Country music star Eric Church played, last spring, his first stadium headlining performance. With 56,521 fans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, he broke Taylor Swift’s previous venue record. Lighting and production designer Butch Allen specified 135 Elation Professional IP65 Proteus Hybrids™ to fill the stadium in beams.
The last date of an extended spring run on the artist’s “Double Down” tour, lighting and production designer Butch Allen specified 135 Elation Professional IP65 Proteus Hybrids™ to fill the stadium in beams and effects. The multi-functional IP65 lights were an addition to a large lighting package that also included some 420 Elation ACL 360i™ moving heads.
“We chose the fixture as it was the last show of the spring leg, outdoors and a completely different show than we normally do,” Allen said of the Proteus. “Because we couldn’t predict what was going to go on weather wise, the search for an appropriately rated fixture to be in the unprotected part of the stadium was a pretty big task. Once we discovered the Proteus though, it solved all our problems.”
Elation Proteus Hybrid
With the help of Robert Roth at Christie Lites, a large number of Proteus fixtures were sourced from a number of different companies. “The Christie team did a great job. Robert Roth found enough fixtures for the stadium” Allen said, adding that he finds it stunning that with so many festivals now on the calendar across the U.S. that Proteus fixtures aren’t absolutely everywhere. “I really didn’t want 135 floor lights wrapped in those big plastic balloon domes so I’m glad we found enough Proteus.”
“Double Down” is the fourth Eric Church tour in which Butch Allen has served as lighting designer. “Choosing to use Proteus was really about being responsible. If the weather turned, I didn’t want my client to absorb a huge claim for damaged gear. We’ve all done a ton of outdoor shows and have had to fill out the insurance paperwork,” Allen commented while reminiscing about a show years ago in Fenway Park where 150 lights went down and were unrepairable after a downpour. “Both myself and Eric’s production team didn’t want to put anybody in that position. There’s no excuse now.”
Taking the stage without an opening act, Church played a characteristically long set: 37 songs across three-and-a-half hours. The setup featured a center runway extending to about the 50-yard line and side runways stretching to about the 30-yard line. The 135 Proteus fixtures lined the hundreds of feet of unprotected runway, everything past the downstage edge where the entertainer spent much of the show. From the beginning to the end of the show, they were used to light the audience, provide big beam looks and light the staging.
Allen explains: “Our biggest challenge was to find enough different angles for audience lighting and enough different moving heads types so it’s not too fatiguing on the crowd. The floor-based angles to light the audience with was really efficient and far from obtrusive. Proteus is a fantastic fixture and they performed flawlessly. If you’re doing a lot of festivals in sheds or spend a lot of time outside doing shows like we do more and more, it’s an arrow to have in the quiver.”
Lighting director Gavin Lake was equally satisfied with this choice: “When selecting a fixture, the Proteus quickly rose to the top of the list. We needed a large format fixture with huge amounts of light output, yet versatile, fast, and safe for outdoor use. The Proteus performed beautifully. Once they were up and running we didn’t have to worry; they did exactly what we needed, rain or shine.” In the end, the Proteus fixtures didn’t get rained on. “I like to think that in some odd way our diligence in finding these fixtures played a small karmic role in the evening’s beautiful weather,” Allen contemplated.
There were of course many other fixtures on the show, including 420 Elation ACL 360i™ single beam compact RGBW beam moving heads – an integral part of Church’s touring package – were housed in ten upstage pods, sometimes stacked to form five rectangles, and added a massive backdrop look to a show that requires a huge number of looks. The “Double Down” tour kicked off again in September with dates scheduled through November.
Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-I) invests in Robert Juliat Lancelot 4000W followspots for its 3 theatres. Formerly known as Ricks College, BYU-I offers programmes in liberal arts, including engineering, sciences, agriculture, management and the performing arts.
Robert Juliat Lancelot’s new home at the versatile BYU-I Center, Idaho.
BYU-I’s theatres host theatrical productions and concerts staged by students and visiting artists. BYU-I Center, the largest of the theatres, seats 15,000; the Hart Auditorium is a three-quarters arena that seats 3,700; and the Snow Drama Theater, the smallest venue, seats 400. The new Lancelot fixtures were acquired from Barbizon Light of the Rockies in Denver as part of the lighting replacement cycle, says Braden Howard, lighting designer with BYU-I’s AV Productions. The university invested last year in Robert Juliat Dalis LED front-edge stage lighting. Peter Maurelli, Systems integrator with Barbizon, had worked with the university when it was Ricks College and provided the original fixture package. Howard replaces the Robert Juliat Cyrano followspots, which reside in the Center: “The Cyranos were great but slightly underpowered for the cameras so we jumped to the higher output of the Lancelots.”
The 4,000W HTI-source Lancelots “ticked all the boxes” for Howard with their high output, super-narrow 2°-5° zoom range and electronic power supply for best on-camera performance, says Maurelli: “The trend we’re seeing is higher overall brightness on stage. So having a fixture than can cut through all the ambient light and direct the focus of the audience is important.” The four new Lancelot followspots are dedicated to the Center.
The Lancelot units arrived at BYU-I only recently, so they have been deployed only on new student orientation in the Center. But opportunities to use the new fixtures will soon multiply, and rounding out the year will be the annual Christmas concert, featuring 300 student musicians and guest artists, including former Metropolitan Opera star Frederica von Stade and the Sonos handbell ensemble.
Full details of Lancelot followspots and the full inventory of Robert Juliat LED and conventional source lighting products are available on the Robert Juliat website
The HDL 50-A 4K is the most powerful HDL line array module from RCF with an internal amplifier pushing 8000 Watt peak power. The good news is that this amplifier module is also available as an upgrade kit for current HDL 50-A owners to turn it into a genuine 4K system.
An « artist » view of the HDL50 showing the 8 transducers
The HDL 50-A 4K is an active 3-way line array module designed for medium and large-sized events, indoors and outdoors. It features a sound pressure level of 143 dB SPL with a built-in Class-D 4000 W RMS four-channel amplifier. Equipped with eight transducers, it offers excellent playback quality ideal for high performing musical applications. The proprietary 90 x 10 degrees 4PATH waveguide, paired with the symmetrical design of the cabinet delivers coherent coverage.
The 4K amplifier module is an essential part of HDL 50-A reengineering effort. Each of the four amplifier modules, 1000 W for the HF, 1000 W for the Midrange section and 1000 W + 1000 W for the 12” LF transducers operates at very low impedance producing a quick and detailed transient response, while the high damping factor improves sound quality and detail. New generation DSP handles all processing inside the cabinet and allows for cluster size adjustments and HF projection.
HDL 50 upgrade kit 4K
HDL 50-A 4K is not backward compatible with the previous line array model. Each HDL 50-A can be upgraded with the retrofit amplifier “HDL 50 UPGRADE KIT 4K” to turn it into a genuine 4K system doubling the power of the HDL 50-A and making transducers work at full performance.
