Live sound for the globally popular Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts events has punched through the roar of arena crowds with more impact and clarity thanks to a new, custom-configured Meyer Sound reinforcement system based on Leopard line array loudspeakers.
Dedicated only to audio support for all UFC events in North America, this “dream system” comprising 120 loudspeakers was devised specifically for the demands of UFC bouts.

Audio system architect and FOH engineer

The principal architect behind the system is Daniel Bonneau, senior director of audio production for Bloomfield, Connecticut-based ConCom. This production company has provided both live AVL and broadcast production services throughout UFC’s existence.
As the FOH engineer for nearly all UFC events over the 10 years — easily more than 300, he surmises — Bonneau steps up his game by leveraging the newest generation of Meyer Sound technologies.

Daniel Bonneau, the only one in the stadium fighting with his ears.

“We’d been using a Meyer MICA®-based system for nearly seven years and it had done very well,” Daniel Bonneau says.
“But when we made the change to Leopard, the sonic quality immediately stepped up to a higher level.

We wanted a box that could deliver a huge impact to the crowd when playing walk-in music from the truck, but also had the clarity needed for the interviews afterwards — even when the fighters are exhausted and holding their mics down by their belts. The Leopard system accomplishes both, and handily.”

Along with power and clarity, Bonneau also sought a system that could go in and out quickly, scale to arenas of any size with seamless coverage, and hang high out of sight-lines for fans and TV cameras.

Where do we put the processors?

One key element of his solution was to implement a fiber-optic AVB network for linking FOH to the GALAXY™ processors for the arrays.
But as the arrays had to be flown high above the center scoreboard-mounted video screens, the question arose: Where to best place the array processors?

Bonneau’s unique solution was to build two custom steel pods, one flown on each side of the center scoreboard, and each serving three purposes.

The top portion provides storage for the cable looms connected to the three Leopard arrays covering each end of the arena; the pod’s side incorporates racks for power distro along with two Luminex AVB network switches and four GALAXY processors; and the bottom provides rigging points that support two different configurations for the 1100-LFC low frequency control elements.

“It’s unbelievable how much quicker things are going now,” reports Bonneau. “We’re saving over an hour on load-in and at least a half-hour on load out. If points are clear, we’re typically floating off the ground in three hours.
The way we package the system, the array boxes are rolling on carts of four, with our side hangs twelve deep and end hangs sixteen deep. So it’s click-click-click on three or four carts and you’re done.”

Leopard roaring arrays

The entire arena seating bowl is covered by the six-hang exploded center cluster of Leopard arrays. “With the old system we used eight arrays, but we would get some slapback from the big video screens hung at the 45-degree positions,” says Bonneau.

“Now, with the six array configuration we avoid firing at the screens, but the wide horizontal of the Leopard still gives us seamless coverage. Also, I have all the headroom I need to handle walk-in music, which varies greatly from track to track, and I have ample gain before feedback in the post-fight interviews.”

For musical deep bass as well as visceral impact effects, the system also incorporates a total of eight flown 1100-LFC elements along with four 900-LFCs tucked under the Octagon competition platform.
Also directly underneath the Octagon mat are five Sennheiser 421 microphones that are routed directly to the 1100-LFC elements. “When a fighter gets picked up and thrown down, it lays your hair back when he hits the mat,” says Bonneau. “The fans may not be consciously aware of the effect but it intensifies the total experience.”

With a flown array trim height typically at 60 to 80 feet, a separate system is required for the floor seats. Eight UPA-1P loudspeakers are mounted to lighting fingers extending out from the signature UFC lighting truss rigged over the Octagon.
In addition, eight UPQ-1P loudspeakers are mounted on the main lighting truss. This configuration allows Bonneau to tailor a custom stereo mix for each of the four quadrants, with one high-impact mix for UFC executives seated at the Octagon and a boost in vocal clarity for the press section.

No loudspeakers in the frame

Bonneau is thrilled by the way the system has elevated the experience for fans in attendance despite the limitations of broadcast. “To help the broadcast team we try to avoid showing any loudspeakers in the frame,” he says.

“So we’re using these compact Meyer line arrays, little UPQs and UPAs, only eight 1100-LFCs — and we’re just crushing major arenas with them. We have not been able to accomplish this with any other manufacturer’s systems. When we deployed this rig for the first event, we knocked it out of the park.”

