The Georges-Pompidou Cultural Centre in Vincennes near Paris is the first venue in France to be equipped with an Arthur followspot, the latest addition to Robert Juliat’s range of LED followspots.
With nearly 800 events a year, the town of Vincennes offers a rich cultural life and has three venues with quality facilities, including the Georges-Pompidou Cultural Centre. The 525-seat venue hosts many shows throughout the year during the cultural season, including music, theatre, dance, comedy and shows for younger audiences.
The Cultural Centre wanted to replace its 1200W HMI RJ Korrigan followspots and was looking for an LED model. “It was important for us to play the safety card in regard to quality and, of course, the feedback we had on the Robert Juliat luminaires. In addition, I personally consider LED equipment to be the future of our technical profession,” explains stage manager, Stéphane Agasse. “The energy consumption of this LED followspot is minimal thanks to the efficiency of its source. This is perfectly in line with the environmental approach of the town of Vincennes, which has been running an action programme for several years as part of Agenda 21.
“The electronic dimming of Arthur’s LED source makes it possible to vary the light intensity and, therefore, also modulate the power consumption accordingly, which is not possible with our discharge fixtures whose consumption is constant throughout the show.”
Thanks to its powerful 800W 6000K cool white light source and narrow optics (5.5° – 15°), Arthur offers a massive output of over 2000lux at a distance of 40m, while at the same time providing a superior-quality light rendering with a high CRI (>90).
The electronic dimming of the LED source allows the light intensity to be varied from 0 to 100% without visible stepping, even at low levels, with exceptional smoothing and a constant colour temperature. With several ventilation modes, Arthur is particularly quiet, ruling over its discharge counterparts!
Supplied to the Georges-Pompidou Cultural Centre by the Auvisys company, the RJ Arthur followspot will soon be at work, as soon as shows and other events resume.
More information about the new Arthur LED followspot and all Robert Juliat luminaires can be found on the Robert Juliat website
ETC representative organization 3LR Lighting has added broadcast, film and TV; lighting and control to its portfolio for the UK and Ireland.
Jeremy Roberts, Regional Sales Manager for the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa comments: “It is great to have 3LR supporting the broadcast sector for ETC and especially well-timed as we have recently released our innovative new studio line of fixtures fos/4. The new Fresnel and Panel lights are designed specifically for the broadcast market with their unique 8 color LED mix and in-tense brightness.”
The addition of broadcast lighting and control goes alongside 3LR’s work in the growth of ETC’s architectural product lines. 3LR acts as an additional resource to ETC’s dealer network, bringing its expertise in the field to progress the company’s studio and architectural products in the market. As part of this extension into a bigger market, 3LR Lighting has announced the appointment of two new industry figures to its team: Barry Grubb and Sean O’Callaghan.
Barry Grubb
Barry Grubb joins 3LR as Business Development Manager for Broadcast, Television and Film Lighting. In a 25-year career, Barry has worked with some of the biggest names in the imaging in-dustry both in the UK and overseas, and has forged lasting relationships with stakeholders at all levels. He has contributed to a host of large productions and delivered a wide range of theatre and broadcast solutions with leading brands.
Sean O_Callaghan
Sean O’Callaghan takes up the post of Business Development Manager for Architectural Lighting. Sean’s career has seen him occupy a variety of sales and marketing roles for several global lighting manufacturers, during which time he has acquired a thorough grasp of the architectural lighting market. Sean’s background in street, amenity and area lighting, naturally steered him into architec-tural, commercial, decorative and bespoke projects on every scale.
3LR Managing Director Matthew Lloyd adds: “We’re very pleased to be adding ETC’s broadcast lighting and control products to our portfolio and welcoming Barry and Sean to the team. With their combined industry expertise and our team’s experience in the sector, we look forward to building further customer relations and enhancing ETC’s market presence.”
The SavoiExpo red walled complex. The Hall E is in he right side of the shot, photo taken by Clarisse Mériel her architect.
Savoiexpo is located in Chambéry, in the Alpine heart of France’s second tourist region. Strategically placed to take advantage of close links to Lyon and Geneva, as well as both winter sports and summer recreation, the venue organises a range of trade fairs and exhibitions and hosts major seminar and conference events.
Hall E was opened earlier this year, a substantial and versatile auditorium which can offer 2000 sq. metres of exhibition area, conference facilities for 1000 people, or accommodate 1200 people for a formal dinner.
Equipped with retractable seating, the auditorium required an audio system that would adapt to its different configurations, looking to NEXO for system design input and to the Chambéry-based ELYPSE Group for installation and integration services.
The E Hall with the retractable seats facing the system during his commissioning and fine tuning.
NEXO Engineering Support specialist Christophe Girres visited Chambéry to fine-tune the finished system. “We are asking the system to work in three different ways, so the final tuning session went through these settings.
Christophe Girres
In the first configuration, we had the stage immediately in front of the seating stands. In the second configuration, the stage is set up further away, but the audience are still seated in the stands. In the third configuration, there are no seating stands so the audience is standing around in a large free area. In order to achieve these three iterations, all elements of the PA system are mobile, with a special square truss to hold the sub clusters and suspend the point-source P8 outfill and centre fill cabinets. The GEO M10 line array is rigged on points in front of the truss, and these are mobile too.”
The 6x M10 hangs with a P8 acting as a centre fill, fixed on the same black truss as the MSUB15s.
Each array of NEXO’s mid-size GEO M10 is set up with 5x M1012 plus a single M1025 module with 120 degree flange. The L/R clusters are completed by left/right pairs of MSUB15s, which fly behind the main arrays, presenting a very tidy aesthetic.