The kit featuring two amp modules specifically made by Pascal Audio for RCF, fixed on an aluminium plate and heatsink.
Furthermore, the power supply section has been upgraded with a tripled current level on fast transients, for a level of detail usually achieved only in high-end studio monitors. The kit includes connection cabling, thermal paste and assembly manual and must be assembled from a qualified service center.
Tellson James use a Hog 4 lighting console from High End to drive lighting fixtures of the Mark Knopfler’s “Down The Road Wherever Tour 2019.” The ten band members collectively play 49 instruments (guitars and whistles, to saxophones and fiddles) thereby suggesting lots of “sound textures” to light.
James is Knopfler’s tour lighting director for the second time. Mark Henderson, Lighting Designer, drew the lighting plots for the 2015 and 2019 tours, while James programmed both. “I’m doing lots of pixel mapping in this show,” James says, “and the Hog 4 is it is so easy to do on a Hog.” The 2019 tour began in April, and is more scaled down for the North American leg, which started Aug. 16. “When working club/theatre tours, where you get different fixtures every day, the Change Type cloning feature (for swapping fixtures) is a lifesaver , and it works very well! I also use Time Code a lot in other shows, especially when triggering video for lip sync. It’s very easy to use with the ‘Learn Time’ feature, whereby you can run cues manually while recording the time code value when you execute the cue. Then it’s possible to quickly modify values manually.” Still elaborating on his favorite features, the lighting director adds, “I also love being able to create color chases from the Effects Engine – a fast and easy way to accomplish color chases.”
Tellson James
James says, “My friend Vince Foster introduced me on how to use Hog 2, and I had a lot of time to experiment with it (before taking it out on tour) during auto shows, trade shows, conferences, when the console would be there,” he says. “And now, I just know it. The ability, in the Hog 4, to grab a fixture and change a parameter without it being overridden by the current state of the desk output was very useful.”
James has also a Full Boar 4 as backup along with four external DMX 8000 Processors – three active, one spare. Under HogNet, Each processor manages eight DMX universes. “We are running 22 Universes. I leave the internal DP of the desk free for patching ‘house’ and ‘festival’ fixtures.” Hawthorn was the supplier for the U.K. and European dates, and Christie Lites is providing the U.S. tour.
Comédie Française’s second theatre just underwent an in-depth overhaul of its scenographic infrastructure, with a completely redesigned sound system implemented by Paris-based Amadeus with its HOLOPHONIX processor.
Amadeus has announced the install of their HOLOPHONIX sound processor along with a variety of Amadeus speakers and subwoofers creating a new re-imagined immersive sound system at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier. Built in the heart of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Parisian district, the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier hosts at least four creations each season involving classical or contemporary texts, presented in a series from September to the beginning of July. In 1993 the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier became the second theatre for the Comédie Française. Originally created in 1913 by Jacques Copeau, this major French cultural institution was founded in 1680 and has been hosted since 1799 in the Palais-Royal’s Salle Richelieu (Paris’ 1st arrondissement). The Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier was created according to a ‘drama renovation’ concept, as opposed to the commercial activity of the ‘Grand Boulevard’ theatres on Right Bank of the Seine.
The theater seen from the stage, the easiest way to spot the hidden Amadeus speakers !
In recent months, the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier underwent an in-depth renovation of its stage infrastructure – mainly flies, scenic networks, etc. The electro-acoustical system was also completely redesigned too, in close collaboration with the theater’s technical manager Philippe Lagrue, along with Dominique Bataille, a multidisciplinary creator, sound engineer, and composer, who has worked over the few last years at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier.
Dominique Bataille worked in the Grande Halle de la Villette during the 1990s then collaborated with Patrice Chéreau and Jean-Pierre Vincent in the Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers. Starting in 2009 he began to compose music for the Comédie-Française, and he works in parallel with composers Pascal Dusapin, James Dillon, Wolfgang Mitterer, and Oscar Bianchi. The electro-acoustical system designed by Amadeus and Dominique Bataille is now built around a HOLOPHONIX spatial sound processor, developed by Amadeus, in collaboration with the STMS (Sciences et Technologies de la Musique et du Son), a laboratory founded in 1995 and hosted in the IRCAM premises, association of CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Ministère de la Culture and Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique.
Dominique Bataille was one of the first users, operators, and beta-testers of the HOLOPHONIX processor. He was deeply involved in the development, mainly to define the main features that were essential to theatrical creation, and their ergonomics. The main sound system is designed according to a semi-spherical concept to get the best envelopment for spectators and adapted to the geometrical shape of the hall-a parallelepiped-and the technical and aesthetic constraints imposed by the hall. The system comprises 23 speakers made by Amadeus plus the HOLOPHONIX spatial sound processor.
Look closely the wooden frame of the arches, you’ll see the PMX 8 MKII.
Ten Amadeus PMX 8 MKII speakers – five on each side along the whole theater floors’ depth – were seamlessly integrated into lateral ‘arches’ of the wooden frame evoking a boat’s overturned hull. They are supplemented by eight Amadeus PMX 5 MKIV speakers that are integrated into the upper ‘arches’ in zenithal position.
The L/C/R front system is made of three new triaxial Amadeus C15 speakers, co-developed with the Théâtre National de Chaillot. The sub-bass reinforcement system is built around two slim ABB 15 speakers, which were initially developed for the Théâtre des Abbesses (hence the ABB acronym).
“Around twenty Amadeus MPB 200 B speakers – in place since the previous redesign in 1993 – are sometimes used as a punctual sound source, onstage, in the flies or under the stage, according to projects and creations, enabling spatial illusions we love to imagine and to offer to the theatre audience. The speakers are actually declared as bus ‘virtual outputs’ and processed by the HOLOPHONIX processor using various spatialization techniques,” Dominique Bataille explains.
The way Holophonix shows the venue, the speakers and, of course, the objects.
The HOLOPHONIX processor allows sound designers to mix, reverberate, and spatialize sound elements output from various devices using different spatialization techniques, and to combine these techniques (or algorithms) in real time. The processor can handle a nearly limitless number of busses (or ‘spatializers’), each one running an embedded spatialization algorithm, including Higher-Order Ambisonics (2D, 3D), Vector-Base Intensity Panning (2D, 3D), Vector-Base Amplitude Panning (2D, 3D), Wave Field Synthesis, Angular 2D, k-Nearest Neighbor, Stereo Panning, Stereo AB, Stereo XY, Native A-Format Ambisonics, Native-B Format Ambisonics, and Binaural.
A vertical vue of the venue including on the right the stage. The colored dots are the objects.
“Over three years ago, Christian Hecq and Valérie Lesort had taken up the challenge to create Vingt Mille Lieues Sous les Mers (“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea”), an ‘all-audience’ spectacle involving actors and puppets. This show was nominated four times at the 26th Molières Award ceremony, and won a Molière Award for ‘Best Visual Creation’. After a French tour last year, the show came back on the stage it was premiered on, the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, from November 7th, 2018 to January 6th, 2019,” adds Bataille, the composer of the almost 90-minute long sound creation underlining the theater spectacle.
“As the show returned to the Vieux-Colombier in 2018, we were able to re-work the original sound creation – originally completed with traditional techniques – adding elements and magnifying it with new ‘object-oriented’ mixing and spatialization tools now available in the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier. The various poly-algorithmic spatialization techniques available in the HOLOPHONIX processor open an almost limitless creative field. We could thus make our own Ambisonic recordings and present them through HOLOPHONIX without any decoding, move several hundred sound elements in 2D or 3D, create an intriguing or oppressive sound space, a genuine trip to the deepest abyss, thanks to the included reverb settings,” concludes Bataille.
List of the Amadeus speakers installed in the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier
Amadeus C15 (1 x 15’’ LF ; 1 x 3.5’’ MF, 1 x 1.75” HF) : 3 units Amadeus ABB 15 (1 x 15’’ LF) : 2 units Amadeus PMX 8 MKII (1 x 8’’ LF ; 1 x 1.7’’ HF) : 10 units Amadeus PMX 5 MKIV : 8 units
List of Powersoft amplifiers installed in the du Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier
Powersoft Duecanali 1604 DSP+DANTE : 3 units Powersoft Quattrocanali 4804 DSP+DANTE : 1 units Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+DANTE : 5 units
After 10-year hiatus the Jonas Brothers have embarked on a new world tour: 74 dates in North America and 16 in Europe, in support of their fifth studio album. Accompanying the Happiness Begins tour are some 200 LED profile fixtures Ayrton Khamsin.
Burbank’s silentHOUSE is providing the tour production and lighting design for the show, which features a curved LED videowall at the back of the stage, an LED floor and a talent walkway to VIP seating. The Jonas Brothers will wrap the tour in Paris next February. They have sold some 17 million albums worldwide.
“Show’s lighting design works and video production work toether,” says Baz Halpin (silentHOUSE CEO and producer). “The truss configurations frame the main statement of the LED screens, and there are no trusses downstage of the LED floor. We decided to light all the performers from the side. So that the LED stage sitting at center stage dominates the visuals with no elements taking away from the show.”
The Khamsin profiles are positioned “in the pit and upstage/offstage of the set to give silhouette opportunities, frame the set and expand the whole vision beyond its physical structure,” says Alex Reardon (lighting designer and silentHOUSE partner) “The majority of the Khamsin fixtures are mounted on the ground and utilised throughout the show, and the turnout has been wonderful.”
The tour marks the first time that Reardon has used Ayrton Khamsin, and he’s been very satisfied with their performance. “I was seriously impressed with the results, he says. The fixture has a bright, uniform field, great colour and significant effects from the individual macro-control of the LED engine. I am looking forward to working with Khamsins again. I’m watching to see what Ayrton comes up with over the next few years as the progress in LED [lighting] has been so meteoric.”
On the ETC booth, the new High End TurboRay and SolaWash 1000 High End took advantage of the London season launch to step on the launch pad, while the ETC “Augment3d” concept won a PLASA Awards for Innovation rewarding its version 3.0 release.
ETC EOS V3.0
The “Augment3d” solution allows to visualize and control natively in 3D the positions of its projectors. In addition to the encoders on its console, or a mouse for the 3D representation, the user can now use the Focus Wand application from a tablet or smartphone. This last method makes it possible to use these peripherals as a position pointer directly on stage, for an incredible gain of time.
The EOS platform dates back to 2006, powered by the legendary Anne Valentino, behind some of the biggest consoles: the Vari-Lite Virtuoso or the ETC Obsession. His previous collaborations with Kliegl, Strand, Colortran and PRG allowed her to inject a real Live soul in consoles dedicated to theaters.
The modular design of the Eos system, ready to accommodate all future functions, has stabilized with version 2.9. Unique color programming functions integrate all multi-component mixing systems, with absolute precision to color transitions through the ‘Color Path’. The ‘Query’ touch button also deserves to be mentioned, as the possibility of searching for information within a show proves to be simple and exhaustive at the same time.
After this necessary search for compatibility and optimization, the field was open for version 3, whose “Augment3d” 3D concept on all its platforms announces an incredible change in programming habits. Imports from multiple softwares, automatic calibration with 4 measurement points, ‘target mode’ taking into account the 3D elements of the integrated visualizer, 3D ‘blind’ viewing, free navigation in the virtual space, point of view per projector … are just a few advance moves made by ETC. Competition has never been so beneficial to operators today! A nice summary of these can be found on the following link here.
High End TurboRay
Already launched at the Prolight + Sound exhibition in April, the TurboRay takes advantage of the London season opening to step on the launch pad. Unique projector by the association of its retro look fins and its LED heart fed with the latest technologies, the TurboRay overlooks the stage lighting kits by its unique visual effects. Its incredible lens, as large as a glass and silver airplane jet reactor, was originally requested by American TV studios to catch the eye in the camera axis. Apart from the effects’ wink, reinforced by the multiple reflections of its iris, the Turbo Ray is a real effects projector with tasty color blends.
The individual control of each LED, reinforced by the iridescence of the glass splats, allows to separate the colors inside the TurboRay optics.
Emphasis has been put on these famous frosted layered slats, able to rotate instantly in the optical axis to spread the beam or cause specific iridescence. Thus, from 4 RGBW Osram 60 W LED COBs, able to produce a simultaneous beam of 4 colors on a narrow axis at 3°, High End built a wide 180 mm optics equipped with 16 glossy frosted triangular ‘flakes’. These thin blades, depending on their orientation, can diffuse the luminous flux or create radial gaps to concentrate the colors.
The projection cone then widens from 8° to 24°, keeping enough punch to the 6,000 lumens beam. Apart from the RGB + W additive color mixing, the TurboRay uses a variable color temperature corrector from 2,800K to 8,000K. It also takes advantage of a wheel of dichroic colors arranged in quadrant to multiply the half and fourth tones, as well as a wheel of additional graphic animations.
Carved like a futuristic rocket launcher, High End’s latest addition is a stocky 23 kg projector, not necessarily swift or super-bright, but whose look, coming along its color generation, will certainly reach its target… Associated with a compressed list price ca. 5,000 €, with a whole range of control protocols (DMX, ArtNet, sACN) and sophisticated control modes from 25 to 43 channels, the TurboRay is already available from production.
This very comprehensive video presents in full details the TurboRay, thanks to the smiling introduction from Konstantino Vonofakidis, Field Project Coordinator.
