu when the unit is not powered on. Due to air transport safety standards that prohibit lithium batteries, it is not included with the fixture.
On each side of the rectangular base are the carrying handles; the other two surfaces host the connection panel (XLR5 In & out, 2 x RJ45, fuse holder and True1 mains connector) on one side, while on the other side are the display and a menu access wheel.
The connection panel.
The display and its clickable wheel.
Ghibli’s suspension system uses two Omega brackets that are fixed to the base of the machine using quarter-turn cam locks.
Software and display functions
The menu is very extensive but simple and logical. It only takes one finger to navigate around in it. Note that this fixture can be used as a network switch via its RJ45 ports. A “signal select” menu allows you to choose the control mode (DMX, Wireless, Art-Net, sACN…). The unit can be controlled in three modes: “Basic” 8 bit (36 channels), “Standard” (38 channels), and “Extended” (58 channels), in which almost all the parameter channels are doubled to 16 bits. It is also possible to create your own modes and to save them and recall them at will. A new feature from Ayrton is the possibility to upload the software from one unit to another by simply connecting them together.
Also in the menu options is the configuration of the four ventilation modes. The “Auto” mode lets the unit automatically manage its ventilation according to internal temperatures measured by different components, the “Stage” mode automatically sets all ventilation to full, a “Studio” mode significantly reduces ventilation noise at the cost of a few lumens, and a “Silence” mode reduces ventilation to near silence at a cost of a 20% decrease in luminous output from its peak level.
Conclusion
Ghibli is a remarkable fixture that positions Ayrton from the outset as a reference in the field of next-generation, high-performance moving-head spots. It is a really nice and effective tool that is becoming a standard for this type of product. At the time of writing, Axente has sold more than 400 of them in a matter of weeks at the beginning of its career. We have moved from a not so distant past when emerging LED technology – in which Ayrton has been at the origin of many innovations – produced washes and effect fixtures, to an era where LED spotlights are replacing the “1200 HMI” category lamp spots in an exemplary manner.
What we like
Light
Versatility
Optical quality
Power
Compact format
Effects richness
What we don’t like
The slight stray light on the border of the blades
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Some of the rental companies with Ghiblis in their stock: Neg Earth (UK), Ampco Flashlight (The Netherlands), V-Production (The Netherlands), Motion Group (Germany), Jäger Group (Germany), PA Line (Germany), YES Rental (Belgium), SVV (Finland), Fluge Eventos (Spain), Gam Eventos (Spain), Impact Evénement (France), Melpomen (France), Novelty (France), Pan Tilt Lighting (France), Scène de Nuit (France), Skynight (France), Stienne Production (France), Sub Impact (France), Ultra Son (France), VLS (France), and more…
PlugFest, the technical event for entertainment lighting interoperability organised by PLASA, returns 26-28 February 2019, but this time in mainland Europe, allowing for more manufacturers, developers and technicians from across the continent to meet and test their products. PlugFest is an opportunity for participants to collectively test and demonstrate device and system interoperability with the aim of improving reliability, resolving compatibility issues and ultimately improving connectivity between all entertainment lighting and related technologies.
Focusing on a wide array of protocols including DMX512, RDM, DALI, sACN, Art-Net, RDMnet and LLRP, the event’s expert hosts, Hamish Dumbreck (JESE Ltd), Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence) and Peter Willis (Howard Eaton Lighting) helped create and define many of the protocols relevant today and will be on hand for guidance and support. They will also host a series of workshops and break-out sessions during the event.
New for 2019 will be a presentation on the ESTA Entertainment Industry control protocol standards which have been in public review since the last PlugFest, with the revised drafts of the RDMnet standard being of particular interest to many previous participants. Attendees will also learn about the latest ESTA/ANSI standards which are expected to be released in early 2019.
