© Ralph-Larmann

Justin Timberlake has launched his “Man of the Woods” tour with Claypaky Scenius Unico fixtures supporting the show as it travels the world. “Man of the Woods” is Timberlake’s sixth headlining tour; it follows the release of his fifth studio album of the same name.
The tour kicked off in Toronto and will play dates in North America until the commencement of the European leg in July. Then more North American dates are scheduled from September through the tour’s conclusion in Denver next January.

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The show presents Timberlake’s music in several “worlds,” which are themed around the origins of the songs.
The massive, in-the-round set is composed of multiple stages spanning the arena space. “It’s a very choreographed show because we didn’t want to block any seats.

A lot of work went into making sure that everything can be seen everywhere,” says Nick Whitehouse, Creative Producer and Lighting Designer for the tour and Creative Director at Fireplay. “Even when the transparent roll-drop screens come down for video projections the audience can see through them for a really cool effect.”

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Whitehouse chose 70 Claypaky Scenius Unicos for the main rig. “This is my first time using Unico. I was looking for a spot and beam fixture and have had very good experience with Claypaky products before,” he says. “A lot of vendors are buying Unicos and recommending them, so I decided to give them a try.”

Lighting Director Brian Vaughan reports that, “the Unicos have been our workhorses. We use every feature they have. They’re a great wash; a great spot with interesting gobo patterns; they key the band, the dancers and Justin; and they can go down to a Sharpy-type beam. We even use the shutters to shutter off the edges of the stage for a super-clean look.”

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Sixty-eight of the Unicos are in the air while two are positioned on the floor directly behind the stage for entrances and exits. Thirty-six of the fixtures are dedicated to what Whitehouse describes as “an Instagram moment.” To open the show a 30×30-foot logo panel surrounded by 36 Unicos descends from the ceiling, tilts and assumes a number of different looks.
“It’s like a massive UFO coming down,” Whitehouse says. “I’m really pleased with the Unicos. We get some incredible effects from them.” Montreal-based Solotech provided the Scenius Unicos for the “Man of the Woods” tour.

© Ralph-Larmann

More information on Claypaky’s website

Ayrton is proud to announce the appointment of Bary AS as its new, exclusive distributor for Norway. Bary AS is one of Norway’s largest suppliers of technical solutions and equipment for concerts, festivals, events and other productions with many years of experience and expertise, and a loyal customer base that places trust in the company’s judgement.

“Bary is made up of passionate professionals whose ambition for excellence appear in their every undertaking,” says Ayrton international sales manager, Jerad Garza. “We embrace their values and love their energy, which make Bary and Ayrton a great fit. We’re excited to have Bary AS join the Ayrton family.”
“We are delighted to start our journey as Norwegian distributor of Ayrton,” agrees Morten Bakke, business development manager for Bary AS. “This is the result of three months of intense effort from our development, sales and lighting departments during which time we thoroughly researched the lighting market and the competition within this segment of the business. The list of suppliers got very long, but after our evaluation process there was no doubt – one of the suppliers really stood out and captured our full attention! ”

Morten Bakke of Bary AS and Jerad Garza of Ayrton.

“We didn’t waste any time before settling on Ayrton. From our years of experience in the rental business, we know what to look for in a product and can easily spot the difference in build quality and durability, which our customers have come to rely on. Ayrton has released products that are in direct competition with the best fixtures on the market – at competitive conditions. They are also known for making really cool and creative effect lighting.”

