For this 2019 edition, the Eurovision Song Contest was staged at the Tel Aviv Expo Centre, Israel, which featured a stunning lighting design created by Ronen Najar and Dakar Azulay. No less than 15 grandMA2 consoles graced the FOH technical area, controlling 71,061 parameters and a mix of over 2,500 light sources and LED fixtures.
Twenty-six countries battled out the final whittled down from 41 original entries, watched live by a worldwide audience of around 200 million enthusiastic fans plus 7,500 in the arena, Hall 2 at the Expo Centre. The 2,500+ light sources and LED fixtures were lighting the main stage – another elegant design by Florian Wieder – the auditorium and the green room. As any ESC fan will know, the green room is a vital area for the broadcast, capturing the emotional thrills and spills of the delegations as the points are awarded and they yoyo up and down the leader board.
MA was chosen by several on the creative and technical team co-ordinated by ESC’s head of production Ola Melzig, including Jack Collins, the event’s lighting systems and control specialist who has worked on several ESCs in recent years. The decision was based on it providing the most rock-solid reliable and flexible system option.
“The multiuser functionality and ability to control every fixture from every console and to alter fixture types to suit your needs were two big advantages of the MA architecture”, commented Jack Collins, “plus the network’s overall stability and troubleshooting facilities”.
Once the installation and the production period were up and running, Collins watched all the grandMA2 system monitors from his console and could read out every command and, if necessary, search the history, track down errors and pass the information back to the programming team. Macros – another area where MA is very strong – were also an essential part of the lighting process for a show with short changeover times and many complex sets to accommodate. This enabled timecode information, presets, views, starting and preparing cues to be changed in an instant.
Three grandMA2 full-size plus a backup were utilized as the main show desks, and 11 grandMA2 lights – six active and five backups – were also in the lighting network, created using 20 x MA NPU (Network Processing Unit), 25 x MA 8Port Nodes and two Swisson 8-port nodes, running on 10 UPS’s.
The lighting fixtures were supplied by several leading manufacturers, a massive job which was co-ordinated via Danish rental company Litecom, including any extras packages requested by individual delegations. The production also had to cope with a show-stopping interval performance by the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna, whose creative lighting requirements were overseen by LD Al Gurdon.
Four dimmer city areas were connected via fibre and fed data and power to the whole rig. Three were located on a balcony running down one of the long sides of the venue – with cable runs added in via holes made in the wall. Dimmer City 2 was positioned behind the enormous upstage LED wall to provide power for the Matrix, which was built along the rear and sides of the stage area using Litecom’s MX Ladder system, holding a total of around 650 lighting fixtures.
The fully redundant ethernet network infrastructure comprised 22 x Luminex 16xt and 12r switches, all monitored closely by Collins from his PRTG software.
Operating the main show lighting console was Angelo Di Nella (on a grandMA2 full-size). Joshua Cutts ran the audience lighting – also a major element of the broadcast – on a grandMA2 light. The key lighting was looked after by Ivan Eftimov on another grandMA2 light, all running with backup consoles. Playback video was operated via another light run by Yahav Tenne complete with backup, while Moti Aroshas took care of the green room lighting, again utilizing a grandMA2 light with full backup. Dakar had a grandMA full-size on which he ensured that all the crucial key lighting levels and master intensities were spot on for the cameras … and Collins’ system desk was also grandMA2 light.
Najar didn’t operate a desk on this occasion; however, he creatively directed the overall show lighting and each delegation’s lighting in conjunction with all the operators. Integral to the programming team were lead programmer Matti Murray, who ensured the night-time sessions ran productively and efficiently assisted by Chris Bolton. The dazzling array of glitz, glamour and superlative pop music was delivered with characteristic style, multiple WOW factors and much vibrance by Melzig and his highly talented team. The 2019 ESC was memorable for many reasons including being won by Netherlands singer Duncan Lawrence and his co-written ballad “Arcade” – the first time NL has won since 1975!
With the new A Series unveiled at Infocomm 2019, d&b audiotechnik introduces the augmented array: an advanced loudspeaker concept born from the d&b applied evolution system development philosophy. Combining variable splay angles, two approaches to acoustic optimization, and advanced waveguide design, the A-Series addresses applications where coverage flexibility in both the horizontal and the vertical is paramount. Wilkommen! Unveiled at Infocomm 2019, this new A Series brings a quick and simple answer for both Touring and Installation markets, with 2 loudspeakers, or 4 if we count up the installation versions. The main point here os more about a new philosophy, the variable angle array with point source speakers. This yet unseen speaker coupling versatility open the doors of a variety of markets which single point source or fixed curve arrays can’t address properly.
A two speakers coupling cover vertically 30°, this coupling is lowered 10°…
… and here is the same, augmented 10°.
Realizing all the adaptability of a point source cluster with the extensive control options of a d&b line array, the system comprises the AL60 and AL90 loudspeakers, with ALi60 and ALi90 offering cabinets designed specifically for permanent installation.
A “classic” T-Frame with 4 enclosures, the simplest way to get between 120 and 150° vertical coverage.
Horizontal hanging set-up, where the angling offset between each enclosure is preserved. Vertically, you just have the 60° or 90° choice.
Using the appropriate frame, up to four AL60/AL90 and ALi60/ALi90 loudspeakers can be flown either in vertical or horizontal arrays. Variable splay angles between adjacent cabinets can be set in five degree increments from -10° to +10° allowing the finest of adjustments and ensuring sound is directed precisely where it is wanted.
The coupling of 4 speakers can achieve a 120° total coverage, but triggers some accidents in the low mids…
… and this is where the amplifiers’ DSP can correct this with the Midrange Directivity Control (MDC) and flatten the overall coverage.
With the corresponding frame, it is possible to hang up to four AL60/AL90 in vertical or horizontal mode to perfectly cover the zone you need to control. To achieve this, it is possible to vary the angles by steps of 5° between -10° and +10°. The “sum” of two enclosures with a native vertical coverage of 30° can provide a result of 60°, but can also vary between 50° and 70°.
The good wiring way to know which boxes are “internal” or “external”.
To flatten perfectly the coupling in the very sensitive area where you have at the same time 10-inch speakers and drivers, and whatever the chosen angle is, the 200 Hz – 2 kHz band can be granted on request by an algorithm embedded into the amplifiers, called Midrange Directivity Control (MDC). Just specify which are the “internal” and the “external” enclosures, let’s call this a “mini-Array Processing”.
The Array Processing of the same 4 speakers array, this time perfectly optimized with a 20 cm resolution.
If you ever feel like it, the “real” Array Processing can be helpful to give a perfectly linear frequency response and the close field coupling, or for longer throw. In both cases, MDC or AP, you won’t be able to couple two speakers per amp output. Midrange Directivity Control (MDC) ensures frequencies between 200Hz and 2kHz are evenly distributed, regardless of the splay angle. With 60° horizontal dispersion and directivity control down to approximately 550 Hz, the AL60/ALi60 can cover a distance of up to 30 meters.
The AL90/ALi90 – with its 90° horizontal pattern control down to 370 Hz – is sonically and mechanically compatible, ensuring the same optimal acoustic result is achieved consistently anywhere, at any angle – whatever the configuration.
No kiddin’, these ARE d&b models ;0) AL60 on top, AL90 below.
The AL60/AL90 loudspeakers share a passive 2-way design featuring one 1.4” exit HF compression driver with a 3” diaphragm mounted to a wave shaping device, and two 10” neodymium LF drivers. The combination of sophisticated waveguide design and the symmetrical bipolar arrangement of the LF drivers allows a smooth overlap of the adjacent frequency bands in the crossover design.
The wave segments of each cabinet couple without gaps and sum up coherently. The weight of the two models is the same, 23 kg, and the frequency response is 60 Hz to 18 kHz @ -5 dB.
The frequency response of the AL60 in CUT mode or standard mode. It could be less perfect, but it would be more expensive!
