Roskilde – Denmark’s largest and highest profile international music festival and a glorious and diverse celebration of music, art, activism, and freedom – celebrated 50 years this year with a fantastic line-up across multiple stages, with Robe moving lights playing a major role on the famous Orange Stage and in the expansive Arena Stage venue.

The fiftieth anniversary had been due to take place in 2020 but was delayed two years due to the pandemic, and while a small version of the festival took place in 2021 in one of the barns on its site just south of Copenhagen, this edition had an extra special resonance in addition to guests being able to enjoy the fabulousness and dynamics of live music and real in-person human interaction again!

Arena Stage

Lighting designer Sune Verdier and his team once again ran production lighting for this stage, ensuring that all visiting lighting designers, directors, and operators were well accommodated and that all artists on the stage – bringing their own LDs or not – looked great.
Due to the substantial ground support at its core, the Arena Stage tent can accommodate the largest amount of flown production elements – and the greatest headroom – of all the performance areas on site.

The production lighting design featured 40 x Robe MegaPointes and 48 x Spiiders at the heart of the rig, positioned on 10 automated trusses plus front and back fixed trusses and left and right side-ladders. This setup meant that even if a single performer was onstage – like a singer-songwriter or a DJ – the space could be filled with lights and look very cool!
Sune has been heading up the Arena Stage lighting team since 2013 and involved in the festival since 2005, and the main objective is to offer “the smoothest and best festival lighting technical experience.”

Multiple Choice

In advance, guest LDs are presented with a lighting rig ‘Menu Card’ featuring 8 dynamic and different trussing configurations created using 10 trusses on an automation system, so each performance can look unique. Once selected, the stage is set by Sune and his FOH team during the changeover.

Some will bring in additional touring lighting and LED specials packages which are dovetailed with the house ‘top rig’.

Above and beyond the standard technical requirements, there is always a warm welcome waiting at FOH together with a supply of festival essentials, energy drinks, water, beer, sweets, chocolates, and other snacks for those needing a sugar boost whilst working there. And, naturally, the famous Arena Stage FOH sofa and coffee table zone, which is squeezed in each year despite an ever-expanding production area!

“We want to make guests feel comfortable in all ways and ensure that everything from programming to getting refreshments is easy, efficient, and convenient and delivered with a smile!” underlines Sune, who advances the concept and the overall attention to detail each year based on assorted feedback.

Teamwork

He once again worked with his key regular team including Nicolai “Gubi” Schmidt, Fredrik Heitmann, Christian Olsson and – making his Roskilde debut – August Thede.
New for lighting production this year were the two side ladders, each rigged with a 3×3 matrix of Robe Spiiders, which made a real difference in emphasising the depth of the stage and were also great for filling back-of-camera shots for the IMAG video mix.

Dust is a massive issue in the Arena Stage as that part of the site is normally an equestrian arena, so the ground is covered with a special fine mulch specifically for horses, which with all site activity and stage action results in clouds of super-fine particles everywhere, including in the fixtures. Sometimes, haze is not even needed!
Sune is a big advocate of Robe fixtures and usually there will be some Robe products somewhere on whatever rig he is working on, and while the sealed optical chambers of Robe’s Forte and Esprite would be ideal in this situation, he also has to work with the appointed rental company’s stock and to budget!

MegaPointes & Spiiders

“I was very happy to have MegaPointes and Spiiders as the main lights,” he commented, “MegaPointe is a fantastic signature luminaire – powerful, versatile and providing so many choices.” He said the same is true for the Spiider as a ‘foundation’ product that is robust and reliable, “bright, and with a great range of colours.”
Apart from not having any issues with the lights, Sune notes that all LDs and operators are happy to see Robe on a festival rig spec!

Robe MegaPointe

Spiider LED wash beams

Other lighting on the Arena stage this year included wash moving lights outlining the stage, 27 x 2-lite Moles for blinders and 20 strobes, plus a load of 2K conventional fresnels for front general lighting and six profile moving lights for keys.

The Arena Stage hosted 25 eclectic performances over the four main Roskilde days with a particularly action-packed Friday featuring 10 bands, so changeovers are tight, and with pre-programming starting at 9 in the morning and the final acts going on at 3.25 a.m., the days are long! However, the pace is steady, and Sune and the team plus their counterparts in audio and video have it tuned to a fine art.

Amazing Vibes

As well as delivering a great service they also all enjoy the camaraderie of the Arena Stage and the amazing vibes of the overall event.
While 2022 was August’s first Roskilde, Fredrik, Sune and Gubi have all been working together on this stage for some years, and it was Christian who originally passed the lighting organisation over to Sune in 2013 allowing him focus on the demands of his day job working as a top Microsoft software engineer.

The technical production co-ordination starts several months in advance for Sune, and Christian always returns to work the event weekend each year, enjoying the spirit of Roskilde, the music and staying connected with everyone.
Also integral to the lighting team’s smooth running was Joakim Krogh, head electrician on stage from the rental company, and Louise Voigt, who co-ordinates all the advance production with bands both before and during the festival.

Orange Stage

This year the Roskilde Orange Stage lighting production was also a Robe lighting rig with 82 x MegaPointes, 80 x Spiiders, 10 x BMFL Wash XFs, four BMFL LTs (Long Throws), two BMFL Spots and a 6-way RoboSpot system which was supplied by Victory Tour Production.

Orange Stage lighting technician Mathias Jensen commented that everyone was super-impressed by the RoboSpot system with the four BMFL LT fixtures shooting almost 75 meters to the stage.

For more info, you can visit www.robe.cz

Owned and operated by Viking Line Abp, a Finnish shipping company and a market-leading brand in passenger traffic on the northern Baltic Sea, Viking Glory is the latest addition to Viking Line’s fleet and commenced her daily voyages between Stockholm, Mariehamn and Turku in March 2022.

Built at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry’s shipyard in China, Viking Glory features many advanced, innovative technologies that make her one of the most environmentally friendly vessels in the world. Also on board is the state-of-the-art L-Acoustics sound system that augments the experience of travelling through some of the world’s most magnificent archipelagos by offering an unparalleled sonic experience.

Jorma Tikka, Intersonic’s Sales Manager

“We were thrilled when Viking Line got in touch with us about supplying an audio system for their new vessel,” says Jorma Tikka, Intersonic’s Sales Manager. “Along with advanced technology, delicious food and friendly service, the team wanted world-class entertainment, which is what Viking Line is known for and which is also why they got in touch with Intersonic – after all, we are one of Finland’s leading AV equipment suppliers!”