With headquarters and its research & development centre located south of Paris, France, Ayrton has specialized in developing intelligent LED lighting products for entertainment and architectural applications since 2001. The company possesses a reputation for the highest competence in engineering, software, electronics and optics.
Ayrton’s creations include highly innovative products such as the MagicPanel, DreamPanel, NandoBeam and WildSun ranges of fixtures – many of which are award-winning. Ayrton’s recent product releases include LED wash and profile fixtures Ghibli, Merak, Mistral and Bora, with more new releases scheduled to take the market by storm in the very near future.
As a company, one of Bary AS’s ambitions is to be first in line with new products to ensure they can offer their customers the latest and best technology. “There are a countless number of products out there, but we will only stand by those with the highest quality – the ones we like to use ourselves,” says Bakke. “We use our knowledge from thousands of productions to provide our customers with the best solutions and installations. And we are proud of our suppliers and partners and eager to offer the best possible products.”

“Ayrton has introduced a new industry standard for moving fixtures, and the positive changes at Ayrton since 2017 has created enormous excitement around the brand. This has made Ayrton a company with an extremely exciting future that we’re looking forward to being part of!”

More information on the Ayrton website and on the Bary AS website

L’écran de la 5 BE et son code couleur.

HHB Communications Ltd (HHB), a global leader in professional audio technology, announced HARMAN Professional Solutions will showcase the Studer Vista 5 Black Edition on the HHB Communications stand 8.D56 at IBC2018.
The Vista 5 BE supports all of Studer’s range of Infinity Core products, including the Infinity Core 300, 600 and 1000, and the new Compact Infinity Core, 300 and 600 versions. It also supports the Compact CoreLink Card and Studer’s Infinity Core Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) solution.

Le Compact Core 600

The IT-friendly solution allows customers to run Studer’s real-time audio processing on their own server hardware just by adding a standard PCIe Infinity CoreLink card.
With all the capabilities of the Vista series consoles, the Studer Vista 5 BE with its highly flexible feature set will find favour amongst users in broadcast production, live sound, and performance venues.

L’écran de la 5 BE et son code couleur.

The Vista 5 BE is an affordable mixing desk that combines a Studer control surface with support for the industry-leading Infinity Core processing engine and is available in 22, 32 and 42 fader counts.
The console’s features include Studer’s unique and patented Vistonics interface and FaderGlow technology, providing the operator with an instant illuminated overview of the console status, increasing user visibility and dramatically improving reaction time and reducing the stress of mixing in an environment where there is no second chance. Studer Vista 5 BE also supports an optional TFT meter bridge.

La série Glacier

In addition, HARMAN will present Studer’s fully scalable and customisable Studer Glacier solution that provides comprehensive control, flexibility and interoperability for any on-air application. Multiple modules can be added to create custom-tailored consoles that bring new levels of control and versatility to any broadcast.

Also, on the stand is the Studer Micro series, a compact digital audio mixing system that provides the features and functionality of a high-end mixing system, making it ideal for radio, production studios, ENG/DSNG, and more.

La série Micro

Mark Pascoe, Director of Sales and Marketing at HHB Communications, said: “HARMAN Professional Solutions will revolutionise the audio community by introducing the new Vista 5 Black Edition at IBC2018.
We are excited to have them on our stand demonstrating their latest affordable mixing console.”

Visit HHB Communications on stand 8.D56 at IBC2018 between 14–18 September 2018.

And more information on the Studer website

Ayrton introduces Bora, a sophisticated and fully equipped compact 750 W double wash fixture, the Stage and the True Color.

The Stage delivers a record-breaking output of 38 000 lumens. Both will be launched at Plasa, Sunday, Sept. 16th. Click to see the official video.
One name for two wash luminaires. Ayrton introduces Bora, a sophisticated and fully equipped compact 750 W double wash fixture, the Stage and the True Color. The Stage delivers a record-breaking output of 38 000 lumens.

Both will be launched at Plasa, Sunday, September 16th. Please visit the Ambersphere booth (K40) and Below the official presentation video.

More information on the Ayrton website

For the eighth year running, Music Inside Rimini (MIR) and LIVE welcomed a host of lighting companies including High End Systems to take part in the annual Italian event ‘Live You Play’.
LIVE events began in 2010 with a resolution to provide visitors with the chance to experience audio, lighting, video and installation technologies from a live performance on stage. This year, there was both a Virtual and a Live show organised at the event.