The A-Series is compatible with a range of d&b amplifiers and subwoofers so that the system in its entirety can be tailored to meet specific application needs. The companionable four channel 30D, D20 and D80 amplifiers provide extensive user-definable equalization containing two 16-band equalizers with parametric, notch, shelving and asymmetric filters as well as delay capabilities of up to 10 seconds.
The V-GSUB and Vi-GSUB are recommended for low frequency extension using the A-Series, with many more options available for mobile and install, large or small.
Wolfgang Schulz, Product Manager d&b
Wolfgang Schulz, Product Manager d&b says: “The A-Series, augmented array provides our customers with a new set of scalable solutions that work as a standalone system or in combination with the full range of d&b systems. The flexibility of the splay angles, the Midrange Directivity Control function and the ArrayProcessing capabilities enable the A-Series to address a huge range of applications with coverage consistency that is unparalleled.”
The first deliveries of this new system should occur Q4, 2019. Our Pro Audio team will try and get a listening test of a whole set up as soon as some demo units are available for this, we’ll keep you posted!
A rear view of the AL60 with its very « line-array style » hanging points, the only limitation is that you only have three choices, on one side 30°, 25° and 20° on the other one 30°, 35° and 40°.
Do not expect here any unreadable, sci-fi-style CPU. The new, high-end Sonoss hardware, though all-digital, adopts the proven style of the French manufacturer that combines quality, sobriety and efficiency.
Manuel Lauwerier holding proudly one of the controller he designed and created.
Manuel Lauwerier, technical director of Sonoss, presents two remote controls that now integrate a single digital communication protocol with the power rack. This protocol should be extended later on to the entire range.
Among the common features between these two controllers, we notice the presence of a small central screen. “This screen provides feedback for the operator, and reads data that was before only measurable with dedicated systems, such as real-time load on one or more lifting points added together”, says Manuel Lauwerier.
Load limits can be programmed to stop operation whenever exceeded”. This measurement is carried out thanks to a set of scales integrated in the hanging system. Linked to this transition to digital, remote controls can be equipped with a wireless transmitter that communicates with a receiver connected directly to the wired input chassis plug of the central power rack. A new Neutrik connector (XLR 8 + 2 type) brings this versatility.
Regarding the wireless protocol, Manuel reassures us that it is a highly worked out and secure system: “this device ensures to link orders whose effects are directly related to the security of the installations and services/renal companies employees. Everything has been thought out so that the safety of the whole is permanent. In case of power failure, communication failure or even a simple error on a signal frame, the action in progress is immediately stopped “.
Detailed view of one of the new motor controllers signed by Sonoss.
These remote controls include a lithium battery whose claimed work duration is several days. To recharge them, just connect them to the motors’ power rack controlling the lifts, thanks to this famous XLR 8 + 2, including at the same time connection of the data between the elements and the power supply of the remote boxes. A small trick to preserve the charge of the battery is an accelerometer integrated in these portable controllers, reducing the screen back lighting and the LED indicators lighting when the housing is not used.
A few words about the power rack presented, the choice of using an external wireless receiver is voluntary, so it can be installed outside the total set-up to ensure a reception of the signal as good as possible (2 km in free field, confortable enough!). This rack also has a phase inversion system for each motor as well as a circuit breaker safety bypass that can only be operated by a key switch. To comply with a maximum of users’needs, each motor output feed has 3 different connectors: CEE, Socapex and Harting.
On the other end of the cable, an example of a new connected rack including (among others): addressing of the lifting motors, phase inversion, link to connect other units, or bypass circuit breakers.
These clever newbies are still under development, so as at today we don’t have any code/reference information yet.
Perfect timing and ideal location for this kind of launch, indeed. Italian audio innovator Powersoft unveiled its newest amplifier platform at InfoComm 2019. Mezzo, a new line expressly designed for the AV/IT market, consists of eight amplifier models, each offering different power and connectivity options. Mezzo, perfectly suited for corporate, hospitality and educational environments, is a self-configuring amplifier system that delivers unprecedented power and flexibility in a highly compact, Class-D technology design that is easy to install and operate.
A grand mezze of Mezzo amplifiers…
Mezzo is a highly reliable and flexible system is designed for a range of fixed application scenarios. Further, Mezzo is simple to set up and can be monitored remotely, making it attractive to integrators seeking reduced installation times and more efficient deployment of A/V staff in the field.
Klas Dalbjörn, product manager, Powersoft.
“Until now, AV/IT integrators and end-users might have experienced limited flexibility in existing low power solutions to drive audio in corporate, hospitality and education environments,” commented Klas Dalbjörn, product manager, Powersoft. “Our new Mezzo platform delivers the quality and reliability Powersoft is already known for, but with smaller power configurations that are highly adaptable for a range of different fixed installation environments. We recognise there are many system designers and integrators that seldom need more than 250W and can often make do on as little 15W on a channel — Mezzo covers these needs.”
Power to fit many needs
Rear view of the back of a single Mezzo.
The eight available models in the new Mezzo line consist of four power sizes, each offering an option with “A” (Analog) or “AD” (Analog-Digital), which adds Dante/AES67. The power sizes include smaller option of 320W in 4 x 80W and 2 x 160W variants, and a larger option of 600W in 4 x 150 or 2 x 300W. All of the eight models are networkable and feature automatic setup for audio parameters, significantly reducing deployment time during installation.
Further, all of the units offer load monitoring, so users can monitor system parameters such as temperature, power usage and performance over time. These parameters can be monitored and controlled via Powersoft’s own Armonía system manager, or through an external control system or a plug-in in a DSP matrix platform.
Tiny but powerful.
The AD models include Dante and AES67 integration, and also add an internal Gigabit Ethernet switch and a second port, meaning that multiple products can share the same network cable. This feature can convenient in a retrofit, or if the user needs to share a network connection between a projector and an amplifier for instance.
Maximum flexibility where it counts
Perhaps most impressive is Mezzo’s overall flexibility and power sharing capabilities. The smaller 320W power sized models are able to deliver 80/160W per channel into 2, 4, 8 or 16 ohms as well as 100, 70 or 25V. Meantime, the larger 600W power sized models can deliver 4 x 150W or 2 x 300W, and can drive two 16 ohm as well as 25, 70 or 100V.
While this is impressive in terms of flexibility, each channel has sufficient headroom for power sharing according to the specific installation needs. This means one model can drive zones of varying sizes, and design changes can be accommodated ‘on the fly’ without having to alter equipment choice.
Marc Kocks, Powersoft’s Business Development Manager.
“The power sharing capabilities of Mezzo offer the maximum flexibility in allocating power to different channels,” explains Marc Kocks, Powersoft’s Business Development Manager. “Many times, users can be faced with a system that has a couple very hungry loudspeakers, and then one or two in adjacent areas that don’t require as much power. Mezzo will automatically recognise high impedance and low impedance loads and configure the system to accommodate these variances. This means greater power efficiency and significantly less set up time.”
Mezzo also features equally impressive installation options. Each unit comes with rack mount accessories to fit two units into a standard 19” rack, or 1 unit in a 11” compact rack. Alternatively, the unit can stand alone on rubber feet in a credenza or be mounted on the wall — for instance behind a video screen.
The unit is ultra-quiet and requires no ventilation and can therefore be used in dusty environments, under a desk or in locations where an audio closet may not available. Further, in terms of performance, Mezzo also delivers enough power to drive many subwoofers. This potentially means a significant space savings in locations that will no longer require 19” racks.
A single Mezzo in rack mount…
… or a dual Mezzo rack mount, your choice!
