The Monumental Tour – an innovative visual and musical performance which was the brainchild of French DJ and music producer Michael Canitrot and visual activists AV-Extended – played a truly spectacular final location at the end of November … at the magnificent Chateau de Pierrefonds in the picturesque Oise region of France, northeast of Paris.

Delivered in conjunction with French cooperative bank Credit Mutuel and other sponsors … over 100 Robe moving lights supported the mapped projection show specially devised for the unique set produced by Michael for this closing show.

It took references from the history of the imposing Castle, originally constructed in the 12th century, and extensively rebuilt in the mid-19th century at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III, and wove these into an all-encompassing, immersive, and beautifully rhythmic electronic musical experience.

The Monumental Tour has been an incredible journey that has combined streamed music performances and collaborations with epic, iconic and outstanding monumental sites all around France. It started back in the summer at the Phare des Baleines (Lighthouse of the Whales) on the Ile de Ré.

Since he was a small child, Michael Canitrot has loved visiting castles and museums and describes The Monumental Tour as “The meeting of my two passions – electronic music and heritage / history,” adding that being able to play his music in exceptional and unexpected places has “nourished my inspiration”.

Mikael Trochu

For the final show in 2021, Paris-based freelance lighting designer Mikael Trochu (Mika) was asked onboard by the project’s technical managers Martin Javouret and Adrien Demengel and tasked with lighting the Castle’s stunning front façade. The event was recorded for later broadcast and enjoyed live by a specially invited audience.

Mika was delighted to be working with Robe moving lights on his first Monumental show – including MegaPointes, FORTES, ESPRITES, miniPointes, Spiiders and Tetra2s, all provided by Paris-based rental and production company MDL Event, the event’s technical partner.
Mika has been using Robe products regularly in his work for some time and thinks they offer great versatility, quality, brightness, and reliability as well as being designed to be compact and practical.

The key role of the lighting was to complement and work alongside the detailed and enigmatic projections co-ordinated by AV-Extended’s Jérémie Bellot, which covered a 60-metre-wide span across the Castle’s front facade stretching 50 meters high up to the tops of the walls and turrets.
The challenge was in ensuring that the lighting was finessed and elegant, harmonious with the music and assisted the narrative of the piece, with both lumens and projections sculpted seamlessly into the contours of the Castle, respecting its stoically majestic architecture.
Each Monumental show is composed of what Michael describes as the tour’s “artistic DNA” and is sculpted specifically for the location and includes abstract references and interpretations – both visual and musical – related to the history and relevance of the building.

The 42 MegaPointes were chosen by Michael himself who is extremely involved in all aspects of the Monumental project as creative director as well as music maker. Technically savvy, he loves utilizing technology to help share his art.
“The whole Robe range is absolutely amazing,” stated Michael. “There are so many possibilities which feed our ideas and enthusiasm for discovering these monuments and depicting them from a new and very contemporary perspective.”

The MegaPointes were also the most noticeable out of all the fixtures, positioned individually around the various castle battlement crenellations at different heights, and poking through the windows of the three main towers on the front façade. Having lights on multiple levels brought a real sense of depth and dimension to the bigger visual picture.
The power and visibility of the MegaPointes was vital for those ‘beams-in-the-sky’ moments in the set, and even on a dark night with no smoke, they blasted boldly through the darkness.
They were also picked for their small size! Rigging was a longwinded and laborious manual haul up to the various parts of the Castle by the MDL Event crew who placed each unit individually into position around the massive building. This was accomplished with a lot of collaboration with the team who maintain and run the Castle which is a dedicated monument historique.

All this hard work paid off with breath-taking results!

Sixteen Robe Spiider wash beams were deployed in various places around the Castle up-lighting and highlighting elements of stone and walled areas.

Eight FORTES were rigged on a circular truss on the floor inside the large castle bailey (courtyard) representing a new metaphorical tower of light beams. They provided feature lighting and camera candy effects for video director Anthony Ghnassia to blend into the mix which included fantastic drone footage from the Skydrone France team. These fixtures projected gobos, texturing and colours around the impressive courtyard which was illuminated with LED floods.

The eight miniPointes and four more Spiiders were used to highlight the architecture and pick out artefacts and detail in the Castle chapel, where they worked brilliantly with the white stone and statues.
Michael Canitrot’s DJ booth was set up in front of the main gateway into the Castle, with the designated public area just the other side of this. Immediately behind the artist were four ESPRITES for back lighting and fabulous silhouetting and gobo animations, all looking super-cool on camera.

Immediately in front of his setup were two lines of Tetra2s forming a pathway up to the DJ booth – another excellent depth effect – which also produced some spectacular camera looks especially for the drones and the wide shots.
A bonus with utilising all these Robe fixtures was the low power consumption. Power was available from various points around the Castle, but it was generally limited, so this was a carefully calculated balance.

The get in took place over two full days, plus the show day, with one – very cold – night of programming on-site with the full rig in situ, preceded by three days warmer pre-viz in the MDL Event studio using L8 3D visualisation software.
Lighting was programmed onto a grandMA2 light console positioned in the back of a truck parked in the public viewing area, and all of it – lighting and projection – was run to timecode from the music track for the 45-minute show.

For Mika, working on this show was something very special. “This is such a unique monument and to be able to light it in this imaginative way and work alongside such a talented team of creative and technical people … is a great honour,” he stated.

For Sébastien Dendele and Sebastien Barry, president and CEO respectively of MDL Event, it was a pleasure to support Michael Canitrot and be involved in the Monumental Tour. “All of us in this industry are driven by passion, so it is great to work with other like-minded people,” said Sébastien Dendele.
Adding that “highlighting French monuments is a fabulous opportunity to present a modern approach showcasing the talent, flair and imagination of our professionals and creatives, as well as illustrating exactly what our job is about to those who might not know about the power and impact of technical production!”

Michael Canitrot himself concluded with, “Pierrefonds is a unique place, full of history and with a distinctive soul. As a place significant to so many people over the centuries, giving it a new dimension that helps make it discoverable, enjoyable and appreciated in a different way is my humble contribution to its incredible history!”
The full Monumental 2021 Finale show was broadcast on December 19th.

For more info on Robe lighting, you can visit www.robe.cz

Powerful and elegant, the new Eos ETC console, available in 3 sizes Apex 5, 10 and 20, offers unparalleled hardware comfort with large 4K touch screens and amazing and sumptuous technological innovations that make programming easier. The future is on the move!

Les trois tailles de pupitres Apex.

Eos Apex consoles prioritize the user experience with creature comforts to ease those long hours behind the desk. The massive multitouch displays offer generous screen real estate for Magic Sheets, Direct Selects, and Augment3d models, and feature eye-strain-reducing 4K resolution.

L’écran articulé sur deux axes bascule en tilt même à l’arrière.

The displays articulate on a dual-axis and feature a 160-degree viewing angle, so you can see all your tools and data from anywhere along the programming surface.

With an ergonomically redesigned wrist-rest, book lights built into the sides of the desk, hand-holds for easy carrying, and drawers and USB-A and C charging ports for your accessories, Eos Apex is the ultimate workspace for high-level programmers.

Les touches écrans de sélection directe.

The luxurious innovations extend to the programming surface as well. New-to-the-industry technologies provide programmers access to their most-used tools – right on the face panel.

The familiar Eos Family programming keypad has been enhanced with a touchscreen that thumps with haptic feedback when you press your soft keys or mapped content. Eos Apex also introduces customizable Target Keys for your Direct Selects, which boast individual OLED displays that can be customized with images, icons and text.

Les mini encodeurs rétro éclairés.

The encoder area from the Eos Ti console has been expanded to include eight mini-encoders and a navigation dial to easily switch between parameters.

The five, ten and twenty motorized Playbacks on each Apex console (respectively) now boast an additional, separately-mappable scroll wheel for on-the-fly programming. With more buttons, encoders and Playbacks than ever before, Eos Apex makes fast, hands-on programming a breeze – all while maintaining the familiar, sophisticated look and feel that users of the family love.

Les ports SFP+

A powerful lighting desk demands a powerful system, and the Eos Apex line delivers with brand-new components to build out your lighting network.
The Eos Apex Processor provides the power of an Eos Apex console in a portable, rack-mountable box that makes an ideal primary or backup controller or remote programming station.
When you need a portal into your lighting system but not the processing power, the new Eos Remote Interface lets you view and edit your system from anywhere in your venue.

Apex consoles themselves are built with flexible system-building in mind, allowing you to mix and match your DMX and show control ports on a per-show basis using customizable widgets. In addition to standard etherCON Gigabit connections, all Apex-class controllers also feature SFP+ ports that are compatible with the latest high-speed copper and fiber networks.
Eos Apex consoles and Processors provide 24K output, allowing them to control complex rigs with ease. And because shows keep getting bigger and bigger, expansion processing options are already in the works as the next phase of Eos development.

L’Apex Processor.

The Eos Apex line ushers in a new era of control and comfort for professional programmers. Though the new consoles directly replace the Eos Ti and Gio in ETC’s currently-shipping lineup, those desks will continue to receive new software updates, as well as the full benefit of ETC’s industry-leading customer service and support for the duration of their long lives in the field.

This detailed video, made by ETC tells you more about all the evolutions of the Apex consoles.

To learn more about Eos Apex and the latest software advances in the Eos Family, visit ETC Website

The UK panto season is back with a BIG bang after waiting in the wings during 2020 as the country squared up to Covid-19, reigniting all things panto like slapstick comedy, toilet-brow innuendo, gawdy sets, psychedelic vibrance and total craziness for which it’s known and appreciated, with lighting designers around the country delighted to be back working on this peculiarly English and highly expressive genre of performance.

None more than Andy Webb, who chose an all-Robe LED moving light rig for UK Productions’ spectacular Cinderella staged at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
For Andy’s first time working in this theatre – following five successive panto seasons up to 2019 at Blackpool’s Theatre Royal – the lighting rig was specified so he could present a new televisual style of panto lighting, with lots of fabulous neutral skin tones juxtaposed against the vibrant colours demanded by panto narrative and style.
He also took full advantage of having a larger stage and house to play in!

“Flexibility is always the key to lighting a panto as the real-time onstage programming and tech’ing schedule is traditionally tight, and that’s why I wanted the Robe fixtures in there because I knew I could achieve the depth, detail and levels of expectation of this production,” he explained. The show is directed by Chris Nelson, who is also playing one of the Ugly Sisters characters!

Andy’s rig includes Robe Esprites and Spiiders as the Spot-Wash ‘base’ luminaires, with 10 x Esprites and 17 Spiider wash-beams distributed across the overhead LX bars.

It is also the first panto Andy has lit with a full moving light rig over the stage, which made a massive difference to the layering and nuances that could be applied across all the stage looks in a short timeframe.

Andy and the crew had three programming days on site in the venue in which time they would only generally see each scene once, maybe only for 20 minutes, lighting the scenes as the cast was rehearsing them. “Basically, it’s like lighting the show live,” he explained, and for this to happen successfully he needed to have full confidence in both his initial instincts for what looks good and in what the rig is capable of achieving.

Another challenge is the sheer amount of set and cloth drops in any panto, required to keep up with the frenetic scene changes and pace of the action … so once all of that is installed, there is never a massive amount of room for lights! However, working with moving lights, these can be rotated and moved into another position to allow cloths / set flats to drop into the gaps, and then be moved back into their lighting positions!

So, thinking laterally, using moving lights overhead can also hugely increase the options for set designers as opposed to using a generic rig.
“I like the idea of being more creative – almost unintentionally – just by moving lights out of the way so scenery can drop in!” commented Andy, adding that this also makes things infinitely easier for the house crew who are tasked with running the show. In this case, it has been planned as 52 shows in four weeks.

On top of the basic spot-wash configuration, Andy added 16 x LEDBeam 150s on the overhead rig, used primarily for the musical numbers, freeing up the Spiiders to produce the main beautifully rich colour washes over the stage with the Esprites doing the keys, specials and floor texturing plus other effects applied via Andy’s unique programming style!

He was initially intending to use Robe T1 Profiles in this context, but when Esprites became available, jumped at the chance to use these with their power, punch, and CT ranges capable of producing “absolutely outstanding” skin tones.
Rigged on LX4 were six CycFX8s and six ParFect 150s for covering the larger set pieces. These were coupled with the house Robe ColorSpot 700Es – still working after a decade in service – for rear gobo work.
All the house luminaires, moving and static, were available to Andy, who naturally opted to utilise all of these plus the additional newer Robe fixtures which were supplied by rental company CEG.

Andy integrated the house FOH Robe DL4S Profiles into his light show for texturing and colouring the front cloths, together with two more ColorSpot 700E ATs and 20 x ParFect 100s which were all rigged on the side booms each side at the front truss position, plus two on the drop-down ladders either side of stage.
Four ParFect 100s with 10% diffusion were located on the circle front bar and used for colouring of the front cloths with primaries, with a pair of LEDWash 300s up-lighting the proscenium arch.

“Having a rig with this versatility – being able to flip colours, positions, effects, etc., instantly at the touch of a button takes panto lighting into a different league and opens so many more possibilities,” enthused Andy, whose acclaimed festive production lighting designs have become increasingly automated over the years, with Robe always as his first choice of brand.

“Not only can I be fully adaptable in lighting the show, but it’s also the only way to block light a scene in 20 minutes,” although this process is – of course – followed by considerable finessing during long programming sessions stretching into the nights!

Andy did this himself using an Avolites Titan Touch II, with around 220 cues in the final show file, which was then handed over to house operator Josh Gallagher for the production run. “It’s a stressful three days, but the end results using this Robe moving light rig are very rewarding,” commented Andy as the glitter magic, drama and fun of the show unfolded and started being appreciated by live audiences again.

Being back in person in a theatre with a real cast, crew and creatives was in itself part of this year’s experience. “It’s a little surreal,” stated Andy, “On one hand it’s like nothing has changed, there’s just been a longer gap between the shows, but on the other, we all appreciate more than ever the opportunities to create a wonderful experience to be enjoyed by a diverse audience.”

Andy also bigs up the “awesome” house technical team at Waterside theatre who helped him make all of this possible, in particular production LX Joe Bryant, together with Lou Stevens, Alex Ratcliffe and Andrew Medhurst who “totally made me feel welcome and one of them – I have so enjoyed working here!”

For more information about Robe lighting, you can visit www.robe.cz

Imitation is not always the greatest form of flattery. And in the case of counterfeit loudspeakers, it can be dangerous and illegal.
In an active fight against counterfeit products and working in conjunction with the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), a key border agency of the Chinese nation which boasts 100,000 staff throughout the country, L-Acoustics recently had illegal counterfeit ARCS II loudspeakers seized and destroyed.

