The pandemic period will surely be remembered for many things including the invention and creativity manifested by an entertainment and technical production industry determined to keep music and performance accessible and relevant during a world public health crisis and the resulting enforced isolation.

© Morten Rygaard

Danish DJ and music producer Martin Jensen has played a series of livestream concerts in unexpected, innovative and cool locations around the country including Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium, aboard Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS “Niels Juhl” and aboard historic paddle-steamer “Hjejlen”, atop the Camp Adventure nature reserve forest tower in Rønnede and amidst Copenhagen’s famous Illum department store … blending superlative, pumping dance beats with the concept of art “intervention”, delighting his fanbase and so many others who tuned in to Twitch to catch the action.

At the heart of ensuring that all concerts on this tour were unique visually and sonically engaging experiences … was lighting designer Mathias Skall Hansen from Frontsound.
For five of the seven shows, Mathias specified and used quantities of different Robe moving lights – MegaPointes, Spiiders, BMFLs – which were supplied by leading Danish rental company Nordic Rentals.
Mathias’ company Frontsound specialises in visual design and SFX, and he has worked with Martin Jensen since the artist’s international career took off in 2014. Martin is very much involved in the production of all his shows and fully tuned in to the power of lighting and visuals, so Mathias was hugely excited to be a part of these ground-breaking shows.

© Morten Rygaard

As Robe is one of Mathias’ favourite moving light brands, especially the MegaPointe, he spec’d the fixture for all these performances where his starting point was the various camera angles including overhead drone shots. Getting that 360-degree central overhead shot was a key to the optical WOW factors and capturing the symmetry and form of the lighting schemes in each case.

Mathias has been using Robe products consistently in his lighting designs for the last six years. “They are very powerful with good colour mixing and gobo selection, very fast, easy to programme and above all reliable and well-engineered,” he commented.

© Morten Rygaard

For the Parken show, Martin was positioned right in the middle of the pitch, his DJ booth set up on a 10 x 10 metre video floor. Around this were three concentric circles of moving lights, the first and second comprising 42 x Robe BMFL Spots in total and the third outer ring made up by 56 x MegaPointes.

These fixtures were chosen for their intensity and impact, and Mathias was able to create a series of fantastic kaleidoscopic looks and geometric shapes that combined seamlessly with the video content and SFX permeating the gig for the overhead shots, together with multiple high-impact pyro cues. The lighting setup looked equally dynamic from the ground-based cameras directed by Marco Villarroel.

© Morten Rygaard

The 139 metre long Niels Juhl – a fully working Navy frigate – was anchored at the Navy base in Korsør at the time of the concert. Martin’s DJ decks were set up on the helipad with the 24 x MegaPointes arranged in a V-shape behind him, used to create assorted patterns, looks, and camera candy effects, while the FOH area was set up in the helicopter hangar immediately behind.

© Morten Rygaard

The SFX included flames and gas jets, and the trademark Martin Jensen show fireworks were rigged on barges positioned around the ship for a massive wide-shot panorama.

The challenges for this gig included craning all the kit onto the ship for which the Navy fully embraced the show and made their considerable resources available. One thing that no-one could control on the night was the wind, so the multiple strategically positioned smoke machines had their work cut out, but the MegaPointes were so bright that they pierced the night sky even without enhancement from the smoke.

The Hjejlen is one of the world’s oldest operational paddle-steamers, built in 1861 and now used to ferry tourists between Silkeborg, where she is moored and Himmelbjerget one of Denmark’s highest points.

© Morten Rygaard

Picturesque Silkeborg is also Martin’s hometown, so this show was a big deal for him and the city that nestles on the Gudenå River in eastern Jutland. The ship is considerably smaller than the Niels Juhl, so there was room only for the DJ booth and some minimal battery powered wireless LED key lights on the deck.
A smoke machine was secreted in the boiler room and atmosphere fed in from behind a large seat, with all the major lighting and effects elements – including 24 x Robe MegaPointes – deployed on pontoons rigged around the boat in the harbour, with the FOH control on another.

© Morten Rygaard

© Morten Rygaard

Camp Adventure Tower is in the middle of a forest-climbing park in the breath-taking Gisselfeld Klosters forests of southeast Zealand, and Martin took his show and music to the top of this spectacular 45-metre-high hour-glass shaped observation tower which allows visitors a bird’s eye view across the massive beech forests.

© book1drone

The technical crew pushed all the DJ equipment and the flightcased MegaPointes – which were positioned right on the top level of the tower – up its 800-metre ramped access route.
The fixtures were spaced out equidistantly around the top loop and their patterns elegantly programmed in sequences matching the shape and form of the tower. They were the main visual effects as no pyro could be used due to the woodland environment and extensive wildlife.

© Morten Rygaard

Copenhagen’s ILLUM luxury department store was the pop-up location for the final show of this series so far. Known as one of the most exclusive and architecturally interesting retail destinations in the city, its massive main atrium is finished throughout with white marble surfaces. Martin’s DJ decks were set up on a platform flown – impressively – right in the middle of the space at 16 metres off the floor and approximately level with the third storey!

To accentuate the opulent interior, Mathias used 86 x Robe Spiider LED wash beams positioned on flightcases deployed around the ground and first three floors, allowing the whole inside of the building and all the shopping areas to be illuminated.

The 16 x MegaPointes used for this show were set up in a circle on the floor directly below the flown DJ riser. Two Robe BMFL Spots at one end were used to shoot gobos all around the atrium including onto the escalator structure opposite.
Mathias enjoyed the many challenges and great fun of working in these different found spaces and off-beat locations which were full of surprises!