A pair of NEXO’s new compact point source P8 cabinets with 100 degrees x 100 degrees dispersion are used for the outfill, with a single P8 (110 x 60 degree dispersion) handles the centre fill. The whole system is powered by two NXAMP4x2Mk2 amplifiers.
The NEXO system as seen by the audience
“We listened to a lot of different tracks, including EDM at high levels, and the Savoiexpo engineers were surprised that the system was not at all aggressive, even at such high SPLs. The system is very clear in the mid-range, and the low end is perfectly suited to the applications, mainly conference and video, and small concerts.”
The AC Entertainment Technologies Group announces the appointment of the new CEO of ESL company which it owns. Holder of an MBA (HEC Paris), Jean-Philippe Colonna worked at Philips Lighting for 10 years before joining ESL in September 2019 as Managing Director.
Jean-Philippe Colonna: “My first feeling is humility and solidarity because of the serious COVID 19 crisis which deeply impacts all of us (my thoughts go to the rental community which is suffering a lot). ESL is and will continue to deliver the best service to its customers during these difficult times.
Of course, I am glad and honoured to take this new role at ESL as I have always admired this company. Since 2005 when I started to sell lamps to ESL (as a Philips sales rep.), I knew this company has something special compared to its competitors: its internal culture which brings professionalism, technical expertise and sympathy to its customers and also, inspires attractiveness to employees and potential new talent as ESL is a fantastic company to work for.
On top of its image and technical expertise, ESL offers further strong assets such as a solid balance sheet (very little debt) and being part of the well-known AC Entertainment Technologies Group. This gives us hope and confidence to enhance our customers added value in the years to come. Furthermore, we just entered in a brand-new building based in Saint-Jean-de-Védas South of France: larger, well equipped and more suitable to our daily business and growth ambition.
Our day-to-day focus remains on the management of this crisis. However, this gives us some time to reflect and put in place new development strategies which we will be able to communicate on in the next few weeks/months. ESL will continue to increase its customer value and contribute to create culture and passion to people.”
When Richmond, VA-based Soundworks took delivery of their Martin Audio WPS and WPC line array systems in February this year, they little knew that the world was within one month of lockdown. “The pandemic shut down all of our bookings from mid-March forward,” recalls CEO, Steve Payne. The company had to wait until the end of summer for the maiden voyage for both systems. But when it came in the shape of two socially distanced outdoor concerts by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra—it really set tongues wagging.
Soundworks CEO Steve Payne.
Soundworks have been contracted to provide sound reinforcement for all Richmond Symphony Orchestra’s community outreach concerts since 2015. “Each season the RSO will incorporate the performance of a popular local or regional artist into one of their ‘Big Tent’ gigs,” he explains.
“The arranger will write scores for orchestral accompaniment to six or so of the guest artist’s songs. Past musical artists have included a wide range of musical styles and genres, and this year’s featured artist was the Commonwealth Bluegrass Band.”
The Big Tent with 8 WPS, 3 SXH218 subs in cardio mode and a single CDD-LIVE 15 as outfill.
Still to thoroughly road test their new scalable Wavefront Performance rigs, Soundworks used the September 12th show at Maymont Park to evaluate the power of WPS in the delay position with a view to future main FOH deployment. “The venue required that we cover a depth of 420ft, so we used two hangs of eight WPC for the main PA, with three SXH218 subs ground stacked per side, and two hangs of eight WPS for delays at 220 feet, with a CDD-LIVE 15 at each of the main hangs as outfills.” The audience size was capped at 700, socially distanced.
The delays of the Big Tent, 8 WPS.
“The conclusion was that WPS had plenty of impact and presence for use as a main system. We could not be certain that the WPS would be able to punch out to 290 feet as required at the next gig but felt sufficiently confident to give it a try.” The next show was two weeks later at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA, and around 500 socially distanced people were spread over an area that could have accommodated a maximum of 4,000 (standing).
At Pocahontas State Park, the view from the stage with the 8 hanged WPS.
“The performance of the little WPS in this space just seemed to fly in the face of logic and break all the rules,” exclaimed Payne. “There was little doubt that they were entirely capable of serving as mains. The first time we fired them up at Pocahontas was quite a revelation. The sound and performance were far above what one would expect from an 8” box. The rig did a stellar job of providing even, high fidelity audio out to 290 feet.”
Reflecting on both events, the Soundworks CEO continued, “The area for both concerts, but especially the Maymont Park concert, could accommodate a crowd vastly larger than the safely distanced audience. We do the Richmond Jazz Festival in this same space each year where audience size can approach 7,000. To cover the areas properly we are putting in systems capable of covering approximately 10 times the audience size under normal conditions.” Seating at the Maymont concert included close seating to the sides of the stage which were out of the pattern of the WPC arrays. “We supplemented these areas with CDD-LIVE 15s on lifts at a height of about 10 feet. We were very pleased with the tonal integration between CDD-LIVE and Wavefront Precision,” he remarked.
Steve Payne himself carried out the venue measurements and system design in Display 2.3. “Due to available amp channels [in the Martin Audio iK amps] both WPC and WPS systems were set to 2-box resolution at Maymont,” he states. “For the Pocahontas Park gig the WPS system was run at 1-box resolution.”