After an investigation conducted by the GACC, and information provided by L-Acoustics to determine the authenticity of the suspicious ARCS II, the counterfeit loudspeakers were seized and taken to a recycling facility, where they were dismantled. GACC officials attended the products’ destruction to attest that they effectively destroyed the fake loudspeakers and recycled the materials.
The counterfeiters were prosecuted as part of the L-Acoustics Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force’s mission to eradicate fake products.

L-Acoustics Legal Counsel Laurent Ostojski.

“We thank the Youyiguan Customs team and our local counsel, Wanhuida, for their cooperation,” says L-Acoustics Legal Counsel Laurent Ostojski. “This is but one small step in our anti-counterfeiting initiative, and we’re poised to take legal action against any perpetrators in the future.”

L-Acoustics dedicates significant financial and human resources to remove counterfeits from the market. “These products can be deceptively similar to ours on the outside but feature poor quality components and are marketed without any warranty, service, or electrical or mechanical certification,” explains Stephane Ecalle, Director of Market Intelligence at L-Acoustics.

Stephane Ecalle, Director of Market Intelligence at L-Acoustics.

“The role of our task force is not only to defend our intellectual property by constantly monitoring the market, but also to alert the public on safety risks for users, and the legal risks associated with ownership or resale of counterfeits.”

All L-Acoustics products are manufactured in Europe. More information about the L-Acoustics Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force can be seen on L-Acoustics.com, where users can also report any suspected counterfeit L-Acoustics products.

More information on the L-Acoustics website

Ayrton is very happy to announce the further expansion of its international team with the appointment of Vijay Thaygarajoo as regional sales manager for Asia Pacific. The appointment takes effect from 1 February 2022.
Vijay brings over 10 years of industry experience in the region, working with Ayrton’s local distributor and as regional sales manager for a number of industry manufacturers.

Vijay Thaygarajoo

“I am very excited to be joining the amazing team at Ayrton,” says Vijay. “As the RSM of Ayrton, I will be responsible for maintaining and building relationships with current distributors as well as appointing new distributors around the APAC region, with the aim of progressing and further strengthening the Ayrton brand and image in this part of the world.

“I’ve seen the quality of Ayrton lighting over the years and am very impressed with the full range of lighting fixtures they have. When the opportunity came along, I didn’t think twice about joining them as I believe in the brand and couldn’t wait to join the team. Ayrton is the future!”

“Vijay’s experience makes him extremely well placed in his new role as our APAC regional sales manager and a valuable addition to the team,” says Ayrton’s global sales director, Michael Althaus.
“To have our own regional representative working in tandem with our excellent local distributors is a great combination which will strengthen Ayrton’s presence across the region and reinforce the level of service we are able to give our customers. We are very happy to have Vijay on the team!”

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

RH Consulting releases 10th edition of annual report on adoption of networked audio, covering all the major protocols. This year, for the first time, the report has broadened its scope to include networked video and control products.

Audio consultancy and networking experts RH Consulting have been counting networked audio products and licensees since 2013 in an effort to chart the adoption of audio networking in the pro audio, AV and broadcast markets.
Universally recognised as the benchmark for tracking trends in networked audio, the report covers all the major protocols including Dante, RAVENNA, AES67, AVB, Milan and others. This year, for the first time, the report has broadened its scope to include networked video and control products using AES70, SDVoE and ST 2110 amongst other.

Products per protocol.

The last twelve months have seen a complete overhaul in the way RHC conducts its research and even closer collaboration with relevant industry trade associations and manufacturers. Consequently, the 10th edition of the report is the most comprehensive and accurate to date.

The statistics show that quite clearly that the number of networked AV products continues to grow, despite the difficulties we’ve all encountered over the last two years in the face of the global pandemic. A total of 4,142 networked products are currently shipping from 444 manufacturers, which represents even more new products on the market than last year.

Protocols by category

In AoIP terms, it’s no surprise to see that Dante remains ahead of the game by an order of magnitude that seems unlikely that anyone will bridge, but RAVENNA continues to progress modestly in second place, and remains the number one protocol of choice in the broadcast market.

Video and control are a different story as both are still very much in their infancy when it comes to IP networking. The report contains a detailed breakdown of what was looked at and how products were counted, but in broad terms, Roland Hemming of RHC notes that the market feels very much like audio networking did in the early days: “The largest proportion of networked video products are simply interfaces to get other types of video signal on and off the network,” he observes.

Roland Hemming

“It was much the same story for AoIP ten years ago when there was a huge number of analogue-to-network input/output devices. However, this has since diminished quite considerably as more and more manufacturers integrate networking capability directly into their products.

“Interestingly, when we first started counting networked audio products in 2013, we reported a total of 428 devices. Ten years later we have counted almost exactly the same number – 420 to be precise – of networked video products.
This is a fascinating comparison and will offer us an excellent opportunity to compare the growth curves of networked video against networked audio over the next few years.”

For a full breakdown of all the statistics and a comprehensive listing of all the protocols considered and how the data is compiled, please visit the RH Consulting website

AV production company Novatech Creative Event Technology was involved in a large winter event in Adelaide, Australia called Illuminate Adelaide and supplied Elation’s industry-leading IP65 Proteus Hybrid moving head for a special lighting installation that left a memorable impact.

Billed as a celebration of innovation, music, art, light and technology, Illuminate Adelaide lit up the city with a program of events. As presenting partners, Novatech was the technical supplier of the event’s signature project – Light Cycles. Illuminate Adelaide engaged Montreal-based multimedia studio Moment Factory for the creative, design and immersive content while Novatech provided all the gear and crew.

Light Cycles

As a featured artist at the new annual event, Moment Factory took over Adelaide Botanic Gardens with Light Cycles, an outdoor digital art experience that used light and music to amplify and transform the beauty of nature. Light Cycles led visitors on a magical nighttime journey through nearly two kilometers of the garden’s lush gateways and luminous canopies. The immersive experience included dynamic soundscapes and video and light projections, including striking lighting effects from Proteus Hybrids at The Hearth.

The Hearth

Inspired by the timeless power of the bonfire, The Hearth was a gathering place set against the botanic gardens’ iconic Palm House greenhouse.

Colorful, ever-changing beams of light from 12 Proteus Hybrid luminaires intertwined with an instrumental soundscape to evoke the beating heart of nature, while a chorus resonated across the lawn.

The sequence, which ran on a 5-minute loop, was the last of seven zones that visitors walked through and was designed to leave a lasting impression.

“The Proteus Hybrids were a good choice for this installation as their IP status allowed them to be out in the Adelaide winter for the entire 6 weeks, which faced an unusually wet and windy winter,” stated Ashley Gabriel, Director of Sales and Marketing at Novatech Creative Event Technology.
“They also provided the necessary punch for a beam fixture that due to the moisture in the air really did throw an incredible beam to create the desired effect.”

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

Laval, Québec-based Creative Lab, which creates lighting and visual installations of all kinds, has invested in 24 Ayrton Mistral-TC LED spot moving lights. The new fixtures have already been put to work on the Montreal Canadiens’ “Samedis FANatiques” (“FANatic Saturdays”) pre-game show and on a glitzy auto dealership event.

“The Mistrals are our first Ayrton fixtures but certainly not our last!” declares Francis Aubin, President and Founder of Creative Lab. “They are also our first moving light purchase. We decided to go with Mistral because the fixtures are well known in the industry by lighting professionals. Mistral is compact, versatile and powerful – the ideal first moving light to add to our inventory and bring more creativity to our design.”

Creative Lab’s Mistrals have already been hard at work. They are used for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens’ live streamed promotional programming, “Les Samedis FANatiques” (“FANatic Saturdays”), before each Saturday home game.
Featuring a specialist hockey guest and a DJ performance, the shows are staged in the Creative Lab studio and live streamed on Twitch as well as displayed on the jumbo screen at Bell Centre, home of the Canadiens. The 30-minute programs entertain fans and ramp up excitement before the team hits the ice.

Creative Lab plays a 360º role on “Les Samedis FANatiques,” acting as executive producer of the show for client Groupe CH. The Mistrals are used in front of the artists at centre stage to envelop the performers in light and to create effects with columns of light that change to match the musical ambiance.

“The Mistrals were chosen for their versatility and for the visual quality they bring to the video capture,” says Aubin. “Their different gobos and the vividness of their colours also made the Mistrals the fixtures of choice for this application.”

The Mistrals played a key role in a corporate project with high production values. GM Paillé, an auto dealership in Berthierville, Québec, staged a student competition in which participants were invited to present an innovative marketing pitch to the company’s top executives. Creative Lab served as technical supplier for the show working with production company Axe Media Evénements and Lighting Designer Julien Laflamme, who used the Mistrals to create textural effects on set.

The Mistrals lived up to their expectations on both projects. “These were the first uses of the fixtures, and everything went perfectly!” Aubin reports. “The results that we achieved on set and on camera speak for themselves.”
ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America, and Aubin notes that, “ACT Entertainment supported our purchase in a very important way: we received the fixtures in under four days, and less than 24 hours later everything was installed and ready for use.”

More information on Ayrton Mistral and the extensive portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu

Optimal Audio, manufacturer of control, amplification and loudspeakers for small to medium-sized commercial installations, particularly multi-zone venues, has announced an addition to its range in the shape of the Up 6O, a 6” two-way passive, full range open back ceiling speaker.

With a sensitivity of 90 dB SPL and a frequency response (with its own preset) ranging 65 Hz to 18 kHz ±3 dB, the Up 6O delivers a Max SPL of 111 dB Peak.

Delivering a consistent conical 110° coverage pattern, Up 6O features a 6” low frequency driver paired with a 0.7” metal dome tweeter, and is supplied without a back can for ceilings with a minimum cavity depth. An integral fixing system achieves a simple and clean installation.
Up 6O is suitable for both high quality speech and music reproduction in a wide range of cost-conscious commercial environments, from hotels and concourses to retail outlets, bars and restaurants.
Each Up 6O can be run on a series of 70 or 100 Volt taps or at low impedance, and with a 16 ohm setting allows up to four units to be connected to each amplifier channel at low impedance for an efficient install.
Up 6O joins Optimal Audio’s range of ceiling speakers with the entire Up series now shipping in APAC, followed by EMEA from March, and North America to follow later in the year.

Al McKinna

Product manager, Al McKinna, said: “With the entire Up ceiling series, including this latest addition, now shipping, they join Cuboid and Sub to complete our loudspeaker offering.
With our amplifiers also shipping and our controllers soon to follow, the Optimal Audio ecosystem of control, amplification and loudspeakers working seamlessly together is now becoming a reality. 2022 will be the year we see Optimal Audio really take off.”

More information on the Optical Audio website

Based in Berlin, Germany, edelmat. sees itself as a partner for event technology, with a philosophy based firmly on the values of loyalty, efficiency, and sustainability.
Edelmat. services include consultation, conception, implementation, as well as service, for rental and installation projects in the field of event technology.

It is here that the human being is in the foreground, and edelmat.’s well-trained specialists maintain consistent contact with each and every client to develop budget-oriented and individual solutions. Sixty82 and edelmat. have very similar values and goals, and the cooperation between the two companies has proven promising.

“At edelmat. we connect people through conception and technology,” says edelmat.’s Ayke Bröcker. “The innovative solutions of the Sixty82 brand fits perfectly into our portfolio and our joint work is successful and fun. It is partly for these reasons we chose to become a reseller for Sixty82.”

edelmat. will offer the full product portfolio from Sixty82. “We find Sixty82 products durable and innovative, which in turn helps us create inventive solutions for our customers in the rental and installation business,” confirms Bröcker.
edelmat. has completely converted its rental park with products from Sixty82 and, as a sales partner with its own stock, can provide its customers with comprehensive assistance in the rental and installation business at short notice.

edelmat. has already participated jointly as exhibitors with Sixty82 at Future of Festivals, the leading trade fair for the festival industry, with great success. “Personal customer contact is very important to us,” says Bröcker. “Going forward, our goal is to strengthen the visibility and reach of Sixty82 in the metropolitan region of Berlin Brandenburg and beyond.

“We really like Sixty82’s products and are looking forward to developing the brand with them. We are ready to create great things together.”

For more information about edelmat., you can visit www.edelmat.de and on Sixty82, www.sixty82.nl

Nashville, TN – The Twelve Thirty Club in Nashville is full of headliners. A modern take on the supper club, the “dapper-as-hell” restaurant was developed by James Beard Award nominee Sam Fox alongside pop superstar Justin Timberlake, with architectural and entertainment lighting control designed by Energy Systems Design.

ETC’s control systems and infrastructure.

The project was only possible because of ETC’s control systems and infrastructure.
“This was a fantastic opportunity to create beautiful lighting in a storied location – Broadway in Nashville, right across from the former home of the Grand Ol’ Opry,” says David Empey, Technology and Design Department Head for Energy Systems Design. ESD is a full service, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and technology design firm with locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Austin, Texas.

“We designed the lighting, lighting controls, and network for the entire venue. As the designs for the building were developing, I knew I needed the flexibility of ETC systems so we could handle whatever architectural or entertainment needs came up. I also knew I could rely on ETC, Bradfield Stage and Extreme Electric to provide the commitment and technical know-how to implement the design correctly.”

A lot did come up for this ambitious venue. The entire club has many different spaces. The first floor is used as an energetic and “elevated honky tonk a step above the rest of Broadway,” with dining and music every night. The mezzanine level is an intimate cocktail lounge primarily for members and the second floor is a majestic 400-seat “Supper Club” where a suit and tie wouldn’t be out of place.

ETC helped create an elevated honky-tonk on the Twelve Thirty Club’s first floor.

The restaurant and lounge feature antique chandelier light fixtures, opulent booths, a row of windows overlooking Bridgestone Arena, an outdoor terrace with views of The Ryman – and of course a stage ready for acts of any stature, from Justin Timberlake to Kelly Clarkson, to Lady Gaga, or the next big act coming out of Nashville.

“There’s a movement in Nashville towards a more upscale feeling, not limiting themselves to the loud and raucous, while still embracing the energy and vitality of Nashville’s storied musical scene,” says Empey. “Working with design team, what they were looking for was a traditional honky-tonk, but radically elevated.”

Lighting-wise, that meant they wanted to evoke an extremely warm and refined look. The light is tuned to 2200K, more amber than white since “Sam Fox likes very low and very warm lighting,” explains Empey. “The design draws the eye to chandeliers and individual fixtures, so it feels like they are the main sources of illumination even though they aren’t. They can’t be.

The intimate Members Only bar in the mezzanine of the Twelve Thirty Club is controlled by ETC’s Paradigm system.

Chandeliers at the low intensity the client wanted couldn’t provide enough light. By paying attention to distribution and making sure the light was really warm – the exact same color temperature is used throughout the restaurant – the light can come from everywhere, even as your eyes are drawn to the chandeliers.”
The lighting control is a mixture of DMX and 0-10V dimming throughout the Club, with ETC’s Unison Paradigm system controlling everything throughout all spaces. “The entire building is all linked back to a single control panel – but also easily available via an app.”

Bringing sexy back

The crown jewel of the Twelve Thirty Club is the second floor Supper Club, a space that needed to provide a luxurious, world-class venue for performers. Crescent-shaped, tufted-leather booths with copper inlays line the walls, red velvet chairs surround wooden dining tables topped with antique fixtures, and deep club chairs provide an intimate seat near the stage. It was Energy Systems Design’s job to make sure the stage lighting lived up to this level of opulence.

“The team wanted it to simultaneously be elegant – but not show theatrical fixtures. To feel like a stage – but not having anything that looked like a stage standing out,” describes Empey. “So, we built an old school supper club, like an early Frank Sinatra might have played in. Then we hid our stage fixtures – ColorSource Spots – in an architectural cove. We chose ColorSource because they are a rich, full-range fixtures that allowed us to get that warm color we were aiming for.”

ETC controls the architectural and entertainment lighting and makes them work in harmony in the Twelve Thirty’s third-floor supper club.

The ColorSource fixtures are capable of other colors as well, but the design team was apprehensive about color changing fixtures because of their traditional aesthetic.
“There was a very serious conversation about how to do color changing in a way that was elegant yet that could enrich the performance.” ETC’s ColorSource fixtures were able to create a rich, natural look, without the artificial, electronic feel of other LED luminaires. Eventually the colors won them over.
Color changing also comes from pixel tape in the cove, and RGBA downlights in the ceiling throughout the space. “I sat with Sam Fox, and we picked exactly what color amber he wanted,” says Empey. “So, when you need a dance floor, you can pull tables out of the way and have a whole dance floor as well.”

What they’re working with

The switch between restaurant lighting and entertainment lighting is handled by Paradigm, which also handles all the architectural lighting controls.
In this instance, the entertainment lighting is completely segregated. The entertainment console takes priority over ACN and owns stage lights during a show. Everything else is controlled by Paradigm in the background.

“Everything else” is a combination of ETC Sensor3 power control racks, Echo Relay Panels, and Foundry Panels, all on an ETC network, with a variety of Response Mk2 DMX Gateways and 0 10V Gateways scattered throughout the space. In this project, everything dims, including the kitchen. “Sam Fox is a fan of public kitchens, and he wants the kitchen to be warm and match the rest of the restaurant.”

As a benefit to the operations team, Paradigm triggers all the dimming events throughout the day. “Lighting for all spaces is controlled via Paradigm Touchscreens and apps. Different spaces have separate menu screens. Managers have the Paradigm Remote app on their phones, and if they need to adjust levels in a scene, they can do that there.”

Opulent supper club with entertainment and architectural lighting controlled by ETC, the Twelve Thirty Club is bringing a new level of refinement to Nashville’s nightclub scene.

With so much to attend to, and such high standards to maintain, the managers and staff appreciate just how easy the Paradigm system is to run. During the training in May, just as the first-floor honky-tonk opened, David approached the general manager to train him on the lighting system just before closing. “It was a long day, he was exhausted, and he asked me to keep the training under 30 minutes.

I said: ‘If I do it in five can I get a Twelve Thirty Club hat?’” Taking the GM’s phone, he installed the Paradigm app and associated it with the network. “Then I handed it to him and said ‘Push the Dinner button.’ He hit Dinner, the Dinner light setting came on, and we were done. Took about three minutes, and I got my hat.”

The Paradigm system was so solid that even as they worked through a phased opening, with installers continually getting into the electronics of the system to add more components and more capabilities, the staff and patrons almost never saw an interruption in functionality. “ETC has never stopped saying that all this control and integration was possible, that everything could work together seamlessly. And they definitely came through.”
Energy Systems Design worked closely with Fox’s internal visionary team and ETC to deviate from the ‘status quo’ and create a truly unique and user-friendly experience.

For more information about ETC, please visit etcconnect.com

A new Anolis LED lighting scheme is illuminating the famous exterior façade of the Rosary Basilica at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (Sanctuaire de Notre-Dame de Lourdes), an ultimate destination calling pilgrims and worshipers from worldwide to the south of France.

The stunning new lighting was designed and specified by Bruno Le Vacon, founder of audiovisual design office BLEV ORGANISATION, and Sébastien Gaye from ACE Event Group. The physical installation of the luminaires – chosen from Anolis’ Divine, ArcPar, Eminere and ArcSource ranges – was completed by ACE Event who are locally based, with the equipment supplied via Anolis France.
Each luminaire was individually customized at the Anolis factory in the Czech Republic before dispatch to France.

The delicate and meticulous application of light on this special monument was a huge challenge for Bruno whose task was to enhance the magic and spirituality of an already sacred place. In front of the Rosary Basilica is a large public area, where visitors gather to celebrate, and they can now have their experience enhanced with the intensity and beauty of the lighting.

Bruno Le Vacon has a long history of working on events in and around ‘the Domain’ as it is known in Lourdes, which comprises 51 hectares, and includes 22 separate places of worship. Various elements of lighting have been introduced and upgraded across the site over several years.

