Allen & Heath has added the 16 channel ME-500 personal mixer to its ME personal mixing system. ME-500 is designed as an accessible personal monitoring solution for houses of worship, rental companies and orchestras, allowing musicians to quickly and independently build and control their own monitor mixes from 16 stereo or mono sources.

The new mixer inherits the same compact format as its sibling, the 40 channel ME-1, but with simplified setup and controls. The ME system is plug ‘n’ play compatible with Allen & Heath’s digital mixer range and can be used with third party digital consoles via the ME-U hub.
ME-500 features a crisp, dimmable display, 16 backlit select keys, mute and solo buttons, master level with limiter and EQ, plus a single rotary encoder for all main navigation and control. Each ME-500 can store and recall 8 user presets for different mixes, users and shows, all of which can be saved to USB.

A rear view showing the EtherCon connectors, the double headphone jacks and the mono TRS.

Outputs include minijack and ¼” headphones and a TRS mono out for wedge monitors. There is no limit to the number of ME-500 and ME-1 personal mixers that can be added to a system. Secure EtherCon connectors allow ME-500s to be daisy-chained, or deployed in a star topology using the ME-U or an off-the-shelf PoE switch.

Allen & Heath’s Live Sound Product Manager, Ben Morgan commented, “We’re seeing a big rise in personal mixing as venues and tours battle to keep sounds levels on stage under control and try to make the most effective use of precious sound check time.
Our established ME-1 personal mixers are superb for environments where there’s the time and expertise to craft the perfect mix of up to 40 sources for each performer, but many customers have been asking for a more accessible alternative that volunteers and first-time users can get great results with quickly and easily. That’s exactly what we set out to create with ME-500.”

More on the Allen & Heath website

Canadian superstar Celine Dion’s lighting designer Yves Aucoin has added Robe’s brand new MegaPointe multi-purpose moving light fixtures to the rig for her popular “Celine” show at the Colosseum, Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas. This is the first live concert show for MegaPointe in North America … and Robe is delighted with the high-profile reference! The hard-working Grammy Award winning artist and top selling recording star who offers an accessible mix of pop, soul, rock and RnB is currently playing around 70 shows a year in Las Vegas in a series of 3 week stints, and tours other territories in between.
Yves has worked with her since 1989, and Montreal based lighting supplier Solotech, represented by Richard Lachance and François Desjardins, has also been involved since Celine’s shows first started carrying a production. Yves jumped at the chance to add MegaPointes to the Vegas spectacle! He likes to keep the long running residency looking fresh by introducing new elements.
The 4,296 capacity Colosseum was inspired by the architecture of ancient and contemporary Rome and has been in operation since 2003, when it first opened with a showcase of Celine Dion’s residency show “Celine in Las Vegas – Opening Night Live” … Yves recalls the event extremely well, and at that point he says they had around 180 fixtures in the theatre!

Some of these luminaires are still there, but over the years other visiting artists have added to the rig, so there are now around 300 fixtures in the house rig … the very latest of which are the 22 x MegaPointes. The stage is around 125 ft. wide so it’s a big space to fill, and when Yves decided to add the MegaPointes – following a demo by John Bilyk and the Robe North America team – he knew that he would be able to make an immediate impact and shift the dynamics of the show.
Twelve MegaPointes are positioned on a bridge upstage of the band and these have become real workhorses for this new-look show. They are used for beams, back key-lighting and projecting and texturing onto the stage as well as for aerial looks. Six MegaPointes along the front of the stage are used extensively when the front curtain is in and the space is smaller and more intimate. Concentrated on the apron, the four remaining fixtures are on four ‘mobilator’ – a TAIT special – moving band risers. These illuminate the musicians and provide a second layer of mid-stage beams which Yves can integrate into his bigger pictures.