Bryan Hargrave
Bryan Hargrave was the system tech and Steve Payne his assistant at both gigs. Jason Misterka mixed FOH at Maymont, while Grant Howard occupied the same role at Pocahontas. As for the music source, with acoustic bluegrass and orchestral backup they had plenty of headroom in the system. “The sound was full and really pleasing, while the vocals were riding on top of the mix and right in my face. It was as good as I could have wished for. “Both gigs were acoustic performances and so the real test put to the systems on these gigs was accurate fidelity, even coverage and long throw capability. Max SPL was never tested.”
Martin Audio’s ‘Hard Avoid’ feature worked beautifully at both gigs, he confirmed. “The advantage is especially noticeable with multiple open mics and acoustic instruments on stage. On some systems low mid build-up on stage rolling back off the PA can be a problem and create the need for remedial FOH EQing.”
Little box, big sound.
Grant Howard
But in this regard, FOH mixer Grant Howard commented: “Basically all I had to do was shove the faders up. I left the house EQ flat and I barely touched the channel EQ.”
Steve Payne believes the main difference between a socially distanced audience vs. a tightly packed audience is that the system can be run at a 6 to 10dB lower volume to achieve the same result. “I don’t think there is any difference in approach to tuning or Eqing. “Martin Audio guarantees measured system performance will be within ± 1dB of the performance predicted by Display 2.3. With Wavefront Precision systems we have found that measurement systems such as SMAART are now essentially verifying target performance rather than revealing information to be used for correction. It’s very impressive.”
The Richmond Symphony Orchestra also found it impressive. Stated their Production Manager, Brent Bowden, “Pocahontas sounded fantastic and I heard many positive comments.
The WPS ready to fly !
“I have heard a number of different line array systems over the years, both indoor and outdoor and some key factors stood out at these shows that I really enjoyed, apart from top notch engineering. Vocal clarity was noticeable without the dB spike that often results from boosting the human voice above other instruments. The evenness of the level in various locations was also very good, especially difficult in a flat, open park with delays.”
In conclusion, Steve Payne is confident that these systems will soon repay the investment despite sitting idle through the summer’s COVID pandemic. “We expect WPS to be capable of covering 75% of the gigs we used to cover with another manufacturer’s 10” system.
“To get the kind of performance that this system delivers out of a passive, physically diminutive 60lb box with 8” drivers is stunning. The symphony sounded gorgeous at every seat in the house, just stupid good! I am sure it will be the first rig to leave the shop at every opportunity. And of course having both WPC and WPL systems in our warehouse we can easily ramp up the performance whenever required.”
Lighting designer, Tom Kenny chose Ayrton Khamsin-S profiles as key lights in his design for this year’s iHeartCountry Festival, presented by Capital One, which was live streamed globally and broadcast on iHeartMedia’s country radio stations on 23 October.
Bandit Lites supplied 24 of Ayrton’s Khamsin-S fixtures for this 7th annual celebration of country music which was rescheduled from its original slot in May at the Frank Erwin Centre in Austin, Texas, and relocated to The Steel Mill in Nashville, Tennessee.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty for iHeartMedia
Kenny is a lighting designer with over 40 years of experience on both sides of the Atlantic who moves easily between lighting live music and television spectaculars. His client list includes rock superstars like Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, David Byrne, Eric Clapton, David Bowie and The Who, and his television credits number a multiplicity of music award shows, documentaries and TV specials.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty for iHeartMedia
“I’d always wanted to use Ayrton’s new fixtures, having used their effects lighting many times before, yet never had the chance until now,” Kenny says. “So when Bandit Lites approached me with the Khamsin-S, I jumped at the opportunity.”
The Khamsin-S fixtures were installed in the overhead grid of The Steel Mill’s 200ft x 79ft studio from where Kenny used them for back, front and key lighting of the bands and as ‘scenery’ for single artists.
Ayrton Khamsin S
“The Khamsins were amazing in all aspects: the colour, power, speed and colour temperature were all perfect for television lighting the temperatures in particular were just beautiful,” says Kenny. “Every lamp was perfect on set up and stayed perfect without any adjustment. I’m very fortunate that many manufacturers ask me to try out their latest fixtures on my TV shows. I like trying new products and can be relied upon to give them an honest opinion. The Khamsins are just fabulous lights and I was really impressed with them.” The iHeartCountry Festival line up included veteran and new country stars from Dierks Bentley and Lady A to Kelsea Ballerini and Dustin Lynch, and Kenny made sure the Khamsin-S fixtures were kept busy throughout the day and night.
“On a show like this which involves so many artists from different age groups and styles, I am like a coffee shop barrista when it comes to the lighting!” says Kenny. “I need to be ready for anything in an instant… ‘What do you want? Order it up and off we go!’ The Khamsins handled it all with ease. They were extremely versatile and quick, reacting to every situation and demand in super-quick time without any problems.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty for iHeartMedia
“We were able to create some really dramatic stand-out moments such as the beautiful backlighting for Kelsea Ballerini – any time you can turn everything off and use a single backlight is a real wow moment! And for Dierks Bentley I was able to use them in a way that was reminiscent of old Leko/theatrical lighting. I didn’t treat the Khamsins as moving lights and they were perfect for lighting both young and mature artists in a sympathetic way.”
Kenny was also impressed with the output of the Khamsin, despite The Steel Mill’s throw distance being shorter than he is used to. “You could see the Khamsins had lots of power and depth to spare even though the trim height at The Steel Mill is only 25ft. They were up against a grid of very powerful other products and lots of heavy smoke effects, but they cut their way through everything with ease. They kept their colour and shape and performed wonderfully under the stress. They are just gorgeous and I’m going to start spec’ing them on many more shows.”