Bruno encouraged the church hierarchy, including the bishop, to look at his tasteful lighting proposals for lighting the Rosary Basilica which had previously been poorly lit with tired old sodium units.

The general feeling was that the time was right for something that not only highlighted the façade’s splendor and grace, but that was contemporary and sustainable. LED was the obvious way forward offering a better lifespan, lower power consumption, less maintenance, and it was at this stage that Sebastian and ACE Event introduced him to the Anolis brand. ACE Event, a Robe customer for many years, trusted the fact that Anolis products are also designed and built to the same quality standards.

Extensive onsite tests over two evenings were conducted by Eric Tabuteau from Anolis France with ACE Event which established exactly the fixtures needed and where they should be positioned to realize the design, after which the specification was confirmed, and the special requests for customizations submitted to Anolis.
In early 2021, Bruno received the final green light to proceed with the installation plan and it then became a race to get it installed and running before the prime summer pilgrimage period commenced.

Bruno Le Vacon was impressed with the diversity of the Anolis ranges, the quality of their light output and colour mixing facilities – perfect for a design of this complexity and detail – plus the willingness of the factory to produce custom solutions to give the exact tools needed to optimize lighting this incredibly special and historic treasure.

ACE Event had also helped convince the end-user that Anolis was the correct route, so the next task was to meet the deadlines, for which the Anolis factory fully stepped up.
Here, Robe France’s CEO Bruno Garros also really pushed the Rosary Basilica project forward and ensured that the timescales were viable. As a proud born and bred Lourdes citizen, the city is close to his heart!

Around 80 x Anolis fixtures – a mix of Divine 160s, Divine 72s, ArcPar 150 Outdoors, Eminere 2s, 3s and 4s plus ArcSource Outdoor 16MCs and ArcSource Outdoor 4MC Pixels – are lighting the intricate stone tapestry of arches, crown, crosses, statues, belfries, stairs, the square and the lectern of the Rosary.

The statues are lit with ArcSource Outdoor 4MCs rigged at their bases and on the arches and the crown featured by ArcSource Outdoor 16MCs. All fixed in place with special brackets to protect the façade. The two main towers come alive with lumens from Divine 72s, while the larger arch is lit with Eminere 4s and the smaller one with neat Eminere 2s.

For general lighting, more Emineres are positioned inside the structure itself attached to a hidden rail, with further Emineres highlighting the wall paintings. The small and powerful Eminere units were ideal for this project and provided exact solutions.

Slightly in front of the Rosary Basilica two trussing towers built off to the sides, left and right, are rigged with Divines shooting across for general light, with more Divines inserted between the sculptures and statues for fine detail lighting.
Each light source is fitted with specific lenses and filters for individual optimization. Anolis’ architectural ranges are all developed for this type of environment, to deal with the harsh weather extremities and to be in constant use without deterioration.

The entire system is controlled via a wireless DMX system. With concerts and events frequently staged in the square, it was important to offer control of the Rosary Basilica lighting installation to incoming productions, so these can be integrated with their own show lighting if desired.
This Rosary Basilica is a notable example of a significant historical building exquisitely amalgamated with the very latest lighting technology.

For more info, you can visit www.anolis.com

Denmark based rental companies VIGSØ and Profox have invested in CLF Poseidon Hybrid fixtures, boosting their existing inventory of CLF Orion and Yara fixtures. Whereas Profox is a full-service company, the main activity of VIGSØ is dry-hire.
Both companies were looking for a relatively small IP65 rated hybrid fixture. After an extensive process of comparing and testing, the Poseidon Hybrid became the obvious choice.

Rasmus Stoltenberg Sørensen (Profox) was pleasantly surprised when he saw the output of the Poseidon Hybrid for the first time. “Its output is impressive, the projection is very crisp and compared to other IP rated hybrid fixtures, its weight is very low. I would like to emphasize the feature package of the Poseidon Hybrid. It is offering a lot, at a very reasonable pricing point.” The fixtures will be deployed during a lot of outdoor projection jobs of Profox, which are scheduled during the winter period.

With this investment, VIGSØ fills in a gap in their rental stock. “Outdoor hybrids are requested a lot by our clients, since we have to cope with a Scandinavian climate”, said Christian Vigsø. “When buying IP rated fixtures we are really interested in the serviceability.
The Poseidon Hybrid meets our requirements, just like the other CLF fixtures in our rental stock. We like CLF fixtures because they are designed for rental and touring applications. Also, their support is very good. We are seeing an increasing demand for CLF fixtures across Denmark.”

The investment is part of VIGSØ’s long term strategy, which is based on extensive partnerships with production companies. “When buying new products, we are always looking for other companies to cooperate. This creates a lot of buzz around the product, but also an increasing demand”, concluded Vigsø. In total, more than 60 fixtures will be available for rent in Denmark.

For more information about:

– Vigso : www.vigso.eu
– Profox : www.profox.dk
– And Clf Lighting : www.clf-lighting.com