Yves – who throughout his long and illustrious industry career has always had a penchant for road-testing new products – is “well impressed” so far with the MegaPointes! He had his work cut out to program 22 new fixtures into 28 songs in a short window, and is pleased with the results. He appreciates the large, efficient zoom, and the fact you can have a sharp beam one minute, then zoom out without losing power and still have a nice hard-edged fat beam which also looks cool with a gobo inserted.
He thinks the gobos are excellent, and loves the quality of the colors. He says this is one of the features that successfully “seduced” him into adding MegaPointes to the show. The blue and amber ranges – their richness and definition – he finds particularly interesting and attractive. He also mentions that he can easily pull the zoom a little bit and run smoothly into an elegant sweep across the audience at the Colosseum without blinding people, a maneuver that’s not easy to achieve with many other moving lights.

Yves has used Robe products in his work for some time, particularly the BMFL range. He thinks Robe as a brand is “Rock solid” right now. “Their fixtures are powerful, reliable, practical – easy to clean and service – this is what I am hearing constantly from my crews,” he stated. Yves also designs the video and set for all of Celine’s shows as well as programming and operating the lighting for most. For the occasional Vegas gig he cannot attend, the venue’s Greg Whittle will step in and run the lighting … having learned the show cue-by-cue.
Celine Dion has had the longest residency at the Colosseum – she will hit the 1110 mark on June 2nd 2018 … and celebrated her 1000th there on October 8th 2016.

More information on Robe website

©Soren Pagter

Two years ago, it all started; the concept “Watermusic” was developed by Kevin Finnan from dance and theatre company, Motionhouse. One year ago, lighting designer Phil Supple was brought to the team, and early September it all culminated in a three-night breathtaking show on the industrial harbor of Randers as one of 12 ‘Full Moon’ projects in the official program for the European Capital of Culture – Aarhus 2017.

©Lawrence Stromski

Watermusic consisted of a stunning choreographed piece involving dancers, musicians, a 300-voice choir, aerialists – even aquatic jetpacks, boats and much more. Sound, AV and lighting were supplied by Nordic Rental; their package included multiple SGM IP65-rated LED luminaires: 120 P-5 wash lights, six P-1 wash lights and 25 G-Spot moving heads.

Phil Supple, lighting designer of WaterMusic and Lawrence Stromski console operator.

In association with Randers EgnsTeater, the show had international touch from the dancers from Motionhouse in UK, the visual dream-images created by multimedia artists from Spanish Logela and the music composed by International Danish star ‘Oh Land’ and performed by herself and the choir.
Working across performance and event genres specializing in large scale, site specific and landscape work, Phil Supple was engaged full-time on the project two months prior to premiere: “The starting point was a 3D Vectorworks model of the harbor buildings. From that, I developed working drawings for the technical team and a lighting layout of the entire site. This made for a very efficient process translating my visual ideas into hard technical info.
The most exciting thing for me about lighting design on this scale is the realization of really big images directly from your imagination – the challenge to use light to paint from your mind – and for that to work you really need the right tools.”

©Soren Pagter

Weatherproof and dust-tight

Phil Supple integrated as part of the whole creative team to deliver a vision for the show that turned 300 meters of industrialized harbor, with granaries and grain port on one side and a power station on the other, into an emotional theatrical spectacle.

©Lawrence Stromski

The day after the last show and just hours before leaving for a new project, Phil Supple was enjoying the aftermath: “It was amazing; really good audience response and it was visually stunning.”
Despite the grain harvest arriving during the build, a big part of Phil Supple’s lighting design was to illuminate the windows of the amazing granary buildings, using 96 SGM P-5 wash lights installed inside the buildings.

©Lawrence Stromski

“Instead of just having a flat projective surface, the building could be animated and come to life with these amazing P-5s – in a very dusty and difficult environment. The P-5s were perfect really, they are completely waterproof for outdoors but also dust-tight for operation inside the granary buildings. It’s just the perfect instrument. Particularly the color response is unique; there are no other instruments that get the same kind of beautiful theatrical tone in transition and they deliver a fantastic range of colors,” says Phil Supple.

On the top deck of the harbor master’s tugboat, the Queen of the Sea performed by Oh Land stood lit by six small battery-driven SGM P-1 wash lights.

Phil Supple explained: “Just the right size and the perfect instrument being weatherproof. Weather changes are a major concern – even during the build period, because you can lose production time if your equipment isn’t rock solid and the SGM products really helped with that. They are fantastic.”