High End SolaWash 1000
On Plasa’s ETC booth was the official launch of the SolaWash 1000. With 480 W of white LEDs identical to those insides SolaFrame 1000, this Washlight with framing system is available in two LED engines, Ultra-Bright and High CRI. The Ultra-Bright gives priority to power, with a solid 20,000 lumens, an excellent output of 42 lumens per Watt and a cold enough temperature color of 7,000K. The color rendering is slightly below its High CRI mate, with a CRI of 70 and a TLCI of 50. Less beefy but much more precise, the High CRI version generates a warmer beam at 6,000K and, with 34 lumens per Watt, 16,000 lumens of luminous flux. On the other hand, its colorimetry reaches the sky with a CRI of 90 and a TLCI of 86.
The SolaWash1000 launch occurred on a very busy ETC stand
Equipped with a clear lens like the other SolaWash units, the small 1000 model is able to project a sharp cone of 12° to 55°, and then can soften its edges or completely blur its beam thanks to its two progressive double flag Frosts, a Medium and a Heavy Frost.
The result is close to the power of an HMI 1200 coupled with the softness of a Fresnel lens. The intensity curve maintains the 16-bit gradation of the SolaFrame 1000, to which the SolaWash owes a lot. It also keeps its animation macros on its LED module, as well as the Lens Defogger system to clear the mist out of its lens.
But above all it continues to offer a high-end color generation with this famous subtractive color mixing, whose color progressivity remains absolutely linear, thanks to a specific transition algorithm, an optimization of the CMY curves which is now updated on the SolaFrame 3000. This management is completed by a progressive CTO and a saturated color wheel including a TM-30 filter to boost the CRI.
No dispensable effects for this Washlight, but the presence of an iris with 16 blades and animation macros on the LED module makes it possible to kinda think outside the box. As the name suggests, a framing module can shape the beam. Each blade can cut completely through, with an individual rotation of 45° and the whole framing module rotates on 90° by itself. With its aluminum mass, natural convection dissipation minimizes ventilation noise. The machine offers 4 levels of operation, Standard, Studio, Continuous and Studio Continuous, enough to avoid a significant derating while remaining relatively silent.
Equipped with standard DMX in & out connectors, USB, and two-port RJ45 Mini-switch, the SolaWash1000 can be seen at your local ETC distributor.
As one of Japan’s host venues for the Rugby World Cup, the Toyota Stadium in Toyota City is gaining a very high international profile for its newly-installed NEXO GEO S12-ST line array sound system.
The Toyota Stadium.
With its capacity of approximately 44,400, the Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture is one of the largest football stadiums in Japan, and is also used for rugby. A major upgrade of its sound system was undertaken in preparation for the 2019 World Cup, equipping it with a world-class installation of NEXO loudspeakers and amplifiers, and Yamaha electronics. M&H Laboratory Co, Ltd. undertook design and sound consulting for the project, working closely with Yamaha Sound Systems (YSS) and the NEXO Engineering Support team.
A 5 GEO S12-ST cluster perfectly integrated in the rooftop.
The loudspeakers in the new system, primarily featuring NEXO’s high-spec GEO S12-ST line array modules, are discreetly installed amongst the steel beams of the stadium structure, ensuring ultra-low visibility. They are used for music at half-time, for the stadium DJ, for venue announcements and to play sound to accompany the big video screens. It is also used to amplify the pitchside interviews, so speech clarity was an absolute priority for the designers, as well as high SPL to provide the volume needed to handle loud cheering and applause.
The President of M&H Laboratory Co. Ltd, Yoshiteru Mimura.
The President of M&H Laboratory Co. Ltd, Yoshiteru Mimura, explains that, “this is an environment with a large amount of reverberation and echo. That makes it difficult to ensure clarity with even volume and sound quality. Before the upgrade, we took measurements in listening tests, and there were several areas in the stands where it was difficult to hear the sound. To solve this, we not only replaced the existing speakers, but also increased the actual number of speakers, thoroughly adjusted the sound quality and corrected the distance. The main goal was to improve sound clarity.”
President Mimura was impressed by the track record of NEXO cabinets in the Stade de France in Paris; installed in 2011, this continues to be an influential reference for the durability and reliability of the GEO S12-ST loudspeaker, which was specially developed by NEXO to stadium specifications, using a higher-range diaphragm producing 3dB more efficiency than the standard GEO S12, widely used in concert sound applications.
The main 11 GEO S12-ST cluster headed to the pitch.
In the Toyota Stadium, the system is fixed over a large number of locations, starting with an 11-module main array facing the pitch. For the main stand and the back stand, there are identical arrays of 6 modules, all positioned near the edges of the large roof. Smaller 3-module arrays are directed at the front row of seats, with additional sets of arrays behind the seats, for auxiliary use. All of these positions use GEO S12-ST, which can be found in the south and north side stands. NEXO’s PS15-R2 and PS10-R2 cabinets are used in numerous locations as point sources. For auxiliary use, another 48x PS10-R2 speakers, positioned on the balcony edge around the perimeter, can be activated.
Masahiro Hori, sound operator for the Toyota Stadium (left) and The President of M&H Laboratory Co. Ltd, Yoshiteru Mimura (right) in the stadium control room.
HOR Masahiro Hori, sound operator for the Toyota Stadium, says that he “can clearly feel the difference between the previous speakers and the NEXO speakers. It feels like the NEXO speakers are never strained for sound. We also thoroughly corrected the level and time alignment, but the sound has much greater clarity than before. I also think a big improvement point is how we reduced the echo through appropriate adjustments.”
One of the amp rooms fed by a Dante fiber network and full of NXAMP4x2Mk2 Nexo…but one !
With NEXO’s new NXAM P4x2 Mk2 Series amplifiers spread out amongst different amp rooms in the four corners of the stadium, there is significant distance between ops room and amp rooms. The Dante network has been converted to optical fibre for transmission. All the NEXO equipment, line array and point source loudspeakers, have been supplied by Yamaha Sound Systems, which has also delivered a Yamaha CL5 digital console as the main mixer in the Toyota Stadium operation room.
The technical room featuring a brand new CL5 and a wonderful view of the pitch.
President Mimura confims that “the NEXO speakers have higher efficiency than the previous ones, so we can output louder sound than before. Something that is important in this kind of facility is durability. Speakers in this kind of facility often break due to exposure to wind and rain. With the new NEXO system, we are able to achieve theatre-class high sound quality even in severe conditions.”
Under the banner of the Philips Lighting behemoth, which has become the ‘Signify’ group for all lighting brands, Vari-Lite continues to rebuild its legend. After two acclaimed flagships, the VL10 and the VL6000 (122 of the latter light up the incredible Rammstein tour), Vari-Lite now launches the VL800 series for much smaller budgets.
Au Plasa, les nouveaux projecteurs de la gamme VL800 ornent les montants du discret stand Vari-Lite, laissant aux VL10, VL6000 et projecteurs Strand les places d’honneur.
