Today, major manufacturers and leaders in professional audio video (Pro AV), working together under the umbrella of Avnu Alliance, announce Milan, the first fully realized, standards-based protocol built for deterministic, interoperable, future-proof media networking in the Pro AV market.

Milan is a user-driven protocol for professional media, providing the guarantee that all Milan devices will work together providing a greater level of convenience, reliability and functionality.
Created by leading manufacturers — including AudioScience, Avid, Biamp, d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics, Luminex and Meyer Sound– Milan builds on the technical benefits of the IEEE Audio Video Bridging (AVB) open standards, such as time synchronization and guaranteed quality of service, as well as risk-free coexistence of control and media data on one network.

Milan builds on these features, further defining device requirements at both the network and the application layer for compatible media streams, formats, media-clocking, redundancy and controller software. Milan certification will deliver fool-proof interoperability of deterministic networked Pro AV devices.

“After carefully considering what end users were trying to accomplish, and the challenges and risks associated with using other protocols, AVB was a natural choice for implementing a high-quality media network. We also recognize that there has been no application-layer interoperability defined above the network foundation.
This application-level interoperability is critical to delivering on the promise of AVB: simple, reliable network operation, guaranteed performance and sustainability. Milan leverages the benefits of AVB to deliver a user-driven solution for networked AV that guarantees interoperability among pro AV devices,” said Jeff Rocha, Director Product Management, L-Acoustics.

The new multifunctional P1 AVB processor and measurement platform from L-Acoustics, is one of the first products developed to be fully compliant with Avnu’s Milanprotocol.

“18 months ago we began exploring this solution, and discovered a compelling benefit to unify our vision with Milan,” added Henning Kaltheuner, Head of Business Development and Market Intelligence, d&b audiotechnik. “We knew for certain, in an industry dominated by companies that want to market products to customers, we needed to focus on the customer experience.
We aim to change the conversation around network standards to be about providing the best possible end user experience with a convenient, truly interoperable and deployable solution. We knew the only way for us to influence change in this direction was to join together to harness our collective power to move the entire industry.”

“The Milan initiative is a long-term approach to change the way the Pro AV market does AV networking. We encourage companies seeking a technically superior network, that guarantees interoperability and is not limited by the confines of proprietary products, to join us and participate in building out this ecosystem,” said John McMahon, Meyer Sound and Avnu Alliance Pro AV Segment Chair.

Supporting all types of media, Milan is an open, deterministic network protocol, ensuring on-time delivery of audio, video and data, while co-existing with other Ethernet traffic without risk of dropouts or degradation of media. As a development extension managed openly by Avnu Alliance Pro AV segment members, work is in progress to deploy a new streamlined testing and certification program from Avnu Alliance to support this new network solution for implementation by Pro AV manufacturers.

– Manufacturers interested in exploring Milan network implementation should visit the Avnu/Mila website or get in touch with [email protected].
– Milan specification documents for media clocking and formats are publicly available now at Avun/Specifications website and the specification document for redundancy will be added later this month.

To learn more about Avnu Alliance, visit the Avnu website

After hit launch of SQ-5 and SQ-6, Allen & Heath has unveiled SQ-7, the new 33 fader, 32 onboard preamps flagship console in its 96kHz SQ series. Following hot on the heels of the hit launch of SQ-5 and SQ-6, the new SQ-7 takes the same powerful XCVI 96kHz FPGA engine and adds extended control and I/O in a larger format, boasting 33 faders, 32 onboard preamps, 16 custom soft keys and 8 user-definable soft rotary controls.

SQ-7 is a 48-channel console, fully compatible with a range of remote I/O expanders, including the portable DX168 96kHz stage boxes. Inputs and mixes can be individually assigned to 192 fader strips across 6 layers, while 16 softkeys and 8 user-assignable soft rotary controls allow the mixer’s workflow to be customised to the needs of each show and operator. Forthcoming Dante, Waves and SLink audio networking cards further extend the scope for expansion, system integration, FoH / monitor splits and recording.

32 onboard preamps and 16 outputs. Ready to have fun and to mix monitors and stereo IEM’s.

Optional DEEP processing plugins give SQ-7 users access to boutique compressor and preamp emulations which can be embedded directly into all input and mix channels, without adding system latency or setup hassles.

There’s nothing as good as 8 user-definable soft rotary controls to stop navigating too much.

The console’s SQ-Drive feature makes it easy to capture high resolution 96kHz stereo and multitrack recordings direct to a USB drive.

SQ can also be hooked up to a PC or Mac via USB to become a plug ‘n play, Core Audio or ASIO compliant 32×32 audio interface, with upcoming MIDI and DAW Control capabilities.

Another standout feature for AV customers is the inclusion of two independent, fully integrated and assignable Automatic Mic Mixers, that can be combined to create a mighty 48 channel AMM.

Thanks to its SLink intelligent port, SQ-7 can be expanded up to a total of 48 mic inputs, the way to take advantage of all the power hidden inside it.

Allen & Heath Product Manager, Keith Johnson said:

SQ-5 et 6 with Keith Johnson.

“SQ-7 embodies everything that’s so exciting about SQ – the power, the speed, the ergonomics – in a more imposing format that lets us push the capabilities of the console even further.
As soon as we unleashed the SQ phenomenon, we were inundated by people who loved the concept and the features, and who wanted to take SQ into scenarios that called for more built-in I/O and more hands-on control. This one is for them!”

SQ-7 is supported by an ecosystem of mixing and personal monitoring apps, remote I/O expanders, audio networking cards and ME personal mixers, multiplying the system’s expansion and integration possibilities.

More information on the Allen & Heath website

Amadeus has started shipping a new horn-loaded point source speaker series, initially engineered for the Paris-based Théâtre National de Chaillot and unveiled at Prolight+Sound this year. Designed by Amadeus, the new C Series is a high-definition series of point source speaker systems combining Amadeus’ deepest innovation and technology.

Initially designed and manufactured specifically for the Paris-based Théâtre National de Chaillot (Chaillot National Theater), which houses the most prestigious dance and theater companies from Europe and throughout the world, the C Series (‘C’ is a tribute to Chaillot) is Amadeus’ latest speaker innovation. The new speaker series started shipping in May 2018.

The Firmin Gémier Hall. Visible on the stage, a C15 atop his sub. © Yoann Fitoussi.

Both models include a unique diffraction horn, each is specific and optimized to get a vertical dispersion of 60° and a horizontal dispersion of 90°, which can be inverted by rotating the system 90-degrees. This type of load ensures a perfectly uniform coverage and an excellent spectral quality throughout the whole listening area.

The C15 showing his BMS triaxial transducer whose mid/high section is a pure joy.

Facing the fountains of Trocadéro, the Tour Eiffel, and the Champs de Mars, the Théâtre National de Chaillot is a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture. Dreamed up by Jean Vilar, created by Georges Wilson in 1967 and named in homage to Firmin Gémier who created the Théâtre National Populaire, (People’s National Theater), the Firmin Gémier Hall has re-opened after 4-years of construction and renovations.

Completely remodeled with a vast 180-square-meter floor space, a 390-seat retractable bench, and state-of-the-art technical equipment – featuring a dozen of the new specifically-created Amadeus C15 Series speakers among many other high-tech sound breakthroughs – Firmin Gémier Hall has become a flexible space, ideal for artistic creation, with an abundance of possibilities and inventiveness.