©Soren Pagter

Furthermore, 25 SGM G-Spot moving heads were deployed along both sides of the harbor lighting the water.

Unlike its neighbor, the G-Spot SGM with its IP 65 does not need dome protection. © Lawrence Stromski.

“I used reflected light from the water on a lot of occasions instead of lighting the show directly.
I was particularly pleased with the angles I could achieve and obviously the control that a moving head gives you over the direction, intensity and color range – and with the G-Spot – the absence of a dome, which is really important to keep the look clean.”

The very skilled lighting programmer Lawrence Stromski utilized a GrandMA2 to control the lights and managed an astounding 330 lighting cues in the 45-minute show.

The scale of the project and size of the site spread on two sides of the water provided infrastructural challenges with fiber link running under the water for AV, audio, and lights.
“Lars Jacob Pedersen’s team from Nordic did an amazing job – the process of just installing the rig was very time consuming. One of the technicians monitored how much he was walking in the process of rigging and it came to 18 kilometers a day,” Phil Supple smiles.

Below is a video of various excerpts from the WaterMusic show and explanations:

More :

• On the SGM website
• On the Randers EgnsTeater website

Roger Waters’ Us + Them tour is proving to be one of the must-see touring shows of 2017. Armed with a 10-piece band, the former Pink Floyd frontman has been treating sell-out audiences to epic tracks from the band’s back catalogue. At side of stage sits monitor engineer Matt Napier, working from his trusted DiGiCo SD7 console.
Napier started working with Waters last year for his shows in Mexico and Desert Trip. Waters’ previous engineer, Ian Newton, unfortunately passed away a few years ago, so it was an honour for Napier to fill such shoes.

“I felt a lot of responsibility to do Ian’s memory justice, and make the gig work as smoothly as possible,” Napier says. “We didn’t have a lot of rehearsal time, so it was intense, but the shows went really well. You just have to do this music justice.” The production for Us + Them is epic, to say the least – and this is down to a strong emphasis on the synergy between the music and the aural/visual experience.
“The surround system installed in each venue makes the aural experience very immersive for the audience, and the visuals are absolutely stunning,” Napier explains. “Roger really is the captain of the ship, and steers its direction, but he allows the musicians to explore their creativity and add their own flavour. He is always fair, and very professional; if there’s a technical problem, as long as you’re honest, he understands.”

Matt Napier

With 10 people on stage to look after, it gets pretty busy in monitor world, which means Napier needs a fairly monumental channel count. Enter the SD7. Napier is running 130 inputs (many of which are stereo), 21 mono auxes, 16 stereo auxes, three mono groups, seven stereo groups, 32 matrix inputs, 14 matrix outputs, and 24 control groups.
“I keep playing with other consoles, but the SD7 is still the only really serious choice for a show of this complexity; and actually, it’s not just about the channel count,” Napier insists. “The SD Series sounds fantastic, too, and the flexibility of the SD Racks and SD-Mini Racks, the redundancy, and user flexibility means nothing else comes close. I also have two SD Racks dealing with stage inputs and IEM outputs, and a Mini Rack, which takes care of some analogue inserts.”

In addition to the musicians, there are a number of techs under the stage, and that is where the majority of the IEM mixes get eaten up. “Most of the musicians are multi-instrumentalists, and also sing, so there are a lot of things going on; at the last count, we had about 70 different guitars in play,” Napier laughs. “We also have a few discrete wedges around the stage to add a bit of weight, and we need a bit of extra stage volume for when we get to Another Brick In The Wall; we have a local kids’ group join us on stage, and they need to hear, as well.”

To help deal with this vast setup, Napier uses snapshots on his SD7 quite extensively: 53, to be precise. “I run them all in ‘relative’ mode so that any changes in soundcheck can be adjusted across the board,” he explains. “All the snapshots are fired via SMPTE. All the music is live, but we also have a lot of sound FX running for the surround PA, which I also feed into the IEM system. Due to the massive visual element and video content, the SMPTE is always running. It’s actually a godsend for me, as once programmed, I can let the snapshots/SMPTE control all the mutes, major level changes, guitar changes, vocal mics; that frees me up to actually listen to, and actively mix the show for Roger. Well… it’s a godsend now, but it took quite a few late nights programming to get it all running so smoothly!”