“Many fixed installation environments these days consist of both analogue and digital,” Kocks concludes. “Mezzo is perfect for these environments, since it can accommodate inputs on both analogue and digital. Further, each Mezzo can be set up as a decentralised unit, enabling each unit to be part of a larger system with local feeds from Dante network. This can lead to massive cost savings in cabling expenses as well as significantly increased monitoring and control functionality. A user can retain full control over features as if it was a centralised rig.” Mezzo is priced starting from $915 (USD MSRP)
A new development team for the Hog controllers range is now working in close collaboration with the ETC R&D department. The goal is not to create a lighting console (one more), but to keep both ranges while pooling their strong points.
The Gadget II and the ETCnomad are now compatible with the Hog 4 PC.
Depending on the version, you can use 2 or 12 DMX universes that you’ll then have to route to the DP outputs.
The first sign of this collaboration appears in the 3.12 version of the Hog4 software. It’s now fully compatible with the Gadget II and the ETCnomad. It is both a dongle and a USB box providing 2 or 12 DMX universes on the PC versions of Eos Family et Cobalt 4 softwares. The Hog 4 PC, at the beginning designed for a maximum of 8 DMX universes, has been modified. For the entry version, students benefit from a special low rate of 250 €.
With the V3.12 version, it is possible to import and export libraries in XML format.
The main new feature in 3.12 resides in a total refurbishing of the “Fixture builder” to create projectors libraries. In addition to greater ease creating a “Personality”, it is now possible to export in open XML format. A database is available on the High End Website, allowing to share libraries and fast assistance between operators.
The types of projectors not vérified are tagged by a small “Robot” symbol.
You can now find libraries not tested by High End. In the “Fixture Scheduler” window, the types unchecked “fixtures” types is tagged with a “Robot” icon and a warning appear at the bottom of the page when you select this type of projector. High End Systems recommends to undergo a test connecting this type of fixtures before beginning the programming step of a show. Most of the modifications or corrections can be done using the “Fixture Builder”.
In the Display tab of the Control Panel you can now customize the “Lock” window.
In this new version thanks to the addition of the “CITP Visualizer Stream” protocol, you’ll find a bridge to the Capture software, without having to install the “Hog Connectivity” driver. This new feature seems to be the first step in a long term collaboration between the American developper and its Swedish fellow partner. To make the connection work, you’ll have to work with the 2019 version of Capture. It is now possible to customize the display when activating the “Lock” feature of the console.
Prolight+Sound 2019 was also the occasion to formalize the availability of the Hog 4 18.
The Hog 4 18 Hardware now available. You may notice the compatibility of the Hog 4 with the Capture software.
As a long time user of the WholeHog consoles myself since many years, I did appreciate ETC’s investment. It allows, among other major points, to put forward a lighting desk which did a lot to make the world of intelligent lighting go forward and evolve in the right way. The renewal of the Hog has just begun and we should, on the next exhibitions here and there, enjoy a feast for the eyes!
Rat Sound installed another massive count of DiGiCo desks for this year’s Coachella festival. Eight DiGiCo SD10 desks for FOH and eight SD12 desks for monitors were deployed on the seven largest venues of this world known event.
Adam “Roundy” Round mixing Tame Impala on the SD7 Quantum.
Although currently ranked as the globe’s fifth largest music festival, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival—or simply Coachella—remains unparalleled in terms of its prestige and status among Gen Y and Z social media influencers worldwide.
Kevin Brown mixing H.E.R. on an SD10 at the Outdoor Theatre.
This year marked Coachella’s milestone 20th festival and hosted headlining performances by Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande who, at 25 years old, made history as the event’s youngest headliner.
With its characteristically diverse lineup—including Janelle Monáe, The 1975, DJ Snake, H.E.R., Weezer, Lizzo, Khalid, Zedd, CHVRCHES, Kid Cudi, Kacey Musgraves, and many more—one thing that remained unchanged was Rat Sound Systems’ continued reliance on DiGiCo SD-Range mixing consoles at nearly all of Coachella’s stages across the festival grounds.
Chainey Harpe mixing monitors for H.E.R. on a DiGiCo SD12.
Hired by festival promoter Goldenvoice, as it has been for many years, Rat Sound was in charge of supplying sound reinforcement systems for most of the event, including the seven largest venues—the Coachella Stage, Outdoor Theatre, Gobi, Sahara, Mojave, Yuma, and Sonora—as well as the Guava Theatre, which was a separate activation in the campground area. With additional console inventory and support from Hayward-based Hi-Tech Audio, Rat Sound deployed a total of eight DiGiCo SD10 desks for FOH and eight SD12 desks for monitors.
Two pair of SD10 and SD12 for fast set switchovers were utilized on the two main stages—Coachella and Outdoor—plus a single SD10/SD12 combo on Gobi, Sahara and Mojave. All of the SD10 consoles were paired with a Waves package, and a total of 14 SD-Racks were deployed throughout. Furthermore, the smaller Yuma stage was supplied with a compact SD11 console.
A pair of DiGiCo SD12 monitor desks at Coachella’s Sahara Stage.
Like last year, Rat also set up an identical FOH and monitor system comprised of a FOH SD10 with Waves, monitor SD12, and pair of SD-Racks in the Rat Sound production office for audio engineers to create, modify or just confirm their show files prior to their artists’ actual stage times.
“We had 38 engineers visit the office, 17 of which programmed on the consoles,” says Rat Sound’s Melody Marie DePree. “The SD10 was in particularly high demand, and several of the engineers spent more than two hours on it. These desks were a big hit and everyone working the festival was appreciative of Matt Larson and Taidus Vallandi from DiGiCo/Group One, as well as Louis Adamo from Hi-Tech; they were all extremely helpful to take the time with everyone.”
Rafi Lazaro mixing monitors for Tame Impala on a DiGiCo SD10.
DiGiCo took its well-known service and support one step further this year by hosting a pre-festival console training at Rat Sound’s headquarters in Camarillo that was attended by the Rat crewmembers that would be on site in preparation for 2019’s festival. “Our engineers love these trainings,” notes Rat Sound’s Jon Monson. “By the time you add in all of the other various desks that acts carried into Coachella with them—including some new Quantum SD7s and other DiGiCos—we estimate that nearly 75 percent of the festival’s audio this year was mixed on a DiGiCo. So it was great for our guys to have a pre-festival refresher on the SD-Range in order to really be up to speed.”
Ladies’Night – Loreen Bohannon mixing monitors for Lizzo on an SD12 at Mojave.
Bjarne Hemmingson, Rat Sound’s Crew Chief for Coachella’s main stages, echoes his gratitude. “I definitely appreciated the on-site support from DiGiCo,” he says. “And I like the flexibility of incorporating an engineer’s file to work with the festival patching ins and outs, and teaching inexperienced DiGiCo users how to operate the consoles was very easy.”
When asked why Rat Sound has come to regularly standardize on DiGiCo now, DePree sums it up by adding that there are many reasons: “The fact that it’s the first choice on most riders; the sound; the reliability; the manufacturer’s support… basically, all of the above!”
For two consecutive three-day weekends in April—both of which sell out in mere hours—125,000 fashion- and culture-conscious music lovers per day flock to Indio, California’s Empire Polo Club for a huge desert party with more than 160 artists and bands performing on multiple stages throughout the site.
A view of Tame Impala’s performance from the DiGiCo SD7 Quantum FOH desk at the Coachella Stage during the band’s Saturday night headlining set.
Belgian pro audio manufacturer, AUDAC, is delighted to announce Sebastian Chong as sales representative for the APAC region. By working with AUDAC’s partners at all levels, Sebastian will be responsible for expanding AUDAC’s market share and increasing the company’s sales network in the Asia Pacific region.
From left to right: Mark Asselberghs – International Sales Director, Sebastian Chong – Sales representative APAC, Tom Van de Sande – CEO.
With the appointment of a dedicated sales representative, AUDAC will be in the position to better serve their users locally and thus also guarantee their growth for the coming years. Sebastian will also be an answer for the growing requests for the brand in this region so AUDAC can continue to deliver the right solutions for projects where top notch sound quality is needed.
Mark Asselberghs, international sales director at AUDAC, states: “We are excited to welcome Sebastian to the AUDAC team. Sebastian will be a valuable addition to the team because of his extensive amount of technical and commercial experience in the professional AV industry. The appointment of Sebastian shows the commitment and increased focus in the APAC region. At AUDAC we see the APAC region as an important growth field in the coming years for the further global expansion of the AUDAC brand”.
Sebastian Chong ads: “This is an exciting time to be part of AUDAC, it is exactly what I was looking for in a team: smart, innovative and creative. AUDAC has a rich history of audio solutions of the highest quality, and an excellent team for support. I am delighted to be part of the AUDAC family and look forward to utilising all aspects of my skills to assist in the continues APAC growth.”
Ayrton announces the appointment of Matrix as its new exclusive distributor for Denmark. Matrix is a young, dynamic company that has quickly established itself as one of the leading sales and distribution companies for the entertainment industry in Denmark.
Left – Right – Urs Friis Alstrup, Matrix Sales Manager; Thomas Christensen, Matrix CEO; Jakob Hansen, Matrix Sales Manager; Linnea Ljungmark, Ayrton International Sales.
With a wealth of hands-on industry experience, the Matrix team brings comprehensive knowledge of the products it sells and the industry needs they address, and enjoys strong relationships with their customers and suppliers.
Jakob Hansen, sales manager for lighting and staging at Matrix.
The company prides itself on being constantly on the lookout for new products, new business partners, new customers and new ways to do business and strives to be at the top of the market by supplying the most relevant products. “Ayrton was the obvious choice for us, as we needed a high profile moving light brand to complete our lighting program,” says Jakob Hansen, sales manager for lighting and staging at Matrix. “The arrival of Ayrton’s new line of profiles, spots and wash fixtures was the deciding factor for us – they fit perfectly into our range of professional sound, light, stage equipment and audio-visual products.”
Matrix will focus on bringing the full Ayrton range of LED lighting products to the Danish market and the sales team are already out on the road with the new range of fixtures.
“The Ayrton product range is strong and we are obviously excited about our role as Ayrton distributor,” continues Hansen. “Our expectations for the brand development are high – and very interesting when we look at everything that is currently on the international moving light market.”
“We are very proud to be represented by Matrix in Denmark,” says Linnea Ljungmark, international sales for Ayrton. “The company is known for its ability to find high quality brands and present them to the market with skill and dedication. We are extremely excited to be working with them.”
This year, NEXO is marking its 40th anniversary. Over the last 3 decades, the company has become synonymous with high-output point-source loudspeaker design, in particular the PS Series which has become an industry standard. Surprisingly, given NEXO’s long-standing global reputation for point-source loudspeakers, this is the first time Nexo has designed a 12” enclosure. The much-anticipated P12 promises to establish a new benchmark for the all-purpose point-source cabinet that can deliver at front-of-house, on stage, and as part of a distributed system.
Nexo P12 and L15. Versatile, indeed.
With its curvy modern aesthetic and best-in-class performance specifications, this new P12 is an ultra-versatile multi-purpose loudspeaker, bringing ingenious technical innovation to a wide range of sound reinforcement applications. To retain some of the characteristics of the PS Series, inside the curvilinear enclosure of custom birch and poplar plywood, the P12 employs a purpose-designed 12” LF Neodymium driver and 3” diaphragm HF driver in a coaxial configuration. The cabinet footprint is very compact, measuring 531mm x 432mm x 317mm. Frequency response is 60Hz-20kHz, and the SPL is an impressive 138dB Peak (passive)/140dB Peak (active mode), making it the most powerful point-source design in its class in today’s market.
In an innovative design twist which allows the user to customise his or her P12 cabinet, the horn flanges can be interchanged to deliver a variety of directivities – from the 60°x 60° that is provided as standard, to a 90°x 40° or an asymmetrical 50°- 100°x 40°. The interchangeable flanges are marketed as accessories. Switching between different directivities can be accomplished in just 15 seconds, easily removing the steel grille and replacing the flare, which uses a magnetic fixing.
Record to beat: 15 seconds to change directivity of P12, thanks to its magnetic flange clever design.
Less than 20 kg in weight, the ergonomic design of the P12 includes carry handles on each side, pole-mount fitting with an ingeniously-positioned Speakon connector behind it to allow tidy cable management, and threaded inserts for connection of mounting accessories. P12 can be used on a pole-mount with the L15 subbass cabinet, wall-mounted or flown in landscape mode beneath a L15 enclosure, using a specially-designed yoke bracket.
Denis Baudier, Commercial Director, Nexo.
NEXO expects that one of the principal applications of the new P12 enclosure will be on stage as the most versatile wedge monitor speaker on the market. The variable directivity feature will effectively treble the deployment of any inventory of P12 floor monitors, and the cabinet is designed for the rigours of touring use, with an extra-robust grille and scratch-resistant paint finish. Denis Baudier, Sales Director of NEXO, describes the P12 monitor as “lower profile and definitively sexier than any competitive product.
P12 as wedge monitor.
For a vocalist, there is better dispersion because of the angle of the cabinet, and variable dispersion means each box can be precisely tailored to its user, from lead guitarist to horn section to backing singer.”
With a switch on the back of the cabinet, the P12 is easy to reconfigure from Passive to Active mode, thus achieving 140dB Peak SPL. This is the first NEXO speaker to be purpose-designed to use the processing capacity of the new NXAMP4x2mk2 amplifier, although it is fully compatible with the larger NXAMP4x4. The processing in the NXAMP4x2mk2 is very precise, with separate set-ups for each directivity providing perfect coverage.
L15, ideal partner of the P12.
To partner the P12, NEXO is launching the L15 subbass cabinet, specially designed in a matching footprint which makes it ideal for flown applications, and for use as a drumfill. With a new acoustic loading technique using a 15” bass horn, the L15 operates with maximum efficiency: nearly all the front face of the cabinet is used as a radiating surface to provide really impressive output. With a frequency range of 40Hz-120Hz, and 139dB Peak SPL, this sub measures up as the most powerful in its category in the market.
Touring and installation versions of the P12 and its partner L15 sub will be produced in black and white scratch-resistant paint finishes, the first use of a new paint process which is stated by Joseph Carcopino, NEXO’s head of R&D, as “100 times better than before”. Applied using a special process, the paint finish prepares the P12 for use in all climate conditions, and enables it to deal robustly with the demands of stage monitoring use. TUV and IP54 certification is provided for the installation version of the P12.
Joseph Carcopino
Joseph Carcopino adds about the new techniques in cabinet construction, and available componentry: “Starting with the cabinet itself, we used a light poplar veneer inside which is 30% lighter than the standard wood we use at NEXO. We installed a new machine to handle the veneer, effectively producing the equivalent of a moulded cabinet in wood.
This gives us a better quality, super-tough enclosure, with a rounded shape that was inspired by the first PS design, launched back in 1992. Constructing it in bent wood minimises the number of parts we have to glue together, which in turn reduces vibration and makes it sound better. With the curved shape, it is easier to handle the box, particularly in a wedge monitor application.”
Rounded shape for cabinet in light poplar veneer.
“P12 is the first point-source cabinet that we have developed with a coaxial design, and so users will conclude that there are no longer Left cabinet and Right cabinet, as they are fully symmetric, so they work the same way even upside down. Using the same neodymium magnets for LF and HF frequencies saves weight, so in terms of the all-important power:size ratio, this is a high-performing compact cabinet.
Externally, with its scratch-resistant paint finish, the enclosure will be more resilient on the road. It has a super-strong grille, and even our Sales Director Denis Baudier can stand on it without bending it out of shape!”
This word game was too tempting, as The Kooks chose their name from the David Bowie song with the same title, so we figured out Bowie’s lyrics were worth shining a light on this 15-year old and successful band. They’ve just completed the latest UK and European leg of an ongoing world tour in support of their fifth studio album, Lets Go Sunshine, which dropped late last summer and hit a Top 10 in the UK.