All hands on deck, the Intersonic team worked closely with Viking Line’s AV Manager Tuomas Sointula and Project Manager Aki Parkkila to design the L-Acoustics sound system that would provide perfectly balanced and evenly distributed audio across eight areas of the ship: the Vista Room Club, Vista Lounge, Torget, Algoth’s Bar, Kobba Restaurant & Bar, Fyren private restaurant, Market and Conference.

The Vista Room Club & Lounge, referred by the Viking Line team as ‘your living room onboard’, is a space to enjoy beautiful sunsets and sunrises through tall convex windows that extend from floor to ceiling.

The Vista Room Club & Lounge is provided by A Series and X Series. A couple of 5XT can be seen on the ceiling.

After the dusk, the brightest stars of the entertainment sky take the stage at Vista Room Club, with four A15 Wide, an A10 Wide, two X8, 17 5XT and four KS21 subs, powered by seven LA4X amplified controllers, offering a top quality live music experience.
The audio at the Vista Lounge area is served by two L-Acoustics X8 cabinets as well as an SB15m high-power ultra-compact subwoofer, powered by two LA4X.

The ship’s social hub, Torget. X8 provide the audio.

Torget is Viking Glory’s social hub where guests can share bubbly toasts before midnight or set up coffee meetups in the morning, all the while enjoying the spectacle of the sea outside large windows, as well as a gigantic LED screen positioned in the centre of the space and extending over two floors.

The sound is delivered by L-Acoustics X8 sound system, which offers exceptional coverage capability throughout the entire space in an aesthetically pleasing package. The entire audio set-up comprises eight X8, three 5XT, and four Syva SUB speakers, all powered by four LA4X.

The atmosphere in Algoth’s bar is provided by L-Acoustics X8 speakers and SB15m subs.

In Algoth Niska’s bar, named after the famous Finnish adventurer, guests can enjoy an extensive menu of cocktails and tune into the atmosphere thanks to the L-Acoustics X8 speakers and SB15m subs.

When the hunger starts biting, Viking Glory has plenty of food options on offer all served up with great audio.

The relaxed Kobba restaurant is complemented with discreet X8 cabinets.

The relaxed atmosphere of the bistro-style restaurant, Kobba, is complemented with discreet X8 cabinets, whilst the Fyren private restaurant can be booked for breakfast or dinner for up to 12 people and has four 5XT, delivering captivating audio that complements the unbeatable views of the archipelago.

Market is another option for those looking to enter the tasty world of the Baltic Sea’s first shopping hall. Featuring multiple food stalls offering international cuisines and delicacies baked in the ship’s own bakery, the space enjoys perfect acoustic coverage delivered by eight carefully distributed 5XT.

Each one of the Viking Glory’s 14 conference rooms deliver sound by 12 X8 cabinets and two SB15m subs.

Finally, Viking Glory’s brand-new conference facilities feature 14 flexible conference rooms that can accommodate up to 400 people and all feature cutting-edge technological solutions, which also include a top class sound system delivered by 12 X8 cabinets and two SB15m subs, amplified by two LA4X.

Pauli Molnár Intersonic’s system designer

Intersonic’s system designer Pauli Molnár comments that he deployed an L-Acoustics P1 processor and M1 software to calibrate and tune the system.

“I have used the M1/P1 system for all my calibrations since it became available. The tuning workflow is a bit different compared to previous methods, but once you get the hang of it you won’t look back.
The entire journey from using L-Acoustics Soundvision, with its quality indicators and Autosolvers, to M1 and all the tools available in Network Manager, is now all part of the integrated service that L-Acoustics delivers and which we find exceptional!” exclaims Molnár.

“We are very pleased to bring the industry-renowned L-Acoustics sound signature to the Viking Glory, making it the first ship in Viking Line’s fleet to have an L-Acoustics sound system integrated throughout the entire vessel,” concludes Tuomas Sointula.

“The sound quality of the system matches the highest standard of this ship’s facilities and is so versatile. Whether you want to enjoy your favourite tunes at the restaurant and bar, organise a conference or dance until dawn at the club, L-Acoustics brings a new level of audio experience which is all part of Viking Line’s promise to deliver the travel experience of tomorrow.”

More information on the L-Acoustics website and on the Intersonic website

Visitors to The Air Force Museum of New Zealand are seeing its collection of historic aircraft in a whole new light, thanks to a new LED rig and control solution from Vari-Lite.

The museum took the opportunity during a rearrangement of the main Aircraft Hall display area to replace the existing lighting system to the LED rig to dramatically reduce power consumption and provide a more flexible, long-lasting and dynamic solution.

More than 100 powerful, honeycomb-lens SL Punchlite 220 fixtures are now installed, beaming rich, blended and saturated colors onto classic airplanes such as a Spitfire, Hudson and Avenger, and washing the space with hues.

To control the luminaires in the Aircraft Hall, and for multi-room control of six other spaces including further display areas, lecture theaters, restrooms and the main atrium, the technical team invested in a Neo Compact 10 Console.

A Vision.Net architectural control system has also been installed for a seamless, integrated lighting control experience across all the sites to help the team manage looks, power lighting scenes and simplify management.

“We needed a replacement control system that would be able to manage a large number of fixtures, run multiple cue lists, accept inputs from a variety of sources, and run time-based events,” says David Nicholson from the museum, who oversaw the project.

“The Neo and Vision.Net combination offers this solution and we are now using the C10 for programming the lighting states in the Aircraft Hall with great success. There were many benefits, including the C10’s compact size enabling us to easily move around the museum doing programming as we moved from plane to plane.”

In addition to the lighting, the Neo C10 and Vision.Net duo are also being used to run timeclock-based events such as audio announcements, video playback via screens around the venue, as well as building start-up and closedown each day.
The museum’s technical team is using the full-featured Neo operating system software on a PC to control more than 500 desk channels, with regular events activated by its internal timeclock scheduler.

“Vision.Net screens provide all the human interface requirements around the complex,” Nicholson explains. “There are touchscreens in five locations, and three physical button panels. The panels allow local control of some features, as well as more general functionality such as turning full complex on or off, putting the system into Event Mode to disable or play announcements and activating on-demand display features.”

The Vision.Net system’s preset commands are all monitored by Neo, which in turn runs shortcuts to turn on and off required cuelists. Commands that Neo initiates are run back through the Vision.Net system to keep all Vision.Net screens in sync with the real-world system status. The Vision.Net system also facilitates the customization of each screen depending on its location, as well as password-locked and hidden screens for additional setup and maintenance options.

The new rig was designed by Nicholson in collaboration with lighting designer Joe Hayes, as well as Grant Robertson from Christchurch-based Vari-Lite supplier The Light Site, who also managed the initial design concepts of the Vision.Net and Neo setup.
Glenn Stewart from Kenderdine Electrical supplied the Neo and Vision.Net hardware and conducted all the Vision.Net programming. Darren McKane from The Light Site did all the Neo cue and integration programming.