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty for iHeartMedia
This is something that pleases the Festival’s lighting vendors, Bandit Lites, a long-time advocate of Ayrton. “Mike Golden and I were really pleased that Tom spec’d Khamsin-S on the recent iHeart event at the Steel Mill,” says Dizzy Gosnell, Production Director at Bandit Lites who points out: “The missing link for lighting companies has been the availability of a high output LED powered profile head, and the Ayrton Khamsin-S really ticks all the boxes for us at Bandit with its features. Of course, not having a bulb in there to ‘go brown on you’ is a major deal for companies and designers alike. And add to that the thumping output coming out of the front end, great beam width capacity, colour mixing, good framing, 540º pan, good CRI for video, to name just a few. We’re really happy that we have the Khamsin-S in our arsenal at Bandit.”
For more information on Ayrton Khamsin and the full range of LED lighting fixtures, visit the Ayrton website
Sergio started working as the exclusive distributor for NEXO in Italy in 1982, just three years after the company was founded, and he quickly became a key player in the young loudspeaker manufacturing business. A former front-of-house engineer who discovered he preferred the commercial environment of equipment sales, he was able to bring real-world influence to his collaborations with NEXO’s charismatic technical director Eric Vincenot.
In 2002, he moved into a full-time role managing sales in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Albania. One of his first dealership appointments for NEXO Italy was Audio Rent, the rental and sales company run by his great friend Gianni Fantini. “I’ve known Sergio for 40 years, and he never changed: in all that time, he never grew up! He was always smiling, always joking, always in love with the audio world. Working with Sergio was never boring; he was full of funny and strange stories. Here in Italy, he was known as ‘esagerato’ (exaggerated, extreme), which tells you everything about his personality. As a business colleague, he was always in touch with the news around our world, and he was always available to us. I’m fairly sure he could sell sand in the desert!”
As one of the four subsidiary sales managers, Sergio played a key role in the NEXO team. With his peerless contacts in the Italian production community, he was equally at home with the once-extensive nightclub world of the Adriatic Coast and with the glamorous large-format concert and TV productions of Rome and Milan.
“Sergio had a special combination of technical expertise and people skills,” says Gareth Collyer, NEXO’s Sales and Marketing Director. “He was one of the most experienced members of the sales team, but his passing affects us all more than professionally; he was a valued friend and one of the true characters in our industry.”
Shure is strengthening its focus on software solutions by announcing a strategic investment in Finnish software company Ab Wavemark Oy. Known for its software solutions for theater, broadcast, and content streaming applications such as Wavetool and WTAutomixer, Wavemark has recently expanded its software portfolio into streaming applications.
It now offers WTAutomixer, a plug-in enabling seamless auto-mixing for uses like podcasting, remote learning, and house of worship services.
Shure WT Automixer
WTAutomixer is the first multi-channel gain sharing automixer that can be inserted to almost any DAW as a VST3, AU, or AAX plug-in. WTAutomixer automatically controls the gains of multiple microphones and is ideal for live streams, discussion panels, talk shows, religious services, and for any application that requires the use of multiple microphones.
Wavetool is a monitoring and listening solution for professional audio engineers.
Wavetool en action sur des liaisons Axient Digital aux mains du prestataire hongrois Delta Classic.
It works with a variety of wireless equipment brands and supports mobile streaming of audio channels with the Wavetool Mobile Remote app. Wavetool has been used in conjunction with several high-profile theater applications using Shure Axient® Digital Wireless Systems.
Shure’s software offerings, which include Wireless Workbench® for live events, plus Designer, SystemOn, and its new IntelliMix® Room Audio Processing Software for integrated systems, provide customers with a variety of different solutions for audio management.
Brian Woodland
“This move reinforces our commitment to the evolving needs of the pro audio and events industries,” said Brian Woodland, Vice President, Global Business Development, Shure.
“Both Shure and Wavemark have established strong relationships in the industry by understanding user workflows. Leveraging this mutual success, we will further support the growth in wireless system scale and complexity, help customers navigate the challenges of congested RF spectrum, while enabling advanced remote control, monitoring, and system management tools.”
Timo Liski
“We are very proud of this collaborative approach with Shure,” said Timo Liski, Commercial Director at Wavemark. “The ability to share ideas and leverage synergies around software will be beneficial to customers in the audio industry.”
At the beginning of this year, singer/songwriter Niall Horan had to take the decision to cancel his Nice To Meet Ya world tour. But earlier this month, he announced a special, one-off live streamed show from London’s Royal Albert Hall and promoted by livestreaming company, Driift.
Audio equipment for the show, which achieved a massive 150,000 ticket sales, is supplied by Wigwam Acoustics with Ant Carr, Niall’s long-term head of touring and production, at the helm and regular crew members Matthew Kettle and Joe Campbell handling broadcast and monitor positions respectively, both deploying DiGiCo SD5s.
Featuring songs from his two smash hit albums ‘Flicker’ (No1. in the USA) and ‘Heartbreak Weather’ (No.1 in the UK), the show streamed on 7th November and gave loyal fans a chance to be part of what they are so sorely missing.
It is also providing much needed financial support for touring crew, with all profits divided between Niall’s own crew and the #WeNeedCrew relief fund, and also helped raise further awareness for industry campaign, #WeMakeEvents. The team had been working on Niall’s radio and television promotion last autumn, which was due to wrap up in March. They were about to move into an extended period of worldwide touring, starting with a North American arena tour in April. What happened next, notes Kettle, will likely be of little surprise to anyone.