The North American leg runs until October 29th, and the Us + Them tour will descend on the UK and Europe in 2018.

More on the DiGiCo website and the Roger Waters website

Eos family control becomes even more versatile with the release of the newly-upgraded iRFR and aRFR iOS and Android mobile applications.
Both remote apps boast fully-redesigned user interfaces, more intuitive connectivity and an expanded feature set, including a full-feature keyboard and direct selects.

This redesign is available as a free update for anyone who has previously purchased the iRFR or aRFR application. Note that software v2.6 must be installed on the host Eos device (console, RPU, laptop, etc) for these revised applications to work. All app sale proceeds will be donated to charities that support lighting and theatre professionals in need.
There are two versions of each app: one supporting Behind the Scenes (BTS), a US-based charity that assists production personnel in need, and one supporting Backup, a UK-based equivalent. The existing apps – renamed iRFR Classic and aRFR Classic – will be available as free downloads. The iRFR Preview is unchanged.

Cobalt users take note: only the Classic apps are compatible with Cobalt family consoles. If an inadvertent update occurs, users can revert to the previous software free of charge by downloading the appropriate Classic version.

To learn more about the new remote apps, on the ETC website

MDG has made some unusual new friends, namely Mole, Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad from the riverbank. The Wind in the Willows the musical, has had a riotous run at the London Palladium this Summer. Spectacularly produced by Jamie Hendry Productions the show has been a sheer delight.

Neil McDermott and the company of The Wind in the Willows. Photo by Marc Brenner, Jamie Hendry Productions

The production’s lighting designer, Howard Harrison, insisted on using two MDG ATMe™ haze generators for this show. Harrison commented, “MDG is one of the super companies I have always believed in. They produce very good high-quality products and I have used their machines for a very long time. In fact, I don’t think I have ever done a musical in the West End without using them for as long as they have existed. I am a big fan”.
He said, “The Wind in the Willows is a fun show, with beautiful sets and costumes, lots of scenery and a beautiful theatre to work in. We use plenty of haze in the show, but this was the first time I have used ATMe machines and I was incredibly impressed by them. It was like having all the good things of the older MDG machines but with the benefit of new controls, where you can have precise control over the output, as opposed to just switching it on and off.”

Neil McDermott and the UK tour company of The Wind in the Willows. Photo by Marc Brenner, Jamie Hendry Productions.

The ATMe machines were situated on perches downstage left and upstage right, from where they were perfectly positioned to fill the stage with haze. The nature of The Wind in the Willows which takes place on a river bank in the mornings and evenings allowed Harrison to make perfect use of the haze to create the misty, watery, atmospheric effects required.
“One of the things I like about the machines is that they produce a very fine haze, it never clouds up and only shows when you shine a light through it, which is exactly what haze should be,” says Harrison. “Actors and singers are not panicked by volumes of haze because it is so fine, so we can use a lot of it and they are not affected either physically or psychologically, which is a big help.
“Over the years people have suggested other haze machines to me which they believe to be as good as MDG. I’ve tried them, but the reality is they are not as good. I am keen to use the best haze, and always want the kind of haze that MDG produces. They don’t compromise on quality.”

Neil McDermott (Chief Weasel), Craig Mather (Mole) and Company in The Wind in the Willows. CREDIT Darren Bell.

ATMe is an evolution of the industry standard MDG ATMOSPHERE™ haze generator.
It has the added advantage of increased efficiency, with an identical power consumption and footprint, but almost double the output. Built-in DMX/RDM control allows precise remote control over the flow of the output from a fine haze, to a rolling fog all from the comfort and convenience of the control desk.
These haze generators are renowned for producing the finest haze with the longest hang time and are extremely quiet. They also have the lowest fluid consumption on the market.

For more information on :

• MDG’s ATMe hazer and other MDG fog, haze and atmosphere generators, visit le MDG website
• Wind in the Willows at the London Palladium, visit willowsmusical.com

Philips Lighting has worked closely with Opera Sanxay to introduce the first-ever moving light rig for the celebrated Soirées Lyrique de Sanxay opera festival, staged from 10-14 August. The use of the latest stage lighting and control technology successfully enabled a new level of dynamic design possibilities for this highly respected outdoor spectacle.