© Morten Rygaard

“Each show was completely unique, and while you might have had an initial idea in your head about how everything would work, the design had to be flexible enough to be changed and adapted to find the best solution once on site,” he explained, clearly relishing the spirit and spontaneity of the concept.

Mathias programmed and operated lighting for all these events – where the sets typically ran for between 4 and 5 hours – using his grandMA3 light console.
Frontsound also co-ordinated the audio, and supplied the pyro, fireworks and SFX for locations where they were used. Mathias production managed the series of shows, ending up in the slightly novel position of also controlling his own lighting and SFX budgets!
Trust Rental was the video supplier for the ILLUM and Parken performances, while the drone footage was supplied by Book1drone and cameras by Mike Sønderby AT Rafnpv.

For more info about Robe range of products please check www.robe.cz

The Phoenix Suns Arena had multiple names since it first opened in June of 1992, but the Phoenix Suns Arena formerly America West Arena, US Airways Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena, and PHX Arena has been the home of the NBA Phoenix Suns since day one.
What has changed recently is how the venue sounds, with a new L-Acoustics Kara II loudspeaker system in place just in time for the 2021 NBA season.

Designed by AV consultants at WJHW and installed by Pro Sound & Video, a Solotech company, the new Kara II system is part of the $230 million Project 201: PHX Reimagined, designed to convert the nearly 30-year-old arena into a state-of-the-art sports entertainment venue for Phoenix Suns and WNBA Phoenix Mercury fans.

According to Pro Sound & Video, the arena’s management specifically requested an L-Acoustics PA system as part of the ongoing and extensive venue renovation, including new distributed sound systems for the arena’s concourses and back-of-house areas.
“The venue’s management has had positive experiences with L-Acoustics in other locations in the past, and the brand has become widely accepted by NBA arenas,” says Pro Sound.

Qui dit aréna dit gros système, de là la présence de 43 contrôleurs amplifiés LA4X, 36 pour le système principal et 7 pour les rappels. Plus de 170 pattes d’ampli…

The integrator points out that Kara II was chosen for its light weight and powerful output capability. “We had to stay within certain weight limits on the steel for this project, especially since the system is designed to be pulled up and out of the way, potentially, when touring shows come through with their own sound systems,” they explain. “We worked very closely with the structural engineers to make sure we were well within the weight limits.

Faciles à repérer, les lignes de Kara II et celles de quatre SB18 placées derrière les têtes.

At the same time, this is a large venue ”Phoenix Suns Arena has a seating capacity of over 18,000“ and the sound needs to cover the entire seating area and court.
Kara II is not only compact and lightweight, but it also has a lot of power for its size. And it offers a lot of sonic transparency as well.”

With the number of fans in attendance still being strictly limited per current safety protocols, acoustical reflection and reverberation issues from empty seating areas are a potential concern. “Thankfully, Kara II has a tight dispersion directivity and high degree of speech intelligibility,” Pro Sound adds. “Those have become more and more important in sports venue sound designs and are reasons why L-Acoustics is seen in more arenas and stadiums.”

Le directeur technique audio et vidéo des Phoenix Suns, Gary Gillespie.

Phoenix Suns Director of Engineering & A/V Technology Gary Gillespie agrees, citing hearing L-Acoustics systems installed at the NFL Arizona Cardinals State Farm Stadium and NHL Arizona Coyotes Gila River Arena in nearby Glendale. “I’m also a live-sound mixer, so I’ve had a lot of experience with L-Acoustics, and I’m a fan of their sound,” he says.
“But our team leadership also highly values the intelligibility that Kara II brings to speech in the arena and the fact that L-Acoustics WST systems never cause ear fatigue for the fans. It’s just a great-sounding system.”

The arena’s new system comprises six arrays of 14 Kara II enclosures for a total of 84 Kara II, plus a hang of four SB18i subwoofers flown in a cardioid configuration directly behind each Kara II array. In addition, there are 28 short-throw X12 coaxials deployed as a delay ring. All of these are powered by 43 LA4X amplified controllers—36 for the main PA and seven for the delays—providing over 170 channels of amplification.

Huit enceintes A10 placées sous le tableau d’affichage central précisent la diffusion sur le terrain.

Furthermore, a single LA12X powers eight A10 loudspeakers positioned underneath the center-mounted scoreboard serving as court fills.
Self-powered, coaxial 108P monitors are also installed in the new media editing suite to replicate the response of the Kara II main bowl system for accurate media reproduction.

The design of the Phoenix Suns’ new sound system originally called for eight hangs of Kara. However, this was changed to accommodate revised weight-load requirements for touring systems. With last year’s addition of Panflex to the original Kara loudspeaker model, providing four-in-one directivity, Kara II was a “game-changer” for the Suns.

Now, one box could cover any audience geometry and offer consistent coverage and SPL distribution with precise focus in four different directivity patterns: 70 degrees or 110 degrees symmetrical and 90 degrees asymmetrical, focusing directivity to either the left or right. In its 70-degree configuration, Kara II packs a full 2 dB more than in 110 degrees. That prompted design changes that allowed just six arrays to fulfill the coverage requirements of the bowl without having to alter the product specification from Kara II.

Les six petites lignes de 6 Kara II actuellement dédiées à la diffusion de l’ambiance virtuelle durant les matchs. Espérons que cela puisse rapidement changer…

L-Acoustics Soundvision 3D modeling software was used to execute the system design and all revisions quickly and accurately. This particular revision provided the venue with 28 additional Kara II from the original order that Gillespie and the Phoenix Suns management team decided would serve as onsite production inventory and be used as a flexible multi-use, in-house special-events production audio system.

