S Group has expanded its SSL stock with the purchase of two Live L200 consoles, the new mid-scale digital live mixer that combines the outstanding sonic performance, accelerated workflow, and advanced feature set of SSL Live into a cost-effective package that makes it accessible to a much wider audience.
S Group is a touring and events rental and systems integration specialist based in Alès, in the South of France. It was founded by CEO Leon Van Empel in 2001 and has since gone from strength to strength, building up an impressive portfolio of tours and festivals, and supplying everything from core sound and light systems to screens, rigging, and staging systems and support.

The SSL L200, 144 mix paths (full processing – 96 kHz) / 48 fx, fully compatible with L300 / L500, features the same SuperAnalog pre-amps (direct coupling) and the Tempest 64-bit floating-point audio engine. It integrates 2 Dante cards (2 networks).

The company took the audio lead back in 2013 when it invested in two SSL Live L500 consoles, initially for front of house and monitors duties on French R&B artist Amel Bent’s tour. Since then, the L500s have been popular choices, being used on prestigious events such as the epic Les Prodiges and Musiques en Fête.
Most recently, it has taken the lead again by adding a pair of L200s to its inventory, with the first outing going to Ivan Herceg, Front of House Engineer for the successful French-Israeli singer and songwriter, Amir.

“It became obvious that just having the two L500 consoles was too limiting,” says Van Empel.
“We wanted to keep that high-end solution for our most demanding customers, but were also under constant budget pressure from many others. When SSL came to me with the L200 concept, i was instantly convinced this was the perfect solution: an SSL console, with the reliability, the pedigree, and the sonic signature we already trust, fully compatible with the others in the range, with Dante integration, and at a price that makes it much more affordable for the many mid-range tours that were already asking for SSL.
“We quickly made the decision to order two L200s, and Ivan Herceg was immediately very enthusiastic about using an L200 at FOH for Amir. It’s quite a demanding show for sonic performance, and Ivan had previously used an SSL L300 on Lilly Wood and the Prick’s tour, so already he knew what might be possible.”

Herceg had already taken an L300 on an 18-month tour, so for him the move to the L200 was a natural one. “Having an in-built Dante port, and having 36 faders aligned for FOH is just great,” he notes. “…Especially when using Super Query to develop sub-mixes or feeds to a mix.” SSL Live consoles can now manage the routing across an entire Dante Network.

Ivan Herceg behind “his” SSL L200 FOH desk with additional screens.

“The new version 4 software brings many improvements to the whole range,” he continues. “For me, particular highlights are the XY routing and the new Submonix plug-in for the internal FX Rack.” Submonix generates up to four independently filtered bands, each transposed to one octave below the original signal and mixed back in to underline and enhance elements like kick drum and bass instruments.

“The L200 matches the L300 and L500 for sonic quality,” states Herceg. “There’s an amazing depth of definition, and headroom as excellent as any analogue benchmark. The feeling is fantastic, and the FOH mix sounds absolutely great on any system – even small ones.”
S Group’s new SSL consoles already made their mark for the company. Van Empel: “We were very proud to be the first SSL Live adopters in France in 2013, and once again to be the first adopters for the SSL L200 in 2017.”

More information on the Solid State Logic website and on the S Group website

The Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts, located at the Olympic Sports Center in Jiangsu Najing, is the largest modern theatre in China second in size only to the National Grand Theater located in Beijing. It was designated as a world-class exhibition of works of art, the international exchange of arts activities platform and a public education platform for the promotion of arts.
Its Opera Hall is equipped with 2 x grandMA2 full-size, 2 x grandMA2 light and 2 x grandMA2 fader wing whereas its concert hall relies on 2 x grandMA2 ultra-light and 2 x MA 2Port Node as well as 2 x MA DMX Booster.

Xu Zhi Yong, project manager for ACE – Advanced Communication Equipment Co Ltd., MA Lighting’s exclusive distributor in China, commented: “The choice for MA was an easy one. Not only is it a well-known brand in China, it has a great reputation to be extremely stable and reliable.
For this project we had to meet the different requirements of the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts. They need to be really flexible to host performances of operas, ballets, dramas, symphony concerts, folk arts and large variety shows. The grandMA2 is simply the best solution thanks to its flexibility and networking possibilities.”

MA Lighting centre Arts Scene Jiangsu

Zhejiang Dafeng Industry Co., Ltd delivered the lighting equipment for the Opera Hall, Beijing North ACE Digital Technology Co., Ltd. the lighting equipment for the Concert Hall.

Further information on MA Lighting website

Lighting Designer Sooner Routhier selects VDO Sceptron 10 LED video fixtures to create an innovative lighting design that blends video projection with a futuristic and highly customized outline. In just a few short years, The Weeknd has become one of the most dominating artists in pop music, winning multiple GRAMMY Awards, topping the Billboard charts and earning millions of fans worldwide. Recently, Lighting Designer.
Sooner Routhier was hired to design the stage lighting for The Weeknd’s 2017 “Starboy: Legend of the Fall” world tour. The performance features numerous projectors that display video content on custom surfaces, including a large spaceship shaped structure suspended above the stage.

Photo : ©Steve Jennings

Routhier wanted to add LED fixtures to the set that would enhance the visual experience, without competing with the projected video content. In order to achieve this goal, Routhier deployed more than 650 Martin VDO Sceptron 10 LED video fixtures to create a unique blend of lighting effects, video projection and vibrant imagery. “Rather than put a flashy light show over the top of everything, our goal was to work with the video design and ensure that any lighting we added to the set didn’t take away from the projection,” said Routhier. “When we attempted to match every single note to lighting, it got messy and the overall vision wasn’t adhered to properly. By outlining the set with the VDO Sceptrons, we were able to create a “Tron like” edge to the video content. It provided more depth to the structure as a whole.”