Daniel Bonneau with lead systems engineer Jason Macalik and PA techs Michael Arnold and Eric Harrison.

Bonneau also gives full credit to his crew, lead systems engineer Jason Macalik and PA techs Michael Arnold and Eric Harrison.
Bonneau mixes the UFC events on a Yamaha CL-5 digital console, relying on a pair of Meyer Sound Amie™ precision studio monitors for near-field reference.

The wireless system is Sennheiser digital with Neumann KK205 capsules, while wired microphones are Neumann KMS 105.

More information on Meyer Sound Leopard Series.

High End Systems, manufacturer of the Hog consoles, is pleased to announce the fifth annual Hog Factor National Collegiate Lighting Show Programming Competition.
The top teams in the country will be brought to LDI 2019 in Las Vegas where they will compete to win school prizes.

Photo taken during a previous Hog Factor competition.

Universities are invited to enter as many teams as they like, of up to three students each. The competition takes place in two phases.

Phase One is an open competition and will consist of each team providing a performance lighting piece, programmed on a Hog you own or on Hog 4 PC.
This can be downloaded free of charge with a special demo version of Capture visualization, which will be made available to all teams.

Once performance piece submission closes on June 30th 2019, the top three teams will be selected by July 31st.

Photo taken during a previous Hog Factor competition.

Phase Two will see these three teams programming a performance lighting piece based on the High End Systems 2019 LDI booth design.

These top teams will then be invited to perform their pieces live at LDI 2019 on the High End Systems’ booth where the winners will be announced.

GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES – LED ZEPPELIN
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HIGH HOPES – PANIC! AT THE DISCO
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MAKE ME FEEL – JANELLE MONAE
Click here for iTunes version.
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Photo of the winning team from a previous Hog Factor competition.

Photo taken during a previous Hog Factor competition.

More information on High End Systems Website.

Privilege Ibiza made the smart decision to employ the Clair Brothers C12 loudspeaker system, and some more Clair Brothers gear to cover the entire venue. As the largest nightclub putting on a special season-end event, its magnitude is difficult to ignore.
This mammoth club can host up to 10,000 guests at one time.

Clair Brothers’ C12s in action at Privilege Ibiza.

Open since 1993 on the Spanish island of Ibiza, this gigantic venue welcomes litterally hundreds of thousands guest over the season, each invited to be themselves and express themselves as they want.
Possessing a staff two-hundred strong, a ceiling height of twenty-five meters, a dance floor for days, an impressive live stage, large windows and a glass dome for an observatory view of the stars at night, three floors, several terraces, plus a huge swimming pool with a DJ booth above it, this unforgettable club leaves nothing to chance.

The fact that this is the largest club in the world allows management to redesign the venue for individual parties and artistic shows. For this event, they didn’t hold back, calling on Clair Brothers’ Spanish distribution and rental partner, VTècnics, to recommend and design a sound system worthy of this special occasion.

International team effort of collaboration

Josep Maria Serra, production manager at VTècnics provides some back story: “The Clair Brothers team understands the concept and value of global sharing between its partners.

On this occasion four companies in southern Europe shared their equipment and knowledge which allowed us to achieve the best sound possible.
My company, VTècnics, worked with other Clair Brothers partners Grupo Friends, also from Spain, Audio Concept from France, and Prase Media Technologies from Italy. It’s a total team effort of collaboration and pitching in together!”

The downside of the venue

A downside of being such a massive venue with the ornate design features, such as glass and metallic surfaces all around, the acoustics present a real challenge to finding a strong, yet balanced sound throughout.
Serra points out, “The venue does not have good acoustics because it has so many reflective surface elements. And the floor has a giant swimming pool with a cover on it, which unfortunately works as a big resonance box.
We needed to create a sound system that was strong on clarity, with powerful subs, that would be easy to control. The Clair Brothers C12s and iS218s more than delivered.”

An additional challenge for setting up the sound system was the presence of a monstrous lighting system.

“We had fixed anchor points to hang the C12s,” explains Serra. “It was impossible to scroll the anchors in any direction because within the structure was a twenty-ton pro-lighting rig.
It was essential to respect those loading points.”