Anyone in arena management knows to “expect the unexpected.” As fate would have it, those extra Kara II enclosures came in very handy almost immediately after the NBA directed their teams to implement their own enhanced crowd-noise systems for the current season. The additional inventory, plus eight more enclosures rented from the local shop of Clearwing Productions, now make up six hangs of six Kara II and are dedicated to the virtual crowd-noise system developed by Firehouse Productions for the NBA’s Orlando “bubble” last season, now in place at most NBA venues.

“Kara II’s Panflex update provided us with the extra speakers we needed for the crowd-noise system at exactly the right time,” he says.

“We began to see ROI right away on what we had thought would be extra inventory, and it turned a frown upside-down. And with up to 3,000 fans allowed inside now, the system truly makes it sound like a full house. L-Acoustics, Pro Sound & Video, and WJHW really partnered with us to create a greatly enhanced experience for both the fans and the players.”

For more details visit:

– The Phoenix Suns Arena website
– The Pro Sound & Video website
– The WJHW website
– The L-Acoustics website

© Riot Games

Hundreds of GLP’s JDC1 hybrid strobes were deployed by lighting designers Mat Stovall and Trevor Stirlin Burk at the new Pudong Football Stadium in Shanghai for the League of Legends World Championship 2020 Finals—the pinnacle of the eSports community and the concluding event of the season.

© Riot Games

Organised by Riot Games and ConCom Inc, the event took place on a massive scale. ‘The Worlds’ was broadcast in 16 languages and across 21 platforms setting a new record; an indicator of eSports’ increasing appeal.
The live event saw 888 active JDC1 heads in use—corresponding to a lucky number in Chinese numerology. Senior project manager Bobby Braccia; worked closely with CT Shanghai’s Aaron Ross Durdin and the rest of the CT team to facilitate the visions of the designers.

© Riot Games

Most notably the versatile JDC1’s were used during the Opening Ceremony to highlight a giant free-standing, 33m high, 65-tonne Paifang (traditional Chinese architectural central arch), fabricated by Star Live.
They also back-lit two giant 18m x 32m LED screens, on which the gameplay was displayed.
Finally, they formed the centrepiece of a rectilinear, so-called giant ‘poppy field’, interspersed with beam lights in the 33,765-capacity arena (socially distanced for a maximum of 6,000 people).

© Riot Games

Stovall and Burk explained that, given the constraints placed on them by Covid-19, Riot strives to create a unique show every year and even with the obvious challenges, that goal remained the same. This was Stovall’s ninth year at the event, working alongside Opening Ceremony director Sam Wrench. He stated that massive safety precautions had been taken.
“There were 24 competition teams from all over the world taking part, and like most productions we were all wearing masks. There was regular testing and a two-week quarantine before starting work, as mandated by the Chinese Government.”

© Riot Games

The ceremony itself was split into different parts, opening with K-pop group K/DA performing via augmented reality, followed by a medley of anthems from past Worlds events. At the end, as the players were introduced, a virtual, towering version of League character Galio known as the stone colossus appeared on stage.
The whole rig was used as the main story unfolded, running into a reveal of the players, and then going into the championship gameplay itself.

Although the design went through several iterations the large creative canvas of the JDC1 hybrid strobes had always been central to the creative dynamic, according to Stovall. “We fixed on the JDC1 before we could commit to the rest of the rig. I knew they would really define the show.”

© Riot Games

To give an idea of the JDC1’s versatility, each module contains a traditional single tube element with a clear, bright white output and combines that with a surrounding full face of RGB LED power, utilising 1,320 high quality LEDs. These two elements have independent control and can be used as separate pieces or combined for stunning effects.

Along with working as a strobe light, both the tube and the full-face sections can be run continuously for high output blinder and wash light effects, while the RGB face can be divided into 12 separate ‘plate’ sections, and additionally the bright white tube also can be divided into 12 sections and then the whole array can be fully pixel mapped.

© Riot Games

Of the 888 JDC1s used, 540 were distributed across the deck, with the remaining 348 lining the arch. “We had lots of Chinese variant products in the rig, but we insisted there should be no substitute for the JDC1,” confirmed Burk.

© Riot Games

As for the event itself, there may only have been 6,000 people admitted to the arena but this year’s viewership stats for the finals revealed an Average Minute Audience of 23.04 million and 45.95 million Peak Concurrent Viewers.
There were over 1 billion hours of competition watched over the course of the entire tournament.

More info about GLP range of products can be found on the GLP website

Optocore has further upgraded its popular M-series MADI interfaces, making it compatible with DiGiCo consoles, and providing additional functionality with all the advantages of Optocore’s DD-series, and more, at the same price point, making it super cost-effective.

Three M12 (8 ports) and two M8 (4 ports) and as always with Optocore, the back shows off more than the front !

Furthermore, the new, advanced versions have all the advantages of Optocore’s popular DD-series, and much more, at exactly the same price point, making it super cost-effective. M-series devices are now the principal means of plugging MADI streams directly into the DiGiCo loop to enable MADI streams to be input and output (other than DD-series and DiGiCo’s own devices). This includes the channel count recognised by the DiGiCo devices, which is identical to the channel count provided by the DD2FR-FX and DD4MR-FX.

Maciek Janiszewski

This upgrade applies equally to the entire M-series, as all available channels can also be freely distributed through all MADI ports on any of the five M8 and M12 devices.
For example, one show could use an M12-BNC/OPT, and provide one (1) 64/64 MADI fiber port and two (2) 32/32 MADI BNC ports, while for another show it could be two (2) 64/64 fiber MADI.


States Optocore Applications Engineering Manager, Maciek Janiszewski, “The compatibility of the M-series, along with the ability to control Optocore preamps from the console, makes DiGiCo/Optocore systems by far the most effective solutions for essentially all installations.

“Furthermore, when not incorporated within the DiGiCo loop, M-series functions as standalone, full-capacity MADI routers; for example the M12 allows for routing of 512/512 channels @48K.”

