12 Maverick Force 1 Spot s’adaptent au design des spectacles.

From April, 2007, its opening gala hosted by legendary actor Brian Blessed, the 750-seat venue, located in Dunstable – UK, staged over 5000 shows and events. Then the COVID-19 pandemic brought its busy schedule to an abrupt halt.

En haut de l’images, 4 Force 2 Profile installés en fixe assurent la face.

Although the theatre had to close its doors to the public during the lockdown, activity within its walls didn’t stop. With the popular venue empty, its technical director Richard Shrubb and his team were more readily able to upgrade its lighting rig by adding 16 of the new Chauvet Professional Force series fixtures supplied by its longtime vendor 10 out of 10 Productions.

“Grove Theatre was still using a sizeable number tungsten fixtures in its rig,” said Paul Need of 10 out of 10 Productions. “The lockdown proved to be a suitable time to commence this work as there were no dates in the diary for any performances.
Richard and his team wanted to bring the rig in to this century. They also appreciated the savings in power they could expect from both their FOH and stage lighting, as well as the savings in replacement lamps. Also, having 16 moving fixtures in the rig will reduce their change-over and focusing times.”

Le Maverick Force 2 Profile.

Thanks to the support of the theatre’s patron, the Central Bedfordshire Council, Need and the 10 out of 10 Productions team were able to install 12 Maverick Force1 Spot and four Maverick Force 2 Profile fixtures at the venue.
The 470-watt LED spot fixtures are hung on electrics over the stage and can be moved to accommodate different lighting designs, whilst the 580-watt profile units are fixed positioned FOH. A group of eight Ovation CYC 1FC fixtures were also included in the lighting upgrade.

With their intense output (20,000 lumens for the spot fixture and 21,000 for the profile) the Maverick Force units can deliver more than enough brightness from any position in the theatre.

As a cultural hub of its community, the Grove Theatre presents a broad range of shows, from musicals and rock concerts, to children’s plays and classical recitals. The two new Maverick fixtures are expected to add much-valued flexibility to the theatre’s rig thanks to performance features, such as their capacity to produce an array of hues as a result of their CMY+CTO color mixing and an added color wheel with CTB and CRI filters.

Les 12 projecteurs Maverick Force 1 Spot.

The Maverick Force 1 Spot and Maverick Force 2 Profile will not be the first Maverick fixtures to have an impact on the Grove Theatre. A little over three years ago, 10 out of 10 Productions supplied the theatre with Maverik MK1 Spot and MK2 Wash fixtures.

“Those fixtures work perfectly and are very suitable for the size of the venue,” said Need. “They really stood out during an eight-week Christmas Pantomime production. So, we’re very confident recommending Chauvet to valued client.”

More on the Chauvet professional website

At last ISE 2020 Adam Hall Group announced a variety of new LD Systems audio products for audio-visual integration. The diverse range of professional installation solutions are now ready for release.

In addition to the MAUI i1 the first MAUI specially designed for use in permanent installations and DQOR loudspeakers, which are also available in 70/100 V versions, the IMA and IPA amplifier series offer maximum flexibility as central signal modules functioning in the background. The steadily growing portfolio of LD Systems installation products is completed by the new ZONE X 1208 DSP matrix processors, which operate with configurable user layouts, app integration, and optional Dante network connection in the interface between integrator and end user.

Gabriel Alonso Calvillo

“The goal of Integrated Systems is to always provide solutions,” explains Gabriel Alonso Calvillo, Product Manager, Integrated Systems, and plays a major role in developing our new installation series. “That’s why we initially focused on product solutions which are required for daily planning and installation operations.

Creating relevant technical platforms will allow us to offer specialized solutions in the future too. In this way, we want to continually increase our market share in the AV fixed installation sector, while also simultaneously respecting the values that have always represented Adam Hall and its brands: reliability, performance, user orientation, design, and innovation.

We are also expanding our project support at the same time. In the future, we will increasingly act as the point of contact for our partners and customers, both in-house and on site.”

An Overview of the New LD Systems Installation Solutions

MAUI i1 – Indoor / Outdoor Passive Installation Column Loudspeaker

Thanks to the MAUI i1, LD Systems is taking the next step and making it possible for planners, integrators, and end users to also use the award-winning powered column loudspeakers in permanent installations.

The MAUI i1 has nine 3-inch full-range woofers and two 1-inch neodymium tweeters, including a two-way frequency range, and supplies 120 watts (RMS) at 8 ohms.
The BEM-optimized high-frequency waveguide makes it possible to precisely control the vertical dispersion and ensure the balanced distribution of sound throughout a space – even in difficult acoustic environments.

The MAUI i1 is also equipped with an 8 ohm/70 V/100 V control switch with tap connections for 60, 30, 15, and 7.5 watts for smooth integration into constant-voltage loudspeaker systems.
A special U-shaped mounting bracket for flexible wall mounting is included in the scope of delivery.

The MAUI i1 installation column loudspeaker is now available in either black or white.

DQOR Series – Outdoor and Indoor Installation Loudspeakers

The new DQOR series’ installation loudspeakers are suitable for both outdoor and indoor projects. The two-way systems are available in 3” (DQOR 3), 5.25” (DQOR 5), and 8” (DQOR 8) sizes and come in low- and high-impedance (T) versions with 8 and 16 ohms respectively. The DQOR models can also be integrated into 70/100 V environments using a control switch for variable power tapping.

The product housing is outfitted with a built-in wall mounting bracket as well as a handy slide/lock mechanism for flexible use in many different indoor and outdoor applications. Thanks to the recessed connection panel, which has no visible cable paths, the DQOR series can also be used in visually sophisticated environments.
To direct the sound in a precise manner, for example, in the restaurant and retail sectors, the loudspeakers have an integrated 27° tilt and 45° pan mechanism. The new DQOR series is available in black and white.

The DQOR installation loudspeakers will be available from March 2021.

IMA 30 and IMA 60 – Mixing Amplifier with Four Priority Levels and 70/100 V Tap

The IMA 30 (30 W @ 4 ohms) and IMA 60 (60 W @ 4 ohms) models are the first products to be released by LD Systems in the new IMA series. The wide range of input and output options, including Bluetooth for the wireless connection of music sources and a multistage priority circuit, means the mixing amplifiers in the compact 9.5-inch housing can be freely integrated into commercial and industrial applications.

Both IMA models offer four priority levels for emergency calls, microphone/line inputs, connected music sources, and an optional automatic standby mode. User-friendly operation is a top priority for LD Systems. Not only integrators and installers but also end users should be able to easily use the IMA series in day-to-day activities.

The IMA 30 is now available, the IMA 60 will be available from March 2021.

IPA 424 T/IPA 412 T – DSP-Based Four-Channel Power Amplifiers

The LD Systems portfolio now also includes DSP-based installation power amplifiers due to the introduction of the IPA series. The four-channel IPA 412 T (120 W) and IPA 424 T (240 W) models have built-in transformers for each channel, a 100 V/70 V tap, and a low-impedance output up to 4 ohms. Both models feature an expansion card slot that allows IPA amplifiers (including all DSP parameters) to be controlled via Ethernet and seamlessly integrated into larger installation networks via Dante (AoIP).