For more info about Vari-Lite, you can visit the Vari-lite website

Headquartered in Mocksville, North Carolina, Special Event Services (SES) offers audio, lighting, design, video, staging and live event production to a wide array of clients.
The company recently invested in Ayrton Domino LT fixtures expanding its inventory of Ayrton luminaires and putting the fixtures to work on a variety of projects across the country.

Special Event Services (SES) ensures its new Ayrton Domino LT fixtures have a busy 2022 season.

SES had already purchased Ayrton Bora fixtures, which have been used for television key lighting and aerial effects for country music artist Luke Combs, Rod Stewart and Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM), as well as Khamsins, a full-featured spot which travelled with band, Glass Animals.
“Our Ayrton purchases have performed way above and beyond our expectations,” reports Vice President and Lighting Designer, Jeff Cranfill, one of the Founding Partners of SES. “So we decided to look at Ayrton’s full product line and base the majority of our lighting inventory on it. Anybody designing a lighting system would be happy with Ayrton fixtures.”

Domino LT offers the style and minimalist design of the Domino Profile in the first all-terrain LED luminaire in the Long Throw range. With an IP65 rating it can cope with the most extreme weather and environmental conditions while presenting designers with the full palette of features they demand.

SES had been exploring followspot systems for use in large-format events, says Cranfill, when ACT Entertainment brought a Domino LT demo unit to test in the 300-foot-long SES shop. “Our shop was a good place for a long-throw test,” he notes. “The light had a beautiful output, flat field and colour temperature plus all the additional features of an intelligent light. So we decided to buy them.”

The first outing for the Domino LTs was the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) Youth Gathering, five days of worship, service and fellowship held every three years and scheduled in July 2022 for Houston’s Minute Maid Park, a retractable roof stadium that’s home to MLB’s Astros.

“We came in during daylight to focus for the first night’s event and could see the light on the stage,” says Cranfill. “Once it was night we focused a single Domino LT on the stage, dialled in for video and got plenty of intensity from a 270-foot throw. I even irised down across the stadium to the orange in the Minute Maid Park logo in the ceiling, which was easily 500 feet away. You could see the brightly illuminated orange across the stadium.”

The main stage was located at second base with lights mounted in the stands’ press box. Cranfill brought eight Domino LTs with him but discovered “we could have done the job with four. They performed so well we didn’t need eight, in fact we never turned on two of them.”
The Domino LTs served as key lights for video and live streaming during general sessions and then transitioned to followspot usage with a tracking system for evening concerts and shows.

“What’s huge for me, in putting a rig together, is that the Domino LTs are open to all creative possibilities,” says Cranfill. “For the Youth Gathering they gave us a nice stage wash and colour temperature for video for the static stage presentations in the general sessions. But every evening had an event a concert, dance, dramatic performances.

For the concert, for example, I used the Domino LTs to create aerial effects with colour, gobos and ballyhoos while the kids were walking into the stadium. Beams flying across the space created real excitement and energy. And when we needed impact lighting for the artists, we programmed the Domino LTs to work as beautiful specials light for designated areas where performers appeared.”

Next for the Domino LTs was evangelist Joel Osteen’s “Come Home to Hope” event August 6 at New York City’s Yankee Stadium. “Since we saw the fixtures’ capabilities at Minute Maid Park we took just four of them to Yankee Stadium which had a worship service with speakers and music, no concert. The Domino LTs gave us a nice even wash from the press box to the second base stage. With the stadium lights on you could still see the impact of the fixtures,” Cranfill recalls.

The Domino LTs also were featured in country artist Luke Combs’s concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. “He was finishing a string of summer stadium shows, and we decided to use the fixtures as traditional followspots with the tracking system,” says Cranfill. “They were flown at FOH and once again performed wonderfully giving us plenty of light across the stadium.”

“What’s unbelievable to me, having come up in the industry with incandescent and arc fixtures and 4K spots, is that the Domino LT is a 1000 watt LED source and I’m getting all this out of it!” he declares. “The industry has come so far. Domino LT is a great new option in our arsenal when we put together a show design. There’s always a challenge to building spotlight towers in a stadium, but now we can put one Domino LT in a seating area where we’d never be able to put a huge followspot and operator. I’m totally sold on everything about this light and its possibilities.”

Cranfill notes that the Domino LT’s IP65 rating is “a real bonus, a win-win all the way around. As we’re coming out of COVID we’re more than ever doing festivals and outdoor events. We always try to shield our gear as much as we can, but we had started looking at IP65 fixtures. So this is another big selling point in the Ayrton product line.”

SES is in the process of acquiring more Domino LTs, and Cranfill says, “As we phase out some older fixtures we are looking into suitable Ayrton replacements. Our goal by 2024 is to tell any client that they can build a really cool rig out of our stock of Ayrton lighting. No Ayrton fixture is a one-trick pony.”
He notes that SES recently finished a European tour for Joe Bonamassa on which the English lighting vendor supplied Ayrton Diablo fixtures. “I hadn’t used Diablos before and completely loved them! They were beautiful looking and had great output.”

Cranfill gives kudos to ACT Entertainment for making him aware of the Ayrton product line and its capabilities. “I’ve been in the business for a long time, but learning about new products is really important. ACT always does a great job of educating you about new fixtures and what they can do, in contrast to some reps who don’t know much about their products.
“Now it’s our turn to educate our clients about how well the Ayrton line performs.”

More information on Ayrton Domino LT fixtures and the full portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED products can be found at www.ayrton.eu

Powersoft has further enhanced its install product range by introducing AES67-compatible versions of its popular Duecanali and Quattrocanali amplifiers.

The new models, called Duecanali DSP+ and Quattrocanali DSP+, are able to receive audio-over-IP (AoIP) streams compliant with the AES67 standard, which allows high-performance streaming AoIP interoperability across different networking systems.

The new Powersoft DSP+ models – comprising the Duecanali 804 DSP+, 1604 DSP+, 4804 DSP+ and 6404 DSP+ and Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+, 2404 DSP+, 4804 DSP+ and 8804 DSP+ – can receive AES67 streams natively by connecting the dedicated AoIP networking port to an AES67 network.

The new Duecanali DSP+ and Quattrocanali DSP+ amplifiers are supported by a new version of ArmoníaPlus, Powersoft’s system design, control and monitoring software, which is now available.

Giorgio Carminati

“The introduction of the new DSP+ models will enable systems integrators to take advantage of the growing number of AES67-native audio products”, says Powersoft product management specialist Giorgio Carminati, “while the v2.4 update to ArmoníaPlus will streamline the configuration process by allowing users to configure both the AES67 inputs and DSP settings of the amplifiers in the same software.”