VL800
Three new projectors were unveiled at Plasa 2019. Based on event-driven solutions with recognized LED sources, the VL800 is aimed at a wider audience. In contrast to their illustrious elders, they claim a simpler operation with a standard appearance. The VL800 ProPAR is a RGBW LED PAR, the VL800 EventWash a small compact LED moving head, and the VL800 EventPAR an interesting “retro style” LED PAR coming in RGBW or warm white. Built to work together, these three fixtures share their color mixing, presets gel references and their DMX chart for better ease of use.
VL800 ProPAR
Le VL800 ProPAR est le premier PAR Led fabriqué par Vari-Lite
With its 6° to 40° motorized zoom and seven 30 Watt Osram RGBW LEDs, the LED PAR “made in Vari-Lite” is not so much about originality as it is about maximum efficiency. The light quality exceeds a CRI of 90, with 3,500 lumens output and a native white at 7,300K. This light rendering is reinforced by the many colorimetric control channels, such as a multi-step CTO of 2,700K to 10,000K and 44 color presets. To help its use in a studious environment, the ventilation has a choice of 3 different modes: Standard, Studio and Whisper, the latter is the quietest.
The DMX512 connection is in simple 5-pin XLR, with two DMX modes in 8-bit and 16-bit, on 10 or 15 channels. The dimmer curves can be modified in the menu to get closer to a traditional lamp source. It is reasonable to think that time will bring an update to control each LED individually, as the practice of pixel matrixing is nowadays quite fashionable. The ProPAR, rated IP20, weighs 6 kg, with a 260 W consumption, and has a flicker frequency setting to accommodate different camera speeds. As standard, the ProPAR has a double yoke with Omega base and a filter holder which can accommodate optional barndoors.
Sans doute le plus petit asservi développé par Vari-Lite, le VL800 EventWash se destine aux prestataires d’événementiels ou en complément de parc de tournée.
VL800 EventWash
The EventWash is an Wash LED moving head made from the ProPAR body comprising 7 RGBW 30 Watts Osram LEDs with 6 ° to 40 ° zoom, to which Vari-Lite added a compact motorized yoke in Pan and Tilt, as well as individual control for each LED.
Like ProPAR, the EventWash delivers 3,500 lumens of luminous flux at 7,300K and an CRI of over 90. All the controls, ventilation options, color mixing specs and connections are strictly the same, with the exception of the DMX chart which comes in 4 modes, 8 or 16 bits, 1 or 7 lighting sectors, from 17 to 79 channels. With its small size, weight of 6 kg and vivid and precise movements, the VL800 EventWash is a perfect close range Wash moving head.
VL800 EventPAR
Une barre de PAR signée Vari-Lite,
Rather original, the EventPAR takes the look and feel of the famous PAR64, rounded base, double yoke and gel holder included, replacing its original lamp by a color or warm white LED module.
Equipped with a manual zoom of 10° to 30° unusually positioned in the front part, the EventPAR is available in RGBA or Warm White version. If the first model delivers 3,200 lumens with its 300 W of LEDs, the second type neatly emulates the golden beam of the PAR filament with a flux between 8,300 and 10,250 lumens at 3000K and a CRI greater than 97.
The color model has almost the same characteristics as the ProPAR, with DMX management from 5 to 15 channels, a color temperature range from 2,700K to 10,000K and 44 color presets. The warm white model is more easily controlled from 1 to 5 DMX channels. Both EventPAR are waterproof, IP24, splashproof, have different ventilation modes and weigh 6.5 kg for a size very similar to that of a standard PAR64.
To discover this Vari-Lite PAR in video, let Philip Heselton, Signify product manager, guide you.
Here are the list prices for these fixtures : VL800 ProPAR : 1,668 € excl. VAT VL800 EventPAR RGBA ou WW : 1,308 € excl. VAT VL800 EventWash : 2,388 € excl. VAT
Ayrton’s first Ayrton Hybrid Beam to come out in the marathon of Ayrton Multi Twenty-One product launches, Karif comprises a 300W LED engine and an impressive 3° to 42° optical system.
Karif, a concentrate of effects
Introduced in sneak preview mode at London’s Plasa, Karif-LT is the first Ayrton hybrid Beam to be released in the Multi Twenty-One Ayrton project, an extraordinary marathon of product launches. Very close to the small spot / profile Diablo, at least for its external look, Karif comprises a 300 W LED engine and an impressive optical system of 3° to 42°, generating a beam of 13,000 lumens at 7,500K. Dedicated to graphic effects, Karif surprises with its 9 rotating gobos and its incredible concentric wheel of 39 fixed gobos. Two frosts, two prisms, an animation wheel, a CMY color mixing system plus 13 fixed colors and a flickering effect of the LED module complement each other perfectly inside this 24 kg fixture.
Highly enthusiastic, Chris Ferrante, CEO of Ayrton, introduces us to Karif-LT direct from London’s Plasa.
Green Hippo, creator of tools for the real-time manipulation of video for the AV industries, has announced the upgraded of the Finnish National Opera & Ballet (FNOB) stock of Green Hippo media server with the company’s latest Hippotizer V4 systems. The exclusive Finnish distributor of the brand, Msonic Oy, supplied seven Hippotizer Karst+ DVI, two Hippotizer Boreal+ DP and six Hippotizer Montane+ RTX servers – all with dual SDI input cards.
Johan West, video product manager at Msonic has specified the new servers. He is a long-standing Hippotizer user and is working closely with the FNOB since their first Green Hippo systems back in 2008. Since then, he has been responsible for training the opera house crew, as well as advising on the use of Hippotizer on many productions. He also provides all Green Hippo training and support for the FNOB team.
“A series of new pieces are premiering and the designer wanted to use Notch and live camera feeds mixed together with content, in realtime,” West explains. “This gave us some things to think about: camera feed latency, latency of LED/video projector processing/signal distribution. Everything specified had to meet some rules: latency had to be kept as low as possible, it had to be flexible and it needed to work with existing signal distribution formats.” He adds, “Hippotizer’s 3D toolkit, SHAPE, also plays a big role here. The opera house uses moving projection surfaces that are mapped using SHAPE. Also, some of the automation is pinned using automation objects in SHAPE.”
The servers have been specified to manage content seamlessly on the FNOB’s projection screens, as well as its newly-purchased ROE Visual CB3 LED wall. The main auditorium’s three Barco HDQ-2K40 projectors and Barco UDX 22 laser projector are run from one Boreal+ DP and one Karst+, each with a backup system, located in the control room rack.
Three Montane+ RTX servers are dedicated to the new LED wall, which is set to be used on the forthcoming productions, while another Karst is used for pixel mapping various fixtures via Art-Net. Again, all are fully backed up. Another Karst – again with backup – is used in Almin Hall, the opera house’s 500-capacity ‘black box’ auditorium, and yet another is based in the opera house’s 3D studio, where shows are programmed and tested.