The final sound system

The final, exclusively Clair Brothers, sound system designed for the big event consisted of twenty-four C12s, twenty-four iS218s and eight FF2s for the main stage.
They also supplied eight i212s and two iS218s in an additional hall; twelve i212s and four iS218s in VIP Zones 1 & 2; four kiTCurve12s, two kiTSubs and four C12s in VIP Zone 3; two C12s and four iS218s for the DJ set monitor; and all amplifiers were CB-PLM12K44s and CB-PLM20K44s.

The VTècnics production team that expertly pulled off the evening were sound designer, Francesc Güell; system engineer.
Other members of the team were Narcis Solé; sound assistant, Juan Carlos Álvarez; and monitor engineer, Konstantinos Ftoulis.
“It was a super fun night for all of us and the sound was great,” concludes Serra.

“One promoter in attendance went so far as to say that this is the best sound he’s heard on the island of Ibiza in thirty years. Thanks, Clair Brothers!”

More on Clair Brothers ranges

and VTècnics distributor/installer.

Jon Trincas and Steve Hough from Co1ab produced the edgy and eye-popping lighting show for The Streets’ new tour. They used 120 x Robe Spikies and 30 x Robe Spiider LED wash beams on 15 custom dolly/frame pods, all delivered from Blackburn rental company LCR.

Respected young designers

Co1ab unites the talents of Jon and Steve since a few years now. They are respected young designers who pooled imaginative and creative resources to deliver the right look for the visceral raw wit, energy and stark reality of The Streets, led by Mike Skinner.
Steve was originally contacted by The Streets’ tour manager Keith O’Neill when they played some ‘come back’ gigs in 2018, which culminated in three incendiary gigs at Brixton Academy.

The phenomenal interest in The Streets live resulted in this run, comprising a short UK tour with a lighting floor package, followed by five shows at Brixton, three in Manchester Apollo and three at the O2 Academy in Birmingham.
All were sold out, ramping the excitement and showing just how much we’ve all missed the vocal mastery and stand-up rapping skills of Mike Skinner!

Intense but not too distracting

The brief for lighting was “intense but not too distracting”, and knowing they would not use any video, Jon and Steve knew they would have to rely on lighting to provide all the visual elements.

The design was based on 15 custom dolly/frame pods, made from pre-rigged truss and flown in 3 rows of 5.
The bottom ones were ground supported, with the top two rows lined up exactly and flown beneath one another on special steels.

LCR had all the necessary metalwork and rigging fabricated, and all the fixtures associated with these travelled in the pods for expedient get ins and outs. Each pod contained 8 x Spikies, two Spiiders, three Hexalines and an LED strobe and together these formed an impressive back wall.

This strong structural element “ticked all the boxes” comments Jon Trincas in terms of having the power and intensity right there for specific tracks, while being able to pull right back to minimal when necessary. “Whether it was the massive Spikie looks or a single shaft of spot light, we could retain the essential rawness that at core of this show” added Steve.

In addition to the frames, they had two overhead and two side trusses which were loaded with spot moving lights and strobes, with some more on the floor in the small gaps between the lines of pods.
Having done the tour last year, Steve and Jon had precise ideas of what they needed from the rig in relation to the rhythm and flow of the set, which was hugely dynamic – from total chaos to jittery calm – all carefully crafted by the artist.

Spikies were selected as a small and punch lightsource that would physically fit into the frames… and the budget! It was the first time Co1ab has spec’d Spikies, and they specifically wanted a fixture with a zoom, that had to be fast and offer good colours. The flower effect was an additional feature used almost as a ‘bonus’ during programming.

Looking more to LED solutions

Jon had used them for a show in the US and was very impressed. He explained that until recently, many Co1ab shows utilised discharge fixtures as the main lights, but as “these are not always reliable and pull a lot more power when scaling down to smaller venues”, they have now started looking more to LED solutions.

“Robe have led the way with their LED range of fixtures for a while now” states Jon, adding this this was perfect timing to put a decent quantity of them together and “see something work consistently every night”.

The Spikies were rigged in the top parts of the dolly frames to get them as high as possible, with the Spiiders immediately below.

Steve explains that he became “blown away” with Spiiders mid 2018 when he had them on a show and realised their incredible capabilities as a consistent and excellent quality wash luminaire.
He then started exploring the possibilities of using the central flower effect (the same LED used in the Spikie), and absolutely loved that, so Spiiders have started featuring in several of their designs.

