At this year’s Integrated Systems Europe), Powersoft launched the new Duecanali 804 and Duecanali 4804, a two-channel amplifier platform with optional DSP and Dante dedicated to the fixed install market, and the perfect answer to system integrators’ needs for a high-performance amplifier solution in leisure and retail spaces.

Luca Giorgi (Commercial Director) on the left and President Lastrucci present the new Duecanali (804 and 4804) with the existing model 1604 in the center.

The Duecanali 4804 provides 2 x 2400W @ 4 Ω, a power output suitable to a wide range of projects, making it an attractive and cost-effective solution for small to medium size installations seeking both pristine and reliable sound. The Duecanali 804 offers 2 x 400W and represents a lower total power solution for installations in retail, as well as bars and restaurants where a single two-channel amplifier is the requirement, without the need for additional channels or power. The range is completed by the existing Duecanali 1602, which was launched at ISE in 2017 and now sits between the two new products in the Duecanali range.

The newly completed Duecanali range is able to drive low impedance loads (2/4/8 Ohm) and 70V/100V distributed lines selectable per channel. Furthermore, it provides more than 16 different possible output configurations (Lo-Z, Hi-Z, bridge mode, parallel mode, and combinations of these), delivering a maximum output power per channel of: 400 to 1250 W at 8 Ω; 400 to 2400 W at 4 Ω; 500 to 3000 W at 2 Ω; 1000 to 6000 Watt at 4 Ω bridged; 800 to 4800 Watt at 8 Ω bridged; 400 to 2400 Watt at 100 Volt and 70 Volt.

The complete Duecanali range in DSP + Dante version

The two new models complete the Duecanali Series, bringing consistency in terms of size and power, as well as look and feel, for Powersoft’s installation market. The products are available in standard or DSP+D versions which extend system performance with on board high-end signal processing and Dante™ digital audio distribution. Both models can be managed with the newly launched user friendly Armonía 2.11 Pro Audio Suite™ version.

“With DSP onboard, interoperability created via third-party plug-ins, networking and remote control, Powersoft amplifiers have been converted into smart controllers of the future,” says Francesco Fanicchi, Powersoft’s Brand and Communication Director. “This has great bearing on integrators involved in multiple disciplines like audio, video, ETH cabling, power distribution and UPS provision, meaning that the future becomes a whole lot easier.”
With this new extension, the Duecanali series now sits coherently alongside Powersoft’s Quattrocanali and Ottocanali Series of fixed installation solutions, addressing the requirement for small and medium size applications where the channel count is limited and the need for a flexible product to work with Hi-Z and Lo-Z systems is a must.

Rear panel of model 804. All inputs / outputs are on EuroBlock. Note the operation mode selection dipswitches.

Duecanali, Quattrocanali and Ottocanali all feature Powersoft’s trademarked switch-mode power supply with Power Factor Correction (PFC), Smart Rail Management (SRM) and bridgeable switch mode fixed frequency Class D output circuit topology.
The Due/Quattro/Ottocanali series is fully remote controllable via standard GPI/O connections on the back panel, Powersoft’s proprietary Armonía software, dedicated web app, or third-party application.
The two new models in the Duecanali Series ship in February 2018.

More information on Powersoft website

Rick facing his good sounding Ferrari ;0)

The current tour by Jamiroquai, begun in Spring 2017 will be back in Europe and France end of Spring 2018. From the out-set their front of house engineer Rick Pope has been using Yamaha’s new flagship mixing console, the PM10. As a desk of extraordinary capabilities, the PM10 was no small investment.

Dave Compton

“We have looked after Rick and Jamiroquai for many years now,” said client manager Dave Compton at Britannia Row. “Both of our companies already carry a large inventory of Yamaha consoles so we were more than willing to make the investment to support this tour.”
For Clair Global and Britannia Row, Pope’s experiences have proved a useful test-bed. Pope, who has mixed Jamiroquai for many years, explains why: “I’ve been a Yamaha endorsee for maybe 25 years and have contributed to their R&D consistently over the years. A replacement for the venerable PM1D was long overdue, so I was relieved when the PM10 was first presented to me.”
“Quite simply, it is fantastic. It’s the most powerful desk out there; it’s ridiculous what you can do with it. Yet in spite of its functional power it’s so easy to operate.

The magic and silky touch.

Any engineer with basic knowledge could rock up to find the PM10 out front at a festival and have no trouble; I can think of some desks where you need to take a three-month training course.”
Much is made of the contribution of Rupert Neve to the development and functionality of the desk; for Pope that’s a key aspect.
“For me the pre-amps are way better than anything else out there.
Since I’ve been using this desk I’ve never had so many people, musicians and mates who are engineers, come and tell me how good it sounds. The warmth in the low end – a characteristic you could say was lacking in older desks – is there now.

You name it, here it is !

The Silk processing is beautiful. It is expensive, but for what it costs its way better than anything else that’s out there. For Jamiroquai, everyone knows Jay Kay drives a Ferrari. He’s my boss and this is the Ferrari of desks. But consider this, I used to use a TC6000 off board, a Manley Vox Box and an H3000 – they’re expensive bits of kit. Not anymore. The on-board processing and effects are as good or better than anything else out there.”
The current leg of the tour drew to a close in London early December, with dates for this year already at the planning stage. “Brit Row are supplying me with an L-Acoustic K1 system for this European leg; working with them is like putting on your favourite pair of slippers, warm, familiar, comfortable. The K1 sounds great and with this combination of desk and system I can get great sound, even in the shit rooms. That’s what clients like, that’s why I’ll keep using Brit Row and why I’ll keep using Yamaha.”

More information on Britanniarow website and on Yamaha website

A nice view of the main system hangs, 12 M28 and 6 B112.

Sound engineer and designer Alain Roy, head of rental company Espace Concept, is one of the most respected names on France’s professional audio scene. One of the leading innovators with digital sound.
Alain Roy has earned a reputation for taking the best new technologies available to evolve his own pioneering ideas. A recent classical concert in eastern France gave him the opportunity to examine the NEXO STM Series modular line array as part of his new conceptual approach to immersive sound. The event, staged at the Axone Arena in Montbéliard near the Swiss border, featured 80 musicians of the Orchestre Victor Hugo Franche Comté, who were joined by a blues band for the second half of the concert.

For the main PA, the Besançon-based rental team of Espace Concept set up a L/R system with (per side) 12x M28 main and 6x B112 bass modules from NEXO’s modular STM Series. In this application, Roy’s system design exploited the sound quality of the 12″ drivers in the B112s, rather than increasing the number of double 8″ M28s, The nature of the STM Series, where the different modules are specified to mix and match, enabled such a combination. A small number of STM S118 subs were used in cardioid mode: 6 cabinets per side worked very efficiently and provided a good tonal balance.

Nicolas Poitrenaud, a member of NEXO’s Engineering Support team, describes the objective. “Alain takes a lot of care with the phase response of the NEXO cabinets. He prefers to send a premix of the instruments to the STM modules that is calibrated to their spectrum, rather than sending everything and using low-cut filters, which create phase distortion. For examples, the violins don’t go the B112 modules but straight to the M28 main modules. He maximises the best parts of the NEXO system philosophy – the concept of modularity and the quality of phase response.”

An ID24 lost in the middle of the timpani.

Alain Roy is also experimenting with creating the surround sensations found in a natural acoustic symphonic hall, what he calls his “3D system”. “The idea is to improve the natural listening sensation by creating immersive sound,” reports Poitrenaud. “The result is a major improvement in terms of room sensation. With just the main PA playing, the sonic image is very ‘flat’ and narrow.
The immersive sound is obtained by using a secondary PA subsystem. This is composed of two arrays of 6x GEO S12 located outside the STM main PA. The secondary PA is fed by a mix of uncorrelated L +R channel, and a dedicated digital reverb program.”

With a number of NEXO models playing their part – ID24 compacts and 45N*-12 wedges used for stage monitoring, GEO M6 line array modules used for front fill – the whole system ran digital from beginning to end, with many different formats working together – AES48, EtherSound, Dante and MADI. The show was broadcast live, using a Yamaha PM10 console for the radio mix.

The Yamaha PM10 used for broadcasting and hidden in one of Axone’s rooms.

With Alain Roy, Digital is a serious game ;0)

“Using digital mics running -50 dBFS without any hum or noise, the sound was crystal and pure,” says Poitrenaud. “It’s pleasing to see NEXO’s ideas on network integration and modularity play an important role in Alain’s global solution.”

More information on Espace Concept website and on Nexo website

Powersoft announces the appointment of Giacomo Previ as sales manager – OEM Solutions in January this year. With 25 years of experience and knowledge, he’s perfectly poised to join Powersoft’s growing team and build on the company’s success story in sound amplification.
Giacomo joins Powersoft from Italian speaker manufacturer Eighteen Sound, where he was in post for almost 15 years, and was already very familiar with Powersoft’s patented IPAL technology following the transducer specialist’s adoption of Powersoft’s amplifier hardware module, IpalMod.

In his most recent role as sales director for Eighteen Sound, he oversaw all sales activities with a particular focus on B2B customers, whilst also developing the yearly sales budget and mid to long term business plan. He also undertook business development activities and produced the innovation roadmap during his four-year tenure.
Prior to that position he was sales and marketing manager for the company for over a decade, a role in which he focused on OEM customers worldwide. Earlier in his career, Giacomo held a marketing-focused post at Loud Technologies in Amsterdam where, as European marketing communication manager he drove the MarComms activities for its brands, supporting branches and independent distributors.

Giacomo Previ

As sales manager – OEM Solutions for Powersoft, Giacomo is tasked with managing OEM sales around the world, exploring strategic business development opportunities and developing the roadmap of technologies and innovations for future market needs. Responsible for the P&L of the OEM Solutions Division, he will also manage the sales support team of six people, and work closely with customer care and marketing to guarantee service levels and exposure in the market – as well as directly managing some key accounts to support the regional sales managers.
Having introduced a number of firsts over the last two decades that have since become industry standards, Powersoft’s technical advances are made available to loudspeaker manufacturers who are looking for the latest in sound technologies. This new role has been developed to support Powersoft’s OEM Solutions Division. As market leader in the sector, the company is placing renewed focus on its OEM business, defining new strategies to further support existing partners and grow by attracting new ones.

Offering support to OEM partners right from the design phase to help maximise performance and reliability, Powersoft understands the importance of sharing its experience to enable seamless integration and the best possible end product. In addition, it offers OEM partners complete EMI/safety certifications, CB reports and all the documentation needed to speed up the process and reduce overall costs which can impact competitiveness and ability to seize new opportunities. With a growing worldwide network of Authorized Service Centres, Powersoft also commits to being a reliable partner, offering fast and effective after sales service.

Commenting on his excitement at joining Powersoft, Giacomo said: “It’s a great honour for me to join the Powersoft family and I can’t wait to introduce OEM customers to the most innovative products available on the market. Powersoft simply offers the best amplifier solutions to the pro-audio industry thanks to its unique mix of technological vision, product quality, long term reliability, high performance and unrivalled manufacturing capability, and I have no doubt that the exciting new product roadmap will further reinforce its position.

Luca Giorgi

My years of experience have given me a deep understanding of the OEM customer business and I am committed to building relationships with partners old and new based on mutual trust and strong cooperation, taking Powersoft’s successful operations to the next level.”

Adds Luca Giorgi, sales and business development director at Powersoft, who oversees the OEM Solutions Division to which Giacomo has been hired: “Giacomo is a fantastic addition to our team and I’m delighted to welcome him on board. His professional background combined with his strength of character makes him the perfect fit for the team as we take on the challenges ahead in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”

Or visit Powersoft website

Dutch astronaut André Kuipers presented his SpaceXperience Live show as the central element of a larger conference / expo style event at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome, an immersive intergalactic journey staged in-the-round, with Kuipers relating his many stories and real life experiences working in space on various ESA programmes.
Lighting designer Henk-Jan van Beek from Dutch creative visual practice Light-H-Art was asked to light the show by production company LiveLane. He’s worked on many shows in the Ziggo Dome throughout his career, but this was the first time a concept like this was central to the 90 minute presentation!
Enrapt audiences were also treated to a simulated rocket blast off right in the middle of the venue, a jaw dropping piece of theatre for which Henk-Jan specified 40 BMFL WashBeam and 16 Cyclones to assist in creating all the drama and excitement of a real simulated rocket launch and a space voyage. The BMFL WashBeams were the primary light sources for the whole presentation, with eight used as follow spots, while the Cyclones were instrumental to recreating an authentic blast off for the rocket!

From the first day he became embroiled in the project, Henk-Jan sat down with Andre and production who already had some really clear ideas about how he wanted the lighting to look. The launch had to look super-spectacular, and at various times they needed lighting to represent elements like fire, water and earth as Andre was referring to these in his narrative. Lighting also had to assist recreating a sense of weightlessness and floating in space being surrounded by stars.
“The lighting was absolutely fundamental to making the concept work and it had to be precise and detailed,” explained Henk-Jan. After a brainstorming session … he hit on using Cyclones for the blast off. He was aware of the fixtures and the effects they could produce, although this was the first time he’d incorporated them into a show.

Robe’s Cyclone, invented by LD Scott Warner, is a high-powered LED wash light with inbuilt DMX-controlled fan and integrating lighting via a ring of individually controllable 24 RGBW multichip LEDs. Henk-Jan combined these with some Cosmopix double rotating sphere fixtures and serious amounts of haze and atmosphere … all of which combined with some awesome sound effects to create the perfect thrust! Eight of the Cyclones were embedded in the ring of LED video screens, which dropped down to the stage level as the rocket prepared to launch, and the other eight were positioned on the stage floor.

The BMFL WashBeams were rigged on a series of half-circle trusses flown above the set and stage, with the most central 16 lighting around the LED screens and helping to form the sides of the ‘rocket’ (as the screens were flown down to the stage level). They also added to the ignition sequence lighting as the ‘engines’ fired up.
Another 16 luminaires were on straight trusses above the first rows of audience, and on the ends of each truss were two BMFL WashBeams used in follow spot mode to pick up the singers and dancers when they came onstage. These eight BMFL ‘followspots’ were operated by two crew utilizing a remote floor based control system with access to the pan / tilt functionality, while all the other parameters were controlled via Henk-Jan’s grandMA2 lighting console.

He chose BMFL Wash Beams for the event because they had everything needed – huge power, good gobos and animation wheels which were ideal for creating the range of kinetic effects like fire and water. The shutters were also useful. “It was simply a perfect fixture for this project which was relatively simple to light on one hand but required absolute precision and the correct tools” he stated.

He worked with Light-H-Art programmer Joost Wijgers on the show, and both really enjoyed delivering the lighting. The show ran three times on one day, and reached out to over 30,000 enthralled space cadets. Light-H-Art is a prolific creative design and programming company based in Ermelo, the Netherlands, known for imagination and flair, which was founded by Henk-Jan in 2006. There is now a team of 12 talented individuals working alongside Henk-Jan on a wide variety of interesting shows, events and projects embracing multiple sectors all over the world.

More on the Robe website

Scorpions, the multi-platinum German heavy metal band, has wrapped the first North American leg of the Crazy World Tour 2017 with Megadeth. A large complement of Claypaky fixtures hit the road with the legendary rockers. The North American leg’s September and October dates included a performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the first time the band played the iconic venue since 1984.

Lighting and Show Director Manfred Nikitser, of Manfred Nikitser Show Lighting, designed a “classical rock show” with “big, strong looks” guaranteed to please audiences who expected “a good rock show.” He created a “clean overall look with big LED screens, thrust and ego risers plus a massive angled stage set.
My intention was to meld lighting and video, so LED screens were a lighting element that actually immersed the stage with saturated color” for some songs. “Live camera integration was a big part,” too but clean camera feeds were always manipulated in some way to give a cohesive look to the on-stage VFX.

Nikitser was also challenged to create a show that could be easily adapted to different continents and countries with varying venue sizes and technical standards. “The show design has to use elements we can get in every country,” he says. The band carries the stage set, angled LED screens and drum riser while rigging, motors, truss and lighting are obtained locally.

Nikitser selected Claypaky Scenius Spots, A.leda B-EYE K20s and Sharpy Washes for the tour. He specified 58 Scenius Spots as his main effects lighting fixtures. “I was very excited coming to the rehearsals and firing up all fixtures for the first time and seeing the overall impression of the rig with the LED screens,” Nikitser recalls. “I have a pretty good feel for how things look and can tell within seconds if a fixture delivers or if it is a compromise. When I saw how everything worked together I was really satisfied. The strong saturated colors of the Scenius, the brightness with even the widest zoom, and the speed of the effects was very impressive.”

Nikitser used 36 B-EYE K20s on the side ladders that finished off the giant LED screens. “After trying different fixtures types, LED washes did the best job. They are also great even if there is little smoke. With smoke you have the classy, soft side wash looks, but you can also have strong, sharp narrow focuses.”
He calls the K20s “kind of an industry standard when it comes to LED washes: The brightness is good, the zoom is good and the light quality is awesome. I like the fact that the LEDs are color calibrated, and I can run them in a regular CMY wash mode. That is an important feature to me since I don’t want to look after an extra white channel.”

Seven Sharpy Washes rounded out the Claypaky fixtures. They were positioned under the scissor-lift drum riser, which came into play for the drum solo. “The lift went up, it had a row of LED panels installed and behind them the Sharpy Washes were hiding,” Nikitser explains. “Their main purpose was effects lighting for the drum solo, to dramatize the flying out process.
Although we tried different fixtures here, nothing was comparable to the Sharpy Wash when it came to size and brightness, effects and moving speed, and also power and weight. We couldn’t use a big fixture because the weight adds up and the lift has to push too much. There also was limited space and the drum set had to hide behind the LED riser masking. “The output and punch of the beam was just incredible,” he adds. “There was no other fixture in my eyes that fulfilled these requirements.”

More information on Claypaky website

Mike Belitz, President and CEO of Ultimate Support Systems, has acquired Radial Engineering Ltd.

Established in 1991, Radial Engineering Ltd. was originally developed as a range of cable products by outgoing President and CEO, Peter Janis. The release of their first direct box in 1996, the Radial JDI, was just the beginning in a long line of innovations that saw Radial become the leading name in premium direct boxes and audio solutions.
In the intervening years, the Radial brand family and distribution network has grown to include a diverse catalog of brands, including: Primacoustic, Tonebone, Reamp, Hafler, Dynaco, Iso-Max and Jensen Transformers Inc.

Ultimate Support and Radial Engineering Ltd. will enjoy shared strategic and logistical advantages under leadership of Mike Belitz; with the end result of wider availability to retailers, distributors, and end-users all over the world. Since its inception in 1977, Ultimate Support has become the premium accessory choice of pros, dealers, and end users alike. Ultimate Support is defined by innovative designs and strong products; accompanied by superior customer support. Ultimate Support strives to meet the needs of working creative professionals across multiple disciplines and industries.

“I have always been passionate about premium accessories in the music industry. Instruments come in and out of fashion, but musicians and audio professionals will always need well designed, high quality solutions. Ownership of Ultimate Support Systems and Radial Engineering Ltd. will offer incredible possibilities for the future.” – Mike Belitz, President and CEO of Ultimate Support Systems and Radial Engineering Ltd.

For more information visit Radial website and Ultimate Supports website

The CRMSC-SRHV reference surround is a 2-way passive-filtered full range loudspeaker, designed to meet all requirements of current and future immersive surround sound formats for studios, screening rooms and high-end residential cinemas.
Featuring the patented Alcons pro-ribbon driver technology, the CRMSC-SRHV surround combines an exceptional clarity and intelligibility with an unusually high dynamic range, offering the most realistic sound reproduction possible.

The CRMSC-SRHV system consists of one RBN202 pro-ribbon driver for HF and a vented 6.5″ mid-bass for LF reproduction. The CRMSC-SRHV HF section has a 500 W peak power input, enabling a 1:16 dynamic range with up to 90% less distortion from 1 kHz to beyond 20 kHz.
The patented (90°) horizontal and patent-pending (60°) vertical dispersion offers a wide and consistent coverage to a larger number of seats in the auditorium. Due to the “compression-less” principle of the pro-ribbon transducer, the system has a linear response at any SPL.

The CRMSC-SRHV is designed as matching (height layer) surround system for the CRMSC system. By utilizing identical MHF components, a perfect voicing matching between screen- and surround system is realized, resulting in an exceptionally wide and uniform sound stage throughout the entire listening area. The revolvable RBN waveguide and trapezoidal enclosure together with the optional grill and ACO™ color option, provides for easy, low profile wall or ceiling mounting.

For full system performance, the CRMSC-SRHV needs to be driven by an ALC controller-amplifier, delivering maximum sound quality with increased headroom and utmost operation reliability. The Signal Integrity Sensing™ pre-wiring ensures complete cable/connector compensation between the CRMSC-SRHOR and ALC, significantly increasing response accuracy, regardless of cable length and system impedance, with tight and accurate mid and bass response as result.
Typical applications include (height layer) surround sound system for premium Home Cinemas, high-end mix/screening rooms, quality-conscious post-production facilities and dubbing stages. As a result of Alcons’ tight manufacturing standards, all system cabinets are within “matched pair” tolerance.

Phil “Dr. Phil” De Haan, head of Alcons R&D, explains: “the CRMSC-SRHV is the first speaker that incorporates our patent-pending vertical-control waveguide technology. The initial beta-testing proved the validity of the concept, with many praises from listeners on the quality of the immersive details and coverage.
Until now, the undisputed quality of the pro-ribbons was sometimes limited in application by the natural behaviour in the vertical / non-coupling plane; Some try to overcome this by using multiple drivers, but with severe compromises in imaging due to comb-filtering. We’ve taken a different development approach, which results in increased coverage, while still maintaining the purity of a single driver source. Needless to say, more point-source systems will be launched with this technology.”

The official introduction will take place at the coming ISE show in Amsterdam, as part of the Alcons Pro-Ribbon Immersive Experience (booth 6H150).

• Technical characteristics with link here
• And more information on CRMS Series and on Alcons Audio

Kevin Loretto, popular New York based lighting and technical sales specialist died on January 23rd in New York, surrounded by his loving family, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Celebrating his life, bubbly personality, resilience, dignity and amazing contributions to the world of entertainment and performance lighting, his friends and colleagues at Robe Lighting are all proud and privileged to have had the chance to work alongside Kevin for the last five years.
He is survived by his wife and soulmate of 29 years, Penny Loretto, three children and four grandchildren … and will be hugely missed by everyone.

Since 2013 Kevin worked as Northeast Regional Sales Manager at Robe North America, where he excelled and seized the chance to develop relationships with those at the forefront of creativity and innovation in the worlds of theatre and performing arts. Previously he was a director of sales for Creative Stage Lighting where he also built a solid network of long-term industry relationships and connections. They also happened to be a Robe customer.

Harry von den Stemmen was CEO of Robe North America at the time and recruited Kevin as the first addition to what was then a very small team. Kevin saw potential and was keen to work for the Czech brand and help put them on the map, and Harry immediately recognized talents and a skill set that would make some serious waves.

“Kevin played an instrumental role in the incredible US sales team which has helped build and establish Robe as a leading player in North America” said Robe CEO Josef Valchar.
“But above all, throughout his time with us, he’s been valued as a fantastic friend and Robe Family member as well as a great employee.”

Harry stated, “We all loved his tenacity, his gritty New York spirit, his intelligence and his eloquence – he was always up for a discussion and a debate … and could always posture from both sides of an argument!”
Bob Schacherl, CEO of Robe North America commented, “I have known Kevin since 2013 and enjoyed first-hand the pleasure of seeing his honesty, dedication and impressive energy in action. His non-judgmental and inclusive outlook on life was a breath of fresh air, together with his ability to balance the life-work equation of family and career so brilliantly.”
Lorienn Cochenour, Robe North America’s COO / CFO stated, “Kevin has left his mark indelibly – from his great commitment and the color and fun he brought to all those around him to his intense work ethic – and the inspirational and positive way in which he dealt with and fought illness right to the end.”

Kevin was passionate about advancing technical education opportunities and training in the arts, and Robe will be administering The Kevin Loretto Education Fund in his memory through USITT. This will support students studying lighting and other technical disciples.
Those wishing to donate to the Fund can do so here

• For more info about USITT’s educational activities, please check Usitt.org
• For those wish, a special remembrance can be made to the family by visiting S&B Funeralhome

D.A.S. Audio has expanded the successful Event series of line arrays and bass systems with two new powered models, the Event-212A line array and the Event-121A subwoofer. The new products are aimed at providing Event Series users with the tools needed to handle an even a wider range of applications.
The D.A.S. Event-212A is a powered, 3-way line array which employs two D.A.S. 12-inch loudspeakers in a dual band configuration where each speaker operates in a specific frequency range. The D.A.S. loudspeaker units have been teamed up with a single M-75 compression driver and purpose-designed injected aluminum high frequency waveguide to provide unmatched performance, sensitivity and coverage in both the 90º and 120º formats offered.

The Event 212A

The Event-212A line array incorporates the DAScontrol™ interface that offers a quick and hassle-free set-up of the systems in arrays and easy alignment with the Event-218A and Event-121A subwoofer systems. Presets for the number of units of the array, HF compensation for throw distances, and correction for the splay angle of the array can be selected by way of DAScontrol™ and the LCD screen located on the back of the cabinet.

The 3″ driver M75

The powerful digital signal processing of the Event-212A includes Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters providing linear phase response and precise impulse response which, in terms of performance, results in added clarity, defined attack in percussion and overall, a more natural sound.

Along with the new line array, D.A.S. launches the Event-121A, a direct radiating rear-loaded powered subwoofer system which incorporates a single 21-inch neodymium loudspeaker to provide “earth-moving” low-frequency reproduction for the Event Series line arrays. The combination of direct radiation and rear-loading provides a high output, tight and accurate sub-bass response.

The front loaded Event-121A sporting a 21″ visible on the top of the cabinet

The Event-121A employs the new D.A.S. 21LFN loudspeaker which offers impressive features such as a 4-inch sandwich split winding voice coil, a powerful FEA optimized neodymium magnet assembly and a FEA optimized suspension system with double silicon spider.
The result is a loudspeaker with exceptional sensitivity, high power handling capacity and a quality suspension design capable of withstanding the stress and mechanical fatigue of today´s high-power pro audio systems. An aluminum demodulating ring benefits lower distortion and effective forced ventilation of the voice coil gap provides for a high thermal rating, and reduced power compression.

The Event-121A electronics package includes a 3200 Wpeak Class D amplifier and 24-bit high-end DSP for top quality audio reproduction. On the rear panel, controls can be found for gain, polarity and a continually variable low-pass filter that ranges from 63 Hz to 100 Hz.
A unique “cardioid preset” button simplifies the use of subs in cardioid configurations, making setup of two to three units a snap without the need for an external DSP. The Event-121A is phase response coherent with the Event-208A, Event-210A and Event-212A active tops offering precise alignment. Two balanced inputs with stereo filtered outputs, which can be switched to pass-through connections, are provided.

The rear of the cabinet and the weather protections.

As with all D.A.S. professional systems, the enclosures are manufactured using birch plywood and finished with the protective D.A.S. ISO-flex coating, which makes the cabinet extremely roadworthy. The robust rigging hardware of the Event-212A has been designed to provide rapid deployment, precise aiming and durability for years of demanding use.

The Event-121A has reinforced handles located on either side as well as on the top of the enclosure. Two wheels located on the lower rear of the cabinet make moving the unit easier. Optional accessories include rigging bumpers, steel bases for securing the Event-212A line arrays to the Event-121A or Event-218A subwoofers in stacked applications as well as transport dollies and protective covers

More information on DAS Audio website

The second edition of the Fun Radio Ibiza Experience, organised in association with Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, took place on 2017 at the Accor Hotels Arena in Paris. Around 17,000 people gathered at this huge EDM event which transformed the venue into a massive dance floor to the sounds of top DJs Robin Schultz, Nervo, Sam Feldt, W&W and headliners, Afrojack and Hardwell.
“The Paris show is a little taste of resistance,” says show director, and founder of High Scream, Romain Pissenem. “To stand up and dance and have fun is the only response we can show to the threats to which our city has been subjected.”

Romain Pissenem bring the spirit of Ibiza and the unique Ushuaïa vibe to Paris with over 200 Ayrton lighting fixtures, including over 100 MagicBlade-FX, 50 MagicPanel-FX and 50 MagicDot-XT. The fixtures were supplied by Ayrton as part of a collaboration between the Parisian manufacturer and these masters of spectacular party nights to bring one hell of a party to Paris.

Ayrton MagicBlade FX

“The Paris event is important because it is a big show and everyone’s expectations are high,” says Pissenem, “plus it is my home town and I want to give it something special. At Ushuaïa we have seven different shows – a separate one for each DJ – with a new show every day of the week; and every year we create seven new productions which get bigger and better each year. In Paris, we have just one chance, once a year, to give people the best party possible. So when people walked into that massive arena this year, even those who came to the first Paris edition in 2016, I still wanted to blow their minds with a huge new show.”

This year’s design incorporated an enormous stage, a linear arrangement of newly introduced LED screens and a long line of lighting fixtures framing a representation of the curved stage at Ushuaïa. “We can’t replicate all the productions from Ibiza,” says Pissenem, “but we can bring the same energy, the same attraction of an international DJ line up, and the same crazy effects show, condensed into one mad, dance-filled party night.” A night that culminated in twelve aerial acrobats descending on bungee cords from the roof to perform a spectacular show 30m above the heads of the audience as the final denouement and consolidation of Ushuaïa’s signature ‘Wow’ effect.

With only one day of fit up, and little time to run any rigging from the roof, Pissenem decided his Parisian Ibiza stage should be based on a frontal design which would fill the enormous space and throw all its light forwards into the crowd. “The idea was to give the impression of throwing all the energy from the stage out front – like an extension of the music – as strongly as possible in the face of the crowd. I decided to create a massive wall of light, into which we integrated the curve of the Ushuaïa stage, all of which was formed out of a big and powerful lighting structure.”

Ayrton MagicDot-XT

Pissenem delineated the top of the stage with a long line of alternating MagicPanel-FX and MagicDot-XT fixtures, and added more down the sides, interspersed between the strips of LED screen, to create the massive wall of light. Inside of this he placed fifteen angled trusses to replicate the arch of the Ushuaïa stage, each of which was alternately loaded with four MagicBlade-FX and a MagicPanel-FX unit. Six truss towers located far upstage each carried half a dozen more MagicBlade-FX, while a long, stage-wide row of MagicDot-XT was located in front of the DJ booth.

“Our challenge was to make each of the six DJ’s sets different from each other and special to themselves, all in the space of one evening. I therefore chose to hide the truss a little and to conceal the fixtures until I was ready to use them. We then added a different product/feature to each DJ set and gradually built them up over the six acts until, by the time the headliners, Afrojack and Hardwell, were playing, the whole rig was in full use and the crowd were going wild.

le nouveau MagicPanel™-FX avec ses optiques à fenêtres carrées.

“The MagicPanel-FX were really good for this as they are unobtrusive in appearance but have the versatility to do so much within each fixture. I could conceal them until the moment I needed them and play with their appearance so they never looked the same way twice. Each time I moved the MagicPanel-FX it really changed the appearance of the design, and the design itself took on a different appearance with a real three-dimensional depth when viewed from different angles across the arena.”

Pissenem used the MagicPanel-FX to create incredible aerial effects including broad beams of coloured light with slow, sweeping movements as well as fast and furious activity, and utilized the graphic patterns, shape and orientation of the MagicPanel-FX and MagicBlade-FX to add more visual interest and eye-candy, which reached out into the audience and drew them into the party. The MagicDot-XT was utilized to full effect in undulating waves in front of the DJ booth.
“I needed something really powerful to deliver that overwhelming ‘wow’ factor and hold its own amongst the LED screens,” he says. “The Ayrton fixtures were amazing in this process as they were strong, powerful, versatile fixtures that allowed us to form the arch shape and to create so much more light. Not only are they extremely powerful, but the way they move, and the way you can use them as decoration is really, really helpful.

“We kept the same Ushuaïa recipe for Paris, but created a different show with same ingredients. The most essential of those ingredients was using the same team: Bertrand de Saint Pern, my technical director who is brilliant and the one who makes everything happen; production manager, Caroline Harrington; Ian Woodall, technical manager and, Leon Van Empel from S Group which has been our rental supplier at Ushuaïa for the last six years and who, as ever, came with everything I asked him to bring…it’s good to be surrounded by these crazy people!

“And for this reason the partnership with Ayrton was also essential: Yvan Péard is as passionate about what he does as I am, and I really love working with him for that reason. What is important for me is to keep the human touch. Yvan is passionate, creative and a genius, so I am very happy to shake his hand and find a way to create something big together. If you put two chefs in a kitchen there is bound to be an explosion of creativity. Paris is a personal passion project for us both and it has to be fun. You dedicate all your life to this work so it has to be with people you like and respect, both in your own team and the people you work with.

“I love the Ayrton brand and have been used to working with them for years. When I want to create new effects or ideas with the light, I know Ayrton works in a way that will produce something amazing.”
More information on all Ayrton’s LED lighting products can be found at Ayrton

Audinate today introduced Dante AVIO™, a family of cost-effective endpoint adapters that enable audio professionals to easily connect legacy analog and digital audio equipment to Dante networks. Starting with an MSRP of only $129 USD, the Dante AVIO series features six new adapters including line-in and line-out analog adapters, a bi-directional AES3/EBU adapter and a bi-directional stereo USB adapter.

Each Dante AVIO adapter acts as a completely independent Dante network device, allowing legacy gear to enjoy the benefits of networked audio. These devices can now seamlessly transmit high quality, uncompressed audio streams over long distances without the noise and ground issues common to analog connections. Being part of a Dante system also allows for nearly unlimited scalability while providing incredibly low latency and easy configuration. Dante AVIO adapters enable audio professionals to extend the value of their non-networked equipment, making it interoperable with any of the more than 1250 Dante-enabled products on the market.

AVIO 2CH AES3

AVIO 2CH Analog-In

“Audio networking has been growing rapidly, but we recognize there are still millions of legacy endpoint devices that could benefit from the flexibility and scalability Dante delivers,”stated Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate. “Our new line of Dante AVIO adapters enable live sound engineers, systems integrators and even home recording enthusiasts to easily integrate their audio equipment into a Dante network.”
The Dante AVIO Analog adapters are available as dedicated inputs or outputs with one or two channels of audio. Analog input adapters allow mixers, mic preamps, stage DIs and more to connect to a Dante audio network, while analog output adapters are perfect for driving amplifiers, powered speakers or recorders. Long runs of noisy analog cable can be eliminated and all signal routes are managed via Dante Controller software.

AVIO 2CH USB

The Dante AVIO USB* adapter connects any computer to a Dante audio network without additional software, providing class-compliant stereo input and output that can be used by any audio application.
Ideal for presentations and conference rooms, the Dante AVIO USB adapter may be passed between computers without altering networked audio connections.
* Class Audio 1 at 48 kHz only (no driver needed)

The Dante AVIO AES3 adapter provides stereo input and output, preserving investments in AES3-connected DSPs, mixers, compressors, preamps and more. Any AES3 device may be fully connected to any Dante network with no degradation of signal due to extraneous D/A and A/D conversion.

Audinate will showcase its new line of Dante AVIO adapters at the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show in Anaheim, CA January 25-28th. Dante AVIO adapters will be available through retailers and system integrators in Q2 2018.

More information on Audinate website