In the basic setup, the IPA power amplifiers work like a conventional installation amplifier with a 100/70 V tap and separate low-impedance output. The DSP section includes a parametric EQ (including loudspeaker library), compressor, matrix mixer, delay, and the ability to select prioritized sources. The IPA series can also be operated with LD Systems remote control units and paging microphones by using a CAN-based (controller area network) REMOTE bus (in/out).

The IPA 412 T and IPA 424 T 4-channel DSP power amplifiers will be available from May 2021.

ZONE X 1208/ZONE X 1208 D

ZONE X 1208 – a 19-inch hybrid DSP matrix processor with diverse remote control options, lets users load DSP templates for a variety of installation requirements. In combination with the integrated Event Scheduler (planner), calendar-specific workflows can be created to automatically change presets.

The ZONE X 1208 also features a REMOTE bus for seamless integration of LD Systems wall panels and paging microphones. As a flexible signal matrix, ZONE X 1208 offers 12 balanced microphone/line inputs with high-quality microphone preamps and 48 V phantom power for each channel, eight balanced line outputs, and eight GPI and eight GPO logic ports.
With the integrated Ethernet interface, the ZONE X 1208 can also be controlled remotely with the universal Xilica Designer control software based on the current Linux operating system. Dedicated remote control applications for iOS and Android are also available for customizing the software user interface. In addition to ZONE X 1208, the matrix processor is available as ZONE X 1208 D with an integrated Ethernet + Dante card with 64 × 64 Dante AoIP channels.

ZONE X 1208 and ZONE X 1208 D hybrid DSP matrix processors will be available from February 2021.

More information:
https://www.ld-systems.com/en/listing/index/sCategory/2703

Mr. Rupert Neve’s impact on the audio industry can hardly be overstated. It’s no exaggeration to say that millions of people worldwide listen to music every day that was produced using equipment incorporating Rupert’s designs somewhere in the process, from the vocal recording to the final mix, if not from beginning to end.

His designs, ranging from large-format mixing consoles to compact 500 series modules, are ubiquitous, and may be found anywhere from the largest production facilities to the most basic home studios. His audio hardware designs have also been reproduced as software plug-ins, making them available to anyone with access to a computer.
Rupert and his wife, Evelyn, moved to Wimberley in late 1994 and became U.S. citizens in 2002. In 2005, they acquired premises near where they had settled in the Texas Hill Country and established Rupert Neve Designs (RND).

Born in Newton Abbott, England, in 1926, Rupert showed an enthusiasm for electronics from an early age, repairing and building radios as a boy while growing up in Argentina.
At the age of 17 he volunteered to serve during World War II, joining the Royal Signals, which provides communications support to the British Army. Returning to civilian life in England, he built a mobile system to record choral groups and public events onto lacquer disks. He also supplied public address systems for events involving Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, and Winston Churchill.

I know many artists that were waiting for his arrival, somewhere up there…

The company manufactures the 5088 analog mixing console and a range of rackmount and desktop processing, summing and other equipment, including the Portico, Portico II, and Shelford lines. In 2012 RND began producing equipment in the 500 series form factor and in 2018 Rupert released his first digital design, the RMP-D8 Dante-networked multichannel microphone preamp.
Rupert’s contributions to the professional sound industry were recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Technical GRAMMY Award in 1997, an Audio Engineering Society Fellowship Award in 2006, 16 TEC (Technical Excellence and Creativity) Awards for Rupert Neve Designs products, and Studio Sound magazine’s Audio Person of the Century Award, in 1999.

Rupert Neve doing an autograph on one of his consoles.

After working for Rediffusion, Ferguson Radio and a transformer manufacturer for a time, Rupert set up his first business, CQ Audio, manufacturing home hi-fi amplifiers and loudspeakers.
In 1960, a composer in Ireland commissioned him to design and build his first audio mixing console the piece of equipment with which he ultimately became synonymous. In 1961, Rupert and his wife established Neve Electronics.

Adopting the latest technology, Rupert designed his first transistor-based equalizer in 1964, then produced his first transistor mixing console, for Philips Records’ studios. In subsequent years, he designed and manufactured many of the iconic pieces of equipment for which he has since become celebrated, such as the Neve 80 and 50 series mixing desks.
Years later, individual microphone preamp, equalizer and processing modules originally incorporated into those consoles, such as the 1073 and 1081, became highly prized for their sonic character. The relative scarcity of original modules has spawned a host of boutique manufacturers making reproduction units.

Rupert adopted digital technology in 1977, introducing the world’s first moving fader system, NECAM (NEve Computer Assisted Mixdown), and installing the first system at producer George Martin’s Air Studios in London. The Neve 81 series of mixing desks integrated digital assignable controls into an otherwise analog design.

Rupert and Evelyn sold the Neve Companies in 1975, by which time they employed 500 people worldwide with manufacturing locations in England and Scotland and sales offices across North America. Austria’s Siemens Corp. subsequently acquired the Neve brand from its new owner, later selling the company to AMS in England.

Rupert and Evelyn, now operating as ARN Consultants, established Focusrite Ltd. in 1985, producing outboard equipment and a large-format mixing console, of which just eight were made.

One of them can be found at the Sound City Setagaya Studio in Tokyo.

Part of the mission of ARN Consultants was to provide sound reinforcement and acoustics solutions in difficult environments such as churches and cathedrals. Rupert also developed techniques and equipment to enable the building of low-budget studios around the world.
During the 1970s and ‘80s, he established the Cambridge Radio Course, an intensive residential course intended for Christian workers using radio to educate, inform and entertain their communities.

ARN Consultants moved on to work with Amek Systems and Controls Ltd. in Manchester, England. Rupert’s first design project was “The Equaliser,” a stereo mastering EQ produced by Amek under the Medici brand.

That led to further collaboration with the manufacturer and the development of another large-format mixing console, the Amek 9098, and a line of outboard equipment derived from the analog desk designs. Rupert’s Transformer-Like Amplifier (TLA) design was integrated into several Amek mixing console lines.

One of the 3 famous consoles designed for AIR Studios 1978, now in Bryan Adams’ studio, Vancouver.

ARN Consultants, now operating from Wimberley, Texas, worked on a number of projects, including Legendary Audio’s “The Masterpiece,” a modular mastering system. Rupert also became involved in the MI (musical instrument) market for the first time, designing a preamp and pickup assembly for Taylor Guitars. In 2011 he partnered with sE Electronics to design the Rupert Neve Signature Series of active ribbon, condenser, and tube condenser microphones.

In 2002 Rupert and Evelyn Neve became US citizens.