Video programmer Heikki Riihijärvi, responsible for Hippotizer operations at FNOB, comments, “Because we are a repertory house, with one show rehearsing in the morning and another performing in the evening, we need a great deal of flexibility from our systems, and that has greatly improved with this Hippotizer upgrade. Also, as we are preparing to run 4k throughout the venue, the new servers give us the possibility to meet those expectations in the future.” He adds, “Everything has worked great so far and we haven’t reached the limits of the Montane+ RTX servers yet, so lots of future-proof there. And the support from Msonic has been great. Johan’s know-how and tireless response to calls and emails has been priceless!”
Allen & Heath has revealed its new 96kHz digital mixer, Avantis based on the XCVI FPGA engine. Avantis puts A&H’s technology in a 64 channel & 42 configurable bus console, with twin Full HD touchscreens, extensive I/O options and processing from the dLive mixing system.
Le châssis en métal intégrant les poignées
“Joining dLive and SQ, Avantis completes our trilogy of next-gen 96kHz consoles,” says Rob Clark, Allen & Heath’s Managing Director. “Avantis takes many of the features that have made SQ and dLive so popular, putting them in a standalone 64-channel mixer that offers a new UI experience, connectivity with our Everything I/O ecosystem, and the dPack option which gives you access to our advanced dLive processing options if and when you need them. “On top of that,” adds Rob, “we’ve taken a new approach with the industrial design, coming up with a full metal chassis that’s super-strong, lightweight and looks fantastic.”
Les écrans HD et le très grand nombre de paramètres affichés !
Encased in its alloy shell and tubular frame, the Avantis control surface is centered on the two Full HD touchscreens and their corresponding rotary controls. “Having two touchscreens isn’t a new concept, but we realised we could use it to unlock exciting new possibilities, which led us to develop Continuity UI,” says Andy Bell, Allen & Heath’s R&D Director.
“Within seconds of getting hands-on with Avantis, engineers are going to appreciate the seamless flow between the physical controls and the on-screen software. You can work gains and pans on the rotaries, then at the touch of a soft key switch to EQ or dynamics across the whole strip. The console also provides a highly configurable FastGrab tab on the right-hand side of each screen, offering another way to quickly and easily access control of aux sends, EQ, compressor and FX on the currently selected channel or spot channel.
The Avantis FX…let the fun begin !
“Ultimately, with Continuity UI, the engineer decides how they’d like to work, not the mixer.” While many users will choose to pair Avantis with the 48 in / 16 out GX4816 audio expander, Avantis is part of Allen & Heath’s.
Everything I/O ecosystem, which means whether you’re an owner/operator looking to build a compact system, or a rental company with existing Allen & Heath stock, Avantis allows true flexibility by connecting to a huge range of audio expander hardware. Avantis is also compatible with Allen & Heath’s range of ME Personal Mixers and IP hardware remote controllers.
Avantis connections panorama. Two optional cards are present, the superMADI and the Waves V3
For local I/O, Avantis is well equipped with 12 XLR analogue inputs, 12 XLR analogue outputs, plus AES (Stereo In, 2x Stereo Out). Two additional I/O Ports allow Avantis to benefit from the full range of current dLive option cards, including Dante (64×64 and 128×128), Waves, gigaACE, MADI and more, expanding the scope for system integration, FoH / monitor splits and multitrack recording.
Right out of the box, Avantis is loaded with processing tools designed to meet the demands of most users and applications, including compressors, EQs and Allen & Heath’s acclaimed RackExtra FX units (12 slots).
Deep compressors.
Upgrading to dPack expands Avantis further with additional dLive processing including the Dyn8 dynamics engine (up to 16 instances), DEEP Compressors, and the Dual-Stage Valve preamp. dPack purchasers will automatically receive all future DEEP and FX updates free of charge, future-proofing their investment.
Un combo puissant et abordable, Avantis et les stage GX4816
“In the gap between SQ and dLive, the mixer market is littered with 48kHz DSP-based ‘old-school’ consoles,” says Nic Beretta, Allen & Heath’s Head of Product. “Avantis brings next-generation performance across the board. Customers in venues, houses of worship, touring and the rental market are going to be seriously impressed by how well this ticks the boxes. It’s a really exciting mixer at a compelling price.”
This fixture is reminiscent of the High End Studio Color 575, one of the greatest successes and standards in show and television lighting from the 1990s to the present day. The Alchemy 5 is sort of a tribute to this fixture, the light qualities of which are still and forever recognizable.
As such, it offers everything that a lighting designer expects from a soft-edged wash beam, so smooth thanks to its Fresnel lens and its famous rotating “banana” beam shaper but, most of all, with the new possibilities that come from an LED source. We tested it in studio at French rental company Impact Evénement.
Lets check it out!
[private]
Physically, this unit is indisputably familiar to us in terms of its proportions, but in a very modern and revamped design. The large Fresnel lens opens wide at the front of the small round-edged squarish head, which is mounted on a rotating yoke on a fairly flat base. This fixture looks really good.
It is equipped with a six-color LED engine – red, green, blue, lime, amber, and cyan – with a total power of 450 W. This combination promises sumptuous colors, very deep and balanced hues, as well as flexibility of the whites. In terms of effects, Alchemy 5 boasts infinite colors, a zoom to widen and narrow the beam, two frosts, and the (famous!) rotating “banana” beam shaper. Now we’ve finished the tour.
The magnificent soft-edged beam of the Alchemy 5
Let’s see how the unit is designed
The fixture, opened up.
The head
The head of the Alchemy 5 can be disassembled by removing the two halves of the cowling, which are held in place by three 1/4-turn, flat-headed screws. The fit is precise and reassembly is easy. The inside is simple. At the rear is the source, i.e. the board with the LEDs, mounted on the heat pipe heat sinks, which are cooled by four large fans.
At the output end, we find a wheel that holds two frosts and two dichroic filters, and then comes the beam shaper, which is driven and indexed by a pulley. The zoom involves the displacement of the majestic Fresnel lens, mounted on a carriage driven by a four-screw system. Interestingly, when the fixture is turned off, the zoom automatically retracts and shifts slightly sideways, completely locked for transport.
: A view from the rear, with the fans.
And here are the heat sink vanes of the heat pipes, exposed once the fans are removed.
Just one thing: despite the recommendations in the manual to clean the filters and optical elements regularly, the construction of the head is not really well conceived to facilitate maintenance operations. All disassembly requires the use of torx screwdrivers of different sizes, without really providing for easy cleaning or replacement of the parts. So yes, in theory there is little reason to intervene, except that it is indeed necessary to clean up from time to time. This process will take time and attention to detail.
In its brawny little arms…
The yoke arms are protected by two lateral covers and two covers that surround the bottom of the yoke. The lateral covers can be removed by means of three torx screws. This reveals the tilt belt on one side – the motor is located in the base – and the electronics and pan motor on the other side. This is a good thing: the tilt belt can be easily changed. The yoke can be locked in pan and tilt by means of two buttons.