Joe Campbell facing his SD5 and the Hall !
“With his tour cancelled and unable to promote his #1 album Heartbreak Weather, Niall wanted to produce something different from some of the lockdown content we’ve seen,” explains Carr. “He wanted it to be a special experience for his fans and streamed from an iconic venue that was recognised worldwide. He also made the decision to donate the profit from the show to help his band and crew.
“Rather organically, while we were discussing this, I was working with some of my touring team from another act to start up a hardship fund called #WeNeedCrew. Niall is endorsing it and helping drive funds to it. He’s worked really hard to try to educate the public that the live industry is on its knees and any financial support for touring crew, if they were even eligible, has been minimal. His understanding of what a touring crew does for his show is beyond most artists I’ve worked for.”
Niall on stage
The console set up is not significantly different from the unusual touring configuration, with multiple inputs from various SD-Racks in different parts of the stage and performance areas going to the broadcast SD5, all connected via an Opticore loop, and shared with Campbell’s SD5 at monitors. However, there were some additions that made the broadcast its own unique experience for the audience.
“The SD5 is my favourite console in the world,” says Campbell. “I love it and, because DiGiCo products are well proven and rock solid reliable, we rarely have to include them directly in what we do. Wigwam look after us and prepare all our equipment perfectly. My desk is so clean you could eat your dinner off it – although I wouldn’t let you actually do that.
Kettle is excited that he was able to mix for a massive online audience, who will be watching from all over the world. “It was a lot of fun,” he says. “Most importantly though, I’m extremely pleased to help Niall bring attention and support to the many people behind the scenes in live music, whose working lives have come to a complete stop, and who may not be able to go back for a very long time. I hope it inspires more artists to do the same!”
“It’s good to be involved in this project and it’s the first time I’ve ever done a gig in the Albert Hall with no audience,” Campbell concludes. “I feel that artistic performance is an essential part of civilised society. What are we without music? Without the shared experience of live musical performance? Musicians and their support staff (crew) are being left behind in this pandemic, most with little or no support from government. Dedicated professional artistic people, expected to re-train? Re-train as what? Who will express the feelings of society if we are all driving vans or laying bricks?”
With ‘Big Performance – Who is the Star in the Star’, RTL has launched a new entertainment show in which celebrities slip into the shoes of other successful singers with the help of make-up artists. Half a song is performed in full playback mode before continuing with the artist’s own voice. The team of panelists, comprising Michelle Hunziker, Motsi Mabuse, and Guido Maria Kretschmer, had the task of guessing the true identity of the performers.
GLP JDC1 Hybrid Strobe
Lighting designer David Kreileman and associate designer / technical director Tim Franken specified an impressive 156 JDC1 hybrid strobes from GLP in order to effectively punctuate the big moments in the show.
The special requirement in developing the lighting design was to clearly and visually represent the exact moment of change from playback to live singing. “After some considerations, and a direct discussion with set designer Florian Wieder, the idea arose to create the stage design with partially transparent LED walls,” reports Tim Franken. “As technical service provider, Alexander Klaus from Entertainment Technology Concepts was at our side and had the right product for us.
“Behind the partially transparent LED panels, we then used double rows of the well-known and highly respected JDC1 from GLP. Due to the flat housing and the really massive output of the hybrid strobes, the application was perfect. So, we were able to meet the specifications and also work to great effect with the versatile JDC1 in order to design varied looks for the individual performances.
“When we heard about the content implementation of the show, the choice quickly fell to the JDC1 from GLP,” confirms LD David Kreileman. “These effective devices have already proven their functionality and reliability in several previous shows to generate a real ‘wow factor’. Whether for reduction, strong light changes or accentuation, we have always enjoyed using the JDC1, ever since its launch. Since we are tasked with many music and game shows as lighting designers, the 3-in-1 function allows us to always have new and fresh looks for the programmes. With the crisp strobe, the tilt function and the ability to ‘flash’ with colours as well as to animate the pixel control, we have a great and versatile device at our disposal. »
“We were also very enthusiastic about the expansion of the JDC family, the first device being the JDC Line,” concludes Tim Franken. “At the anniversary concert of the Cologne band Kasalla on 13th June, we were able to integrate 12 pieces into the lighting design. The effect was just fantastic! We will certainly use this new device more frequently in the future.”
The four Big Performance shows were produced by Brainpool in its own studios in Cologne Mühlheim in August and broadcast from 12 September to 3 October. In addition to LD David Kreileman and associate designer / technical director Tim Franken, the crew consisted of WYSIWYG designer and operator Udo Rath, show light operator Sebastian Huwig, gaffer Christian Peters, white light operator Adam Balke, video operator Ingo Rath and Server specialist Wiebke Wilde. The technical service provider was Cape Cross.
In 2005, the OVAL, designed by lauded Roman architect Massimiliano Fuksas, opened its doors at the EUROPARK shopping mall in Salzburg, Austria. The 227-seat cultural showcase stages unique shows ranging from music, drama, cabaret, cinema and more, and has earned a firm place in Salzburg’s already rich calendar of events.
Under the direction of EUROPARK Managing Director Christoph Andexlinger, the OVAL has added another attraction to its offering since July 2020: L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology from L-Acoustics. Right from the start, the room’s extraordinary architecture, which features a steep atrium grandstand and a 13-meter-wide stage that is only 15 meters from the control room, posed significant challenges to conventional L-C-R sound reinforcement systems. “Thanks to L-ISA, not only was the conventional technology replaced, but a completely new, immersive listening experience was created at every seat,” explains Rupert Pichler, Managing Director of Pansound and project manager for the L-ISA conversion in the OVAL.