In 2011, Yamaha launched the first Rupert Neve Designs plug-ins, approved by Rupert, for its Steinberg platform. The plug-ins, emulations of the designer’s current and classic module circuits, have also been integrated into Yamaha’s CL Series and Rivage PM10 digital consoles for live sound production, another first for Rupert.
Rupert is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Evelyn; five children, Mary, David, John, Stephen, and Ann; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

And more information on Rupert Neve here

********************************************************************************

Yamaha is saddened to hear of the passing of an audio industry icon Rupert Neve.
Pure musical excellence was brought to audio engineers, producers, and musicians through his creations.
Rupert set the standard for quality in audio for broadcast, recording, live sound, and other segments in the music industry.
We are honored and grateful to have worked closely with Rupert and Rupert Neve Designs in bringing his products to Steinberg and to the Yamaha live sound world.

Finland’s biggest touring circus, Sirkus Finlandia, completed a successful tour of the country late last year with a lighting rig composed almost entirely of Ayrton fixtures. The Ayrton products were supplied and supported by Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for Finland, Oy Lafoy Ltd of Helsinki.

© Sirkus Finlandia

Established in 1976, Sirkus Finlandia is a family run business with an international reputation. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Sirkus Finlandia had planned a 250-date tour across 115 cities from April to November, with audience capacities of 1600. The pandemic may have delayed its plans but it certainly didn’t stop them.

Ayrton Perseo

Determined to keep the show on the road, the company still managed to bring its colourful, uplifting show to the Finnish people over the summer, performing 108 shows in 23 cities to reduced audiences from the beginning of June until the start of November, a major achievement in these difficult times.

Sirkus Finlandia’s lighting designer, Eero Auvinen, incorporated Ayrton Perseo IP65-rated fixtures into his design for the first time a design which already used 6 Ayrton NandoBeam S3 wash lights and 8 Ayrton MagicDot-R.
These were rigged over the main ring on trusses suspended from the Big Top’s supporting structures and used pre-show to light the audience and create eye-catching visuals.

Throughout the show, the NandoBeam S3 fixtures were used as front lighting, while the MagicDots and Perseo units created an array of wonderful effects, textures and colours that provided a magical ambience for the huge variety of acts.

Video presentation of Perseo

AYRTON – Perseo – Presentation from Ayrton on Vimeo.

Auvinen has chosen to use Ayrton lighting fixtures on Sirkus Finlandia tours for several years: “We started with MagicDots when we were in need of something light and small for the band stand,” he explains. “Oy Lafoy, which has supplied and supported our lighting equipment on tour for more than 10 years, recommended the MagicDots.

Ayrton Nandobeam S3

Ayrton Magicdot-R

Oy Lafoy are a very reliable company and we trust their opinion, so we were happy to try their suggestion. We were very impressed with the MagicDots, so the next year we replaced our front lights with NandoBeam S3s.

For 2020, we added Perseo and the results are amazing. This is the first year I have been able to fully utilize gobo projections thanks to Perseo’s good optics and punch. Now we have seen how it performs under show conditions, we are well on our way to making our lighting rig Ayrton-only.”

Circus logo projected by Perseo © Sirkus Finlandia.

Auvinen and his team (technical designer, Tuomo Körkkö and AV Technician, Tero Juopperi) chose Perseo not only because of its incredible design capacity and feature set, but because it is an IP65 rated, dust-proof fixture.

Tero Juopperi (at left) and Tuomo Körkkö © Sirkus Finlandia.

“A Circus is a very demanding environment for lighting fixtures, especially with the horses running around the ring – the amount of dust they create is incredible,” Auvinen says.

“The cleaning and service process for our equipment is very time-consuming, and it the ultimate reliability test for any fixture.
We needed fixtures that can take this, along with 100+ load-ins each season, and occasional water leaks from the roof of the Big Top. Perseo was able to handle all of this easily and we have saved a lot in maintenance time.

“But what makes the Ayrton fixtures stand out most is their reliability in the harshest of conditions. We can trust completely that the rig will be fully operational in every city we visit!”

For more information visit:

– The Ayrton website
– The Lafoy website
– The Sirkus Finlandia

Based in Ris-Orangis and owned by Communauté d’Agglomeration Grand Paris Sud, Le Plan opened in 1984, with a new venue built in 2014, and was recently awarded the prestigious contemporary music scenes label (SMAC) by the French Ministry of Culture.

A hub for Parisian music lovers and a reference venue for first-class sound quality, Le Plan’s audio system has recently been upgraded with L-Acoustics K and X Series delivered by Audiolive, replacing its previous 17-year-old system.

Robyn Bennett and her band rehearsing at Le Plan using the new L-Acoustics system.

Le Plan hosts an eclectic national and international programme covering the entire spectrum of contemporary music genres from hip hop to pop, rock, and more.
Le Plan’s audio team also has a mission of raising awareness of key developments within the contemporary music scene, and hosts specialist courses in live sound recording and mixing for students from EMC University. The venue’s two concert halls, seating 830 and 200, are open to professional and amateur musicians for masterclasses and conferences.

Benjamin Feuillade

“Our previous system had served us well, but we wanted to continue being a reference venue for great sound, and it was time for an upgrade,” says Benjamin Feuillade, sound engineer at Le Plan.
“Following internal discussions with our director, Fabien Lhérisson, and technical director, Jean-Noël Paquier, we made a list of our key requirements for the new main system, secondary areas, amplification, monitoring, wiring and rigging, which we put into a tender document.”

A key criterion was to have at least the same low frequency output as the previous system, so a 10-inch system was the minimum required. “K2, with its 12-inch transducers, easily reached our goal. Our new main system can go down to 35Hz, which was important to us,” notes Feuillade. “Audiolive’s proposal was also highly competitive and unmatched in terms of additional benefits offered by L-Acoustics, which was a key factor in deciding to award them the contract.”

Olivier Inizan and Arnaud Delorme.

Using Soundvision, the L-Acoustics team of Arnaud Delorme and Olivier Inizan prepared the system design to meet all objectives including well-distributed coverage, plenty of headroom, solid frequency response, consistency, and efficient control of the system.

The system comprises left / right hangs of five K2, with six KS28 under the stage, positioned in an arc sub compact mode, one X12 per side for near field coverage and an X8 per side for frontfill.
Additionally, one X12 was deployed for the bar area and two X12 for the VIP balcony. Seven LA12X and one LA4X are used to control the entire FOH system. The monitor system comprises 13 X15 and two SB18, all powered by seven LA8.

Le Plan’s stage monitor system comprises thirteen X15 and two SB18 subs.

“The detailed design allowed us to install all the right rigging points, motors and power supplies in advance,” continues Feuillade. “This saved a lot of time when we received the big delivery, just three weeks before the first lockdown hit France in March 2020, and we completed the entire installation in just one day. Calibration was done using L-Acoustics M1 suite, integrated into LA Network Manager software, allowing us to measure the entire room, and then optimise the setup offline.”

Six KS28 subs are positioned under the stage in an arc sub compact mode.