Lighting designer Trevor Burk organised the structure of High End Systems fixtures in the Virtual show whilst lighting programmer Francesco De Cave arranged the design of the same fixtures for music band ‘POP deluxe’ in the Live show.
Francesco acknowledged that the event was a great opportunity to compare the unique approaches of two different lighting designers working on the same rig and was particularly pleased to have been chosen by ETC to program the lighting in a brand new environment. He emphasised how ‘programming the lighting whilst showing the fixtures’ capability to the audience without losing the main focus – the show itself – was not an easy job’.

The set-up included a variety of SolaFrame 750, SolaFrame Theatres, HEX, QUAD, SolaSpot 2000, SolaWash 2000, SolaHyBeam 1000 and the recently launched SolaFrame 3000. The SolaFrame series, the most advanced LED frame fixtures on the market, lit up the performances by POP deluxe with precise lighting control and aerial effects.
This included High End Systems’ newest flagship luminaire: SolaFrame 3000, which features an Ultra-Bright White LED engine that produces a limitless range of colour, illuminating the show to the highest standard.

Out of the High End fixtures, Francesco singled out the QUAD as his favourite, stating “QUAD is a particularly well-designed fixture with a variety of unprecedented effects and I would like to map them with Hog 4 Pixel Map in one of my future projects.”

Music band, POP deluxe, performed 5 songs produced by Spray Records and featuring the fixtures:

My Immortal d’Evanescence

Jean/Thriller/Black or White – Michael Jackson

The Show Must Go On de Queen

Locked out of Heaven de Bruno Mars

Purple Rain de Prince

L’événement, organisé plus tôt cette année, s’est révélé un grand succès, avec une augmentation du nombre de visiteurs de 20 % par rapport à l’année dernière.

For more information visit High End Systems website. About Francesco De Cave Visit here

RCF Group, one of the fastest growing group in the Pro Audio market today announced that it is acquiring Eastern Acoustics Works (EAW), an iconic company in the history of Install and Touring sound headquartered in Whitinsville,MA from LOUD Audio LLC, a portfolio company of Transom Capital Group.

RCF Group, with Headquarters in Reggio Emilia and Bologna and subsidiaries in USA and Europe, operates under the companies RCF and AEB Industriale (dB Technologies) and is now adding EAW company to further become an international leader in designing, producing and selling products and systems for professional audio and public address installations.

Arturo Vicari, CEO of RCF Group stated: Since their early days, the two companies have been very close with RCF supplying professional drivers to EAW. Both brands successfully expanded around the world and their histories were often linked. Finally, we can look at a bright future together.
Even though EAW will remain a totally independent company, being part of our group will provide EAW with the necessary investments and focus for a fast and solid growth. We are very proud to have EAW with us.

TJ Smith, President of EAW stated: For those who love EAW it is difficult to imagine a better scenario. From the first moment this possibility started to materialize it has been clear that joining forces with RCF Group is a great opportunity for EAW. This transaction is a true recognition of what the brand represents, its potential, as well as the team we have built over recent years. With gratitude to the long list of those that built EAW over its 40-year history, we look forward to the exciting time in front of us.

More information on the EAW website and on the RCF website

Ayrton brings yet more innovation to PLASA London with the launch of two fabulous new products when it exhibits, with exclusive UK distributor, Ambersphere Solutions, on Stand K40.

Ayrton Bora S

PLASA London sees the launch of Bora-S, Ayrton’s new high output, low power LED washlight, complete with gobo projection and framing capabilities for stunning aerial effects. Bora-S’s optical delivers a remarkable output of 38,000lm from an 8000K white LED engine of just 750W.

Bora-S is a washlight for large scale venues and outdoor and indoor arenas, yet it is also fully featured with a 178mm PC front lens, a 8:1 zoom delivering a beam range of 8° to 64°, full field framing, an iris, a rotating gobo wheel, two colour wheels and a full CMY + CTO colour system with a CRI greater than.