Photo : ©David Tavan

Now in its 18th year as one of France’s leading lyrical arts events, Soirées Lyrique de Sanxay maintains presentation standards as high as any international opera event. Illuminating the elaborate scenic and costume designs to the required standard calls for the highest quality and reliability lighting.

Photo : ©David Tavan

The carefully chosen lighting rig for this year’s production, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, successfully combined traditional and LED light sources. Moving lights, including Philips Vari Lite VL4000 Spots and VL6000 Beams, plus LED-based Philips VLZ Wash and Philips Showline SL BEAM 300 FX luminaires, were used alongside fixed units. Control was provided by the latest Philips Strand NEO system.

Photo : ©David Tavan

In exploiting the possibilities of this advanced set-up, lighting designer Nevio Cavina enjoyed comprehensive on-site support and programming assistance from Philips Entertainment’s Bobby Harrell and Gregg Brooks.
“The lighting package allowed a new dynamic in the narrative to be explored,” says Cavina. “I was impressed by the richness of the color and effects and the accuracy of the stored positions of the moving lights. The water and fire effects were particularly satisfying. And NEO’s multi-user capability meant that looks could be achieved and stored quickly.”

Further design options were presented by another motorized fixture in the rig, the Philips SL Bar 720 ZT, which Cavina used to line the octagonal, overhead centerpiece of Keiko Shiraishi’s set design. The color-changing, tilting bars brought an important additional movement to the automated set-piece, as well as giving Cavina further possibilities for lighting both the set and performers.
Overall, Cavina found much to praise in the performance, versatility and reliability of the Philips Entertainment Lighting fixtures. He says, “Considering the difficulties posed by the weather, I was also pleased to be able to experience the quality of the moving lights. Some of the fixtures we used are not normally used in lyrical production, but at Sanxay our experience with these has been hugely positive.”

Photo : ©David Tavan

Mathieu Blugeon, president of the Soirées Lyrique de Sanxay, was thrilled with the result of the partnership with Philips Lighting. He says, “The feedback from the technical team and audience was extremely positive and enthusiastic. The show took on a new dimension thanks to these incredible lighting fixtures and the Philips Strand Neo control console. This gave a real added value to the festival.”
He adds, “I would like to highlight Bobby and Gregg for their skills, kindness and expertise. They were particularly appreciated by our entire team and the festival’s leaders. It was so important for us to have the support of such knowledgeable personnel to help with the adoption of new technology in this setting. Now I have just one wish: to keep Philips Lighting as our partner!”

Colin Kavanagh, General Manager of Philips Entertainment Lighting said: “Bringing the benefits of our stage lighting technology to such a prestigious and unique event has been a real pleasure. Mathieu Blugeon and his creative team have allowed us to demonstrate how the tools and technologies that we are developing can bring real creative and practical advantages to lighting professionals in the most demanding settings.”

More on the Philips Lighting website and on the Opera Sanxay website

A bluehorn system consists of a 2-way mid-treble enclosure and a bass enclosure, each with signal processing and amplification.

Meyer Sound has announced availability of the Bluehorn System, a technology breakthrough that for the first time achieves flat amplitude and phase response from 25 Hz to 20 kHz in a large-format loudspeaker.
The product of more than six years of intensive research, Bluehorn applies advanced proprietary algorithms to cancel out the non-linearities inherent in all mechanical transducers and loudspeaker cabinets, resulting in breathtakingly transparent aural neutrality.

Amplitude and phase response curves of a Bluehorn system between 20 Hz and 20 kHz.

Among the first cinema professionals to take delivery of a Bluehorn System was noted film composer John Powell, whose 60-plus feature film scoring credits include animated family classics from Chicken Run through Happy Feet, Rio and How to Train Your Dragon (and their sequels) plus all the Jason Bourne films. Powell has installed an LCR Bluehorn System in his private recording and mixing facility (dubbed “5 Cat Studio”) in Pacific Palisades, California.

John Powell and his Bluehorn system in the background, with Helen and John Meyer.