Last year’s event welcomed major brands from entertainment lighting including Robert Juliat who described PlugFest as “a unique event to meet in a neutral environment, network with our peers, learn about technology and interact with experts.” Zero 88 commented that PlugFest is “an unparalleled opportunity for our developers to fix potential issues, before our customers find them” and TMB added that PlugFest is “an indispensable opportunity for techs and developers to broaden their knowledge.”
PlugFest 2019 is taking place in the city of Lille, France which is directly connected to London with the Eurostar, and all major European cities via a mainline train station. The residential element allows for networking and socialising to continue into the evening. There are a limited amount of discounted hotel rooms reserved for the event, so early booking is recommended. The organisers are arranging a van for UK participants to easily transport their equipment to the event, please contact PLASA for more information.
PlugFest is organised by the PLASA Association, for more information please visit: www.plasa.org/plugfest
Good old saying “The more, the merrier” still rules for Claypaky, simultaneously introducing at JTSE exhibition in Paris end of 2018 two new players in the crammed field of moving heads, yet paying attention, more than ever, to adding little extras inside … well, not so little actually, let’s have a look !
Sharpy Plus
The official Sharpy Plus European Premiere at JTSE
Eight years after a major breakout in the intelligent light world, the Sharpy gets a full in-depth refurbishing, or we’d better call it reinvention. Equipped with a brand new Osram lamp, the Sharpy Plus merges the fullness of a Spot with the dazzling brigthness of a Beam. If you think the Sharpy Plus descends more from the Mythos than from the Sharpy, you’re damn right. The Sharpy Plus relegates the Beam projectors’forefather stand Sharpy far beyond, mutating into a hybrid fully-fledged with features.
Its lamp, to begin with, is a new model from Osram, the 330 W Sirius X8, designed to bring maximum light output … and stability ! With a previsional 300,000 lux @ 10 m distance, the Sharpy Plus would come very close to its major eastern-european competitor, at least with a 3° angle in Beam mode. And yes, let’s repeat “in Beam mode”, as the Sharpy Plus is mostly a full impact Spot, but with a very even projection beam. The projection of the gobos, from a choice of 8 glass ones, doesn’t show any noticeable defect, and the ones in color are hardly blameworthy.
Exclusive from the Claypaky booth at JTSE Paris exhibition, SoundLightUp presents its blasting beam, 3°-36°zoom, FX collection, CMY color mixing, 3 color wheels, gobos, Frost, prisms, animation wheel and much, much more.
Emilio Cornelli, Sales Director of Claypaky, introduces the strong points of the Sharpy Plus.
A specific function boosts at will the light output for extra concentrated lumen galore, with parallel rays of light, with a little help from 12 fixed gobos and 6 beam reducers available on the same wheel. This Boost channel, with ancilliary HotSpot setting, allows fast changeover from Spot to Beam by inserting a dedicated lens inside the optical patch. The zoom multiplies the beam angle by 12, thus going from minimal 3° angle up to its 36° maximum.
The color mixing and some of the gobos are very close to whose inside the Mythos. This well-known trilogy of color discs has the first section dedicated to cyan, magenta and yellow, and the rest to 15 fixed colors and 2 CTO filters. More “electric” than on the Axcor range, some hues and very saturated colors come close to the swatchbook of the Claypaky HPE, pre-Sharpy iconic moving heads.
The FX make the Sharpy Plus top the bill indeed, be it the 8-facet prism, the linear 4-facet prism or, in addition, the animation wheel. Last but not least, a progressive Frost blade will soften the beam edge, very comparable to a Wash. With a weight of 21 kg, the definitive version of the Sharpy Plus is quite fast, even though the standard Sharpy remains unreachable on this matter. The menu and the ergonomics are faithful to the Claypaky know-how.
One more thing … if you want to know what the final Sharpy Plus price will be, you’ll have to contact your distributor. Some say that the “Plus” word in the product name could lead to a minus in the pricing … First deliveries are expected beginning of 2019.
Axcor Spot 400
Following the exclusive presentation of the Axcor Profile 400 and 600 last september at Plasa London, what more could we offer you ? Easy, let’s unveil the Axcor Spot 400, then!