Jon comments that both types of fixture are versatile for their own roles in this rig. “The Spikie works well as a solid beam light and as mini wash fixture to some extent with the good zoom ability”.

As well as using the Spiiders as traditional wash fixtures, he also likes the ring / zone control for pixel mapped effects and the centre flower for something totally different and unexpected.

Factory visit

Steve and Jon have also visited the Robe factory in the Czech Republic, and Steve relates that the R ‘n’ D team there generally value the opinions of those out there on the touring front line! They also really liked the personal touches that were evident at the company.

They programmed the fully timecoded show together with super early starts and very late finishes! Robe UK lent a Spikie unit to assist the process, and were on hand with any support needed.

Both admit being similar in personality, outlook and work ethic, with language alike ensuring a coherent workflow. “It’s almost like working with a clone of yourself” smiles Jon.

Steve adds that they complement and bounce off one another extremely well and share a similar thought process when programming. Their notes from the first full production show were 90% identical when matched up. Control was via two grandMA2 light consoles.

Steve was joined on the road for the Brixton and Manchester shows by LCR’s James Townsend, Dan Groves and Aiden Cartmell, and Aiden crewed the first week of the preceding European shows which utilised the floor package and four of the frames.
The rest of that section, Steve tech’d on his own. LCR’s account handler was Mike Oates. Steve concludes: “The great teamwork between us (himself & Jon), LCR and the entire Streets touring crew has been a pleasure”.

More information on Robe Spikie and Robe Spiider.

Live events supplier Gearhouse becomes largest L-Acoustics supplier in South Africa following recent investment in large number of K2 and KS28 L-Acoustics cabinets, 36 LA12x amplified controllers in LA-RAKII and eight P1 AVB processors.
Gearhouse South Africa has been growing rapidly for a number of years, taking an increasingly dominant role in major South African live events.

Live events supplier Gearhouse has invested in additional K2 and KS28 L-Acoustics cabinets, 36 LA12x amplified controllers in LA-RAKII and eight P1 AVB audio processors, making it the largest L-Acoustics Certified Provider in South Africa and boosting its ability to service even the most ambitious national events.
This investment also makes Gearhouse the first company on the continent to meet the new KX Standard for its large format systems.

Global Citizen Festival in 90,000 capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg

Set-up for massive Global Citizen Festival in the 90,000 capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

In December, this new capability was put into service at the massive Global Citizen Festival in the 90,000 capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
This event is part of the Global Citizen organization which aims to end extreme poverty, and Gearhouse’s participation in the event marked a significant shift for the company.

Gearhouse took on overall management of the audio side, including liaising with artist management for a raft of mostly local talent supporting some of the world’s biggest acts. These included Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, and Pharrell Williams.

Gearhouse divides its L-Acoustics stock between its three main offices – Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. With the most recent investment, that stock now consists of 48 K1 and 48 K2, 24 Kara, 12 ARCS II, 66 dV-DOSC, 48 V-DOSC, and 36 Kudo.
The stock of subwoofers now runs to 16 K1SB, 24 dV-SUB, 24 KS28, 64 SB28, and 16 SB18. There are also 52 115XT HiQ stage monitors, plus LA8 and LA12X amplified controllers, and eight of the latest P1 AVB audio processors.

Covering all levels

The Global Citizen Festival required a substantial proportion of those resources and made full use of Gearhouse’s additional inventory, as delay tower deployment had to be limited to protect the irrigation and drainage systems under the FNB stadium’s playing surface.

Lewellyn Reinecke, Head of Audio, Gearhouse South Africa.

Gearhouse Head of Audio, Lewellyn Reinecke explains: “We’d really prefer to have four delay towers but, because of the restrictions, it’s two hangs plus one on a V tower. At the front we’ve previously used 14 K1 main hangs and then 15 or 16 V-DOSC for the out-hangs, but our increased stock means that we can now use K1 across the board.”

The FNB Stadium has five distinct seating levels, and level five, which starts at around 40 metres from the ground and goes up to about 60 metres, is normally treated by Gearhouse as a completely separate venue “that gets its own transportation, logistics, and crew,” explains Reinecke. “Up there, you walk about a kilometre just to go around it once.”

Gearhouse uses between 16 and 19 hangs of six elements for level 5. “We prefer to use Kara for that, because they are lighter and are very power-efficient, taking just one LA8 or LA12X for a hang of six,” says Reinecke. “That’s crucial, as the venue doesn’t allow us to use its power in the roof, so we have to run power all the way from the generators.”

L-Acoustics P1 AVB processing

Hangs of six Kara elements for level 5.

Reinecke notes that the company has benefited by using the new L-Acoustics P1 AVB audio processors, which incorporate an EQ station with delay and dynamics processing, and AVB, AES/EBU and analog audio bridging.

He states: “The feedback that I have received from the crew has been phenomenal. The AVB works with all the LA12X amplified controllers and we are able to monitor the whole system. It is quite an amazing thing to see.”

Overall, Reinecke says that the new K Series stock has brought new opportunity to Gearhouse and has made a big difference in the field. “The new stock and the improved coverage has helped us a lot,” he says.
“It means we can get on with our main jobs, without having to worry about how we reach every part of the biggest venues – and the KS28 is a lot lower and louder…

“Having such a complete system makes a big difference. It’s given us a lot of headroom to play around with, which is to the benefit of the audience, and the engineers.”

More information on L-Acoustics and Gearhouse South Africa.

For the upcoming festival season, HVR Showequipment has expanded its rental stock with no less than 66 CLF Aorun beam fixtures! First impressions by Dennis Sommerdijk, co-owner of HVR Showequipment.

HVR Showequipment is a full service rental company. Founded in 1999, the company now has 20 employees. Besides the Aorun, the rental inventory also holds a significant amount of CLF Yara and Ares fixtures.

An example of a big concert realised by the HVR team.

The investment is based on a high market demand for large numbers of powerful beam fixtures.
Dennis Sommerdijk commented: “Especially for festivals and dance events we were looking for a large quantity of powerful beams.
In addition, we received a lot of requests for the Aorun specifically. They are mentioned in a lot of riders and designs in the nearby future.”

Aoruns ready to shine real bright after unpacking in HVR warehouse.

“Based on a number of productions in the past year, we know that the Aorun excels in light output. Furthermore, the movement and effect speed is outstanding.
Our entire team was therefore quickly convinced; we had to get the Aorun,” said Sommerdijk.

After delivery, all Aoruns were deployed immediately in the Amsterdam Ziggo Dome for the Charly Lownoise and Mental Theo anniversary show.

Another impressive example of HVR implementation of CLF Lighting projectors.

More information on the CLF Lighting Aorun.

Thanks to a high-specification NEXO STM Series modular line array installed by Alkor and Yamaha Music Europe Turkey, one of Istanbul’s largest nightclubs, the latest in the group of Jolly Joker venues, is making a big impact on the city’s entertainment scene.

The Jolly Joker Vadistanbul has been opened by Hakan Polat, İbrahim Sayın and Ahmet Çelenk, a new addition to a collection of clubs spread all across Turkey. The 2,000-capacity club has a large stage, and plays host to a busy rota of popular Turkish artists.
Installation company Alkor collaborated closely with Yamaha Music Europe Turkey to present a NEXO proposal to Hakan Polat and the Jolly Joker’s audio engineer Eren Öztürk.

Pointing the microphone towards the monitor

After a live demo, they selected the NEXO STM Series modular line array system, with NEXO’s 45°N-12 line monitors on-stage, from a competitive tender, citing the system’s power, clarity and ease of use as the reasons for their choice.

“The angle of coverage from the compact 45°N-12 monitors played a big part in the decision,” said Eren Öztürk. “I pointed the microphone towards the monitor, as most singers do, and no feedback squeal came out of the 45°N-12.”
Stage monitoring uses up to 12 of NEXO’s unique 45°N-12 line monitors, with a dedicated drum monitoring set-up of NEXO PS15-R2 and LS18 sub.

Omnipurpose STM modules for FOH

The main flown PA uses, each side, three cabinets of STM M28 omnipurpose module with 90° dispersion and two cabinets of M28 with 120° dispersion.