Le Plan’s team immediately noticed the significantly increased and well-distributed coverage. “Where we had previously needed to use secondary sources to feed the under-balcony area, K2 can easily reach the back wall. The bar and VIP areas now also have good and harmonious tonal balance.

By choosing an arc sub compact configuration for the KS28, we managed to achieve an amazing result in terms of consistency in all areas. We feel that we have really gained a lot with this system!” exclaims Feuillade.

Le Plan’s team has also been convinced by the L-Acoustics workflow, including LA Network Manager, with P1/M1 cited as a significant advantage. “It is now incredibly easy to host different mixing consoles and to tune the system exactly as we need it to be,” states Feuillade. “And, thanks to LA Network Manager’s Autoclimate feature, we are able to adapt the system during a show for increased humidity and temperature caused by the audience.”

Le Plan’s main system comprises left / right hangs of five K2, an X12 per side for near field coverage and an X8 per side for frontfill.

The new system has also helped the venue strengthen its 30-year partnership with EMC School, whose courses have benefitted a significant number of French engineers. Feuillade himself was one of the first, and he is now teaching the courses for second- and third-year students, offering hands-on monitor and FOH mixing sessions, and giving students a great reference point for working with a high-end sound system.

“This is a top-of-the-range audio setup that allows us to create the very best conditions for our visiting artists and their crews, students, and audiences,” concludes Feuillade. “People often tell us how great the sound quality is. They can’t explain why it’s so good, but we know.
“This whole process has been a great experience, and the collaboration with L-Acoustics and Audiolive has been invaluable. We are delighted to have chosen L-Acoustics K2 for Le Plan and can’t wait to start doing live shows again.”

More on the L-Acoustics website

Photo ©Guille GS

It was the gig of show designer / director Romain Pissenem’s dreams! Global music superstar David Guetta, France’s most iconic DJ and music producer playing a unique set live at one of the world’s most visually, architecturally, and historically impressive site-specific locations, Musee du Louvre in central Paris …

Photo ©Guille GS

Celebrating the monumentally symbolic roll-over from 2020 to 2021 in this breath-taking environment with style, cool, poise and some superlative dance beats, 116 x Robe iPointe moving lights on the rig helped make it THE New Year’s Eve livestream to remember from the year THAT WAS.
It was also the third in David Guetta’s “United at Home” concert series to raise money for those in need in what’s been a universally tough year for everyone.

Romain and his UK and France based creative production company High Scream were also the stream’s executive producers, working directly for the artist and collaborating closely with staff from The Louvre. The 15-camera stream was directed by Job Robbers.
Romain’s team included lighting designer Ian Tomlinson and lighting programmer and operator James Betts-Gray.

His starting point for the production design was the beautiful 21.6-metre-high glass and metal pyramid structure designed by architect I M Pei with its 603 rhombus shapes and 70 regular glass triangle segments, a timeless contemporary masterpiece that defines the Louvre’s main courtyard. While Romain and High Scream have been producing David Guetta’s live shows for the last couple of years, working on a show of this stature and significance took everyone to new levels of show production.

Photo ©Guille GS

For Romain, a truly international citizen, this show was also an emotional snapshot for an incredibly proud Frenchman. “The biggest challenge was to respect the wonderful aesthetics and integrity of this very special space and add in a complex, high-impact, show-stopping electronic music show capturing the sheer magic of this incredible moment,” commented Romain. The pressure was on for everyone involved to impress an audience of approximately 16 million who joined the stream from literally every corner of the globe!

Throughout 2020, High Scream has designed and produced a steady trickle of broadcast and streaming projects, all of which have enabled Romain to get savvy about how to bring the visual atmospherics and excitement that are a given with live audiences to screens large and small anything from a smartphone to a massive LED wall providing a cascade of goosebump moments for viewers.

Photo ©Guille GS

After much consideration, Romain decided they would hit the right vibe with lighting and lasers as the media to create layers of optical excitement, however they also supplied camera director Job with a collection of custom playback video content to pepper his mix as needed!
With Guetta’s DJ decks positioned centrally at the base of the main pyramid – a 34-metre-wide expanse – it was clear from the outset that the aesthetics precluded having any trussing or metal structures in view, so all lighting was positioned in a matrix arrangement on the floor radiating outwards from the decks.

The 116 x iPointes were the primary lights of the show

They looked stunning as their intense beams sliced dramatically through the rain and night sky radiating the incredible energy and sounds being created by the artist.
iPointes were chosen for their brightness, features and durability. For the geometry and style of the production design to work, protective domes were out, so they needed to be robust water-resistant fixtures as no one had any illusions about the Parisian weather in December!

Sure enough … apart from a brief pause for around 10 minutes at the start of Guetta’s set, it rained persistently all evening, turning to sleet and ice-rain towards the end of his incendiary hour-long performance … which was brutally cold but ensured the light beams looked even more awesome!

The iPointes were arranged in a series of carefully crafted linear lines creating a triangle shape mirroring the elevation and angles of the main pyramid. Effectively an ocean of lights in front of the DJ booth, which evoked the dynamic look that was fundamental to the design working from all the camera angles and was especially cool on the drone shots!

Photo ©Guille GS

The courtyard also has two smaller glass pyramids and seven triangular-shaped water features flanking the main pyramid … all providing additional surfaces to reflect and refract light, together with the rain that further amped up the overall moodiness with additional atmospheric twists.
Four hundred and thirty-two lights were utilised in total. To these Romain added some subtle lasering on the pyramid itself, with 20 x 30-Watt lasers shooting up and across the structure producing subtle highlights, disturbance and glitch effects which looked great on camera.

Photo ©Guille GS

Lighting and audio equipment were supplied by S Group, a regular High Scream show and event technical partner, with the lasers from Laser Fabrik.
The stream was broadcast live on various platforms including Facebook, Instagram TV, Twitch, YouTube, and numerous TV channels.
Romain, who has worked on many incredible shows worldwide, commented, “This was just REALLY special, particularly after a year like 2020 … it was something else. We were all very honoured to be involved and for David (Guetta) to entrust his production to us. The show brought an important message of hope during this very challenging time, and we were all grateful and immensely proud to be part of it.”

Having already raised over $1.5 million for charities with the United At Home events from Miami and New York, United At Home Paris was dedicated to UNICEF and Les Restos du Coeur. Donations could also be made to the Louvre, which has been closed for many months due to the pandemic.

For more product and general info, check the Robe website

When times get tough, artists adapt, relentlessly leveraging leading-edge production technology to explore ever more innovative ways of making an impact with remote live performances. And that’s exactly what drove the deployment of an Adamson Systems Engineering CS-Series loudspeaker rig for Tate McRae’s performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Adamson CS10 and CS119 power the Tate McRae performance for The Tonight Show.

Directed by Jonah Haber and filmed in Brampton, Ontario, the Alberta-based, global pop sensation’s performance of her massive international hit, ‘You Broke Me First’ featured all the trappings of a high-end video shoot courtesy of Vancouver-based production house, Boldy, and set design, video and staging by Toronto’s Congo Blue Productions.