All Powersoft amplifiers featuring a Dante card, including Duecanali DSP+D and Quattrocanali DSP+D models, can also be configured to work with AES67 audio streams by enabling AES67 mode in ArmoníaPlus or Dante Controller.

Deux ports réseau à l’arrière de ce 1204 DSP+, un pour la commande, le second pour le flux AoIP.

“We are delighted to introduce these new amplifiers, which will give our fixed-installation customers even more flexibility by supporting a wider choice of digital audio protocols,” comments Carminati. “With almost 3,000 AES67-compatible products now on the market, there’s no better time to launch the Duecanali DSP+ and Quattrocanali DSP+ amplifiers, which act as a perfect complement to our existing DSP+D range.”

Suitable for larger installed sound reinforcement systems, the two-channel Duecanali series offers low power consumption and heat dissipation, superior audio quality, and reliable performance in a compact, lightweight unit.

With four channels, Lo-Z and 70V/100V distributed lines and low operating costs, Quattrocanali is perfect for small to medium-size installations where flexibility is key. All Duecanali and Quattrocanali DSP+ and DSP+D models also benefit from state-of-the-art built-in signal processing.

ArmoníaPlus 2.4 – which also adds support for the T Series touring amplifier – is available to download now from here.

For more information, visit the Powersoft website

Harman Professional Solutions, the global leader in audio, video, lighting and control, today introduces the Martin MAC Aura XIP, premium moving head wash light raising the bar for optical quality, featuring an even wash field with soft edge, minimal stray light, and high intensity mid-air beams. It has a radical aura filament effect, with improved light engine control and a first-in-its-class outdoor rating with close to zero compromises in weight, size and aesthetics.

Le MAC Aura XIP se distingue par un effet filament, mais pas que…

“In developing the MAC Aura XIP, we set out to build a true workhorse,” said Wouter Verlinden, Product Manager Creative LED, Lighting and Control. “Our smart outdoor-capable design intelligently seals away vital electronics while exposing the cooling system to the elements which allows for a lighter, quieter and more versatile unit that can be used anywhere, at any time, reinventing the universal indoor/outdoor-rated concept.”

MAC Aura XIP’s 12 Radical RGBW filaments deliver a brighter aura backlight effect as well as the ability to show iconic aura filaments, promising new and exciting stage effects.
The extensive feature package covers both indoor and outdoor applications with optional high CRI / TM-30 / TLCI modes, LED frequency control for a flicker-free even wash light, RGBW color mixing and multiple control options. Also included are variable calibrated color temperature control, 200+ built-in FX macros, rapid movement and 8.8 – 49.3˚ zoom range, and weighing just 8.9 kilograms.

Radical new aura filament effect and beam pixel control

Featuring pixel control with video mapping capabilities onto beam, aura, or both with easy setup mapping and addressing via a Martin P3 controller, the MAC Aura XIP promises new and exciting eye candy looks that create intriguing stage effects.

Les effets filament seuls ou couplés à l’effet aura.

Workhorse versatility

The MAC Aura XIP is lightweight, compact and silent enough for the most demanding indoor applications such as theater, television and corporate events. While being robust and waterproof for use at outdoor festivals, concerts and events, it breaks the barriers of previous workhorse fixtures with its sealed design requiring less maintenance.

Variations de l’effet aura contrôlable pixel par pixel.

Outdoor capable with zero compromise to indoor use

MAC Aura XIP is the first fixture in its class to feature innovative smart outdoor-proofing technology. The fixture is fully waterproof for weather conditions such as rain, snow, sand or ice with close to zero impact on the fixture’s size, weight, output, noise and aesthetics, making it a truly versatile workhorse that can avoid “indoor-only” and “outdoor-only” labels.

Optically robust

Le MAC Aura XIP utilise de larges lentilles.

While the MAC Aura XIP is very similar to the MAC Aura XB in size and output, it has remarkable upgrades such as a narrower zoom creating a higher intensity beam and less stray light.

The optional high CRI / TM-30 / TLCI mode is ideal for better rendering of people and costumes in demanding broadcast and theater applications, plus LED frequency control for flicker-free projection in broadcasting.

It also has additional plus/minus green control over white point which helps to match additional lights and cameras in its vicinity as well as improve skin tone optical performance.

Clean and even wash field

An extremely even wash field with zero hotspot and a soft edge allow the MAC Aura XIP to create a better stage wash. The lack of stray light removes the need for beam control accessories such as top hats in many applications. It has the cleanest wash field in its class, emitting rich, saturated colors with RGBW color mixing to deliver very bright and vibrant colors, soft pastels, and white tones.

Easier handling

Sur la base les connecteurs étanches qui reçoivent cette fois le plein de protocoles de contrôle : DMX-RDM, Art-Net, sACN & P3.

The MAC Aura XIP is built to be a workhorse with handles on the head and base and Omega bracket attachments for easier handling and rigging. It also includes a battery-powered control panel on the base for easy fixture addressing in pre-flight.
Its sealed design requires less maintenance (as less dust and pollution can enter the product) than IP20 alternatives.

“The MAC Aura XIP is truly a wash light workhorse,” added Verlinden. “It works equally well in a range of applications; from quiet and demanding theater, broadcast and other indoor applications to brutal working applications such as outdoor festivals and touring.”

While the MAC Aura XIP offers lighting designers a range of possibilities with its aura filament effect, narrower beam and better wash quality with improved light engine control; rental customers will appreciate a workhorse that is lighter and more versatile with optical improvements and a sealed design, allowing the product to be used virtually anywhere and require less maintenance.

For complete product details and specs, visit www.martin.com/products/mac-aura-xip

Anyone familiar with Frankfurt, Germany’s club scene knows immediately where they are when they enter the new ZOOM: in the former Cocoon Club, Sven Väth’s techno temple.
The membrane walls with the unmistakable honeycomb structure are still there, and characterise the visual imagery of the place.

To ensure that ZOOM is nevertheless perceived as an independent club with its own recognition value, the operators of Zoom Frankfurt GmbH and client Ardi Goldman called on the expertise of lighting designer JoJo Tillmann, among others.
For the individual areas of ZOOM, he planned for the project with spotlights from the Cameo portfolio.

Ardi Goldman and JoJo Tillman had already worked together in the past on the club known as “Fortuna Somewhere”. Tillmann also had plenty of creative leeway with the ZOOM project, and was responsible for the complete lighting design in the building.

For Tillmann, working with light in a project like this goes far beyond classic lighting design: “The work involves more than just lighting; it is much more of an artistic installation that plays with the architecture, changing and connecting it. That’s why I give my works individual titles and keep them as independent works in a catalogue raisonné,” he says. The current work at ZOOM is titled “space-encompassing light art installation (rGB zOOM)”.