Powell emphasizes the importance of working with monitoring that reveals the input signal with unflinching accuracy, without masking any detail or introducing coloration that may misleadingly enhance the subjective quality of the music.
“For the work that I do, I need monitor loudspeakers that do not flatter the music at all,” he says. “I need to hear exactly what is going on in an unbiased way. I have no time when working to enjoy what we did right; I need to hear when things are wrong so we can fix them, and I can hear those problems better with the Bluehorns. I need to be confident that everything is in its proper place, because then the music translates smoothly as we move through to the final mix.”

Complete Bluehorn Systems are available in either stereo or LCR configurations, with each channel comprising a two-way mid-high loudspeaker, a separate low frequency element, and dedicated digital processing. Bluehorn is designed for high-resolution monitoring applications in mid-sized rooms for music recording, cinema post-production, music mastering or other applications requiring the highest accuracy in sound reproduction.

The Meyer Sound Bear’s Lab mixing room (Berkeley) with the Bluehorn system.

Externally, Bluehorn shares the same cabinet footprint, driver dimensions and waveguide configuration as Meyer Sound’s Acheron Designer loudspeaker. On the inside, however, Bluehorn utilizes an upgraded HF driver and new amplifiers with ultra-low noise and distortion.
Absolutely unique to Bluehorn is the dedicated processor that sits in front of both the mid-high loudspeaker and the companion low-frequency cabinet. The system-specific correction algorithms hosted by the processor were developed by meticulously analyzing allphysical and electrical non-linearities throughout the entire system, from 25 Hz to 20 kHz, in order to bring acoustic output — at any level — into absolute phase and frequency alignment with the input signal. Essentially, the processing nullifies the non-linearities of drivers and enclosures, resulting in a phase-coherent response previously achieved only by open-air electrostatic headphones with their extremely low mass diaphragms.

“This is a loudspeaker that is ideal for people doing music for film because it behaves in the room like a cinema loudspeaker,” Powell continues. “It gives us projection like we would hear on the dub stage, yet it also has that extra layer of audiophile quality. Bluehorn lets us hear deeper into the music and resolve problems right away, knowing that even the dub stage might not offer that level of accuracy. It’s the best of both worlds, really.”
In his cinema work, Powell first used the Bluehorn Systems for mixing music for Jason Bourne, the latest in the Bourne series of spy thrillers, and is currently working on music for yet another animated family feature, Ferdinand. And Powell has relied on it for tracking and mixing his own classical music recordings — the Prussian Requiem oratorio and The Prize Is Still Mine with orchestra and gospel chorus — as well as for mixing composer Eric Whitacre’s score for a forthcoming IMAX presentation.

The Bluehorn system at the “Newman Scoring Stage”, 20th Century Fox studios.

“That extra level of clarity in Bluehorn makes it easier to analyze your mix, but these are not necessarily loudspeakers you want to listen on to flatter yourself,” he admits. “You hear what is right with your music, but you also hear what is wrong so you can fix it. And that’s really the point of monitoring, isn’t it?”
Bluehorn is named for the high frequency waveguides, painted blue during prototype testing to quickly distinguish the new Systems from Acheron® Designer loudspeakers used in the same room for comparisons.

The To’Ata stage as seen from the front covered seating.

A real big venue design. 9 x M46 for the main hang, 2 x M28 for downfill, 3 x M28 for outfill and the famous and extremely powerful S118 3 x 3 sub arrangement.

Nexo’s flagship modular line array, the STM Series, has been installed in its most exotic location to date – the To’Ata Showground in Papeete, the capital of Tahiti.
This very large showground, available for rental in different configurations that can accommodate 3200-6000 people, is the primary cultural events venue in French Polynesia, staging rock and pop concerts for up to 5000 people.
It is also home to the Heiva, a spectacular 2-month festival of dance and sport which dates back to 1881. Teams and troupes arrive from all the islands, more than 8000 participants in all, with the best chant and dance groups competing on the famous To’Ata stage.

Te Fare Tahiti Nui (TFTN), the public service organisation which manages the venue, was tasked with choosing a PA system that could match the showground’s versatility. Working closely with Comimpex, the Nexo distributor in Tahiti, TFTN opted for the scalable STM Series modular line array which could provide the best quality without compromise in different configurations.