Jeremie Ngandu

Typically on video shoots, audio is an afterthought. Not in this case, explains Jeremie Ngandu, who designed the system for the production and credits the Adamson loudspeakers as integral to the live energy and immediacy of McRae’s performance.

“We converted a 28,000-square-foot warehouse into a performance space,” Ngandu says, adding that the set included four separate performance areas or ‘rooms’ that McRae moved between during the song each kitted out with lighting and video screens to create a variety of effects.

Having worked with McRae on similar virtual live performances for The Jimmy Kimmel Show and The European Music Awards, Ngandu knows exactly what McRae and her dancers need to hear to pull off the high-energy performances McRae’s become known for.

The Adamson CS-Series system was a big part of that, he notes; in terms of ease of setup, the power and SPL necessary to set the tone and enhance the performance in what was, acoustically, a difficult environment, and, most importantly, in allowing Ngandu to provide great sound for both McRae and her dancers.

Behind the scenes at the Tate McRae video shoot, with each zone featuring stacks of good vibes.

Soundbox Productions supplied Ngandu with eighteen Adamson CS10 line array cabinets and six CS119 subs, which he deployed in six ground-stacked positions each consisting of three CS10 on top and one CS119 on the bottom. These were spread across the set to provide even coverage as McRae and two dancers moved through the space.

“I had the different zones on matrixes, so I could ride the levels as they moved throughout the set and could really feel the music everywhere. Using the Adamson stacks provided a live feel for the dancers and Tate,” he says, adding: “It’s important to keep in mind this was very much a live performance – one shot, no edits – so I think the ability to feel the track, with impact, enhanced the performance.”

A well known 19” Kevlar driver, a new power and DSP module developing 3000 W, 138 dB SPL Max, meet CS119.

The degree of control CS-Series provided was also helpful: “This wasn’t an ideal environment. It’s a concrete space with a metal roof, exposed brick, and no sound absorption. That’s where the zones came in.

Tate and her dancers felt every note and every beat of the drums because, as they moved, I’d bring up the level up in each area, but only to where I could still control the dynamics in the room. I really like the dispersion pattern of the CS10. It’s very focused, but it’s also wide and powerful so you don’t have to blast them to have that impact.”

That level of control benefitted everyone on the shoot, not least of all McRae herself. “Tate was on in-ears and that can be kind of isolating. So being able to have that live feel with the sub hitting her as she was singing and dancing, that helped a lot.”

Easy and handy to use, two channel Class-D amp & DSP with a total output of 2400 W, everything is controlled and monitored through a CS soft.

Although this was his first use of the CS-Series loudspeakers, for Ngandu, Adamson is a known and trusted quantity.
“I’ve used Adamson S-Series loudspeakers before, and I’ve done my Adamson Certification Training. I know how their loudspeakers sound and the power they pack.”

Beyond that, he continues: “With everything being spread out the way it had to be, having powered speakers connected via one cable was a game-changer. I didn’t have to run a whole bunch of amps and infrastructure.” As far as tuning, he adds: “It was pretty quick that way, too. I basically left them flat and had everything set up and patched in half an hour – I just plugged the speakers in, powered them up, and we were good to go.”

Tate McRae and her dancers pulling off the high-energy performances McRae’s is known for, getting plenty of energy behind them…

The final piece of the puzzle was a pair of Adamson CS7p two-way full-range loudspeakers that Ngandu used as reference monitors, “The CS7p were recommended by Soundbox and they really came in handy. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I played my own multi-track recordings through them before we started, the clarity, depth, punch; everything was there and the mid-range was so clear.”

“Tate was very pleased. She loved the sound overall, and I enjoyed having the CS7p as reference monitors. Tate wants her in-ear mix to sound like the studio record. That’s one of her biggest requests. I’ve listened to the record a million times. I know what it’s supposed to sound like and I know what Tate wants it to sound like. So, flipping between in-ears and the CS7p, you hear a true representation of the mix, which helped a lot. The CS7p allowed for a clean, tight, and punchy mix that translated one-for-one, exactly the way she wanted it to.”

Adamson CS7p deployed as reference monitors.

The clean look of the Adamson CS10 and CS119 also lent itself perfectly to the final result, he adds. Although he’d watched the performance already, seeing it in context during The Tonight Show brought that home.
“It was great to see all the hard work pay off and the system looked so good. The way the lights were hitting it. It was so clean.”

Most importantly, the performance was phenomenal. Not surprising given the accolades the 17-year-old pop singer/songwriter has racked up since her first release, ‘One Day’, went viral in 2017. Nailing it so perfectly, particularly without an actual crowd in front of you, isn’t easy, but McRae certainly made it look that way.

“I think the systems we had in place helped her lock into the music and feel like she was in a live space. A lot of the time, on studio sets, you have one or two speakers and you just have to pretend you’re performing as if you’re in a larger-than-life space. Having the Adamson system helped emulate being on a real stage with all the PA, subs, and power. I feel like that allowed Tate to lock in and deliver the performance that we all saw.”

For more on Adamson CS Series click here

©Spark and Backframe

Over 500 CLF fixtures were part of the very first Electric Fireworks NYE show in the Amsterdam ArenA. Selected because of their power and punch, Poseidon and Aorun beams took care of the aerial effects.
LEDbar PRO and Ares fixtures were added to create blinding firework effects. 4Light Showprojects and Dutch7 were in charge of the technical production. Lighting was designed and programmed by LD Company.

©Spark and Backframe

©Spark and Backframe

©Spark and Backframe

During load-in, the roof of the ArenA had to be open all the time. Therefore, fixtures with an IP65 rating were preferred. Ronnie Santegoeds (4Light Showprojects) explains: “Initially we planned an outdoor event. That’s why we started the preparation process with a big fixture shoot-out, based on projection at 50 meters and beam intensity. The CLF Poseidon Beam was chosen to feature the circle shaped structures which resemble fireworks.”

©Spark and Backframe

The iconic firework structures also included LEDbar PRO and Ares fixtures. “We used these fixtures for the most powerful part of fireworks; launching and exploding. Due to their output, the ledbar PRO and Ares were ideal to emphasize these accents”, comments Santegoeds. 180 linearly lined up Aorun Beam fixtures completed the scene.

©Spark and Backframe

More info about CLF Lighting range of products can be found on the CLF Lighting website and on the 4 Light Show Projects

ISE MD Mike Blackman responds to the announcement by AVIXA that the InfoComm 2021 show is set to take place in Orlando in October 2021.

Dear ISE community,

Following today’s announcement that the InfoComm 2021 show will now take place in Orlando in October 2021, we want to confirm that Integrated Systems Europe, remains scheduled to open live and online on 1-4 June 2021 in its new home at the Fira, Barcelona.

Whilst we recognise there continue to be challenges ahead, we are in touch with government and the relevant health authorities to constantly monitor the situation.
None of us can predict how the situation will look in June, but we are hopeful that by the second quarter of 2021 we will see the world return to a new ‘normal’ with vaccines being rapidly delivered in many countries around the world.

We understand our exhibitors and partners need to make commitments that will incur cost and we do not wish to burden them unnecessarily. For this reason, if circumstances impact our ability to host an in-person event and we are forced to cancel this element of ISE, we will make this decision by 1 March.
With the backdrop of the global pandemic, our priority in recent months has been devising the means to deliver a safe and secure event for all exhibitors and visitors and we have been working closely with the City of Barcelona, the venue and relevant authorities.

In early January, Fira de Barcelona received the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, an internationally recognised endorsement from the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), developed in collaboration with the specialist risk management consultancy Aon and the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
ISE has also published A Guide to Safe Visiting, outlining the safe practice protocols that have been put in place with the Fira Gran Vía to ensure that the visitor experience is safe and secure. The guide can be located on the ISE website here.
Looking ahead to June, we can confirm that today, over 37,000 sqm of space is signed up with just under 700 exhibitors confirmed and new companies continuing to book their place on the floorplan.

Online visitors registration are now open, as we realise the industry is keen to ‘get back to work’ in the second half of the year. Feedback from our recent customer research shows that the industry is looking forward to meeting as soon as the situation allows and we are currently updating the research to measure current sentiment amongst both our exhibitors and visitors.

In a time where many of our industry colleagues are suffering financially or have lost their jobs or businesses, we at ISE are striving to do everything we can to contribute to the industry getting back on its feet.
I would personally like to thank all our customers, partners and colleagues within the industry which we serve and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you,

Mike Blackman
Managing Director
Integrated Systems Europe

For further updates and information on ISE 2021 please visit the ISE website

For information on InfoComm 2021 please visit the Infocom website and check out the FAQs page.

Meyer Sound has announced immediate availability of LEOPARD®-M80 narrow coverage linear line array, a new variant of the LEOPARD® loudspeaker designed for focused coverage and long-throw applications. LEOPARD-M80 is identical to the existing LEOPARD design except that it provides a precisely controlled 80° horizontal pattern instead of the 110° coverage of the original model.

The two models, on top the new M80, on the bottom, the 110° « regular » LEOPARD.

Meyer Sound Vice President and Chief Loudspeaker Designer Pablo Espinosa.

“LEOPARD has been one of the most successful loudspeakers in our company history and is by far the best selling member of our line arrays,” notes Meyer Sound Vice President and Chief Loudspeaker Designer Pablo Espinosa.
“With the introduction of LEOPARD-M80, we will extend this remarkable success by offering system designers more options for tailoring coverages to the exact requirements of the venue.”

Because the vertical coverage and rigging hardware are identical to the original LEOPARD, the new LEOPARD-M80 may be configured in mixed arrays of both loudspeaker variants.

A mixed array with 7 LEOPARD-M80 in the upper section for long-throw coverage and 5 LEOPARD in the bottom for closer sections.

LEOPARD-M80 loudspeakers in the upper array section provide focused long-throw coverage while LEOPARD loudspeakers below spread horizontal coverage for closer seating sections. Arrays configured with only LEOPARD-M80 loudspeakers can offer a long throw with reduced spill to the sides of the array.
This can be advantageous in narrow venues with reflective side walls as well as in outdoor applications where side spill into adjacent areas must be minimized to conform to noise regulations.

LEOPARD-M80 also affords additional system configuration options.
LEOPARD enables tighter horizontal control across a broad spectrum of outfill, center fill and delay applications when used in large-scale systems with LEO® and LYON® main line array systems.
All current Meyer Sound line array loudspeakers share a common acoustical signature, affording seamless transitions among main and auxiliary arrays.

Two 9” long excursion cone drivers, one 3” diaphragm compression driver, 3-channel Class D 3900 W peak amp, 34 kg and 132 db SPL Max (Pink noise) for the M80.

In both variants, LEOPARD’s innovative amplifier, driver and horn designs ensure linear response over a wide dynamic range. LEOPARD also offers exceptional phase coherence, consistent coverage patterns, extremely low distortion and high power-to-size and weight ratios. Basic LEOPARD arrays can be quickly configured in Native Mode for optimum performance with minimal external processing.

With the pullback frame any shape is possible.

The narrow profile and limited weight make LEOPARD arrays an ideal choice for mid-sized touring acts and fixed installations where portability, scalability, and ease of rigging are essential.

“With LEOPARD-M80 we are offering system designers and rental companies yet another option to create high-performance, cost-effective systems for any application,” says Espinosa, “from a small club with LINA® arrays up to massive stadium and festival systems with LEO main arrays scaling down through LYON and LEOPARD fill and delay systems. LEOPARD-M80 is an important new addition to the industry’s largest and most widely adopted family of self-powered line arrays.”

Since its launch in 2015, LEOPARD has been specified for installations worldwide, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theatre, National Theatre in London, and the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) Theatre, and is frequently chosen by sound designers on Broadway and touring audio engineers.

2,30 minutes to discover LEOPARD and LEOPARD-M80

More on the Meyer Sound website

For the last 20 years, the Cincinnati Bengals have been taking on NFL rivals at Paul Brown Stadium. This 65,515-seat gridiron arena that has always placed a premium on the strength and quality of its audio systems.
Equally known as the site of performances by artists ranging from Kenny Chesney to Guns N’ Roses, PBS, as locals call it, subscribe to the notion that sound traveling throughout its concourses and seating areas should live up to concert-level expectations at all levels, whether it be on game day or for special events.

From left to right Durrell Sports’ John Horrell, Matt Pogorelc of Quest Marketing (RCF rep), and Tarik Solangi of RCF USA.

To that end, a three-phase project to re-energize the stadium’s original, 20 year-old audio blueprint was just completed this fall, debuting on October 4th before a reduced crowd that watched as the Bengals beat the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars.

Designed and implemented by Nashville, Tennessee-based Durrell Sports Audio Management, the new system is an amalgam of workhorse legacy components, upgraded audio processing, and custom loudspeakers built in Italy expressly to meet the needs of this unique application by RCF.

One of the eight 9007-AS encased in a specific plate and strapped as it should, clearly visible at the top left of this image. It is with the 7 other subs, the only active model among the 583 deployed at PBS.

“Paul Brown Stadium is unlike any other around the country when it comes to audio,” Durrell’s John Horrell explains. “Every aspect of its game-day production from simple announcements to music is as live as you can get.
There is nothing here that even vaguely resembles a pre recorded TV show. That’s why when we were chosen to upgrade the audio we felt it was essential to create a system that was capable of true, concert-level high performance.”

The upgrade project was implemented in three phases, with the first kicking-off in 2018 and bringing, among other things, new delay loudspeakers from RCF to the upper deck and canopy level. Phase two added approximately 120 new RCF loudspeakers to the lower level and 70 more to the canopy level in 2019, along with four dual 21-inch RCF subwoofers on each side of the canopy level.

A modern stadium means Wi-Fi and great sound for everyone wherever they are.