For the design of the dancefloor, Tillmann combined large numbers of Cameo’s ZENIT W300, AZOR B1, MOVO BEAM Z100 and PixBar 600 Pro spotlights. While the ZENIT W300 Wash Lights wield the broad (effect) brush as area lights and strobes, the AZOR B1 Beam Moving Heads emphasise the room’s geometry at the central, round light rig in the middle of the room.

Meanwhile, the MOVO BEAM Z100 Beams and the PixBar 600 Pro LED bars are dedicated to another geometric shape – the triangle. “With the PixBar 600 Pro, we wanted to simulate an effect of a single, long luminaire on the ceiling,” Tillmann continues.

In a competitive shootout, the Cameo LED bar won out for the role, thanks to its broad colour spectrum (which includes UV LED) and the geographical proximity to the manufacturer and developer the Adam Hall Group’s headquarters are located only about 25 km north of Frankfurt.

In the surrounding lounge and gastronomy areas, 127 Cameo H1 FC houselights provide flexible coloured illumination. With its slim, reduced design, the H1 can be seamlessly integrated into a huge variety of different areas and ambiences, and it also wins the hearts of many with its flexible control options.

Jojo Tillmann says: “Cameo has made a big leap from consumer products to professional fixtures in recent years. I particularly see this with the younger generation of lighting designers, who use Cameo with conviction. At the same time, the price/performance factor still plays a big role in the choice, as well as its growing availability at the major dry hire companies.”

More information:

zoomfrankfurt.com
jojotillmann.com
cameolight.com
adamhall.com
blog.adamhall.com

Every second year, veteran American rock band 311 celebrates 11 March (3/11) with a massive party-style celebration concert for fans over two nights at the Park Theater, Las Vegas (Park MGM).

And the pressure is on LD Bobby Grey, of Notan Creative (and the entire production team), to exceed the excitement of the previous event in this biennial calendar. “We went into this wondering how we could top what we did last time… but ended up taking the whole production to a new level,” recalls Grey. Helping him along the way once again were a slew of GLP’s impression X4 Bar 20 and JDC1, which have frequently been his go-to products in the past.

Grey sat down with band management (John McKeever, Dave Belis and Evan Anderson), all from a touring background, and set out his idea of building on the band’s ‘Hive’-themed aesthetic. “We all leaned towards something that would break up the form of our usual square video wall upstage, and instead landed on this ‘interdimensional portal’ concept,” he explains.

Grey set to work drawing layers of the hexagon portals coming downstage, but feared for the budget. “But Dave, who was also our PM, loved it,” he adds, “and started reworking the budget. The band agreed and we ended up with something fantastic.”

GLP JDC1

Bobby Grey then considered how to bring the best out of the hexagons: “I knew we had to have a versatile fixture to line the geometry of those key pieces. The TV show I was working on leading up to this had several hundred JDC1 [hybrid strobes] and X4 Bar 20s.
In the past, while we have used the X4 Bars on this show to line geometry, we have only really utilised the JDC1s for their bright strobe functionality.

GLP X4 Bar 20

“I knew that by packing them really tightly it would allow us the kind of versatility this gig dictated. And of course the X4 Bars did a great job lining the hexagon pods. We were able to go from the RGB pixels framing the set to big blasting looks with the white pixels in the middle.”

The JDC1s were run in SPix mode, Grey continues: “In this way we could do complex hits, zips across them and dazzling sparkle looks. They really kept things interesting for the whole gig. And as for the X4 Bars, by running these in single-pixel mode we could really do some amazing things with the effects engine.”

This included presenting each band member in their own light ‘cage’. The LD explains: “In the initial renderings I had a look that was just the X4 Bars, tightly zoomed, sending sheets of light down from the pods. In the show we brought the pods in low multiple times and blacked out everything but the X4 Bars, surrounding each band member in their own little cages of light.”
This year, the turnkey lighting and automation package was supplied by 3G Productions from Las Vegas. Paying credit, Bobby Grey says: “Our reps Jay Curiel, Andy Ruiz, Corey Felgenhour and Eric Cruz were fantastic from top to bottom, working tireless hours with their team to pull it together.
“They brought in the brilliant Todd Turner and his crew, Ed Gomez and Virginia Squasic, who worked with the band’s longtime crew chief Chris Harshfield and master electrician Jeremy Davidson. These guys really knocked it out of the park and got this complex rig up fast and right.”

Among the large production team was touring lighting director, Alex Paralueyous. “He’s been with me since I took this gig over,” Grey adds. “We have built the show together from scratch, including all the video content… plus, he’s an amazing sounding board.”

Reflecting on the show, the LD concludes: “The biggest challenge was coming into this feeling like I had done absolutely everything we could do in that room, and yet fearing that anything I did was going to not live up to 2020’s show. Just looking back at the pictures I’d say that wasn’t a problem at all, as a GLP fixture was the key factor in every shot I look at.

“We didn’t have a single GLP failure… and that’s saying a lot considering we had 132 JDC1s and 60 X4 Bar 20s in the rig. And I’m not ashamed to say I rode them hard on both nights.
“They performed equally well, both blasting to full, burning retinas, and in subtle looks, framing in pretty down moments in the show. All around, the show was fantastic because these fixtures were the centrepiece of the project.
“I’m just glad to have a manufacturer making such beautiful lights for us to use and am extremely excited to see what comes next from GLP.”

For more info about German Light Products, you can visit the GLP Lighting website

The annual Summer Night Concert (Das Sommernachtskonzert) by the Vienna Philharmonic at the illustrious Schönbrunn Palace is the second biggest show every year in Austria, only outdone by the world-class orchestra’s renowned New Year’s Concert.
This year, lighting designer and director of photography Jerry Appelt used 280 Elation Proteus series luminaires to light the summer show for 80,000 spectators in the Palace Park plus a worldwide television audience of millions.

Appelt has been part of the event for five years, lighting the entire space for a live audience and camera, which includes the orchestra and stage, the majestic backdrop of Schönbrunn Palace, and the surrounding park. This year, the acclaimed designer had 124 Proteus Maximus, 92 Proteus Excalibur, and 64 Proteus Rayzor 760 at his disposal.

Excalibur – power beam light

Over the years, the event has transitioned to more and more IP65-rated lighting like the Proteus range. Appelt has a long history with the Proteus series, having showcased the Proteus Hybrid on the Burj Khalifa New Year’s spectaculars, as well as several other projects over the last four years.
He comments, “A lot of our input from our experience with the Proteus on large scale projects like the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai I can now find in the Proteus Excalibur, which is the reason why I like the fixture very much. They really listened when we gave feedback—big output, the diameter of the lens, better colors, etc.—and we found that it has been fulfilled in the Excalibur.”

