Netherlands-based Fairlight and André Rieu Productions design lighting for 100-venue concert tour using MAC Encore Performance CLD and MAC Aura to meet the needs of live audiences, broadcast and cinema.
World-famous violinist and conductor André Rieu is known for his incredibly popular tours, visiting over 100 venues a year with his Johann Strauss orchestra. The tour has a huge opportunity to impress both live audiences and millions of viewers watching in cinemas and on DVD. This means that the lighting needs to be suitable for cameras recording the show for broadcast, DVD and the cinema, as well as the audience attending the performance.
It is important for the André Rieu Tour lighting be as compact, portable and low weight as possible to enable quick transitions between shows, supporting the tech crew as much as possible. The large number of performers in the orchestra need to be lit with a uniform field and dynamic effects to highlight different aspects of the performance, creating a great atmosphere for the audience.
To meet these goals, Maurice Verbeek, lighting designer at André Rieu productions, used lights including MAC Encore Performance CLD and MAC Aura, supplied by Netherlands-based Fairlight. The set is 100 % made up of intelligent lights and all moving lights are LED.
Mac Encore CLD fixtures under roof.
Martin MAC Encore CLDs are deployed as the orchestra’s key lights, offering ultimate size/weight/performance ratio. They are attached to pre-fabricated parts of the set, facilitating quick transitions between performances.
The cutting-edge LED technology’s advanced colour mixing is ideal for illuminating the orchestra, and flicker-free refresh rates ensure that cameras can capture top quality footage.
For the orchestra’s backlight, Verbeek created five chandeliers, each incorporating 16 MAC Auras. The chandeliers are on wheels and thanks to the Aura’s compact, low weight design, can travel as one piece in the tour truck, helping to ensure fast transitions between venues.
MAC Aura XBs under rain protections.
Super-bright MAC Aura XBs are used as side lights, hanging at both high and low levels at the side of the stage, providing 6000 Lumens output and rapid movement. For the tour’s outdoor events, such as Rieu’s annual Maastricht summer concerts, MAC Quantum Wash provide an impressive balance between colours and whites.
Features such as smooth CMY colour mixing make it possible to illuminate large areas of the orchestra, stage and surrounding buildings in colour, creating an atmospheric experience for the live audience and cinema viewers alike.
“The tour is getting better and better every year,” Maurice Verbeek says. “I personally think that we have the perfect tour set. I have the perfect products and the quickest, most silent and most flexible tour set. I’m really happy with it.” He adds “the technical crew who work with the gear, doing the loading and unloading, are also really happy with the set as it’s all on wheels and the Encore is really light.”
Verbeek’s experience has helped him to realise the importance of orchestra key lights. “I notice a big difference with the Encore. I’m convinced it’s got the perfect flat field and colour temperature,” he explains.
The pricing of the MAC Encore has also had an impact on the effects that Verbeek can create, enhancing the visual experience for the audience. “It’s made it possible for me to add more spots, so I can include more specific key lights,” he says.
The quality of the lighting fixtures means that all elements of the stage can be lit with the same intensity and brightness, so the performance can be captured by the cameras, ensuring a high-quality show for Rieu’s millions of viewers. Verbeek concludes: “Every year it looks better for broadcast, for DVD and for the cinema.”
IFGF Semarang is widely known for its lively, contemporary services. They recently built a new main campus in Semarang, Central Java, to better serve its dynamic weekly congregation of over 650 worshippers. As a result of a rigorous audition process, the main auditorium boasts a brand-new audio system built around the install-focused IS-Series from Adamson Systems Engineering, which was selected to enhance the church’s musically-rich services and maximize community engagement.
Adamson IS-Series audio system at IFGF Semarang, Indonesia.
IFGF Semarang administrators were clear from the outset that no expense would be spared in delivering a premium audio experience for its congregants. As such, they invited five manufacturers to demo their solutions in the previous auditorium. The IS-Series system, supplied by longtime Adamson Network partner Big Knob Audio, was the clear winner across the board.
Clarity and impact
“We heard the other four systems first, and none had the clarity or impact of the Adamson IS-Series,” says Dibya Krisnanda, IFGF Semarang’s Senior Engineer. “As soon as we heard it, we knew we’d found what we were looking for.” The system now installed in the church’s auditorium is comprised of left-right arrays of five IS7 two-way, full-range line array enclosures beneath a single IS118 subwoofer per side and an additional four E119 subs on the ground for extra low-end support.
“The ultra-compact IS7 cabinets pack a lot of SPL and sound like a much larger system, and the E119s are just a world apart from any other subwoofer on the market,” adds Krisnanda. “We can get the furniture literally shaking if we want to!”
Fully-operational system in a few days
(L-R) Ahmad Rafi’i, Big Knob Audio; Timo Wibianto, Big Knob Audio; Dibya Krisnanda, IFGF Semarang & Steve Widjaja, IFGF Semarang.
Thanks in large part to the IS-Series rigging hardware, which is specifically designed for permanent installations, the entire integration process from cabling to a fully-operational system took only a few days.
“The installation crews love the IS-Series because it is incredibly light considering its capabilities and goes up so easily,” offers Timo Wibianto, Senior Partner with Big Knob Audio. “It’s just a matter of following the instructions from Adamson’s Blueprint AV software regarding the angling and tilting. It’s as simple as that. We’re thrilled to welcome IFGF Semarang to our fast-growing Adamson family in Indonesia.”
Since moving into their new home, both clergy and congregants at IFGF Semarang have noticed a significant improvement in the clarity and quality of their services – especially the music ministry.
“This system is just so flexible,” concludes Steve Widjaja, one of the church’s audio department volunteers. “You want it loud? You’ll get loud. You want it musical? You’ll get musical. It’s so enjoyable to mix on this system. Regardless of what you throw at it, the Adamson IS-Series will deliver.”
The P3 PIX3L is a rather large industrial looking hexagon, dressed up in a shiny big reflector. It comprises 3 linear halogen bulbs positioned in star configuration behind a honeycomb-like grille. Each lighting source can be individually controlled thru DMX512-RDM and integrated dimmers. Adapted to its time, wireless control is available as an option, from Wireless Solution Sweden.
Originally delivered with a yoke, more hanging/mounting accessories can be supplied to assemble several items into spectacular frames or structures.
Detailed view of the rear plate with the XLR-5 DMX in/thru, the PowerCON mains input, and the display.
Mid-May sees the start of a brand new series of webinars from Yamaha, aimed at professional audio engineers, systems integrators and venue technicians. Taking a fresh and engaging new approach, each webinar will run twice to ensure that as many participants as possible from across Europe, the Americas, Russia, Africa and the Middle East can take part.
For many years Yamaha has been renowned for its training, helping tens of thousands of users in more than 50 countries worldwide to deliver the best audio experience to audiences. The new webinars form part of Yamaha’s new Audioversity training initiative, which ushers in an even more deeply involved era of education and training that will lead to increased satisfaction and confidence for customers, as well as trying to deliver a brighter future for the pro audio industry as a whole.
Yamaha product specialists Andy Cooper and Karl Christmas.
Hosted by Yamaha product specialists Andy Cooper and Karl Christmas – who are familiar faces to audio professionals across the globe – the new webinar series begins on Wednesday 15th May, with a session focusing on system design using CL and QL series digital mixing consoles. The series will continue at approximately monthly intervals and cover a wide range of pro-level topics aimed at the live production, hospitality, house of worship, corporate installation and broadcast markets.
Each webinar will take place at 10am and again at 5pm UK time*. For those who are unable to participate, they will be archived for later viewing. “With these Audioversity webinars we have taken a new look at what we offer,” says Atsushi Kitagawa, General Manager at Yamaha R&D Professional Audio (UK).
“We are making them more interactive, with Q&A sessions, as well as adding interviews and other useful content. “We want to engage with as many audio professionals around the world as possible and give our webinars much more of a face-to-face training feel. I believe that they will make a very positive difference throughout the professional sound market.”
Participants will need to register in advance for each webinar. For the 10am (UK time) session on 15th May please register here. For the 5pm (UK time) session on the same day please register here.
* UTC (or UTC+1 during periods of Daylight Saving Time). Please check the registration web site and your local time zone to confirm the start time in your location.
EchoTouch (image top) surrounded by several modules from the ETC Echo range.
For this 2019 Prolight+Sound edition in Frankfurt, the US brand comes to Europe with two new intelligent interfaces in its suitcase. The first one is dedicated to lift control for motors, and, last but not least, the second one is a touchscreen controller for architectural lighting.
QuickTouch Preset, is the birth name of this new intelligent box designed to control 24, or even 96 lifting points. This remote box can entirely be configured, and is unveiled as the most intuitve ever designed by ETC. It looks like a box with an integrated 7-inch touchscreen, an emergency button and a “Go” button.
The new QuickTouch Preset, here in version 8. This is the new lift interface, looking a bit like a central command.
The purpose of this interface is simple, making it easier for operators, especially those for whom lifting skills are limited. The multiple modes go from simple single motor control to the programming of complex movements via a bank of presets, editable at will in “administrator” mode. The so-called “administrator” can then create from scratch his own user interface and determine the possibilities which he wishes (or not!) to let the operators have access to.
This clever box thus integrates a lot of functions that can evolve via updates. Regarding the presets, there are 999 maximum, when the maximum number of 24 motor points can be increased to 96 by connecting one or more MCX nodes. This new unit is halfway between computerized motorized pole controller and more “classic” lifting controller. Note that this remote control is only compatible with ETC lifting systems.
In the same way of thinking, let’s have a deep look into the EchoTouch, an interface presented as a single touchscreen dedicated to architectural lighting and the global control of small or mid size rooms or working spaces. This system comprises in its main functions the control of the ETC Echo range (contact closure, power rewlay, interactive control thru presence detector, etc), both in control and data feedback. The icing on the cake comes thru the total control of all kinds of intelligent lighting fixtures via DMX/RDM and sACN.
The EchoTouch, touchscreen controller for various spaces and architectural ensembles.
This unit integrates , like in a standard lighting console, a fixture library comprising almost all the lighting fixtures on the market. Nevertheless, there should be confusion between a lighting console and the EchoTouch. The latter only has one DMX universe and 64 output channels, and its control features are more dedicated to Echo products and its EchoConnect protocol.
Its operation is very close to that of a small console: virtual buttons and faders, color picker, sequences editing… The graphical environment of the device is fully modifiable by the user who can thus determine and configure the functions he wants to display on the screen and, if he wishes, lock them.
More information on these new lifting control and architectural lighting on the ETC Website.
It has been 40 years since British rockers, Def Leppard, released their debut EP – and what a journey they have been on since. More than 100 million record sales, multi-platinum and even diamond-certified albums and, as of a few weeks ago, they are official Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. After recently completing an eight-month stadium tour, selling out a series of 45,000-seater ball parks, the band are preparing for their next stint across Europe and North America, which begins in June. Live engineers, Ronan McHugh and Ted Bible, are relying on DiGiCo consoles to get the job done.
Longstanding relationship
McHugh has had a longstanding relationship with Def Leppard, which started in the ’90s. “I went straight from school into Sun Studios in Dublin, and from there, got into the live side of the industry, just to keep working,” Ronan McHugh explains. “I went on to do a bit for Sanctuary Management in London in the ’90s with Kerbdog & The Almighty – in the studio and on the road. During recording with The Almighty I crossed paths with Def Leppard, and they’ve kept me busy in one way or another since then.”
McHugh has always found the band great to work with, as they are so grounded. “There’s no airs and graces with this band,” he smiles. “Some of the guys are more involved in the sound and the production than others, and they will come up with ideas or concepts for tours, but will ultimately allow the production team and crew to get on with it. At least until we screw something up!”
Ronan McHugh at FOH on Def Leppard tour.
McHugh has always been a FOH guy when it comes to live sound, and although he has worked on many consoles – analogue and digital – his go-to today is a DiGiCo SD5. “When I first mixed the band live, it was as fill-in for a Japanese tour, and I specified a Midas XL4 with a bunch of outboard. I finished the tour with a [Yamaha] PM5D at FOH, which made sense to me at the time, coming from the analogue world,” he says.
“But from that point on, DiGiCo have been stepping up their front end – firstly with the SD-Racks and consoles, and now with the new 32-bit cards. Now you have a console that both sounds great, and ergonomically just works.” McHugh cites the SD5’s versatility as one of its main USPs – being able to add rack after rack of I/O. “We have two maxed-out SD-Racks and an Orange Box, and you can pull any input anywhere at the click of a button,” he reveals. “On remote record sessions, it’s so easy to provide a MADI feed to the record truck, or they can have their own SD-Rack in the loop, and we can send them anything we want – from inputs, to stems, to FX, or a FOH mix. The options are brilliant.”
McHugh allocates several Snapshots to each song, and between them and his macros, he is able to really dial in his show. “You can do way more, way easier than you used to be able to,” he says. “On the show, I use DiGiCo’s reverb, pitch and delays from the console’s internal FX engine – and they work great for me. Using Snapshots, I can change the whole rack out; it’s literally like you have a limitless supply of FX.”
Bible says Def is the best ever
Ted is working monitors for this tour – though when he started out with Def Leppard, he was system engineer and crew chief. “After about six years, Ronan told me they were going to make a change at monitors and asked if I would like the job,” Ted Bible recalls. “At first I said no, as I considered myself a FOH guy, but after some convincing from Ro I decided to give it a shot. The band only had six weeks left on the tour, and were planning on taking the next year off; they said there was plenty of time to find a new guy… That was 10 years ago!”
According to Bible, who works for San Diego-based rental company Sound Image, Def Leppard are the best band he has ever worked for. “I wouldn’t be doing monitors if it wasn’t for them; they’re the most down to earth rock stars I’ve ever worked for, and I not only call them my bosses, but my friends, too. Joe [Elliott, frontman] even came to my wedding!”
Like McHugh, Bible is also working from a DiGiCo SD5. “I really like the console’s platform for monitors, as my guys came up in the analogue world, and they expect to hear a change as I reach towards the board, instantly. The SD5 gives the most amount of control on one level, making it very easy and quick to make those adjustments,” Bible reveals.
Great stage volume level, very clear sounds, and great control
Bible uses Snapshots on every song for mutes, fader control, and minor changes to mixes. He also utilises the internal FX from the console. What’s particularly interesting, however, is his backline workflow.
“Ronan and I both use the new 32-bit cards, and we are mostly digital on stage for backline – this makes the ear mixes very clean, and gives really great depth and width in the mix. The best part is that we take digital lines from both guitars and bass, and have just started to take drums via MADI and a DiGiCo Orange Box,” he enthuses. “This leaves only the front five vocal mics, and overheads, hi hats, and a ride mic. Everything else is direct and this makes for a great stage volume level, very clear sounds, and great control.”
Def Leppard toured from May until December in 2018, with a one-off show at The Royal Albert Hall in March. It has been a huge success so far, and there is plenty more to come this summer, as the band tours Europe, Canada, and the US, finishing off with 12 shows at Zappos Theater in Las Vegas.
Legendary rockers KISS launched their farewell “End of the Road” world tour in Vancouver in late January and use a multitude of Elation DARTZ 360™ effects as key visuals in the dynamic, multi-sensory show.
More than 40 years on and KISS can still draw a crowd anywhere in the world with their crowd-pleasing hits and, undoubtedly, elaborate live show. “It’s simple, four-on-the-floor, rock ‘n’ roll music with heavy guitar rifs,” said production designer Sooner Routhier of the music’s continuing appeal. “As far as lighting, it requires an old school light show with simple cuing that accents the music but isn’t overly embellished.” Routhier co-production designed the show with Robert Long, who has been with KISS in various roles for over 20 years. Associate designer/show director is Ashley Zapar.
Strip back the cuing
Routhier and Long, who have served as production designers for KISS since 2013, say that they and Michael Cooper originally programmed the “End of the Road” show “with a lot of complex cuing, heavily accented with just about every beat embellished with some sort of fancy timing.”
Routhier adds, “Once we saw the entire picture come together in rehearsals though, we realized that we needed to strip back the cuing to let the overall picture of the production shine through.”
Nineteen moveable video pods and pantographs
The result is classic KISS with the lighting complementing the band’s timeless on-stage theatrics and power-driven rock numbers. The setup is pure eye candy with 19 moveable video pods above the stage creating different shapes throughout the show while several pantographs with beam lights and strobes help create an industrial look. “Our main objective with lighting was to make a completely configurable lighting design package,” Routhier explains, adding that the design required “a smaller fixture that was very beamy and could provide quick movement throughout the stage.”
Narrow-beam DARTZ 360 LED moving heads with 3-degree aperture fulfill that speedy, tight beam requirement with 218 fixtures placed throughout the scenic and lighting trusses.
“We’ve positioned two sets of torms on stage right and stage left of the upstage video riser and loaded them with DARTZ,” Long explains. “DARTZ are also mounted end to end across the entire upstage structure and drum riser to provide a lighting element to the scenic. They help add background to the stage and widen the overall look.”
Iconic fire-breathing performance
KISS shows are filled with classic moments and perhaps none is more iconic than Gene Simmons’ fire-breathing performance.
Fulfilling a special role in the routine, DARTZ fixtures act as spinning red police beacons. “We tilt them into the scenic and use the fixture’s continuous pan movement to create the effect,” the designer says. “They do the exact same effect in the torms flanking the video wall.”
Lighting vendor for the “End of the Road” tour is Christie Lites, whose Martin Kelley has always provided top notch service, Robert Long (co-designer) says. “The lighting crew on KISS is incredible and talented. The gear is well maintained even though they have to combat pyro on a daily basis!”
KISS’s final tour ever?
“End of the Road” is likely KISS’s final tour ever and is getting glowing reviews as another iconic rock ‘n’ roll show from one of music’s vintage acts. The tour plays North American, European and Australian dates through the end of the year.
SIXTY82 is pleased to announce that it has recently appointed Audiosales s.r.l. as the new representative in Italy for its full trussing and staging product line. Audiosales will offer expert guidance on a wide range of possibilities, advising customers in Italy on the best SIXTY82 solution for their particular needs.
Stefano Rocchi, owner of Audiosales (left) and Date Jonkman, SIXTY82’s executive account manager (right).
As of today, the Italian customers can rely upon the qualities of a dedicated and enthusiastic team, to meet their requirements. With a strong technical background, they have the knowledge and experience to ensure their recommended solution will suit the customer’s needs.
Date Jonkman, SIXTY82’s executive account manager said, “We are delighted to be working with Audiosales. They have a well-established position in the market, and a strong team of experienced people. So we are very pleased they joined the SIXTY82 family.” Audiosales’ knowledge of the market will be invaluable in supporting SIXTY82 to provide the Italian customers on both academic and industrial levels with a service that is second to none. “SIXTY82 is a team composed of professionals that have contributed in a significant way to the development of the staging and trussing market in the recent decades. Their payoff “The New Original” describes in the best way who the people behind SIXTY82 are. They are furthermore providing versatility, knowledge, and innovation, like the new SIXTY82 RFIDtag,” says Stefano Rocchi, owner of Audiosales.
SIXTY82 stand at PROLIGHT+SOUND 2019, general view.
With headquarters in Drachten (NL), SIXTY82 has every component required to change the way that lightweight structural systems are used. With over 100 years of experience in the entertainment industry, the team of sixty82 is able to provide the growing demand for craftsmanship and technical know-how.
They are committed to the continuation of innovative means of improving product and service, driven by a passion for their craft, to ensure their customers can continue to build incredible stuff.
For those about to rock (or collapse) from deeeep Sensual Sound effects below 20 Hz, don’t miss Apocalypse Now Final Cut premieres on April 28 at the Tribeca Film Festival, complete with Sensual Sound deeeep effects provided by Meyer Sound with 12 VLFC and 6 1100-LFC.
Forty years after its original 1979 release, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s celebrated masterpiece of the Vietnam War era has been restored, remastered and re-released as Apocalypse Now Final Cut. For the first time, Coppola’s original intent for creating a visceral, deep low frequency impact has been fully realized with the introduction of Sensual Sound™, developed by American Zoetrope in partnership with Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. of Berkeley, California.
Under Coppola’s personal supervision, a team from his American Zoetrope production company remastered the film’s visuals in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision® from the original negatives, and also transferred the soundtrack to high-resolution 96 kHz digital for remixing and remastering in Dolby Atmos®.
The film’s original release garnered universal acclaim for its imaginative and evocative soundtrack, with the team headed by film sound innovator Walter Murch receiving the Academy Award for Best Sound Design. However, despite their groundbreaking efforts, the technical limitations of the day thwarted attempts to effectively emulate the powerful, corporeal force inherent in the sounds of modern warfare.
Two legends: John Meyer and Francis Ford Coppola.
“There were no films at the time with that kind of infrasonic, ultra-low frequency impact,” says Meyer Sound president and CEO John Meyer, who had founded his company only months before the film’s first release. “You had to get those frequencies on the soundtrack first, and then you had to reproduce them with loudspeakers.
None of that was happening in 1979. But what we have in this new version with Sensual Sound is deeper and more powerful because the technology has vastly improved. This really is a breakthrough.”
Sensual Sound is implemented in both the post-production of the soundtrack and in the film’s exhibition using Meyer Sound’s VLFC very low frequency control element. Unlike conventional subwoofers that roll off at the threshold of hearing (about 20Hz), the VLFC bridges across this threshold to deliver infrasonic response down to 13 Hz. All very low frequency sounds are bolstered by a corporeal sensation of physical force.
“When you sense those extreme low frequency sounds, immediately hormones are secreted into your bloodstream that tell you ‘get the hell out of here fast’ or ‘freeze and play dead,'” explains Coppola. “When you see the B-52 strikes in this new version, you feel them and then you hear them. It’s the difference between just hearing something and being inside a room that’s shaking. You get scared when the room is shaking.”
Sensual Sound heightens the filmgoer’s perceptions at key points, Coppola continues. “Also, during the helicopter attack, the entire Wagner Valkyrie section, at various points in this sequence the new sound capability that John has given us is used to great effect.”
Meyer Sound VLFC very low frequency control element.
Sensual Sound will make its public debut when Apocalypse Now Final Cut premieres on April 28 at the Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T.
The complete Meyer Sound loudspeaker system installed at New York’s Beacon Theatre will be augmented with 12 VLFC elements in addition to the six 1100-LFC elements that cover the lowest octaves of the audible range.
Enhancing the realism of cinema sound has been a lifelong passion for John Meyer, and his relationship with Coppola’s production company extends back to 1979 when a member of the American Zoetrope sound team asked Meyer Sound to leverage the best technology of the time in an attempt to achieve Coppola’s desired visceral impact. The result was the 650 subwoofer, one of the company’s first products, used for limited Bay Area showings of the film.
Pete Horner, Skywalker Sound Re-Recording Engineer.
“Those first 650 subwoofers for Apocalypse Now helped put our new company on the map and elevated our reputation in the industry,” notes Helen Meyer, the company’s co-founder and executive vice president. “And it’s exciting that, 40 years later, our new technology has again enhanced the film, and that Francis is so enthusiastic about it.
The fact that our technology has evolved to this point is a hallmark of what we do. We are never satisfied with one level of product performance. We continually work to make it even better.” Shortly after the remastering project was launched, Meyer Sound was again brought on board, and John Meyer started rethinking the possibilities in light of new technologies.
“I had been watching the film with the original soundtrack, which only went down to 30 Hz, and I really felt it needed to go deeper,” he recalls. “If you ever are around guns, even at a shooting range with only handguns, the sound hits your body with a powerful feeling. We weren’t getting that.
Colin Guthrie and John Meyer. No info about the additional mixing assistant on Colin’s knees.
Francis agreed to come over to our theater in Berkeley to hear our new technology, and we demonstrated how this effect would add a new dimension to his film. He agreed this was the path to take, and that’s how we got started on the partnership for this re-release.”
Much of the initial work on sound editing and infrasonic enhancement was carried out at Coppola’s own private post-production facility in the Napa Valley, where the studios are fully equipped with Meyer Sound cinema systems.
For this project, the mixing suite was further equipped with two VLFC elements. The final Atmos mix was finished at Dolby Studios in San Francisco, here again with low frequencies extended into the infrasonic realm with a VLFC pair.
For the Beacon Theatre premiere, the full Meyer Sound system will comprise — in addition to the low frequency elements already mentioned — front LCR screen systems of 10 each LEOPARD™ line array loudspeakers and surround systems with UPA-1P, UPJ-1P and M1D loudspeakers.
Specifically designed for the precise lighting of TV sound-stages, and for lighting live and recorded concert video, T1 is the Czech manufacturer’s latest little gem. It was developed according to the recommendations and specific requests of directors of photography.
On the agenda, a 5-color LED engine, a framing module and new options for direct access to colorimetry that are already unanimously acclaimed by directors of photography! T1 stands out in its class for its source that uses LEDs of multiple colors, five to be precise.
A balance of red, green, blue, amber and “lime”, managed natively, permits the creation of all possible colors in additive synthesis, but also provides very special colorimetric characteristics that guarantee color rendering.
Robe has placed particular emphasis on CRI, in order to allow the television lighting designer to obtain light that meets his precise needs, without having to resort to any kind of tricks. Indeed, T1 delivers a light with a CRI that can be adjusted from 77 to about 90 by simply adjusting a DMX channel. The light is stable. With all LEDs fully powered in white, the flux stabilizes in less than five minutes. In the two most extended control modes, the supply frequency of the LED sources is finely adjustable from 300 Hz to 2400 Hz. Two DMX channels are assigned to a proportional and active “minus green” correction.
In short, if you have light that flickers in the cameras, or if you reveal an abominable color with the T1, it’s because it’s an effect you want to achieve… but you really have to do it on purpose to screw it up… No other fixture we know of has such an easily accessible set of tools.
The construction of T1
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The construction of the unit is in line with the standards of the great classics of Robe. The sleek and elegant design is reminiscent of the brand’s other models. T1 is compact and well balanced. It weighs less than 25 kg and is easily moved thanks to the two handles on its base.
The business end of the T1 with its optional filter holder.
The beautiful piece of optics that constitutes the output lens is surprisingly equipped with a filter holder, an optional accessory not very common on a motorized unit, especially for a model supposed to offer multiple and abundant capabilities in the difficult pursuit to satisfy the most demanding directors of photography… In any case, this filter holder will certainly reassure some veterans who swear only by their specific frosts or their super-secret tricks.
The very small and slender base features the connection panel on one side, while the menu display – with its four function keys and a USB port for updating the fixture’s software – is on the other side. The underside of the base is equipped with the points for fixing the omega brackets, and the attachment point for the safety cable.
The connection panel.
The display, its control keys and the USB port for updating the software.
Everything, or almost everything, can be disassembled using a Phillips screwdriver. The two large cowlings that enclose the head are removed by turning two captive quarter-turn screws. An interesting detail is that the inside of the front-end of the head, which houses the effects, is almost hermetically sealed against any intrusion. No grilles, no ventilation point with or without filters: this entire section is not exposed to any fans – all of those are designed exclusively to cool the rear of the LED module. This reduces the infiltration of dust into the lenses and effect modules. Before we even talk about maintenance, we already know that it will be much less than on other units, and that’s a very positive point.
The unit “emptied” of its modules.
The unit “filled” with its modules.
As television studios in France (and sometimes elsewhere!) are surprisingly and almost exclusively attached to disastrous oil-based haze machines, the vendors who supply television productions know how much the equipment comes back dripping with oil on the inside. T1 therefore offers a serious advantage in terms of maintenance, which will probably be minimized.
The output of source compartment. Here you can see the dimpled optics that guide the light.
The rear section is occupied by the LED source module. They are mounted on three inner sides of the cuboid-shaped lamp box and direct their flux through dichroic slides arranged in a cross. The mixture of light at the output is then collimated by a honeycomb lens that channels the flux to the head and its effects.
The rear of the source compartment, with cooling system for the LED sources.
Large heat sinks are traversed by a beautiful network of heat pipes surrounding the source compartment. Two fans drive the fresh air to the heat sinks and two others, on the other side, draw out the hot air.
The three modules – one for the gobos, one for the framing blades and iris, and one for the zoom/focus, frosts and prisms – can all be removed quite easily. They are installed in slots, like cards.
The magnetic interchangeable frost.
Each module is secured by two captive screws and coupled to the electronics by small connectors, except for the framing module, which gets special treatment because it is also connected by two wires on a screw terminal block! This is the sort of unindustrialized solution that can be found when testing a prototype unit.
There is no color module in the head, since, as you know, we are dealing with LEDs and the color is managed at the source. This has some mechanical advantages, such as avoiding the complex and heavy CMY and color wheel mechanisms.
The module with the gobo wheel and effects wheel.
The module placed at the output of the source compartment contains the animation wheel and a wheel with seven rotating glass gobos. These gobos can be easily removed using a small clip at the bottom of the cylinder. This module also incorporates a small lens that is precisely adjusted at the factory to align the beam.
The gobos in on their clip-on mounts.
The gobos are on small removable cylinders that are just clipped around the cogwheel, which holds them in place. Therefore, it’s easy to remove and substitute one, and replace the system in its housing on the wheel, without disassembling the head.
The framing module.
Next comes the iris/framing module, with its ingenious connecting rods. It is like the one found on various products of this brand, and its versatility is well known. The iris, with its fifteen blades, completes the system at the heart of the framing module.
The module at the front includes zoom and focus, as well as the frosts and prism. It bears mentioning the care taken with certain details, such as some hardware elements or aluminum rods covered with black felt to avoid any undesirable reflections.
The motorized arms of the frost filters and of the six-facet prism have been mounted directly on the moving optical elements and can therefore be inserted into the beam, regardless of their position along the optical path. No more of the compromises that we sometimes have to make in order to obtain a particular effect at different zoom angles. No mechanical conflict is possible here. It always works. The prism rotates thanks to a small remote motor that drives it via a belt.
The focus/zoom/frost/prism module.
The two frosts are equivalent to a Rosco 132 and 119. The 119 is easily interchangeable because it is simply fixed magnetically, with other frosts supplied as options by Robe. All the elements of this module (zoom lenses, focus, frost, prisms…) are so accessible that there will probably be no need to remove it to perform the usual cleaning during regular maintenance. The design is really well done.
In the arms of Robe
The yoke arms can also be easily disassembled by means of a few captive screws. This reveals on one side the tilt actuator with its belt drive and its tension adjustment that uses a pulley on a spring-loaded element, and the motor located at the bottom of the yoke. A retainer plate would need to be removed in case the belt ever needs replacing. The other arm of the yoke contains the wiring conduit from the base to the head.
The base and power supply
The base is very compact and densely packed. It houses two very specific power supplies: one for LED sources, and one for motors. The display is a touchscreen, but it can also be controlled by four keys. It is powered by batteries, which allows the machine to be configured without a mains supply.
The menu: classic and efficient control
The menu is straightforward and simple to navigate. The “Addressing” page allows you to configure the fixture, starting with the simple DMX address in the three available operating modes. It is also possible to configure and assign the various other possible control modes: ArtNet, sACN, MA-Net.
In the “Info” menu, you can access information on the status of the unit, the total number of operating hours, the total number of operating hours of the LED module, the temperature status of the latter (PCB by PCB, to be precise!), the various maintenance reminders, etc…
The “Personality” menu allows you to define the different operating options of the T1. Here you can configure the dimmer curves, the tungsten lamp simulation mode (six curves, one with immediate response, and 5 simulating a filament lamp, ranging from 750 W to 2.5 kW), the selection of the color mixing mode (RGB, CMY or chromatic), the pan and tilt inversions, the normal or “theatre” mode which manages the noise with a drastic reduction in the ventilation, etc. In short, it’s a very complete menu. Not to mention that many functions are remotely adjustable, even without RDM, just using the sixth DMX channel, “Special Function”.
And what about the light?
To allow for the luminous flux to stabilize, we start with derating. With all the LEDs on at full power, we measure the illuminance value at the centre of the beam with the fixture cold, T0, then at 30 seconds, which is the maximum reference value, and then every five minutes until the illuminance has stabilized. From this, we deduce the stabilization time of the luminous flux as well as its minimum value when hot. T1 stabilizes in less than five minutes, with 9% attenuation.
Measurements at the tightest sharp-focus beam angle
With the fixture positioned 5 meters from the target, we measure an angle of 8.9°. The illuminance in the center, after derating, reaches 21,520 lux (23,220 lux cold). The calculated flux is 9,080 lumens (10,000 lm cold).
Measurements – 20° beam
At an angle of 20°, our reference value, we measure (4,480 lux cold) at the centre 4,100 lux hot, and after our calculations we obtain a flux of 8,710 lm (9,520 lm cold).
Measurements at the widest sharp-focus beam angle
The widest sharp-focus beam corresponds to an angle of 48°. At the center we measure an illuminance of 753 lux (825 lx cold), from which we calculate a flux of 8,913 lm (9,740 lm cold). T1 emits a very respectable luminous flux. Focused on its ability to adapt to the requirements of video or television production, this fixture provides impeccable light, highly flexible and reliable CRI management, accurate and foolproof color temperature management, and a high level of versatility. The overall balance is really very appealing, as the flux is essentially the same over the entire zoom range.
The zoom T1 is reported by the manufacturer to have a range from 10° to 45°. We measure it as having a range from 9°, at the narrowest sharp-focus angle, to 48° at the widest. This zoom is quick and accurate; we like it. The beam is very uniform, the light distribution has been remarkably well crafted.
The zoom range from the tightest to the widest sharp beam
As for the focus, there’s nothing to complain about. The sharpness is perfect, the effects are in focus over the majority of the zoom range and over a very useful and reasonable distance. Whether on the gobo/animation wheel, or even with the prism inserted, all is good.
The T1 beam with different apertures, from the iris to the wide zoom.
Le dimmer The dimmer function acts directly on the power of the LEDs. We have plotted the “square” curve, which is the most commonly used. It is splendid, regular and smooth.
The “Square” dimmer curve from 0 to 100%.
The “Square” dimmer curve from 0 to 10%.
As with the DL7S, it is also possible to configure the unit so that the response of the sources simulates the inertia of the filament of different halogen lamps (750 W, 1 kW, 1.2 kW, 2 kW and 2.5 kW), whose characteristics are emulated well enough to fool a theatrical lighting designer!
We arrive at “the heart of the matter”: the colors
As previously mentioned, T1 has three operating modes. The first two modes, with 49 and 33 channels, can manage colors in CMY or RGB. Mode 1 is simply more extensive than mode 2, with additional fine control channels, some of which are doubled for 16-bit control. The third, 53-channel mode is quite similar to the first one, except that it manages the colors differently, providing access to each native color of the T1. I consider this a “laboratory” type of complete-access mode, but it does not do much for the lighting designer in terms of programming in the field. The first two modes also allow you to fully exploit the capabilities of the fixture and, in the end, that’s what will count 90% of the time.
The colors are very nice, they are rich and saturated for pure colors, and all intermediate hues are beautiful too. The CTO whites are remarkable, and the balance of the sources allows all possible and imaginable shades of pastels.
Les couleurs natives du T1
Robe also includes its “data swatch” system (only in extended modes) which allows you to select 237 of the most used colors on one channel (and if the library is well done on the console, it’s easier!). These are standard reference colors and this feature will save you time when you need to pull them up to satisfy the director of photography. If you are asked to produce a 120 or 204, there is no need to fiddle around and submit your own recipe to then be validated or modified. You can call up the color directly from the palette. Moreover, they seem to correspond quite precisely. If we take into account the stability of the T1’s light, it is likely that in this case, what has always been a more or less precise gadget will, in fact, be a real reliable tool. Because the CTO is electronically controlled and is independent of the choice of color – here again, no surprise – it’s great!
The variable CTO
We should also add that some LED luminaires sometimes show slight irregularities in the beam when viewed frontally in mid-air, depending on the zoom settings. Here, since the colors are managed directly from the sources and the optics really hold the line, the beam is uniform – regardless of the zoom aperture and regardless of the position of the focus lens. There are no different tints of color at the edges. It’s precise and sharp. This brings us to the directly accessible settings that will instantly appeal to photography directors. On two DMX channels it is possible to control the color temperature in a remarkably linear manner, starting from any given state of the light. On another channel, it is possible to simply assign a CRI value between 70 and 90, from 0 to 100%.
If you are used to having the imaging people in the intercom, you can give them full satisfaction in a few seconds, instantly providing them with what they are asking for. And these parameters are immediately applicable to all the light characteristics of the fixture, because the electronics are taking these data into account no matter what else is being done to the beam, including any color change. Very impressi
The gobos
The seven gobos rotate and are indexable. The choice of these designs suggests that they have been studied mainly for attractive projections because, in terms of aerials, they all provide practically the same “breakup”, be it more or less subtle…
The gobos
The animation wheel, with its striations oriented at 90° to each other, is remarkably well designed and offers a veritable eighth gobo.
The animation wheel
The aerial effects of the gobos
The six-facet prism provides impressive projections. Several units projecting on a backdrop, a cyclorama or on scenery, with the prism, can create broad and ample textures.
The prism
The frosts allow you to blur the beam either slightly or heavily. As usual, mixing the two does not seem to contribute much, but it is possible!
The standard frosts on a gobo
The iris, apart from its ability to sculpt the beam, can provide very dynamic effects. It is very fast and is a real asset for creating effects with the T1.
Versatile framing.
The framing module is based on the one in the DL7S, which is quite outstanding. An interesting modification, however, is that here the blades are inserted “straight” into the beam. Usually, on framing modules, the blades enter the beam at an angle, and the whole module must be rotated to see a “square” (and not a diamond/lozenge, if you start from a straight position, such as that of a key light for example). In the T1, the module is directly aligned to obtain a window perpendicular to the axes of the head, and the range of rotation is 60° in either direction (120° in all).
Some framing effects.
The precision is high, the blades move fast – very fast, in fact – and can be used both for effects and for cutting out areas of the field. However, there is no channel with framing effect macros. That’s a pity. As with all total closure systems, absolute sharpness is not attainable on all the blades, but it can at least be very similar on the opposing blades.
The movements
Not surprisingly, the fixture responds well to all movement commands. For a creature of this size, its movements can be quite brisk and can ensure rapid changes in position. The slow movements are clean and smooth, without any jerks. Robe reports that the T1 is equipped with its EMS “Electronic Motion Stabilizer” system, which compensates for any disturbance in the movements.
Conclusion
The T1 is a very fine fixture with color and light characteristics that should be unanimously appreciated by directors of photography and imaging people in television and video capture. The genuine innovations introduced in the management of colorimetry and CRI are significant advantages that, to our knowledge, put the T1 in a completely unique position. This flexibility in adapting to video shooting conditions means that this fixture will save an enormous amount of time in these applications, where the requirements are becoming more and more specific.
Lighting for the International singing competition The X Factor series was entrusted to Nexos Lighting & Video who worked together with the rigging and technical team. LD Anton Borg Olivier joined the team to work on the live broadcast finals, helping to manage the increased TV lighting requirements and deliver that extra kick to the show.
Nexos Lighting & Video supplied 22 x Claypaky Mythos 2, 14 x SuperSharpy, 18 x A.leda B-EYE K20 and 16 Claypaky Sharpy for the duration of the series, with an additional eight Alpha Wash included for the final show. “The Claypaky fixtures were the backbone of the lighting rig,” says Light Designer Anton Borg Olivier. “Claypaky fixtures were chosen for their rich colours, power and reliability.”
It was imperative that the design team used fixtures with a high output and high CRI to stand out against the 40m x 8m video wall. “The Mythos 2 impressed us with the richness of the colours, power of the beam and the fixture’s flexibility,” says Olivier. “The versatile characteristics of the luminaire allowed me to change from colour to white lighting to suit the TV cameras easily during the show.”
The versatility of the fixture is underpinned by its 4-50˚ zoom range and a fixed ‘pipe’ effect of 2.5˚. “We used the Mythos 2 for spot moving heads with gobos, as well as effects beams with impressive aerial throws,” says Olivier.
Rigged around the top video wall over the stage, the SuperSharpy fixtures created a variety of overhead beam looks. “The SuperSharpy’s wide but parallel beam is what really sets it apart. It provided us with extra punch for effects, with the added bonus of great colour mixing and movement abilities,” concludes Olivier.
The SuperSharpy has a 0-4˚ adjustable beam angle, with a mechanical shutter and an adjustable speed strobe effect.
Olivier used the versatile 4-60˚ zoom range of the B-EYEs to create powerful and uniform washes across to precisely light the audience suitable for live television. International singing competition The X Factor made its debut in Malta and quickly broke a longstanding record to become the most viewed programme on Television Malta.
As winner of The X Factor Malta, Michela Pace secured a record deal with Sony Music Italy and will represent Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
John Monitto on the Meyersound stand at ISE Amsterdam.
There we go! Even though the hair gets whiter and rare on the company founders’heads, the ideas budge and the future is nowadays knocking on Meyersound’s door. Two models were launched at ISE Amsterdam, and will be fully available in some months, the ULTRA-X40 and the UPQ, now called the UPQ-Dx. D stands for Digital, thanks!
We don’t assert that Meyer has denied the future and the digital, but he has confined them during a long time down to earth into his processors, with good old AB/H class for wooden enclosures, big toroidal trannies and their top-notch condensers, and analog filters and protections. It’s all over now, and you’ll quickly understand that we’re far from over with the bearded Berkeley tribe!
We benefited from the presence of John Monitto on the Meyer stand, a Meyer old timer now Business Development and Sales Manager Director, and questioned him about these two newbies, and of course did the « what’s cookin’ Doc ? » routine to the R&D guys. Hurrah, we got a little bit more than a smile ;0)
The rear plate of the ULTRA-40X, the heatsink is long but hardly embossed, this shows the number of calories to dissipate has gone down in Meyer products also.
SLU : What’s really new inside the ULTRA-X40 electronics? We still see the good old analog inputs on the rear plate…
John Monitto : Most of our new products, the 750-LFC, the Lina, the Leopard, the 900-LFC, comprise D-Class amplifier modules. This simplifies the amps and make them more lightweight, and we can obtain impressive peaks and massive continuous power without excessive heat. This reduces electrical consumption, increases the efficiency, and mostly the standby current is extremely reduced which is necessary to avoid energy waste.
Our customers also congratulated us for the quality of the sound, while others asked us to build new models, or at least, to bring this new technology also to the Point Source ranges; there I think in particular of the Broadway sound designers.
SLU : How come you’re turning that strong to digital, whereas for the LEO-M launch, you only swore by analog in your models? Apart from the Mina…
John Monitto : That’s true regarding the Mina (smile) and the MM-4. This model was our first D-Class amplifier, even before the Mina.
SLU : But the Digital is everywhere now. LYON has a little bit of Galileo instead of the analog filters and protections of the LEO…
John Monitto : This is true as well. We did it! (laughs)
SLU : Do the D-Class amplifiers come from your own R&D, are they manufactured by you, for you, or just taken from one’s shelf?
John Monitto : No, we don’t buy them from a third party, they come from our own R&D dept. and built specifically for us. We made a great deal of work with a brilliant team who’s now working to fit each new product with this technology. This hard work is now rewarded, as this loudspeaker is now very popular on the market, and I’m talking about the Leopard.
A close view of the rear plate of the ULTRA-X40 and its analog input and thru connector to cascade other units. Don’t you dream of unscrewing it and replacing it with the “DATA” stamped 2-XLR model?
SLU : But how come, as you’re ahead of the competition with AVB, and you have Class-D amp and digital processing, you don’t offer an AVB input as well on the rear plate of your models? Now you can.
John Monitto : This is a great question (smile), why not… And maybe we’ll do, that’s all I can say. Do we have this kind of product right now, answer is no, do we have the ressources to do it, the answer is yes. Are we gonna do?
SLU : But, as you’re listening to the market, if it ever asks for… (laughs)
John Monitto : We have to be careful with digital inputs on active speakers, as the latency has to be the same on every unit, hasn’t it? The AVB and the Milan are synchronous networks, so no reason why it shouldn’t work. (laughs)
The new products
SLU : Let’s see the new products you’re launching, with their nice analog input! (laughs)
The UPQ-D1 with its two top/bottom aluminium plates for hanging purposes. The new flat driver takes place, as requested, on the back plate. The dimensions are the same as the old model.
John Monitto : Here, we have the UPQ-D. It is an UPQ where the amplifier module has been changed into Class-D from now on, and the processing, filtering, EQ, protection and phase control are all now digital. This new module provides 6.5 kg less weight.
Another news, the UPQ will be available in three versions, and not only in two versions as before. This means we’ll get a version of 80° x 50° UPQ-D1, the 50° x 50° UPQ-D2, and a brand new 80° x 80° model named UPQ-D3, ready to seduce theatres asking for this type of model (very close to the good old coaxial models very popular in french theatres… – Editor’s note). Nothing changes much in external size and hanging points, which allows existing users to keep the same inventory of accessories. The transducers are the same, with the Neodymium 15” and the 4” driver, all manufactured in Berkeley by Meyer.
The new 2-channel amplifier delivers 1,800 watts peak. The new digital processor improves the frequency response, now 53 Hz to 19 kHz with ±45° phase between 80 Hz and 18 kHz. The Max SPL measured in free-field at 4 meters (recalculated at 1 meter) with our M-Noise(read here to know it all about the M-Noise) reaches 133 dB.
We have to specify that the size difference between the modules and the differences between the enclosures make it impossible to equip old loudspeaker models with new amp modules. These three new models will be available at the beginning of summer, with a price more competitive than the old models, and will be compatible once latency duly adjusted.
The ULTRA-X40 without its front grille. Note the slightly asymmetrical assembly of the 3 transducers, for more space for the unique port. Two engraved figures tell the horn diffusing angle and its orientation. Here, 110° horizontal x 50° vertical.
SLU : Where does the ULTRA-X40 design come from?
John Monitto : From the Lina, with concentric mounting, here it is Point Source with specific waveguide, 100° x 50° or 60° x 50° in a second model, 1/4 turn rotatable. It is impossible to go beyond, otherwise the cables would mess up (smile).
SLU : This is a new type of Point Source model issued from a Line Array, we’ve seen it from other manufacturers, but not from you…
John Monitto : That’s true, but there are a lot of advantages and we hope to have the same success with this model than we had with the former UPA-1P.
The ULTRA-X40 in glamorous finish… Slightly transparent…
This loudspeaker comprises two Neodymium and has two 8” transducers and a 3” driver with constant directivity waveguide. They’re all driven by three distinct amplifiers delivering 1.950 W Peak (apparently the same as in the Lina – Ed.). The frequency response is 60 Hz to 18 kH, and with M-Noise we reach a Max SPL of 130.5 dB. Thanks to the enclosed digital processor alongside the amps, the phase stays between the limits of ±45° from 100 Hz to 16 kHz. The weight doesn’t exceed 25 kg! (smile). There are a lot of hanging points for fixed installation or a handle for the mobile version, all this will be available at the same time than other specific accessories, with the first models beginning of summer.
SLU : So there will be two directivities?
John Monitto : Yes. The X40 will be 110° x 50° and there will be a 60° x 50° named X42 .
Last but not least, let’s mention the new Meyer 2-channel power supply MPS-482HP, compliant to the IntelligentDC format.
The rear plate of the MPS-482HP, delivering much more info than the front plate with only a handful of LED indicators!
It will complement the 8-channel MPS-488HP when you don’t have that many 48 V/balanced analog loudspeakers.
Of course we’ll make the seat of our local Meyer distributor to get a chance to listen to these new units, once available, and then let you know, dear readers, our most complete impressions.
Once again brilliantly backed by the colourful light-show designed by Stéphane Migné, Ayrton was putting an emphasis on their complete Spot and Wash moving head luminaires range. The units taking part in the show are the champions of a certain lighting quality, as well as the flagships of an almost futuristic design, new Ayrton credo since the launch of its Profile and Wash Luminaire series, with Ghibli heading the game.
The complete Ayrton team at the opening of Prolight+Sound. From left to right : Rémi Derruau (Product Manager), Christopher Ferrante (CEO), Cyril Union (Electronic Design Engineer), Michael Althaus (Global Sales Director), Yvan Péard (CTO), Roger Li (Key Account Manager) Simon Gasch (International Sales), Marilyn Hordesseaux, Zane Cretten (International Sales), Jorg Sieper (Germany Sales), Markus Kowalewsky (Germany Technical Support), Linnea Ljungmark (International Sales), Lance Liu (Industrial Engineer), Jean Nguyen (Marketing Manager), Jerad Garza (International Sales), Sandra Valentin (Inside sales), Evgenii Kamenskii (Russia Sales), Axel Schwakenberg (Germany Marketing), Henrik Frevert (Germany Sales), Vincent Billard (Director of Customer Service).
After last autumn launch of its two spearheads, the Khamsin Profile and the Bora Hybrid Wash, two newbies now complement this windy series, in more compact versions, the Diablo and Levante. We also enjoyed a preview of a monster of power and precision named Huracán-X, with a light output exceeding new records, and the first Ayrton IP65 Profile, the Perseo-S. Both will be reviewed here very soon.
Complementing the Merak and Mistral, the Diablo and Levante are their more compact variations, 300 watts LED engine and 22 kg versions of Khamsin and Bora. Both are available in two different LED modules, “S” and “TC”. That gives 4 different models, all looking exactly the same from the outside. The “S” versions have a LED engine of 300 W providing 26,500 lumens @ 8000K, and delivering an output of a little less than 20,000 lumens @ 6500K with a CRI of 70+. Fitted with the “TC” LED module, they give 20,500 lumens @ 7000K at start and 14,000 lumens output @ 5700K, but with a CRI of 90.
The “TC” models are therefore designed for precise and demanding applications, such as TV sets or Operas, whereas the extra power boost of the “S” versions would comply very well with the requirements of events and concerts. These two units, very complementary indeed, are full of rich effects and equipped with an impressive optical system, comprising no less than 13 lenses.
Adepts of the same minimalist smooth design….
… the Ayrton projectors can only be distinguished by their logo, now.
The Diablo is a Profile equipped with a 7 HD glass rotating gobos wheel, the “sparkle” effect of the twinkling LED module, a 5-facet prism, an iris, an animation wheel, a framing module with 4 totally inserting blades, a Frost, a CMY color mixing, a variable CTO and a wheel of 7 complementary colors. Its wide zoom range, from 6.7° to 53°, delivers a nice beam through its 119 mm diameter frontal lens.
The Levante Wash Beam also boards 7 rotating gobos wheel, more basic but very efficient, the “sparkle” effect, an iris, 4 internal blades with full excursion, a linear Frost, and the same color generation system. What’s specific to the Levante is a clear 138 mm diameter frontal lens, clearly showing its Wash and Beam hybrid ambitions. Its zoom has a larger range as well, from 6.3° to 58°. Both use the advanced liquid phase changes and linear heatsink cooling technology, which guarantees a maximum efficiency and a silent cooling. They are DMX-RDM compatible, and Lumen Radio compatible as well with their integrated wireless receiver.
Their production has started already, to manage the first orders already taken from all Ayrton distributors worldwide.
RCF has really spoiled us for the 2019 edition of PL + S with two systems ready for outdoor listening under the cloudy Frankfurt sky, the small HDL 26-A and the brand new HDL 50-A 4K, completed by the same set of 9 subs 9006- AS in End Fire assembly. Here are our listening impressions.
First of all, let’s put this into perspective, as we do every year. These listening sessions take place in a rather limited space, even reduced compared to past years. The listener is positioned at a distance that any system, even not line-array type, can easily cover. The max level being 95 dB(A), small systems are clearly advantaged since each brand heavily relies, to say the least, on their subwoofers level. The audio sources are a choice of studio recordings or even off-the-shelf CDs whose mixing and mastering, or even remastering allow, year after year, a race towards the Holy Grail of SPL, conscientiously gorging the Leq authorized with an unreasonable pre-emphasis of extreme lows and highs. To summarise, and this was admitted by many technicians present at these demos, you should take them just as a preview of what the product can do. This year, RCF again shared its mobile podium Italian way with its cousins of dB Technologies, but also the new US cousins EAW, and hung two references from its range of HDL composite speakers, the 26-A and 50-A.
Some products of the big family in the RCF Group. Missing only a DPA microphone! From left to right are the HDL 26-A, the 50-A 4K, the dB Technologies VIO L212 and finally the Anya system from EAW.
The collaboration with Leo Moracchioli, a famous YouTube musician, has been continued, so we’ve had a chance to see and hear Toto’s Africa and Ray Parker Jr.’s GhostBusters as musical extracts for the demos with subwoofers (and therefore high level), with, skilfully enough, in-between spoken intermissions explaining the strong points of the products, which helped lowering the LEQ during a few minutes, clever boys ;0)
HDL 26-A
The 26-A, surprisingly small with their 6″ transducers, while besides enthroned three models comprising 12″ or even 15″ components, are first put into in full range test with a musical program that contains hardly anything below 80 Hz, and get away with the honors during this brief test run. The sonic rendering is very fluid, precise and without any roughness or color. The polar pattern appears to be wide and regular. The 90° diffusion angle is a reality, with a rapid but homogeneous decline when moving further away. The voice is reproduced with a nice grain and what is needed of low medium and even bass frequencies when used on their own. They can be quite enough for an event, a speech, a comedian show or a theatre play.
Bi-amplified, with 2000 W and weighing only 13.5 kg, the HDL 26-A offers power and full tonal respect.
The 3″ engine steps in from 750 Hz and does a lot of work indeed. The stacking of 9006-AS subwoofers, a quite unique stack making it easy to obtain a very low interference lobe and set to seduce the large German audience present that day, inflates the 26-A. Even if the real lows default, the illusion is almost perfect and the SPL flies away.
Revised and “metallized” Africa stems were at RCF disposal, allowing to simulate a line check, before the real thing was put to full volume for a final run tickling the threshold multiband limiter set to “hard”, preventing the breakage of transducers, but the “soft” compressor was already braking 6 dB before.
It pumps and slightly distorts a little, but the whole performance does stick to the road, especially considering we have outdoor conditions, with 8 very affordable small boxes per side. We can only take our hat off to RCF for this demo and still remember that it is not common that one couples such small mid-hi enclosures with such subs who have just warmed up a bit…
The Italian wind generator. New 9006-AS in End Fire configuration, used here with the two flown RCF speakers models.
HDL 50-A 4K
With the HDL 50-A, now named 4K to indicate amplification under steroids, we clearly pass a stage. 8 elements per side, there is plenty to do. Lucio Boiardi-Serri, the Audio Specialist Audio Pro confirms this speaker now has the big power engine that was missing. Customers having bought the first version will even be allowed to swap their amp module to enjoy the new rendering. RCF is studying an affordable solution for this exchange.
On the other hand, it is impossible to mix the two models, although looking the same from the outside, in terms of transducers and enclosure, as the cutoff frequencies have changed slightly as well as the settings of the limiters. This new Pascal Audio original module provides 2000 W RMS for the two 12″, 1000 W for the four 6.5″ and 1000 W for both 3″ drivers (2″ throat). This doubling of the power inevitably adds 3 dB to the Max SPL, thus reaching 143 dB.
Lucio Boiardi-Serri (RCF) besides the 4K version of the HDL 50-A.
The first impression when listening in full range is that it “breathes” with no effort whatsoever. The sound is full, very deep and the bass is really present with a significant dynamic capacity and a gutsy rendering. The grain of the voice is precise, the highs are heavily there but this is probably due to both the audio (and video) file of the demo, and, once again, very “German” calibration.
The polar dispersion is wide and the 90° are reached, with a medium distance attenuation more important compared to the rest of the spectrum, as one moves away from the center. No hardness nor color are noticeable, which makes this product stand perfectly in its position in the RCF range to deliver delicate musical extracts such as classical music.
As every year, listening to RCF products is a must, even when the weather and the Dante network are capricious;
The addition of the subwoofers comes along the use of the arrangements of our good ol’ YouTube pal Leo Moracchioli , but unfortunately during “GhostBusters”, the title chosen by RCF, he has definitely overworked it, and we’re stuck with pumping, clipping and distortion; it therefore becomes impossible to even form an opinion on this system.
It is obvious that the HDL 50-A 4K is powerful and able to compete with other big industry players, but we will have to wait for a real concert with “real sound” to pronounce us.
The RCF HDL 50-A 4K.
Let’s hope finally that RCF renews its demos in the future and passes on to other musical extracts, if possible from real concerts or blameless audio sources to challenge at best the attack, the dynamics and the respect of the audio spectrum of its very beautiful louspeakers.
The I Am Hardstyle event takes place yearly in a huge hall in Mannheim (Germany), with an audience of 10,000. The artists were top-notch electro-dance DJs, including Brennan Heart, Code Black, Coone, Da Tweekaz, D-Block & S-Te-Fan, Gunz For Hire, Phuture Noize and more. This year, a number of CLF Lighting were used on this occasion, among other confirmed and more “standard” Martin Professional and Robe fixtures. Lighting Designer Ronnie Santegoeds explains his choice and has a look back on his significant career.
The career itinerary of Ronnie Santegoeds is very significant of how a determined and passionate young light techie can evolve and take opportunities to become a confirmed Project Manager. It does take some time, though!
Ronnie Santegoeds, I Am Hardstyle Light Designer, and founder of 4lightshowprojects.
SoundLightUp: Hi Ronnie, how did you step into the lighting world?
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Ronnie Santegoeds (I Am Hardstyle Light Designer): During school, I worked at a local Sound and Light Company. My first fulltime job was at First Impression – Rental & Install Company in Tilburg (Netherlands). I started as Stagehand, and moved to Light Tech. After 3 years there, I decided to start as a Freelancer (Lighting Technician). I did almost 10 years of Freelance Light Technician, on various tours, festivals, one-off operations, and more (see below for full extensive list). Then I felt confident enough to take full or part projects as Projects Manager.
SLU: What is your best achievement in the Industry, according to your experience and past duties?
Ronnie Santegoeds: I think making the transition from being a Freelancer to creating a nice team of enthusiastic people here at 4lightshowprojects. What we do at 4light is trying to reach and even exceed the expectations on all the projects we take, any size. We can supply a team of specialists, producers and developers working closely together. As I always say, “we don’t see problems but challenges”, and we love what we do, even on a high-scale project like I Am Hardstyle.
I Am Hardstyle in full lighting action.
SLU: As this kind of project is not always wine and roses, and readers have to realize that, can you tell me what was the worst thing that ever happened to you while working?
Ronnie Santegoeds: Oh God (his laughter turns sour here)! I think it was when I got a very crucial programming night cancellation. This occurred in Taipei on a tour date.
SLU: Oh! And why was that?
Ronnie Santegoeds: Because of no permission to work during night time in the place, and no-one had bother before…
I Am Hardstyle, audience of 10,000 going nuts in Mannheim.
SLU: In general, or more precisely, can you list the most favorite artists you’ve already worked with ? And the ones you’d like to work with ?
Ronnie Santegoeds: (smiles) I don’t want to answer, because we are open to work with all artists, actually. We can be very versatile when it turns to the choice of acts we’re working for.
SLU: What is, whatever country or size, your favorite venue ?
Ronnie Santegoeds: Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam.
SLU: Can you comment your choice of fixtures for the I Am Hardstyle event? For instance, the strong points for each one ?
Ronnie Santegoeds: Yes indeed, there we go:
Mac Viper Performance – I chose them mainly for Key Lighting from Front LX.
CLF Lighting Orion – That’s the New CLF Hybrid moving head – We used the most of the time for Mid-air Gobo’s, as you can see on the pictures.
CLF Lighting Aorun fixtures ready for duty.
CLF Lighting Aorun – In my opinion, that’s the most powerful Beam in this segment at the moment.
Robe Spiider – We used them for basic LED Washes.
CLF Lighting Conan – We positioned them in a big Matrix behind the set, mainly to accent the depth of the set-up. The trussing scheme was very interesting in terms of variation of “layers”, giving an impressive depth of field.
CLF Lighting Yara – These ParLed were used to ’spook’ the venue trussing and to highlight the CO2 Clouds.
Martin Atomic LED – As usual with these “classic” powerhorses, they were used as a LED Strobe & Aura Effect.
Different “layers” of trussing allows impressive depth of view.
2Lite blinders – They were placed on the floor, in the stage part, and used to create depth, and to accent the corners and angles of the Solid LED Screens, even when these were not displaying any media or video having content.
Single blinders – These were used as standard Audience Blinders.
Sunstrip Active – Individually addressed battens, used as audience blinder effects and Keylighting for the stage area.
Fresnel 500 W halogen projectors, that’s faithful old gear, here – They were used as convention Keylighting in addition to the Vipers. They were placed directly in the DJ booth.
Then we had some MDG 3K for very efficient haze + Airforce I fans for homogeneous dispersion of haze.
To control all these, we had one GrandMA III Fullsize and one GrandMA II Light + NPU at our disposal.
SLU: By the way, what is your favorite lighting console ? And why ?
Ronnie Santegoeds: Precisely, I like very much the GrandMA II and GrandMA III, they’re very flexible and reliable consoles. Important as well, they can be found everywhere, all places can supply them.
I Am Hardstyle, Fisheye view.
SLU: Let’s get crazy and dream a bit, what would be (for you) a dream fantasy projector, non-existing yet? It can be a “science-fiction” requirement, if not yet on the market or in any R&D department. 😉
Ronnie Santegoeds: A fixture that would be able to create its own gobos directly in real time on the spot. It should also comprise Hard/Soft Edge shifting, and of course a good light output.
SLU: In a more general point of view, how do you see the future of stage lighting?
Ronnie Santegoeds: Lighting and Motion will benefit from much better integration. I like the fact that the competition on manufacturing fixtures is fully ‘ON’.
SLU: Thanks for this interview, Ronnie. Last but not least, what would be your best advice to a young guy wanting to begin a career in lighting ?
Ronnie Santegoeds: Start at a local rental company, and do a wide Range of tasks (don’t just focus on operating / desks only).
List of gear Ronnie used for this event:
6 x Martin Professional Mac Viper Performance
68 x CLF Lighting Orion
44 x CLF Lighting Aorun
30 x Robe Spiider
100 x CLF Lighting Conan
56 x CLF Lighting Yara ParLed
53 x Martin Professional Atomic LED
16 x 2Lite Blinder
90 x Single Blinder
89 x Sunstrip Active
2 x Fresnel 500 W projectors
3 x MDG 3K Hazer + Airforce I Fan
1 x MA Lignting GrandMA III Fullsize + 1x GrandMA II Light + NPU
Ronnie’s career important dates:
2006: Started as a Freelance Lighting Technician (Various Dutch Jobs).
2007-2008: Freelance Light Technician (André Rieu World Stadium Tour – Toronto / Adelaide / Brisbane / Melbourne / Perth / Dresden / Paris / Sydney).
2009: Freelance Light Technician (Sensation White & Dutch Festivals).
2010: Starting Operating and Programming more and more (Festivals: Intents // Mundial // Wish Outdoor, and still some Sensation // André Rieu).
2011: Operating (Festivals + Schwarzkopf International Tour).
2012: Operating and starting first jobs as Project Manager.
2013: Operating IPL Opening Show Calcutta // Opera Stage Tomorrowland // Superboy Changsha (Huge TV Show for Hunan TV).
2014: Touring with Armin Van Buuren Intents tour as Technical Project Manager. Working on Festivals as Technical Project Manager (7th Sunday / Daydream / Wish / Outdoor / Paaspop).
2015: Technical Project Manager (Extrema Outdoor // Wish Outdoor // Untold // We Are Electric).
2016: Stopping Freelance Career —> Starting office and taking (complete or parts) Projects, including Crew and/or Materials.
2017-2019: Projects : 7TH Sunday// A State of Trance // Afterhills / Booking Annual Meeting // Don’t let Daddy Know // Electric Castle // Lakedance // Neversea // Syndicate // The best of Armin Only // Wish Outdoor (var Locations) // Martin Garrix Show during ADE // I Am Hardstyle.
I Am Hardstyle preparation, empty hall (not for long).
I Am Hardstyle technical production companies involved: Promotor: Musical Madness. Technical Production: 4 Light Showprojects. Operator: Koen van Elderen (The Art of Light). Supplier Light & rigging equipment: Rent-All. Supplier Audio equipment: DWS veranstaltungstechnik. Supplier Video: Rent Event tec GBMH. Staging: Coreworks. Pyro: Rec-Tec. Laser: Laser-Zentrale.
What we like:
What we dislike:
