American rock band Widespread Panic made its first MEMPHO appearance at the 2021 edition of the show where versatile Ayrton Domino IP65-rated LED profiles took the stage with the popular festival headliners.
A mix of touring national acts and local favourites, MEMPHO 2021 was held from October 1-3 at the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Radians Amphitheater. Widespread Panic, which has been together for more than three decades, played two nights of the musicfest. Known as true road warriors, the band has broken attendance records across the country and headlined most of the major US festivals. They’ve sold in excess of 3 million albums and 4 million downloads and have been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Paul Hoffman, one of the owners and President of Pulse Lighting in Nashville, became the lighting designer for Widespread Panic in 2009 after serving as the band’s crew chief for three years. He worked with ACT Entertainment, Ayrton’s exclusive North American distributor, to obtain Domino fixtures for Widespread Panic’s MEMPHO debut. “We love working with ACT,” says Hoffman. “We own probably 150 Ayrton Mistral and Ghibli fixtures, which have been great workhorses for us, and have grandMA consoles, motors and cables from ACT. Domino marked our first go with IP-rated fixtures, but we’re interested in any products in the Ayrton line.”
Domino’s IP65 rating makes it particularly attractive for outdoor shows like MEMPHO, he reports. “The saying is that you’re only one weather event away from a $100,000 hit. You have to be prepared to take hits sometimes, and rain covers do work for lights, but it’s great to have a fixture that can defend itself against the weather so you don’t have to worry about it.”
As it turned out, the Dominos’ IP65 rating was not tested at MEMPHO 2021, but Hoffman had confidence that the fixtures would perform well if the weather had turned inclement. He placed 10 Dominos on the stage floor behind the band to silhouette the musicians and put patterns, colour washes and break ups on them from the rear.
“They were really punchy,” he recalls. “We also used them in beam mode for searchlight effects behind the band. Then we turned them around to do graphical stuff on the back wall of the stage like the star field we used for the song, ‘Space Wrangler.’ We had a lot of fun playing with them.”
Hoffman calls Domino, “by far the most powerful LED-based fixture I’ve used – their output was their most notable feature. They blew through everything with a big, powerful wash – much more than I was used to. I was very impressed.” Hoffman puts Domino on Pulse Lighting’s Wish List for 2022. “I’d definitely love to have some Dominos in our inventory,” he says. “They’d be useful fixtures year round, and their IP65 rating would come in especially handy for the summer festival season.”
More information on Ayrton Domino and the extensive portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu
In the family of “the ultimate tools for theatrical lighting designers and cinematographers who demand control and color,” Robe introduces the T2, which combines a Profile fixture with a multicolor LED engine. We’ll tell you all about it.
[private]
The fixture features a typically attractive Robe design and delivers nearly 15,000 lumens of flux, which is impressive for a unit in this category. The CRI of the white is around 76, but can reach up to 90 without the addition of filters, just by adjusting the different primary hues in the source. The beam offers the standard possibilities of the high-level professional fixtures of this category: a zoom range from 5° to 55°, complete color control, two gobo wheels, a motorized framing module, an iris, two indexable rotating prisms, two frosts… in short, everything you would expect from a sharp-edged beam fixture. The unit weighs 36 kg and draws up to 1150 watts at maximum output.
The zoom, from 5° to 55°.
The T2 can be controlled in three different modes. The first two offer an emulated CMY palette, and the third provides direct access to the five LED primary source colors in additive mode. The smallest mode occupies 36 channels, and the extended modes have 52 and 56 parameters, respectively.
Dimmer
The dimmer is ultra-fine and precise, it is obviously a regulation of the LEDs, and the software is very well written, since the colorimetry and the CRI remain constant over the entire dimming curve.
The dimming curve from 0 to 100%.
The dimming curve from 0 to 10%.
CRI
A dedicated channel allows you to adjust the CRI from 76, which is the minimum value, up to 90, obviously at the expense of a reduction in light output. Whatever the CRI value selected, the unit adapts its performance to this required baseline, regardless of the color being used. The slight reduction in punch is, logically, a little more visible on cold whites than on warm whites.
The Green correction parameter
This parameter allows you to manage the minus green, (or even the “maxi green” if you wish…) for video shots, and it’s very flexible. It can go from an almost “greenish” colored beam to an extremely “pinkish” beam. Between the two, any hue is obtainable. At the zero point or at DMX value 128, there is no correction, but from this median value, you can get a progressive minus green in either direction.
The green correction: absolute flexibility for tuning whites for video shots.
Color temperature
The library of the console that we used (grandMA2) sets a default color temperature of 6200 K. (It is also at this value, where the source is most heavily loaded, that we performed our photometric measurements). So with this color temperature parameter, we can adjust the temperature in a linear progression from 2700 K to 8000 K, starting from 6200 K.
The color temperature variation, from cool to warm white.
Again, with this setting, you can choose the desired color temperature for the entire fixture. Every generated colors will automatically take this setting into account. The result is a really nice variable white color, which can be matched to any type of source. If that’s not enough, and your love for conventional sources demands even more, you can select in DMX, via the “color functions” channel, different emulations of tungsten lamps, from 80 V/750 W to 2500 W of conventional spotlights. The lighting characteristics of five major fixture families can be emulated.
LED driver frequency
This function, common to most professional fixtures, is highlighted here and the two most extended control modes offer direct control via two DMX channels for video requirements. The operator can adjust the driver frequency of the sources on the first DMX channel between 300, 600, 1,200 or 2,400 Hz with a simple turn of a knob, while the second channel provides fine tuning around the selected primary value.
The color, the hues
By default, the fixture manages color in CMY using the control modes 1 and 2. It is an electronic emulation which allows the T2 to react like any “classic” fixture equipped with a Cyan/Magenta/Yellow color mixing system.
CMY emulation.
In mode 3, we have access to all the native primary source colors independently: red, green, blue, amber and lime.
The colors of each of the individual sources.
The colors are beautiful and saturated, they are bold, the pastels are clean, everything is beautiful. And the whites are really clean too. The concern was with the whites, which have always been the most delicate to obtain on a fixture of this type. But that was then and this is now… The electronic management of the T2 is exemplary, just like that of the T1. In spite of all the possible variations linked to the dimmer, the CRI, etc., the T2 is a very good luminaire. There is nothing to be desired, the unit responds flawlessly.
As always with the multicolor LED engine machines, the energy of the colors is remarkable.
A control channel called “Virtual color wheel” allows direct access to many standard LEE gelatin colors, but also to “custom” hues called “multicolor”, special mixes that will generate multicolor beams. This produces nice effects, especially on gobo and prism beams.
The dual-color effects with the “multicolor” color libraries.
The framing shutters and iris
The framing module is quite traditional. The shutters, arranged on four distinct focal planes, are completely independent of each other. Each shutter blade is capable of complete closure. The absolute sharpness on the four blades at the same time will therefore sometimes be a little difficult to obtain, but it is clearly in the high, or even very high, average in terms of the performance of a framing module in a fixture of this type. The framing module allows a total of 120° of rotation, allowing it to profile the beam in any direction. An iris completes the profiler and can reduce the beam to a tiny speck of light.
The gobos
The gobos are distributed on three levels. A wheel of six indexable rotating gobos, a wheel of eight static gobos, and an animation wheel (which can be considered as a third gobo wheel with a continuously animated gobo…). The selection of gobos, very “theatrical” (but well, that’s what T2 is all about) includes foliage, textures, stripes, etc.
In other words, we have the same gobos as the T1, with the addition of fixed gobos. Generally speaking, almost all the gobos have the same aerial appearance. It is the animation wheel that gives the beam a more festive look.
The rotating gobos.
The static gobos.
Prisms and frosts
The two prisms, both of which are rotatable and indexable, each have six facets. The first one multiplies the image radially around the axis of the beam, while the second one is linear. The prisms offer nice projection quality, with a multitude of overlapping images. On the other hand, they don’t spread the beam out over a very wide angle, which is logical for a fixture that is intended mainly for the theater world. The two prisms can be combined, but this doesn’t really increase the spread, just the number of projected images.
The prisms.
The T2 is equipped with two frosts. One light and one heavier. Both are advertised as progressive because they can be inserted from zero to 100% in a linear fashion in the beam. However, as with many current units, the progressiveness of the frost effect is not real. Instead, a halo of blurred light is seen invading the main image, while its contours are only really altered and go out of focus when the filter is engaged at 100%.
The frosts.
We’ve gotten used to not worrying too much about it, even if it can be a problem for those who want to add a certain level of blur to a projection, to a profile with the shutters, etc.