The enormous output of the Excalibur in combination with a 260-millimeter lens and 0.8° beam competes with xenon searchlights and sky trackers. The beam light generates up to 200,000 lux at 20 meters (7,500 lux at 100 meters) – an incredible light output from a surprisingly compact and correspondingly fast device.

Appelt has used the Proteus Excalibur on other outdoor shows this year, also for TV, and says because of that early assessment and feedback on the Proteus Hybrid, on this Summer Night Concert the Excalibur more or less delivered what he expected. “They replace positions where I have used Proteus before,” he says.

“I personally like the better colors a lot and the additional intensity brings more punch into the picture. It was a good experience which was no surprise really.” The Excaliburs worked in groups of four behind the stage, spread on the roof of the Palace, on PA towers, and atop a hill structure called Gloriette behind the audience.

Maximus – new outdoor key lighting standard

The designer says though what was a surprise for him on the project was the Proteus Maximus, a luminaire he has turned to previously for its weatherproof qualities. “On this location, we used them at much longer distances than we have in the past,” he explains.

Elation Proteus Maximus

“I was really surprised how much output I could generate out of them in terms of brightness and they also look really good on camera. I was really positive about the result, including the color quality, and I can say it is now one of my new standards in terms of outdoor key lighting.”

Appelt used the 50,000-lumen LED profile Maximus at key light positions to light the orchestra from the front of house terrace, a throw of approximately 30 meters. They also provided audience key and spec lighting, as well as site lighting on the castle itself.

Additional Elation lighting on the show included the Proteus Rayzor 760, a IP65-rated LED wash luminaire that Appelt used for its weather protection and workhorse wash capability. The compact RGBW lights were used for architectural washes and area lighting, including uplighting facades of the buildings and trees.

LIMA

Responsible for the complete technical lighting solution on the project was LIMA GmbH with lighting gear supplied through Motion in Germany. LIMA handled installation of the lighting for the park, Palace and hill, providing transportation, infrastructure, and crew. It was their third successful year working on the show.

A favorite

Appelt concludes by relating an aspect of the show that makes it unique and one of his favorites to work on. “It is always a fine balance between the needs of the orchestra and their professional musicians, and the needs of the television and live entertainment world. This is something that makes the show very special.

The people we work with are always very friendly and open hearted and put a lot of faith in us and my crew and I always look forward to go to Vienna every year for this show. Thank you to event organizer Zigo Mutschlechner and the Vienna Philharmonic, also a special thanks to Thilo Fechtner and Johannes Schneider for the excellent teamwork.”

Additional credits:

Gaffer: Dirk Hämmerling
Lighting Director: Markus Ruhnke
Lighting Director: Manfred Nikitser
Key Light Operator: Ole Güllich
Lighting Operator: Max Strobl

For more info about Elation Lighting, you can visit the Elation website

AL focuses on the design and manufacture of products for the architectural lighting and entertainment technology industries. The company’s CEO, Wayne Howell — inventor of the Art-Net lighting protocol and recipient of the 2017 Gottelier award — has ensured the longevity of the business through innovation and adaptability.

As a result, the company is highly regarded as a solutions provider for the more technically demanding installations, with a broad product range at the leading edge of technology.
Robe needs no introduction. As a global leader in moving light design and manufacture, the company embraces innovation, quality engineering and dedication to the very highest production values.

Wayne Howell, fondateur d’Artistic Licence.

Wayne Howell explains the background to the acquisition. “Artistic Licence was born out of my passion for designing and inventing. Over the years we have expanded and diversified our range, and it is now in a form that I am confident will serve the control infrastructure market for many years to come.
With the company in a stable and profitable position, it seemed like the ideal time to move onto the next phase of my career. My enthusiasm for inventing has never diminished, and I wanted to have the time to explore new designs and consultancy projects.

Wayne Howell will be staying on as a co-director of Artistic Licence and Robe’s global CEO, Josef Valchar, sums up the match as he sees it. “I have known and respected Wayne for many years, so when we heard that things might be changing at Artistic Licence, our interest was piqued.

Robe is of course known for moving lights, but lighting technology is interconnected. Time and time again, we find ourselves troubleshooting problems that are nothing to do with our fixtures, but instead related to a bad splitter or faulty network data somewhere upstream.
By having control over the infrastructure, we can present our customers with a superior solution that enhances the reliability of the installation.”

Robe and Artistic Licence are both companies with a proud history of independence and private ownership. We are committed to innovation and quality, and only manufacture in Europe/UK. With these shared fundamental values, we are looking forward to a dynamic and productive ongoing business relationship.”

Opened in spring 2021, Scène de Bayssan sits on a site near Béziers in south-west France. The new theatre complex features three spaces; the open-air Claude Nougaro amphitheatre which can accommodate 965 people seated or 1462 standing, the 432-seated / 1350 standing Michel Galabru theatre, and a small structure that houses reception facilities.

L’amphithéâtre en plein air Claude Nougaro.

Offering a varied programme of perfoming art, art exhibits and cultural events, Scène de Bayssan required an ultimately versatile sound system that could handily address the varied program. The team chose L-Acoustics K, A and X Series, supplied by L-Acoustics partner, Dushow, to deliver both consistent audience coverage and tonal balance.

Whilst Scène de Bayssan is a permanent venue, its loudspeaker system needed to be mobile, as it would be used only during the summer months in the Nougaro ampitheatre, year-round in the Galabru theatre, as well as in other venues as required.

Arnaud Delorme, Senior Application Project Engineer chez L-Acoustics.

“For this reason, a touring system, rather than a fixed installation, was the most logical solution. It allows for the Scène to account for both the structure of each space and also the venue’s diverse programme, which includes classical, pop and jazz concerts, electro music and theatre productions,” explains Arnaud Delorme, Senior Application Project Engineer at L-Acoustics.
“We specified the system alongside Scène de Bayssan’s team and they adapted the design to take into account their specific objectives and constraints, and integrated it themselves.”

The main system for the site includes 16 Kara II cabinets, with six SB18 and four KS28 subs, controlled by an LA12X and seven LA4X amplified controllers. An L-Acoustics P1 processor is used for AVB and as a measurement platform.
The main system is complemented by four A10 Wide as fills, and a central A10 Wide. A versatile kit of 12 X15HiQ, 14 X12, 20 X8, two SB18m, four 108P and a further 13 LA4X complements the FOH system.

Le système principal, un gauche-droite de huit Kara II coiffés par six SB18 et soutenus par une configuration cardioïde bien pensée de trois KS28. Accrochés aussi au milieu, deux A10 Wide s’occupent des sièges centraux les plus proches, tandis que quatre X8 servent à déboucher les premiers rangs.