Axcor Spot 400
This bladeless model is more price conscious, on request from a number of customers. It does keep the 300 W led engine from the Axcor Profile 400, and still offers a choice of two models, normal or HC, according to your main focus on light output or sheer quality of the color rendering. Standard version delivers 16,000 lumens @ 6500K, with a CRI of 70. The HC (High Color Rendering) version goes up to 12,000 lumens @ 5600K, but with a CRI of 90, for a more natural light. Slightly brighter than the Profile model, its optical system includes a larger lens (125 mm), and a bigger zoom ratio from 5° to 55.5°, with enhanced direct lighting.
The Axcor Spot 400 includes the same CMY color mixing plus linear CTO and 6 color wheel than the Profile. The extra space created by the missing framing module is used by a HD rotating gobo wheel, in addition to the 4-facet prim, animation wheel, iris and frost already part of the Profile model.
Already available, the Axcor Spot 400 completes the Axcor range, maybe until later a Beam version of the Axcor Spot 600. Contact your distributor for a test anytime.
K25 et K15
Last final “even more” effect, Claypaky plans the launch of the new B-Eye K25 et K15 early April 2019 at ProLight & Sound Frankfurt. Keeping the functions and general concept of the K20 and K10, these new items will be equipped with leds twice as powerful, an enhanced 80 % light output in narrow beam, and 100 % in wide beam. “Even more” seems to be Claypaky’s motto nowadays, didn’t I tell you ?
Premiere at latest French JTSE exhibition on Chauvet France booth, with Albert Chauvet himself, and interesting newbies like a 230 W led PAR56, two profiles with CRI of 96 in warm white and two Fresnels, quite a lot to discover! The French subsidiary had a dedicated bigger “black booth” in addition to their standard one, with Albert Chauvet in person welcoming visitors, and a contortionist as physical and moving support to demonstrate the quality and versatility of the light.
The led PAR Ovation P-56WW.
Let’s start with the revisited good ol’PAR56, named here Ovation P-56WW in warm white 3422K (this IS precise color temperature indeed). It can also provide variable white under the evocative name P-56VW, or in color with FC suffix, or even UV.
They all contain a 230 W led engine, and offer a choice of several lens apertures: 24°, 39° or even a wide 81°. They’re controlled in bidirectional DMX-RDM, quite easy to use nowadays…
The two IP65 profile models in the same Ovation range are ready to project Santa Claus, Happy New Year, Eastern Rabbit, Your Very Own Logo or whatever will spring to mind for outdoor significant seasonal or long-lasting messages.
The first one, the Ovation E-260 WW IP, in 3149K warm white, is equipped with a 230 W led module with a CRI of 96. The other one, the Ovation E-910 FC IP, comes with a 91 x 3 W led module with 5 chromatic colors: RGB + Amber + Lime, providing not only a large choice of colors, saturated or pastels, but also a tunable color temperature between 2800K and 6500K, although with a CRI not exceeding 82.
Last but not least, let’s go back indoor with two IP20 Fresnels mainly focussed on the quality of their variable white.
The Ovation Fresnel F-415VW…
The smallest model Ovation F-415VW (120 W) has a color temperature widely tunable between 2800K and 8000K, thanks to 46 leds from 3 to 4 W depending on the primary color: RGB, royal blue, orange. According to the kind of white you choose, the CRI itself will evolve from 89 and 93. This Ovation F-415, with its zoom 27° – 68° zoom, is available in Full Color version as well.
… and the Ovation F-915VW
The bigger brother Ovation F-915VW (260 W), only available in variable white, uses an array of 89 leds, 3 W each, in red, orange/red, green, blue, royal blue and lime. The span of the color temperature adjustment is the same as the previous model, between 2800K and 8000K, with a CRI between 88 and 92. The zoom ratio is even bigger, from 30° to 85°. Both models can be controlled in DMX-RDM, with various dimming curve options, more than welcome for very precise theatre applications.
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