Jordon Cooper of Moth Lights is their lighting designer and lighting equipment for this latest tour was supplied by award winning LCR – fresh from picking up the recent TPI Award for ‘Favourite Lighting Company’ – including 69 x Robe LEDBeam 150s and 32 x Spiider LED wash beam as the moving lights, plus a pair of BMFL WashBeams being controlled by a RoboSpot remote follow spotting system.
Jordon has worked with the band since the album launch last year. He was recommended by their stage manager Will Matthews with whom he’d previously worked on Band of Skulls, and when he and The Kooks production manager Dave Skelton saw Jordon’s design for Skindred at Brixton Academy, it confirmed his credentials as well as his talents as a designer and he was offered The Kooks. He met the band and their initial ideas were generated – some of which they thought about for some time – and collectively arrived on the same page for the overall look and feel of the show … which had elements of a classic music TV production with some modern elements.
Riser layout
Lead singer Luke Pritchard wanted a riser layout that allowed him to move around and explore the stage, and once they had agreed on its basic architecture, the other segments of the design evolved quickly.
The riser layouts also needed to be adaptable for production elements that might potentially be added at later stages – like video – as the tour scales up, and for this leg just played, it had to fit into multiple sized and shaped venues and maintain the integrity of the design. A static upright piano had to be reasonably accommodated onstage.
They made use of a pink satin drape that had originated as part of a festival scenic design by Cassius Creative utilised earlier in 2018 before Jordon was onboard. Over the stage there were three straight 15 metre trusses, with another in the advanced position. Trusses two and four were each loaded with 24 x LEDBeam 150s and on truss three there were 21 of the same fixtures. Also on the front truss were five profile moving lights for keys and eight LED strobe / floods used as for crowd effects, and sixteen more profiles spread between trusses two, three and four.
Punch and versatility in a tiny fixture
Jordon made the most of both beam and wash features of the LEDBeam 150s together with their punchy versatility in a tiny fixture indeed. In specific songs he capitalised on their speed – quick due to the small size and light weight – one of the reasons for his choice. Positioned as they were, spread over all three trusses, they added more depth to the picture.
A cluster of three LEDBeam 150s on truss three were used to highlight Luke and other clusters on trusses two and four were used to cover other band members. The Spiiders were all on the floor. Eight along the downstage edge were used at times for front lighting the band, and eight on the upstage edge created excellent fat beam effects at the back, with the other eight deployed four-a-side for cross lighting the band.
Spiiders from Mars? No, from Robe
The Spiiders doing the side and cross lighting gave a nice contrast to the top beams. “The colours are great” stated Jordon, and the beam angles allowed him to focus in on certain areas of the stage as well as opening out for full coverage. The upstage row of Spiiders were used as back-light in a wide zoom as well as for narrower beams slicing through the air for the rockier numbers.
The downstage Spiiders joined the upstage ones in beam mode and also enabled Jordon to enhance the crowd with a subtle glow during more intimate songs. He switched them into flower mode at strategic moments which meant he could mimic other fixtures in the air with a gobo-style effect, which boosted the impression of how many fixtures were on the rig, and there were times when he used the centre beam of the Spiiders to mimic the LEDBeam 150s up above.
RoboSpots shine on
He appreciates the multiple modes in which the Spiiders can be run and the sheer range of options they offer. The BMFL WashBeams were both on the front truss and controlled by the LCR crew operating the BaseStation positioned in dimmer world. They were used to follow Luke around the stage, with Jordon maintaining control of all the attributes through his grandMA2 console apart from the pan and tilt.
He loves the responsiveness and accuracy of the RoboSpot system. Jordon has been using Robe fixtures in his work since his first tour design for We Are In The crowd in 2013. The Kooks tour was project managed for LCR by Steve Bliss, whom Jordon met a while back. “I liked what I had already heard and seen of LCR and was keen to get them involved on this” he explained. His crew from LCR were Harrison Cooke (chief) who was joined by Aiden Cartmell and Ben Hodgkins, and the tour rigger was Rik Foreman. “They were all fantastic. Nice guys and great fun to be on the road with! Nothing was too much to ask and everything ran like clockwork!”
Adamson is set to expand its install-focused IS-Series with the launch of the IS219 subwoofer at InfoComm 2019. Despite its relative small height, conceived to facilitate its integration, it comprises two 19″ transducers in a Bass Reflex load.
Installation-tailored new subwoofer
“The response from architects and AV systems designers and integrators regarding our IS-Series has been incredibly encouraging,” commented Brian Fraser, Product Manager with Adamson. “There’s obviously a demand for premium, tour-proven sound quality in unobtrusive, architecturally-friendly enclosures, and there’s no better event to expand the series and enhance its versatility for various applications than InfoComm 2019.”
Brian Fraser.
The IS219 subwoofer is the latest addition to Adamson’s installation-tailored IS-Series, which packs the company’s sophisticated, tour-proven technology into sleek, architecturally-friendly cabinets with rugged and unobtrusive rigging solutions. The product was developed with input from several prominent integrators.
The enclosure is loaded with two lightweight, long-excursion 19” SD19 Kevlar Neodymium drivers utilizing Adamson’s Advanced Cone Architecture and a dual 5” voice coil for exceptional power handling. It is mounted in an ultra-efficient, front-loaded enclosure, designed to reproduce clean, musical low-frequency information.
19″ transducers ARE big, it would have been very difficult to reduce the enclosure even more..
The two transducers are cabled in parallel and have a global impedance of 4 ohms, with AES power handling of 3,200 W. With a 12 dB peak factor, the Maximum SPL reaches 143 dB. The frequency response is extended from 29 to 100 Hz at ± 3dB.
The cabinet construction uses marine-grade birch plywood as well as aircraft-grade steel and aluminum and is equipped with two front and back Speakon NL4 connectors, or barrier strips available upon request.
One IS219 déployed at Seacoast Church, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. When size does matter…
The IS219 ships with removable handles for easy transport while allowing it to fit into tight spaces when the handles are removed, and its 20-in. height ensure it can easily fit under a standard 24-in. stage.
As well as unveiling this new model of subwoofer, Adamson hosted at Infocomm a Milan Momentum Update, presenting technical updates for the protocol from the past year in a collaborative format. Milan combines the technical benefits of the AVB standard with pro AV market-defined device requirements to enhance ease-of-use and interoperability in network deployments for a myriad of applications. “We’ve been working with other industry leaders as part of the Avnu Alliance on the development of the Milan protocol as we believe it will be of significant benefit to our partners, end users, and the international pro audio community as a whole,” shared Adamson CEO Marc Bertrand.
The event also featured Adamson Network Engineer Morten Lave on a panel alongside Henning Kaltheuner (d&b audiotechnik), Genio Kronauer (L-Acoustics), and Tim Boot (Meyer Sound).
Countless single light sources on the wall of Martin’s booth at latest Proligt+Sound exhibition are constantly drawing our eye with punchy effects, powerful flashes and colors. These effects come from the new VDO Atomic Dot, a tiny projector of tremendous efficiency, resulting from a combination of strobe, blinder and video pixel.
Alone or in numbers, here comes the VDO Atomic Dot, new non-moving intelligent lighting source signed by Martin and shining by its versatility.
This small octagon shaped PAR30 box integrates in the first place a powerful central COB LED with optic lens, available in two versions, warm white or cold white. Around this middle lighting point, a circle of 16 small RGB LEDs takes place and shines around the central LED which is sent towards the reflector.
We thus obtain a colorful “matrix” Aura effect, visually very convincing. The beam created by the central LED has an angle of 11°, but it can open up to 22° when the sources are combined, raising the luminous flux up to 3,600 lumens at full power.