From left to right: Tim Vermeer (Pansound), Martin Rode (L-Acoustics), Martin Rieder (Pansound), Rupert Pichler (Pansound), Martin Wurmnest (L-Acoustics), Tom Erlinger (Pansound), and Flo Pichler (Pansound).
The sound design by Martin Rode, Head of Application Install D-A-CH, comprises a Scene system with five arrays of three A10 Wide, evenly hung above the stage and across its entire width, along with two sets of three KS21 subwoofers each, flown horizontally behind the Scene system and configured in an end-fire cardioid array.
Five 5XT placed in front of the stage serve as frontfill. Three coaxial X8 per side are placed along the walls, with a further two X8 on the rear wall, and five ceiling-mounted 5XT create surround and overhead sound. The entire system is driven by LA4X amplified controllers. Signal Sound & Light Distribution, L-Acoustics Certified Provided Distributor for Austria, provided the OVAL system.
The OVA L-ISA design.
Even before the final choice of L-ISA was made, the project team played with the idea of immersive sound reinforcement. “The central requirement was, and is, the optimization of the listening experience,” says Rupert Pichler.
Pichler and Andexlinger first heard the L-ISA immersive sound technology at a demonstration in the L-Acoustics Creations headquarters in Highgate, London. Their decision to opt for L-ISA was based on the flexibility of the technology as well as the audio quality of L-Acoustics systems.
“When Rupert Pichler told me about this completely new kind of sound, I didn’t think that it was possible,” explains Andexlinger. “So we went to London to get to the bottom of this auditive ‘mystery’ and experience it live. It was breathtaking. Never before had I heard music from loudspeakers in such a clear way.”
On the stage, a drum kit ready to be fully and faithfully reproduced by the L-ISA immersive rig.
“The EUROPARK shopping center is considered the most successful mall in Austria. With the OVAL, we wanted to expand the offer for our visitors to encompass both art and culture. Initially, we were met with skepticism from artists and artist agencies,” says Andexlinger.
“However, we didn’t want an artistic fig leaf in a shopping center, but a stage with its own personality for jazz and world music on the one hand, and a programme of cinema and cabaret on the other and all this in a combination that makes it possible for both art lovers and newcomers to feel comfortable and be inspired.”
“L-ISA is outstanding,” concludes Pichler. “You hear what you see, and you hear it at every seat in the room. L-ISA technology has brought a completely new listening quality to the OVAL.”
By awarding the distribution of its products in France to Axente, Minuit Une moves into full distribution mode, in order to focus on the potential of its core business, the R&D at the heart of the little twist that has made the difference in the stage lighting market.
Do you recognize these guys? From left to right: Aurélien Linz, Jérôme Bréhard, Yannick Danguy, and Eric Phelep.
Minuit Une, a young French company, developed a new lighting technology in 2013 and launched a revolutionary fixture in 2016. Over the past five years, the IVL technology has been seducing the whole world at meteoric speed thanks to some forty distributors. Minuit Une, which had previously retained the distribution in France, has now awarded it exclusively to Axente. What does the future hold for this emerging French company and its innovative luminaires? We got some answers from the co-founder of Minuit Une, Aurélien Linz, in a videoconference together with Jérôme Bréhard, CEO of Axente.
SLU : What made you decide to entrust the distribution of your products to Axente?
Aurélien Linz : It’s part of a general move towards a full-scale distribution model. We have expanded very quickly into about thirty countries abroad, including the USA in October of 2019. Since May, there has been an increased interest in the IVL solution and a steady stream of new partnerships, which is quite encouraging.
We are approaching 40 companies, between distributors and dealers. For example, Inner Circle distribution in the USA, Luxilag in Belgium, Entedi in the United Kingdom, VCI in Spain and Portugal, Tongsuh Technology in South Korea, TreTi in Italy, Complex V in Ukraine, ShowAtelier in Russia, Damei in China, Lisys Project in Hungary, PS Teatr in Poland, etc.
A broadcast TV show in Australia.
We were operating directly on the French market but we did not have the means to deploy a sales team capable of covering all the potential sectors in the territory. So we decided to move to a full-fledged distribution model. It’s the logical progression of our growth and having a partner like Axente is the best way to serve the French market and spread our technology in broader circles. We are now focusing on R&D and partnership with our distributors.
SLU : These days, one realizes what percentage of sales is from exports.
Aurélien Linz : We are exceeding 80%. The U.S. has significantly tipped the scale.
SLU : Are you still concentrating on laser sources?
Aurélien Linz : Using a laser was not the initial solution. The idea was to develop a new lighting technology and to take advantage of a series of patents. The IVL technology needed to satisfy the following requirements: coverage of a very large area; a multidirectional approach for increased efficiency; and a very efficient ratio between the area covered and the number of units used. We chose the laser source because it provided an optimal solution. We will first expand the IVL range so that everyone can access an IVL product that corresponds to their needs.
Aurélien Linz : The first product, IVL Carré, exists in two versions: square and pyramidal. These are two different products that produce different results and they are not used in the same way. Since then we have developed a version of the square IVL Carré tailored to meet the standards in the USA, the IVL Square. In 2021, the IVL range will be further expanded.
SLU : Are they still made in France?
Aurélien Linz : Yes, we have the Made in France label. We work with a partner factory that assembles the products in France.
SLU : What sort of turnover are you doing now?