Ayrton will also launch the brand new Khamsin-S automated LED profile spotlight at PLASA. The brightest LED profile spotlight on the market, outputting a massive 39,000lm.

Ayrton Khamsin S

Khamsin-S has it all: unparalleled optical efficiency using the same modest 750W white LED engine as Bora-S and a wealth of quality features that include two rotating gobo wheels, an animation wheel, full field framing, two prisms, an iris, two frosts, two fixed colour wheels and a full CMY + linear CTO colour system, plus a 9:1 zoom with a 6.5° to 56° beam range.
These combine with Khamsin-S’s brilliance to give lighting designers a full tool box with which to realise their design dreams.

Khamsin-S and Bora provide an led alternative that exceeds the performance and capabilities of 1500W/1700W discharge fixtures, at an equal price point, yet at a fraction of the running costs. TC versions of both Bora and Khamsin with TM30 results over 90 are available on request so customers can choose between the “TC-version” (True Colour) with a high CRI, or opt for a maximum of output with the “S-Version” (Stage). As if all this was not enough, pop by stand number K40 where Ayrton will be happy to give you a glimpse into the future…

Ayrton will also be at the 11th Knight of Illumination Awards which it is supporting for the fourth year running. The Awards take place at London’s Eventim Apollo Hammersmith on 16 September and will be a glittering occasion to showcase the best in UK lighting design.

More information on Ayrton’s full portfolio of LED lighting products at Ayrton website

Belgian-based creative engineering specialists WIcreations are involved in the design and fabrication of three bespoke set elements – all optimised for air freight – to be used on a series of epic outdoor shows on Roger Waters’ current “Us + Them” world tour, which launched with two seminal shows in Rome and Lucca, Italy.
A pair of 16.6-metre-high circular PA towers grace the stage, complete with integral tracking systems on the onstage side for the rigging of 10 moving light fixtures, and on the downstage side for the sound cluster’s wind brace.

The second WI object is an industrial style stage roof – ‘roofette’ as it’s known on the tour – comprising a set of cantilevered steel beams which can be fitted with clear roof skins in case of rain. The third area in which WI is involved is a truss and beam rigging system, devised to securely rig and retain in place the 65-metre-wide upstage LED screen.

WI’s account and project manager Koen Peeters is overseeing all the WI elements, after being approached by Jeremy Lloyd of Wonder Works, the tour’s production designer. The creative director is Sean Evans and Chris Kansy is the Us+Them tour’s production manager.

PA Towers

These sleek PA towers are completely different to anything expected at a standard gig. Each one is a half metre diameter, matt black coated round steel tube, for a fully streamlined and modern aesthetic.
The PA rigging cradles holding the slim Clair Brothers arrays are rigged to the towers via an i-beam hoist system. The hoists are at the base of the tower and the arrays are built and raised up until complete.
Then an adjustable stabilising arm is attached to a trolley riding up the mast while the whole assembly is flown up to trim height.

Another 1 tonne hoist is attached to the base of the tower with its steel travelling up the offstage side of the mast, hoisting a stack of 10 Robe BMFL moving lights up along the integrated PA mast track.
Individual transparent rain shields offer clean looking and effective weather protection for the moving lights. When in position, these form a perfect perpendicular line of downstage lights each side.

The masts have been constructed in 3 metre sections to allow for packing and air freighting, in particular for the final three ‘fly-away’ gigs at the end of the Latin American leg of the tour in October.
The brackets into which the BMFLs are clamped and pulled up the masts will also accommodate different types of moving lights.