The To’Ata showground and external view… What else…

The complete tahitian Team.

Nexo field support engineer Val Gilbert flew to Tahiti to set up the system. “This is a perfect example of the true benefits of modularity. The entire setup can be re-configured to provide an optimised solution for all their events, despite the challenges of reduced sight lines when the production companies want the loudspeakers to be invisible on camera during the traditional events.”

The To’Ata house system now comprised 18 sets of STM M46 main and STM B112 bass modules, with STM M28 omnipurpose cabinets for downfill, outfill and front fill. The system, which has 18x STM S118 sub bass modules, is powered by 6 of NEXO’s Universal Amplifier Racks. The venue has also invested in Yamaha CL digital consoles, so as to have a full digital package from stage to speaker.
“This inventory allows them to cater for large-scale concerts,” adds Val Gilbert: “they are also able to break the system down into smaller ground stacks to cover the tiered seating stands when they open up the arena floor for the Heiva dancers.”

The Santa Claus of Senlis has passed …

Jean-François Leou, director of Comimpex, adds that this is not the first high-profile site for Nexo in Tahiti. His company previously won the tender to install GEO S12 line arrays in an 800-seat indoor theatre, also run by TFTN.

More informations on the Nexo’s website

DiGiCo has announced the launch of a new DMI-MIC Pre-Amp Card for its S-Series digital mixing consoles, offering additional connectivity.
The S-Series has already benefitted from an increase from 40 to 48 flexi channels as part of a recent update, and the new DMI-MIC Pre-Amp Card adds an extra eight mic inputs, connected via a 25-way D-sub, using the same great pre-amps already found in the console. This allows for up to 40 mic inputs directly on the console surface.

DiGiCo consoles are used on many of the biggest live sound tours and events around the world and the launch of new, compact S-Series made this pedigree of audio performance available to every part of the industry, with Stealth Digital Processing™ introducing a new standard of audio quality, power and flexibility not seen before at its price point. The S-Series multi-touch touch screens, breaking the mould for small format consoles, with up to 31 faders, 96kHz processing, Internal FX and bundles of I/O. With plug-in DMI cards the S-Series can operate in a wide variety of environments by adding extra I/O or connectivity options, including MADI, Dante or Waves SoundGrid.

The two DMI slots on the back of an S21 mixer, here Dante and MADI, but possibly DMI-MIC with 8 mic inputs which can be added to the 24 mic / line inputs already present.

“The new DMI-MIC Pre-Amp Card shows our continued commitment to our products,” says DiGiCo General Manager, Austin Freshwater. “To take advantage of this and our other DMI card options, we are running a Get Connected programme, so contact your local dealer for full details of the programme and get connected soon!”

More information on Digico website

An Avolites Arena lighting console was used to program and operate the striking lighting design for producer and singer-songwriter Tom Misch at his outdoor headline show at the Summer Series music festival held at Somerset House, London.

The annual festival took place between 6 and 16 of July in the courtyard of the iconic Neoclassical building on the Thames. 2017 marked Misch’s Summer Series debut, joining other British and international festival headliner stars including Norah Jones, Goldfrapp and Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley.

Misch’s lighting designer John Partridge (JP) has been working with the British-born artist since July 2017, and the Somerset House show marked the design’s first live showcase. For Misch’s current tour, JP has created for the artist a pared-back design, aiming for a ‘strong and purposeful’ aesthetic.

“The lighting design for Tom is centred around a single, bold focal point on stage, with the rest of the lighting blending into the background,” says JP. “A row of 10 GLP X4 Bar 20s, raised behind Tom, accent the show with a striking horizontal line of light that emanates from behind the band. This gives a bold impact and centre point to the overall design.”

Fellow lighting designer Tom Campbell assisted JP in programming and operating an adapted version of the design for the Somerset House set. The designers utilised an Avolites Arena console, one of the two house consoles provided by the venue to visiting lighting designers. “John had a really clear idea of the look he wanted for the show,” says Campbell. “The X4s provided us with a near-solid wall of light that we could run effects and colours across using the control features of the Arena console.”