Aurélien Linz : We don’t disclose our figures. I can only tell you that we have almost doubled our turnover every year since our foundation.
SLU : Which vendors in France currently have IVL fixtures available?
Aurélien Linz : B-Live was the first vendor to invest in our products. At the time, we had an exclusive six-month partnership with them that allowed them to secure a return on their investment. It was a kind gesture and we will always be grateful to B-Live for being our first customer. After the exclusivity period, we promptly began selling to other companies.
Today, there are also Alive, De Facto, Dushow, GL Event, Lagoona, MPM, S Group… These top-tier vendors are taking our technology on their small and medium-sized tours, because with a single flight case of IVLs (2, 4, 6 or 8 fixtures), they can make the difference in terms of efficient logistics and reasonable costs. The IVL range has been designed to make an impact with just a few units. And the need for more efficiency has increased dramatically in this age of Covid.
One of the big challenges right now – and we’re starting to hear it in discussions with lighting designers – is to deliver the experience, but with reduced logistics, less budget and more restrictions. And our products provide a real solution tailored to these conditions.
SLU : How is IVL positioned, in terms of price?
Jérôme Bréhard : It’s about the same price as a big moving head, but it’s not outrageous. The experience that the fixture provides compared to its purchase price is extremely attractive and is one of my main reasons for distributing Minuit Une in France. The market that will be coming to us, as the upcoming months – hopefully not years – will force everyone to do more with less budget and reduced logistics. I think that IVL technology really meets these challenges.
SLU : How did you enter into this agreement?
Jérôme Bréhard : It’s a brand that we’ve been keeping an eye on since its inception. We talked to each other, not in a negotiation context, but in a framework of exchanging ideas. I have the greatest respect for this venture. Now they’ve convinced us to distribute the brand because it’s been around for four years, it hasn’t gone out of style, and it still generates a “wow” effect. That’s important.
It’s a product designed for different experiences in smaller rooms. It is also a real complement to everything else that exists today. For the same price as a big mover – and therefore reasonable – it really gets the job done. It delivers great visual performance, both graphically in 3D as well as in projection, with its digital gobos. It is important to use it correctly, but that is the case with any multifunction intelligent fixture, as well as for lighting in general.
Franz Ferdinand
SLU : It is controlled like any other motorized fixture, right?
Jérôme Bréhard : Yes, completely. There are some nuances that you need to be familiar with, because the possibilities are very extensive, so a little training is necessary to fully exploit them. It goes without saying that fixtures with a lot of parameters require the same approach. Minuit Une has created “Quick Start Shows” for all types of consoles. It goes beyond the patching. It really allows you to start with a library of presets and to get the best results out of the fixture quickly. This saves a lot of time. There are also some very simple control modes in these units, so they’re not just for the most experienced operators. These modes allow you to send a lot of different patterns that produce great effects.
SLU : Jérôme, the distribution of Minuit Une is part of a larger search for alternative lighting fixtures…
Leader Conference
Jérôme Bréhard : Yes, alternative and differentiated. This is extremely important for our customers today. With Ayrton, we have always wanted to offer different products and Minuit Une offers something very different in both technology and results. They are hyper-creative and it feels really good. We believe very much in the future of this company.
SLU : Aurélien, you started off with three people in 2013…
Aurélien Linz : Yes, we were three founders, including two engineers and a salesman. Currently there are fourteen people in the company, including seven development engineers. This is our DNA.
SLU : What kinds of shows have used your products?
Aurélien Linz : After the first electronic music tours with Olivier Germain, our reference projects in music have widened to jazz, metal, rock, hip-hop, variety, dance shows… As far as events are concerned, we have done the fashion shows of major labels, classic corporate events, a lot of video-clips of product launches…
Jérôme Bréhard : There is no limit to the possible applications of the product.
SLU : What’s been your largest or most important deployment?
Aurélien Linz : Obviously, we’re happy and proud to have had 40 IVLs on a Louis Vuitton event. But we are also proud when, because of a limited budget, on a show like the Fever Ray show at the Olympia, three of our fixtures are used from start to finish by Sarah Landau, bringing a different feature to each track. In such cases we provide a major added value.
Louis Vuitton event.
We are also proud of an EDM festival where two stages were deployed. The “Main” stage had lots of resources, a video screen and a lot of moving lights. The secondary stage, which had a small budget, used twelve of our fixtures, with hardly anything else but a spotlight for the artist. The audience couldn’t tell which one was the main stage. That’s very satisfying!
SLU : Has Axente become a shareholder in Minuit Une?
Jérôme Bréhard : Not at all. Axente is “only” the French distributor. It’s our job to go and find pearls like this. It’s also a question of timing, which today works for everyone. We know that the coming months will be difficult for all our customers and, consequently, for all of us.
We believe in working from the ground up and we are going to do it with the same spirit and the same desire and the same enthusiasm as before the Covid tsunami, because life is going to get back on track. There will be shows, people want to get together and we know that IVL technology really makes it possible to deal with this somewhat troubled and difficult period. You have to have nice products and good stories to provide a little bit of positivity.
In my opinion, the IVL has not yet reached all the markets where it can potentially be used. It’s true that it has a strong live show connotation but it’s a product that I see perfectly in fixed installations in music venues or more present in certain types of TV programs. There is a lot to be done. To do this, we’re going to get closer to the relevant people and we’ll do as usual, consult them and suggest that they use the product.