The Roof

Seven identical cantilevered heavy-duty steel roof beams mark out the 18-metre-wide by 12-metre-deep stage space which constitutes the band performance area, all keeping with the industrial vibe of the overall stage design. Variants on this theme have been a characteristic of Roger Waters’ live looks over the years.
Each roof beam features eight integral Martin Mac Aura LED wash moving lights and all the cabling required which is enclosed in the beams. The Auras plug in with a short 25 cm tail maintaining the tidy, high-quality finish prevalent throughout the whole stage area.

The roof beams are pinned to a sub-frame structure below stage that hold them rigid and rock solidly in place. On the end of each roof arm is an SGM Q7 LED strobe / flood fixture.
One of the stipulations for Koen and the team was that the whole roof structure had to be capable of being constructed manually … for scenarios where work can continue even when it might not be possible to get stage power and run hoists, etc. during the get-ins / outs.

As with all WI structures, the weight and volume have been minimised, it breaks down and travels in a series of dollies, and all goes together extremely quickly on site.
Transparent roof skins – six identical sections and two side ‘batwings’ – can be slotted in to the channels along the tops of the roof beams if the weather is looking dodgy!

LED Wall Rigging

Video and visuals have always been an essential part of Roger Waters live shows which are a cerebral mix of music, activism and thought-provoking juxtapositions. The 65-metre-wide by 12-metre-high video wall is being supplied to the tour by UniPix from the UK and is built in situ in 7.5-metre-wide sections.
Each section is guided into place via two vertical beams which are attached to the upstage scaffolding structure, which is locally supplied to the tour’s spec. The WI team come to site and prepare the trussing supports with integrated diverter beams, then fly the completed truss in sections on top of the scaff wall.

Each screen section has several carrier wagons rolling along the vertical tracks, allowing the screen to be built from the ground up. This methodology ensures that each 7.5-metre-wide x 12-metre-high section – and indeed the whole screen – is held firmly in place and wind-braced right from the start of the build process to the final moments of dismantling during the get out. This reduces the risk that the screen sections can rapidly turn into giant sails if the wind gets up.

Each screen section weighs 4.5 tonnes and is lifted into place via the tracks with two 2.5 tonne motion-controlled hoists. The hoists sit upstage in dedicated dollies, also part of the WI package, and they travel with the universal production set.
A 40 mm gap is left between the screens whilst they are brought up to trim height to avoid scraping and grinding during the build, and are then moved sideways and interlocked precisely and seamlessly together with the next section. WI’s new proprietary MCA automation system controls the 18 motion hoists used for the LED screen rigging.

The tour is carrying two systems of PA Towers, video screen rigging structures and two roofette bases, and the gig build schedule is based on two advanced days and one production day at each venue. The next outdoor shows will be in October on the Latin American leg of the tour.

More on the WIcreations website

As a global provider of integrated event technology solutions, the rapidly growing Adam Hall Group responds to its continued business development with further expansion to its sales team.

Left to right, Gabriel Medrano, Markus Jahnel and Marcel Mieger.

Markus Jahnel, COO and Managing Director, will assume responsibility for the Adam Hall Group’s global business development with immediate effect. “The long-term development of new business areas and partnerships and the development and personal maintenance of our global networks are important priorities for the immediate future. I am looking forward to being even closer to our marketplace expansion,” said the 50-year-old, who has been with the company over 27 years.
With the handover of this strategic area to Jahnel by the end of September, the Adam Hall Group also bids a warm farewell to the retiring Bodo Falkenried. Falkenried’s achievements include in particular the creation and expansion of the Group’s local business unit, Adam Hall Asia Pte Ltd. “We would like to thank Bodo for his great work and wish him all the best for the new chapter in his life. He was a valued employee who was greatly appreciated by the entire team,” expresses Markus Jahnel.

Marcel Mieger takes on the role of Sales Director Europe at the beginning of September. A member of the Adam Hall Family for 16 years, he has contributed to the successful multi-channel management of sales and the high level of customer satisfaction. The 34-year-old will look after the ever-expanding European sales network of the innovative event technology solutions provider.

Gabriel Medrano takes over as COO of the newly formed, New Jersey based Adam Hall North America, Inc., another subsidiary and local business unit of the Adam Hall Group founded in January this year. Together with Steven Savvides, President, Adam Hall North America, Inc., Medrano is responsible for the development of the entire business in North America. The 43-year-old has demonstrated his technical expertise and leadership qualities for the company over the last ten years, most recently as International Sales Manager for Southern Europe & South America.

For Lebanese systems integrator AMAC Company, overcoming the acoustic challenges that were inherent to The Dome, part of Middle East Airlines’ Beirut-based Training & Conference Center, was the kind of challenge that could only be overcome with experience and superior technology.

The passive 1220 EVA-2928S model showing his transducers, two 8’’ and four 1,25’’ drivers. The crossover frequency is set at 1740 Hz, the nominal impedance is 16 ohms and the power handling is 350 W continuous.

The Dome is well named; a large multi-purpose space, it extends over an area of 475 square meters, and its roof peaks at a maximum height of 19 meters.

The building’s shape, explains AMAC Company technical manager Georges Tabet, meant that “acoustically it was a real challenge”. The average reverberation time was between 25 and 30 seconds, and we needed a solution that could deliver audio equally all through the space.
A local point-source design was an option, and through EASE modelling it became apparent that two arrays, flown from the ceiling, provided the best method of coping with the spherical architecture.”

The acoustically challenging multi purpose space, featuring EVA speakers

Having used Electro-Voice loudspeakers for a number of previous conference center projects, Tabet knew that he could rely upon on the EVA (Expandable Vertical Array) series, part of the EV-Innovation family for fixed installation.

The 126 horizontal off axis frequency response. Pretty good up to 45°.

In addition to the advanced Hydra plane wave generators and Constant Directivity waveguides inside the boxes, the EVA enclosures offer integrated rigging hardware and a choice of finish options to ensure they blend into the background for a clean installation.

The1151D sub showing his 15 ’’ accepting 500 W continuous and offering a sensitivity of 98 dB SPL.

Each array comprises four EVA-2082S modules and six EVA-2082S modules. They are augmented in the low end by two matching EVA-1151D 15” subwoofers, while two Electro-Voice Xw12A 12” floor monitors provide foldback for presenters and performers.
The entire system is powered by eight Electro-Voice Q1212 amplifiers.

“Everyone is delighted with the new system,” says Tabet. “We were asked to deliver good intelligibility to the entire audience, which can be as many as 400 people seated or 500 standing.
From training pilots to performances by solo musicians and small bands, the EV system has delivered on every expectation.”

For more information, visit the Electro-Voice website

Allen & Heath is now shipping the hotly anticipated Dante card for its SQ series. SQ is the first compact mixer to provide a full 64×64 channel, 96 kHz interface to a Dante network.

Any SQ mixer fitted with the SQ Dante card can seamlessly connect to 96kHz amplifiers, interfaces and other devices on a Dante network, without unnecessary sample rate conversion or added latency.

The new SQ Dante. Let’s connect to the Dante’s world !

In addition to facilitating system integration, the new card enables digital splits and affordable multitrack recording direct to a computer, making it a powerful addition to SQ systems in live, installation and recording applications.

The SQ Dante card can also be switched to 48kHz to accommodate existing Dante networks and is Dante Domain Manager ready.

“Finally! We’re delighted to make the SQ Dante card available to the many, many SQ customers who’ve been waiting patiently for this release,” commented SQ Product Manager, Keith Johnson.

The Dante HC heart on a Xilinx FPGA basis.

“Our R&D team has been working with the good folks at Audinate on a custom implementation of Dante HC to deliver a high channel count, 96 kHz solution that takes full advantage of SQ’s XCVI FPGA core.
Sometimes breaking new ground takes a little longer than taking the easy option – but we’re confident that the results are well worth it.”

More on the Allen & Heath website

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.