La face avant du M12

The new routers are shipping with immediate effect.

For further information visit the Optocore website

The Snowboard World Championships returned to Valmalenco (Italy) in January 2021, albeit behind closed doors due to the health emergency. Four days of competitions on the snow after a nine years absence of the Alpe Palù competition, down the area’s 60 kilometers of ski slopes.

Fabio Frate

Frate Professional took care of setting up the audio and video systems, installing a wireless system consisting of various stacking stations with RCF HDL 26-A line array and HDL 35-AS subs.

Horizontal directivity. The top continuous black line is 10°, the second lower is 40°. The attenuation is regular and no hot spots are visible. We just notice a slight drop around the 750 Hz crossover point.

The audio system requested by the client body had to guarantee sound reinforcement for the entire competition area, including the start and the finish zones, with a distance of 800 meters as the crow flies between the main diffusion points. Fabio Frate and his team devised a strategic solution.

“To avoid laying long cable runs and crossing the parterre with cables, we chose to use Neutrik Xirium Wireless Bridges from the ski lift technical room up to the finish area, where the control room was positioned. An already existing balanced line of the chairlift facilities also allowed a wired connection with the sound diffusion spot of the start area.”

The HDL 26-A without its front panel. Two 6” for the lows and a 3” titanium dome drive, a double class D amplifier and an active constant phase filter for regular and accident-free directivity.

The sound system was permanently installed along the snowboard slope for 5 days, including one day of pre-setup. The system ran non-stop for 8 hours a day and was left outdoors (and under the snow) every night throughout the championship period, using only the rain cover accessory to protect the rear connection panel for each unit.

The snow was there. From top to bottom four HDL 26-A heads and two HDL 35-AS subwoofers.

“RCF assured us the system would work with great ease, as all components are waterproof and can work smoothly in sub-zero temperatures, and it did. At night here, temperatures can go right down to -25°C.”
As well as the sound system, Frate Professional also installed a 3.9mm pixel pitch Outdoor Ledwall for displaying the video contributions synchronized with the audio.

The logistical problems were not confined to the harsh climate; the inaccessibility of the stations also had to be dealt with. “All of the equipment was transported on the snow, using snowmobiles and snowcats, which, thanks to their load capacity, made it possible to integrate our RCF HDL 26-A units with HDL 35-AS subs, i.e. modules from the same RCF series, for better musical performance.

Big advantage of this small system, its weight makes it easily transportable. 14.9 kg for the head and 30 kg for the sub.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Ice too!

The low end delivered by those small subs is impressive and could be felt even at a great distance.”

The QL1 in charge of collecting the sources, mixing and routing them to the PA and the broadcast media.

In the audio control room, a Yamaha QL1 digital mixer enabled handling both all of the incoming audio signals from wireless mics and contributions and the mix routing to the TV broadcasters.
Fabio Frate continues “The performance of this small-sized line array is top notch, the audio was clear and intelligible along the entire snowboard slope.

Although the audience was small in number, the HDL system still reached everyone even hundreds of meters away. I was positively impressed by the reliability of the system.
It always delivered maximum performance, even when turned on first thing in the morning, after a night of freezing temperatures!”

More information on the RCF website

Robe luminaires were selected for another premium cultural project, this one at the Said-Galiev Cultural Centre in Derbyshki in Kazan, the capital of the Russian semi-autonomous region of Tatarstan, an area renowned as a lively melting pot of Russian and Tatar heritage.

Robe Pointe

Robe’s Russian distributor LTM with branches in Moscow, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg delivered the order of Robe Pointes, LEDBeam 150s and ParFect 150s for its client the Altin Group.
LTM also undertook all the related installation and commissioning work for the Robe moving lights and other elements of the venue’s lighting that were extensively updated in this project.

The ornate Said-Galiev Cultural Centre has two main auditoriums, a main one seating 560 and a smaller 120 capacity hall and was originally built in 1959.
This latest technical upgrade, which also included audio, flexible rigging, LED screens and a cinema projection system enables it to stage a range of shows and events.

The Robe luminaires are all being utilised in the main hall. Four of the Pointes are positioned above the stage with more rigged in the ‘slips’ positions either side of the pros arch for high tight angled lighting onto the forestage.
They were chosen for their power and intensity. More Pointes together with other new lighting fixtures are rigged on portable side booms onstage.

The LEDBeam 150s and ParFect 150s were chosen for their high luminosity, perfectly matching optics, and quality of output. Some of these are on the side booms with others lighting from the galleries and foyer.

LEDBeam 15O

ParFect 15O

These three types of Robe fixtures have also been specified by LTM for similar installations in recent years including at the Dagun Omayev Palace of Culture in Grozny city, Chechnya, the State Drama Theater named after Kosta Levanovich Khetagurov in Tskhinvali and the Theater Crave in Moscow which is specially designed to hold cabaret shows.

For more info about Robe lighting range of products, you can check www.robe.cz

David Lincecum

ETC is hosting an online event to launch two new theatrical fixtures on March 30-31. This event starts at 16:00 CEST/15:00 BST (09:00 CDT) with a keynote message from David Lincecum, VP of Marketing.

Justin Towsend

Immediately following the keynote, attendees will have the unique opportunity to hear from Tony-nominated Broadway lighting designer, Justin Townsend, on the impacts of LED on lighting design.
Additional sessions over the next 24 hours include product demos and Q&A with the development team, and a series of classes that focus on incorporating technology into your theatrical workflow to increase efficiency and productivity.

Much of the content will be presented in multiple languages (English, French and German) and multiple time zones around the world making this truly an international launch event. Visit etcconnect.com/ETCLaunch for session details and registration information.