Photo : ©Steve Jennings

The Sceptrons are controlled by Martin P3 System Controllers, which receive content from the same video server as the projectors. The Sceptrons alternate between neon lighting effects and video content, which creates a dynamic visual presentation that changes with the music.
During the initial design phase, Routhier knew she wanted to line the set with thin LED video fixtures that were available in different lengths, since the projection surfaces varied in size. Routhier has worked with Sceptron fixtures on numerous other tours, and she knew their robust build quality, versatility and flexible sizing options would be perfect for the “Starboy” tour.

More informations on the Martin website

WIcreations has supplied staging, elevators and extensive automation elements to the highly acclaimed Take That ‘Wonderland’ tour which kicked off at the Genting Arena, Birmingham, UK.
The lively, colourful carnivalesque aesthetic is the vision of the band’s creative director Kim Gavin and the result of some serious creative and technical talents who have collaborated to bring action packed drama to a strong, highly entertaining performance by the band.

The WI team was led by Hans Willems and Koen Peeters and the company was asked on-board by production manager Chris Vaughan. They worked closely with production designer Ray Winkler for Stufish, scenic designer Misty Buckley, lighting designer Tim Routledge and video designer Alex Leinster to specify and construct the numerous custom elements. To deal with the complex and rigorous health and safety aspects of the project WI brought in Cristiano Giavedoni of Blumano as the dedicated safety manager.

Photo : ©Kris Goodman – The Flying Lampie

WI designed and built the 20 metre diameter circular stage for the in-the-round show from scratch. It is the first time the band has embraced this particular performance concept, which allows them to get close to their fans … and is wowing the crowds.
It is also the first time that WI has developed this specific circular staging system. As with all their constructions, it is designed for touring – to be built and de-rigged quickly and straightforwardly, and travelled expediently in a series of dollies which pack logically into the truck.

The understage space is optimised to provide quick-change facilities as well as technical areas. In the middle of the stage is a large – 9.5 x 6 metres – stage elevator which is used in various positions during a number of songs and lifts to 4.1 metres above stage level (itself 1.9 metres off the ground)… to the delight of the audience. At its busiest, the elevator accommodates the three members of Take That – Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen – plus 12 dancers.

Photo : ©Kris Goodman – The Flying Lampie

It has a lifting capacity of 10 tonnes and is based on four of WI’s TP6 lifts which were developed for large spectaculars. It forms part of a TT logo shape within the stage when in the down position, and also contains an LED floor. It is dubbed the ‘TT’ elevator by production. The framework and mechanics were initially built at WI’s facility in Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium and the ‘donut’ shaped LED floor fitted around the perimeter during a later stage of the development process.
The elevator movement is controlled from FOH by an operator using a Vector control system. As it emerges from the stage, there are 10 passive roll-drop projection screens on the sides. UDP protocol generated by the Vector controller sends the positional data of the elevator to the d3 media server dealing with the playback video, so the projected video image is synched and scaled on the sides of the elevator to match its movement.

Photo : ©Kris Goodman – The Flying Lampie

Inside the TT elevator (when up) is a secondary suspended platform on four motion control hoists. A hatch opens up in the decking and the band walk down to take up positions on this for one song which is sung ‘in the underbelly’ of the TT-elevator.
In the main circular stage there are four other WI ‘band lifts’ – in each of the stage quadrants – for musicians, and each of these rises up to stage level, complete with a pantograph access staircase below stage level which is utilized by the backline technicians to service and communicate with their relevant musicians.
These band lifts are all controlled by locally stationed operators standing under the stage near to the lifts … because it is essential that they have a real visual view of what is going on before any of the machines are activated.

Photo : ©Kris Goodman – The Flying Lampie

Up above the centre of the stage is a TT shaped mother grid designed as a technical area, and this provides positions for three technicians to work during the show who are co-ordinating elements of automation, sound and lighting. This mother grid is also housing four WI flying winches that suspend a 4.5 x 2.25 metre rippling flying carpet – a custom item made by WI – near the top of the show. Sitting on this is a sitar player who alights onto the stage during the show’s opening scene.
A rectangular shaped water curtain is also rigged to the mother grid, together with an array of audio and lighting racks, dimmers, amplifiers and power distribution units. 14 x roll drop screens are attached to the mother grid, surrounding the TT-logo shape. Further offstage is a 17 metre diameter circular WI tracking system that allows the continuous tracking of several props and acrobatic accessories used by aerial performers as they are tracked around the edge of the stage.

Photo : ©Kris Goodman – The Flying Lampie

The train of 8 slave trolleys is moved by two zero speed tracking trolleys. Each of the 10 trolleys carries a zero-speed 250kg capacity BGV-C1 motion hoist that is used for the vertical motion of the stage props during “It’s All For You.” In another song, the same hoists are used to suspend 10 bungies complete with performers.
Another 16 roll drop screens are suspended around the perimeters of the stage which fly in and out independently and can form a complete crown masking the stage. The TT elevator, roll-drop screens and the flying carpet are all controlled by the Vector console at FOH operated by Ross Maynard, who has over 160 cues in the show. A WI team of five is looking after all the automation and staging on the road, crew chiefed by Brecht Moreels.

Photo : ©Kris Goodman – The Flying Lampie

Koen and Hans originally started work on the project in December last year, “It’s an extremely complex and ambitious show that has evolved over that time and in the process entailed a real collaboration between all the departments and disciplines. The teamwork has been incredible, everyone has been a pleasure to work with and it’s also been one of the most rewarding tours we have worked on to date,” says Koen. Hans adds, “We are very proud to be working with Chris, Kim and such a highly regarded team and to be a part of delivering such an amazing show which is being so well received”. The results of everyone’s endeavours can be enjoyed in the UK until the middle of June.

For more product and general info, check WI Creations website

ARRI is pleased to announce that Christian Léonard joined ARRI Lighting as Senior Director Business Development on April 1, 2017.
Christian Léonard will be supporting ARRI’s EMEA activities in the broadcast and theatrical lighting market with a special focus on France.
For this important role within the ARRI Business Unit Lighting, Mr. Léonard brings expertise and a network garnered over decades of experience in the professional lighting industry.

