L-Acoustics Creations, a division of L-Acoustics, is dedicated to making L-Acoustics market-leading professional audio products and technologies available for specification in state-of-the-art private, residential, cultural, and marine AV environments.
As consumer demand for in-home audio and entertainment experiences rises, L-Acoustics Creations addresses that demand with the release of Archipel Sound Systems for the home, offering the impact and dynamics of the live concert experience.
Five L-Acoustics Creations packages are available for pre-order on the newly launched L-Acoustics eStore.
Fiji 2.1 – Work & Play like a Pro. Compact X4i based package for home office or salon.
L-Acoustics FIJI
Hawaii 2.1 – The Superprime Sound Lounge with Powerful X8 based package
L-Acoustics HAWAII
Tahiti 2.1 – Indoor-Outdoor Elegance. Sleek Syva based package for high end home audio listening
L-Acoustics TAHITI
Tonga 2.1 – Music First, Forever and Always. High performance Syva based package with reinforced sub for high performance, high fidelity music or cinema listening
L-Acoustics TONGA
Ibiza 2.0 – Mighty Kara II based package for best DJ audio systems
L-Acoustics IBIZA
Other custom systems are available via a network of residential A/V Integrators currently being developed.
“Consumer focus has shifted to the home, and to high end home audio as artists create an abundance of live streaming content,” explains Nick Fichte, Business Manager at L-Acoustics Creations.
Nick Fichte
“Consequently, interest in the best home sound systems is surging and L-Acoustics Creations is uniquely placed to fulfil the desire to bring the concert home. We’ve put three decades of professional audio experience into creating turnkey packages that transform musical content into an experience that satisfies the most demanding audiophile.”
L-Acoustics Creations home audio packages can be reserved online now. Visit L-Acoustics creation to learn more.
Also available to the public for the first time, L-Acoustics custom branded merchandise will be available for purchase in the eStore.
Online sales will benefit L-Acoustics Certified Providers and industry partners via a voluntary referral program enabling special discounts for customers.
A new exhibition by renowned sound artist Bill Fontana entitled Primal Energies opened July 1 at Kunsthaus Graz in Austria. Occupying the museum’s vast ovoid-dome Space 01 Gallery, Primal Energies pays homage to the future of renewable energy through a mesmerizing mix of video imagery and evocative soundscapes that portray our planet’s expanding wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal resources.
While viewing images on the eight large screens, visitors are immersed in an evocative blend of energy-related sounds reproduced by 64 Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers. The impact of the installation is further enhanced by dynamic spatial sound movements created and automated using a beta version of Meyer Sound’s soon-to-be-released Spacemap® Go technology.
Sounds and images for the work were recorded on location by Fontana with assistance from Scott George of London-based Autograph Sound. During this preparatory period, Fontana and George — both of whom have long association with Meyer Sound — were recruited to serve as beta testers of Spacemap Go.
A spatial sound design and mixing tool that leverages the processing power of the GALAXY Network Platform, Spacemap Go provides an easy-to-use interface for multi-channel panning using one or more iPads connected to systems comprising multiple GALAXY processors. “We used Spacemap Go extensively on Primal Energies,” says Fontana. “It’s the ‘digital brain’ behind all that is happening with dynamic spatialization of sound. In that realm, it lets me do everything I did before using the D-Mitri® system, but working directly with GALAXY makes it far more cost effective, particularly if you are planning something as a permanent installation in a museum or architectural setting.”
The UPM-1P are visible attached to the canopy.
Fontana also was impressed by the creative freedom afforded by Spacemap Go’s intuitive iPad app. “We used the iPad to set up everything on site. We wanted to create a kind of sonic choreography through the space, and the flexibility of Spacemap Go made it the ideal tool for making that happen.”
Scott George has collaborated with Fontana on more than a dozen projects over the years, and with Primal Energies he was again charged with overall AV system design, as well as design specifics for the audio system within the 900 m2 space. Fontana’s “sonic canvas” was a matrixed grid of 56 Meyer Sound
UPM-1P full-range loudspeakers augmented by eight 900-LFC low-frequency control elements. For the front end of the audio system, George specified a Mac Mini computer loaded with QLab software for the 24 channel playback and central show control, connecting to the four distributed GALAXY processors over an AVB network. All the spatial trajectories were created on site with Spacemap Go then saved as a file for automated panning in synchronization with the playback program.
“The iPad interface for Spacemap Go makes it much simpler and more intuitive for the sound artist to grab a sound and move it around wherever desired, rather than using a mouse or a keyboard,” observes George. “This also allows Bill to bring in multiple cues at the same time, so he can try out various trajectories before we save them. And the fact that you can use multiple iPads simultaneously allows sound artists to work collaboratively in the same space.”
His affiliation with a major rental company makes George keenly aware of both the widespread availability and cost efficiencies offered by Spacemap Go. “Spacemap Go leverages the power of existing hardware, using boxes that are already in the inventory of rental companies worldwide. All they will need is the new firmware upgrade and they will be ready to implement Spacemap Go for their clients.”
He is also impressed by the way Spacemap Go communicates readily with widely adopted playback and show control programs such as QLab, with audio and data carried over the AVB network. “We just took four ports out of the AVB switch and ran them to each of the GALAXYs, carrying multi-channel audio and data. We also set up an intuitive user interface in QLab where the museum operator simply presses a button to start and stop.”
For George, Spacemap Go together with the inherent advantages of self-powered loudspeakers offers the ultimate in elegant simplicity for large multi-channel sound installations. “When you are running multiple programs from discrete outputs to individual loudspeakers, that necessarily involves a lot of amplifiers — it’s hard to find space in a cramped museum setting. The self-powered approach is far more efficient.”
For Bill Fontana, Spacemap Go was an extraordinarily useful tool in what he describes as “deconstructing” the typical video soundtrack. “Here, the sounds are not localized to a specific video,” he says. “They are all related to the common theme, but sounds are shifting around throughout the space, more like a dream space. So you have this incredible enveloping sound experience as you move from screen to screen. For my purposes, Spacemap Go is fantastic. It was a privilege to be among the first to use this technology, and to continue my long relationship with Meyer Sound.”
Another key member of the Primal Energies project team was Martin Beck of the Austrian firm Technik für Kunst and Kuturprojekte. Beck supervised the on-site installation and his company also provided all AV equipment, except for the Meyer Sound loudspeakers which were provided by PRG Hamburg.
Primal Energies was curated by Katrin Bucher Trantow and is presented in cooperation with the University of Art Graz, Ö1 Kunstradio (ORF), Radio Helsinki, mur.at, FunkFeuer Graz and the ‘Kultur inklusiv’ Project, with further support from the AVL Cultural Foundation.
The end of June saw Brompton Technology take part in one of Europe’s first face-to-face industry events since lockdown, the AV Innovation Days (AVID), organised and hosted by LANG AG at its LANG Academy in Lindlar, Germany.
Designed as an accompanying event for InfoComm Connected, LANG hosted the three-day fair with both new and familiar AV technologies on display, whilst adhering to strict hygiene and safety rules. Leading LED panel manufacturers showcased their innovative solutions, with Brompton partnering with INFiLED to demonstrate how its panels have benefitted from Brompton’s highly acclaimed HDR solution.
“The event offered a perfect platform to discuss some of the key developments in the AV industry, such as the increased use of curved, or faceted, applications which are based on a variety of corresponding products. Also, the emerging trend of virtual LED studios instead of green screen studios is an interesting niche marked right now, as protagonists can interact with their environment. That makes recording much more efficient and saves post-production costs,” shares Benjamin Valbert, Director LED & Displays at LANG AG.
Valbert notes that choosing the right LED processor is an important requirement in supporting these trends. Whilst most LED processors provide the basic functions necessary for video display, they can have limited to no adjustment capabilities compared to more full-featured processors, which have numerous options for colour adjustments and image scaling, and are designed with LED-on-camera applications in mind.
“Equally, with rental applications, for example, where setup time is limited, operator knowledge is not always the same and failures need to be eliminated as quickly as possible,” Valbert adds. “This means that processing needs to be intuitive and provide several options for trouble shooting, with features that are able to get the very last bit out of your hardware, or simply overdrive the system for a reasonable period of time.”
After using Brompton Technology’s Hydra advanced measurement system to perform Dynamic Calibration, the enabling technology for Brompton HDR, on its DB 2.6 series LED panels manufactured with Brompton’s R2 receiver cards, the INFiLED team were in complete agreement. “One of the major, and most noticeable, differences for us was the extended colour gamut and enhanced luminance of the panels,” says Marco Bruines, Sr. Vice President of INFiLED EMEA.
The immediate effect was visible both with SDR and HDR video content, with the improvements added to the plethora of fine-tuning tools already offered by Brompton’s Tessera SX40 4K LED processor.
“This gives us a significant advantage when dealing with busy clients like INFiLED, who have a lot of projects going on at the same time and need a highly reliable and versatile LED processing solution,” states Dries Vermeulen, Business Development Manager – Europe at Brompton, who was on hand throughout AVID. “When our Tessera LED processor encounters an issue, its intelligent algorithm takes care of it, so it’s not necessary to even think about how to solve the problem.” Whilst the LANG team is looking forward to visiting InfoComm next year, based on the positive feedback received from this event, they will have no hesitation in repeating AVID in the future.
“AVID was a great success for our customers, suppliers and LANG,” says LANG CEO, Tobias Lang. “For a lot of visitors, this was their first trip after more than 13 weeks of working from home during lockdown; they told us it was like balm to the soul. It is also incredibly useful to understand what kind of business has a strong development curve at the moment. With this knowledge, the industry now has a much better focus.”
The INFiLED team concur, stating they were very happy to be able to meet their key contacts and customers again in person and experience a new form of tradeshow participation. “The AV industry is well known for its passion for new technology,” Bruines concludes. “Our customers were excited to see the latest products and market trends, including Brompton’s incredible HDR technology.
“Successful business relationships are achieved through a combination of high-quality products, solid pre-sales quality control and a high service level. The nature of this type of technology means it’s essential to have close relationships with customers and able to solve problems at any time. Offering global 24/7 customer support on top of a tested and reliable processing technology is just one of the values that makes Brompton stand out.”
In its new Esprite Spot Profile, Robe incorporates a proprietary white LED engine manufactured in-house in Czech Republic. To ensure the sustainability of the moving light, the light source called “Transferable Engine” can be swapped as quickly as a generic lamp and keeps everything in memory.
We interviewed Vincent Bouquet, Robe Product Manager, to go over the question.
SLU : Vincent, can you tell us who has ESPRITE fixture in its fleet today?
Vincent Bouquet : Il y a Mvision (Longjumeau-91), Eurosono (Irigny-69), Match Event (Elancourt-78), Alive (Tourcoing-59), Avéo (Auxerre-89), Audio Pro (33-Mérignac), CEC Sonorisation (Limas-69), Loct’Ambule (Mundolsheim-67), Dimension Events (Elne-66), Mag Scène (Saint-Etienne-42), Music Plus (Grenoble-38), Pan Pot (Brignoles-83), Regietek (Gonesse-95), STS (Beaumont-63), Cynergie Sonorisation (Amiens-80) et BLive (Bussy-st-Georges-77) … Plus de 300 machines dans toutes les régions de France.
Esprite, first fixture of a range of moving light equipped with a transferable white LED engine.
SLU : While manufacturers are announcing a lifespan of 40,000 to 50,000 hours for 30% of intensity loss, which corresponds to the lifetime of a moving light, what is the thinking that prompted Robe to develop a transferable engine?
Vincent Bouquet : The idea is that if within 4, 5 or six years the colorimetry changes and the intensity decreases by the aging of the LEDs, it will be possible to replace the LED engine, but this is not the primary goal of this development. The engine embeds an intelligence, a memory. Once out of the fixture, which takes less than 4 minutes, it retains all of its information. Via a blog, the user can get the serial number of the (or more) fixture (s) where it has been installed, which temperatures and temperature variations it has undergone. We know the intensity delta compared to its factory output, and especially the number of operating hours. These informations are stored within the engine and not in the fixture.
SLU : How do you retrieve these info?
Vincent Bouquet : Via the ROBE COM application available for iPhone and Android, through a NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna. This application was originally developed for the iPointe – which does not include a touch screen as it’s a IP65 rated unit – to navigate the menu more quickly than with capacitive buttons.
At the opening, the ROBE COM app offers you to approach your smartphone to the source engine.
The engine is immediately identified.
The application displays the date the engine was first activated, the intensity reading and the number of operating hours.
SLU : When you say 5-6 years, how many hours does it represent?
Vincent Bouquet : It is difficult to make an accurate estimate. Robe reports less than 30% of intensity loss over 20,000h and applies a 4-year warranty on the source. Mastery of use allows you to be more flexible and to replace an engine under the warranty. And the replacement does not require a return of the lighting fixture to Robe, it is still much simpler.
SLU : For example, I am a service provider and after 4 years of use, I realize the intensity of the engine has dropped by 15%. Can I return this engine to Robe to benefit from a new LED card?
Vincent Bouquet : Outside the warranty, you just need to order a complete engine, as if you would change the lamp. The price is roughly the same as of two BMFL lamps, the list price is 800€ ex. V.A.T. And Robe can collect the old engine for free for recycling. But this is not compulsory.
SLU : What are all the reasons that could lead service providers to change their out-of-warranty engine?