“Given the very specific acoustical characteristics of the Firmin Gémier Hall, installing a conventional point-source system was not an option. We tried testing several two-way ‘coaxial’ systems, most notably the PMX 15 speakers, already used in the Jean Vilar Hall.

The BMS triaxial transducer found by chance in a PL+S hall.

They also were not what we needed, due to their wide conical (H80° x V80°) directivity and the expansion shape of their waveguide,” explains Marc Piera, Sound Department Manager at Théâtre National de Chaillot.

“Indeed, the very diverse types of events staged in the venue, the near-systematic use of multiple sources, sometimes immersive, coupled to a high level of natural hall reverberation meant it was necessary to resort to a system offering controlled directivity over a wide spectral band.
Also, the top of tier position of the last row of seats, fifteen meters away from the tip of the stage and nearly twenty-five meters away from the faraway back of the stage, rendered the use of a stereo ‘line source’ system irrelevant, even if more directive, given the associated heavy losses on the spatial aspect of sound program material.”

From left to right Michel Deluc, the head of Amadeus’ R&D, Gaëtan Byk, the Marketing manager and Thierry Coduys, a real specialist in new audio technologies, non-conventional PA systems but also musician. He can speak about the Holophonix new audio processor like nobody else.

Piera continues, “As already mentioned, a traditional line source system, with constant or variable curvature, placed in a classical configuration, would inevitably have affected the sources’ localization, according to Haas’ effect.
In the 1940s, this German scientist established that a source’s localization is given by the direction of the first sound reaching the ear (direct sound). If the difference between the spectator’s position, the primary source and the secondary source grows, this effect becomes stronger.”
“Which is why we participated to the development of a new type of speakers designed by Amadeus, that features a tri-axial transducer (three ways mounted on the same axis), including two compression drivers inherited from the MHF section of the DIVA M2 array system,” adds Piera.

The specific cabinet shape due to the deep magnet of the BMS triple transducer. Small volume often means less bass extension except in this case, the C15 can reach 65 Hz at -3 dB.

Michel Deluc, Amadeus’ Director of Research & Development, says, “The tweeter in the new C15 features a unique combination of extended frequency response, high efficiency, and wide dispersion pattern.
The driver is a 2-way system, employing two concentric annular ring diaphragms. Each driver covers a smaller frequency range for increased power handling, high dynamic, and extremely low distortion. The larger annular midrange diaphragm, featuring a 3.5-inch (90mm) voice coil, covers the frequency range between 800 and 6 500 Hz with a smooth, linear response.

The ultra-light annular diaphragm for the high range, featuring a 1,75-inch (45 mm) voice coil, offers exceptional transient response with very high efficiency from 6,000 to 22,000 Hz.” “The wide diffraction horn, optimized for a horizontal dispersion of 90° and a vertical dispersion of 60° allows for a control over directivity that extends to 800 Hz, a very high signal to noise ratio, and an optimized ‘reach’, compared to ordinary coaxial systems,” continues Deluc.

“I fully believe this technology will find uses in the many theater venues presenting similar acoustical challenges, and also in cases where directivity control over a wide spectral band is necessary, without adverse effects on spatial information,” concludes Piera.

For more information on the new “C Series” speakers, please contact Amadeus: [email protected] or visit the Amadeus website

©Luke Dyson

Lighting designer Will Potts found inspiration in the subtle shapes of nature for his current lighting and show design for award-winning singer Rag’n’Bone Man.
Potts’ design incorporates ‘sacred’ geometric shapes and an illustrated backdrop of personal significance to the singer. To carefully light these elements, he chose the Claypaky Scenius Unico.

©Luke Dyson

Having worked with the singer for little over a year, the designer delved deep into the psychology of Rory Graham’s (a.k.a Rag n’ Bone Man) music, drawing on recurring themes within the artist’s debut album ‘Human’ to inspire and craft his detailed show design.

©Luke Dyson

“There’s lots of religious and spiritual references in the language of Rory’s songs,” says Potts. “When I asked him about these, he slowly revealed a fascination with the afterlife, death, spirituality and the soul.
I had to find a way of reinforcing this, but doing it subliminally. So, the structure and proportions of the stage and light design are based around an octagon which holds the meaning of regeneration, totality and rebirth.”

In fact, the entire show is carried on a theme of connectedness and this is apparent in the high level of detail in the design. As well the geometric influences in the production, the show features a hand-drawn series of backdrops featuring caricatures of the singer’s friends, family and musical heroes.

©Luke Dyson

“For the backdrop, I worked with one of Rory’s Rum Committee members, Stewart Chromik,” says Potts. “He hadn’t worked on this scale before, however he did a great job and we got it looking really good.
During the second song, we reveal behind the drapes, one at a time, with Kabuki drops. To get this right I needed a lighting fixture whose framing system was spot-on.”

Potts selected the award-winning Scenius Unico for the task and was not disappointed with the outcome. “I spec’ed the fixtures because of their projection versatility,” he says. “I used the indexing gobos, framing system, colour wheels and animation wheel to add texture to the backdrops.”

©Luke Dyson

The backdrops were illustrated under Pott’s guidance, and Chromik ensured that the eyes of every caricature were drawn in such a way as to focus squarely on Rory whilst he performed. “It was imperative that the lighting fixture I used for these backdrops kept an even power, brightness and crispness across each of the drapes so that important details, such as the eyes, were not lost,” says Potts.
“The Unico’s frosts gave a lovely, softer glow and the framing system is incredibly sharp and flexible, which helped when focusing the lights in the wide range of venues the show is performing in.”

©Luke Dyson

Supporting Potts on tour is lighting director Nikita Jakovlev, who helped operate and program the show. The Scenius Unicos were supplied by global lighting and rigging hire experts, Neg Earth. Rag’n’Bone Man is currently touring Europe before heading to the Baltics, Turkey, Israel and the US.

More information on Clapacky website

Jeff Rocha

To further fuel the ongoing cycle of bringing unmatched innovation to market, L-Acoustics has appointed Jeff Rocha, formerly Head of Market Development for North America, to the newly created position of Director of Product Management.

As a member of the L-Acoustics Board of Directors, Jeff accompanies the product development lifecycle end to end, liaising with key stakeholders across geographies and functions to recommend and implement processes and systems that allow L-Acoustics to identify and address new business opportunities effectively and deftly.

This role encompasses market intelligence and identification of key opportunities; crafting product portfolio and technology roadmaps cross-functionally in collaboration with R&D, applications, sales and marketing teams; development of marketing and sales collateral and training; and coordination of communication around products and services.

Anne Hamlett

“Since joining L-Acoustics, Jeff has proven adept at forging relationships throughout the company and with external partners while leading business development in North America where we have experienced accelerated growth,” explains Anne Hamlett, Director of HR & Legal.

“Bringing more than two decades of experience in touring and installation markets, Jeff is a trusted and highly regarded audio expert who blends a technical background and deep cross-functional industry experience with a successful business track record, and keen marketing instincts. These qualities make Jeff ideally suited to leading the charge on product management as L-Acoustics continues to shape the future of sound.”