Phase three of the project was approved in January 2020, so by February the job was underway, with Durrell working hand-in-hand with Louisville, Kentucky’s United Electric to turn the new vision into reality.
As the pandemic tightened its grip globally on labor and material beginning in March, the design and install team steadfastly kept to construction deadlines with help from suppliers and manufacturers including RCF.

Critical to the audio heard within this space as well as sound traveling throughout the entire bowl, custom-built, hand-assembled loudspeakers from RCF figured prominently within the phase three additions.

Wide horizontal coverage cabinets designated as model HVL 15-L1 and narrow coverage speakers bearing the model number HVL 15-P1 were provided by the Italian manufacturer as one-off custom units built to Durrell’s specs just for PBS. In between these custom long-throw boxes, standard offerings from the RCF catalog including model P 4228, P 3115T, and P 6215 cabinets were interspersed as downfill in large number.

An HVL 15L without its front grille. We can see the waveguide in the center, on both sides the 10” horns and at the ends, the 15” placed perpendicularly.

Based around a horn-loaded symmetric design, the custom HVL 15-L1 cabinets from RCF are outfitted with a pair of 15-inch drivers at the low-end, a pair of 10-inch midrange drivers, and two titanium dome compression drivers with four-inch voice coils at the top. All of the transducers feature neodymium magnets.

The more than exemplary frequency response of the HLV 15-P1 model designed to reach far and gaining 1 dB of SPL Max on the L1 thanks to a tighter coverage.

With a frequency response of 43 Hz – 18,000 Hz (-10 dB), these three-way, long-throw boxes are driven in bi-amped mode and are capable of producing a maximum SPL of 133 dB (LF) and 145 dB (MHF). Horizontal coverage is 90°, while vertical coverage spans 30°.

The eight HVL 15-P1 loudspeakers built by RCF for the PBS installation share many of the same design characteristics as their 15-L1 brethren, once again operating in the same frequency range and employing a bi-amped, horn-loaded symmetric design, passive filtering between the mid and high-frequency sections, and the same external construction. Equipped with the same latest generation transducers as the 15-L1 across the board, the 15-P1s differ in that they offer 60° x 30° coverage.

A nice view of one of the two 15” of the HVLs, with neodymium magnet and 3.5” coil.

Widely recognized for their ability to put serious sonic horsepower within the confines of a stadium while maintaining intelligibility and even coverage at every seat, Durrell spent a lot of time analyzing the Q values required of the system and had the custom RCF long-throw enclosures built accordingly. Q is the directivity factor of the speaker.

The directivity factor or Q of the P1. With a value of 2 to 100 Hz, that is to say offering a higher level of 3 dB towards the front, it reaches very high values and beyond 10 once the 4Path waveguide is in action.

“Understanding the Q speaker values in a stadium environment is imperative to managing reflections,” Horrell says. “Q, of course, in its simplest terms, is the speaker ‘throw’ value how far the audio carries away from the speaker.

Designing the correct Q speaker values in PBS was our biggest challenge, and with proper processing plus the custom RCF boxes built right to our own precise specs, we created a distributed system that no matter where you’re sitting you won’t be annoyed by a loudspeaker intended to bring coverage to somewhere else.”

A view of HVL couples, completed by an infinite number of P-series boxes, with its polyetilene cabinet and 15” or 10” coaxial transducers.

Out in the bowl and throughout the concourse levels, Scott Simpson, executive producer of JungleVision Productions, relates that the renewed audio system’s RCF loudspeakers differ from their predecessors in terms of balance and overall coverage. “The expanded coverage in the facility is outstanding, it’s a whole new experience for our fans.

Live stadium sound is a unique animal in that hard, reflective surfaces and wide-open spaces abound. The thought that went into this design combined with the presence of the fans in the stands to help absorb unwanted reflections brings the whole system to life. Paul Brown Stadium can now continue to classify itself as one of the truly great sounding venues on the planet.”

: One of the twentyfour P 6215 coaxial speakers installed in the stadium, 134 dB SPL Max and a 60 ° x 60 ° opening.

As for how the stadium sounds now from John Horrell’s perspective, he has this to say: “When we debuted the system the crowd may have been small, but it was very enthusiastic. We were all tickled to death with how it sounded. It had punch, and nothing was compressed to death.

The linearity was great and evoked emotion a pure presence that moved and excited everyone. OK, I’m an analog guy, but that’s hard to get out of a digital product. It additionally has dynamics that make it one of the better systems in the NFL. We could never have done this with line arrays, and given the history, this all should last another 20 years or more.”

RCF CEO Arturo Vicari.

Led by CEO Arturo Vicari, the RCF team working in Italy was dedicated to getting the enclosures designed, built, and delivered to Paul Brown Stadium on time.
“All of us here and in Italy felt this project was vital as a boost to everyone’s morale,” says RCF USA National Sales Manager Tarik Solangi. “With added precautions made to keep everyone safe on the job, the factory churned out the work and kept our delivery promises. Beyond the virus, our biggest challenge was fitting our products into the exacting requirements dictated by the stadium.”

For CEO Vicari the project represents a milestone in that it brings RCF’s signature sound to one of the most prominent sporting facilities in the US. “All things considered,” he confides, “it was a considerable challenge for us given the complications created by the pandemic. Credit really is due to all the teams on both sides of the Atlantic that nonetheless executed the task with flawless organization and coordination.

The HVLs, the Italian stars of a truly American stadium!

The project was an ambitious one even when viewed through the lens of a pre-COVID-19 world. Accomplishing it decisively and on schedule within the context of today’s difficulties is testament to the efforts of everyone involved.”

New Products link on the RCF website

Arthur, Robert Juliat’s new 800W LED followspot, made its global debut at Big Eoul Madang (Yongin Cultural Foundation) in Seoul, South Korea, which was proud to be the world’s first venue to receive the new followspot.
Arthur is an 800W LED followspot with a 5.5° – 15° zoom that has been designed for long throw applications in larger venues. Complete with all the ergonomic, optical and maintenance benefits expected from Robert Juliat products, Arthur is already becoming a firm favourite with opera houses and theatres around the world.

The first two Arthur followspots were shipped to Big Eoul Madang in late summer 2020, having been supplied by Robert Juliat’s exclusive Korean distributor, C&C Lightway. The pair were specified by the venue’s lighting designer, Mrs So-Jin Kang, who chose them as the perfect match for Big Eoul Madang after seeing them at LDI 2019 in Las Vegas.

“We were already familiar with the quality of Robert Juliat products having 36 RJ 700 Series zoom profiles (18 each of RJ 710SX2 and RJ 713SX2 models) in our generic rig,” says Mrs Kang. “However, Robert Juliat’s reputation for excellent followspots is well-known and the new Arthur did not disappoint. It delivers a bright, uniform beam, is easy to control for both dimming and irising and, having an LED source, gives out less heat and saves on power. It ticked all our boxes!”

Yongin Cultural Foundation is a multipurpose cultural hub that hosts a wide variety of performances for the city, which has over one million inhabitants. ‘Eoul Madang’ translates as ‘an event or place in which many people gather to play games and enjoy festivities.’ The complex has a total of six performing arts spaces which provide a meeting point for Yongin citizens to gather together to enjoy classical music concerts, and children- and family-orientated shows.

Big Eoul Madang, which opened in September 2004 at Yongin Women’s Hall, is a proscenium theatre with a total capacity of 599 seats over two levels, and is equipped with moving stages, an orchestra pit, and an acoustic shell. The Arthur followspots are sited in the purpose-built followspot booth above the second level with a 25m throw-distance to the stage.
The new followspots were immediately put to work on a Gukck show, a concert of traditional Korean music, which gave the lighting team – comprising head of lighting, Duhee Lee, and lighting technicians and followspot operators, Muhyuck Chung, Gyungho Park, Hwa Lee – a chance to put them through their paces. Since then, the followspots have been in continual use.

“After using the new Arthurs, we were convinced the choice was a good one,” confirms Mrs Kang. “We are very happy with their performance and with the service we received from C&C Lightway. We will be happy to specify Robert Juliat again in future.”

More information about the new Arthur LED followspot and Robert Juliat luminaires can be found on the Robert Juliat website

C&C Lightway can be contacted at www.cclightway.com

More information on Yongin Cultural Foundation can be found at www.yicf.or.kr

Palmer presents the Grand Audition MKII, a modern 19″ loudspeaker switching system on two rack units for convenient loudspeaker routing in showrooms, sales floors, multi-room applications, and many other scenarios.

Thanks to 16 mono or eight stereo outputs and eight parallel subwoofer outputs, the Grand Audition MKII facilitates high-quality, noiseless switching of top parts and subwoofers, including individual level controls for precise comparisons.

Channel selection and volume control can be controlled individually or as a stereo pair – either directly from the front panel or via a browser-based web interface, which provides additional control options. The latter option allows additional control of the Grand Audition MKII using a tablet or laptop.

Multiple mode selection enables several connected loudspeakers to be simultaneously selected, and loudspeaker channels can be defined and individually named for fixed or recurring setups.
The Grand Audition MKII’s output combinations can be freely configured, meaning it is also suitable as a control center for measurement and laboratory use. At conferences, a signal source can be supplied to up to 24 headphone amps by the Grand Audition, if required.

The two balanced XLR inputs and the built-in USB media player let users utilize the playback paths to always have the perfect source material ready for comparisons and presentations.

The choice varies from mixers, CD players, or a digital audio workstation (DAW) via a USB storage device on which reference titles can be accessed in WAV, AIF, FLAC, MP3, and OGG data formats.

If the control is digital, the signal path and its processing are entirely analog and several Grand Audition MKII can be bridged to have more channels, all being controlled by the same computer or tablet.

The Palmer Grand Audition MKII is now available for purchase.

4 minutes with Robin Enlish Senior Product Manager Pro Audio at Adam Hall to discover more in detail this device.

More information on the Palmer website and on the Adam hall website

The least we can say is that there’s a huge gap in our lives. Claude Ducros has departed on January 27th, due to a fight between a Cancer and a bacteria taking advantage of his extreme health weakness, wiping out 65 years of life and genius. We’re losing a friend and a rare workmate.

Claude was curious about everything, and we mean really everything, and blessed with an outstanding memory. It was difficult to test the limits of his scholarship as he simply shared with those around him as needed, much like Siri does nowadays. One might ask a question, then Claude provided a precise answer, indeed.
A kind of Encyclopedia Universalis with a mustache and a slang accent from Saint-Maur, a Paris suburb town. His passion was electronic audio development which he brought to such a level of excellence that even his Audio Precision station struggled to respond at best because, he asserted, “what gives good measurements sounds good”.

After a Diploma of Higher Education in electrical engineering, he graduated for his engineering diploma at “Arts et Métiers” prestigious university while working as a journalist for the magazine “le Haut-Parleur” (“the Loudspeaker”) published by the Georges Ventillard group.
In the same scientific press group, he then took part in the development of Radio Plans, a specialized electronic magazine.

When the general public’s craze for leisure electronics vanished in the 90s and the publisher decided to terminate this edition, Claude was invited to save “Le Haut-Parleur”, which had existed since 1925, and then to create “Génération Multimédia”, one of the first interactive magazines whose success did not have enough time to be bloom correctly.

Claude had a precise writer’s skill and provided very high quality content with impeccable spelling. “Here, my good president (Ludo), will you correct me? “. Like the Audio Precision bench analyzer, we had a hard time finding the mistakes. After other contributions to magazines and professional letters, and an experience as a development engineer in the HiFi industry, he returned to Ventillard Editions as editor-in-chief of “Sono Magazine”. He then brought along his audio electronic and computer expertise on innovative topics with always a step ahead.

When this magazine was sold in 2011, and the editor-in-chief and some journalists were invited by the new publisher to resign, we developed SoundLightUp, along with Claude, Monique Cussigh and the journalists who were dismissed like Ludovic Monchat and Jean-Pierre Landragin.
We partnered in this adventure with confidence, joined (for a too short time) by Patrick Marguerie and Alain Pouillon Guibert. We were incorrigibly passionate about technique, good sound, beautiful lights and the desire to share. And we made it!.

How many hours spent discussing the smoothness of a moving coil crew, digital converters and their clocks, class D power supply, PFCs? 10 marvelous years spent writing, doing reports, attending shows and all in a blind confidence for each other sealed by memorable dinners that we will miss, except for the green garbage can that will finally be able to rest its wheels.

Claude was a Jedi Knight of great intellectual honesty, incapable of the slightest compromise. “My little Kitten (Ludo) you should rephrase this passage ” ” Little Mô (Monique Cussigh), and if we did it more like that? “.
These few memorabilia will only very partially restore his modesty and gentleness, with sensitivity and a high touch of class. We are losing a mentor, in the true sense of the word, a tutor and a friend, to whom we owe much of what we know about audio and journalistic rigor.

Claude had health problems for more than two years, difficult to solve, which diminished him physically until the presence of a dreaded cancer was discovered at the end of 2020. Claude was too much in love with cigarettes… He was swept away in 3 days, collateral damage of a severe medical treatment that weakened him to the extreme: it was double or nothing. Yet we were confident, we had even scheduled a fishing trip after his treatment because he was a passionate fisherman.

For some of us at SoundLightUp we shared more than 30 years typing pages and pages without ever getting into a tiff with each other, first at University Institute of Technology and/or the Ventillard Group and finally at SoundLightUp.
To say that we are sad is only to sketch the ugly feeling, the ball that grows in our stomach when we lose a friend and a colleague of this value; we are even closer to his wife Béatrice, his daughters Audrey and Sandrine and his brother Gérard whose immense pain we can measure.
As we very sadly do in such cases, these few lines can be supplemented below, if you wish, by writing to us at redaction@soundlightup.com.

Mô & Ludo