The framing shutters and the frost.
The control menu and connectivity
As with all of the latest generation of Robe fixtures, the touch screen control panel is complemented by four physical keys for navigating through the menus (just in case…). Configuring it is simple and straightforward; you have access to everything. There are DMX and network setup menus, but also for the optional wireless system that can be installed on the T2. The unit also dialogs with consoles in RDM, via its XLR connector, which allows you to access many settings remotely. The network connector receives the ArtNet, MA-Net, MA-Net2, and sACN protocols.
Calibration between units is a great feature that is also found on the latest Robe units. Each fixture is equipped with a sensor that continuously analyzes its luminous performance, and then matches a set of connected fixtures to the unit with the lowest performance. This can be very useful if your lighting rig includes a mix of older and newer fixtures. In a few seconds, you can be sure that all your T2 units will produce exactly the same light and the same beam. It’s a bit like in the old days when you used to match sets of lamps on a fleet of fixtures because a director of photography pointed out to you that the units numbered 14, 22, 27 and 34 were a bit more punchy than the others, and that fixture number 17 was really green… except that here, it doesn’t take two and a half hours, but just one minute, and without any tools!
Video presentation
The noise level of T2
The T2 is a quiet fixture. Despite its fans, control of them is very well optimized because, even at full power and in prolonged use, the noise remains discreet. There are three ventilation modes to choose from, including a “quiet” mode that guarantees an almost inaudible noise level, and even a mode that could be called “Extra Quiet”, in which the fixture shuts down all cooling systems as soon as there is a blackout. Total silence…
Photometric Measurements
Derating
Le T2 propose deux modes de derating. Dans le mode classique, machine allumée à pleine puissance, l’éclairement se stabilise en 5 minutes avec une atténuation de 12 %. Robe a ajouté un mode stabilisé “Light Output Stability” qui sollicite moins les leds à l’allumage pour que l’éclairage reste très stable. Sous ce mode, l’éclairage est stable. L’atténuation de la lumière ne dépasse pas 2 %.
A plot of the derating curve in classic mode.
A plot of the derating curve in stabilized mode.
Tightest sharp-focused beam
At the default color temperature of 6,250 Kelvin that is configured when the machine is turned on, the center illuminance reaches 45,000 lux after derating (51,340 lx when cold) and the flux is 8,360 lumens (9,530 lm when cold). The tightest sharp beam corresponds to a divergence of 5.4°.
20° beam 6250 K
At 20°, the illuminance increases to 6,120 lux after derating (6,960 lx when cold) and the flux climbs to 14,830 lumens (16,910 lm when cold).
20° beam 7800 K
The T2 exhibits its optimal performance in cool white. At a color temperature of 7800 K, we measure a center illuminance of 6590 lux after derating (7515 lx when cold) and the flux is 15,870 lm after derating (18,090 lm when cold). The luminous intensity curve is obviously identical, whatever the color temperature.
Widest sharply-focused beam (6250 K)
We return to the default white of 6250 K. We measure a center illuminance of 888 lux after derating (1020 lx when cold). This gives us a flux of 14,200 lm (16,190 lm when cold). The widest beam with sharp focus is at a 52.5° angle.
Disassembly
The T2 can be completely disassembled using just a Phillips-head screwdriver. That’s great news. There is nothing more irritating than fixtures that require very specific tools to access certain parts. The head can be locked on both the pan and tilt axes. As expected, this can be done at several angles, so that you can work in any position you want.
The head
The LED source module.
The head can be disassembled by removing the two halves of the cowling, which are held in place by four ¼-turn screws, and by detaching (again with a Phillips screwdriver) the small safety cables that hold them in place. At the rear, six large fans – three on each side (three taking in air and three blowing it out) – surround the source, which is enclosed behind large heat sinks using a heat pipe system. It is necessary to keep those 850 watts of power cool!
Internally, the source module consists of a complex arrangement of LED sources, the flux of which are processed by dichroic filters and lenses to produce a single uniform beam.
The rear of the head, with the source module enclosed in the heat pipe/heat sink cooling system, behind the fans.
The rear section that contains the LEDs and their cooling system is completely isolated from the rest of the head and from the “effects” section. No air flow passes from one section to the other. Only the electronics are located on the “effects” side, near the output lens of the source.
Between the LED module and the output lens, everything is removable. As with the Forte, each module is connected with a single connector that provides power and data.
The gobo module.
The first module, immediately following the source, houses the gobo wheels and the animation wheel. Usually, closest to the source, it would start with the colors, but on the T2, no dichroic filters and other glass systems are needed to color the beam, the multi-color LEDs take care of that!
The animation wheel is inserted into the beam by means of a motorized bracket, then comes the wheel of static gobos that can be clipped in place with a reference marker – in case of replacement – and, finally, comes the wheel with six rotating gobos.
The module is equipped with two fans designed to cool the LED control circuit. It also includes a small “squirrel cage” impeller to cool the optical window where the gobos are positioned in the beam (there is still a lot of energy in the beam).
The framing module.
The next module includes the framing shutters and the iris. It is more or less the same as that of the Forte and the Esprite models. The small shutter blades are articulated on four independent planes, and the whole system can be rotated 60° in one direction and 60° in the other.
The last section houses the zoom and focus modules, with their large lenses mounted on a motorized carriage and conveyed on heavy-duty rails to ensure linear movement. This carriage also holds the prisms and the frosts. All the optics are accessible without having to disassemble the module.
The lens carriages, with the frosts and prisms.
The zoom/focus module removed from the head. Note the frosts and prisms.
The mechanism prevents these effects from being used on only 10% of the zoom range, the tightest part.
The fact that the prisms are mounted on the focus optics partly explains why they only moderately spread the beam, but this is a choice that makes sense on this type of fixture.
Just like on the T1, there is an unusual accessory on the outside of the head: a filter holder that will allow some users to insert a specific filter, if necessary.
The yoke arms
By removing four screws from each cover, you can have access to the yoke arms. As is typical, on one side is the drive system and on the other side the wiring harness and the electronics. The drive side is exclusively dedicated to the tilt movement, with the transmission mechanism from the motor located in the lower part of the yoke, up to the axle of rotation via a toothed belt with its tension adjustment device. It is sufficient to remove a small reinforcement plate in order to free the belt for eventual replacement.
The pan motor is easily accessible.
On the other side runs a thick bundle of cables that passes through the axis, and a ventilated electronics module. These are the motor drivers (in particular, pan/tilt). Just below it, in the lower part, is the pan motor, which is very easy to get to. Disassembling the central part of the head allows you to free the axle and the motor slots to work on it, if required.
The base
Removing 16 screws allows you to take off the two plates that cover the base of the fixture, in which you will find the power supply and DMX/software control section. There is no particular surprise in the base: switching power supply modules, a DMX PCB that manages the software and interface with the control screen and the data connectors. Small metal plates are clipped on top of the power supply modules to channel the air and promote cooling within this neat but densely packed space.
The touch screen display.
On one of the longer sides is the touchscreen control panel with its four direct-access keys. The opposite side hosts the connection panel. It includes a True1 power input with the main fuse holder of the unit, XLR5 DMX input and output, duplicated on XLR3 connectors, if necessary, and two RJ45 Ethernet ports (there is an on-board switch and a signal repeater).
The connection panel.
The underside of the base features attachments for the omega brackets. Four different mounting angles are available: in both perpendicular and parallel orientations to the base, as well as two slanted angles. The lug for the safety cable is located in the center. Omega brackets with offset are available as an option (too bad they are not supplied as standard, as these are such important accessories…).
Conclusion
The T2 is a beautiful fixture. Robe is pushing the concept of the multi-color LED source to new levels. This fixture will most likely be able to satisfy almost any requirement of the most demanding users in theater and video production. This light has been designed for them, just like the T1 (with which it is fully “compatible”, since they have exactly the same beam and color criteria).
It is a precision machine. Precise in its functions, precise in colorimetry, precise in its capacity for purely “luminous” adjustments. Robe has even announced that it will be available in versions with a Fresnel and with a PC lens. In any case, for some it will be the ultimate weapon.
Bergamo, Italy – New visions for the future are told live, at the Bergamo Fair, through an RCF TT+ line array system with an unconventional system configuration. Visionary Bergamo 2021 is part of Visionary Days, a format where hundreds of under-35s discuss life challenges and ways they can shape the future.
Deux wedges TT 25 SMA et quatre des huit rappels pour les premiers rangs TT 052-A, des modèles compacts deux voies à dispersion conique.
The event unfolds over 10 hours of collective brainstorming and six inspirational talks, with 500 young people involved in over 80 round tables, all while streaming live. An inspirational talk opens each session by introducing a topic and then passes the topic to the attendees to develop ideas and visions. A “dynamic poster” is then drawn up and printed at the end of the event, edited by “Lee”, an artificial intelligence, creation by the Visionary Days team.
Jacopo Mapelli
Produced and coordinated by GO-ON, a production studio specializing in highly innovative events, the original format has favored participation, creating a proactive part of the show that encourages continuous interaction among its participants. The impeccable AVL set-up by Airone Service, managed by Jacopo Mapelli, deployed a scenographic set-up at the highest levels, with the audio setup based completely on RCF technologies.
Working together with the technical coordination of Lorenzo Polimeno, Luca Andreini, coordinator of the Visionary Days, comments: “We needed a versatile solution that could manage speeches with maximum intelligibility, high-powered music but also clear and understandable service communications. Airone immediately proposed the RCF solution, and I must admit that the choice was appreciated and shared. The event succeeded perfectly, with a quality that made us enthusiastic,” says Andreini.
Dos à la scène, l’un des subs amplifies à double 18” TTS 36-A.
Marco Piccini, the system designer, created the audio project using EASE Focus. “To get the best coverage of the audience, which sat 360 degrees around the stage, we used the center ring for the four TTL 33-A 4-module line arrays covering the two long sides of the venue. Two clusters of four TTL 31-A were used to cover the narrow areas,” Explains Piccini. “We also created two cardioid configurations of TTS 36-A on the two longer sides, to have optimal low-frequency coverage without re-entering the stage.” For stage monitoring, four TT 25 SMA stage monitors were installed and 8 compact two-way TT 052-A speakers as front fills for the front rows.
Fabio Pecis, le directeur et créateur de Airone Service.
“The production was impeccable, and our RCF TT systems proved to be up to par, with the compliments of all the stakeholders,” said Fabio Pecis, owner of Airone Service. “We set up everything quickly, and the speed of optimization with RDNet 4.1 is certainly noteworthy. ”
When the state of Illinois eased its stringent lockdown rules, and Chicago’s busy outdoor events schedule resumed, one person who was primed and prepped was Matthew Brotz, who runs locally based LEC Event Technology. Knowing that Chicago is capable of experiencing four seasons in a day, he realised that not only his large inventory of GLP product would need weather protection, but also moving heads from other vendors. GLP had the solution.
“Thankfully Matt contacted us in plenty of time,” declares GLP US president, Mark Ravenhill. “After discussing the comprehensive range of options that we offer, he settled on a combination of our Rain Covers, with different cover lengths, and a large quantity of Air Domes. Despite the current problems with the global freight system, we made it in time for all of his festival dates.”
LEC’s festival season reopened with The Summer Smash at Chicago’s Douglass Park and was followed by ARC Music Festival, Riot Fest and, most recently, Spring Awakening: Autumn Equinox at Addams/Medill Park. This involved working often through torrential rain and high winds. “We’ve [been fortunate enough] to have produced pretty much every large format festival in Chicago since Lollapalooza,” Brotz exclaims. “We’ve had full festival production on four back-to-back events – it’s been a whirlwind.”
GLP JDC1
But what he noticed was how few service providers were paying attention to Chicago’s volatile meteorological changes. “It seemed crazy that so few people had put time into acquiring domes or some sort of weather protection for their fixtures,” he says. “They simply seemed to be bagging them. This year, we haven’t had a single fixture damaged by the weather, and we pride ourselves on that.” In the case of GLP fixtures that’s a lot of items, with the main stage at The Summer Smash alone featuring around 72 JDC1s.
Similarly, Spring Awakening was heavily populated with other brand fixtures encased in Air Domes and 80 JDC1s on stage two using Rain Covers where necessary. Available in three sizes to fit all moving head footprints, GLP’s inflatable Air Domes provide a secure ‘bubble’-like rain cover in an IP54 package that is fast and easy to set up.
As for the GLP Rain Covers, they offer almost complete protection from the elements, without interfering with the light beam or fixture movement. Available in three sizes, these are in the form of truss mounted metal ‘bases’, which allow a ‘skirt’ to be attached, covering the bulk of the fixture.
“We’ve had weather protection from GLP since 2019,” Brotz continues. “However, we’ve now expanded to 96 of the 400 Series ‘hats’, which we use with many of our other moving heads as well as the JDCs, plus 40 of the Air Dome 600 kits … I hadn’t previously been aware they had an inflatable dome system.” And it’s an investment he has never regretted. “I had witnessed so many shows with vendors just bringing their dead fixtures out where they had been rained on. It’s a service we love offering to our clients, and the ROI comes back almost immediately, let alone without the headache of damaged gear.”
Since its first contact with GLP in 2019, LEC has steadily been building inventory to service largely work in the EDM (electronic dance music) sector, in which Matt Brotz started out as a DJ). “Our first purchase was 24 JDC1, and six months later I bought 32 more. They are on every show. In fact, the two staples are X4 Bar 20 and JDC1 – I can’t get enough of them. With the 64 X4 Bars and a further 33 [impression] FR10 Bars, we are almost up to 100 battens, and with this inventory the benefit of EDM is our ability to design for the client.”
In conclusion, the LEC founder also commends GLP for its excellent customer service: “Mark [Ravenhill] will walk the kit to the FedEx offices himself if necessary to get stuff to us on time.”
Viewers were treated to a musical extravaganza hosted by British musician Olly Alexander in the form of BBC One’s The Big New Years & Years Eve Party. Filmed at London’s Riverside Studios, the two-part concert included guest performances from pop superstar Kylie Minogue and the legendary Pet Shop Boys.
The show included a pause for the countdown to midnight and footage of London’s “Big Ben” ringing in the new year before the action headed back to the show as Olly and friends continued the party. The Years & Years singer threw a spectacular New Year’s Eve party with a captivating lighting design from Gurdip Mahal, featuring more than 40 universes of fixtures. To provide main and tracking backup control of the elaborate lighting rig, programmers Ross Williams and Rob Bradley selected a pair of High End Systems Hog 4-18 consoles – the flagship console of the Hog family – supplemented by two Full Boar 4 consoles and two new HPU Hybrid Processor units.
The main lighting system was supplied by PRG, with crew chief Tim Saunders responsible for the installation aspect and Ben Hornshaw providing WYSIWYG support for two days pre-production off-site. LED was supplied by LED Creative and Light Initiative, with Josh Grace in the position of production designer.
Williams has been a freelance lighting designer and programmer since 1995 and has won multiple awards for his work in television. Unsurprisingly, he is no stranger the challenges involved in productions of this nature.
“These shows with ever-increasing fixture counts and very limited rehearsal time can be quite stressful to say the least, and this one was certainly no exception,” he says. “I definitely appreciate the increased performance and reliability I’ve noticed since first investing in both Hog 4-18 and HPU back in the summer. In combination, this appears to create an environment that enhances the overall user experience and has proved a positive one over a number of high-profile shows throughout the second half of 2021.”
Hog 4-18
Having owned almost all varieties of the console, with only the original Wholehog missing from his repertoire, Williams continues to keep a close eye on the latest developments in the Hog family. “The move towards linear patching is a particular recent favorite software-wise, something which appears to be equally appreciated by the system techs too,” he says. “I’m looking forward to seeing where the software goes this coming year as the world hopefully returns to some sort of normality and more shows return.”
Pentatonix, the three-time Grammy Award winning a cappella group, just wrapped their 18-date Evergreen Christmas Tour 2021 where 45 Ayrton Khamsin-S profile luminaires served as the main fixtures for the show. Ayrton is exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment. The Evergreen Christmas Tour 2021, in support of the new Pentatonix album called Evergreen, kicked off November 27 in Baltimore and wrapped on December 23 in Grand Prairie, Texas. It was their first Christmas tour since 2019, the coronavirus pandemic having sidelined last year’s event.
Production and lighting designer, Travis Shirley, who heads Travis Shirley Live Design in Houston and Nashville, has been working with Pentatonix for the last nine years. “It’s been quite a journey,” he says, “seeing them grow to where they are selling out arenas around the world. After last year’s Christmas tour was cancelled, it was time to rejoice with a new show full of the energy and love Pentatonix is known for.”
Shirley says the beautiful art direction of the Evergreen album informed the design of the show. “Choreographers and creative directors Lindsey Blaufarb and Craig Hollaman and I were inspired by the album artwork, which pays homage to the 1960s with silver tinsel and retro clothes,” Shirley points out.
“Then I channelled the look of The Johnny Carson Show and the Tom Hanks movie, That Thing You Do for the era’s lighting and scenography. We ended up designing around several curtain tracks starting with a metallic silver drape, then a vintage LED star drop and finally a red velour curtain.” What Shirley needed for his lighting design were fixtures that enabled him to achieve a vintage look but with modern tools. He also required fixtures that were quiet since Pentatonix performs a cappella.
“Bandit Lites in Nashville, the lighting vendor for the tour, demo’d Khamsin for me,” he recalls. “It was love at first sight. Khamsin is a beautiful, well-rounded fixture. It had great brightness and colour temperature, and its LED engine made it nice and quiet.”
Ayrton Khamsin
Shirley admits that up until then he hadn’t used Ayrton fixtures because he felt they were more in the specialty lighting category and didn’t fit his specs. “So it was really nice to see Ayrton play in the big leagues of meat-and-potatoes lighting with a multi-purpose fixture – and they’ve done a great job with Khamsin.”
He calls the fixtures the “workhorses of the show,” which was built around a forced perspective proscenium. “Khamsins framed all the edges of the proscenium, and they ran the gamut of applications from aerial effects to lighting scenic and principal artists.” Kyle Lonvin, whom Shirley brought on board for the 2018 Christmas tour, served as the new tour’s lighting director; Pentatonix tour veteran Chris Smith was the lighting programmer.
Noting the compressed production timetable that typically comes with a month-long Christmas tour, Shirley says that Bandit Lites “took a lot of the workload off me. They took my ideas and drawings and adapted them to Bandit’s inventory. No one could have done a better job.” Shirley actually began his career with Bandit, “polishing theatre cable at age 18,” he recalls.
“How our relationship has changed and grown! Bandit Vice President Mike Golden and I had been trying to find something to do together, and I’m glad this opportunity came up.” Shirley reports that the tour’s lighting crew said they’d had “zero problems” with the Khamsins during the run of the show. He has been so impressed with the fixtures’ performance that he plans to put them to work on some upcoming projects.
“They will definitely make their way onto my rock ’n roll shows,” Shirley says. “But the beauty of the fixture with its very even field shouldn’t be underestimated. Khamsin is a versatile fixture that can play rough and also put on a suit and tie.”
More information on Ayrton Khamsin-S fixtures and the extensive portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu
Anolis Ambiane pure white and RGBW LED lighting fixtures have been installed at the 420-seat Auditorium du Louvre, an oak-panelled performance and presentation space designed by world-famous architect IM Pei within the Musée du Louvre complex in Paris, France. The multi-purpose venue is used for a diversity of events like chamber concerts, spoken word performances, lectures, film screenings and numerous others.
A team from Anolis France was led by architectural lighting specialist Bruno Francois who worked closely with Anolis HQ in the Czech Republic, the venue’s technical / stage manager Didier Degros and installers / systems integrators Satelec to find a solution. The project involved the replacement of accent lighting above the seats with 26 x Ambiane HP111 PW (3000K) fixtures and custom hangers, and upgrading of the previous PAR 56 wall lighting fixtures around the room, with 67 x Ambiane HP111 RGBWs with bespoke collars and brackets.
The wish to replace the original fixtures with more modern and energy efficient options had been ongoing for some time and the environment presented several challenges! The Auditorium fixtures are extremely difficult to reach due to sections of the roof being completely inaccessible. It’s also a heritage listed building, so a complex set of rules must be followed for any work undertaken or any aspects that are changed.
This was also part of a wider lighting upgrade being applied – section-by-section – throughout the Louvre complex. As part of that, in 2020 Robe France supplied six T1 Profile moving lights to the auditorium to be used for key lighting, and Anolis responded to a tender put out for the auditorium lighting, and their bid was chosen.
Many of the Auditorium’s events involve a video element, so the flicker free operation of the T1s for HD camera environments was a must for Didier. With Ambiane featuring this same characteristic in addition to accurately matching the T1s in colour and the white temperature ranges, this put the brand in a strong position, together with the superior colour mixing of the wall washing Ambianes and the super-smooth theatrical grade dimming and DMX control.
Enthusiastic from the start, the Anolis team visited the venue several times for mock-ups, demos, experimentation, and lengthy discussions on finding ways for the venue to achieve the lighting it wanted. Due to all the rigging challenges involved, a completely custom solution was proposed to achieve the desired creative results as well as being physically possible – with a bit of intelligence and imagination – to install!
It was this zeal, the ability to think ‘out-of-the-box- and meticulous attention to detail that helped Anolis win the deal, and the lights were supplied to Satelec via Anolis partner SPX. The original wall washers were installed in the Auditorium when it was built in the 1990s, via roof access above the ceiling, with convex pyramid-shaped mirrored structures created around the lights to bounce the light off and down the side walls. The access was then closed off, and no drawings or plans could be found!
Bruno and the Anolis team were not daunted by this! After much back and forth, they created a special mounting bracket that enabled each Ambiane fixture to be held with both hands and inserted from below into the 20 cm gap in the mirror structure by technicians working at height, with the lens, mirror, and old PAR bulb and holders already removed. The lens and mirror were then put back into place, and the same screws used to secure the Ambiane HP111 RGBWs in place.
A special short trim for the luminaire was also developed to assist the installation crew together with a custom bracket that gives the whole fixture a ‘wiggle’ factor of being able to slide and rotate it just enough to get a perfect focus onto the auditorium walls. “We were doing this in the complete reverse order of the original installation,” explained Bruno, revealing that patience, lateral thinking and determination produced the result that pleased everyone involved.
The Ambiane HP was ideal with its excellent output, vivid colours and because the size was close to the old PAR 56s. The fixtures were fitted with 80-degree lenses and a 30-degree internal foil to spread the light horizontally for optimal interaction with the mirror elements – a trick discovered during one of the many test sessions. The ceiling lighting above the seats was always intended to be white and the light planner, Ingelux, overseeing the wider Louvre complex lighting upgrade project, had already stipulated the CRI and DUV which should be below 0.002.
So, the Ambiane HP111 PW white LED engine was calibrated to produce the exact ‘pure white’ variant needed, and these fixtures are fitted with 20-degree lenses. The standard mounting brackets for the units were changed for brackets that are L-shaped on both sides, allowing the fixtures to be mounted directly on the ceiling in the centre of mirrored ‘collars’ which are similar to those surrounding the wall washers. All the Ambianes in the room are DMX controlled via a ChromaQ Vista L5 console. The ceiling lights are programmed in lines for sectional control, and the wall wash fixtures are individually controllable to produce light curtain effects.
Bruno comments, “It was a fantastic collaboration with Didier and SATELEC and sales company SPX (an Anolis re-seller), and we are all extremely proud of what has been achieved in such a prestigious Auditorium. It’s a tribute to everyone’s passion and commitment to finding exactly the right solution and in overcoming the many practical challenges involved to produce a great result.”
For more info, you can visit www.anolis.com or www.robe.cz
Earlier this year, the filming of Marvel Studios’ newly released Spider Man: No Way Home found lighting programmer Scott Barnes once again firing up his trusty Hog 4 lighting control setup, as well as bringing some new Hog 4 HPU Hybrid Processor units for the production.
Well-known for his use of Hog 4 control on Marvel’s films and other movies, Barnes said he approached the shoot for No Way Home quite similarly as he has in the past, but with ‘the biggest addition and MVP of the show being the HPU processor’.
Barnes explains, “I was fortunate enough to beta test the HPU during the pandemic lockdown, and even more fortunate to get the very first two off the assembly line to bring onboard Spider-Man. My systems tech, Derek Page, provided our standard Rack Hogs, I provided two HPUs, and then he ended up adding another HPU towards the beginning of our schedule. Spider-Man was the perfect show to break in the new HPU.
We used every bit of processing power those things could deliver! The show was loaded with lighting effects, and we must be a little more manageable with our Hog servers now, because we want to make sure that the HPUs get used on the stages that need them the most. The Rack Hogs were used for the lesser rigs. It’s also been very nice to be able to use any of the Rack Hogs or HPUs as extra processors too.”
“As was their typical setup, the team installed the servers (Rack Hogs or HPUs) on each of the stages they were using. Scott continues, “We were at Trillith Studios, formerly known as Pinewood, just south of Atlanta. This is the same place we shot Ant-Man, Civil War, Guardians vol2, Infinity War, and Endgame.
We had seven stages there, plus a huge exterior bluescreen that was used for a couple of different sets. We used three Rack Hogs, three HPUs, three Hog 4 consoles, and a Hog PC tech console throughout the six months of shooting.
Each stage would have a Hog server set up near a corner. Then we would run two networks from them, the first being the sACN out of the FixtureNet port. This fed the entire stage and would be distributed via managed Pathway switches located in the perms and all around the set. The other network was the HogNet from the HogNet port of the Rack Hog or HPU. This network was also run through the managed switches and additionally tapped into the studio network infrastructure, so we could easily connect to the other servers running on the other stages.”
Barnes enthuses that Stage 14 was a particularly fun rig that could not have been done without the HPU. “The HPU wasn’t enough – we had to add a few extra DP8000s to that stage! Half that stage was a horseshoe bluescreen, with over 100 Studio Force 72s, in high pixel count, to use as interactive light for various scenes. We pixel mapped the Studio Forces right from the console. We also had about 20 SoloHyBeam 3000s on that stage. The HyBeam 3K was our go-to mover throughout the show. I am a huge fan of this luminaire.
It is like the ‘sampler platter’ of movers. Multiple Frosts, Multiple Prisims, Framing Shutters, Gobos, Iris … it just has everything, it’s bright, and the High-Fidelity units have a perfect white light beam to use on camera. I was speaking to Mike Bauman, owner of LUX Lighting in Burbank, recently about these lights.
LUX provided a large amount of the movers we used, along with MBS. I never should have talked so highly about them after using them for the first time on The Prom. They’re getting very hard to find now. We just started working on Black Panther 2, and these lights are so popular now, you have to call far in advance to have any chance of getting some. We also used SolaFrame 3000 and SolaFrame Theatre fixtures.”
Director of Photography for Spider-Man was Mauro Fiore, who Barnes worked with several times in the early part of his career but had not seen in a long time. “Mauro is a well-known DP who won the Oscar for Avatar. Josh Davis was the CLT (gaffer), who had originally called me way back when I was still working on The Prom. Then Covid hit, and everything got put on hold.
Josh was someone I had worked with years ago on shows like Lemony Snicket when he was one of the electricians on the crew. We kept in touch over the years, and he had started working his way into gaffing. I was flattered that he called me to do Spider-Man. He is a pleasant person to be around and work for, and he is an excellent CLT. He will be a name you hear a lot in the coming years!”
Other key team members on Spider-Man were rigging gaffer Adam Harrison, fixtures foreman Phil Abeyta, and Derek Page, Barnes’ senior systems tech. “Derek, Phil and I have worked together several times before, but this was my first big show with Adam. Adam is fantastic. He is a big advocate of networking and is a forward thinker. The four of us are now working on the next Black Panther together, but with a different DP and CLT.
For more information about etc and their lighting related products, you can visit etcconnect.com
Astera PixelBrick wireless battery-powered LED lighting fixtures proved a perfect solution for a major section of “Bolesworth Christmas”, a visually stimulating and fun illuminated trial experience staged at Bolesworth Castle, an impressive Grade II listed country house near Tattenhall, Cheshire, England.
Lighting designer Nick Jevons was asked to add lighting magic for the brand-new event concept at this site after being invited onboard by event producer Matt Bates. He discussed the initial ideas that were already germinating with Bolesworth’s live events team plus some of the locations they had in mind, and together with his own input, eight of these were developed as highlights for the 1.5-mile-long trail.
Nick immediately started imagining many different visual treatments that would delight and engage visitors. A major section of the trail was a large 400 x 300 metre lawn space in front of the Castle which needed dramatic hi-impact illumination, so Nick suggested utilising 48 x IBC tanks with internal light sources. The IBCs – intermediate bulk containers – are industrial-grade containers engineered for the mass handling, transport and storage of liquids, semi-solids, pastes, or solids, and are popular on festivals and live event sites for ballast or weighting applications.
“The Cube Field” installation at Bolesworth was the first time Nick had used PixelBricks for an event, but he already had these very handy and robust new Astera fixtures in mind when shaping this piece of light art in his head. “Obviously, I needed something fully battery powered and ultimately deployable as running power or data cabling across the area would have been completely impractical,” he explained, and sure enough, after the first tests, the PixelBrick proved itself an absolutely ideal choice.
The 48 x fixtures were fitted with dome diffuser accessories – one of Astera’s ingenious Accessory Pack items – and emitted a fantastic smooth light output that filled with whole IBC evenly, making them glow in the dark producing “the exact effects I envisioned,” stated Nick, delighted with the results.
Nick programmed the 48 x PixelBricks via his Avolites console using one transmitter, an Astera receiver and a DMX repeater which was sitting in the middle of the field, and these produced a wide variety of funky, fluid, and different effects and explosions of colour interacting with people as they ambled around the trail.
The 48 x PixelBricks were purchased specially for the project by Hampshire-based lighting rental specialist Liteup, which supplied these, together with all the other lighting equipment, power distro and crew for the Bolesworth project.
Liteup’s Marc Callaghan commented, “We already stocked Titan Tubes so the decision to add more Astera products to our inventory was an easy one. The reliability of the wireless control and the battery life make the product ultimately usable, not to mention the colours and brightness which we love! Adding the accessory packs alongside has made the PixelBrick into an extremely versatile lighting fixture for a variety of shows.”
Nick uses other Astera products like Titan Tubes regularly in his work and knowing the reliability and scope of the wireless technology, was confident to run all these PixelBricks off the single transmitter. “The Cube Field” was one of eight diverse installations ranging in size and complexity making up ‘Bolesworth Christmas’ which also incorporated other art works like sculptures and a Christmas market, and utilised other stunning environmental elements of the extensive grounds including woodland.
Challenges included dealing with some very inclement weather – the set-up and period initially planned as the first week was affected by two serious storms (Arwen and Barra) that hit the UK at this time – but everything still went ahead. “The PixelBricks were rock solid throughout,” noted Nick, adding that working outdoors in the winter was a big learning curve for all involved but at the end of the day there was “nothing that could not be solved by a good cup of tea and a think!!”
He added that it was “excellent” collaborating with a client like Bolesworth, prepared to push the production values and create a high-quality visitor experience in spite of galvanising circumstances! The festive event was a massive hit with the public, running right up until Christmas Eve. With Covid uncertainty still affecting live events across much of the world, outdoor illuminated trails have surged in popularity as a new, safe, and entertaining way of providing some theatrical magic highlighting special seasons and themes, and we are sure to see a lot more Astera products used in this way.
The world-renowned Vienna State Opera House in Austria – also home to the Vienna State Ballet – has invested in new Robe Forte HCF LED moving lights and Forte HCF FollowSpots, selecting the high CRI LED engine option for these powerful fixtures which utilize Robe’s unique TE (Transferable Engine) technology.
TE is a powerful, intelligent, and eco-friendly lighting solution enabling different engines – high powered, high CRI, ‘tungsten’ etc., – to be used in the same fixtures. They can be changed quickly and easily in 5 – 7 minutes! Vienna State Opera purchased 10 x Forte HCF luminaires and 4 x Forte HCF FollowSpots which work in conjunction with a customised RoboSpot control system, explained Deputy head of lighting Robert Eisenstein.
The Opera House has a busy repertory schedule, and these Robe luminaires – delivered via Robe’s Austrian distributor Signal – replace the old manual-focus generic FOH tungsten fixtures with brighter, more adaptable, and more sustainable lights, and have upgraded the traditional follow spots in this impressive 1,709 seat and 567 standing capacity Renaissance Revival styled venue which opened in 1869, when it was the first building to be erected on the Vienna ring road!
Deputy head of lighting Robert Eisenstein.
With a throw distance of 50 metres to the stage from the FOH positions, they needed the most powerful and the quietest fixtures. All the other options tested were either too physically large, too noisy, or not bright enough. While the FOH positions are not directly exposed to the audience, the 10 fixtures are in a partial boxed area and the noise does escape and reverberate around the venue!
The HCF LED engine version Forte were required for achieving perfect skin tones, for the excellent colour rendering and “fantastic” range of tuneable whites. The fact that the FOH gallery lights no longer have to be manually focussed means valuable between-production changeover times can be saved by having moving lights, and that the system is hugely more flexible for accommodating the needs of all productions.
Robert and his colleagues are all delighted with the results, as are the visiting lighting designers who have so far benefitted from using the new system. RoboSpots were first tested in the house three years ago when a system was rented in for the Vienna Opera Ball. This was a big success, and they knew it worked.
However, it wasn’t until the Forte was launched earlier this year, together with the FollowSpot version, that all the stars finally aligned to offer an impeccable match between follow spots and FOH lighting. Everyone was super excited to be able to use the same luminaire with the same quality light. The Opera House follow spot slots rooms are in the high gallery in the middle of the FOH lighting positions which were already very tight for space, so having a small fixture was essential.
Photo Ingo Dombrowski
They wanted the human touch of the operator being involved rather than having a tracking system, so the Forte FollowSpots are fitted with Robe’s LightMaster kit handles which enable the follow spot operators to control the size and the intensity of the fixtures, while the other parameters are run via the venue’s main ETC GIO lighting console.
Some custom software allows the output of the inbuilt Forte FollowSpot cameras to appear on monitor screens attached to the wall of the follow spot box together with some of the RoboSpot system features, but essentially allowing the spotters to simultaneously see the stage in classic style.
They can turn the crosshair marker on or off via the LightMaster buttons and can zoom the camera in and out. “Robe was flexible and willing for us to work with their RoboSpot software to get the precise solution we needed,” stated Robert. He thinks that Forte is a powerful, viable and “highly effective” moving light for bigger performance houses and venues like this and mentions that all the visiting lighting designers so far to use the new system have been “very satisfied”.
As a brand, Robert thinks Robe is focused on delivering quality innovative products, especially with the Esprite and Forte and other TE range fixtures utilising a powerful white LED engine and CMY colour mixing.
For more information about Robe lighting, you can visit www.robe.cz
The titanium housing of the microphone. You can clearly see the nylon and rubber attachment to the gooseneck and the screw-mounted section with the diaphragm and the polarization circuit. The classic openings at the back provide the directional characteristic and are shielded to ensure the insusceptibility of the transducer to RF noise.
Though we are going through the most uncertain of times, and our morale may be on a roller-coaster ride, Neumann’s R&D is giving us a great 2022 surprise, and it may be that a star is born – sorry, dass ein Stern geboren wurde.
After years of work – six, we’re told – the venerable German brand has just unveiled the MCM, a microphone system that is going to do a lot of good for our ears and for the Neumann brand, which seemed to be resting on its laurels, or even lapsing, with their digital range.
Together with its comprehensive set of accessories, the Miniature Clip Mic System or MCM was presented to us at the Pin Galant, in Mérignac near Bordeaux in France, with the help of OdinO, an orchestra that nicely combines classical and pop music, featuring six violins, two violas, two cellos, two contrabasses, as well as brass instruments, a piano, an electric guitar, electronic drums, and more. It was a dream come true for testing out an instrument microphone.
A big “Thank You” to all the musicians and to the conductor of OdinO, Sylvain Audinovski, but also to the teams of the Pin Galant and to Laurent Balutet, the general manager, for their collaboration and hospitality.
From left to right: Charly Fourcade, Hadrien Soulimant and Stephan Maurer.
We were able to see, touch and, above all, listen to this new transducer, and all the better because accompanying OdinO on tour was Espace Concept, from Besançon, with Alain Roy, a true microphones heroe at FoH.
Also on hand were: Charly Fourcade, Custom Development & Application Engineer at Sennheiser; Hadrien Soulimant, Pro Audio Business Development Manager at Sennheiser and Neumann; and particularly Stephan Mauer, Portfolio Manager of products dedicated to live and broadcast applications at Neumann.
The latter arrived with a trunk full of transducers, goosenecks and mounting accessories. We asked him a few questions.
A few of the mounting accessories, many of which are still in the prototype stage. Missing from the picture are the clamp for drum hoops and the magnetic frame for pianos.
SLU : The range of accessories looks pretty extensive…
Stephan Mauer : We did our best to make sure that the MCM can be mounted on virtually any instrument. So there are nine mounting clips, all capable of clamping the gooseneck using a groove that rotates in 90° increments. Some of them will be very slightly modified between now and the final release of the MCM system in the spring of 2022, but their number, shape and functionality have all been finalized.
SLU : The trick is having separated the transducer, gooseneck and output cable…
Stephan Mauer : Yes, the capsule can be unscrewed from the gooseneck and this is important, as it represents the principal investment. It will be easy to change one of the other two parts in the event of wear or breakage. It will also be possible in the future to change the pickup pattern by screwing on a new capsule.
SLU : For the time being, it’s a cardioid?
Stephan Mauer : Yes, but should we develop a hypercardioid or an omni, the investment will be smaller because you won’t have to buy everything again. We tested a hypercardioid but a cardioid polar pattern turns out to be the most natural sounding, and it provides the most effective rejection on stage.
The rear connector attached to the gooseneck onto which the capsule is screwed.
SLU : The KK14, a completely new capsule…
Stephan Mauer : Absolutely. It’s all new: the type of microphone, the technology of this capsule… for us it is a major step forward in the world of live performance. Getting back to our capsule, it has the electronics as close to the diaphragm as possible and the body is made of polished titanium, which makes it robust, light and non-reflective.
Its equivalent noise level is extremely low (23 dB A-weighted), while the maximum applicable SPL is 152 dB, which means that it is quite capable of capturing the softest as well as the loudest sounds. A single capsule covers the full range of dynamics required on stage, without any compromise in terms of noise or distortion.
A comparison between the frequency response of a very small electret capsule and the MCM. The response at the two extremes of the spectrum is much more smooth and full with the new Neumann transducer.
SLU : The output lead of the microphone is connected to the back of the gooseneck…
Stephan Mauer : And this connection has been successfully tested through more than 3000 cycles, which is equivalent to five years of regular use. On the other hand, since it is a jack type plug, it is possible to rotate it to unravel loops or twists in the wire without disconnecting it, which is convenient.
Installed using a contrabass adapter in a piano, an MCM with a clear view of the connection at the end of the gooseneck and the start of the cable. An optional lock will be available to hold these two components together.
SLU : This “extra” connection might scare some people.
Stephan Mauer : We have thought about that and a specific accessory has been designed to lock the two pieces together. We are thinking of delivering it with each cable or with each gooseneck. The contact is nevertheless solid and the plug holds very tightly, while allowing for it to be jerked out without damage, just in case (he smiles). The choice is left up to each technician.
The MCM100 XLR adaptor.
SLU : How many types of cables are there?
Stephan Mauer : There are four, in order to cover any requirement: LEMO, MicroDot, Mini-XLR4 and 3.5 mm stereo jack, the latter connecting to the MCM100, the XLR output adaptor. The one you see is a pre-production model, the final one will be slightly different.
SLU : So they are all available as separate components, but packages are also planned?
Stephan Mauer : Yes. There are eight in all, including one with a set of two microphones for the piano. They are designed specifically for each instrument and include everything except the output cable to the transmitter pack. It could make economic sense to get a number of them and then supplement with targeted purchases. There is only one color available, black for the accessories and the cable, and the microphone is dark grey.
SLU : Have you done testing for each instrument?
Stephan Mauer : Of course we have, but this is the first time we will hear it on a classical orchestra of this size live. This will allow us to further optimize its sonic characteristics to give it the highest versatility and ability to pick up everything with the least possible use of electronics and processing.
SLU : Let’s go back to the origin of this stage microphone system – this is your first electret capsule.
Stephan Mauer : Yes. This completely new capsule is the work of Neumann’s R&D. We became part of Sennheiser in 1991, but we retained our design department. When we started working on it, we quickly realized that, for obvious reasons of compatibility with transmitters that only supply 13 volts, condenser technology would be impossible. But we had to create the best possible electret transducer and give it a high level of consistency in its performance.
This transducer is mechanically similar to the KK184 which equips the 180 range, and is handmade in Germany in the special Neumann production at Sennheiser, like all the other Neumann microphones. The high manufacturing quality allows us to tighten the tolerances in terms of the sensitivity and the frequency response, defects that many users have noticed on other electret products. All MCM units sound the same.
SLU : Are there advantages that caused you to choose to make it not as small as others?
Stephan Mauer : Of course there are! The size of the transducer influences its directivity and performance. We tested 6 mm and 8 mm diameter capsules but opted for a larger size to get a better bottom end and a more uniform and slightly wider pickup pattern over the whole spectrum to avoid cutting off too much of the environment and deliver a more natural, rich and pleasant sound. Finally, the microphone’s self-noise or equivalent noise is correlated to the size of the golden part of the diaphragm, so the larger the diaphragm, the less noise. It is thanks to this choice that we are able to achieve 23 dBA of intrinsic noise with a maximum SPL of 152 dB!
The windscreen. Indispensable for outdoor use, it fits perfectly on the back of the capsule and prevents it from moving.
SLU : What about the windscreen…
Stephan Mauer : It comes in the kits as well as individually, just like every other component of the MCM system. We spent quite a bit of time working with a miniature wind tunnel to determine the size, material and shape to make it unobtrusive and effective. You only lose a tiny bit of the extreme high end when it is used.
SLU : How do you isolate the transducer from the instrument on which it is mounted?
Stephan Mauer : In three ways: first, each clamp has a rubber strip to protect the instrument and to provide a primary isolation against the transmission of vibrations; second, the microphone is isolated by two elastic legs at the top of the gooseneck. Finally, the output wire of the transducer forms a loop.
The transducer, unscrewed from its mount. We can see the surface mounted components, protected by a coating.
SLU : Now that you have a new electret capsule, are you going to offer it in other product lines, like a more affordable handheld microphone…
Stephan Mauer : It’s an idea, yes. I think it could also be used on a headset at the end of a mini-gooseneck for sports commentary!
Listening
An MCM unit with a Sennheiser transmitter from Espace Concept.
The MCMs were attached to all the strings and brass in place of the supercardioid mics usually used on the tour, and the gain settings of the Sennheiser 6000 and 9000 digital transmitter packs were carefully adjusted according to Alain’s requirements.
Let’s specify from the outset that Alain mixes in a very respectful way, using optimal transducer placement, gain levels that best isolate the source from the other instruments and the room, as little equalization as possible – or even none at all – and finally, in order to preserve the phase, no low cut. Contrary to what one might imagine, the feedback rejection is better and the sound is much fuller and more faithful.
A picture of the violin channel strip displays on the Vista. The EQs are getting dust…
Following the same approach, after having listened to the L-Acoustics dV-Dosc and SB18 system, and the central Kiva array at the Pin Galant, Alain asked that the central array be brought down a little, in order to assess the contribution of the front and lateral fills and, above all, to ease the equalization applied in the L-Acoustics universe and in the Meyer Sound matrix at the front end, which also has DSP resources.
From the very first notes, we are struck by the fullness of the strings and their number. A mute on Alain’s console removes some tracks that – enhance – the performance of the orchestra during certain pieces. The result is even better. The sound is open, natural, relaxed and, at the same time, massive.
We don’t get the impression at all that we are listening to a strict close miking, which is nevertheless the case. We look around for a stereo pair. Each desk in the string section is also well isolated with its own texture and can be worked on without any problem. The same is true for the brass, which has all the necessary attributes except for the aggressiveness.
Alain Roy, with his Vista 5, a console capable of handling stereo phase panning, incorporating Ethersound cards, and accepting DMI for digital microphones – suffice it to say that he’s happy. He just added a Vista FX rack to get the equivalent of two Lexicon PCM 96 or four stereo effects units.
Noticing my astonishment, Alain once again suggests that I check that his console has only one EQ point on the master, none on the microphone channels handling the inputs from the MCMs; there is no low cut and a single compressor per microphone set with a very high threshold. And it sounds great. The choirs emerge. The string players bring the violins up to their faces and sing a few bars into the instrument mic, one of OdinO’s many cool sonic performance innovations. This works, too, and it’s very nice.
So of course, a single listening in an empty and rather reverberant room (we were only present for the sound check) with a system that – although well maintained and in perfect condition – has become a rarity, is not enough. We will have to wait to encounter the MCM again to have confirmation, but it leaves us with a positive impression that is further corroborated by Alain who, while carefully minding his words, also liked what he had under his fingers and in his ears: “It’s clean, very clean, cleaner and smoother than we’re used to, with a very noticeable amount of room before feedback”.
However, there is still work to be done on the prototype accessories, some of which were actually produced by a 3D printer. The ball-and-socket joint of the part that couples the clamp to the gooseneck and allows it to rotate is not yet firm enough. This means that the gooseneck could rotate due to sudden movements by the musician and misalign the capsule. Stephan Mauer has reported this and this defect will be corrected on the production components, which will be available in the spring of 2022.
The good news is that the prices will be reasonable and competitive with other instrument mics, with the major advantage of allowing the addition or replacement of only worn or defective components, thus keeping your inventory in perfect condition at a lower cost.
Finally, we’d also like to thank Ann Vermont, Communications Manager for Europe at Sennheiser, for inviting us to this experience at the Pin Galant and for joining us there!
Technical characteristics of the MCM transducer
Acoustical operating principle: Pressure gradient transducer Directional Pattern: Cardioid Frequency Range: 20 Hz … 20 kHz Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohms: 3.5 mV/Pa +/- 2 dB (2.8 – 4.4 mV/Pa) Rated Impedance: 50 ohms Rated load impedance: 1 kohms Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR (rel. 94 dB SPL): 63 dB Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted. (rel. 94 dB SPL): 71 dB Equivalent noise level, CCIR (peak): 31 dB Equivalent noise level, A-weighted: 23 dB Max. SPL = 153 dB
The PowerLink Truss & Stagebox by KLOTZ AIS is an extremely robust, ergonomic and easy-to-use new power distribution system. It’s various application possibilities are a big advantage.
The PowerLink presented by Nils Westerwell, European Sales Director.
This brand new product is at home not only in event technology, but also in theatres or TV studios.
The PowerLink has been designed with sufficient spacing to allow gloved hands to pass between the powerCONs.
The PowerLink Truss & Stagebox is equipped with one input and four outputs of the NEUTRIK powerCON True1 plug. It offers a power carrying capacity of up to 16A /250V. Due to the compact size and the ergonomic arrangement of the connections, easy handling is ensured in tough everyday stage use – even with work gloves.
The plastic housing is designed with rounded absorber edges and a robust surface to absorb shocks. This ensures that any external shocks are optimally diverted.
Inside the box, stiffening cross ribs, in conjunction with six housing screws, give the PowerLink Truss & Stagebox a very high level of resistance and provide compliance with current safety standards. A fall from truss height is easily absorbed, which underlines the robustness and durability. In addition, the housing is ultra-light.
Easily and quickly attached to a truss via two PowerLink Clamps.
The PowerLink Truss & Stagebox can be easily and quickly attached to a truss via two PowerLink Clamps; additional securing with two O-rings is also possible.
Alternatively, the box can be equipped with an optional metal bracket underneath. This has 2 pre-drilled holes as well as an M10 screw connection to ensure secure fastening.
As a useful accessory, KLOTZ AIS will add coloured rubber sleeves to the PowerLink’s portfolio. Fitted with these, the power distributor is optimally marked so that circuits can be quickly distinguished from one another even at a greater distance. KLOTZ AIS has protected the design and registered it with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) at the beginning of October 2021.
Klotz PowerLink Truss & Stagebox presentation video
The PowerLink Truss & Stagebox System will be available from the second quarter of 2022 at a MSRP of 154.70 € incl. German VAT and incl. postage within Germany.
Enquiries and pre-orders with the desired quantities can now be sent to KLOTZ AIS by e-mail :[email protected]
When Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall reopened after a pandemic hiatus, those patrons attending the season debut of the resident Oregon Symphony were delighted to hear a striking difference in the sound of the orchestra. Following the installation of a Constellation® acoustic system, they experienced for the first time a rich and balanced natural reverberance distributed evenly throughout the hall.
The 2,776 seats Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
On stage, the musicians could hear each other clearly despite disappearance of the massive and ungainly physical stage shell. The Rose City’s beloved Italian Rococo Revival landmark had acquired a new and highly flexible acoustical signature.
With a current seating capacity of 2,776, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is one of a quintet of venues operated by the appropriately stylized Portland’5 Centers for the Arts. It was built in 1928 as a vaudeville house, transitioning to movies only two years later, and finally going dark in 1982. After a $10 million renovation project, the venue reopened in 1984 as a multipurpose concert hall and as the new home of the Oregon Symphony.
Robyn Williams
“Ours is the first vintage movie theater restoration to install Constellation, and that made it a bit of a learning curve,” says Portland’5 Executive Director Robyn Williams. “It’s a sophisticated system but it’s getting rave reviews. The audience experience is much better. Those who don’t even know Constellation is in here are saying the hall sound is very good now, and those who do know about it say it’s a game changer.”
The 1984 renovation did include significant changes to the architectural acoustics, including installation of a large stage shell, to make the baseline reverberation suitable for symphonic performances.
But problems remained. Seats under the deep balcony experienced noticeable sound imbalance and attenuation, for example, and the massive stage shell still fell short of distributing sound evenly throughout the hall. Also, the aging shell was difficult and time-consuming to move and store, and it was starting to raise safety concerns.
Look closely on the half top of this shot. The wires and the black dots hanging are part of the 86 ambient sound sensing microphones, in this case purposely placed vertically to the orchestra spot.