PLK
Aurélien Linz : Axente is a leading distributor with many years of experience and a highly specialized sales organization. This is obviously valuable and it will make us stronger for our international network. Things you learn in one territory can be duplicated in other countries. It allows us to further refine our resources, our support and assistance for our partners.
We have entered into a partnership for the future. New challenges imply finding new solutions and changing habits. We have to be patient, but I can’t wait to see what will happen when the recovery comes. I think that the public will be thirsty for events more than ever and the expectations will be very high, and for this, lighting really makes the difference.
SLU : Where will the after-sales service be carried out?
Jérôme Bréhard : Our after-sales team is trained by Minuit Une and we will, of course, provide full after-sales service for all products already sold in France. This is what we usually do when we pick up a new product line for distribution. It would be out of the question to ask the purchase date in order to differentiate. We are their partner so we handle the future and the past. But the after-sales service remains minimal. The products are manufactured to a very high industrial quality standard and are extremely reliable.
SLU : Has IVL made it into clubs?
Aurélien Linz : Not in France. We didn’t really have the sales team for this market, generally speaking. Abroad, there are some very nice installations. The most outstanding one is the DC10 in Ibiza. They based their scenography on 18 IVLs, a mix of square and pyramidal versions in the center of the dance floor and all around. The impact is immersive. A lot of clubs in South East Asia are also equipped with IVLs and Ledscontrol has integrated them into several clubs.
SLU : Is there anything new coming in 2021?
Aurélien Linz : The IVL solution is going to expand with a brand new product: a different option that complements the first product, again with a little twist so that the IVL technology is used in the best possible way to support the artist.
HDMI 2.0 cables are great for transferring large amounts of data, therefore they are used in 4K/85 @60Hz Ultra HD video applications like home cinema’s, gaming, video conferences, and many more. Traditional copper HDMI 2.0 cables do a good job at this, but their length is limited.
Procab™ therefore already introduced 4K fiber optic HDMI 2.0 cables for various applications with cable lengths ranging from 10 meter up to 100 meter. Now they are expanding this range with the CLV310A. The new CLV310A is an active optical HDMI 2.1 cable, designed for transmission of the next generation of 8K video content.
It is able to transmit resolutions up to 8K (7680 x 4320p) 4:4:4 at 60 Hz with a bandwidth of 48 Gbps via OM3 optical fiber technology, eliminating the possibility of electronic interference. It is backward compatible with HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 1.4, guaranteeing an optimal and future proof solution for any kind of installation.
In this sectional view, we can see the 4 OM3 fibers (50/125 m) sheathed and the copper links for the power supply and the complementary slow data. The sheaths are in polyethylene, the screen in aluminized mylar, and the outer coating in polyurethane.
We can clearly see on the gold-plated metal part, the Semi-Lock device ensuring a secure connection.
This brand new HDMI cable is equipped with a smart Semi-Lock™ feature. This ups the withdrawal force for unplugging the connector, which means that the cable cannot become detached or loosened by accident, avoiding intermittence or signal loss.
From the start of July to the end of August, locals and visitors could both experience the Danish city of Odense in a completely new light. The two-month “Odense in the Dark” festival of lights shed beautiful light on numerous buildings of the country’s third largest city. The Danish RR Group used Cameo ZENIT W300 outdoor LED washlights for the architectural lighting of the historic Graabrødre Franciscan Monastery Church.
Cameo Zenit W300
Project managers Julian Leker and Jonas Bäckström opted for the Cameo ZENIT W300 after searching for the right outdoor spotlight to showcase the 13th century old monastery building. They used a total of eight IP65-certified LED washlights as uplights along the bottom of the building and pointed them upwards onto the facade. Leker and Bäckström employed a wide array of Cameo SnapMag filter frames with varying beam angles to ensure the greatest degree of lighting flexibility for the Graabrødre Franciscan Monastery Church.
The innovative SnapMag technology makes it possible to magnetically attach the filter frames in mere seconds and also disassemble the spotlight.
The Cameo ZENIT W300 will become an increasingly common sight in the city of Odense in the future, the RR Group already plans on using the LED outdoor washlights in upcoming event and architectural lighting projects. The following products were used at Odense in the Dark: 12 Cameo Zenit W300 Outdoor LED Washlights
Out of concern for the safety of its employees and global community, ETC has announced that it will not participate in traditional trade show exhibitions until July of 2021. With the pandemic affecting many people’s ability and desire to travel, the company has instead decided to focus its resources on remote demos and online events.
A major part of the trade show experience is the chance to see the latest gear and get one-on-one face time with product experts. With this in mind, ETC has been hard at work converting in-house demo spaces throughout the company’s offices into studios for online product demonstrations.
Customers may now use an online portal to schedule live, one-on-one demos of some of the company’s newest fixtures ColorSource Spot jr, Source 4WRD Color, and the fos/4 Panel and fos/4 Fresnel studio products from the comfort of their own homes or workplaces. With plans in the works to expand these online offerings, ETC hopes to make online demos a permanent resource for customers looking for the latest in lighting technology.
Until live events can safely return, ETC is also turning its focus to online events and programs. The company’s online Study Hall seminars ongoing since the beginning of the pandemic shutdown continue to provide remote learning and Q&A opportunities, with past sessions posted to an ever-growing YouTube library. Having held a successful training workshop for reps and dealers over the summer, ETC is also planning customer-facing events in the first half of 2021.
“Live trade shows, customer visits and trainings in our offices around the world all these activities will return to us in the future,“ says David Lincecum, ETC’s Vice President of Marketing. “For the short term, we will focus our business plan on learning new ways to connect with customers.”