The typical system configuration for the Claude Nougaro amphitheatre includes left / right hangs of three SB18 atop eight Kara II each, with a central hang of three KS28 subs in cardioid configuration.

Alexandre Pastor, Responsable Son et Vidéo de la Scène de Bayssan.

“KS28 delivers the extreme low end of the system, while SB18s are used to add contour and impact to the Kara II, each of them fulfilling its own role,” explains Scène de Bayssan’s sound and video manager, Alexandre Pastor.
“In addition, we use A10 Wide as a central point below the KS28, as a delay for the upper levels of seating and as in-fill. For front-fill, we place X8 across the stage lip. We install the system in the amphitheatre in late spring and then move it to the Galabru theatre in late summer.”

The Galabru theatre accommodates its audience on partially retractable tiers of red upholstered seats. Its deep, staggered stage area is flanked by storage rooms, offices and dressing rooms. Here, the team uses a fixed coaxial system.

Une vue rapprochée des KS28 et des A10 Wide.

“The installation here allows us to meet the requirements of most performances,” says Pastor. A typical system comprises three X12 clusters in LCR position with two end-fired SB18 subs.

Une vue de la partie gradins du théâtre Galabru. On aperçoit les quatre X8 en accroche et servant de délais.

In-fill is catered for by two X12 positioned left and right, and four X8 are used for front-fill. “We also use four X8 mounted on the truss for delay and two X8 are used for monitoring in the control room,” he adds.

The P1 processor plays a crucial role in the entire ecosystem, as it allows the team to convert different signal formats to AVB and then send the signal digitally to the amps. Pastor notes that P1 helps process the sound system more precisely, and it also has an important role when hosting several FOH consoles in the control room.
“P1’s different inputs and its routing allows us to switch immediately from one console to the other without interruption when different artists follow one another,” he says.

Once the system was fully integrated, L-Acoustics provided comprehensive training to Scène de Bayssan’s technical team, enabling them to be fully autonomous from design to rigging and system measurement for any given event.

“Throughout my career as a sound manager, I have had the pleasure of working with different loudspeaker manufacturer brands,” smiles Pastor. “I’ve always had a preference for L-Acoustics and the Kara II system in particular, I know there won’t be any objections from a production company, an artist or a band, as the system is rider friendly and renowned for its great acoustic performance.

“My technical philosophy has always been to only invest in equipment that is fully scalable and future proof. I am very happy that we invested in this system; it’s good to work with on a daily basis, the speed of implementation makes it efficient, and we’ve had very positive feedback from the public on the sound quality of the performances. If I had to make this choice again for a future project, I would not hesitate.”

More information on:

– The L-Acoustics website
– The Dushow website
– The Scene de Bayssan website

Italian superstar and showmaster Vasco Rossi roared back to live performance action this year with his “Vasco Live 2022” stadium tour which played 11 venues around Italy all of which were completely sold out.

The production was run to strict Covid guidelines with a goal of keeping the environment safe and ensuring that the show could go on, as the latest variants of the virus demonstrated that they are still capable of causing havoc, the consequences of which no large tour wants to deal with!

Lighting designer Giovanni Pinna created another spectacular show, choosing nearly 300 Robe moving lights to be the heart, soul, and backbone of the rig, with MegaPointes, Spiiders and LEDBeam 150s.

A 71-metre-wide stage and over 1000 square meters of video in Gio Forma studio’s set concept offered up a fresh new variation of the epic high-impact widescreen aesthetic that Vasco loves for presenting his live work. Giovanni took this as a major starting point for the lighting creative!

“I knew immediately and obviously that I needed A LOT of super-bright light sources to cut through and still make an impact with the video whilst also complimenting it and not taking over!” he declared, for which Robe proved a good and reliable choice that fitted the budget.

Giovanni also wanted to limit the amount of fixture types when it came to choosing lights, so these three Robe fixture types were combined with two other genres of luminaires.
He based the structural element of the lighting rig on a series of curves and circles, with four main circle trusses flown under the roof, all on a Kinesys automation system. The largest was a central 14 metre diameter with a 6-metre diameter one inside it and two 4 metre diameter side circles.

All of these were custom made to fit this design and moved up and down and tilted and pitched, a great effect that helped Giovanni keep the visual surprises coming right through the 2-hour and half set.
There were numerous side stage trusses and more between the PA and screen wings. Giovanni added eight 2 metre diameter Roll Star motion circles hung in the roof and side wings downstage facing into the audience. They rotated a bit like a giant Gobo and were “a lot of fun” to integrate into the show, also augmenting the architectural elegance and style of curves.

Giovanni has been a keen Robe user for several years and knew that MegaPointes and Spiiders would deliver exactly his required effects … the challenge was getting enough of them for the duration of the tour! The logistics were left to lighting vendor BOTW, who “came through with everything I wanted and were fantastic as always,” he noted.

The 186 MegaPointes, 164 x Spiiders and 24 x LEDBeam 150s were positioned all over the rig – on the circles, in the overhead trusses, across side and wing trusses, and on the stage deck. Basically, anywhere a fixture could be rigged! Eighteen Robe Pointes were deployed in the 4-metre circle.

Many were on the floor and around the scenery which provided a topological environment for Vasco and the band. Other lights were positioned along the downstage edge of the stage where there was a special balcony that included four triangular frames – two onstage and two in the wings – for lighting positions, together accommodating 48 x MegaPointes and 36 x Spiiders for low level lighting which was highly effective. The set and scenic elements were specially fabricated by BOTW.

“Using MegaPointes to produce all the fantastic massive looks and effects was incredible,” Giovanni enthused, explaining that for once, they had a decent amount of time to tech and programme the show during production rehearsals ahead of the first gig in Trento.

In addition to being able to create all the dynamics and spectacular moments he wanted, Giovanni knew he would have a reliable rig in the heat and dust of a particularly hot Italian summer. “The Robes were rock solid – we only had to change out one fixture on the whole tour,” he reported.
Thirty-six of the fixtures, mostly MegaPointes with some Spiiders, were controlled via a zactrack system for specific numbers, with the positional information and triggers integrated into the lighting cues on his grandMA3.

With video and lighting inextricably entwined, Giovanni and playback video operator Marco Piva worked closely to craft those huge looks and awesomeness – the two have worked together with the artist for several years and enjoy a great synergy together with live camera director, Giuseppe “Peppe” Romano.

On this tour, they had a dedicated Notch operator and d3 specialist Nicolas Di Fonzo was also integrally involved in producing the big visual picture. The 31-truck tour was production managed by Danny Truhlar. The timescale for each show was a 2-day set up followed by a show day, and ER once again supplied a spectacular laser system used for six songs, adding richness and texture to the visual mix. Video kit was supplied by Event Management.