Regarding the road ahead for L-Acoustics, Rocha notes, “It’s exciting for me to be able to help guide L-Acoustics into new markets via a systematic approach to product management. The more I interact with teams across L-Acoustics, the more I become convinced that our ‘secret weapon’ is the caliber of the individuals who I am fortunate to call my colleagues.
I have no doubt that the breadth and depth of the talent pool at L-Acoustics, coupled with an unwavering commitment to technical excellence, will continue to drive market-leading product innovation in the coming years.”

Germain Simon

Joining Jeff’s team as Product Manager is L-Acoustics Application Engineer Germain Simon.
“Germain’s passion for sound and expertise in international install markets, as well as a history with L-Acoustics dating back to 2009 makes him an ideal product management collaborator,” says Jeff.
“I look forward to partnering with Germain and teams across L-Acoustics to translate ideas into product.”

For more information Visit L-Acoustics website

Hailed as one of the most important movie releases of the 21st century, Black Panther is the record-breaking new superhero film produced by Marvel Studios. For the film’s star-studded European première event at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, lighting designer Luke Edwards selected Avolites Titan and Ai lighting and video integration to control his ‘super’ design.

Attending the event was Black Panther’s cast, including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o, as well as music stars Stormzy and the Black Eyed Peas. To illuminate the stars, Edwards took inspiration from the film’s poster branding, using its yellow, white and blue tones for the auditorium and red carpet lighting.

“There are a few aspects we had to look at in lighting this event,” says Edwards. “Firstly, the auditorium needed to look good and immediately give people that ‘wow’ factor when they walked in. At the same time, the lighting needed to be functional, for people to be able to find their seats.
As for the red-carpet lighting, it’s about making sure the overall look reflects the film, that the cast are well-lit and that the photographers get the essence of the film through the surrounding lighting in a single photo.”

Edwards used two Tiger Touch II consoles and one Quartz console to control the entire event’s lighting. The consoles were networked together using Titan v10.2’s Multi User Networking Connect feature, allowing Edwards and his team to control the event’s lighting from the front-of-house position in the auditorium.

“We like the Avolites consoles because they are small and powerful,” says Edwards. “This meant that we did not need to kill too many seats in the auditorium.”
Edwards created a short light show to accompany the movie trailer and cast introductions before the film began. With only 15 minutes to make an impact, he cleverly arranged the fixtures in straight, regimented lines on stage and into the auditorium.

“The ‘show’ lighting is high energy from the word go,” says Edwards. “I used Titan’s Key Frame Shapes feature to create dramatic effects quickly.” This software feature uses transition curves, phase and spatial direction, allowing Edwards to create his main lighting looks in good time.

Edwards worked with James Barnfather of Limited Edition Event Design, who provided full technical production services for the première. Impact Production Services (IPS) supplied the two Tiger Touch II consoles whilst Edwards’ company Cue Design supplied the Quartz and Ai Anjuna licence.
Edwards ran video content from Ai across LED screens surrounding the event’s DJ booth, situated in the middle of the auditorium. Networking his laptop and lighting consoles to Ai, Edwards ran one video output for the DJ’s LED banner and LED screen backdrop.

“Ai easily mapped the content across the screens,” says Edwards. “We have a close working relationship with Avolites and the integration between Ai and Titan is growing, so investing in Ai was the next logical step for us.”

Black Panther has been nominated for 13 Saturn Awards including Best Director, Best Writing and Best Special Effects and can be seen in cinemas across the globe. The film’s European premiere was held on 8 February 2018 at the Hammersmith Apollo, London.

More on the Avolites website

Rat Sound SuperSub

At Coachella 2018, the sheer engineering expertise of Powersoft Audio was manifest amidst an unprecedented display of super-low frequency soundwave propagation for thousands of excited music fans in the Sahara Tent, perhaps the biggest stage in the world for EDM.

The festival organisers pushed the boundaries of what is possible in sound design with an array of Rat Sound’s SuperSub cabinets — each driven by Powersoft’s groundbreaking M-Force moving magnet linear motor.

“We are thrilled that our M-Force technology is once again at the cutting edge of sound design at Coachella, this time playing an integral role in the way that tens of thousands of fans are able to engage and interact in a major festival sound experience,” commented Francesco Fanicchi, Brand and Communication Director of Powersoft. “It is especially validating to our engineering team to know that we are able to bring such a massive sound experience to new heights through our innovation and design.”

La Sahara Tent, un espace aussi grand qu’improbable par ses formes et dans lequel cohabitent un très gros système L-Acoustics et 16 SuperSub SDS30 au cœur florentin !

Dave Rat of Rat Sound Systems Inc., who has played an integral role in Coachella’s sound systems for 19 consecutive years, designed and deployed the SuperSub SDS30 subwoofers, which delivered massive and consistent low-end frequencies for the many thousands of music fans attending the Sahara Tent.

Festival in motion

As Coachella itself has grown and changed over nearly two decades, Rat has seen its sound needs evolve as well. “Coachella has grown quite a bit over the years, and it’s probably one of the more challenging events in the world from a sound perspective,” he says.
“The challenge is the massive coverage areas, minimising offsite sound and the need for premium quality and consistency.” These unparalleled demands have made it a proving ground for the boundary-pushing audio technologies. That inspired Rat to harness the power of Powersoft’s M-Force via his SuperSub subwoofer, setting a new standard in low-end performance in the process.

La même Sahara Tent mais prise de l’extérieur, un angle de vue idéal pour apprécier le gigantisme du lieu.

Bring less, get louder

Rat put together systems for seven of Coachella’s stages that utilised premium L-Acoustics loudspeakers including K1 and K2 mains and L-Acoustics KS28 subwoofers. The Sahara Stage alone featured a system totaling 252 speakers. He knew he needed an extra something in the aforementioned tent to give festival attendees a truly unique and memorable experience. “I think for any live sound reinforcement venue or situation, low frequency is the key for connecting the artist with the audience physically,” he says. “For full emersion in music you have got to be able to feel the sound.”

L’alignement des subs placés sous la scène. 16 en tout, représentant une quarantaine de doubles 18’’ en termes de SPL et beaucoup plus si on tient compte de l’octave 16-32 Hz.

Enter the SuperSub SDS30. At 32” x 32” x 42”, the SuperSub is less than 25% percent larger than the popular world class double 18”, but provides significantly more output down to much lower frequencies. “The SuperSub is as loud as two to three very high quality double 18”s but takes up nearly the same truck space as one,” Rat says.

This not only allows Rat to put out tremendous bass from a deceptively small package, but also save a significant amount on trucking. “You multiple that power ratio out, and since they are self-powered including amp racks, we see about a 50 percent truck space savings. So, we’re using less real estate under the stage and less in the truck, which is a tremendous advantage. Bring less—get louder!”

Inspired design

“My inspiration for designing the SuperSub came from seeing Powersoft’s M-Force moving motor product,” Rat recalls. M-Force, an innovative transducer based on a patented moving magnet linear motor structure that differs from a traditional moving coil, leverages its unique design to deliver remarkable power handling, electromagnetic conversion, reliability and maximum SPL.

Les 16 subs tels qu’imaginés et construits par Dave Rat. Cette image permet d’apprécier la profondeur de chaque élément et le rat omniprésent…

“I had been working for quite some time with the use of metal tubes and wooden tubes in loudspeaker design, and seeing the M-Force product and some of the other enclosure designs that had been built out of that product, I felt that I could do something special with this.”