Markus Zeiler, General Manager Business Unit Lighting, says: “With his profound knowledge, Christian will help us gain more momentum in the broadcast and theatre world in which our LED products have already been successfully implemented. We are happy to welcome Christian to the ARRI family.”
Sigrid Müller, General Manager Lighting System Group & EMEA Sales, also comments: “ARRI and Christian have worked on many successful, joint broadcast projects in the past and it is our honor to welcome him to our team.” She further adds: “We are not only gaining a trustworthy business partner but also a long-term good friend.” ARRI is delighted to have engaged Christian Léonard for this exciting new role and wishes him great success.

Contact Christian Léonard – Mail : [email protected] – Tel : +33 6 07 56 78 25, and visit le site Arri

The new DM0 mix rack

Allen & Heath has signalled an increased focus on installed sound by deepening the integration of its dLive digital mixing systems into multi-purpose venues. A raft of new releases, control options and expanders adds to the dLive ecosystem to create a distributed, integrated, scalable and accessible solution, handling every aspect of a venue’s audio world from simple boardroom tasks to a full scale live show.

Allen & Heath dLive Install concept

A new dLive MixRack targeted at distributed audio scenarios, the DM0, has been added to the family. DM0 is a 4U mix engine, housing Allen & Heath’s XCVI FPGA Core and providing enough processing power for 128 channels and 64 buses at 96 kHz with a latency of just <0.7 ms, in keeping with the existing dLive MixRacks. Interfacing to audio networks for access to hundreds of sources and destinations is provided by DM0’s three 128ch I/O ports, accepting cards for all major audio networking protocols, including Dante and AES67.

The IP1 wall plate remote control (TCP/IP)

Other new products include a new DX Link I/O card and DX Hub ½ rack unit, which now enable a dLive system to connect up to 48 audio IO devices, located up to 100 m apart to meet the needs of the largest venues. A new wall mount expander, the 16 in / 4 out DX164-W, joins the recently released DX168 stage box and the modular DX32 in the DX expander range. Integration with third party equipment has also been enhanced with the unveiling of a new GPIO unit, allowing dLive to control lighting, curtains and more.

Remote control options have been extended with the introduction of the programmable IP1 wall plate remote control, giving non-technical users control over functions such as music source selection, level control, or preset recall. Up to 96 IP1, IP6 and IP8 remote controllers can now be added to a dLive system via standard TCP/IP networks, in addition to console style mixing surfaces, tablet and laptop control, offering a multi-user, multi-point control architecture over wired or wireless networks.
“What we’re doing with dLive is bringing together the best aspects of audio management systems and live mixing consoles to create a 360 degree solution for today’s multi-purpose facilities.

If you look at environments like schools and colleges, houses of worship or arts centres, they need to handle everything from background music and meetings right through to large scale live performances: until now there really hasn’t been one system that can excel in all situations,” said Nic Beretta, Allen & Heath’s Head of Product Marketing. “With this extension of dLive and upcoming software features focused on installation, we’re allowing our customers to create incredibly powerful systems, and yet make these accessible for all levels of users, from the fitness instructor to the AV professional.”

Below a Video introduction:

More information on Allen & Heath website

The Eurovision Song Contest is a unique experience in the world of entertainment made all the more special by use of some of the largest lighting and video systems you’ll find on any show. Elation Professional was proud to have been part of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv with over 800 lighting products used as audience and stage lighting by Lighting Designer Jerry Appelt and Eurovision Song Contest Head of Production Ola Melzig.

Photo ©Ralph Larmann

Perhaps no other show in the world lends itself to the use of intelligent lighting like the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). With 42 different songs to highlight over the course of three huge shows – not to mention rehearsals and a host of other performances – the flexibility engineered into today’s lighting and video systems allowed the ESC design team to be highly creative when custom-designing unique looks for each performance.
Held May 9-13 at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, proportions mirrored the enormity of the production with 1816 active intelligent lights and 1000 square meters of LED screen used to decorate a performance space of roughly 350 square meters. Some 11,000 spectators attended each show with over 200 million viewers in 50 countries tuning in to watch the Grand Final on May 13.

Official Technical Event Supplier

Elation Professional served as an Official Technical Event Supplier to the 2017 show with a large portion of the intelligent lighting package made up of Elation lights. In the rig were 351 Elation Paladin™ hybrid strobe/blinder/wash lights, 132 Platinum FLX™ hybrid moving heads, 140 Platinum 1200 Wash™ and 70 Platinum Seven™ moving head LED wash lights, along with 110 SixBar 1000™ LED battens. Providing the lighting, video and rigging technology for the show was PRG in cooperation with LITECOM.

Photo ©Ralph Larmann

Production Manager Ola Melzig has handled the technical production on many ESC shows and again mastered the myriad of production elements necessary to put on a world-class show. Melzig, who produced this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in less than five months, a much shorter time period than normal, produced three spectacular broadcasts with the Grand Final marking his 30th Eurovision broadcast since starting with ESC in 2000.
Melzig, recipient of TPI’s Production Manager of the Year award, was key in the decision to go with Elation for the 2017 edition of ESC. He commented, “We were thrilled to have Elation as one of our Technical Suppliers this year on Eurovision. Their product range is a great fit for this show, and believe me we absolutely must have hard core lighting like this to stand up to the challenge! Eurovision puts a tremendous amount of stress on fixtures and they really came through.”

Paladin debuts on Eurovision stage

The Eurovision stage, designed by Florian Wieder, featured a large circular LED stage floor with a dramatic, modern arch proscenium curving over the stage that ran visual content. The slogan for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest was Celebrate Diversity and Jerry Appelt’s lighting design appropriately reflected the diversification and variety presented on stage. When Appelt was on the hunt for a strobe effect that he could place behind the huge, curved, semi-transparent LED video wall that served as the all-important visual backdrop, Melzig set up a shoot-out of fixtures in Cologne and Appelt liked what he saw in the Paladin. “I wanted to create an additional layer behind the LED wall, something that had impact but that could also work together with the LED video and other lighting. We chose the Paladin and it did a marvelous job.”