And still Online product demos. You can also register for a one-on-one virtual product demo at a time that works for you!

Visit ETC website for session details and registration information

When Jennifer Lopez performed a moving medley of This Land Is Your Land and America Is Beautiful at President Biden’s inauguration ceremony, very few of the millions of people watching would have realised that a British technology played a key role in shaping the sound they were hearing.

Kevin Teasley

Behind the scenes, in the run up to the inauguration ceremony, Kevin Teasley, JLo’s Pro Tools programmer, music producer and musical director for her It’s My Party World Tour, used a comprehensive selection of Neve recording equipment to prepare the pre-recorded music that was vital to ensuring the success of her performance.

“The elevation of the final audio was superb and there is absolutely no doubt that Neve equipment helped us achieve the results we wanted,” Kevin says. “Neve is indeed a real go-to when I work in Live, TV, Film, Records, trailers, promos, broadcast, etc. Basically just about anything that I work on! Neve is included in my workflow on every single project from recording, mixing, and mastering.”

Based in Los Angeles, Kevin Teasley is undoubtedly one of the music industry’s most multi-talented and multi-faceted creatives. He is a composer, producer, sound designer, programmer and musical director, not to mention the owner and composer of TONIC Music + Creative, a trailer and TV production music company. His credits read like a Who’s Who of A-List recording artists and include JLo, Megan Thee Stallion, Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Neyo, J-Rock/Kendrick Lamar, Ciara, Usher and The Jacksons, among others.

JLo and her Team in Washington. Kevin Teasley is located on the top left of the shot, sporting the very same hat ;0) and jacket by the way…

Kevin’s involvement in President Biden’s inauguration ceremony came about because of his close working relationship with JLo. When she was asked to perform, her music team immediately got together to help her conceptualise and execute her vision.

“An important part of my role entailed working with all pre-recorded tracks and stems and putting it together into a full performance,” Kevin explains “I worked with the creative team, other music producers and arrangers and also managed the final prep of all audio, Pro Tools session/stems, to turn over to the on-site audio and music team in Washington DC.”

THE preamplifier. Introducing the 1073…

The Neve units used on this project include the company’s legendary 1073® Mic Preamplifiers, a 33609 Compressor Limiter and the 8816 Summing Mixer, all of which are housed in Kevin’s studio in Hollywood, CA in the legendary United Recordings Studios on the Sunset and Gower Studios lot.

“When I’m in bigger studios, I run virtually everything (pre-recorded tracks, stems, etc.) through a Neve console,” he says, “In smaller workspaces, I run every track and stem through the Neve 1073 pres, and then across the subgroups with the 33609 Compressor Limiter. I then have the track and stems split out to the 16 channel Neve 8816 to be summed back into Pro Tools to be printed.”
As stems and tracks can often come from different producers, writers and composers, Kevin finds that running everything through the 1073 helps to ensure uniformity.

“It gives me that consistent, beautiful Neve tone at the beginning input stage,” he says. “The Neve 33609 then helps to “glue” all of the subgroups together and the Neve 8816 glues the overall mix together when it’s printed back into Pro Tools.

It’s only a matter of taste, but the 33609 remains a remarkable compressor.

“Oftentimes, on the two insert mixes of the 8816, I put an outboard hardware EQ, colour box (for some sort of harmonic distortion) or parallel compressor on the first insert to blend into the mix. On the second insert, I will put a bus compressor to further glue together the final two-track print.
“Lastly, on the 8816, I use the width knob to widen the stereo field to my taste and that suits the type of track, song and/or performance. This all gets printed back into Pro Tools as a two-track final mix print. I then put some master buss processing on to finalize and polish the final master.”
With tight budgets and even tighter deadlines to contend with, Kevin says it is always a challenge to make ‘in-the-box’ mixes sound as though they have been mixed through a large console.

Ladies and gents, please, welcome the glue, AKA the 8816 !

“The Neve range is the perfect companion to elevate and enhance your sound in any hybrid studio that blends digital and analog,” he says. “I am always humbled and flattered when people compliment me and my team and/or ask me how I get the sound that I get.
Quite honestly, it is due in large part to the Neve product range. Just running audio through them, with a knob twist here and there, automatically makes things sound bigger, wider and with more 3D depth, as well as adding that classic Neve colour and tone.”

Although all the preparation for JLo’s Inauguration music was carried out in Los Angeles, Kevin did fly to Washington DC for the actual ceremony so that he could be on site for rehearsals and her performance.
“There was a live element to this project because we were fortunate enough to have the President’s own Marine Corp Band/Ensemble perform live to our our pre-recorded tracks,” he explains.
“It was an incredible moment in my career and one that I will never forget. It is something I will always be proud to have participated in and especially proud that my four year old son, Kaiden, can look back and say his father was a part of something historic.

Being part of a performance for any inauguration would be special, but this one in particular was so momentous that it really made me stop and recognize it as a “top tier” career and personal moment. It feels really great to be included in a relatively small professional circle of people who get to say they have done that!”

For more information please visit the AMS Neve website

Arbane Groupe has hired Christophe Palluat as its sales director for France. Palluat will work to create new sales dynamics with the APG and Active Audio brands.

Christophe Palluat

With over 25 years of expertise in the AV industry, Palluat brings a wealth of experience working with audio manufacturers and distributors, notably Arbane Groupe’s Active Audio.
“I worked in a number of roles before founding pro-audio distribution company Perfect Sound in 2009,” Palluat explains. “At the time, Active Audio’s commercial distribution in France was given exclusively to Perfect Sound, so I know Active Audio very well.”

“I spent 11 years working for Perfect Sound as their CEO and came to know and respect the APG and Active Audio brands beyond their reputations,” said Palluat. “When both brands announced their strategic partnership in 2016, I thought it was the perfect partnership that would pave the way to a great future for both brands.
APG’s product lines are excellent and Active Audio is known as the French manufacturer of the world’s largest range of column speakers. My experience tells me that both product lines will perform extremely well in the installation markets for AV integrators.”

Palluat’s immediate goal is to present Arbane Groupe’s comprehensive and complementary audio ranges and services to AV integrators across France and continue to grow the company base and reputation.

“APG benefits from a fantastic reputation with technicians in the theatre and arts, and our goal is to educate the wider market to the fact that the products are not restricted to technicians and sound experts. The products are actually very accessible and have been designed to be easy to use with exceptional performance,” Palluat explained.

Having started the role in at the end of last year, Palluat was pleased to find that Arbane Groupe has continued to make great progress over the years and praised the strategy to combine both the APG and Active Audio brands into the Arbane Groupe corporate entity.

“Through creating Arbane Groupe, the brands have seized the opportunity to use the synergies of both brands to provide customers with access to complete ranges of high-quality speakers and a sales and projection support team which can offer a very high level of expertise,” he said.

A variety of upcoming products and projects are identified by Palluat as many exciting opportunities to come. “There’s still a lot to do to develop the sales capacity and there are some fantastic new products to come this year. The company has a true history, great savoir-faire, technicality and above all, a real proximity to its partners and customers. It’s very stimulating to be part of it,” concluded Palluat.

Commenting on the recent appointment, Régis Cazin, Arbane Groupe’s CEO, said: “We’re really pleased to have Palluat on board with us after working with him extensively in the past. His expertise and approach to sales will be a great asset to us, as it was then, in growing our network across France.”

More information on the Arbane Groupe website

Marc Janowitz, of e26 design, chose 30 Ayrton Mistral-S LED spot fixtures as key features of his lighting design for Trey Anastasio’s The Beacon Jams. The 8-week ‘virtual residency’ was live-streamed weekly from New York’s historic Beacon Theatre throughout October and November 2020.

The jam sessions were aimed specifically at the home audience and filmed on stage in a reverse set-up with the auditorium as backdrop and the musicians facing the back wall.
“We wanted to create an intimate connection that felt like we brought the series of music sessions into the viewers’ own home,” explains Janowitz. “The reverse angle gave us something more like a studio environment into which Mistral fitted beautifully.”

Janowitz required a fixture that was light enough to mount on rolling C-stands and small enough to integrate into the performance area, yet full of features and with a great output: “Mistral was small enough – and pretty enough – to tuck into all the nooks and crannies between the artists and gave all the output – and the looks – that I needed,” he says.

Ayrton Mistral

Eighteen Mistrals were sited on stage to form a total ‘wrap-around’ that defined the space and fitted perfectly into the small spaces between the musicians and instruments.
“From here we used them mainly as backlight and sidelight, as eye candy, and to create beautiful flares behind the performers,” says Janowitz. “They were particularly useful in the reverse set up to fill the void on camera over the artists’ shoulders.

“The Mistral gave a natural lens flare which is very camera-friendly. Its precise movement allowed me to make small, live adjustments to its position to guarantee that flare in-camera from every perspective.”
Mistral’s small size and versatility also suited the film and television-style lighting, its low power-draw making it easy and fast to deploy. “Being LED sourced, we were also able to the set up the perfect refresh rate for the cameras.”

With different looks to generate for 20+ songs each week over the 8-week residency, with no repetition, Janowitz made full use of Mistral’s gobo and colour palettes. “Mistral has a wide gobo selection which opened up a lot of freedom – I had all the textures I needed,” he says.
“The impressive zoom ratio (6.7° – 53°) was also really great feature: narrow enough for overhead lighting without any spill, yet wide enough to cover the musicians fully at stage level – without any heat issues – even when placed in close proximity to the artists. That’s no mean feat in such a tightly packed stage and demonstrates exceptional versatility.”

Twelve more Mistral-S were rigged overhead to give high backlight. “I knew Mistral would be great at 12ft but realised they were also great at 30ft! Now my near side, reverse and close overhead lighting were all from the same fixture type, which homogenised how I was able to use colour, texture and intensity, and gave a beautiful balance.”

Trey Anastasio’s Beacon Jams marked Janowitz’s first use of Mistral and he was impressed. “Mistral is a great light to keep in my tool box: it fills the gap in the market for a nimble, small bodied, full-featured, punchy fixture.

It also looks attractive: the over-all look of the stage is important, and Mistral is definitely something I welcomed on the set and in the stage design. Those sleek curves and that distinctly French design go a long way!”

The Ayrton Mistral-S fixtures were supplied to The Beacon Jams by Pulse Lighting of Nashville. All proceeds from The Beacon Jams went to Phish’s The WaterWheel Foundation and its new Divided Sky Fund which was set up by Anastasio to help those affected by addiction and alcoholism, and help further plans to open a treatment centre in Vermont.

Excerpts from The Beacon Jams, can be viewed at twitch.tv/treyanastasio and https://www.youtube.com/user/treyanastasiotube

The full version of this news can be found on the Ayrton website news page

Marc Janowitz can be followed on Instagram at @e26design

For more information on Ayrton and its full range of LED lighting fixtures, visit the Ayrton website

The Budokan was built in 1964 as a martial arts competition space for the Tokyo Summer Olympics. The venue’s octagonal shape can make sound reinforcement difficult, but system engineer Ryuichi Kawakami selected Adamson speakers for their pristine clarity and excellent coverage.

Little distanced audience, yet big sound at the Budokan.

Kawakami describes the space’s challenges: “the Budokan is mostly built with wood, and many sections of the octagonal room have pillars and beams, so in the design process you must factor in the reverberation and reflections. The E15 speaker brings out an abundance of information across the whole frequency range, and it’s what makes the tuning so easy for me. I trimmed a few points to smooth out the system, and voilà it’s done.”

One array of E15 is taking his length and shape.

For this show, 108 Adamson E-Series and S-Series cabinets were deployed across the venue in a 270° configuration.

Kawakami flew thirty-two E15 as the main PA, accompanied by twelve E119 subwoofers flown in a column, twelve E15 as outfills, sixteen flown E12 for the 270° design and twelve ground stacked E219 subs for additional floor rumble.

Two sets of ground stacked fills were also used, comprised of four S10 and one S119 at each side fill position, as well as three S10 per side for rear coverage and a mixture of S10 and S10p for lip fills. The system was provided by Sunphonix, Adamson’s first and largest partner in Japan, as well as Blue Project.

One of the main A15 arrays flanked by 6 E119.

In addition to the side fills, Adamson M212 monitors were also used on stage. “M212s have always been great monitor speakers to work with,” stated Takashi Ono, monitor engineer for the group.

The M212, two 12” and a 3” driver.

“For Little Glee Monster shows, we use both in-ear monitors and wedges, but for a cappella songs I simply go with M212, to let the artists breathe and sing in each other’s presence.
The members of the group have told me that they actually prefer the experience of singing with floor monitors, that it feels more organic.”

Gakuji Okumura, long-time Front of House engineer for Little Glee Monster, was pleased with the performance of the Adamson system. “When it comes to mixing vocals live, the E15 is the best system out there. Its sonic characteristics make the musical experience authentic. Sit anywhere in the venue, and you’ll hear the best of the mix.”

More on the Adamson website

At AREA15, the new art and entertainment district located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, visitors should expect the unexpected. Behind the looming exterior façade, the vast, 200,000 square foot interior houses a collection of themed retail and entertainment options, all surrounded by an air of cosmic mystery.

One principal attraction is a space called “The Portal” where, behind imposing metal doors, visitors can plunge into a 360-degree projection-mapped video experience supported by immersive audio enabled by Meyer Sound’s new Spacemap® Go spatial sound design and live mixing tool.

The 6,584 square foot Portal was initially conceived primarily as a large meeting and event space, one that could compete with the posh hotel ballrooms on the Las Vegas Strip while offering its own unique ambience. To that end, the projection systems were designed for four-wall coverage allowing surround video for either the entire space, or for one or two walls when the room was subdivided into smaller spaces.

The opening of AREA15 was delayed by the pandemic, and when the public finally was admitted the total numbers had to be limited to about 25% capacity. That put most meetings and party events out of the picture. Fortunately, with a boost from Spacemap Go, the Portal was transformed into an immersive experience where visitors could stay distanced in the spacious room.

“When Steve Ellison of Meyer Sound first introduced me to Spacemap Go, I didn’t quite get it,” admits David Johngrass, production manager at AREA15. “I figured I could do much the same thing with our digital console. But he pointed out that I would have to do things like bounce out a new track, and then drop it back into the show file. But with Spacemap Go I could do it on the fly, in real time, and here in the space so I know exactly the effect I’m getting. That’s when it clicked. This is huge, I thought.”

The Ultra-X40 the new Berkeley multipurpose workhorse.

Some basic spatial sound trajectories were incorporated into the first experience in The Portal, Gallerie 360, a 30-minute sound and light exhibition by digital artists Darpan and Max Cooper. “We’ve just scratched the surface with Spacemap Go,” says Johngrass.
“But over the coming months, as we move toward full reopening, we will be using it big time as we start pumping out more theatrical shows where we can fully utilize these tools.”

The overhead Meyer Sound system supporting Spacemap Go along with the other presentation modes comprises 12 ULTRA-X42™ loudspeakers in a 3 x 4 grid pattern. Deep bass is augmented by two 750-LFC™ low-frequency control elements, while the GALAXY™ 816 Network Platform, originally specified only for loudspeaker processing, now also accommodates Spacemap Go’s spatial sound mixing.
In addition to the overhead system, the pre-COVID-19 plans also called for a direct reinforcement system suitable for both meetings and nightclub-style celebrations.

For this application, Solotech specified a Meyer Sound system anchored by 10 LEOPARD® line array loudspeakers bolstered on the bottom end by four 1100-LFC™ and two 900-LFC™ low-frequency control elements. Rounding out the system are four ULTRA-X40™ loudspeakers for fills, four MJF 210™ stage monitors and a second GALAXY 816 for system drive and optimization.

System integrator for Meyer Sound installations was Solotech, under the general direction of Aaron Beck, business development executive and senior engineer. Also contributing were Design Engineer and Programmer Brandon Andreasen and Project Manager Kevin Roberts.
About AREA15

More information on the Meyer Sound website

Elation Professional’s European headquarters is pleased to announce that from March 1st longtime lighting professional Graham Hill will be serving as the company’s new Business Development Manager.
Graham is a familiar face to many in the industry, having developed a wealth of relationships over his many years in the entertainment lighting and electrical industries, including years as a key customer of Elation.

Graham brings decades of valuable lighting experience to the position and comes to Elation from a position as VP of Business Development at 4Wall Entertainment, where he developed and maintained customer relationships in Europe and the United Kingdom.
He is perhaps best known for his many years as Company Director of Static Light Company, the London-based supplier of lighting solutions for exhibitions, corporate events, and motor-shows.

Graham’s new role at Elation encompasses building collaborative relationships across the industry internationally, including working closely with lighting designers while communicating market insight to the Elation product team. He states, “This year is the 10th anniversary of my relationship with the Elation team globally.

My experience with Elation products and support has always been second to none, from the smallest to the largest clients. Over those years, supporting the most creative and demanding of clients meant that Elation was often asked to create specific products to suit the needs of an industry sector. They did not disappoint and some of those products are still in the range today.

“The very exciting role I am proud to take up will be to continue that legacy of client support internationally for the well-established Elation products. I firmly believe that with the award-winning product families that have launched over the past few years such as the Artiste, Proteus and Fuze ranges, as well as the additions of Obsidian Control Systems and Magmatic effects to the portfolio, it is now by far the most innovative and creative on offer to the industry.”

Graham has worn many hats over the years from operational management to directorship and brings a wide spectrum of competencies and strong market knowledge with him to support Elation customers. He has experience managing all aspects of business, including building networks and partnerships to coordinate and facilitate projects anywhere in the world. He has supported some of the world’s leading design agencies, and worked on projects and collaborated directly with partners around the globe.

“We have known and worked with Graham for quite a long time and are delighted that he is finally a full-fledged member of the Elation family,” stated Marc Librecht, Sales and Marketing Manager at Elation Europe.
“We’ve worked very close with him over the years and our collaboration with him as a customer has always been great. He has always felt a part of the Elation team and we are happy to have such an experienced professional on board who truly believes in our products and the people behind them.”

More info about Elation range of products are available on the Elation website

Jean-Jacques Vias (left) and Stéphane Brocard.

According to Jean Jacques Vias, NEXO’s Sales Manager for France, “the first step in the return to live events will be the staging of productions in smaller local venues, where social distancing and public health safety can be carefully controlled.

NEXO is seeing a lot of new clients in this sector, as public and private venues upgrade their infrastructure in anticipation of the end of lockdown.”

The Espace Bernard Giraudeau

In Noyelles-Godault, near the France-Belgium border, the Espace Bernard Giraudeau is a multipurpose venue, which has a 100 m2 stage and can accommodate up to 540 people seated. It plays a central role in the social and cultural life of its region, accommodating concerts, conferences, games and seated dinners.

The Espace Bernard Giraudeau and its ultrapurpose venue seen from the stage and its magnificent natural wood covering.

System contractors Alive Technology has installed a new NEXO GEO M10 mid-size line array, using MSUB18 subbass units and augmented with P8 point source cabinets. Powered by NXAMP4x2Mk2 amplifiers, the system also features a kit of six P12 monitor speakers.

Bertand Billon, Engineering support Nexo.

Engineers from NEXO’s ES Division attended the theatre to supervise the alignment and tuning of the new system. “It is a very reverberant room,” says Bertrand Billon, “but there is still a consistent ratio across the bandwidth.

Because there is a retractable bleacher stand of seating, we have two configurations, so we set up the system to switch from a seated audience to a full-standing one, where the line array clusters and outer front fills are moved.
We created two different scene memories in the NXAMPs and a custom page in NeMo (NEXO’s proprietary remote control monitoring software) so that it is easy to recall both set-ups.”

The GEO M6 compact line array system is proving especially popular with smaller auditoria, and three new installations demonstrate the versatility of these modules, which can be used in pairs, curved arrays of three or in line array of more. Paired with different NEXO subbass cabinets, they create a deceptively small SR solution, whilst being highly cost-effective in terms of amplification.

The insurance company Thelem

Five GEO M6 topped by a pair of MSUB12. Ready for meetings and some live music.

The well-known insurance company Thelem has a campus near Orleans, where it has extensively remodelled its existing facilities and constructed a new theatre auditorium for its corporate events.

Systems integrators Tech Audio worked closely with NEXO’s engineering support division to design and install a GEO M6 compact line array system, the smallest line array modules in the NEXO catalogue which allowed them to upsize the PA to handle music performance without having to use very large cabinets.

“We try as often as we can to fly the subs, in order to minimize the difference in level between the front and last rows,” explains Bertrand Billon.
“This specification had to be able to deliver a reasonable level and bandwidth for ‘light live music’ in addition to meetings.”

The new Maison du Technopôle

La Maison du Technopôle.

A closer view of the Technopôle’s three GEO M620 and hanged on the right, one ID Series sub to provide some low extension to the short M6 arrays.

In Saint-Lô, the new Maison du Technopôle boasts a fabulous modern design, housing 1,700m2 of space for research, start-ups and all kinds of innovators.

The facility also features a 234-seat amphitheatre which has been equipped by Auvisys with a ultra low-profile NEXO line array system.

Using just two clusters of three GEO M620 cabinets, discreetly hidden in the truss above the stage, the system deploys two small 10” subs from the ID Series to provide low end.

Credit Agricole new auditorium

And closing off an excellent run for the compact M6 line array system, Credit Agricole has opened its new auditorium at its headquarters in Guyancourt.

Credit Agricole’s new auditorium in Guyancourt near Paris.

Christophe Girres the Nexo’s Engineering Support Manager.

This is a much larger application of GEO M6, designed and installed by Novelty, together with NEXO’s ES Division engineers.

“This application is mainly for conferences, although they will sometimes feature a small band,” explains NEXO’s Christophe Girres.

“There are two clusters, each with four modules of GEO M620 cabinets, and augmented by two L15 subwoofers on the stage.

The stage right with four M620 and, resting on the stage close to the brick wall, one of the two L15 subs. Easy to spot on the edge of the stage, two out of four ID14, very handy little boxes for front fills.

We’ve also used of our new super-compact ID14 speakers, with 100°x100° dispersion, for frontfills. The entire system is powered by one NXAMP4x1Mk2 and a DTDAMP 4x 0.7.

The sound is clear and well-balanced, and there is more headroom than they will probably need, but the client is totally satisfied with the system.”

More information on the Nexo website