Dave Rat devant le soft de pilotage des paramètres de Thiele et Small de l’enceinte rendu possible par l’utilisation de l’IPC, le pressostat qui mesure le comportement du système M-Force dans sa charge.

Rat explains how his unique enclosure design also maximised the performance of the M-Force: “If you look at a high pressure gas line or high pressure water line, they are all in tubes because a tube won’t expand or contract. You can take rectangular enclosure constructed with 2” thick plywood, mount a powerful enough speaker in it, and the walls will flex and vibrate.
But if you mount that same high power speaker in a metal tube, the amount of expansion and contraction of the tube will be fractions of a millimetre instead of half an inch or a centimetre.

So by putting the M-Force motor in the tube and the tube in a square box, and making the ports the corners, I can get really long ports in a very rigid high Q enclosure.
This rigidity, lack of box resonance, long port length and bandpass enclosure design, all combine to create an attractive subwoofer with amazing low frequency response, very high output and clear and defined output in the upper bandwidth.

Unforgettable and ultra-reliable low-end

With eighteen SuperSubs positioned front and centre and complementing the massive L-Acoustics system, Rat was able to deliver the a unique and powerful low-end reinforcement. In addition to peak sound performance, the M-Force motor provides the SuperSub with another valuable attribute: reliability.
“We’re doing two weekends, back to back, each three days with 185 bands per weekend,” Rat explains. “Combined with environmental factors like temperatures — both hot days and cold days — windy days, dust storms, and the sheer number of hours, you need a really tough sub.” The SuperSub and its M-Force motor held up to the demanding conditions, performing without a hitch throughout the duration of the festival.

Une vue du public depuis l’immense plateau

Sheer output is not the only sonic goal of the SuperSub. “We’re after optimal coverage, an enhanced and memorable low frequency experience,” Rat says. “The incredible magnetic strength of the M-Force makes it faster and harder-hitting than any double 18” speaker or 21” speaker I’ve ever heard.” Their punchy, controlled depth delivers plenty of impact for Rat and his team.
“For Coachella in particular, we pay quite a bit of attention to low frequency control,” Rat says. “We’re trying to saturate the audience without having sound going places we don’t want it to go. We don’t want the production offices overwhelmed, for instance, and we don’t want to blast people miles away and induce complaints. Our concerns are to not only to give the attendees and experience to enjoy and remember, it is also to respect the neighbors and adjoining community by minimising the sound radiated offsite. This is no small or simple task to balance these two very important aspects.

Deep Possibilities

L’alignement des subs placés sous la scène. 16 en tout, représentant une quarantaine de doubles 18’’ en termes de SPL et beaucoup plus si on tient compte de l’octave 16-32 Hz.

Rat knows that he has yet to reach the full potential of what the M-Force motor and the SuperSub design can achieve. “To use the SuperSub to its full potential, I would need to work with an artist who writes music that utilises its full frequency response,” he says.
“Right now, most music is designed for existing hardware which tends to struggle below 30Hz, so if you have loudspeakers that go lower than anything else, that’s an area that has been relatively unexplored.” Rat sees exciting opportunities to reproduce frequencies that we already enjoy in the natural environment.
“As it stands nobody even makes a pro touring speaker that will reproduce the fundamental low C note on a piano—at around 16Hz. But with Powersoft M-Force, that’s finally within reach. We’ve got to do this!”

In the meantime, Powersoft’s M-Force will continue to help Rat deliver memorable sonic experiences everywhere he takes his SuperSubs. “Coachella is a great festival because each year it really pushes us to come up with quality solutions that take things to the next level,” he says.
“They ask us, ‘How can we make it better than last year, how can it be the best? And by pushing us they enable us to push the whole industry to bring things to the next level. It’s fun and exciting for us to utilise new technology like the M-Force to create an experience that will be special and memorable for so many people.”

On ne les a pas comptés, mais les K1, K2 et K1-Sub accrochés sont très nombreux. 252 boîtes…

Visit the Powersoft website and the Rat Sound website

SD7 and SD10 consoles are specified by FOH engineer Troy Choi to mix live orchestra, jazz ensemble and choir accompaniment on global trek of film showings. The story of the film La La Land is so unlikely that it almost had to come out of a college dorm room.
Damien Chazelle and Justin Hurwitz were Harvard roomies when they first started working on an idea for a jazz musical about both a struggling musician and an aspiring actress, and it took years to convince someone to finance it.
The surprise hit of 2016 swept the Golden Globes, won six Oscars, and made a net profit of about $65 million. Starting in 2017 and heading into 2018, the film has emerged from the cinemas and hit the road for a series of events known as La La Land in Concert, encompassing screenings of the film that incorporate a live orchestra, jazz ensemble and choir.

Troy Choi, l’ingénieur du son principal de cette tournée

The tour’s primary mix engineer, Troy Choi, has been “hands on faders” for 90 percent of the run, including shows on every continent, all using local orchestras and choirs as well as, in most cases, local musicians for the jazz band that is so crucial to the film’s sound and story. And when he has been in the FOH captain’s chair, he has insisted on having a DiGiCo SD7 or SD10 desk in front of him.

“Basically we play the movie from the beginning, the same as a normal movie theatre showing,” says Choi. “However, all of the music from the movie is played by a symphony orchestra, jazz band, and choir, and it’s 100 percent live. The symphony is always a local pickup. Sometimes we travel with Randy Kerber, the piano player who recorded the soundtrack, and he is amazing! This movie’s jazz part is not easy and it’s always great to have the original players.

We actually had the entire original ensemble from the movie soundtrack, including drummer Peter Erskine, bassist Kevin Axt, and guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., plus Wayne Bergeron on trumpet, Bob Sheppard on sax, and Andy Martin on trombone. But for many reasons, mostly having to do with budget, it has not happened every time.” With pickup musicians in every new city, the ability to get things up and running and sounding good very quickly is crucial. And Choi depends on the exemplary audio quality of the DiGiCo SD-Range consoles to make that happen.

“Most of the time, I mic every single musician, so total channel count is easily between 90 and 100 inputs. And, many times, I don’t have enough time to check and tweak each input individually, so it’s important to have a mixer that always sounds good ‘as is.’ I use SD7s and SD10s, and both of those consoles are ‘gain up, fader up, sounds great with minimal processing.’ The sound is fat, smooth, and never harsh. Many channels run with no EQ changes other than a high-pass filter. That’s helped bring a lot of success to this tour.”

Troy Choi mixe sur une paire de SD7 pour la représentation de La La Land en concert au stade olympique de Jamsil à Séoul, en Corée du Sud, durant le festival “Slow Life Slow Live” (à côté, une troisième SD7 pour la prestation de Hans Zimmer en deuxième partie de spectacle).

As mentioned, all the music is live. The only recordings are stem files for general dialogue plus sung vocal tracks for stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, some background vocals, which are mixed with the live choir, effects, and a click track to keep everyone in sync. One of the features that Choi depends on to manage all of these inputs is Control Groups of which he uses 24 in total.
“Control Groups mixed with the ability to customize fader layers is crucial to wrangling all of these inputs. I’m a bit of a micro-managing kind of mixer,” Choi says. “So I need to have a pretty significant level of control over workflow. The faders in the center of the SD7 allow me to set up a workflow that makes it super-easy to control all of the Control Groups with.”

Cette fois c’est une SD10 qui a été utilisée à l’Opéra de Sydney lors des shows en Australie.

Even given that the local pick up orchestras were some of the best in the world, including the Sydney Symphony and Tokyo Philharmonic, each orchestra and conductor has a distinct “vibe” that can change the character of the inputs that Choi is working with. The presence of the jazz band complicated the job further.

“So far, luckily, I’ve been able to work with a great orchestra in every city. The harder task was finding the right jazz band. Every musician involved in this show has said that the jazz parts on the score are very challenging. I once heard Randy Kerber and Wayne Bergeron say, ‘Did we really play this? It’s so hard,’” he laughs.

The challenges go beyond just the music, and the whole character of the music portion—and Choi’s mixing decisions—can change based on myriad influences. “For example, when we did the shows in South Korea with the full band from the soundtrack, I ran the band inputs hotter because the people that came to those shows came to see that band,” he explains.

Other shows outside of the US, where the film was presented with subtitles, wanted to hear more orchestra, while audiences in the English-speaking world may want to hear more dialogue. Choi, who has a background as a drummer and reads music, did the first shows of the tour with a copy of the score next to him to keep track of where they were. “The score has so many musical parts that bleed right into dialogue,” he describes. Eventually, he memorized the score. “For the first gig, I had the score open right in front of the desk. But, by about show 22, I had it memorized.”

Choi points to the SD-Range consoles as a big part of the success of the show. “All of the inputs sound great without a lot of tweaking. That allows me to focus most of my energy and bandwidth on balancing out the orchestra, band and dialogue. Plus the layout and the way I can customize the workflow allows me to be the micro-managing engineer I like to be. And it flat out makes me faster.”
“Plus, I love the multi-band compressors. I can use them on literally every input without external plug-ins, and they help substantially. Sometimes, for example, a violin—even a really well played violin—can sound a little harsh in certain parts of its range. With the SD’s three multi-band compressors, I can tame those harsh high frequencies without losing any warmth or detail in the rest of the instrument’s range. Also every channel has dynamic EQ, which I love!”
While La La Land in Concert is winding down, expect Choi to be behind an SD console on his next gig as well. “No matter what it is: La La Land, pop, hip hop, rock… For me, the best solution, the best answer to many audio challenges is a DiGiCo console.”

More information on Digico Website

Newly-launched in March 2018, Sixty82, ‘The New Original’ manufacturer of trussing and staging systems, is happy to announce the appointment of its first distributors and distribution partners.

With immediate effect, A.C. Entertainment Technologies and Axente have been named as the new, exclusive distributors for the UK and France respectively, while pan-pro GmbH of Germany and Set2Stage of Portugal have been appointed distribution partners in their own countries.

“We chose A.C. Entertainment Technologies and Axente as the first in our international network as they represent the strongest importing distributors in their territories, with an historical strength in the trussing and staging marketplace,” says Sixty82 CEO Fokko Smeding, “Similarly, pan-pro and Set2Stage are both well-established companies with well-respected teams and ideally placed for distribution partnership.
“We are delighted to receive such instant support from companies of this calibre. It is an affirmation of the faith they place in the newly-formed Sixty82, our products, and our team who have been pioneers in our sector of the industry for the past 35 years.”

Axente Sixty82 team

Sixty82 is a British, Dutch and French alliance of innovative industry company with a proven experience in the design and manufacture of trussing and staging systems. Its product range offers every component required to change the way that lightweight structural systems are used, and introduces unique technology that guarantees every structural component is traceable, safe and properly engineered.

“As distributors, we chose Sixty82 because it offers a high quality product and innovation at a competitive level,” says Axente CEO, Xavier Drouet. “We also have the added benefit of a pleasant collaboration with experienced people.” Moreover Sixty82 is focussing at delivering a great service, innovation and understanding. Its distributors have been selected for their matching values.

Lee Brooks and Jonathan Walters

“We’re thrilled to work with Sixty82. They’ve brought together some of the leading industry experts in trussing and staging systems,” says A.C. Entertainment Technologies UK Sales & Purchasing Director, Jonathan Walters.
“AC-ET loves to work with technology brands who share our drive for constant innovation and value. The Sixty82 team’s passion, creativity and vision are the perfect fit.” AC-ET has exhibited Sixty82 product lines for the first time in the UK at PLASA Focus Leeds.

Sixty82’s Germany distribution partner is also very keen to get started with Sixty82: “I have been very enthusiastic about the collaboration with Sixty82 from the beginning,” says CEO of pan-pro GmbH, Klaus Hünteler. “The synergy between the competence and network of the partners behind Sixty82, and the distribution experience of pan-pro and our established team, will result in a fantastic success. In addition to the strong points of quality, know-how, flexibility and short delivery times, Sixty82 brings innovations – like the SixtyTAG RFID tagging system – which are trend-setting.”

“I am delighted to be launching a new company with the support of the leading sales partners in their fields,” continues Fokko Smeding. “I am certain that it gives us the best platform to serve our emerging community of Sixty82 users with the best products and unrelenting support in their growth.”

For more information visit Sixty82 website

Allen & Heath has released dLive V1.7 firmware, code name Sennen, a major feature upgrade for its flagship digital mixing system. Key enhancements include support for Shure’s Axient® Digital, ULX-D® and QLX-D™ wireless systems, extended routing and patching capabilities, plus support for the forthcoming PRIME I/O modules.

Thanks to a collaboration between Allen & Heath and Shure, V1.7 firmware allows engineers to enjoy the convenience of monitoring and controlling up to 45 Axient® Digital, ULX-D® and QLX-D™ Shure wireless systems from a dLive surface.

Key wireless information, including mutes, signal level and battery bars, is visible from Bank screens, allowing multiple channels to be monitored at the same time. More detailed information, including RF frequency, device name and peak indicators, can be accessed by selecting the Preamp tab on an individual wireless channel. Receiver gain and mutes can also be controlled direct from the dLive touchscreen, or from a laptop running dLive Director software.

V1.7 introduces extended routing and patching options for dLive users to explore. Inputs can now be routed to Matrices for fine-tuning of speaker cluster contributions in larger venues. Mixes can be patched to the PAFL External Input and vice-versa, allowing multiple ways of creating technician chat channels, and mixes can be patched to inputs for advanced processing.

V1.7 firmware also supports the recently unveiled PRIME I/O modules. Using the very latest converter and component technology, PRIME Input and Output modules are designed to harness the full potential of dLive’s 96kHz XCVI FPGA core, delivering next-level audio quality for critical live, broadcast and studio applications. PRIME modules exploit I/O converter technologies optimised for higher sampling rates to provide audiophile transparency without undermining latency or bandwidth.

Allen & Heath’s Product Manager for dLive, Ben Morgan explained, “Every one of our software releases is powered by our dLive user community. dLive V1.7 Sennen delivers a raft of features designed to speed workflow, along with much-requested integration with Shure’s popular wireless systems.”
The firmware can be downloaded here

More information on the Allen & Heath website

On Auckland Anniversary Weekend, Saturday 27 January 2018, Auckland Harbour Bridge was transformed by the launch of Vector Lights – featuring a ground-breaking renewable energy technology powered light show that ignited imaginations and demonstrated a smarter way to power our city.
The installation is designed, managed, installed and programmed by internationally-acclaimed Mandylights, demonstrating the new lighting capabilities and a smarter way to power Auckland as part of a ten-year smart energy partnership between Vector Limited and Auckland Council.

Le pont du port d’Auckland

The audio-visual performance is made up of three chapters – the first references Tama-Nui te Ra (the sun), the original source of energy, and the second Hikohiko (electrical energy) representing it as energy and technology, and the final Hei te Ao Marama (the future world of light) as an acknowledgement to the diversity and culture in Auckland. The tender for this long term project was won by Sydney-based design and production company, Mandylights.
“We approached this architectural project in the same way as we approach any light artwork, concert tour or special event design” said Richard Neville, Managing Director of Mandylights. “Put simply, we want to make it look cool. Our design, pitch and attitude has always been to eschew the traditional mathematical, paint-by-numbers architectural lighting design approach in favour of coming up with a highly spectacular design that turned the bridge into its own unique light show.”
“We needed to be able to show how we would communicate Maori designs and traditional patterns through whatever we did on the bridge,” added Richard. “Another important creative element was to emphasize the connection to the water. The bridge sits very low down to the harbour which is unusual. Of course, it had to be cost effective too.”

Mandylights spent a lot of time looking at the physical architecture of the bridge. One of the first things Richard did was to fly to Auckland to spend a night sitting in various locations around the city simply taking in all aspects of the structure. He imagined ways to accentuate what is already there, especially the unique structure of girders that sit under the road. Vector were looking for a way to illuminate the Harbour Bridge in a highly energy efficient manner. The design had to be sympathetic and able to communicate New Zealand ideals and values.

“There’s a fascinating level of detail in all the girders beneath the road deck so we were quite keen to light that up,” he said. “We had to consider that people can get very close to the bridge and can see into all the gantries just sitting beneath the road deck, so that meant multiple views. Close up and personal, or from Waiheke Island 30 kilometres away, you can still see the lighting. It was a big challenge to come up with something that had multiple levels of engagement and offered viewers a unique experience at different sites.”

Environment was probably the biggest challenge for Mandylights, located in the middle of the harbour with the crew getting blasted by winds in excess of 70 Km an hour. Add to that salt spray and in some locations the fixtures are only six metres away from the water.

“There was constant hammering from water and wind plus Auckland has temperatures well into the 30 degree Celsius range so you need UV protection,” commented Richard. “Also, the installation has to last for ten years so exposed cables was a massive consideration as well. On top of that, the Bridge is constantly moving with the vibrations from traffic.” The outside lanes of the bridge were added after the main structure was built in 1959, with the four clip-on lanes added in 1969. In a matter of seconds, this road deck can move by up to a metre as the load on the road decks above change.

Other technical challenges were access and many of the places where lights were installed were incredibly difficult to get to. Rise Pacific, a specialist rigging company from Sydney, designed and built a completely unique access system to get the Mandylights crew specifically to where they needed to go.

From the beginning Richard was clear that he wanted to light the Bridge with three types of LED fixtures in three very definite styles. A wash light was required to light the internal structure of the Bridge, a linear strip to outline the entire exterior perimeter of the structure and finally, an LED dot fixture for the 170 diagonals and verticals under the Bridge.

“We wanted to highlight the internal structure of the Bridge by lighting the girders and also pointing some lights down to reflect off the water,” explained Richard. “We wanted the most amount of colour and reflection we could off the water to emphasis the connection with the water.
With the linear strips we wanted to outline the road deck and the arch as I don’t think people realise what an arced, sweeping shape it has. Finally, we used LED dots to turn the outer girders of the bridge into what is effectively a low res video surface, made out of the bridge architecture itself.”

Mandylights looked at a few variations of applicable LED fixtures but found they gravitated towards Martin by HARMAN due to the reliability of product and the incredible support offered by HARMAN Professional Solutions country partner, Show Technology.

“We worked extremely closely with Martin on this project as there were many custom components needed, including a 505mm pitch on the VC dots to allow for thermal expansion in the hot months,” commented Michael. “Alterations were needed for the steel to expand and contract without ripping the ribbon tails out of the fixtures on a hot day. A similar customization was needed for the 1,990mm Exterior PixLines to lower fixture count and make them a practical size for the treacherous install; also considering thermal expansion of course.

Martin were really supportive and fantastic to deal with on such a massive undertaking, it was their largest LED installation to date with over 90,000 LEDs installed. Simply put, there wasn’t much that was off the shelf and they helped to tailor their reliable products to meet our specific needs.”
“The fact that Show Technology has an Auckland office and were able to support the project locally, was very important to us,” explained Richard. “We had a very tight window for pitching this project and to present the initial creative response, and the fact that we were able to turn up to the first pitch meeting with actual working samples of the products was really beneficial.”

Show Technology worked alongside Mandylights throughout the entire installation period allowing them to warehouse and prep the fixtures in New Zealand and offer ongoing technical consults throughout the project. The installation process took just over five months and Richard commented that there were a lot of Work Health and Safety restrictions to overcome.
Due to high winds on the bridge there were even a few weeks when the crew were unable to work because some of the necessary equipment for the installation on the Bridge would not be safe over certain wind speeds. During the lighting installation, the whole Bridge power system was being reconfigured to run the Bridge off the solar and battery grid.

MARTIN EXTERIOR WASH 200

Martin Exterior Wash 200 were chosen for wash lighting with Richard describing them as bright and versatile. The Exterior Wash 200 is a compact and energy-efficient LED lighting fixture designed to illuminate mid-sized structures and building facades.
A discreet, optional snoot integrates seamlessly with the slick design of the fixtures. It has built-in display for ease-of-use, a wide selection of beam angles and is fully IP-rated for permanent outdoor use.

The Exterior Wash 200 is designed for narrow beam applications and is based on separate LEDs for red, green, blue and white. “We tested these several times in our office and then again on site, and we found them to be simply perfect,” said Richard. “They have really good colour range – especially in the deep blue ranges and importantly, a really easily interchangeable system of frosting so we were able to use the same fixtures all the way across the Bridge.
In many places they’re throwing 10 or 20 metres with 60° diffusion on but then the same fixtures are throwing nearly 150 metres across the main navigation span to under-light the road deck.”

MARTIN PIXLINE 40

Martin’s Exterior PixLine 40 is a linear LED video fixture for media facades and creative installations. The Exterior PixLine can be combined with a wide variety of lenses and diffusers for the right look for every application. The fixtures can be fully customized in terms of length and colour to match every installation requirement, while the power source is hidden.
“Martin were very accommodating creating a custom length PixLine for us which is longer than their usual fixtures,” said Richard. “We designed a custom mounting system to clamp them to the Bridge, so the whole installation sits very smartly with the profile of the road deck.”
Discussing the fixtures’ installation, Richard described the process of installation as being remarkably smooth and with Mandylights’ Technical Designer Clint Dulieu mastering the system’s P3 controllers, they had the fixtures running their content within hours of them being hung.

MARTIN VC-DOT 9

Mandylights also worked closely with Martin customizing the mounting system for the VC-Dot 9 whilst at the same time designing a series of brackets to hold the VC-Dots to the Bridge. VC-Dot 9 is a lightweight string of individually controllable, bright Dots useful in creating customized LED video solutions with maximum artistic flexibility. Mapping video onto VC-Dots is intuitive via the P3 System Controller. VC-Dot 9 contains nine LEDs and is available in an RGB colour mixing version.

“For this project, the VC-Dot 9’s have custom spacing and there are over 10,000 on the Bridge,” Richard elaborated. “The VC-Dots are cool creatively as when you’re really close up to the Bridge you can see these dots that are installed at 500mm spacing and the Bridge looks like it’s covered in thousands of coloured dotted lights. Then as you move back to say one kilometer away, your eye doesn’t see the distance between the dots and the dots appear as solid lines. They deliver two different viewing experiences.”

CONTROL

A total of 90,000 Martin VC-Dots were used on the Bridge marking Martin’s largest ever architectural LED installation. All of the Martin equipment runs off the Martin P3 System Controller which is fed video by two media servers.
However the entire system is controlled by an MA2 network so at every distribution board installed on the Bridge by Mandylights, there’s an MA2 4Port Node. Additional Nodes are in the control room.

“We wanted to put an industry standard control system in place so if we decided to do something different, such as add searchlights for NYE, we have distributed DMX points all across the Bridge that are ready to go,” added Richard.
“Similarly, if we need to integrate the Bridge with other projects in the city it can all jump on one huge citywide network and essentially there’s no reason why a waterfront concert can’t integrate the Bridge too.”
The Bridge lighting can be remotely managed by Mandylights who will design custom content for special events such as the upcoming Chinese New Year and also Waitangi Day.

“Clint Dulieu worked very closely with Vector to get the whole system online so it can be remotely managed,” explained Richard. “We can conduct maintenance, get feedback on any malfunctions, upload new content and reprogram the Bridge from our Sydney office or basically anywhere in the world that we might be working.” In between the special events, the lighting is used to subtly frame the architecture of the Harbour Bridge each night.

POWER

The Bridge is the first main bridge in the world to have all its lighting needs fully met by solar and battery technology. The project integrates a mix of leading technology, using the latest solar, battery and peer-to-peer systems to deliver stored energy to the bridge.
By using peer-to-peer technology, it is possible to virtualise the connection between the battery and the bridge and therefore balance the energy being used and discharged at any time.
Energy generated by the solar panels, situated in Wynyard Quarter, is stored in Tesla Powerpack (a battery). Currently there are 248 solar panels providing energy for the bridge with more to follow bringing the total to 600.

Smart meters situated at the battery installation and on the bridge will relay data between each other every 10 seconds. This means that the amount of energy Vector Lights uses at any one time will be relayed back to the battery which will then release this amount of energy back into the grid – ensuring a constant balance.

By using solar and battery to power Vector Lights, as opposed to traditional means, 13.6 tons of carbon is prevented from going into the atmosphere each year. When the additional solar panels are installed and battery to power the street lights on the bridge, the carbon avoided each year will increase to 27 tons. Vector Lights is part of a wider 10-year smart energy partnership between Vector and Auckland Council, with the Vector Lights project being delivered in collaboration with the NZ Transport Agency.

“It is a privilege to see Martin products be part of New Zealand’s iconic Auckland Harbour Bridge,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. “Besides Martin’s product reliability, we acknowledge that having a local partner with great expertise and support, is key to every project. We are thankful to our partner – Show Technology, for their expertise, innovativeness, commitment to every project and customer first approach.”

Dallas’ The Bomb Factory, home to an L-Acoustics K2 loudspeaker system installed by Onstage Systems

Onstage Systems installs powerful K2 rig at The Bomb Factory, a former munitions factory turned live music club in Dallas’ hip downtown Deep Ellum district.

One of The Bomb Factory’s new K2 arrays.

The Bomb Factory is a 4,000-plus-capacity music club and site of shows by artists like Hardwell, Don Henley, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and Jack White, has been through a few iterations.
Originally built as an automobile assembly plant for Henry Ford over a century ago, it later housed a WWII munitions factory, from which it derives its current name. As Dallas’ downtown grew into an arts district in recent years, the 48,000-square-foot brick building was the perfect home for a live music venue, which opened in 2015.
Only one thing might have held it back: a sound system that struggled to keep up with the needs of contemporary touring artists, many of whom brought in their own PA systems or rented them for shows. That’s all changed as of last October when The Bomb Factory joined the ranks of rider-ready leading venues globally with the installation of an L-Acoustics K2 sound system.

Installed by Onstage Systems, an L-Acoustics Certified Provider for rental systems (CPr), the venue’s new stereo line source array K2 rig has ten enclosures per side, with an even dozen KS28 subwoofers installed under the front of the stage.
The K2 are powered by eight LA8 amplified controllers, while three LA12X amplified controllers are used to power the subs, which are arranged in three cardioid blocks of four units each to reduce stage rumble without attenuating their awesome LFE. Another LA4X amplifier is used for three ARCS Focus front-fill speakers across the front of the stage area.

L-Acoustics ARCS Focus enclosures serve as front-fills.

“There’s a significant difference between the PA system they began with and the K2 we put in,” says Tyler Johnston, project manager at Onstage Systems, which also provides the club with backline, video and other key items. “The old system was decent, but this takes The Bomb Factory to an entirely new level, one that touring artists recognize.

“Rider acceptance has become a huge thing in the business, and that’s something that the K2 certainly has—a fact that we at Onstage can attest to, having rented and deployed K2, K1, V-DOSC and other systems over the years,”” adds Johnston, who worked with L-Acoustics’ André Pichette on designing and tuning the new K2 system using Soundvision modeling software, so that each line array covers both the main floor and balcony levels, eliminating the need for additional fill speakers.
“And we went with the new KS28 subs because they provide the best low end on the market, which makes this venue and system more attractive to hip-hop and dance artists. Before, the staff had to spend time and money to move their system out of the way and bring in rental systems for many of the artists who played here. Not anymore. Everyone recognizes L-Acoustics as a benchmark for live sound quality.”

LA8, LA4X and LA12X amplified controllers drive the venue’s new system.

Matt Raffaele, The Bomb Factory’s production manager, says the difference in sound was immediate and measureable. “To be honest, our existing system was a good one, but when you frequently have to take it down and put it back in—we had to do that at least a dozen times in the last couple of years—it’s impossible to keep a system properly tuned,” he explains. “And I’d say ninety percent of the time, what we were taking it down for was a K2 or a K1, because that’s what this caliber of bands are renting or carrying.”

Raffaele points out that, beyond the sonics of the system, its economics were equally undeniable. “Not having to pull a rig in and out certainly ends up saving the venue money over time, and this system hasn’t moved an inch since it went in last October,” he says. But the best part? “Seeing the bands get stoked when they come in and see a brand new K2 PA with the KS28 subs,” he replies. “Everyone is already warm and fuzzy before they even step onto the stage.”

For more info, visit The Bomb Factory website and the Onstage Systems website

Avolites and MA Lighting recently joined forces with the organisers of Prolight + Sound to shut down the booth of prolific counterfeit operation PPL (Popular Lighting from GuangZhou, China). This is one more step that both companies have taken to prevent the distribution of counterfeits and to send out a clear message to all product copier that their actions are no longer tolerated.

Sales director Koy Neminathan explains: “Avolites synchronised efforts with MA Lighting and with the support of Prolight + Sound to successfully close PPL’s booth down before the Prolight + Sound show even opened. PPL shamelessly manufactures and sells counterfeit Avolites and MA Lighting badged products at respected trade shows around the world and we are determined to put a stop to this.”
Michael Adenau, managing director and founder of MA Lighting, added: “MA Lighting is willing to take any necessary steps to stop the sale and manufacturing of counterfeit products. Our industry is built on innovation, creativity and technical devotion. Years of manpower were needed developing consoles series like grandMA2 and grandMA3. By buying counterfeits you are killing this industry and despising the hard work of all manufacturers.”

(De gauche à droite) : Michael Adenau, (MA Lighting), Koy Neminathan (Avolites), Gerhard Krude, (MA Lighting), Stephen Baird-Smith, (Avolites), Ralph-Jörg Wezorke (MA Lighting)

Neminathan also stated that Avolites and MA Lighting plan to continue to combine their efforts to identify any product manufacturer that promotes counterfeit products that infringe either manufacturers copyright and ensure that their booths are closed down at trade shows globally.
“It’s crucial that customers and end users of counterfeit products are aware that these products are not developed with the same R&D expertise or subject to trademarking and safety testing regulations,” continues Neminathan. “The impact of such products is that they are often sub-standard, do not have robust manufacturer or distributor technical backup or even offer spare parts. In the case of failure, they could also cause serious harm to those working with or in the same environment as them.”

Both Avolites and MA Lighting strongly believe that counterfeiting is theft. When these products make their way into the supply chain it is not just the originating manufacturer that suffers the financial and brand costs. It is also the distributor, the rental operation, the end user and potentially the artists, performance and audience that may be compromised. Because counterfeit goods are often sold direct to the end user, those customers generally have little comeback, service or support and if used knowingly may even compromise a user’s public liability insurance.
Purchasers and end users need to understand that genuine products should be supported by knowledgeable distributor networks, service centres, spare parts depots etc – all of these are reassuring for the end users and their clients. They also provide genuine job opportunities throughout the supply chain and the framework for other small businesses to thrive.

Essentially counterfeit goods poison the whole supply chain. At worst they can cause life threatening health and safety issues and those businesses who knowingly import or market counterfeit products in countries where such products are covered by patents are as guilty as those who manufacture them.

No one knows what has gotten into the heads of the members of the European Commission, but the fact is that, without a reaction from us before May 7th, the show lighting industry in the broadest sense – but also all those who use this lighting in the 28 Member States – will receive a death sentence from Brussels with the 1st of September 2020 as the execution date.

Let’s start from the beginning

As part of the perfectly legitimate pursuit of combating energy waste, the European Commission launched the Ecodesign Working Plan in 2005, which incorporated preparatory studies, energy saving forecasts and proposals for solutions in a very large number of areas, ranging from air conditioning to data servers, from televisions to washing machines, from clothes dryers to “lighting products”.
This is where it gets complicated, because the studies of lighting were finalized in December 2015, with expected savings of around 50 TWh per year for all 28 countries, and a number of rules have been decreed. All this is indicated on the draft of the 2016-2019 version of the Ecodesign Working Plan, even though – as of now – we have not managed to get a hold of all the official documents specifying some of the numbers that we will indicate further on. We will update this news as soon as we have them.

As it stands, the most absurd measure that is likely to be voted – and which stands to undermine our entire industry and all the technicians who make it their livelihood – is the prohibition of the sale of light sources (either lamps or LEDs) incapable of achieving a luminous efficiency granting the future F rating starting at 85 lumens per watt within the European Union after the 1st of September 2020.

As of today, NOT A SINGLE SOURCE of our fixed or moving light fixtures operates with such efficiency and if, in the future, the manufacturers succeed, it will, in any case, necessitate the de facto replacement of the entirety of existing fixtures. This is akin to a funeral for the 1st class of our businesses. Of course, no tungsten or arc lamp can comply, and no more research is being conducted on these technologies. Suffice to say that, though legally nothing will prevent you from keeping your fixtures, it will still no longer be possible to re-lamp them, once you have exhausted your existing stock and that of your supplier… unless you decide to “go pirate”. That’s an odd prospect.

A second measure provides that no fixture or lamp should consume more than 0.5 watts in stand-by. I know some design offices that are scratching their heads to premature baldness over this issue, because here, too, this seems well beyond unrealistic for the complex moving heads that make up the backbone of today’s lighting rigs. These consume more than that just waiting for DMX commands…
Exemptions exist for video projectors (the cinema industry had to dig in its heels) and apparently for shows, such as, for example, the possibility to use projectors of 82,00 lumens and more, but as the director of ETC London, Adam Bennette, points out, the bar was set at least 20,000 lm too high. Adam also specifies that, obviously, the authors of this possible directive worked only on white light, completely forgetting that in the world of show lighting one works mainly with color and that, in this case, the levels requested are even less feasible.

The English associates of the ALD (Association of Lighting Designers) raised the alarm over this and are at the forefront of the fight. They confirm the disconnection between our trade and tools and the proposed texts of the directive that, while commendably accelerating progress and energy savings, concern essentially only white light sources for domestic use.

Though we are quite pro-EU here at SoundLightUp, we lament this sort of amalgam of cookie-cutter solutions and the absolute lack of consultation with sectors that actually consume little current, have quickly switched to very economical LEDs and, especially, make life better thanks to the magic of all kinds of shows.
It must indeed be clear from this text that even TV lighting kits, those for cinema and, of course, all the lights for live shows, amusement parks, even monuments such as the Eiffel Tower beacon will, at best, be frozen for years waiting for the industry to offer compatible “70 to 85 lm/w” sources, or, at worst, removed when the light source will need to be replaced.
But which vendors or manufacturers will be able to afford a new inventory, while throwing out the existing one, which will have NO resale value any more? This signs a death sentence for manufacturers in the sector, who will be forced to engage in costly research and development without selling anything in the meantime, and will cause the disappearance of service providers, who will see their business plans profoundly in doubt.

The Czech manufacturer Robe, through the voice of its CEO, Josef Valchar, has just published an alarming text and has contacted public authorities, as has Christopher Ferrante, CEO of Ayrton. Doubtlessly, all European decision makers in our industry will follow suit in the coming days.

FYI, we remind you that the public consultation where it is possible to report dissatisfaction with these potential decisions will close on May 7th, 2018. You can find it here
And here you will find the list of Members of the European Parliament, in order to express your disapproval.

Yes, we love Europe because we do not want more conflicts, we do not want more hives full of dead bees, we do not want more incoherent tax rates that open the door to tax evasion. But, for all that, we do not want stupid, hastily-crafted laws, which serve only as rallying points for populism and rejection of Europe.

Therefore, pending the organization of a real common response – probably a moratorium allowing the exclusion of activities like ours from the directive, as our energy consumption is minimal and will have no impact whatsoever on the expected savings of 50 TWh per year, or even delaying the implementation of these guidelines – we advise you all whether you work in sound or lighting, whether you are a service provider or in production, even you spectators and artists, to immediately sign the petition that the ALD has put online at Change.org.

SoundLightUp is going to collect and consolidate the opinions, reactions, ideas and, unfortunately, also the legitimate fears of the French market by regularly posting new points, while updating this same item and the rest of our news had we overestimated or underestimated the scope of these future regulations.
Remember that it is very complex to search through the maze of decisions, directives and, in general, the work of Brussels that is obscure but often useful. Often but not always.

For further information:

• On the Robe website, the reaction of Joseph Valchar, CEO of Robe.
• On the ALD (Association of Lighting Designers) website.