Photo ©Ralph Larmann

Making its global debut, the full-color Paladin fixtures were used in a large back wall matrix of 351 units (39 wide by 9 high) and played a prominent role in Appelt’s lighting design. Paladin, a versatile hybrid RGBW luminaire with zoom, functions as a bright blinder or strobe, powerful wash light, or, because of its multiple pixel zone control, pixel map and eye candy looks. “We used them independently and also pixel-mapped video across them,” said Appelt, who lit the Eurovision show for the third time, having designed lighting for the 2011 and 2012 events.
Paladin effects, which Appelt incorporated into a large number of songs, popped through the LED screen, sometimes as impactful strobe/blinder effects or chases and sometimes as more subtle eye-candy or warm or cold light twinkle effects, then stealthily disappeared when not in use. “Some of the delegations even asked to have the Paladins used in their performance to give it more power,” the designer added. Head of Production Ola Melzig was equally enamored with them, stating, “The Paladin kicks ass! I love the output, the color and the zoom. It’s an awesome fixture!”

Photo ©Ralph Larmann

Audience lighting

The Eurovision Song Contest proved an opportunity for the Ukraine to show the world a positive face with enthusiastic crowds filling the International Exhibition Center for all three shows, as well as rehearsals. Most of the audience lighting for the show came from Elation’s powerful Platinum 1200 Wash™ LED wash moving heads along with Platinum Seven™ LED wash moving heads. The Platinum 1200 Washes, which house (19) 65W RGBW LEDs for plenty of power, worked from three curved trusses over the audience with more fixtures lined on trusses on each side of the arena. Platinum 1200 Washes were also positioned each side of the stage and used for sidelight. The Platinum 1200 Wash produces color washes on par with 1500W discharge fixtures, a fact not lost on designer Appelt.
“What can I say about the Platinum 1200 Wash?” he said. “Its brightness is great and it has fantastic output. I was very satisfied with them.” The Platinum Sevens, reportedly the most stable fixtures in the entire ESC rig, worked from trusses further back in the room and were grouped with Elation Platinum FLX units, which were used to splay the audience in beams when more upbeat moments were called for. “I absolutely love the UV chip in the Platinum Seven,” said Ola Melzig of the high-power LED wash luminaire that uses a 7-color multi-chip LED and also houses a zoom. “Well, I love everything about that fixture, but especially the UV chip!”

Photo ©Ralph Larmann

Surrounding the Beehive

Above the stage hung a key element in the stage lighting setup, a movable ‘beehive’ surrounded by truss that included Platinum FLX hybrids, Elation’s award-winning spot/beam/wash moving head with patented dual optical system. The FLX’s provided some wonderful looks such as artists immersed in concentrations of beams or splayed beam effects with the FLX fixtures projected outward. Additional Platinum FLX fixtures worked from a sidelight position together with the Platinum 1200 Wash fixtures.
The FLX, one of the more popular hybrid fixtures on the market, was chosen by Appelt on reputation. “I knew that satis&fy had added the FLX to its inventory and has been using them since last year,” he said. “I took that as proof that it was a good fixture and they were right.” Ola Melzig adds, “We used 132 Platinum FLXs and we’re absolutely delighted with this fixture. It’s so versatile, it’s fantastic and it’s been working really, really good for us.”

Arch support

The final Elation fixture in the ESC lighting package was the SixBar 1000, one-meter long multi-purpose LED battens with a 6-color LED multi-chip. Filling the space above the stage arch and curving all the way around it on both sides to reflect its shape, the vertically-positioned SixBar pixel strips provided dynamic chase effects, wash and decorative eye-candy looks throughout the show. SixBar fixtures were also mounted vertically on the outer edge of the beehive for a defining decorative touch. “I love the SixBar 1000!” Ola Melzig stated. “It’s the perfect tool for wash or pixel effects with great color mixing and dimming that hasn’t been seen before.”

A Eurovision success

Holding such an immense, high profile show in the Ukraine isn’t an easy job but an experienced production team can make it look like it is, and the end result was a huge success. “Despite some of the challenges working in the Ukraine, the goal was to create a state-of-the-art light show and I was really quite happy with the result,” Appelt concludes. The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest was won by Portugal, their first win ever, which means the 63rd edition of the show will take place next year in Lisbon. The Contest has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in 1956 and is one of the longest-running television programs in the world.

More on the Elation website

Described as “the most advanced cinema subwoofer in the world”, with a frequency range extending from 18Hz to 120Hz and SPL peaking at 145dB, Mag Audio’s new Mag Thor has set out to redefine the cinema experience, by reproducing soundtrack low frequencies well beyond capabilities of conventional subwoofers.
It has achieved this thanks to a combination of ingenious engineering from the Mag Audio team and deployment of Powersoft’s innovative M-Force® M-Drive® amplifier. This has the capability of outputting an exceptional 5000W of nominal amplifier power and thus marks the entry of the Italian manufacturer’s ground-breaking technology into the cinema world.

The M-Force assembly. The brackets holding tight the linear motor are, unlike the metal work of the club speakers, mandatory to cope with the tremendous power involved.

When the engineering team at Mag Audio set out to design Mag Thor, they had only one goal in mind — to impress and captivate the cinema audience. “The entire history of cinema development is aimed towards that, and the sound system is no exception. The future lies in a smarter approach to whole system design — such as modern 3D immersive sound formats or in decisively new technology — and M-Force offers a giant leap forward”, commented Ivan Kuzmenko, Audio System Engineer at Mag Audio.

From the moment that Powersoft’s M-Force was announced he knew this would lead the Ukrainian company a step nearer that Holy Grail. “Because of its unique combination of massive SPL, subsonic frequency response and extremely low distortion this would give Mag Thor the capability of uncovering cinema soundtrack features that no conventional subwoofer can — detail which the film director and sound team intended while working in the studio but which are rarely available to cinema patrons.” And this is the message that Mag Audio’s sales team will impress on exhibitors looking to immerse their audiences in a new sense of realism.”

A side view of the Mag Thor, as thin as the cinema enclosures need to be. The metal panel acts as support for some main alarms and connections and as a heat sink for the Powersoft’s M-Drive.

Explaining the role played by the innovative M-Force transducer technology, he states, “The Moving Magnet Linear Motor technology offers a totally different approach from conventional voice coil transducers, which have limitations. It creates the possibility of very high SPL while pushing the lower system frequency limit to the subsonic range. Furthermore, thanks to DPC technology, the Mag Thor offers dramatically reduced distortion compared to conventional voice coil based subwoofers.

“Simply put, we are replacing the weakest link, the voice coil. M-Force moves a lot of air through linear displacement — which is exactly what is needed for immersive subsonic effects with modern cinema tracks. “Last, but not least, the transducer offers extreme reliability because of its rigid design as well as dedicated built-in amplifier with DSP, providing all necessary protection and system fine-tuning.” But for all its technological wonder, M-Force still had to meet Mag Audio’s challenging requirement, as they had preset the Mag Thor to confidently play back down to 20 Hz. “It also had to outperform no less than two typical dual 18” cinema subwoofers in terms of SPL. With 18 Hz (-3dB) threshold and 145 dB of peak sound pressure, these were easily achieved,” Kuzmenko confirmed.

A view of the wood work made by Mag Audio for the Mag Thor.

But with so much air displacement and compression, a further challenge was to assure the rigidness and structural integrity of the enclosure. Therefore Mag Thor involves harder and thicker materials and more internal bracing than a classic subwoofer of this size would require. The new system can be retrofitted into existing cinema sound set-ups without need for a complete sound system overhaul, but due to the vibration clients will be advised to secure the enclosures firmly to the ground.
It is little surprise that Mag Audio pacted with Powersoft. Mag Audio has had much experience working with their rack amplifiers and modules over the years, enabling them to assess both reliability and performance. “Powersoft has a long history of bringing cutting-edge innovation into mass products, which is why we believe M-Force system will take up the leading place within premium class cinemas” explained Kuzmenko. The whole development process leading up to the final production models was supported by Powersoft engineers — especially in the latter stages. This included visits from M-Force developers to Mag Audio’s factory to work on prototypes.

The baton now passes to Jérôme Michel, Mag Audio’s Business Development Manager to further exploit the cinema market, a segment for which they have already created a dedicated website. Although based in the Ukraine their outreach will go way beyond, and globally, they already have more than 300 cinema systems spread through 30 different countries. To broaden their marketing they will demonstrate Mag Thor at all the important cinema tradeshows having first announced the new innovative system during the CinemaCon tradeshow in Las Vegas last month followed by CineEurope in Barcelona.

And Jérôme is equally optimistic. “The cinema market has been constantly evolving since the roll out of digital cinema projection more than ten years ago. Cinemas are looking more and more to attract people with technical innovation to compete with the advanced home cinema market. We already have a couple of very serious cinemas and private demonstrations on the agenda, and our first Mag Thor reference will be an important cinema in Greece, with a projected installation of September 2017.

Lighting Director Rob Koenig selects MAC Axiom Hybrid fixtures and Atomic 3000 LED strobes to create innovative and intense visuals for the legendary band’s massive world tour.

Photo ©Brett Murray

Metallica recently embarked on the “WorldWired” world tour to support 2016’s “Hard Wired…to Self-Destruct,” their first studio record in eight years. The stadium tour features a unique stage design that forgoes a traditional ceiling structure in favor of a colossal, open look with huge video screens and heavy pyrotechnics. In order to overcome major rigging limitations and compete with the over-the-top stage production, Metallica’s longtime Lighting Director Rob Koenig selected Martin Axiom Hybrid fixtures and Atomic 3000 LED strobes for their power, versatility and compact footprint.

Photo ©Brett Murray

“The production on the “WorldWired” tour utilizes a vastly different approach to stage design compared to what Metallica has done in the past,” said Koenig. “There is no stage set, and there’s much more video content than on previous tours. I knew that I needed a versatile hybrid fixture, and I fell in love with the Axiom Hybrid when I was programming another tour. They’ve been very reliable and it’s an incredibly versatile light. We can get a linear beam, wash fixture or a profile fixture with a sharp edge.”

Photo ©Brett Murray

The “WorldWired” tour features a massive, 140-foot stage with no roof or ceiling structure, leaving a framing truss system as the only means of support for the video screens, pyrotechnic units and any stage lights. Koenig’s design features 54 Axioms placed on vertical ladders in-between five 35’ x 38’ video screens, with nine fixtures on each ladder.
“Weight distribution was a big problem with this stage, and it was a big factor in selecting the Axioms,” said Koenig. “Not only are they compact and lightweight, they have enough firepower to compete with the brightness of the video screens. I’m very satisfied with them.”

In addition to the Axiom Hybrid, Koenig deployed 30 Atomic 3000 LED strobes on the ground behind the band and along the catwalk. Incorporating backlight illumination with RGB-controlled LEDs pointing into the reflector, the Atomic 3000 delivers extreme brightness and stunning dynamic transitions throughout the show. “The Atomic LED Strobes are amazing,” said Koenig. “The form factor is great, the output is fantastic, they’re incredibly reliable and I love the aura feature. There is a lot of punch with that fixture.”

More on the Martin website

The Coachella Music and Arts Festival has become the most talked-about music festival of the year in recent times, and this year headliner Kendrick Lamar delivered an unforgettable performance to close out the dual-weekend extravaganza — leaving the 125,000 attendees of this year’s event with something to remember for years to come.
Lamar and his team turned to a combination of Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 and new Digital 6000 wireless systems to transmit every syllable of his energetic and powerful set with clarity and unwavering reliability.

Monitor engineer Chris Lee says that Lamar first became interested in switching to Sennheiser digital wireless after performing with Beyoncé on her Digital 9000 system. “He was really impressed with how that system performed on the shows they did together, so we reached out to Sennheiser and discovered that the new 6000 series receiver would work with the SKM 9000 series sticks that he had requested and perfectly fit our needs,” Lee says. The Coachella performance marked the debut of their new wireless system, which includes two EM 6000 receivers for four channels of audio transmission. The four microphones used for the setup, which cover lead vocals, a lead vocal backup mic, and two guest mics, are each SKM 9000 transmitters paired with MD 9235 capsules.

Sennheiser Digital 6000

Lee, who was already working with the artist when he was using his previous Sennheiser 5000 series wireless system, was thoroughly impressed with the leap to digital. “We were very happy with our 5000 series wireless system, but now that we’ve heard the Digital 6000 in action it’s like night and day,” he says. It starts with the 9235 capsule, which Lee and front-of-house engineer Kyle T. Hamilton say captures Lamar’s voice remarkably well—and pushes out the rest.
“The rejection on the MD 9235 is stunning,” Hamilton says. “Even with everything that’s happening on stage, this mic is really quiet.” Lee concurs. “The MD 9235 provides plenty of isolation even if he’s out in front of the PA or near the side fills with the crowd screaming,” he says.

The Studio Comes to the Stage

The MD 9235 dynamic microphone head

In addition to its rejection, the sonic character of the MD 9235 capsule is a key consideration for Lee and Hamilton, and combining that with the pristine wireless transmission of the SKM 9000 transmitters and EM 6000 receivers helps the team achieve what they describe as a studio-like vocal sound. “With a show like this there are pre-programmed backing vocals and samples from the studio recordings, so you really want to try to match that studio vocals as much as possible,” Hamilton explains.
“The MD 9235 has the clarity you need for that high-end studio vocal sound. It just has that cut and airiness.” The EM 6000 also lets the pair utilize a nearly all-digital signal path throughout – dipping into analog only for a high-end tube compressor – to ensure maximum signal integrity all the way from the capsule to the PA system and monitors. “The sound coming through digital is crystal-clear, and then I can add a little color with the tube compressor for that extra magic,” Hamilton says.

Built to Perform

The SKM 9000 and MD 9235 pairing also give Lamar the mobility and flexibility to deliver a command performance without plaguing his sound team with dropouts or sonic irregularities. “It has extremely low handling noise, and even when he’s being really dynamic on the mic it doesn’t break up,” Lee says. Hamilton explains that even when Lamar was cupping the mic for a few moments it maintained an even keel. “He was getting into it and cupping the mic a little, but somehow the clarity was still there,” he says. “Most mics sound like a 102 dB kazoo when that happens.”

The handheld transmitter SK 9000 shown with three additional heads, among which the ME 9005 and the two Neumann.

Sound That Travels

With staging that included a separate smaller performance area 100 feet from the main stage, Lamar moved freely throughout the show. During two songs, an elevator lifted the artist 40 feet into the air; therefore steady RF was a top concern for Lee and Hamilton. “In our production meetings we were thinking we might need a duplicate system given how much ground Kendrick covers during the show, but the RF performance of the EM 6000 is just amazing,” Lee says. “As soon as we set it up on-site at Coachella and tested it out we realized that we were rock solid and didn’t need that secondary system at all.” Hamilton was impressed too. “Zero dropouts,” he said. “Even with all those factors with the staging it was really solid.”

The two-channel receiver EM 6000. Unlike the EM 9000, it features only the lightly compressed proprietary audio codec SeDAC.

After their first outing with the Digital 6000, Lee and Hamilton are ready to bring the show on the road for Lamar’s upcoming tour. “The MD 9235, SKM 9000, and EM 6000 are the exact vocal chain we’re using for the tour, so we feel ready to go after this,” Hamilton says. While Hamilton has worked with Sennheiser wireless gear in the past, he has also used other manufacturers in certain situations, but after using Kendrick Lamar’s Digital 6000 rig he feels that Sennheiser has emerged as the clear frontrunner in wireless transmission. “I bow down to Sennheiser on this one,” he says. “I’m really impressed. You could say I’m very much in the Sennheiser camp now.”

All the glamour, glitz and fun, all the elaborate costumes, extravagant performances, excitement and high-pressure of one of the world’s biggest live telecasts, the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest was staged at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine with 42 countries competing. As always, production for the two live semi-finals and final were world class.
The shows were enjoyed by 7,500 people packing in to the venue and around 200 million on TV, all appreciating the amazing production design by Florian Wieder working closely with lighting designer and DoP Jerry Appelt plus a massive technical team managed on site by head of production, Ola Melzig.

© Photo: Ralph Larmann

MA Lighting was once again chosen to provide a powerful, flexible and stable networked control solution for 1,816 lighting and LED ‘pixel’ fixtures plus playback video elements for the upstage video wall, centre stage video floor and a large, elegant scenic arch. An impressive total of 12 x grandMA2 consoles were installed into the venue: 8 x grandMA2 full-size, 4 x grandMA2 light and 1 x dot2 core.
Five desks were active during the show session operated by Raphael Demonthy (main showlight operator), Raphael Grebenstein (audience lights), Markus Ruhnke (TV lights), Thorsten ‘Icke’ Berger (follow spot caller) and Sebastian ‘Huwi’ Huwig (playback video). One console was run by Jack Collins, freelance lighting and systems tech working for PRG Germany and brought on-board as a network and lighting data specialist. He used Paessler PRTG software to monitor the entire lighting and video data / hardware control network.

© Photo: Ralph Larmann

Another grandMA2 desk was used by the Swedish delegation during their show to control moving treadmills and their associated LED specials and one grandMA2 was on standby in case of emergencies. The dot2 core was used side stage to fire all the pyro cues which were designed by Markku Aalto. These were joined by 25 x MA NPU (Network Processing Unit), 17 for lighting, three for video, two active but not in the session plus three spare.
There were a total of 30 x MA 8Port Nodes, 5 x MA 3D visualisation systems, 4 x grandMA2 fader wing and 16 x video servers all in the control network. These grandMA2 control elements were specified by gaffer and lighting technical manager Matthias Rau, from Jerry Appelt’s team, and they reached the maximum amount of 31 x MA class 1 network devices (desks and MA NPU) plus the MA 8Port Nodes and MA 3D on top!

© Photo: Ralph Larmann

The total parameter count being controlled across the MA network was 88,466 and the fixtures being controlled including all their respective individual LED pixels amounted to 9,857. A massive 18,536 cues were in the final showfile, activated across 164 console executors (Playbacks) and 226 patched universes!
Five (DCs) were established, two in the arena – one at FOH split left and right – one house left and one house right and one behind the stage/video wall with three fibre rings running around the arena connecting these to FOH via switches – 34 in total, plus four 8port truss mounts – for the whole control network, running in RLinkX mode for full redundancy. Ring 1 was dedicated only to MA-Net2 protocol, Ring 2 was a mix of MA-Net2 and ‘Funny Net’ and Ring 3 was ‘Funny Net’ – which consisted of assorted VLANS, Art-Net, Schnick Schnack Net, Internet and any other extraneous VLAN that was needed!

© Photo: Ralph Larmann

DCs 1 and 2 were identical, located left and right of the stage, dealing with data and power feeds for the whole stage area, split equally stage left and right. LX1 – 1 of 40 lighting trusses – nicknamed “The Beehive” dealt with the centrepiece which comprised 56 MagicPanel FX units and 40 hybrid moving lights, which also ran over DC 3 positioned upstage of the video wall.
All the floor fixtures and a 39 x 9 matrix of 24-pixel LED strobes also ran over DC 3. The audience trusses – complete with around 595 fixtures – all had their data and power supplied via DCs 4 and 5 under the FOH area.
Another 24 x Magic Panel FXs were integrated into the front of the stage all running on Art-Net to simplify the DMX cabling due to the high amount of DMX channels per unit. There were also around 2,500 x LED strips integrated into the large scenic arch / set portal and the stage steps and flooring.
The attractive LED circles around the delegation seating areas in the green room at the back of the arena consumed around 600 metres of LED tube and all of these components were routed via the Funny Net. PRTG played a fundamental role in monitoring both the network and all the system hardware. It allowed Collins to see any irregularities immediately on one screen and identify and deal with any issues across the entire system quickly and efficiently.

© Photo: Ralph Larmann

“No matter what you need from the grandMA2 system, there is always a way to do it and often there are several approaches to achieve what you need”, stated Jack, adding, “For me as a control systems engineer, it was not just the ability to see what everyone is doing and how stable the system was running, but to also go back and look at the history of who or what has caused issues which was absolutely essential in a setup this size with five operators.”
The 2017 Eurovision Song contest telecast was directed by Ladislaus Kiraly for host broadcaster National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) and is produced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). PRG Germany was the event’s main lighting and video equipment contractor. On the lighting side, they agreed a collaboration with production rental specialist Litecom from Denmark who provided the MA Lighting grandMA2 control hardware and data networking infrastructure.

Further information on MA Lighting website

Created in 2013 by three physics engineers and entrepreneurs, Minuit Une is a French start-up company which designs, develops and distributes a new kind of scenographic lighting. Following the success of its first two products the M-Carré and the M-Pyramide, Minuit Une is now hiring new members to to become a worldwide important scenographic lighting manufacturer.

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Fans of Mastodon weren’t surprised when three of the band’s members appeared in an episode of Game of Thrones. Like the HBO hit, the music of this iconic group reveals itself in lavishly detailed layers of fantasy that fire the imagination and leave easy categorizations smoldering by the wayside.

Michael Howe, concepteur lumière de Mastodont depuis 2009. © Neil Lim Sang

The complex Mastodon experience is on full display in the quartet’s 30-city North American “Emperor of Sand” tour, not just in the epochal music, but also in the highly evocative light and video show that Michael Howe created with the new ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium and Magic HD media server. The Emperor of Sand album takes listeners on a cosmic odyssey through time as it follows a man sentenced to death in a majestic but cruel desert.

Howe’s design evokes rich imagery that reflects this musical narrative with seven 2’ wide by 14’ tall video tower monoliths, a collection of moving fixtures and pixel mapped battens. Adding to the visual impact of the show are custom content created expressly for the tour by the monomial artist Skinner, and animation/effects from the firm Hey Beautiful Jerk. “My main goal is to have big looks build during the show along with the band’s set list,” said Howe. “I want the audience to have a visual experience that complements the audio experience of a live Mastodon show. The main challenge on this tour is finding the balance between lighting and video and putting it all together so the band can be seen. It’s easy to have interesting video in every song, but then I believe the video content loses its value.”

© Neil Lim Sang

A number of features in the new Chamsys MQ500 helped Howe, who is running the boards on the tour, achieve this delicate balance. “Having the MagicVis 3D visualizer built into this console definitely made it easier for me to start designing, programming and cueing the show,” he said. “The new plot view has also helped by allowing me to select lights visually rather than numerically.
This has not only saved time, it has also greatly aided me in making more interesting looking effects. Also, I have to say that the console’s two touchscreens have helped speed up the cueing and cue editing process for me. Early in the tour, it became apparent to me that I was really going to love this console, because it frees me from a lot of concerns so I can focus on the creative process.”
The centerpiece of the “Emperor of Sand” light/video show that Howe is controlling with his ChamSys products is the mass of video towers. He arranges these seven monoliths in a semi-circle around the band and their backline. The towers are lined with 18 moving beams. An additional six truss-mounted collimated beam fixtures side-light the band.

© Neil Lim Sang

Providing an array of changing and captivating visual elements are 12 LED batten fixtures positioned on the upstage deck that are pixel mapped with ChamSys software. All lighting and video gear on the tour was supplied by Performance Lighting Inc. and Windy City Music.
“Everything about this tour, including my rental houses, has been great for me,” said Howe, who’s been designing for Mastodon since 2009. “The band and I fit together very well, and I really love the creative challenge of working on something as complex as the ‘Emperor of Sand’ tour. The ChamSys MQ500 is making it easy for me to run the show and focus on those creative elements.”

More informations on the Chamsys website

Photo ©Jay Blakesberg

Metallica’s summer-long WorldWired Tour is currently rolling in high gear through the largest stadiums and festival sites in North America, galvanizing the iconic band’s multi-generational fan base by delivering a searing, eye-popping and — literally — gut-slamming experience of adrenaline-fueled guitar rock. For sonic saturation of venues often holding 50,000-plus, the tour carries a massive Meyer Sound LEO® Family reinforcement system from VER Tour Sound that incorporates — for the first time anywhere — the visceral impact of the new VLFC very low frequency control element.

Big Mick behind his XL8 and behind his beard. Who got the best between him and Leland Sklar ;0) (Photo ©Jay Blakesberg)

Corralling this formidable technology is the task of FOH engineer “Big Mick” Hughes, who has been at the helm of Metallica’s sound for 33 years of the band’s 35-year history. Over the past five years of intermittent tours and one-off events, Hughes has listed the LEO systems as first among his rider preferences. “I just love the clarity of LEO,” he says. “It’s a very powerful box that produces a fantastic guitar and vocal sound. Also, having a two-way system, with the crossover point down where it is, keeps everything smooth and sweet in the mid-highs.”
Hughes also finds the system’s exceptional linearity to be a life-saver when he has to keep levels below cumulative SPL restrictions. “You can pick the volume you want and it doesn’t change tonally, unlike some other PA’s where you have to hold it in a certain sweet spot. It’s the easiest PA in the world to turn down when you have to.”

Metallica’s show at East Rutherford Metlife Stadium. 82,000 seats and most likely over 50,000 sold… (Photo ©Jay Blakesberg)

Making its global concert debut on the WorldWired tour is Meyer Sound’s new VLFC very low frequency control element, a devastatingly potent device that reproduces only a single octave — the one that spans the lower threshold of hearing – from 32 Hz down to 14 Hz. Two colossal end-fire arrays, each with 21 VLFC cabinets, produce an intense shock wave that can literally take your breath away.

Photo ©Jay Blakesberg

“We use the VLFC’s as a special effect to create a realistic experience of an explosion, one that you feel in your chest more than you hear with your ears,” comments Hughes. “When they do the pyro for songs like ‘One’ the VLFC arrays complete the visual effect. You have the flash of light and then you get the concussion of this massive subsonic wave. It moves a lot of air. You can definitely feel it.”

The New York show being set (Photo ©Jay Blakesberg)

An even larger phalanx of 85 1100-LFC low-frequency control units, operating from 28 Hz to 90 Hz, handles the audible portion of the show’s deep bass. These are variously deployed as flown arrays, end-fire arrays beside the stage, and at the delay towers.
The balance of the system, in the standard stadium configuration, is anchored by four main hangs of 18-each LEO line array loudspeakers.
Covering the far end of the bowl are three delay towers, each carrying arrays of eight LYON™-M main loudspeakers over eight LYON-W wide coverage loudspeakers.
Twenty LEOPARD™ loudspeakers are spaced across the stage as front fills, with an additional 12 LEOPARD on the ground at the delay towers. A contingent of UPQ-1P loudspeakers is utilized as needed for miscellaneous fill.

A concert view showing some LEO and a LEOPARD. (photo ©Jay Blakesberg)

The WorldWired Tour also boasts by far the most extensive implementation to date of Meyer Sound’s Galileo® GALAXY™ networked platform. A total of 14 GALAXY frames and ten Extreme Networks Summit X440 series switches are interlinked via a redundant fiber optic network using the IEEE-developed AVB protocol.

The three GALAXY available depending on the needs

Both GALAXY and the switches have been certified for AVB standards compliance by the Avnu Alliance. The three GALAXY 816 frames at FOH serve as the hub, broadcasting streams to the GALAXY frames positioned near the main left and right arrays and at the three delay positions. Prior to each show, the vast assemblage is meticulously aligned by VER system engineer Christopher Nichols.

Christopher Nichols shot during an old AC-DC show in Paris ST Denis Stadium. He definitely knows how to make biiiig sound

All activity at FOH revolves around Big Mick’s favored Midas XL-8 console, with outboard support from a TC Electronic D2 delay, a vintage Korg DRV 3000 (for “Master of Puppets”), and a BBE Sonic Maximizer (for toms).
A 10EaZy level monitoring system continuously occupies one of the Midas screens. On stage, vocal mics are Shure Super 55 Deluxe while Ulrich’s kit is captured by an assortment of DPA, Audix, Shure and Audio-Technica mics. Guitars are direct via Fractal Audio preamp-processors.
The summer stadium leg of the WorldWired Tour kicked off at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on May 10 and wraps up at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta on August 16.

Of the tour’s 26 dates, 12 are in stadiums that host NFL teams, with the remainder in baseball or soccer stadiums, at festival sites or in other 50,000+ capacity venues. The one exception is the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a smaller arena in which Metallica provided the grand re-opening festivities following major renovations. The tour resumes with a European leg of indoor arenas in September.

James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammet & Rob Trujillo having fun…  (photo ©Jay Blakesberg)

More informations on the Meyer Sound website