For Giovanni and all of the crew, it was fantastic to be back on the road after an enforced break of two years due to the pandemic. “It was just amazing to be back together again following our passions, enjoying the camaraderie, producing great shows and entertaining so many people!” he concluded.

For more info about Robe Lighting, you can visit www.robe.cz

Adamson Systems Engineering is proud to announce its CS-Series line of intelligent loudspeakers is now Milan™ Certified, ensuring interoperability with all other Milan certified devices on the same network, regardless of manufacturer.

Brian Fraser

Due to the complexity and innovation of the CS-Series network topology, which was designed to allow end users to set up their system in a manner similar to current industry-leading passive systems, certification required the advancement of the Avnu Test Tool, of which Adamson has been a key partner in developing over the last 18 months.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of the group that defined the parameters of the Avnu test tool,” states Brian Fraser, Head of Product and Technology with Adamson.
“With the approval of the CS-Series line of products using this tool, we can now offer the industry’s first Milan Certified line array products that allow the user to daisy-chain networked audio between enclosures, while adhering to defined presentation time limits.”

The new tools of the CS-Series : Gateway, Network Distribution System, Power Distribution System and Bridge.

Adamson CS-Series intelligent loudspeakers include switch fabric allowing control data and the Milan Audio Network to be daisy-chained cabinet-to-cabinet while still meeting specified presentation times. This creates lower cable counts required to connect to arrays of loudspeakers giving fewer potential failure points, less cable weight, easier setup, and an overall cleaner look.

Adamson has been a major benefactor behind the development, verification, and validation of the Milan compliance test tool known as Avnu Express Test Suite (AETS) for Milan Advanced Certification.

The work behind this has included participating in weekly review meetings in a work group, running interim releases of AETS on in-house test benches, validating tests that passed, analyzing packet capture logs for tests that failed, bug reporting, and updating working Avnu documents. Adamson has received two certificates of recognition for its contributions toward the development of the AETS.

Brajendra K. Singh

Adamson’s Brajendra K. Singh has been integral to the development of the Avnu Express Test Suite: “It has been a great experience working with everyone in the Avnu test tool and Beta testing workgroups over the last one and half years. I am happy to have taken part in the evolution of new standards and tests.
I, and everyone at Adamson are appreciative to be a part of such an important initiative. Everyone was quite supportive in solving the issues that were identified during verification and validation of test cases for Milan Advanced Certification.”

Milan is a standards-based deterministic network protocol for real time media, created and maintained by Pro Audio market leaders including Adamson Systems Engineering.

A significant improvement over Milan 1.0 Certification, Milan Advanced Certified products must pass 180 tests including comprehensive testing of Milan redundancy and Milan AVDECC (Audio Video Discovery, Enumeration, Connection management and Control protocol).

For more information on Adamson’s CS-Series products visit www.adamsonsystems.com

RCF’s effort in assisting both installers and sound providers with the best audio technology and clear, powerful sound is at the core of the company’s beliefs. Since 1949, providing both power amplifiers and transducers to the professional market, the RCF experience marks a new milestone with XPS 16K.

Installed Audio

XPS Series is an excellent choice for high-power installation systems such as auditoriums, theme parks, and performance venues. Whether perfectly integrating with RCF passive speakers with ready-to-use presets, XPS provides installation-specific features, including enhanced system status monitoring, GPIOs for extended capabilities, flexible routing, and perfect integration with our proprietary RDNet management platform.

Tour sound

XPS shines when used in touring applications and live events from medium to very large capacity. Paired with RCF high-powered passive speakers, XPS gives a new perspective in sound system management. The system designer now has complete flexibility in choosing powered, or externally amplified speakers, balancing portability, weight, ease of installation, cabling, fast setup speed, and complete remote management, via RDNet.

Power to change everything

RCF knows power amplification and the development of active speaker technology in many diverse solutions. Now we have unleashed our power and signal processing technology into a convenient 2U package, designed for mobile touring and install applications.

Un rack touring bien fourni avec ses trois XPS 16K.

XPS 16K and XPS 16KD provide extreme power density with 4 x 4000 W continuous power outputs (200 ms bursts at 50 Hz, CF 7 dB and 1% THD+N) in 2 RU space.

The unit features 4 analog and digital AES/EBU inputs/outputs, a Dante Network ready design, and complete signal processing, tuning, and routing capability all at 96 kHz. Redundancy and full scalability are granted by the advanced and modular design of the circuitry. A complete set of RCF speaker presets is available, with powerful signal processing for complete system tuning.

Advanced electronic design

The extremely high voltage rail design provides dynamic power ratings relative to RMS power output, enabling the output stage to deliver high, short sustained non-clipping power bursts and extreme signal peaks. This high-power density and efficiency allow for massive power headroom. The amplifier’s advanced electronic design has been developed to achieve ultra-low distortion.

Audio processing

The advanced clocking management design provides low latency sample rate conversion with high-quality AD/DA converters up to 96 kHz. Each XPS 16K amplifier combines two 40-bit floating-point SHARC DSP chips at 96 kHz, and two more 32-bit DSP chips to independently manage audio processing and signal routing for maximum sound quality and redundancy.

Fault-tolerant architecture

RCF amplifier blocks are fully self-protecting and designed on an ‘audio-at-all-times’ principle, with all fault protection features individually set for each amplifier channel and power supply.

XPS 16K implements several safety strategies with fast and slow protections at both firmware and hardware levels. Scalability and resilience concepts are interpenetrated in the RDNet-OE converged network, which transports audio and control in a simple, and safe way, with priority management.

RDNet

L’écran tactile couleur.

A large 4.3’’ TFT color capacitive touch display on the front panel provides full operational control of the amplifier. Proprietary RDNet Over Ethernet Management Network and OSC protocol compatibility allow the system’s manager to have complete remote control of the amplifier.

Proprietary RCF RDNet control software will manage XPS amplifiers as intermediary between the user and the speaker, so the speaker will always be at the center of the scene, maintaining the usual control paradigm of RDNet software, for both internally and externally powered speakers.

Flexible signal routing

The comprehensive digital architecture of the amplifier features 4 analog and AES/EBU inputs and outputs that can be routed easily to suit any project. Dante networking provides audio with a standard IP network that delivers lossless audio and near-infinite signal routing flexibility.

La face arrière d’un XPS 16KD.

Setup recall fine tune

The XPS Series is the perfect companion of your RCF speakers. When used with RCF products, XPS features recallable speaker presets that enable advanced RCF processing algorithms such as FiRPHASE, BMC, and Bass Shaper for the best performance and maximum headroom possible for each transducer.

The XPS Series is now available for pre order.

More information on the RCF website