Williams and other key decision makers had initially set aside an active acoustic solution, based in part on experience with an earlier generation system from a different manufacturer at a hall elsewhere in Oregon. But Williams changed her mind after experiencing Constellation at the San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox venue.
Three UPM featuring the right color and delivering the right ambience. Three among 294 loudspeakers.
“I immediately realized this could be the solution we had been looking for,” says Williams. “The shell was at the end of its life, and we were reluctant to spend far into six figures for a solution that served only one arts organization.
Constellation would not only improve acoustics for the symphony on stage and in the audience, but it would afford flexibility for the wide variety of other musical genres we host here.”
Scott Showalter
Key decision makers, including Williams, Oregon Symphony President and CEO Scott Showalter, and symphony musicians made trips to Berkeley to hear Constellation at Meyer Sound’s headquarters and UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall.
Following a consensus decision, the wheels were set in motion. Historic preservation specialists Architectural Resources Group worked with The Shalleck Collaborative theatrical consultants on overall planning and providing the framework for technical specifics from Meyer Sound’s own Constellation team.
A couple of barely visible MM-4XP mini loudspeakers.
“It’s transcending, a night and day difference,” remarks the symphony’s Showalter. “The musicians can hear each other better, and the sound is more visceral in the audience. Regardless of where you are sitting, you hear a true balance of all the instruments.”
As installed, the Constellation system comprises 86 ambient sound sensing microphones and 294 meticulously positioned small loudspeakers, with various combinations assigned to four distinct acoustical zones on stage and in the hall.
A typical Constellation D-Mitri engine’s room sporting a lot of network-based digital audio processing and distribution units and many Meyer Smart Power racks called MPS -488HP, to feed with 48 V DC the small active speakers all over the venue.
Acoustical enhancements are created using the patented VRAS algorithm, hosted in a D-Mitri® digital audio platform. Installed by Sound Image, it is the largest Constellation system in the United States in terms of total loudspeaker and microphone deployment.
Meyer Sound Project Director for Constellation John Pellowe, formerly a classical recording engineer for Decca Records in London, supervised the exhaustive tuning process, using a variety of ensembles on stage as the musical source. The system’s debut came in early October with the Oregon Symphony’s first subscription concert under new Music Director David Danzmayr.
Aware that the venue serves a variety of clients other than the symphony, Robyn Williams applauds the expanded acoustical flexibility. “When they lowered the baseline reverberation for Constellation, it made the hall better for louder amplified music with Constellation off, while at intermediate settings the hall is better for jazz and light pop concerts.” Well aware that there are dozens of other movie palaces across the country now repurposed as multi-use concert venues, Williams expects the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall may become a mecca for her peers.
A very difficult room for the sound to travel under the balcony and give a good show at every seat. The Constellation helps a lot in such a case.
“Constellation is something that breathes new life into these grand old buildings,” she says. “It creates a new and flexible acoustic without large reflective panels or floating clouds, so it doesn’t impair the visual aesthetic. It is discreet and respectful of historic architecture.”
286 loudspeakers, some very easy to spot, some others cleverly hidden, all indispensable.
Based around a patented breakthrough in digital processing for acoustic spaces, Constellation places a multichannel reverberator between arrays of microphones and loudspeakers distributed throughout the room. The reverberator increases the apparent volume of the physical room while varying the gain on the microphones changes the apparent absorption or reflection of room surfaces.
By supplementing early reflections or extending reverberation, sound in the room behaves as if the room were larger, differently shaped or constructed with materials exhibiting varying degrees of absorption or reflection. The sound energy introduced into the room is continually recaptured, with the room reflections decaying in level according to the preset program to create the specifically desired reverberant effect.
All components of the system are supplied exclusively by Meyer Sound, with the Constellation team responsible for design and commissioning.
After consultation with the ISE exhibitor and visitor community and in the light of the increasing impact of the Omicron variant in Spain, Integrated Systems Events announces that ISE 2022, scheduled for 1-4 February, has been postponed and will now take place on 10-13 May 2022 at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía.
Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, said today: “We’ve been closely monitoring the conditions in Europe and have been working hard on your behalf to balance health and safety concerns with the need for commerce and in-person interaction. It’s been a challenging time for so many over the past two years, and whilst we cannot wait to meet up with everyone at ISE 2022, listening to our exhibitors, owners and stakeholders, we have agreed the best course of action is to postpone the show edition for three months.
“By moving the event to the spring, it provides time for our community to rebalance and for confidence in international travel and meetings to resume. We will be working closely with all our exhibitors and stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to the new dates. We look forward to hosting the global AV community at ISE 2022 in May in our new home in Barcelona.”
David Labuskes, CEO, AVIXA commented: “While balancing the commitment to both commerce and gathering has been difficult in these uncertain times, we believe the postponement of the ISE show until May does just that. Our community hungers for the opportunity to reconvene in 2022. This schedule makes that all the more possible for all of us. Beginning with ISE, we are looking forward to the summer of AV where we will have the opportunity to come together at InfoComm in June and InfoComm Beijing in July – it could not be a better way to gather and reinforce the opportunities and success for our industry.”
Daryl Friedman, CEO, CEDIA added: “We want to ensure ISE 2022 will be a great success for visitors and exhibitors alike as it has been for nearly two decades, and that starts with bringing together as much of our community as possible. We know the entire home technology industry is enthusiastic about coming together in-person, and we are confident this move to May will ensure the most vibrant return for all participants. We cannot wait to connect with all of you in Barcelona this spring.”
We look forward to making this event a success and would like to thank our stakeholders – exhibitors, sponsors, visitors, media partners, contractors, and the team at FIRA Barcelona – for continuing to support us through this difficult and ever-changing situation.
The ISE Conference programme runs from Monday 9 May through to Friday 13 May 2022.
Lighting, sound and video specialists, Colour Sound Experiment, supplied 48 Ayrton Karif LT LED beam spot fixtures to lighting designer Samuel Tozer of Vision Factory when he lit the drum and bass DJ duo, Hybrid Minds, for a one-off performance, produced by NTRP, at Brixton Academy in London in October. The recently-released Ayrton Karif LT was the main lighting fixture in Tozer’s rig which was almost exclusively composed of Ayrton Karif LT and Ayrton Eurus.
Ayrton Karif LT
Tozer specified Karif LT because he needed a multi-use hybrid fixture in a compact body, with the capacity for the narrow beam looks traditional to D&B music, but also able to deliver wide textured prism looks. “The Karif could give me all of these things and is small enough to use in large quantities to give me plenty of creative scope,” says Tozer.
Twenty-four Karif LTs were rigged evenly on 3 overhead trusses and the arrangement replicated at stage level with twenty-four Karif LT acting as floor units – the only fixtures on stage – sandwiching the DJ duo of Matthew Lowe and Josh White in between.
From here, Tozer used the Karif LTs to define the visual architecture of the show with big beam looks shooting out into the audience and creating wide open space and texture on stage. He used two Ayrton Eurus fixtures, chosen for their framing ability, as keylights on Lowe and White.
“I loved using the Karifs and found them very reliable,” he says. “The huge number of gobos gives me plenty of variety and choice, and the zoom range (2.8° – 47°) is great. They are just the right size for moving at speed and using in large numbers, and gave me the perfect range of options for the Brixton Academy. It’s good to try out the latest technology and they looked amazing. They are great, tiny, punchy units.”
Colour Sound Experiment now owns 160 Karif LT fixtures which it recently purchased from Ayrton’s exclusive UK distributor, Ambersphere Solutions, to expand its existing stock of Ayrton fixtures. “We originally invested in Karif as the smaller of the Ayrton units, since we already carry 50 Ayrton Eurus for mid-range and 80 Ayrton Huracan LT for long range applications,” says CSE’s Alex Ryan. “However, it quickly became apparent that Karif LT can hold its own in the medium size venues and is perfect for those such as the 10,000-capacity Brixton Academy. It really punches above its weight.
“We chose Ayrton because they have designed a standardised, homogenous range to cover all sizes of venue: small, medium and large. The fixtures are also extremely reliable – much more than most – which is very important when you are dealing with them on a daily basis. And the price point is such that we can afford to invest in good quantities of each, enough to service a couple of shows at any one time. For a rental house and production house they give us creative and financial flexibility.”
The full story can be found on the Ayrton website at: https://www.ayrton.eu/live/sam-tozer-chooses-ayrton-karif-lt-for-hybrid-minds-brixton-academy-show/
More information on Ayrton Karif LT and Eurus and Ayrton’s full range of LED lighting can be found at www.ayrton.eu
The Hybrid Minds performance at Brixton Academy was produced by NTRP.
What we like:
What we don’t like:
