Ayrton is delighted to welcome VGD Project SIA of Riga, Latvia as its newest distributor. With immediate effect, VGD Project will exclusively represent Ayrton in Latvia and Estonia.

VDG Project was founded in 2013 as the Certified Provider Distributor and training centre for L-Acoustics in Baltic States where it is responsible for the territories of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Uzbekistan.

Igor Verkholat VGD Project CEO

The company, project specialists with a reputation for investing only in the top technologies, then looked to extend its offering to include professional lighting and turned to Ayrton’s comprehensive product line to fulfil this promise:

“Our goal is to represent only one manufacturer in each market segment,” explains VGD Project’s CEO, Igor Verkholat. “Only one brand and preferably the best! In this way we can be sure to supply a complete service for both the pro-audio and pro-lighting markets, and Ayrton fits into our philosophy very well.”
VGD Project will be distributing the entire Ayrton range of products and will concentrate its efforts on all sectors of the arts and performance, sporting, entertainment and rental markets.

Natalia Petrukhina, VGD Project Marketing, PR and Communications Manager.

“We formed VGD’s brand portfolio to cover all the needs of our customers and better develop our company,” confirms Natalia Petrukhina, VGD Project’s marketing manager. “This collaboration with Ayrton will allow us to promote our professional and business competences more effectively in the area of the Baltic States.”

“We are very much looking forward to this new working arrangement with VGD, and are excited at the prospect of developing a new market with the energy and expertise of this well-established and respected company,” says Ayrton’s Kseniia Igoshkina.

More on the Ayrton website

This past April, on the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio, California, artist Cristopher Cichocki devised a remarkable installation: the five-story-tall Circular Dimensions x Microscape, constructed with more than 25,000 feet of PVC tubes, portraying a visual spectacle that examines the artist’s ongoing exploration of water and the history of the desert.

The bandshell-shaped pavilion contained a living laboratory where scientists and artists generated experimental “video paintings” by manipulating water, salt, barnacles, and algae from the Salton Sea under microscopes and projecting that activity in real-time inside the pavilion’s “nucleus.”
The stunning visuals had an equally amazing aural component as well, provided by L-ISA immersive audio technology. A total of 60 speakers were deployed in the tunnel environment by sound designers Jonathan Snipes, who teaches sound design in the theater department at UCLA, and Bobby McElver, a professor of wavefield synthesis at UC San Diego.

Jonathan Snipes, professeur de sound design à UCLA.

Bobby McElver, professeur de WFS à UC San Diego.

The 57.1 system featured a combination of L-Acoustics X8 and 5XT coaxial loudspeakers supported by four SB18 subwoofers, while several Kiva II mini line arrays additionally delivered a mono version of the multichannel experience around the exterior of the tunnel.

Notably, the entire system was powered by the manufacturer’s highly-efficient new LA7.16i amplified controller, which was officially introduced at this year’s ISE and InfoComm. Offering an unprecedented 16×16 architecture in a 2U chassis with seamless Milan-AVB redundancy, each of the unit’s 16 output channels delivers up to 1300 watts at 8 ohms or 1100 watts at 4 ohms.

Le nouveau LA7.16 aussi flexible, performant, puissant que possible et capable d’animer 16 canaux d’amplification.

“With the new sustainability-focused LA7.16i, we were able to deploy only four amplified controllers occupying eight total rack spaces for this exhibit, which was a huge saving in terms of physical space versus using LA4X or LA12X,” shares L-Acoustics Application Project Engineer Carlos Mosquera.
“The LA7.16i also requires significantly less power to operate and generates less than half the heat of our other models, helping the tech room under the stage where the video gear was also housed feel less like an oven out in the California desert.

Carlos Mosquera, Ingé Application L-Acoustics.

Plus, the new amplified controller’s Milan-AVB solution is extremely fast and efficient to configure. Even though we had so many channels, the whole setup and calibration took less than half an hour. Thanks to the RAT Sound team, this was an ideal pilot deployment for the LA7.16i.”

“The audio I typically perform has a very three-dimensional spatialization aspect to it,” explains the artist, Cichocki, whose last name is pronounced “cha-ha-skee” and translates as “silence” in Polish.

“Bobby and Jonathan are sound-design professionals whom I’ve often worked with, and they suggested that L-ISA technology had the potential to take three-dimensional spatialization to the next level for Circular Dimensions. As it turned out, the bandshell type of environment I had designed for the installation was perfect for that.”

Cichocki, who performed live DJ sets for several hours each evening, developed hours’ worth of audio content for the installation and performance comprised of tracks of natural sounds and other elements as disparate as Gregorian chants and recordings of speeches by environmentalist Greta Thunberg. These experimental sets evolved from ambient in the daytime, switching gears to a high-energy dancefloor at night, all configured in eight channels and played through Ableton Live.

The ever-evolving library of Circular Dimensions audio content wasn’t officially finalized until opening day, and it was only available in stereo format, raising the question: how does one create an engaging, immersive experience on the fly from only two channels?
To prepare for the event, Snipes and McElver spent a couple of days with Mosquera to create the system design for this project at the L-ISA Studio in Westlake Village, California, which also uses a large number of X8 and 5XT enclosures.

“Not knowing what tracks Cristopher would ultimately be using for his sets, Bobby and Jonathan took a variety of tracks some percussive, some ambient, some melodic and came up with numerous ways for the artist to control the movement of sound throughout the space with L-ISA,” Mosquera recalls.

Le système 57.1 comprend une combinaison d’enceintes coaxiales X8 et 5XT soutenues par quatre subs SB18.

“First, they created a selection of snapshot presets that Cristopher could intentionally trigger from his iPad, which would cause the audio to move in specific ways around the loudspeakers inside the PVC tunnel.
The intensity of these effects could also be controlled with a slider bar on his iPad, much like a wet/dry mix. Second, Bobby and Jonathan created multiple ‘reactive’ effects, which would also prompt audio trajectories like sending everything to the center or panning audio in a wave from one side to the other.

These would be automatically actuated when certain frequencies or other thresholds were crossed in the playback material. This second approach created some really interesting, creative movements without the artist having to initiate them personally. The two approaches combined allowed Cristopher to take any material he wanted to play and decorrelate just two channels into dozens of outputs in L-ISA, creating a pretty incredible aural experience.”

Through the larger final system onsite, as Cichocki was mixing on the fly, the audio content passed through processing engineered by Snipes and McElver. “Cristopher is a visual artist who provided the audio content, but wasn’t rearranging it. He’d be pulling from that content live in the moment, like a DJ, so we weren’t able to pre-author any trajectory information,” confirms McElver.
“Instead, Jonathan and I built tools Cristopher could use to pull specific types of sounds and rhythms as he needed them. Some of those were reactive, and everything went through a real-time spectral and timbral analysis, so that it could be connected to other sounds and rhythms that way.”

McElver used Cycling 74’s Max 8 for that analysis, then set up macros using the snapshot feature in the L-ISA Controller, which allowed Cichocki to instantly call up specific bits of audio content, even as the rest of the content continued to play in automated mode through the L-ISA Processor II.
“Cristopher could see where the various audio objects were in the L-ISA Controller on the iPad, and he could change the speed and intensity of the other audio sources using an intensity slider we provided,” says McElver. “He could send sounds flying across the space ‘trajectory gestures’ but then the system would revert back to automated mode, so there was never any interruption to the sound.”

Snipes describes himself as the “middleware man” on the project, creating the means for Cichocki to keep adding and changing the audio yet never letting it stop playing. “I was looking for the sweet spot where he could have control over the performance and its intensity and other parameters, but also making sure there was sound activity going on at every moment, some of which was random and some reactive,” he says.
“What L-ISA brought to this project was a way to put all of those discrete sound sources in one place and then let them move and keep moving, either intentionally or automatically. L-ISA has the tools for that, and it’s robust enough to do it in a desert environment.”

The crowds who came to experience Circular Dimensions x Microscape weren’t the only ones that were impressed; Cichocki was equally wowed with the results. “What we accomplished with L-ISA was nothing short of spectacular,” he adds.
“It was thrilling watching as people moved through the tunnel and wondered how the sound could move around the way it did. It put the sound on the same level as the visuals. That’s pretty remarkable in the art-installation world.”

A video on Circular Dimensions x Microscape

More information on the L-Acoustics website

An extensive public address system from Electro-Voice and Dynacord has been installed at Cavatina Hall. Located in the vibrant, historic city of Bielsko-Biała, amongst the Beskidy mountains in southern Poland, the six-story building counts over 9,000 square meters of top-tier office space, a cutting-edge recording studio, a chamber music room and a majestic 1,000 capacity concert hall.

The 1,000 capacity concert hall.

The venue itself is owned by leading Polish development company Cavatina and is the first privately owned and funded concert hall in Poland. As a large, multi-use facility Cavatina Hall required an extensive solution to cover public address across its various areas. This needed to be flexible enough to meet the differing needs of office workers and theatregoers and led to Audio Plus, the company responsible for the coordination and co-designers of the solution, turning to the extensive Electro-Voice and Dynacord portfolio.

The heart of this solution is electronics from Dynacord, with an MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine alongside an IPX10:8 power amplifier. IPX multi-channel amplifiers are dedicated for fixed installations and offer sophisticated speaker processing. IPX also features Dynacord’s unique variable load drive (VLD) technology.

The MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine.

For each channel, the user can determine whether Low-Z or High-Z 70V/100V loudspeakers are driven without the need for an output transformer via direct drive technology. The IPX10:8 was the perfect choice for this project due to its ability to harness this technology across eight channels.

The IPX10:8 multi-channel power amplifier.

Stanisław Mielczarek, Tech Support Engineer, Audio Plus.

“The IPX 10:8 is at the core of the sound system. We wanted something that was technically optimal in terms of control and this amp allows each channel to be individually operated, along with analog inputs from Dante and OCA via OMNEO network inputs, it’s a highly flexible solution for us,” explains Stanisław Mielczarek, Tech Support Engineer, Audio Plus.

“MXE5 was chosen as it’s a universal processor that complements other systems in Cavatina Hall through SONICUE Sound System Software.

Tomasz Ibrom, Project and Installation Engineer, Audio Plus.

It integrates perfectly for this kind of project allowing us to have full control of the entire system of signal routing and signal processing for public address speakers.” adds Tomasz Ibrom, Project and Installation Engineer, Audio Plus, who was responsible for the system integration at Cavatina Hall.

The Dynacord electronics are driving a large 100V Electro-Voice loudspeaker solution combining the strengths of the EVID ceiling and surface mount ranges.
“EVID speakers offer a big spectrum of models in the series and were the ideal choice because of their mounting capabilities,” Ibrom explains. “Each piece is exactly fitted for its location.”

Some of the Electro-Voice EVID speakers.

The Electro_Voice FM6.2, 6”, 2-way and flush mount.

In the main auditorium, a pair of Electro-Voice FM6.2 speakers have been hidden behind the wooden sound panels either side of the stage. These are linked to the RTS intercom system and used for addressing the performers onstage.

One of the true legends of sound miking, the RE20.

The stage manager or event director can use the system via an Electro-Voice wireless mic to communicate with the musicians during rehearsals.
“This additional system works perfectly because the speech is super-intelligible and the speakers are completely invisible,” says Ibrom. “The team at Cavatina Hall are really happy with it.”

Staying on stage, Electro-Voice microphones have also been selected to cover a wide range of vocal and instrumental needs.
This includes everything from the RE97Tx micro-headworn condensers, to ND44, ND46 and ND66 instrument mics, as well as the iconic RE20 and RE320 Variable-D models.

The Hall now boasts superior efficiency in terms of connectivity, which fits in well to the innovative aesthetic of the multi-functional building.

Marcin Smolik, Producer and Managing Director at Cavatina Hall concludes: “We are at the forefront of Europe among the few venues that have such a system. Our technology is a treat for artists and for the viewer, it means quality.”

More information on:

– The Electro Voice website
– The Dynacord website
– The Audio Plus website
– The Cavatina Hall website

Multiplatinum selling pop group New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) continues to wow fans with their MixTape Tour 2022 featuring friends Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley and En Vogue as special guests. Lighting Designer Cat West of Flash and Trash Works, Inc. selected 108 Ayrton Intellipix R Creative Solutions as a central part of the high-energy, party look of the show.

Photo ParisVisone

Boston natives, the quintet NKOTB has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide. Their 2019 tour by the same name – their biggest since reuniting in 2008 – was a huge success and pioneered the concept of a super-sized show with multiple guest acts. The new arena-based MixTape Tour is scheduled to play more than 50 dates across the US from its kick off in Cincinnati in May to its finale in Hawaii in August.

It promises to keep the party going with a night full of chart-topping hits and legendary catalogues that span the generations. Cat West programmed the band’s MixTape Tour 2019 and their Fenway Park and Merriweather Post Pavillion events in 2021. This year, she was promoted to Lighting Designer building all the lighting looks for NKOTB and the guest acts.

Intellipix-R

“The general show look is a great big party!” West declares. Production Designer Butch Allen of Blame Funnel Creative designed a set with six giant monoliths that run upstage forming a dynamic, ever-changing backdrop for all of the artists.

“The Intellipix fixtures are built into the monoliths, which are on rotators, so they spin to allow for entrances and to give us some different looks throughout the night,” she explains.
“They fit perfectly and gave me a lot of pixels to play with so I can change the look of the stage behind the guys throughout the night.”

Intellipix R is a semi-transparent modular beam projection panel with 25 independently controllable 4.5º LED emitters in a 5 x 5 array that projects volumetric color graphics and media far into the air. Multiple panels can be connected together to form a giant screen; they assemble quickly and securely allowing large numbers of luminaires to be connected in series. Solotech, the lighting vendor for the gear and crew, provided the Intellipix Rs for the tour.

The monoliths feature in almost every song making an especially strong impression in “Block Party,” which marks the first time in the show that NKOTB appears to the audience. “We had a creative request to make a bright, strobey look that would accent the artists’ entrance,” says West. “The Intellipix fixtures made that super easy, and I didn’t even need to run them above 80% to make it happen. They’re nice and aggressive, just the way I like a light to be. And they are consistent and reliable every night.”

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

The first major live post pandemic corporate event staged in South Africa was organized by international services, trading and distribution company Bidvest for key clients, suppliers and staff.
Taking the theme “Future Now”, the large and impressive show returned live after a two-year absence, due to Covid restrictions, staged for the first time at the Time Square Arena in Pretoria with newly appointed CEO Nompumelelo Thembekile Madisa.

Nompumelelo Madisa broke the glass ceiling twice in 2019, both as the first black and the first African woman to be appointed CEO of Johannesburg stock exchange top 40 company Bidvest Group. It is an achievement that has inspired women and the business community across the continent and internationally, signaling a new era of gender empowerment and young new leadership qualities.

It was also her foresight and vision that helped drive investment in the event underlining the importance of having a large and spectacular show to celebrate moving forward from the pandemic, and the challenging time that this has been for areas like entertainment, hospitality and travel.
‘Future Now’ was a special commission for Bidvest created and produced by the multi-award winning team of David Bloch of David Bloch International and Choreographer Debbie Rakusin, who commissioned Gearhouse South Africa as technical supplier together with Pieter Joubert as technical director.
Stage, set and lighting design was delivered by Tim Dunn from nVisible agency, who flew in from the UK to programme and run the show lighting, which he did in close collaboration with Robert Grobler from technical contractor, Gearhouse South Africa (GSA).

Tim and Robert created some truly eye-catching lighting that ramped up the drama and the fun factors with the help of over 250 Robe moving lights! Previously, Tim has lit the show when living in South Africa and working for Gearhouse, and for this occasion the company supplied additional lighting kit that was added to the substantial Times Square house lighting rig. This very memorable and emotional occasion resonated throughout the industry as live events cautiously re-start in SA following two years of some of the toughest Covid restrictions worldwide.

Gearhouse Group company Sets Drapes Screens built the set. This comprised of a series of interlocking geometric shapes including three hexagonal thrust stages at the front surrounded by a series of triangular shaped facias outlined in LED tubes which filled the entire width of the room. Upstage was a recessed and raised area that showcased concept segments of some of the production dance routines that were performed by a large cast of over 200 which consisted of dancers, singers, a choir, a local celebrity DJ and speciality acts.
The video elements supplied by Led Vision also spanned the whole width, creating an epic wide-stage reminiscent of the African skies and horizons, and were designed in layers with an elegant 8-way center cluster of LED strip suggesting a powerful, positive South African sun image at the core of the space, also following the shape geometry idea. Along each side of the stage were three levels of video panels, with left and right IMAG screens completing the picture.

“The intention was to use the video to add depth and vibrancy as well as subtlety to the stage – I wanted to get a lot of video in there, but not for it to look overpowering,” commented Tim, which made a refreshing change from a big slab of LED at the back! Video playback content was supplied and operated by Inka Kendzia.

The gala dinner event was divided into three sections – a rousing set of speeches including by Bidvest CEO Nompumelelo Thembekile Madisa (Mpumi Madisa), followed by The Bidvest Show, a high energy performance with over an hour of action created especially for the event with the show’s musical direction by Bryan Schimmel and the show concluded with a concert by international electronic star, Seal.

Throughout the evening, guests were entertained by a fantastic lineup of African singing, musical and dance talent such as Bongi Mthombeni, Corlea Botha and Thembeka Mnguni as well as performing sets from local heroes Encore, a vibrant trio who sing in Setswana and who were hot from their recent Best Group nomination at the 2022 Metro FM Awards. Award-winning music producer and singer Ihashi Elimhlophe also earned his share of the adulation getting everyone moving and grooving with heart-touching lyrics, crisp beats, and soothing voice.

The Ndlovu Youth Choir raised the roof and helped ramp up an exceptional atmosphere with rhythm and soul. They sing in all 11 South African languages including Zulu, Xhosa and English and are part of the Ndlovu Care Group’s globally acclaimed childcare community programme, which aims to ensure that children from disadvantaged communities can enjoy the same level of musical tuition, care and opportunities as others from more affluent places.

With all this diversity and colour onstage, the pressure was on Tim and Robert to pull out all the stops with the lighting. On the second show evening, an Awards section was added to the schedule, recognizing Bidvest staff from Southern Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain and their achievements over the last year.

Tim and Robert’s biggest challenges were ensuring enough lighting to cover the full dynamic spectrum of the show – from the dining to the singing and dancing to the international star performance, and that’s why Tim chose all the Robe moving lights.
“I simply selected the best lights for the design, so there was a lot of Robe on the plot – power, reliability and versatility – everything you need,” he stated, having been using Robe on his work for several years.

The 130 x Pointes were the cornerstone of the lighting design. These were positioned in the air all over the stage, set and risers and were used for everything … from the big bold anthemic rock and R ‘n’ B numbers to the power ballads and the more delicate balletic pieces where the stage space needed to be closed right down.
Every Pointe in the rig was used as a truly multifunctional unit, and they were worked hard. “I still love the Pointe,” commented Tim, ‘it gives so many options in a small package and looks great on any stage.”

The 45 x Spiiders and 52 x BMFL Blades plus 12 x BMFL Spots were the key lights and the main stage lights. With large ensembles of dancers for most of the numbers, they needed the flexibility of having lights from all angles of the rig contributing to the looks.

Two additional BMFL WashBeams on RoboSpot systems were positioned on two of the short downstage trusses rigged with pin spots for the dining tables – and were used for everything onstage including the speeches, with the operators and their BaseStations located backstage at dimmer world.

The 16 x MegaPointes were mounted mainly on the set in between the side LED panels, where they were the main side dancer lighting positions as well as producing cool back lighting effects and back-of-shot eye candy for the cameras.

Tim has used them frequently before, but it was Robert’s first time with MegaPointes. “They are very impressive, especially for dance,” he commented, especially where the lighting had to keep pace with the fluidity and motion of the choreography. He also adds that he looks forward to working with MegaPointes again in the future.
Time was tight for get-in, set up and programming, so Tim and Robert programmed the show simultaneously working on different grandMA consoles in the same session which was extremely efficient and allowed them to establish an excellent creative flow.

Tim looked after all the big looks and key lighting while Robert added detail and “twiddly bits”. Tim commented that while they had known each other for over 15 years when Tim was working in South Africa, this was the first show they have programmed together.
“It was a fantastic experience … and I hope we get the chance to do it again!” he concluded, adding that it was also great to be back working in South Africa again and experiencing the special energy, enthusiasm and vibes of the industry here.

The show also reignited the passion and dedication of everyone involved and underlined the amazing skillsets, imagination and teamwork that go into producing truly world-class shows in the region.
It involved the talents and expertise of over 120 technical staff working across all disciplines and “to re-start with something of this scale and profile was a fantastic boost to our SA technical production industry” emphasizes Pieter Joubert who initially started working on the show in September 2021.

Eyal Yehezkely was GSA’s project manager for the event. FOH sound was mixed by Johan Griesel for Seal, and Jakob de Wit for the Gala event and other artists, both using the Times Square PA house system.

All other technical aspects were delivered by the Gearhouse Group of companies, except for Pixel Nation who provided the Watchout system and services for the AV playback and MGG as Inhouse Technical Supplier to Time Square provided rigging and additional lighting support including the 16 x MegaPointes that were so central to Tim’s design.

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

Country artist Kane Brown returned to his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 7 to play his first-ever stadium show at Chattanooga’s Finley Stadium. Lighting and production design for the sold-out show was by Trevor Ahlstrand who used Elation lighting on the milestone event, including the company’s popular IP-rated powerhouse luminaire Proteus Maximus, all supplied by DCR Nashville (DCRNashville.com).

Photos Austin Massey

Kane Brown is a breakout success story whose popularity has grown exponentially since debuting only a few years ago. Ahlstrand has collaborated with Brown since the artist’s first headlining arena tour, “Live Forever,” in 2019, and served as lighting designer and programmer on the stadium show. Nick Chang served as lighting director.

Photo Joey Tortuga

Extended look
Following the “Live Forever” tour, Brown managed to get in six shows with a new design from Ahlstrand before everything shut down due to Covid.
The current touring design, which continues that production albeit with some modifications, features Elation Proteus Smarty Hybrid luminaires, a fixture whose non-IP-rated version the designer was familiar with from the “Live Forever” tour, along with DTW Blinders, Chorus Line 16 LED pixel bars and Color Chorus 12™ LED battens.
In order to extend the look for the stadium show, Ahlstrand turned to DCR’s new stock of Proteus Maximus, fixtures the full service event production company added to inventory this past March.

Big in every way
For the stadium show, Ahlstrand kept the same touring rig under the roof but added bigger output gear for the exposed areas as part of an audience lighting package. “The show was big in every way,” the designer commented. “It was also filmed – a 20 camera shoot – so I needed some lights with extra horsepower that could work on a larger scale in order to widen and balance the look. It was important that we were capturing for the camera while immersing the audience in the show. We went with Maximus, not to be overpowering but to accent the design.”

Photos Austin Massey

Proteus
Perhaps best known for its 50,000 lumens of power, the IP65-rated Maximus can function as a profile, beam or wash light and houses a full FX package (gobos, animation, prisms and more) for highly effective mid-air or textured looks.
John Schirmer of DCR comments, “When DCR was asked to look at providing the additional lighting for Kane’s stadium show, it quickly became apparent to me that the only path to success was to provide IP65-rated fixtures out in the audience. And, as if scripted, major storms rolled in during load in and we didn’t lose one single fixture.
The Elation Proteus Smarty Hybrids and Proteus Maximus provided the punch and flare that was needed for Kane’s stadium debut and they performed excellently.”

Photo Austin Massey

Maximus fixtures worked from vertical trusses on each delay tower with units lining the bowl and additional fixtures working from each corner of the stage. With rain each day up until show time, as well as a bit of rain during the show itself, its full weatherproof rating was welcome and meant that the full light show stayed operational and no time was used swapping out lost fixtures.

Small, lightweight and fast, yet with good power at 11,000 lumens, the multifunctional Proteus Smarty Hybrids worked from the upstage, above and below IMAG screens. Ahlstrand exploited the CMY color-mixing unit’s spot/beam/wash capabilities on a show that, although country, can sometimes feel more akin to rock or pop.

“It has great effects, the profile is clean and it has a nice prism, but it can also be beamy when it needs to be,” he says. “The frost is also good and together with the zoom it lets me use it for big washes.” The DTW Blinder 700 IP units – variable white 4-lites with 175W warm white/amber COB LEDs – worked from the wings. Also in the rig were Elation Chorus Line 16™ LED pixel bars, as well as Color Chorus 12™ LED battens.

DCR
DCR has built up a solid inventory of Elation products over the years and has supported Kane Brown ever since the artist first broke big. “They have a phenomenal crew,” Ahlstrand says of the Nashville-based production and rental house. “They worked on a tight schedule on this project and just knocked it out of the park. They got everything up quickly and gave us the time we needed to make it all work.”

John Schirmer adds, “It was a pleasure working with Trevor who exhibits a calm, cool and collected demeanor in the most challenging environments. When the success of big shows are on the line, DCR, Trevor and Kanes’s team excel with the help of our vendor partners such as Elation. It was a great privilege to be a part of a historic evening for Kane Brown.”

Besides the satisfaction that comes from playing a successful sold-out stadium show in your own hometown, the city of Chattanooga honored Kane Brown for his achievements by proclaiming May 7 Kane Brown Day and giving him a key to the city.
Brown’s current tour ends in early June with a string of festival dates lined up for the summer. He then kicks off an international tour on September 17 in Melbourne, Australia, with dates in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, and Europe.

For more info about Elation Lighting, you can visit www.elationlighting.com

The Estonian Traditional Music Centre (ETMC) is a unique venue which hosts international concerts, conferences, receptions, dinners, and parties. Situated next to the historical Viljandi Castle ruins, the former 18th century granary was transformed into a contemporary concert hall and cultural hub almost 15 years ago.

It incorporates two concert halls – the Grand Hall with a capacity of 400, and the Chamber Hall with seating for 80 – and boasts an extensive concert program, including the renowned Viljandi Folk Music Festival.

To celebrate the return of live events, ETMC has recently invested in a selection of new gear, including High End Systems SolaFrame Studio fixtures and an Ion Xe console from ETC.

In 2019, more than 100 concerts featured on ETMC’s roster, and it hosted an additional 250 events arranged by visiting organizations.
Naturally, the pandemic led to a significant decline in events. The venue took this as an opportunity to review options for replacing some of its equipment.

“Ever since ETMC opened in 2008, we used ETC Revolution fixtures and it was very hard to find an LED-based moving head suitable to replace those,” says Silja Liivamägi, venue coordinator.
“During the coronavirus lockdown we did many shootouts, but the result was always the same – good old Revolution was the winner in the categories of quality of light, output, and silence. It even delivered color, silently.”

ETC SolaFrame Studio

ETMC worked with local dealer Focuspoint to find a suitable solution that checked all the boxes. “Eventually, we found High End Systems SolaFrame Studio moving lights which managed to deliver the right quality of light,” adds Liivamägi.

“The Studio fixtures were selected primarily for the quality of the light and silent operation. As many concerts in our program use natural instruments, we needed a powerful but silent option for such events.”
The six SolaFrame Studio fixtures are positioned front of house for lighting the talent in the Grand Hall. Since restrictions have been relaxed, the venue has hosted more than 40 concerts and another 130 events.

“The Solaframe Studio fixtures have already been put to good use – especially for events featuring traditional, acoustic musical instruments,” says Liivamägi. “Although six fixtures might not seem a huge number, it was a very important investment and addition to our lighting rig. We are very pleased with the result.”

Meanwhile, ETMC chose another ETC product for lighting control. “We opted for an Ion Xe to replace our old Ion Classic. It was the obvious choice, especially since the in-house technical team was already so familiar with Eos-family consoles,” says Liivamägi.

The 12-strong team at ETMC is currently busy preparing for the 29th Viljandi Folk Music Festival. The annual event takes place every July and attracts around 25,000 visitors.
“Our decision to select ETC products was also influenced by the level of support available – something we are particularly mindful of around festival time,” explains Liivamägi.

“ETC support in Estonia is excellent. Our dealer, Focuspoint, provides good support and this is important to us. Our local representative, Kalle Karindi, is only a phone call away, plus there’s always ETC technical support available if we ever need it.”

More information on the ETC website

Robert Juliat is very proud to announce that the famous Zepp series of venues in Asia has invested in more RJ fixtures with the addition of 6 RJ Oz 600W LED followspots delivered to the new Zepp Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

The Oz fixtures were specified by Yukiteru Hayashi of Sogo Butai, and supplied by Total Solution Marketing Pte Ltd, RJ’s partner for Malaysia. Zepp Kuala Lumpur is a multi-purpose venue with a seating capacity of 2414 which hosts concerts, comedy shows, musicals, drama and seminars.

The RJ Oz followspots were selected as the best fixture to meet the varied demands of the venue’s requirements and the types of show Zepp KL puts on. “The flexible features of RJ fixtures will be highly appreciated by our followspot operators,” says Arnan Rahman, Senior Manager for Zepp KL.
“I cannot wait to see what wonderful stages they will accomplish in different scenes with these extremely high-quality lights. I am just so honoured that our hall can make use of such famous fixtures which are born from 103-years of historical development.”

The Oz followspots are rigged on a platform 10m above stage level with a throw distance of approximately 25m. “Unlike other venues in Kuala Lumpur, the operators are happy to have six followspots to operate instead of just two or three,” says Mr Rahman.
“They enjoy the fact that the followspots are placed high above the audience seats and equipped with a chair so that they can operate in a comfortable position. They also commented that the Oz followspots have such a high quality, smooth and beautifully bright light that it is simply a pleasure to handle them.”

“Oz is so well-calculated ergonomically that even followspot operators who haven’t used the same type of model are able to handle them so easily,” confirms Yukiteru Hayashi. “It is worth noting that Oz uses an LED source, meaning there’s no need to change the light bulbs and it saves energy.
We are glad to have access to Oz which is both economical and ecological at the same time. It is no wonder that Oz is appreciated among well-known venues in Japan. Naturally I chose Oz for Zepp KL, just like I did for Zepp Fukuoka, Zepp Haneda and KT Zepp Yokohama.”

Robert Juliat fixtures have long been a favourite of the Zepp venues with large numbers having been specified and installed by Sogo Butai over the years. Zepp venues were amongst the first to adopt the original LED fixtures from Robert Juliat with RJ’s first LED Aledin profiles and Fresnels installed in Zepp Fukuoka, KT Zepp Yokohama, Zepp Haneda, Zepp Namba and Zepp DiverCity, closely followed by RJ ZEP and Tibo profiles at Zepp Osaka Bayside, Zepp Fukuoka, KT Zepp Yokohama and Zepp Haneda.

RJ Dalis 860 cyclorama fixtures have also been installed in Zepp venues at Namba, Nagoya and DiverCity, as well as Zepp Osaka Bayside, Zepp Fukuoka, KT Zepp Yokohama and Zepp Haneda.

In addition to the Oz followspots at Zepp Fukuoka, KT Zepp Yokohama and Zepp Haneda, Sogo Butai has also installed RJ Victor followspots at Zepp venues in Namba, Osaka Bayside, Nagoya, DiverCity and Sapporo.

“Robert Juliat has been incredibly successful in all the Zepp venues,” confirms Yukiteru Hayashi. “But we really love the outcome of Zepp Kuala Lumpur, it is really the best Zepp I’ve ever seen. We are so proud we could work on it during pandemic, even as a tiny part of the role.”
“I would like to emphasize that, thanks to so many parties involved in the construction of this hall despite one of the toughest situations caused by the pandemic, it feels like such a rewarding blessing that it finally came to fruition with so much success,” concludes Mr Rahman. “Even though the hall opened only a month ago or so, the slots are already full until December.

“I would like to thank Mr. Hiroo Nakayama, among others, for having designed such an operator-minded stage. In my mind, this philosophy of thinking not only about performers and audiences, but also the operators, links to that of Robert Juliat which makes fixtures so comfortable and pleasing to use with their sincere qualities. I am sure the success of this venue will simply continue to grow, thanks to all these honest features of the venue itself equipped with Robert Juliat fixtures.”

For more information on Robert Juliat Oz and any of its wide range of followspots and other lighting solutions, visit www.robertjuliat.com

When Capital Sound, part of the Solotech UK Group, conceived the original design for Stereophonics’ homecoming concert at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, for what would have been their ‘We’ll Keep A Welcome’ Christmas show, the idea of 23 Martin Audio PA hangs (covering both an A stage and 40-metre thrust to a B stage) was entirely achievable.

Robin Conway

“The kit was already prepped and ready to go out, when the show was suddenly cancelled,” states Solotech Senior Technical Advisor, Robin Conway.
But when the gig was rescheduled for June, there was none of the luxury of pre-production time that had accompanied the original show.
Not only did the B stage now need to function as a totally independent stage, with its own PA, (rather than simply as a delay stage), but Friday’s planned production/build-up day suddenly disappeared when the following night’s concert which also featured Tom Jones sold out; this resulted in a second date being added … on the Friday!

iKON iK42. A lot of them actually and ready to fly.

The support line-up also changed at the last minute (with Newport-based Feeder coming in), while back at London HQ the crew worked around the clock to deprep inventory returning to base from other festivals (in what has become a frantic summer season for all PA companies as the event industry strives to recover), before reprepping and trucking it down to Wales.

74,000 Stereophonix seats ready to be shaken, not stirred.

Of course, the crowd of 74,000-plus who filled the stadium under its closed roof were oblivious to this, and revelled in the kind of first-class, evenly balanced coverage for which Solotech and Martin Audio are renowned.
There was no compromise to the sound despite the production company needing to make a late provision for the incoming film crew, necessitating them to provide a separate broadcast feed in addition to the sound in the bowl.

Thus there was plenty to occupy the minds of the band’s long-serving sound engineer Dave Roden, Crew Chief, Tim Patterson, and system tech Mark Cleator, working alongside production manager Dave Nelson.

Dave Roden

Not least of these was how to create 360° of coverage via the B stage system, with two hangs facing back towards the main stage, which obviously meant the audience had to turn around to see when the band performed there.

The main PA hangs from A stage comprised 18 MLA and one MLD (Downfill) enclosure per side. Behind them were two hangs of seven MLX subs in end-fire configuration, with side hangs consisting of 16 MLA per side. Front fills comprised eight XD12 and 16 WPS (set in pairs on a shelf across the front of the stage).

The MLA and MLX of the A stage.

For the B stage Cap turned to their new Wavefront Precision (WPL). These hangs comprised 12 x SXHF218 in a single column, with 36 flown WPL—18 on either side of the subs—while outflanking these were two further hangs of 14 WPL and two hangs of WPC facing the main stage to complete the 360° coverage.

Assembly of the bass column of stage B composed of 12 SXHF218.

The Wavefront Precisions were driven in 2-box resolution from 24 iKON iK42 multi-channel amplifiers in a flown amplifier cart directly over the B-Stage.
The ring delay system, meanwhile, comprised eight hangs of eight MLA Compact.

Robin Conway explained the processing rationale. “Without the luxury of time we used a Dante-enabled Soundweb BLU-806 to create a custom-delayed matrix.
Any part of the PA system applicable to A or B stages had different delay taps (for instance the ring system had two different times programmed as the action shifted from A to B stages).”

These delay taps allowed the FOH team to choose the entire system focus dependent on which, or how many, band members were performing on which stage at any given time.

“Overall, we got the result we wanted in the face of enormous challenges, and in fact this probably broke some kind of internal record. I doubt, in our history, we’ve fielded 23 separate hangs of PA for a one-off gig before.”

For more information on the Martin Audio website

Gazing up at the sky from the banks of the Mediterranean, Pythagoras felt a mystical harmony resonating through the heavens as the sun and moon, joined the stars and planets floating through their celestial orbits. ‘There is music in the spacing of the spheres,” the Ionian Greek mathematician and philosopher declared, articulating his vision with a series of formulas and geometric patterns.

photo Steve Jennings

Today, over 25 centuries later, his insights into the beautiful interplay between visual patterns and music is being celebrated in Coldplay’s global “Music of the Spheres” tour, in which the superstar band’s performance is being supported by a stunning and transcendent production design by Misty Buckley and Phil Harvey.

Inspired by Pythagoras’ writings and diagrams, the stage design evokes the great thinker’s vision with unfolding spherical patterns extending out from the stage in multiple directions. Accentuating this panorama, and endowing it with even greater moving power is a Sooner Routhier lighting design that features 192 Color STRIKE M fixtures.

Supplied by Upstaging, the IP65-rated motorized blinder/washes are suspended from pylons on either side of the stage and on audience PA towers, in addition to being arranged in circular configurations on the decks of the main stage and Stage B.

photo Steve Jennings

“There’s a specific Pythagoras diagram that displays the arcs and movement of the solar system and its celestial bodies that we leaned on for inspiration,” Routhier said of the overall design concept. “So, the architecture for the lighting design, and the cuing of the system is heavily based on spheres, circles and arcs. Matt Geasey of Clear All Visuals did much of the tech development, drafting, and pre viz integration, relating to these concepts, including for our lighting system.”

Routhier’s lighting design highlights the stage’s geometric patterns with flowing movements that add to the orbital sense of the show. The motion of the light flows seamlessly with the music, with flourishes such as arches rise rhythmically from the upstage deck, while the horizontal streams of light moved out from it. Her design also creates evocative moods reminiscent of a transformative journey through the imaginative use of color contrasts and strobing effects.

Chauvet Color Strike M

The versatility of the Color STRIKE M, which features high output pixel mappable tubes flanked by RGB banks of LEDs (also pixel mappable), was key to helping her achieved some of these memorable looks.
“We did a lot of very unique things with these fixtures, “ said Routhier. “The song ‘Clocks’ was very special. There are moments in that song when we pull front lighting out completely and silhouette the band against the video wall using the STRIKE Ms. This works dramatically with the massive green laser that comes out of the apex of the arc video wall. Most all the other lights are off during that song.

“I also love the rainbows in ‘Adventure of a Lifetime,’ especially the rainbow we get with the STRIKE Ms,” continued Routhier. “I enjoy playing with all the colors in our cuing. Coldplay seems to be all about rainbows, which is an absolute blast! Chris Martin wanted the feeling that the audience is moving through the seven levels of chakra from the top of the show to the finale.
We followed it loosely using the chakra colors in order, but pairing them with something complementary. Sometimes we sway from the chakra order as certain songs have very specific identities. However, if you pay close enough attention, you can see that the show flows in order – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet…. and so on. “

The pixel mapping prowess of the Color STRIKE M helped the design team come up with a variety of mood-setting ambience looks for songs such as “Beautiful,” when lighting programmers Joe Lott and Matt Kemp of Quantum Creative used the fixtures to create colorful fluttering motions of aqua and pink against back colors of teal, green and UV.

photo Steve Jennings

“We relied on the Color Strikes to give us a lot of pixels to manipulate,” said Lott. “Having such a large quantity of units in close proximity gives us a really dynamic surface to create the show’s looks and effects. The circular aura of Strike M fixtures around the band is key to giving the stage it’s shape. With the high density of pixels, it allows us to achieve smooth gradients of colour and light wrapping around the band; and with over 8,000 pixels in total we can create very different patterns and shapes giving each song its own identity.

“The amount of light output from these fixtures is seriously impressive,” continued Lott. “When we turned the audience lights on for the first time in South America we were able to light up the entire stadium in color in a way I’ve not seen before. The song ‘People Of The Pride’ makes great use of how bright the Strike Ms are by allowing us to strobe the entire stadium in bright white light.’
Intense audience lighting is instrumental in connecting Coldplay to fans on the tour, agrees lighting operator Shaheem Litchmore. “Audience interaction and connection are such a major part of our show,” he said. “When Chris is on stage and says ‘I can see you,’ it sparks a powerful shared moment with fans.”

Going back and forth between the band and the audience, this link results in a circle of connectivity encompassing everyone on stage, and in the arena — exactly the sort of spherical harmony that would have been music to Pythagoras’ ears.

Armin van Buuren showed the universe once again that he is one of the most talented, innovative and creative musicians on the planet, with five blockbusting “This Is Me” shows staged at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome.
Equally amazing lighting was designed by his long-term LD Marc Heinz who included over 300 Robe moving lights on the rig.

Postponed twice due to Covid, the shows unleashed all the energy and imagination you would expect from an Armin show, complete with a vibrant and talented line up of dancers, guest vocalists and musicians, the show was every bit the visual and sonic extravaganza for which Armin is known, from A State of Trance to Armin Only … he rocks the world in his unique and individual way.
Marc put these serious quantities of Robe – 161 x Pointes, 84 x MegaPointes, 90 x Spiiders and 9 BMFL WashBeams with a RoboSpot system on his spec – because he knew they would deliver “all the essential features needed – brightness, great colours and effects” to make impact for these important shows.

He and assistant LD Jordy Veenstra worked closely with the Twofiftyk/Eyesupply team led by creative director Sander Reneman and show director Sophie Reneman who presented the dramatic set and visual concepts that defined the performance space. At the heart of this was a dynamic 20 x 14 metre box centrepiece that framed an elegant A-shaped DJ booth containing Armin’s decks and performance tech.

Central to the scenic design, above the box were four large moving LED screens that flew in and out. This ‘Pandora’s Box’ – as the crew dubbed it – transformed the space architecturally throughout the show, revealing many surprises in the process!
It drew the visual focus to Armin’s workspace from where he unfolded his story with the screen content assisting in content and context, and live camera feeds which were directed by JW Schram.

This powerful idea was also Marc’s starting point. He knew immediately with four individually flying screens … that his lighting design would have to consider which lights could or could not be used in relation to which specific sections of the screen were in or out during the 50 plus motion cues that were developed for the set!
“The challenge was to establish what we could use, where, when and how on the rig to do our part of making sure the show was memorable for the audience,” he explained.

Marc, well known for his work in theatre and opera, has developed a special crossover lighting aesthetic that fuses the drama and intensity of these two disciplines with the unbridled energy of electronic dance vibes.
The core of the lighting was positioned on nine automated lighting trusses rigged in between the four moving screens. The screens flew in and out and also pitched as the three and a half hours show evolved.

These 9 trusses were loaded with 4 x Pointes together with some other fixtures. Pointes were chosen for their small size, light weight and adaptability which was ideal for these positions, and because “they are an ultimately versatile effects light,” stated Marc. They enabled him to create striking colour and beam effects around the box area directly above the artists.

The balance of the Pointes was deployed all around the front and sides of the stage with some underneath it. The 80 x Spiiders were in 10 rows of 8 fixtures on ladders upstage of the box along with the 72 x MegaPointes, spaced out in a rectangular shape in similar positions. All these fixtures delivered a battery of mind-blowing effects as well as for blasting through the semi-transparent screens at times for completely different looks.

The winning combination of these two fixtures provided numerous dramatic power looks and luminescent energy onto the stage and artists and beyond, shooting into the crowds right to the back of the arena and bringing “endless additional possibilities to the Pandora’s Box,” noted Marc.
The BMFLs were on one of the downstage static trusses, and their main function was to provide key light for guest performers, a line up which was fluid in the run up to these shows as the live music industry – and people’s commitments – returned with a massive post-covid bang! The two BMFL WashBeams on the front (most downstage) motion truss were controlled via the RoboSpot remote follow system.

Also on the rig were loads of strobes and LED battens, some LED wash and profile moving lights, all controlled via two grandMA3 consoles programmed by Michael Severeens, a long time Armin lighting collaborator who was back on the FOH team running and programming the main show console.
The second console which took care of all the broadcast lighting, follow spots and side and rear specials, was operated by Jeroen van Geffen. Marc and his FOH team WYG’d the show for two weeks at Twofiftyk’s studio in Eindhoven and then moved to a suite in the Ziggo Dime during the show get in and build where they visualised in Depence2, programmed and finessed.

Some parts of the lightshow were timecoded and others were improvised, although you’d be pushed to tell between! Marc commented that he is “always delighted” to be working with all of these “incredibly talented individuals.” He particularly likes Twofiftyk’s approach to creating live art: “They think out-of-the-box every time and present us all with the chance to also think independently and produce some very creative and inventive solutions.”

He enjoys working on Armin’s shows generally, which blend elements from multiple visual and sonic genres and are constantly interesting and thought-provoking. “He’s very intelligent and very grounded,” offered Marc when asked what it’s like working with one of the number one DJs in the world. There is always a great atmosphere around the production and that is great for encouraging the levels of achievement involved in these performances!”
Armin’s “This Is Me” technical production package was delivered by Alda Events (Joey Wijnen) and Twofiftyk (Jordy van Straten), and Margus Spekkers was the stage manager ensuring that everything was smooth and well co-ordinated on and off stage.

The lighting equipment was sourced from several different rental companies during an exceedingly busy period. Flashlight Ampco Rental supplied the motion control system and lasers were supplied by Laser Image and operated by Stefan Ünal.

More information on the Robe website

DiGiCo is delighted to announce the release of its latest Version 3.0 software update, dramatically increasing the processing power of its small footprint, cost-effective S-Series consoles. Version 3.0 offers an optional software expansion that significantly increases the channel count from 48 to 60 flexi channels and 24 flexi busses, turning S-Series consoles into an S21+ or an S31+.

V3.0 includes two new Master Buss configurations: LCR (Left Centre Right) or LRM (Left Right Mono), providing additional control on the channels over the LCR blend or the LRM Mono Gain. LCR or LRM are ideal for running an expanded speaker setup or sending out a mono mix alongside your stereo mix. And increasing the Master Buss size doesn’t introduce any compromises: you still have access to all your busses and channels.

Software version 2.2 introduced OSC Control of Snapshots. Version 3.0 extends the OSC control capabilities to channel processing controls. With the ability to control many aspects of channel and buss processing including EQ and dynamics, this update adds a huge amount of flexibility when integrating your S series console with external remote control systems.

Version 3.0 now adds compatibility for MADI Sample Rate Conversion on the DMI-MADI-B and DMI-MADI-C. SRC allows the S21 or S31 to run at a different sample rate to connected MADI devices, providing useful flexibility when connecting to external MADI devices.
This is commonly used for recording and virtual soundchecks, and for maximum compatibility, both Hi-Speed and SMUX 96k MADI modes are supported.

The DiGiCo DQ Rack.

Compatibility for DiGiCo’s Dante based DQ Rack, a compact 48 in, 24 out high-performance Stage Rack, is also included.
When connected to your S Series console via a Dante64@96 DMI Card, this provides cost effective expansion, which is perfect for both touring and installation applications.
Dante is commonly used for fixed installation and conference AV solutions, so the support of the expanding Dante Rack range with the S21 and S31 consoles is an important step and opens the consoles up to more markets and opportunities.

The S-Series now makes use of GPIO (General Purpose Inputs and Outputs), with both the S21 and S31 featuring a ¼” GPI and ¼” GPO on the back for connection to external devices. GPI can be used to fire a specific Snapshot, or to trigger the previous or next Snapshot.
GPOs are commonly used to trigger external devices with a simple contact closure. Adding a GPO message to your S-Series Snapshots provides simple integration options as the contacts can be programmed to either open or close with each Snapshot. With a Snapshot being fired you could use GPO to trigger a projector being lowered, or dim or brighten the house lights.

The S21.

Dynamic EQ is a powerful processing feature built right into the channels and provides the ability to control the amount of EQ being applied to a signal, based on the level of the signal. This is often used to solve audio problems like the proximity effect, or to de-ess a signal. Version 3.0 software adds ganging of this function across multiple channels, a useful time saver when mixing a lot of similar inputs that all need a similar treatment.

When mixing, it is useful to have a single tap control that sets the delay time across all your delays. With version 3.0, the Ten Tap Delay effect can now be added to the Global Tap Delay, so no matter which internal delay effect you are using, you always have access to the control you need.
Finally, since all channels on the S21 and S31 are flexi channels (meaning they can be either mono or stereo), the optional software expansion allows up to 120 inputs to be processed across the 60 stereo channels, and 48 output processing paths across the 24 stereo groups or auxes. It also includes the previously mentioned Master buss (including the new LCR and LRM configurations) and standard 10 x 8 Matrix.

DiGiCo Managing Director, Austin Freshwater.

“Our aim is to always give our consoles a long lifespan and maximise return on investment,” says DiGiCo Managing Director, Austin Freshwater. “Our software upgrades allow our consoles to not only keep pace with what engineers need now, but anticipate what will be needed in the future, meaning your DiGiCo consoles are always a step ahead.
This is exactly what we’ve done with Version 3.0 for the S-Series, which not only seriously expands the channel count of the S21 and S31, but adds some really useful features that will take S-Series into new markets.”

Version 3.0 is free to all S-Series owners and is available at www.digiconsoles.biz

To purchase the channel expansion pack, visit the DiGiCo Shop

Lighting designer and founding partner of Woodroffe Bassett Designs, Adam Bassett, specified a wealth of IP65-rated Ayrton fixtures for the entertainment lighting rig for EXPO 2020 Dubai’s central venue, the Al Wasl dome. The rig included 182 Ayrton Perseo S profiles, 116 Ayrton Domino S profiles and 16 Ayrton Huracán LT long throw profiles.

Postponed for over a year due to Covid, EXPO 2020 Dubai finally ran for six months between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022, and was the largest event ever to be held in the Arab world. The indisputable centrepiece was the Al Wasl dome, a spectacular 130m-diameter by 67m-tall arching steel trellis that also became the world’s largest 360° projection surface.

Its translucent dome crowned the central Al Wasl Plaza which, as the ‘beating heart’ of EXPO 2020 Dubai, encompassed gardens and restaurants during the day and transformed into the main staging area during the evening and night. Over the course of the festival it hosted the Opening and Closing ceremonies and over 40 performances, concerts and events. It is destined to become a lasting legacy long into the future.

Due to the inhospitable conditions of summer in the desert, fixture selection for the iconic venue was a subject of careful consideration. “Choosing fixtures that were both capable of withstanding the harsh environment that they would be required to operate in as well as delivering the high output and extensive feature set was our goal when examining the fixture options available,” says Bassett.

“Among others, we chose a range of Ayrton products (Domino-S & Perseo-S) which confidently matched up to these demands. Additionally, we selected the Huracán LT fixture as one of the automated follow-spot sources working in conjunction with the Follow-Me system. The Ayrton fixtures proved a reliable and effective workhorse throughout.”

The busy show schedule ran from sundown to midnight during the weekdays and 2am at weekends, plus rehearsals, which left very little time for maintenance. All the Ayrton fixtures specified by WBD are IP65 rated and have a reputation for reliability which was invaluable, given the limited amount of time and access for maintenance. “Despite these conditions, there were hardly any failings in the Ayrton fixtures,” said Senior Lighting Programmer, Chris Lose. “The Perseo in particular was rock solid.”

The Ayrton fixtures were rigged in all of the major lighting positions. Beneath each of the forty-two projection pods located around the circumference of the dome’s trellis were 4 Ayrton Perseo S profile fixtures (total 168) and 2 Ayrton Domino S (total 84), all in sand coloured skins. These were used to light the central stage, garden areas and the wider concourse.
Four masts and four RMU positions within the garden were each hung with 4 Domino S profile fixtures (32 in total) which were used for stage and area washes from within the garden area. These also carried a total of 16 Ayrton Huracán LT long throw profile fixtures which acted as follow spots in conjunction with a Follow-Me tracking system. The mast and RMU Domino S and Huracán LT were also coated in sand coloured skins.
The only black Ayrton fixtures were 14 Perseo S profile units, located on the central audio truss 10m above the main stage, and the only fixtures to provide overhead stage lighting.

The sand-coloured skins served a dual purpose as both protection for the fixtures and as an extension of the projection surface around the dome. The lighting system was designed to blend seamlessly into the dome’s architecture, the translucence of which meant the imagery and lighting was visible from both inside and outside the dome.
The sand coloured skins helped maintain the clean lines and provided a neutral surface on which to project video content when not acting as a source of illumination for the performance space.

The open architecture left the lighting very vulnerable to the elements, so the IP65 rating was essential. “One of the reasons Ayrton was specified was because of the IP65 rating,” says Senior Lighting Programmer, Chris Lose.
“Its place was secured by the reputation of Perseo; Domino was unproven at this point so its specification was based on Perseo’s reliability and durability and Ayrton’s attention to detail. WBD knew a bigger, brighter version – Domino – was coming out which would cover the throw distances, and that Huracán-LT was on its way to fill in as followspots.”

All the Ayrton fixtures (Perseo S, Domino S, Huracán LT) were supplied by Agora, the lighting supplier for Al Wasl Plaza. Ayrton Khamsin fixtures were also employed by WBD for the Jubilee Stage, an external modern large music festival stage and one of eight other entertainment spaces at EXPO 2020 Dubai, supplied by Neumann and Muller.

More information on Ayrton Diablo and Ayrton’s full range of LED lighting can be found at www.ayrton.eu

Woodroffe Bassett Designs www.woodroffebassett.com

On May 12, the historic Palais-Royal in the heart of Paris was the site of an EDM dance fest “Monumental Tour Europe” with a crowd of 2,000 raving to pulsating beats and bass drops beneath a canopy of powerful beam effects from Elation Proteus Excalibur moving heads.

Technical solutions provider Magnum provided all of the lighting, sound, power and truss for the event, including the Excalibur fixtures. Elation French distribution is by Best Audio & Lighting.
Needing an outdoor-rated beam light that could project far into the night sky, six Excalibur fixtures worked from the top of the building in a powerful and unmistakable fan of luminosity.

The 20,000-lumen Excalibur features an extremely narrow 0.8° beam that widens to 3.5° when needed using an expander lens.
Powered by a long-life Philips Platinum 500 FLEX lamp (550W), its long-throw beam acts as a brilliant searchlight and is visible at great distances.
The EDM event highlighted artists and young talent by combining heritage with electronic music, video, scenography and lighting.

The Palais-Royal façade came alive with a dazzling array of lighting effects and video projection as Excalibur beams radiated out from the top of the Palais-Royal, heightening the atmosphere and announcing for kilometers around that a significant event was taking place.

The event supported the EU’s declaration of 2022 as the European Year of Youth and was part of a cultural program to celebrate the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which runs through June 30. The show will be broadcast on June 30 on France TV’s Culturebox.

For more information about Elation Professional, you can visit : www.elationlighting.com