Vincent Bouquet : I’m thinking about those who will need to keep the lighting fixtures even if they invest in new moving lights to stay up to date. I even think that they can keep a “lamp” budget and consider changing the engines every two years if they wish. Afterwards, everyone can have to change the engine if in the next 5 years Robe comes with more efficient LEDs than today, in the same form factor and a significantly higher power consumption. Robe has planned a power reserve of 100 W. Today, of course, the LEDs (73 Osram) in use are the most powerful available in this format.
The built-in engine of the ESPRITE, called Performance, promotes flow at the expense of a CRI of 70 which can increase thanks to an integrated filter. Robe is working on the development of a Studio engine, with a similar color temperature, but with a CRI of 94 to precisely avoid the use of filters. Service providers will be able to juggle with two types of CRI depending on the application of their moving lights.
The ESPRITE menu…
…delivers info about the embedded engine as well.
SLU : Does Osram undertake to keep in their catalog this precise reference of LEDs which equip the lighting fixture with the same color temperature?
Vincent Bouquet : Osram offers a warranty greater than 2 years for the longevity of this LED reference. However, we expect much more, and we have a large stock of this reference. Having measured it on several fixtures, the color temperature is precise, Robe announces 6700K on the output and I have never measured more than 6790K and the UV delta is close to zero.
SLU : Is there a way to calibrate a new zealous module in intensity that would return to the fleet?
Vincent Bouquet : Yes, there is a dedicated DMX channel for this purpose in the ESPRITE. The fixture is aware of its percentage of intensity decrease and indicates it by a color code:
– White : From 0% to 5% – Red : From 6% to 10% – Green : From 11% to 15% – Blue : From 16% to 20% – Cyan : From 21% to 25% – Magenta : From 26% to 30% – Yellow : From 31% to 35% – Orange : From 36% to 40%
If, in a fleet of 24 moving lights that have already lived, I have a fixture equipped with a new LED engine, we can limit its intensity via the console.
– Via a DMX channel, the group of fixtures is selected. – We send a specific value dedicated to the indication of losses by colors. As an example, I get 21 moving light in red which have lost between 6 to 10%, 2 fixtures in green which have lost between 11 to 15% and one fixture in white, the new one, which has lost nothing. – Within the kit, we thus detect which one has had no loss. – We select again all the fixtures and tell them, via this DMX channel, that the fixture with the biggest loss is green. The other fixture take knowledge of this, so the fixture in white will drop its intensity by 15% and the fixture which were in red will lose 5% only. – We quickly calibrate all fixture’s intensity, without the need to search and adjust the intenisty fixture by fixture.
This is an important advantage and a time saver for the operator. It can be useful in case of sub-renting if I have a homogeneity problem between my fleet and the sub-rented fleet. There is always a time when I will have to match new and old machines.
SLU : Is this a parameter that interests service providers in the foreground?
Vincent Bouquet : Not all of them, but it is a plus that proves that the system has been designed to the fullest of its possibilities. It’s not just 4 screws to remove the engine and put a new one in place. There is a real reflection behind the concept.
SLU : Today, what particularly appeals to them?
Vincent Bouquet : They like the light output, the clean color mixing, the blades which are quite sharp and precise. They like the fact the blades do not influence too much when there is a color or a gobo. The optics have been well designed. These three points, plus the weight of the machine, less than 28 kg, and bonuses like the transferable LED engine, and a well-priced fixture. The brand also builds loyalty, they mostly are Robe customers.
SLU : Will we find the principle of transferable engine in future fixtures?
Vincent Bouquet : For fixtures with white LEDs, yes. The Esprite is the starting point, the middle of a range that will extend up and down in terms of light output.
Ayrton is excited to launch the Domino latest in its series of IP65-rated fixtures ! Building on the success of Perseo, Ayrton’s first IP65-rated fixture, Domino delights in being comfortable in the most extreme environments while delivering stunning effects. Delivering a massive 51,000 lumens from its 1000W LED source, Domino is a versatile fixture that combines the output and exceptional optics of Huracán-X with the feature set of Khamsin, in an IP65-rated body.
Designed to operate in extreme situations, Domino can resist hot or cold temperatures, wind, rain, hail, salt fog, sand and dust. It can withstand arid environments, heavy rainfall, and sudden climatic variations. Ayrton has included all the weatherproofing features of Perseo and given it the same minimalist design, reduced visual footprint and, for maximum effectiveness, a liquid cooling system with six IP68-rated submersible fans outside its weatherproof enclosure.
Fitted with a 178 mm frontal lens, Domino’s proprietary optical system uses 13 lenses, producing a 10:1 zoom ratio and a zoom range of 6° to 60°. The optics deliver an extremely uniform flat beam with no hot spot and reproduce impeccable high-definition images over the entire zoom range. Feature-rich from the factory, Domino has a sophisticated subtractive CMY colour mixing system combined with a variable CTO and a wheel with six complementary colours for infinite pastel and saturated colours. The framing section allows accurate positioning of each of its 4 shutter blades across a 100% surface area. The image section includes 14 interchangeable HD glass gobos on two wheels.
The effects section contains two dynamic effect-wheels with continuous movement in both directions, a CMY multi-layered wheel for creating multi-coloured effects, a standard monochromatic effect-wheel, a 15-blade iris diaphragm, two frost filters (for light and heavy diffusion), CRI and TM30 optimising filters, two rotating prisms (one circular with 5 facets and one linear with 4 facets), a dynamic sparkle effect with speed and fade adjustment, and an electronic dimmer.
Domino is available in S and TC versions: Domino-S delivers metallic white light with a record-breaking output of 51,000 lumens at a colour temperature of 7000K for incredible brightness; Domino-TC is calibrated at a colour temperature of 6000K with a CRI greater than 90 and very high TM30 readings for perfect colour rendition. Weighing in at 52kg, Domino is designed for stadium-sized settings and intensive outdoor use. This Master of the Elements is ready to take on the most extreme conditions and is shipping with immediate effect.
Meet the Hippotizer power-users of Green Hippo’s Key User Support Group (KUSP). From an early age, Jorge Toro, owner of Florida-based JMT Show Concepts, has had a knack for technology and a head for business. In his 25 years in entertainment production, he has constantly moved forward, letting nothing slow him down. In recent years, however, a fruitful partnership with Green Hippo has certainly contributed to that forward momentum.
Jorge Toro of JMT Show Concepts.
Jorge’s links with entertainment began in his teenage years, when he started helping out a DJ friend with his audio equipment in their native Puerto Rico. “I started working with him, carrying equipment, setting up,” he recalls. “He taught me how to do everything – and I was good at it.”
He progressed to mixing sound for bands in Puerto Rico, and after buying his own PA system, spent several years both renting and mixing. “It was good time,” he says. “I grew up a lot as a person, as a technician and as a company, until I decided to sell up and move to the States.”
To cement his audio knowledge, Jorge headed to Florida’s renowned Full Sail University to study a degree in Recording Arts, before returning to wider freelance opportunities in Puerto Rico. But Jorge is also good at recognising opportunity – and a change of direction was on the horizon. “A friend had bought a lot of LED screen, and asked me to be production manager, and look after all their gigs. I didn’t know anything about video, but I said yes.”
Hippotizer Boreal+ Media Servers at the Premios Tu Música Urbano awards show, broadcast live from Puerto Rico to an estimated 80 million people on March 5, 2020.
He learned fast, and successfully oversaw screen and content requirements for tours and festivals throughout Latin America. “We did a lot of shows – David Guetta, Rihanna, the Festival Presidente in the Dominican Republic, which is really big over there – a lot of things.” This success led to a call from the production manager for Wisin & Yandel, the hugely popular Reggaeton duo, who wanted Jorge to manage the supply and setup of the video elements for a show in the Dominican Republic.
He agreed, but it was a tough gig. “We put all the gear on a ferry from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic, but the ferry broke down, so 80% of my gear arrived the night before show day. We had to set everything up and test it. But at the end of the day, we did a great gig for 60,000 people.”
Next, Jorge left the rental company to join Wisin & Yandel’s touring crew. Before long, he also became video director for Enriqué Iglesias – a role he continues to fill to this day – and various other artists. Finding his services much in demand, he founded JMT Show Concepts in 2015. By this time, Jorge had a freelancer’s broad experience of media servers, but was increasingly intrigued by Hippotizer. “I met Kate Leahy, who taught me a lot about Hippotizer. I really liked the platform because everything was there. And once it was set up, everything ran smoothly. I asked a lot of questions: What about this? Why that way? How does that work?”
He encountered Hippotizer again on a Bruno Mars tour, and finally decided to invest after Enriqué Iglesias’s co-headline tour with Pitbull, when Pitbull’s crew were using Hippotizer. “It’s a brand, like Mercedes or BMW,” says Jorge. “I researched different products, but decided on Green Hippo because the brand was so strong and the product so good. We knew we would always get work with those systems.”
He invested initially in two Hippotizer Karst+ Media Servers, in May 2018. He recalls, “I opened them up and started playing with them, and on the same day I was like, ‘OK, I’m ready to do a show here!’ The user interface was so good.”
Hippotizer’s ease of setup and integration also impressed. “Sometimes I programme in ChamSys, but often the worst thing about media servers is that it’s such a pain to hook up to the console. So I plugged it in, moved a fader and it was there! I just fell in love with it. A week later I was doing shows with them.” Discussing the software, he says, “Hippotizer is the easiest software to use. You have so many ways to manage your session, from the console, from ZooKeeper, from the Timeline into the ZooKeeper, from cues – it’s so easy. Sometimes, producers or creative people come to me and say, ‘We want to do this …’ – and from the way they explain it, you know they think it will be really difficult. And I’m like, ‘OK, give me five minutes!’.”
He adds, “Green Hippo has the most powerful computers on the market to handle the big stuff. You have everything in one box, and all the support you need. With some systems, you have the software, and maybe a computer you bought someplace, and it’s very easy for a company to say, ‘No, it’s the computer’s fault’. But if I have any issues with Hippo, I will always resolve everything in one call.”
Among the powerful features that Jorge singles out for praise is PixelMapper. “We did the Premios Tu Música Urbano, the big Latin Music Awards show, in March. We used PixelMapper to map everything, tile by tile, and it was easy. The computer ran really smoothly, everything was great. I wanted to do it that way so we could highlight if a tile went bad during rehearsal or setup – we could say ‘OK, tile number 29 is bad’. Also, from my side, I could go to any tile and adjust the colour or brightness, or whatever was needed.”
Hippotizer’s intuitive interface also makes great sense from a rental operator’s viewpoint, as Jorge has easily been able to train his own techs to a high level of ability. Just two years after that first purchase, JMT now owns six Hippotizer systems – three Karst+ and three Boreal+. Jorge concludes, “Since we had the Hippotizer name, our gigs have grown, and we have done more important and bigger gigs as time has gone on.”
The EN 54-16 certification describes the required testing and performance criteria for a Voice Alarm Control and Indication Equipment (VACIE) for use in alarm systems installed in buildings, where the alarm signal is in the form of a tone, or voice message, or both. The certification now covers the extended range of Powersoft’s fixed install dedicated amplifiers, including the Ottocanali, Quattrocanali, Duecanali, as well as the X Series.
The importance of PAVA systems is widely recognised as an effective way to produce a timely reaction in most people when using voice guidance in emergency situations as opposed to the response to text and alarm bell information, which under half of individuals respond affectively to. The use of clear vocal messages has been shown to greatly increase the response time and provide opportunity to guide occupants to the safest escape route.
With the new certification, businesses can now invest in amplifiers not only as part of an entertainment system, but also as a voice alarm system – such as one used in the event of an emergency or fire. As a result of the certification, Powersoft amplifiers now offer a solution for voice alarm system integration in the EU. Integrators, consultants and end users can now benefit from Powersoft’s superior range of amplifiers not only in an entertainment capacity, but also for security and safety purposes.
The brand new and Voice Alarm Certificated DueCanali 6404 DSP and Quattrocanali 8804 DSP.
For businesses, this new seal of approval on the Powersoft range of amplifiers brings another level of cost-effectiveness, this time for PAVA system. With the amplifiers now able to be used as part of an entertainment system (such as background music) as well as an emergency system, there is no need to invest in extra equipment for a certified Voice Alarm system.
Aesthetically and from a networking point of view, the two-in-one system also delivers – with less equipment required to be installed, customers are less likely to take notice of the technology and the larger PAVA system architecture is simplified. Businesses will also be pleased to know that VACIE (Voice Alarm Control and Indicating Equipment) systems from other manufacturers are compatible with the certified amplifiers, allowing them to upgrade their VACIE systems with an amplifier that can supply more power without having to upgrade all the equipment.
Marc Kocks
“We’re always looking for ways to support our clients, and EN 54 certification is yet another step we are taking to ensure our clients always have the best options open to them,” commented Marc Kocks, Powersoft’s business development manager – fixed install – global application engineering manager. “Safety and reliability have always been a top priority to us, and with this certification, we can offer our clients high quality, reliable equipment for their alarm systems.”
While the EN 54 specification covers the EU, local Codes of Practice do need to be taken into account when installing voice alarm systems, as they can differ in expected performance and design criteria, and may require used products to comply with EN 54-16 specification, depending on the size and complexity of a project.
Most Codes of Practice allow for deviations from the standard, as long as these deviations are well documented, justified and risk assessed. “Adding EN 54 certification to our already proven fixed installation product portfolio will allow for easy integration in any EN 54 compliant systems or a system that allows for deviations,” Kocks concluded.
Winter Park, Florida is the newest location for fast-growing Action Church, a worship community in the Orlando area that also has churches in the suburbs of Oviedo, Sanford and South Orlando. The church experienced a startling 150-plus-percent growth between 2017 and 2018, less than four years after it was founded, catapulting it to the number-two position in Outreach magazine’s top 100 fastest-growing churches last year.
The Winter Park campus has the distinction of being dubbed the church’s broadcast site, from which Pastor Justin Dailey preaches the church’s Sunday message each week. As such, that location is Action Church’s technology showcase, and its renovation reflects that, with state-of-the-art audio, video and lighting technology throughout. That extends to the two KLANG:fabrik immersive IEM mixing systems installed there by Parrish, Florida-based HOW integration specialist Crown Design Group as part of the first phase of the venue’s renovation.
The Winter Park Action Church FOH where the main mix and mon feeds are created on a Allen & Heath desk.
“We designed, installed and commissioned all of the technology at this location, their largest campus, and they wanted it to be the most high-tech of all of them,” says Crown Design Group Co-owner Garrett Walker, a fact underscored by his company’s installation there of a touring rider-friendly L-Acoustics Kara loudspeaker system.
“They often have a lot of musicians onstage at once, and the lineup can change frequently, so we recommended that they use the KLANG systems, and they agreed. These are the most flexible, easiest-to-use in-ear monitoring solutions on the market today.” Walker says that the church required an IEM solution that could scale as their onstage needs changed, and also interface seamlessly with other systems and platforms they would use, most notably Dante, which is the network backbone for the church’s audio.
“The KLANG systems’ compatibility with Dante was a key factor in their choice,” he says, as was the systems’ ability to be operated via an iPhone or Android app. “That was very important, because while their front-of-house console can use an iPad app for remote control, not everyone has an iPad or tablet, but almost everyone has an iPhone or Android phone,” he explains.
Action Church Experience Director John Williams says that although the KLANG system is certainly a hit with their worship team, the savings that it provides in terms of additional gear and operator manpower is another big plus. “KLANG provides us with the flexibility and audio intelligibility that our musicians and vocalists absolutely love,” he says. “But I personally think the biggest benefit is being able to offer quality, personal mixes on the platform without having a monitor console and an additional engineer to run it.”
The ubiquity of smartphones and the availability of the free KLANG:app sealed the deal, Walker adds. “And that really adds to the KLANG systems’ ease of use,” he adds. “Once we programmed the system, musicians and vocalists can have separate groups for the monitors, which makes it much easier to manage all of the channels needed for a large group on stage.
And the quality of the immersive sound is exceptional. So in terms of fidelity and operational ease, the KLANG systems win on all counts for the church. And, as integrators, the fact that it interfaces with so many other key systems makes it a great solution for us. That’s why we now recommend it to all of our clients.”
GLP proposes a fixture that looks like a strobe, and has the power and functions of a strobe, but it’s actually much more. In a world where products are similar to each other, it is important to be different, to be original and, especially, to provide added value compared to competitors. Here we offer you a new, more visual kind of product test with a detailed video presentation of the unit below.
Diversity
More than just an effect, the German brand proposes this 3-in-1 fixture: a strobe, a wide and uniform RGB source and a moving light. 1536 LEDs are distributed on two sources. In the center to simulate the xenon tube, 216 cold white Cree XP LEDs are arranged on a line of 12 individually controllable cells.
Two types of LEDs are used: the Cree components in the center for the strobe and the Osram RGB components around the strobe for the ambient light.
Above and below this, there are 12 (2 x 6) square cells of 1320 Osram LRTB GVTG RGB LEDs that produce a wide field of light that can be used to cover a stage, highlight the walls of a room or illuminate a set. As each of these 12 elements is individually controllable, you can also use these sources to create dynamic dimmer or color effects, but also – thanks to the value shift functions or the matrices of a console – to create lovely gradients or beautiful moirés quite simply.
The colors are beautiful. The mixture of the three primaries is homogeneous and allows for a very wide color palette. Whether in saturated colors or pastels, the fixture is a great performer. This lets you add a more conventional use to the JDC1’s primary function as an effects fixture.
To make this fixture even more attractive and versatile, the engineers at GLP have motorized the head on one axis. This makes it possible to use the JDC1 for blinding, downlights and set lighting at the same time. Of course, the other very interesting possibility is to create a matrix of several JDC1s and play off the matrix of each unit in a much larger matrix to create static or dynamic visuals or images.
A video presentation of the JDC1 by Stéphane Mocret
Control
There are five control modes. The first of these, with 14 channels, allows simple access to the strobe and color functions without individual cell control. However, it is possible to create effects with the 12 pixels of the central line and the 12 cells of the plate using the two channels of effects dedicated to the strobe and colors.
Choosing the most extended mode of 68 channels, each pixel of the fixture can be controlled independently. There are enough choices and possibilities to use this fixture on any kind of performance and with any console. The JDC1 is easy to control, but still requires a little practice for managing the internal effects and especially creating a well-developed library.
The connectors: the DMX input (the output is on the opposite side) and the TrueOne mains input.
You’ll need to make sure that the functions common to one type of parameter are not scattered over several pages or types of parameters. Also make sure that the three main strobe parameters are on consecutive encoders and that the effect parameters and their controls are close by or easily accessible.
Even if the internal solution is often simpler, faster and less demanding in terms of DMX channels, I configure the fixtures, whenever possible, to the maximum of their possibilities so that I am not taken by surprise and, above all, so that I can create my effects myself. This avoids having to look for the closest one and allows you to always have the desired effect and a creation that you won’t find on another show.
Light output
Of course, the JDC1 is an effects fixture and therefore some of the measurements are neither useful, interesting or even comparable with a more traditional light. We have therefore chosen the 12 RGB cells, without powering the LED bar that simulates the xenon tube, to obtain a series of results more in line with its use as a light source.
The derating curve of the panel.
The set list doesn’t change: we start with the derating. We measure 1980 lux in the center when the unit is cold and 1913 lux after 30 seconds (reference measurement) the light stabilizes after 20 minutes of heating to 1530 lux, which corresponds to a derating of 20%. This is a good result for an effect projector. It should also be kept in mind that the projector is being tested under the most difficult conditions in full white RGB. In color the derating will be negligible.
The dimming curve.
Just to keep you in some suspense, I’m going to continue with the dimmer curve. Linearity is not a strong point of this curve. It’s not very important since we’re using a computerized dimmer control, all JDC1s have the same curve and the transitions are therefore consistent. Even if the progression is not perfectly linear, there is no sudden variation, so there is nothing irremediable in 99.9% of the uses of this unit.
The last series of measurements, of course, concerns the flux measured up to I/10 (one tenth of the center intensity). Our result is not completely accurate because our target is five meters wide and the I/10 illuminance, i.e. 150 lux, lies beyond five meters. We still measure 390 lux at the edge of the target and obtain a flux of 65,300 lumens after derating and 81,600 lm with the unit cold, for a 90° angle. This is an excellent result.
If we venture an approximation based on the slope of the luminous intensity curve, the flux at I/10 should reach 66,000 lumens after derating and 82,500 lm when cold, for an angle of 98°. This surface of LEDs therefore provides strong coverage over a very large area. The luminous intensity curve is quite regular and this is a good surprise for an effects fixture. Red represents 29.47% of the total flux, green 28.8% and blue 6.83%, which, in relation to the total flux, yields beautiful warm, luminous colors.
The whole package
The JDC1 is a very powerful and complete hybrid effects fixture. The combination of two types of sources on a motorized axis increases the range of possibilities for lighting designers and ensures faster profitability for lighting companies. It should also be noted that GLP is one of those brands which, in order to fight against low-end and cheap competition, have been able to evolve by producing well-finished, high-performance products at an attractive price. In short, if you’re looking for a LED source that can create powerful and pixelated strobe effects, color a stage, highlight a set or a venue, and create a color matrix, the JDC1 is for you.
Founded in 1976 by Steve Payne, Soundworks has long benefited from a working relationship with Southard Audio, led by Mike Southard in neighbouring Harrisonburg, VA.
In 2019, the two companies jointly chose Martin Audio for the first time, becoming the first WPL users in the world with each company purchasing 24 WPL cabinets, 12 SXH218 hybrid subs and 12 iKON iK42 amps.
“We used WPL for the whole of last season and we were just delighted with it,” says Payne. “We looked forward to every opportunity we had to use it but for smaller events we still had to use a smaller, older system that we had in our inventory. That was hard! We did one very large jazz festival where we had 12 boxes per-side of WPL for the main PA but an eight box hang of this older system for delays.
I asked our System Tech, Bryan Hargrave, to check if the delays were working and when he came back he said ‘they’re working… but they sound like they’re broken!’ They just couldn’t match WPL. I knew then that we needed to invest more in Wavefront Precision. There was no hesitation, no doubt in our minds that it was the right thing to do. WPL totally sold us on the possibilities.”
From left to right Grant Howard, President, Steve Payne, CEO, Bryan Hargrave, Senior Tech, and Jon Barrows, System Tech.
Having sold his previous system, Payne was faced with the choice of adding either 8-inch WPS or 10-inch WPC enclosures to his inventory. “The WPC was the safe bet – that was the box that convinced us to buy the WPL,” Payne recalls. “But then we went down to Florida to hear the first WPS coming into the States and we were stunned. The WPS is not your daddy’s 8-inch box – it is a different animal! The whole series is seamless when you move from one box to the next, the voicing is so similar. So my solution was to buy both WPS and WPC. We bought 16 of each plus another eight SXH218 subwoofers.”
The 24 WPL and 12 SXH218 hybrid subs on duty !
Payne continues: “All three of these systems are top-tier and designed to complement each other. How much noise do you need? We’ll plug in the appropriate box and the sound will be the same, the fullness will be the same, it’ll just have more oomph. Further, because the voicing of the systems is so complementary, they can be happily integrated into a main hang, out-fill, front-fill and delay package capable of covering very large venues. Now we feel like we can go toe-to-toe with any system out there today.
“With many line arrays, when you walk the field and go further and further out, you can hear the change between zones. The changes can vary from subtle to quite noticeable to downright unpleasant, depending on the system. With Wavefront Precision there is simply no discernible change. It is smooth everywhere. It is not only consistent, it’s consistently really good.”
Curl up nice an’ easy in front of a computer screen to watch the virtual demo of the new Claypaky products. It’s just like at Prolight + Sound, with presentation and demonstration by product families. And we scroll through, at our full discretion, videos and / or technical data sheets.
– Honor to the Arolla Profile HP, one of the most powerful white LED Spot / Profile on the market: 45,000 lumens for 1,200 W of LEDs. – Claypaky is also launching the multisource Midi B WashBeam and the very pretty Tambora Batten motorized LED bar. They have in common the Osram 40 W RGBW LED sources of the HY B-EYE. – Axcor Profile 600 and HY B-Eye K25 are released in Teatro version with mechanics and cooling system redesigned to reduce the noise level.
Arolla Profile HP
L’Arolla Profile-HP avec un moteur de 1200 W sous le capot.
Mastering a 1,200 W LED source in an 80 cm high projector, without compromising on the variety of effects is a feat that few rare manufacturers are capable of today. Claypaky steps up on the podium with the Arolla Profile HP, a Profile Spot with motorized blades announcing 45,000 lumens of luminous flux at the surprising list price of € 11,060: aren’t we living in great times!
“HP“ obliges, the Arolla Profile ensures a homogeneous beam with a flat profile whose angle varies from 5 ° to 50 ° thanks to its 10: 1 ratio zoom. It is colored by a CMY color-mixing system, a progressive CTO and a 6-color wheel. To bring this beam to life Arolla offers a full range of effects. An animation wheel, two gobos wheels (6 rotating and 7 fixed) in high definition and interchangeable dichroic glass, a framing system with 4 motorized blades with total closing mechanism and dedicated macro channel, two Frost filters, x4 prism, iris with 16 blades. And as often nowadays, a filter is built into one of the color wheels to increase the machine’s CRI.
Its optimized weight of 44 kg is rather classic for this level of equipment and power which requires top notch cooling. The Arolla has several ventilation modes that allow it to adapt to any type of use location. To reach this unbeatable price, this projector, developed in Italy, is assembled in China. Its availability is scheduled for September 2020
Tambora Batten
With a motorized tilt of 220° excursion, the one meter long Tambora Batten bar is fitted with 16 powerful 40W Osram Stage II RGBW sources, the same as that inside the HY B-Eye. Each of them is individually controllable, an integrated switch allows you to link several Tambora in series, installed in a continuous line or in a matrix to ease the pixel mapping.
Claypaky Tambora Batten
This bar offers a 4°-40° zoom which you can control the softening of the edge of the beams in Wash mode. A channel is dedicated to controlling the color temperature from 2,500K to 8,000K, and the emulation of different types of lamps. Arolla Batten will be launched at a list price of € 3,850.
Midi-B
With one LED ring more than the Mini-B, the Midi-B has 19 Osram RGBW sources of 40 W and a flux which reaches 10,000 lumens at the output of this small 40 cm diameter moving head. In the Beam / Wash category, its 4°-50° zoom allows you to go from a clear and concentrated light beam for aerial effects to a diffused edge Wash.
Midi-B en beam…
… et en wash à bord diffus.
Each of its three LED rings is individually controllable to generate animations that will provide great backlight effects in a small venue. List price is € 4,350.
Mini-B PARled Aqua
IP65 rated products are fast rising today, as are installation products. After the SharpyPlus Aqua, it’s the Mini-B in static version which offers a rain suit to its users.
Mini B Parled Aqua, la version statique et IP 65 du Mini B.
Nothing else changes. We find the 7 Osram 40W RGBW sources, the 4-55° motorized zoom, the independent control of the central LED, the effect macros and the channel dedicated to the color temperature adjustment between 2,500K and 8,000K. Its luminous flux reaches 3,000 lm. Its list price is € 1,750.
If the term “megachurch” is solely reserved to describe the world’s largest Protestant houses of worship, then St. Matthew Catholic Church of Charlotte is by all rights a “megaparish.” With more than 40,000 parishioners from over 11,000 households currently registered as members, St. Matthew offers 100-plus active ministries and is distinguished as the Catholic church with the largest congregation in the United States.
St. Matthew of Charlotte is now home to a new L-Acoustics Kiva II system designed and installed by SES Integration.
In 1996, to accommodate its large and growing membership, the church dedicated a 2,200-seat, fan-shaped worship space that presently hosts at least eight services each week. Although St. Matthew updated its sanctuary sound system in 2012 with a newer loudspeaker setup based on an exploded cluster design, in recent years, that system suffered from clarity and reliability issues, and ultimately succumbed to a lightning strike late last year.
A closeup of the three compact L-Acoustics Kiva II hangs.
Thankfully, the church’s production team had already been in talks with SES Integration of nearby Concord to design a retrofit PA system that would provide improved intelligibility, coverage and dependability. As the integration division of Winston-Salem-basedtouring sound provider Special Event Services, which reinforces road treks for top artists like Luke Combs with its flagship L-Acoustics K1/K2 arrays, SES Integration quickly zeroed in on the manufacturer’s compact Kiva II enclosure as the right choice for the Ballantyne neighborhood Roman Catholic church.
“Size, weight and performance were the big ‘wins’ for Kiva II,” says SES Integration Director Trey Blair, who notes that houses of worship make up 85 percent of the longtime L-Acoustics Certified Provider’s business. “Since we would be hanging arrays from the church’s wooden roof structure, we required a lightweight solution that gave us excellent vertical pattern control, and the Kiva II was the clear solution for this. Plus, we had previously done multiple projects with the system and were extremely familiar with its performance, so we knew from our experience that it would work well in this space.”
Four more Kiva II, finished in white, provide underbalcony fill.
Using Soundvision, Blair and his team created a new system design that ultimately featured a mono configuration of three Kiva II arrays—a central hang of seven enclosures flanked by twin arrays of six Kiva II. Solid low-end reinforcement for the sanctuary’s wide seating area is achieved by two ground-based KS28 subs, concealed behind white scrims to the left and right of the stage.
Frontfill is provided by two compact 5XT coaxials mounted into the faces of pulpits on either side of the stage, while a total of four more Kiva II with white finishes are flown over the acoustically shadowed rear left and right seating areas for delay. A single LA12X and three LA4X amplified controllers collectively power and process the entire system, which is now mixed on a new Allen & Heath dLive S5000 mixing console.
Another one of the benefits of the Kiva II system was that it was able to be swiftly integrated. “With no downtime possible on the weekends, we had to wrap the entire project up in five days,” recalls SES Integration Regional Manager Anthony Frampton.
“Our goal was to have everything done before their Christmas Mass, so we integrated everything during the first week of December, and they had their first service with it that Sunday. And what a difference it made! There is now consistent coverage throughout the entire sanctuary and highly intelligible speech delivered to each seat.”
The three Kiva arrays overhang the altar.
St. Matthew Communications Specialist and Content Director Jim Alvarez, who has been on staff for six years and a parishioner there for nearly two decades, is in full agreement. “I have known Anthony and the SES Integration crew for several years, and I trust them 100 percent,” he says.
“When I asked them to help us find the best solution for our sanctuary, I wanted every person to experience the absolutely clearest and crispest sound possible, and our new system does everything that they told me it would.” “We have a large worship space, and the L-Acoustics loudspeakers perfectly fill the room. Every person in every seat at every Mass gets a vibrant, clear and beautiful sound experience. In fact, I’ve had several parishioners tell me, ‘Wow!
I had no idea how inadequate our old sound system was until it was replaced—this sounds incredible!’ I love it, too, and I’m thankful that we’re now able to once again fill this room with beautiful voices, music and sound.”
PLASA Show will not take place at Olympia London from 6-8 September this year due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19. It will return to Olympia London in 2021 from 5-7 September.
“It is of course very disappointing to have to postpone PLASA Show this year which would have been the first in Olympia’s Grand Hall” comments Sophie Atkinson, PLASA’s Head of Events. “But I am in no doubt that it is the right thing to do for the industry at this time.
Behind the scenes, PLASA the association is working hard to support its members and the wider industry through government lobbying, research, and cross-industry collaboration. You can find out more about what we are doing during this time at plasa website. As always, we are open to feedback and would love to hear from you.
We hope that by the time PLASA Show 2021 comes around the industry will be restored back to full health and we can celebrate with a fantastic ‘come-back’ show, face to face. In the meantime, keep safe and in keep in touch. We will sorely miss PLASA Show this year and look forward to being able to meet you in next year.”
When it came to specifying a site-wide digital comms upgrade recently, the facility’s long-term head of technology (and resident sound engineer), Samuel Briand, was clear that an expansive Optocore fibre ring solution would best serve the park’s requirements. He explained that previously they had worked mostly in analog but this has now been replaced with parallel Optocore, Dante and AVB networks.
Samuel Briand
“The first consideration was the vast distance,” he said, explaining the background to the specification. “The park is very large, requiring several hundred kilometers of cable length, and it was essential that we could pass the signals without loss of quality and without length constraints.” The new system itself was conceived at the Park’s in-house design studio, overseen by Briand, with the company DV2 supplying the equipment and technical support. Each of the featured shows has its own control room and runs autonomously, although the existing fiber optic network allows shows to be connected to each other if necessary.
“When we create a show, we connect the audio mixing studio to the show concerned and mix in the attraction by moving the screen, keyboard and mouse from the studio computer. The sound travels in the Optocore environment between the studio and the show, thus saving us from having to carry a big flight case with a ProTools HDX,” Briand explains.
In view of the extensive distance and channel requirements, the redundant Optocore transport is used in all the Park’s main shows, such as La Cinéscénie (a huge outdoor stage for the evening shows), Le Dernier Panache (which follows the destiny of a French naval officer during the American War of Independence), Café de la Madelon (Parisian style cabaret) and El Sueño de Toledo (another historical nocturnal show). To give an idea of scale, La Cinéscénie alone requires 10km of fiber optics.
Three DD4MR and X6R along with some pretigious other tools from Merging and DiGiCo.
“We work only with single mode fiber,” the head of tech continues, “and each Optocore converter has redundancy at the power supply (one on mains and one on inverter).” A separate central control point manages the BGM only (which is distributed over a point-to-point network).
Samuel Briand has deployed a pair of Optocore DD4MR-FX MADI devices for use with the DiGiCo SD10 consoles, ten X6R-FX with AES-SRC and Line Outputs for the amplifiers, as well as AES-SRC with Mix Inputs for microphones (and finally, a V3R-FX). All devices have been upgraded with 2Gb singlemode transceivers.
The advantages of the new set-up can be clearly seen in Le Dernier Panache, mixed on DiGiCo. “The Optocore network allows us to compensate all audio channels (around 96) from the A/D converters to the amplifiers and the processor. So via Optocore converters we have a real matrix, boosted by the processing and mixing power of the DiGiCo consoles.”
As for the sound system generally, each show has its own broadcast soundtrack (eg symphonic music with voices and sound effects). Puy du Fou has been working with L-Acoustics for over 20 years and each show has a particular spatialization (L-ISA for Le Dernier Panache, 12 channels for La Cinéscénie, 7.1 for Le Secret de la Lance show etc). For the BGM and general park distribution (shops, restaurants and hotels) mainly Fohhn speakers are used. In addition to DiGiCo SD10 and SD9T, the Park also deploys a range of Yamaha mixing consoles.
Samuel Briand is more than satisfied with the upgraded signal transport across the Puy du Fou site. “Fiber optics and an Optocore platform were essential to meet the specifications,” he confirmed.
LED profile emulates 80’s aesthetic while handling everyday rigor on popular revival show at New World Stages. The recent Rock of Ages Revival at New World Stages in New York City was a resounding success, just as it was in its 2008 Off-Broadway debut at the same theatre prior to its successful 6-year Broadway run.
The Revival show started last June and after originally being scheduled to close in September was extended for an open-ended run, eventually shutting down when Broadway went dark in March.
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Lighting Designer Jason Lyons is the lighting designer of the musical since that storied 2008 New York debut. “Back then it was a bit of an experiment,” he explain. “We didn’t really know what we had and it exploded from there. It’s one of those rare shows that people can go back to over and over again and still have a really good time. I think that’s part of its success. You find new moments to enjoy every time.”
For the uninitiated, Rock of Ages is a jukebox musical that relate the story of a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip during the glitz and decadence of the ‘80s. When the Bourbon Room is planned to be demolished (the local bar where most of the action takes place), it’s up to wannabe rockers to fight for it. With a score that features some of the biggest classic rock hits of the ‘80s, this hilarious, high-energy 80’s-era satire has grown up into a theatre classic.
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Jason has been using Elation’s Artiste Monet on the revival (supplied by Christie Lites), his first time working with the award-winning LED profile moving head and a significant upgrade from what he was using on earlier incarnations of the show.
Elation Artiste Monet
“I was really excited to use it for Rock of Ages in particular because over all the years of doing this show, from way back in 2008, we have used older fixtures. Back then, we were just trying to get as much as we could for as cheap as we could so it was nice to have a reliable, cutting-edge fixture like the Monet. We really didn’t know what the show was back then, but we did know it needed that 80’s rock feel.”
Jason calls those early runs of the show a maintenance nightmare. “It looked great but the electricians had to do an amazing job to keep it up and running,” he explains. “On every production from Off-Broadway to Broadway to all the international tours, those fixtures would get beaten up and every performance report was full of things to fix. When we came back to revisit it, I wanted to hang on to the aesthetic of the show but I needed it to be maintainable.”
The lighting that he was replacing with the Monets was the workhorse system of the show that was doing the most work. “It was really important for me to find a fixture that not only had the firepower and all the attributes that I needed to make the show work but would also be something that could handle the everyday rigor of doing such an intense show, something long lasting that the crew could easily maintain,” the designer explain.
Photo by Matthew Murphy
After consulting with Elation National Sales Manager John Dunn, which included a demo of the Artiste Monet up against other LED driven fixtures, Jason was pleased with what he saw. “I was blown away by the output actually; it was outrageous, so bright, and the quality of the white that came out of it was really nice.
It was much better than some of the LED driven fixtures I had seen before. Then we added in the SpectraColor mixing system and I got really excited. To have CMY and RGB with color correction over the top of it, it was fun to play with and opened up a whole different level of color mixing and detail that I feel we’ve always lacked a bit with just CMY.”
SpectraColor is Elation’s proprietary color mixing system that combines CMY with RGB flags and variable CTO to produce color combinations that have traditionally been hard for LED luminaires to achieve. “It produces better nuances of color and richer colors,” the LD states. “Having the RGB solid flags give you a much better depth of those particular colors, allowing both the depth of color and the specificity of tints.”
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Twelve overhead Artiste Monet units are arranged in a pseudo diamond configuration that follows the shape of the main set bar and are used throughout as lighting beasts of burden. “We use them for so many different things from carving out certain areas of the stage with the framing shutters, to really powerful open-white backlight and downlight spots, to full stage template washes and effect moments.”
As the show is essentially a rock musical, Jason also used them for air effects moments. “I found myself pulling them back a bit,” he said, “especially in the open white moments, which isn’t something I have ever done with this show before. What was great was being able to then use that to effect as well. To then hit it to full and get that extra punch was a fun feature to play with.” Other lighting fixtures, many of them also from the Elation catalog, join the Artiste Monet™ in the rig. These include SixPar™ color changers doing backlight specials on the band and on scenic doors, as well as sidelight for extra color on set. Jason says he even uses their UV functionality for interesting toning.
Super compact ACL 360i™ single-beam moving effects are peppered overhead with a handful on an upstage handrail under a backing video screen and under the band platform. Lastly, ZW19™ and ZW37™ LED moving head beam/wash effects and Protron 3K™ LED strobes wrap the video screen.
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Lighting vendor for the production is Christie Lites, the leading rental house that Jason has had a relationship with for years. “We solidified our relationship back on that original Rock of Ages show at New World years ago,” he says. “They went above and beyond to make things work back then and they still do.”
Jason ends by harkening back to those maintenance nightmares he had with some of the early Rock of Ages rigs. “Those early rigs were definitely a challenge. I actually didn’t think much about the change we had made for a long time until John Dunn asked me how the Monets were doing on this show. What’s funny is that I hadn’t heard anything. All of those maintenance reports that would normally come my way didn’t exist! The lights have held up just great.”