Close-up view of the small “Dot” with several accessories such as a frost filter or a quick coupling module.
As we discover this device, its name rigns to our ears as obvious. VDO for its use as a pixel via the P3 protocol or ArtNet, Atomic for its power that is really meeting all expectations, and Dot for its “mono compact source” feature. But there are more innovations to come. Mind you, this small concentration of lumens will be just as comfortable in a dry environment as in wet conditions with its IP65 certification.
It includes a new connector developed by Martin, where datas and power supply transit in the same cable. No external power supply, each unit is supplied with mains power and regulates easily its mains power supply.
The VDO Atomic Dot rear side view, with details of its hybrid connector.
This point seems important to us, and the boxes needed for the connection between this wiring and the more conventional only have this function and don’t include any electronics.
This small Dot can – piece of cake – address almost all the imaginative requests of the lighting designers in terms of hanging and integration by its wide potential of fittings and hanging props. Other accessories are available such as diffuser filters to widen the beam up to 60°, or adjustable barndoors.
A small promising fixture, clearly versatile, configurable in mono DMX channel as a simple blinder, 3 or 4 DMX channels in “Atomic” (strobe) mode, but, in extended mode it will require 64 channels, showing the richness of its parameters. Finally, our Martin guide on the booth, Wouter, announces a public price around 500 € HT per unit.
Freeing up valuable floor space downstage is absolutely required sometimes. RCF has bolstered its HDL subwoofer line up with two new models, the HDL 38-AS (18”) and the HDL 36-AS (15”). These HDL subs are “designed to fly”, ideal for theatrical and indoor system installations.
RCF HDL 38-AS and HDL 36-AS new active subwoofers.
Both subs contain a built-in 3.200 W class-D amplifier that delivers excellent playback clarity up to 136 (135) decibels SPL max. RDNet remote monitoring and real-time control, complete the professional HDL System. The HDL 38-AS is the ideal flown bass complement to the HDL 30-A array system, while the HDL 36-AS is compatible with the HDL 28-A rigging system.
Interesting key points, common to the two newbies:
Precision transducers RCF’s time-honored legacy in speaker design and manufacturing offers state-of-the-art neodymium magnetic circuits, radically new voice coil ventilation systems and ground-breaking direct drive voice coil assemblies.
“Al dente” Woofers Professional sound engineers Worldwide have come to rely on RCF active subwoofers, thanks to very high SPL levels at very low frequencies, highly compact dimensions, and impressive size/weight to SPL output ratio.
Designed to fly The external hardware is designed for fast and easy deployment, completely compatible with RCF HDL line array modules, but equally suitable in a ground-stacked sound system.
RCF HDL 38-AS and HDL 36-AS electronics.
Advanced electronics Onboard DSP provides system equalization, polarity control, fast limiter, RMS limiter, and configuration control – cardioid, end-fire and more – all features are accessible on the cabinet’s rear panel or remotely via RDNet networked management.
Networked control and more RDNet is a robust management network and control platform for small, medium and large arena-sized sound systems, as well as complex and extended installations. A network user can change level, delay, EQ and other settings, including advanced subwoofer configurations.
Tech specs of each model:
RCF HDL 38-AS.
The HDL 38-AS is the ideal flyable bass complement for the HDL 30-A array system. It features one 4.0” voice coil, 18” Neodymium woofer to handle 136 dB SPL Max from 30 Hz to 140 Hz with the maximum linearity and low distortion.
The HDL 38-AS is perfect to create flown systems for theatrical and indoor requirements. The built-in 3200W class-D amplifier delivers high level playback clarity and up to 136 decibels SPL max, with RDNet compatibility for remote monitoring and control.
RCF HDL 36-AS.
The HDL 36-AS is the ideal flyable bass complement for the HDL 28-A array system. It features one 4.0” voice coil, 15” neodymium woofer to handle 135 dB SPL Max from 40 Hz to 140 Hz with the maximum linearity and low distortion.
The built-in 3200 watts class-D amplifier delivers excellent playback clarity and up to 135 decibels SPL max. Due to its compatibility with RDNet – remote monitoring and control, the HDL 36-AS is part of the professional HDL System, as well as the HDL 38-AS.
Brompton Technologies are on the fast track indeed. This buoyant UK maker of video LED screens electronics, utilized by many top notch Pros, tours and TV shows (from Roger Waters and U2 to National Television Awards), has been ranked in the fifth annual Sunday Times WorldFirst SME Export Track 100 league table. Not only that, Brompton is also looking to teach the Tessera ins and outs to more and more skilled users with new forthcoming training sessions.
Brompton’s Managing Director Richard Mead. with some Tessera racks.
Fast-growing Export sales
The SME Export Track 100 ranks Britain’s 100 small and medium-sized (SME) companies that have achieved the fastest-growing international sales over the last two years. Compiled by Fast Track it was published in The Sunday Times on 26 May and will be celebrated at an awards dinner in September. Brompton has achieved phenomenal growth over the past two years, with sales of its Tessera SX40 4K LED processor and XD Data Distribution units playing a significant part in its international success, with both products seeing impressive uptake from production companies in the US, Australia and across Europe.
“From the outset Brompton has worked with partners all round the world and it is particularly pleasing to receive recognition for our success in international sales,” says Brompton’s Managing Director Richard Mead. “Last September we also appeared in the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 league table, which recognises Britain’s private technology companies with the fastest sales growth over the past three years, and these are both achievements of which everyone in the company should be incredibly proud.”
New training sessions
Here are the Tessera training dates arranged until the end of the year:
The AccorHotels Arena during the afternoon. Notice the 16-meter stage thrust that incorporates a conveyor belt down its center. The Karas and KS28s around the central scoreboard, as you can guess, are not part of the production.
Christine and The Queens, or Chris played a great show last winter at the AccorHotels Arena, supported by a large L-ISA configuration designed by Vladimir Coulibre and mixed by Julien Decarne for Melpomen.
This report is dedicated to the memory of Pedro.
Sleek staging, music and lyrics assume fundamental importance, so the sound has to be the perfect vector for two hours of a show that is also being broadcast live on television. SLU is present for this last and immersive Parisian date before the production takes a pause, to resume with a classic left/right during the summer festivals in 2019. [private]
We are welcomed by Vladimir Coulibre, L-ISA consultant, Julien Decarne at FoH, Christophe Rousseau on the monitors, and Melpomen’s teams for the B Live group, including Adrien Maupeu and Samuel Birais – a serene welcome despite the importance of a Parisian date with a live broadcast. Vlad gets the first questions, including on camera for SoundLightUp YouTube channel.
The genesis
SLU : Who had the idea and the desire to amplify the show with L-ISA?
Vlad (left) and Julien, a formidable team behind the creation of the technical infrastructure for Chris’ immersive tour.
Vladimir Coulibre : The idea to go beyond the left/right and localize the sound sources was already in our heads along with Julien (Decarne, FoH engineer for Chris) and when we started talking about Chris’ tour, we decided to present the L-ISA concept to everyone involved, the production, other technicians and, of course, Héloïse. The immersive concept has to be integrated into all of the departments and has to be integrated financially as well. This is why I went to see them in Saint-Omer and explained the technical and artistic aspects. SLU : But they didn’t get to hear it?
Vladimir Coulibre : No… first of all, we had to explain the artistic advantages but also the constraints. Once we had received a preliminary approval, we worked with Julien to determine the configuration, we budgeted it with Melpomen, proposed it to the production and got the okay.
Some details close to the floor, the mega system hung at Bercy. By Vlad’s own admission, very cozy.
SLU : What were the goals of the coverage and immersion for this show?
Vladimir Coulibre : Effectiveness and correlation to the live performance. This project is very similar to theater but with instruments and should sound like live.
SLU : What about alternating between dates with L-ISA and dates with a left/right system?
Vladimir Coulibre : We worked on the issue with Julien and decided to create the mix in the console in L/R and then recover the signals and recreate a L-ISA mix in the matrix. This ensured compatibility with the different rooms.
Here’s Vlad Coulibre in text and on camera. Watch him tell us about his work with Julien, along with some other very juicy technical details that won’t hurt. Click on the link below.
Let’s take a walk through the woods, while the decibels are there.
Let’s leave the office and head for the venue in Bercy, where both the tour teams and the teams involved in the live broadcast – the same evening – are busy.
A complete view of the Focus deployment, with seven arrays for the L-ISA front and two more arrays of K2 for the sides.
SLU : So there’s a lot of wood hanging up there…
Vladimir Coulibre : We have three arrays of 16 K2s for the Focus section and two arrays of 22 Karas each to complete the basic deployment of L-ISA, then we have two arrays of 14 K2s for the sides and, finally, two arrays of 18 Karas each for the Extended section. In the center, behind the center array of K2s, we have two clusters of 10 KS28s in a cardioid configuration. Since we lose energy in the bass near the stage due to the length of the cables and the cardioid configuration, we added a little bass on the floor with six KS28s, four of which are central and the other two at the two extremities of the stage. There is a smooth transition between the two levels of bass.
The mapping of the central K2s from 1 kHz to 10 kHz. A major advantage of a non-interfering configuration is that the treble can be easily thrown long.
SLU : Are you driving the subs on the floor less?
Vladimir Coulibre : No, they are at the same level as the flown set. As there are fewer elements and they are not close to each other, this bass reinforcement is surprisingly gentle.
SLU : How did you filter the system?
Vladimir Coulibre : All the heads are working in full range, which provides a lot of bass energy in Focus mode with the three arrays of K2, where everything that requires SPL is concentrated at the bottom. Even the Karas provide a foundation that allows them to transition well with the K2 outfills.The proximity between the center K2 array and the KS28s provides excellent coupling in the 30/60 Hz octave, since the KS28s are cut off beyond this. To complete the near-field deployment, there are four double sets of Kiva mono lip-fills and two sets of four Kara out-fills at the left and right of the stage.
The two-part thrust is actually more convenient to deploy in smaller rooms, by leaving one of the two halves on the truck.
SLU : Why are you using Karas for these reinforcements?
Vladimir Coulibre : We have a 16-meter thrust stage – two 8-meter elements – which incorporates a conveyer belt. We have a 16-meter thrust stage, two 8-meter elements, which includes a treadmill. In preparation for the Parisian dates and the broadcast, I tried to limit as much as possible the influence of the K2 on this thrust by making them come into play a little further out into the audience and compensating for this with a few Karas, to avoid harming the people at the front.
SLU : Why did you offset the catwalk, to lower the voice a little?
Vladimir Coulibre : No, this is a purely artistic choice and regardless of where it is placed, it doesn’t bother me. The bottom box strikes at ten meters out, so we just have to be careful after that. We worked with some shelving FIR filters and it works very well. Chris uses a Shure AD2 with a DPA d:facto capsule.
A graph explains everything much better than a long explanation. Here’s the attenuation at 30 meters and 8 kHz maximum. There is still another octave and a bunch of meters left, both being even more sensitive to dry air…. At 16 kHz and 95 metres away, still for 20% humidity, we reach in theory – 48 dB
SLU : In a large venue like the AHA (Paris AccorHotels Arena in three characters!) can you work without delays?
Vladimir Coulibre : It was out of the question to use any; with three 16-element arrays we have plenty of what we need, including for the most distant point which is 95 meters away. At the Tony Garnier Hall in Lyon with 3 x 12 K2 we were fine, we only suffered a little bit in Toulouse, where the heating system dries out the air too much and, at 20% humidity, the sound is not pleasant at all. The treble from 4 kHz upwards drops off rapidly. Fortunately, the arrival of the audience raised the humidity!
We take a walk around the room and get close to the stage. The absence of any scenery makes the small stacks of two Kivas, which are slightly higher than the surface of the stage front, very visible.
SLU : Given the number of lip-fills, I assume you are running those in mono. They are high…
Vladimir Coulibre : Yes. We could have done them in stereo but it’s not very interesting, so we take the mono downmix from the matrix. The height of the Kivas is necessary to fill the 10 meters in front of the stage, up to where the main system comes into play, with the lowest box peaking at 9.5 m.
The small stacks of two Kiva II elements each.
SLU : With 16 K2s, do you have sufficient energy to bring out the kick drum and bass, or do you take advantage of the other 32 boxes and send part of the signal to them?
Vladimir Coulibre : The three central arrays of the Focus deployment are 3.5 m apart, which means they are far enough apart to start giving an opening to the sound, but close enough to maintain coherence at the bottom of the spectrum. If you position your kick drum on the most central array and the subs, you get a certain pressure; if you need more, you open your kick onto two arrays and gain 6 dB. We do this on a few songs and there are no negative side effects.
A Soundvision mapping that simulates the performance between 40 Hz and 125 Hz of the central array of K2s, which shows that this box provides bass and that a line of 16 already generates a natural forward concentration of frequencies that are almost omnidirectional.
SLU : Are you still maintaining coherence as your kick comes from two arrays plus the subs? Is it as coherent as if you were working with a line+sub?
Vladimir Coulibre : No, but you still maintain coherence. What matters is knowing in advance how much contour you want to obtain. If you can confine bass-rich sources to only one of the three central arrays and achieve this contour, that’s ideal, but if you need a little more headroom, you can slide between two arrays and obtain a perfectly acceptable coherence. In tonight’s show the drums move so we follow them.
Another very interesting mapping that shows the effect of the forward cluster of ten KS28s, half of the 2 x 10 flown configuration. The distribution is remarkable and shows that the energy remains very significant even at nearly 100 meters. When the second column is added, the stage becomes very quiet. Finally, the placement of the subs very close to the central arrays of K2 eliminates almost all interference.
SLU : Have you chosen to place trackers on the artists so that they can be followed?
Vladimir Coulibre : No, that wasn’t asked of us, but it’s quite possible and provided for in the matrix. When you approach a project of this nature and of this scale, it is good to proceed gradually and to respect a very precise methodology. We started with Julien from a left/right and gradually we moved forward in baby steps day by day into L-ISA, to make sure we didn’t make mistakes, while keeping the full compatibility of the left/right for the dates that didn’t allow for the immersive deployment.
The positioning of source objects in relation to the audio diffusion. Not much depth and many of the sources that require SPL and contour are located right in the center.
SLU : Have you noticed any kind of enthusiasm for the immersive sound?
Vladimir Coulibre : Yes, but I decided not to rely on social networks, but rather on people who have experienced the show without specifically working in sound. For example, the ushers/stewards in the Geneva venue came to us to tell us how surprised they were by the sound, which they had never heard before. What usually comes out are two comments: that the voice is more intelligible and that people notice a different type of listening experience.
Julien in front of his S6L a few minutes before the start of the show.
Very good results despite an average LEQ15 level of 95 dBA and 106 dBC, which may seem very prudent but is sufficient. L-ISA is going to change the way we mix because, for example, we no longer have to push things through by force. The slightest deviation is audible, so we will have to learn to control and even listen to this different sound, for which we lack points of reference. We have talked a lot with Julien about these differences in perception.
At stage left there is always something going on!
We let Vlad get back to his 198 speakers including 76 K2s, 88 Karas, 26 KS28s and 8 Kiva IIs – child’s play, really – and we go in search of the power behind all this wood. A perfectly groomed cable drop reveals the presence of amps at stage-right, but especially at stage-left. Although we can now drive three K2s with each LA12X with serenity, we are still impressed by their number of LA-Rak IIs and SSE racks, as the entire system uses them. There are 63 amplified controllers in total, or 0.75 megawatts.
Sam Birais and, on the right, Adrien Maupeu in front of the SSE racks on the floor and the LA-Rak IIs on top of them, corresponding to the additional L-ISA arrays compared with the dates using only L/R.
This tour behind the stage allows us to chat with Adrien Maupeu, the chargé d’affaires, and Samuel Birais, the technical supervisor on this tour, both on behalf of Melpomen.
SLU : How are the two L-ISA matrices interfaced?
Samuel Birais : We have two MADI cards in Julien’s S6L for redundancy. All the Direct Outs of the console are duplicated and are transported on fibre to the two L-ISA matrices, which can receive this directly.
The rigorously redundant matrix configuration with, on top, the management of the streams and remote control from the console and, below these, the two L-ISA matrices and their MADI to AES converters.
Once the immersive signals are generated, they are fed into the RME 6432s that convert the MADI back to AES to drive the LA12Xs that have two separate A and B inputs. We could have used AVB but, for security, we opted for a more tried and tested solution.
SLU: Switching between the two configurations is done at the amplifiers….
Samuel Birais : Yes, you just have to choose between AB input or CD input. We take advantage of the four inputs of this controller. If we had had to use LA8, we would have been beaten.
Being at stage-left also gives us the opportunity to meet the monitor team, namely Amandine Charré, who is responsible for running the large Ableton setup, ProTools, as well as the stage, and Christophe Rousseau, who is mixing the monitors
Christophe and Amandine next to the S6L monitor console.
Amandine Charré : I am in charge of the Ableton system, which is remotely controlled by Chris’ music director, Bastien Doremus. I set up and monitor this workstation. We also record each concert every night in ProTools, using the AVB stream from the monitor console. SLU : Do you have the split at the stagebox?
Amandine Charré : Yes, we have 128 inputs, even if we don’t use them all and, in our case, a lot of outputs – 24 in all.
Christophe Rousseau : I’m doing 12 different mixes.
The Ableton system, on the left, is redundant thanks to a pair of Radial SW8s. The ProTools recording station is on the right, with its Mac Pro in a Sonnet rack.
SLU : Does having so many speakers above the stage make a difference?
Christophe Rousseau : Yes, it’s more enjoyable! We don’t have any back-wave, it’s super-clean. Compared to a left/right it’s less cluttered. More sources and less power, it is very good for us I even had to add bass to the drummer’s ears because it was lacking a little bit.
All the radio systems of the tour, with lots of Americans and one German. ;0) From top to bottom, you can see the Shure chargers, the dual AD4D receiver for Chris and its backup, a Sennheiser 3732 for talkbacks, the Shure combiner and 12 PSM1000 in-ear transmitters for the artists, technicians and production.
SLU : In this regard, what in-ears are you using with your PSM1000?
Christophe Rousseau : Variphone ES50. When I came onto this tour, everyone was already equipped, so I got a pair for myself to be able to listen in the same way.
SLU : How does the redundancy of the Ableton system work?
Amandine Charré : Using Radial SW8s. They have A and B inputs with a reference signal and a pre-set threshold. If our reference goes below the threshold, it switches automatically from one to the other. This is also the case now when there is no signal. SLU : And this relative abundance of cables…
Christophe Rousseau : … is due to tonight’s television feed (laughs).
The stage-right speaker cable drop. 20 KS28s, 46 K2s and 40 Karas. As Sam jokingly told us: “Next time we’re going to ask for a distro tech!”
Conclusion teasers
After spending a long day in the Arena, we got to listen to, and thoroughly appreciate, this unprecedented deployment of nearly 200 boxes. As the plots provided by Vlad show, the bass is extremely uniform, whether it comes from the cardioid arrangement of KS28s or from the three central arrays of K2s, and all of this works very well together, too.
Soundvision is growing year by year. The Target SPL, for example, is the chosen SPL coverage and is achieved, for example, by the splay angles between the enclosures, all of which is then refined using tools such as the FIR filters.
The transition between the immersive system and the K2 side hangs is really seamless. It flows very well smoothly without any change in color or density, even better than with the L-ISA Extended, where the transition of K2 into Kara makes for a very pleasant experience. The sonic image opens well with, inevitably, less width for the audience on the sides but nothing comparable to what a lowly L/R provides anywhere except at the console…. A stroll at the back of the room confirms the validity of Vlad’s choices, the treble still arrives, even if a little harsher. When the room is full we find, as it should be, even more coherence and precision. This is a very fine job of system design and implementation, which could be even more effectively exploited artistically in the future.
One of the highlights of the show: the raining down, in absolute silence, of a phenomenal quantity of white confetti that, nearly five months later, continues to fall out of our camera bags – and we don’t even want to think about the consoles…
Above and beyond L-ISA, we are on the verge of a profound transformation in amplified sound reproduction, which will force us to change our habits, encrusted as we are in the left/right and its soothing familiarity. Today, when we bring the faders up, we actually initiate the sound battle where the SPL is self-immolating, fueled by the quantities of wood on the ground and in the air. With immersive technology and L-ISA, we get caught plagiarizing the wonderful scene from Un idiot à Paris with Bernard Blier: “no more stereo, no more vacation for your fingers, no more interference…” The sound comes out with a new ease and coherence, but it doesn’t forgive very much. Without the mask of the interference of the dual mono, one finds colors, impact and a certain edge, undoubtedly related to the regained coherence.
Vlad and Julien fully concentrated. You could hear a grain of sand drop… well, almost.
The impression of “acoustic fullness” comes at least 3 dB lower and all sources gain a lot of detail, including the lead vocal, which is being rediscovered without the need to corset it in the dynamic chains of the past. From now on, we only hear the vocals. The dynamics can be more finely honed thanks to a much more smooth and analytical result. Mixing for immersive sound and mixing for left/right are two different acoustic and artistic approaches, and thinking that you can spread out the latter by substituting the matrix for the pan pot is not a viable way of going about it. You have to work with your sources and your dynamics differently.
So, what is true in classical music, where L-ISA has proved its worth and has finally brought air to that musical genre, the analysis and orchestral structure in 3D that the left/right is only clumsily sketching is still in its early days in pop. The 3-day L-ISA training courses, about which we have heard very positive comments, will also talk about mix, but it would be good if the audio academies were to take an interest in them very soon.
In the land of tomorrow’s sound, some goodies that remind us that good sound is made with what sounds good… even if it’s old or analog. “Especially”, some will say!
Now, all that remains is to find a satisfactory balance between the cost of a L-ISA system and the tangible contribution for the audience, whose difficulty in perceiving what seems so obvious to us must be highlighted. It will probably take more time to build the shows by designing more spatially defined sound, accompanying the singer and putting a touch of craziness into the performance, without losing the “centerpiece”, the distinctive characteristic of any concert.
This is probably the cost at which the audience will recognize and support the immersive sound they have come to appreciate and hear in the cinema for a long time. L-ISA, or any object-based system, will have to bring as much liberty and spontaneity to a show as the wireless systems have, even if it means adding a little bit more wood on the sides or at the back to never lose the sound/artist relationship in case the latter goes for a walk around the room. We would also like to have a K3 – “3” as in three drivers, which would allow it to exceed 110° without losing SPL at a distance and a Kara 2 with L-Fins and two drivers, for the same reasons. For immersive applications, 110° really is too narrow.
Anyway, while we are waiting for Santa Claus to pass through Marcoussis on his way to spoil us with a sleigh full of new enclosures, it is time for artists and their talented and well-trained technicians to make better use of today’s resources. One thing is certain: we’ve never found anything better than air to mix sound in.
Pedro Peixoto, who worked on this tour, passed away on May 30th. This report is dedicated to him. Some lasts words from the people who worked with him.
Pedro was a top guy ! Always positive, always calm, always Pro! The only fact to see him enter the room and say hello was already generating smiles on our faces! What a pleasure to work it was with him!!! He was also brilliant, rigorous and generous, humble, funny… All the Melpomen teams join his friends, family members and relatives to honour him. Let him rest in peace…