The Arena was loaded with Avolites’ latest on-board control software, Titan v10.1, complete with features such as BPM Sync, Scene Master and new updates to the pioneering control feature, Keyframe Shapes.
“During the programming stage I relied heavily on v10.1’s Keyframe Shapes and Palettes,” continues Campbell. “I could change the intensity, colour and zoom effects of the stage’s lighting fixtures using the console’s two touchscreens. This allowed for a faster, more intuitive workflow between John and myself.”
The Keyframe Shapes feature offers tools such as transition curves, phases and spatial direction to build a visual, interactive control platform to aid lighting designers with programming.

“During the show we also brought in some on-the-fly control,” explains Campbell. “The Arena has a large number of faders. We pre-programmed these with some mole/blinder chases and fixture stabs. The faders are amazing for using as back-up on top of pre-programmed cue stacks.”

The Avolites Arena is the British brand’s latest large-scale console and provides over 40 precision playback faders in three pageable groups. Control is further delivered through 20 programmable macro executor buttons and three optical attribute encoders.

“One of the first consoles I used was an Avolites Azure with Graphics tablet,” concludes JP. “Avolites have so many years’ experience in rock and roll, I know that any of their consoles is going to get the job done.”

More on the Avolites website

Powersoft, announced that its Quattrocanali DSP+D — a 4-channel rack amplifier designed for installations and featuring built-in digital signal processing — has received a nomination for Outstanding Technical Achievement for the 33rd Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards. This is the second year in a row that Powersoft has received a nomination in this category.

“We are proud to receive a TEC Award nomination for Quattrocanali DSP+D, an exciting amplifier that completes our popular Installation Series,” commented Francesco Fanicchi, Head of Brand and Communications of Powersoft. “We thank the TEC Foundation for recognizing the innovation of the Quattrocanali DSP+D, which has cemented our position as a leader in installed sound amplification while opening up new opportunities for Powersoft in low-power applications.”

Presented by the NAMM Foundation, the TEC Awards are the pro audio and musical instrument industries’ prestigious awards, celebrating the spirit of innovation and honouring best-in-class products in the pro audio community. Following a two-month call for entries, a panel comprised of leaders in audio and production carefully evaluated each entry before selecting the Quattrocanali DSP+D. Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA on January 27st.
The Quattrocanali DSP+D amplifier completes the line of fixed install amplifiers constituted by Powersoft’s Ottocanali and Duecanali amps. Working with both Hi-Z and Lo-Z systems and available in configurations featuring 300, 600, or 1200 watts per channel all within a compact 1RU enclosure, Quattrocanali DSP+D can be outfitted with ample power for demanding medium-sized applications, or scaled down to offer optimal performance for smaller applications such as retail spaces and leisure venues.
Hyper-efficient operation ensures minimal power consumption and negligible heat dissipation, while Powersoft’s flexible switch-mode power supply with power factor correction, smart rails management, and bridgeable switch mode fixed frequency Class D output circuit topology ensure consistent performance under any conditions and very good sound quality.

Onboard DSP processing controlled via Powersoft’s Armonía desktop application offers Quattrocanali DSP+D users a powerful set of tools for tuning, monitoring, and protecting their system. All amplifier functions can be controlled remotely through Armonía or via a web app from a decentralized location, enabling maximum flexibility. These include managing crossovers, limiters, equalizers, delays, active damping control, and signal routing as well as basic functionality such as volume and mute. Four available Dante input channels also enable full integration with modern network-based systems.
Quattrocanali is available in both DSP and standard versions. The non-DSP version offers control over master and channel volume, mute, high power filters at 35 and 70Hz, remote ON/OFF, alarms, high and low impedance channel selection and basic Ethernet control via the Armonía software. Extended remote operability is granted by the dedicated GPIO. The DSP+Dante versions also have in-depth control via the Armonía software and feature four Dante input channels.

Presented by the NAMM Foundation, the awards were created to celebrate the best in professional audio and sound production. Winners will be announced Saturday evening, January 27, 2018, in the Anaheim Hilton’s Pacific Ballroom and via a live event web stream.

For more information, Visit Powersoft website