The base is equipped with two handles that are nicely integrated into the design of the unit.
The omega brackets and their offset possibilities.
The bottom of the fixture.
The bottom of the base incorporates the fixing points of the omega brackets for hanging the unit. These brackets, supplied as standard, will be appreciated by the “Lampies”. Three different positions per omega bracket allow for different clamp spacings, which is almost essential in most cases, especially when a fixture must be attached to a specific location and the crosspieces or other truss junctions require the luminaires to be moved. The underside of the base also has a fixing point for the safety cable.
The connector panel.
The panel has True1 connectors for power supply input and throughput (the unit draws about 450 W, so you can connect about five or even six units on a 16 A line), an RJ45 connector for network connection, and duplicated inputs and outputs for the DMX signal on XLR3 and XLR5 connectors.
the menu
The display and its four small keys for accessing the menu.
All the standard functions can be configured from the menu, starting with the DMX address, the mode (there are mainly three of them nowadays), the ArtNet/sACN configurations, the LED driver frequency setting (variable from 600 to 5000 Hz), the emulation of the inertia of a tungsten lamp, the management of specific color transitions, etc. Alchemy 5 is not short of resources!
Functions, light, colors, and beam…
The zoom.
Alchemy 5 delivers everything interesting that LED technology can offer, such as the ease of color management across the entire spectrum, the stability of the colors and the elimination of a large number of mechanical systems, around a very specific need: projecting the wash beam with a soft edge that amazed us all in 1994… and it does it very well.
At its tightest, the beam opens at an angle of about 10°. No, it’s not a pencil of 4° or 5°, it’s a real wash for lighting designers. Its 10 degrees suit it perfectly. As this beam is tightened, the front lens moves forward and carries with it a top-hat style snoot, which prevents certain spurious light. There is still a little bit of it, unfortunately, but nothing dramatic. This slight phenomenon disappears completely when the beam is opened up.
Wide zoom and tight zoom…
…the snoot moves forward with the lens.
The maximum aperture of the zoom is 45°. You can still achieve a little wider opening and softness with two frosts, one light and one heavier. This means that it should be possible to reach the 47° declared by the manufacturer with no problems. And finally, let’s not forget the famous beam shaper, indexable and rotating, which allows us to shape our beam into a “banana” and to orient it at will. It can even be rotated quite quickly, constituting almost a dynamic effect on its own. Sheer delight.
The beam is magnificent but it shows a slight (very slight) hole at its center, which is perceptible from a certain distance (say about 5 meters) by a particularly trained eye. This phenomenon is more visible on some color mixtures than on others. Sometimes it even seems that the flux does not follow exactly the same direction depending on the colors, though this is not the case in reality. We noticed it, but to tell you the truth, it doesn’t take much away from the qualities of this fantastic fixture, which you can see in this video.
Photometric measurements
The derating curve.
We start with the derating process: with all LEDs at full power, we measure the illuminance in the center every five minutes to draw the curve. With an attenuation of no more than 1.93% after five minutes of heating, we can consider the derating to be negligible.
Tight beam
At the tightest zoom angle, with all diodes at full power, we measure an angle of 10.63°, a center illuminance of 9,034 lux (8,860 lx after derating) and a flux of 8,900 lumens (8,730 lm after derating).
Wide beam with all LEDs at full power
At the widest zoom, corresponding to an angle of 45.8°, with all diodes at full power we obtain a flux of 9900 lumens (9700 lm after derating). The intensity curve is smooth with a small dip in the center.
Wide beam in white calibrated at 5100 K
As we take a look at the calibrated whites, we get the impression of more power, which is confirmed by the illuminance reading at the center. To be sure, we start again for a series of measurements taken every 10 cm on our target. Confirming our impression, the flux rises to 11,000 lumens (10,770 lm after derating) and the color rendering index is excellent: RA of 97. Here, the luminous intensity curve has lost its small dip in the center.
The color. Managing six primary hues
In extended mode, we have access to various systems that allow us to choose our colors. First of all, we can directly manage the six primary LED hues of the fixture: red, green, blue, amber, lime, and cyan. The “lime”, for those who don’t know it, is a kind of very tart citrus green. As for what DTS calls “cyan”, one could say that it looks like a 116, a fairly dense greenish-blue, a kind of “teal”.
Some colors obtained while checking the six primary RGBALC LEDs.
The combination of all these tones makes it possible to work in a balanced way. But it’s not that simple, other parameters are involved… First of all, you will have to choose at which color temperature you want to obtain your hues. A channel from 0 to 100% allows you to vary your “reference white” from 1,900 K to 10,000 K in a linear and progressive fashion.
Some of the different tones of white that can be obtained.
The variable white, from 1800 K to 10000 K. Linear and superb.
Then, you can apply a level of green (in background… kind of like you could choose the greenish aspect of a slightly tired MSR lamp, up to that of a new one and even further), allowing you to go all the way to a “minus green”, variable at will. Two additional colors, this time based on dichroic filters, are available on the wheel, which also includes the frosts. These are a Deep Blue and a Deep Red placed in the spectrum at the boundaries of visible light.
In general and in detail, the colors obtained are absolutely superb – especially the reds and amber that have never been seen with such substance on a beam of this type before! As for the whites, you can make ALL of them, and in all their little nuances, and with all these technical subtleties that can’t even be seen by the eye, but the result on the camera will probably make a difference.
Extrapolated CMY.
Another color method: the gelatin library
Alchemy 5 offers access to a bank of about 200 LEE gelatin references (on two channels in extended mode, approximately 100 per channel, only one of the two pages in standard mode), which can be called up directly by a simple DMX value. A good library is essential, or we print the library listing and enter the values!
We played for a while with these color banks. They are visibly very close to reality. Reality is very subjective, however: a gelatin will give a completely different light depending on the source, the condition of the lamp, (the condition of the gel itself!), the dimming of the lamp in question… in short, a LEE gel number, is not an absolute! But with Alchemy 5, you can undoubtedly reproduce what you want.
One channel also allows you to control the transition fade between hues, and another allows you to control the fade in the gelatin mode and also the fade between a gelatin and a color obtained from the mixing of the six primary colors. It’s more than complete. Probably too much, even… but here it is.
Operation and DMX channels…
Five modes are available to control our Alchemy 5.
The “CCT” mode, with 20 channels, provides access to all the functions of the unit, but only the colors of the LEE gelatin libraries can be selected.
The 13-channel “Expo” mode is a quite similar, but simplified, mode.
The 28 channels of the “Advanced” mode provide free access to everything. This mode allows you to control the color-mixing of the six primary colors with the various color options available: a complete, but very complex, mode. It can be easier if you use a very advanced console that can do the job for you (provided you have an extensive library), otherwise it can quickly become a puzzle.
The “basic” mode uses the same operating model as the “Advanced” mode, but with some functions omitted.
a fifth mode, called “CMY Emulation”, which was recently introduced, allows you to manage the machine as if you had a basic CMY fixture, with all the facilities that this implies. At the same time, you can play with the color temperature variation, the minus-green, and the recall of the LEE color libraries. In this mode, anyone can find his way around in a simple way, while still making the most of the full potential of the fixture.
Dimming: exemplary curves
The Alchemy 5 offers four dimmer curves. ” Quadratic”, “Gamma 2.2”, “S-curve” and “Linear”. The curves we have plotted are remarkable. Rarely (if ever, unless my memory fails me) have I obtained such clean and clear curves.
The dimming curve from 0 to 100% in Linear mode.
The dimming curve from 0 to 10% in Linear mode.
The linear setting produces an almost perfect diagonal, with just what it takes at the end of the range to avoid a visual “accident”, the quadratic setting is equally exemplary…
The dimming curve from 0 to 100% in Quadratic Mode.
The dimming curve from 0 to 10% in Quadratic Mode.
The strobe is ultra-efficient of course, since no mechanical elements are used to catch the flux as it passes.
The movements of the head
This beautiful beam obviously moves! It is not super-fast but sufficient to allow for perfect alignment, and to allow for nice movement effects, without any jolting, and with little noise. The whole fixture is pretty quiet overall.
Noise management
Alchemy 5 has two ventilation control parameters: an “operating mode” setting, and a “fan” setting. These can interact with each other according to a specific flowchart.
– The “Fan” setting: The “Constant” mode allows the same level of ventilation to be maintained regardless of the operating conditions of the LED sources. The “Automatic” mode provides autonomous control of ventilation, i.e. from the moment the source temperature reaches 40°. – The second setting: “Operating mode” settings, As a rule, what will be the default is the setting you have chosen in the “Fan” settings.
In “Silent” mode, the unit will slightly reduce the maximum possible speed of pan and tilt movement, and reduce ventilation by decreasing the power sent to the LEDs, including by optimizing the “Fan” setting you have chosen. Thus, it puts itself in a configuration where it will actually be rather quiet, in terms of ventilation, but also in terms of all mechanical noise.
Conclusion
The ALCHEMY 5 is a fantastic little fixture that delivers what some lighting designers have been waiting for a long time, a real wash that gets back to basics and, regardless of the trends, uses the latest technologies to produce a magical light. Despite all the references to the “classic” of the genre, DTS has created a very modern luminaire that has all the characteristics, including the quality/price ratio, to become a standard in the industry. This unit offers a remarkable beam, magnificent colors, whites that are gorgeous and moldable to perfection… In any case, I want some for myself!!!
The first Dr. Christian Heil Future of Sound scholarship has been granted to McGill University student Ben Creelman, who is pursuing a master in music in the field of sound recording, and the forthcoming will be granted yearly to students who demonstrate curiosity and dedication to shaping the future of sound.
From its founding, educational outreach has been at the heart of the mission at L-Acoustics, which has been a leader in developing training programs with high added value for end users, thereby ensuring quality deployment of L-Acoustics systems around the globe.
Christian Heil
“The professional sound industry has evolved greatly and I’m proud to have been able to contribute to that,” expressed Christian Heil. “It’s an honor to help young talent, through this scholarship, who will continue pushing the industry forward.”
L-Acoustics traces its beginning to 1977, when Heil, who holds a PhD in particle physics, attended a Pink Floyd concert and was inspired to serve the live events industry by creating and developing pragmatic solutions for sound professionals.
In 2001 Dr. Heil presented the “Wavefront Sculpture Technology” (WST) paper at the 111th AES Convention in New York, applying the principles of optical diffraction and wavefront propagation to the field of audio, and establishing the criteria for the effective coupling of sound sources. Heil’s ability to adapt concepts from outside the audio profession allowed for a scientific breakthrough that fundamentally changed the industry.
L-Acoustics V-DOSC
The resulting line source array, a leaner, lighter, and more cost-effective alternative to the existing “wall of sound” approach achieved greater throw, uniform audience coverage, directional precision, and clarity. Line array technology has become the industry standard, and its widespread adoption has enabled the live event industry to evolve to today’s massive arena tours and live music festivals.
Today, L-Acoustics remains dedicated its scientific origins, with 24 per cent of the team in R&D and application engineering across disciplines beyond pure audio, such as mechanical and fluids engineering, software, embedded electronics, and material science. In keeping with Christian Heil’s record of shaping the industry through creative, trailblazing innovation, the Dr. Christian Heil Future of Sound scholarship will seek out students with approaches that may question conventions or call upon bodies of scientific knowledge outside of the realm of audio.
Students having pursued an undergraduate course of studies in an area other than audio are encouraged to apply in the interest of enriching cross-disciplinary thinking and exchanges to further the state of the art.
“L-Acoustics has a long-standing involvement with AES, making regular contributions as an active member of the Technical Committee on Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement, publishing papers and contributing to tutorial and workshop sessions at conventions,” explains L-Acoustics Director of Scientific Outreach, Etienne Corteel. “Creating this new scholarship is an expression of our continued commitment to AES and to the evolution of the industry.”
“AES and L-Acoustics share core values,” concludes Don Puluse, president of the AES Educational Foundation. “The inauguration of the Dr. Christian Heil Future of Sound scholarship reinforces our commitment to fostering the careers of young talent who will contribute to the sound industry for years to come.”
Novelty will now accompanies its customers to all regions and export its know-how beyond the borders of Europe where it shines, providing the same high standard of know-how and quality in every Novelty agency wherever it may be located. Welcome to Novelty Middle East.
The information communicated last July, is now official. The management of Novelty France is pleased to announce the finalization of the acquisition of Iris LLC. Iris thus integrates as a subsidiary in Novelty France and becomes Novelty Middle East. Jacques de La Guillonnière will be President, Olivier Hagneré General Manager and Serge Huber Director of the 2 new agencies located in Dubai UAE and Dammam KSA.
Jacques de la Guillonnière
Olivier Hagneré
Serge Huber
Novelty immediately pushes its direct support by supplying a large inventory of state of the art equipment and technical – logistical back up to its two new locations. New investments such as 100 m2 of high definition LED walls including possibilities to curve, Video projectors, L-Acoustics audio, moving lights, not to mention all the specific lighting and led fixtures on rail, so much appreciated by our customers in the «luxury» segment.
All these investments are of course complementary to the existing material inventory and the logistical structures that were already in place. Combined, they will enrich future benefits some of which are already underway. As known, high end equipment is only a part of our service. It is more important to highlight the quality and commitment of our existing teams in place that guarantee the end result. The local teams will grow and further be trained to meet rising future demands.
We welcome the Novelty Middle East agency to the Novelty family, with a future full of great events !
Do not hesitate to contact Novelty sales teams on site : Serge Huber | Middle East Agency Manager +971 55 506 1788 for Dubaï | +966 53 781 5484 for Dammam | [email protected].
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