At the top of the arrays are two STM B112 bass modules, and below, are six a side STM S118 subs, running in cardioid configuration. Four of NEXO’s super-compact ID24 cabinets are used as front fills. Front-of-house and monitor mixing is done on a Yamaha CL5 digital console, using two RIO3224Ds and two RIO1608Ds to facilitate the Dante network.
System design for the venue was made with NEXO’s NS-1 proprietary modelling and prediction software suite. Fine-tuning on site by David Hochstenbach from NEXO’s Engineering Support Division improved HF throw, and reduced low frequency energy on stage.

For more information on Nexo STM products and Yamaha in Turkey.

As protocols evolve a lot these days, and each pixel on stage has to be in total control, it seems logical that important Leading Italian lighting manufacturer Claypaky announces its commitment to ArKaos’s powerful Kling-Net protocol, which will now be embedded in its newest HY B-EYE product line.

Kling-Net integration into HY B-EYE product line

Giovanni Zucchinali, Claypaky’s Product Portfolio Manager, explains: “as the current and future requirements of lighting and visual design are so dynamic and fast-moving, lighting designers, programmers and operators need the most flexible and creative tools at their fingertips.
We see a strong trend for one of those future developments being moving heads and pixel fixtures increasingly working in conjunction with video content”.

He goes on the explain that the new Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 and HY B-EYE K15 recently introduced to the market, are supplied with ArKaos Kling-Net as standard and already included in the firmware.
Both models feature 4°-60° Zoom range and exclusive parallel beam consisting of an array of individually controllable micro-beams, with K25 comprising 37 x RGBW LED Osram OSTAR – Stage II, while K15 has 19.

“This new and interesting feature greatly expands the already rich effects of the HY B-EYE range, making it an even more versatile and practical luminaire” comments ArKaos CEO Marco Hinic.
“This is why, going forward, ArKaos is supporting Claypaky devices with the Kling-Net software network interface and we are all looking forward to this combination of cutting-edge technologies that will offer faster, more flexible and even more versatile products”.

Kling-Net is a revolutionary plug-and-play control protocol developed by digital media specialists ArKaos for the easy operation of LED and video devices / lightsources.
It allows the distribution of real-time video data to remote display devices – like LED fixtures or LED panels – over Ethernet, adding a degree of ‘intelligence’ with the automatic configuration and connection of display devices to a computer.

It enables the perfect time synchronization of video signals sent to multiple devices and avoids using expensive hardware and video converters to achieve this.
Using Kling-Net, a heterogenic network of display devices from different manufacturers can be created and all controlled all from one computer.

Simple integration into a video show design

One of the many aspects of Kling-Net impressing Claypaky was the opportunity to integrate luminaires very simply into a show video design. This does remove the usual complications and time needed by the user/designer to create a device library containing the pixel mapping information specific to each fixture. With Kling-Net embedded, the fixture itself provides that information.

More information on Claypaky new HY B-EYE Series and Arkaos Kling-Net protocol.

The history of the Z-Bau Nuremberg, a former barracks, a 5,500 square-metre site built in 1937. More than 6 million euros were invested in construction measures, including a new stage, improved acoustics, electrics, lighting and sound technology, making Z-Bau a showcase project for state-of-the-art events locations in Germany.

In the 1990s, the site was used by the US Army – its hall acting as an officers’ casino and entertainments venue – before later becoming an arts and culture centre. Recently, the heart of this home to artists, freethinkers and musicians, was completely renovated.

The company into>noise (Andreas Zeh and Tobias Förster) from Munich was responsible for sound reinforcement technology and relied on products from CODA Audio. The gallery, red salon and artists studios at the venue had been modernised two years ago during the first phase of renovation and CODA’s RX40, G712 and HOPS8 loudspeakers as well as U4 and G18-SUB were installed in these areas.

The newly installed main system, serving a 1000 capacity space, consists of 2 x 9 ViRAY, 8 x SCP sensor-control subwoofers and 4x HOPS8 as nearfills.
3 x TiRAY as centre delay line improves speech intelligibility in the range from FOH to the bar in the back. 10 x CUE-TWO and additional G18-SUB for drum and sidefill applications provide flexible monitoring. The existing RX40 and G712 are also used as sidefills, drumfills or DJ monitoring.

Total XTA & Linus control

The entire system is controlled by 6 x LINUS14D and 4 x LINUS-10C. An integrated XTA DP548 controller serves as a 4 x 8 audio matrix and feeds the LINUS14D amplifiers of the main system, including subwoofer and delay, fully digital via LiNET. DANTE is optionally available as input source for the LINUS14D of the main system.

Andi Zeh reports, as project manager of the audio installation in the Z-Bau : “I am pleased that the Z-Bau again placed its trust in me as project manager for audio in this second phase of construction. Since the CODA Audio systems have already proven themselves in the past, it was only logical to rely again on the company from Hanover.

The particularly distortion-free, high-frequency reproduction is simply something special. The systems are so clean that often one does not realize just what volume the system is capable of. In the Z-Bau, for example, a supplementary DATEQ SPL6 limiter with live regulation for disco operation and an XTI NL2 for self-monitoring of the FoH operator during concert operation, were purchased.

It’s not just the high frequency driver that’s special – the fast and impulse-true sensor-controlled subwoofers really show their advantages in the Z-Bau. The room’s acoustic construction measures are primarily designed for the mid and high frequencies.
Due to the high impulse fidelity and the controllable decay behaviour of the SCP 2x 18″ subwoofers used, the room in the low end can be controlled and is only excited as far as necessary.

Homogeneous sound image

When the installation showed that it was possible to achieve a homogeneous sound image in the entire hall with only a few room correction filters, I realized once again why it was right to rely on CODA.
Phase linearity and the uniform, very neutral acoustic ‘footprint’ of all CODA Audio systems are key to a very comfortable and fast system calibration.”

For the experienced studio and FoH technician Toni ‘Meloni’ Loitsch, who pushes the live faders of the Donots, as well as for popular German artists Yvonne Catterfeld and Silbermond, working on CODA Audio systems is something special due to the very accurate playback.

He states: “I have observed CODA over a number of years and have enjoyed working on their monitors as well as smaller PAs – I’ve always had good experiences! That’s why I found it very exciting to be able to work on a larger system for the first time at this newly renovated club in Nuremberg.
I find working on CODA systems to be a whole new experience – many more heights are transported and mapped without appearing unpleasantly shrill. Using the CODA system, I don’t have to process the mix so much with equalizers to get my desired result.”

Louder than bombs

In late January 2019, successful rock band ‘Donots’ had the honour of inaugurating the hall on their ‘Lauter als Bomben’ (Louder than Bombs) tour.
They celebrated this way the reopening of the Z-Bau, as well as their 25th stage anniversary, with a sold out house, a fantastic atmosphere and hugely impressive sound.

The Z-Bau has always been an important concert venue for the Nuremberg region and its recent renovation further strengthens its position, setting it up for a successful future delivering a new generation of high quality events. The ‘Next Generation’ products from CODA Audio fit perfectly into the concept.

More information on Coda Audio.

Award-winning Front of House engineer Simon Honywill found DPA solutions when he was asked to tackle sound design for a non-conventional new live music and dance production called The Nature of Why. He managed to point DPA microphones directly at PA speakers with no feedback. Here’s how he did it.

Using a combination of DPA microphones and EM Acoustics loudspeakers positioned in a circle around the stage, Honywill pulled off the task of creating an ambient acoustic ‘bubble’ for this unusual performance in which the audience is as much a part of the show as the musicians and dancers.

“I needed to make sure all the microphones I was using were as predictable as possible,” Simon Honywill explains. “DPA was the obvious choice – not just because they are always my first choice but because each microphone sounds exactly the same so you know you are starting from the same base point.”

Commissioned by Unlimited, The Nature of Why takes inspiration from the Nobel prize-winning theoretical physicist Richard Feynman and his search for meaning in the world around us.
It features a cinematic live score by Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory that is performed by the British Paraorchestra, the world’s only large-scale ensemble for professional disabled musicians.

They are joined on stage by 5 dancers, choreographed by Caroline Bowditch, and the Army of Generals, an 11 piece string ensemble of non-disabled orchestral musicians that is famed for its dynamic energy-fuelled performances. The conductor was Charles Hazlewood, who also founded the Bristol-based Paraorchestra.

“The whole idea of The Nature of Why is to have the musicians, dancers and audience in the same space so that everyone is up close and personal,” Honywill explains.

“The performance area is so crowded that an audience member might be standing next to a viola player, yet still need to hear a percussionist who is hidden behind a crowd of other people on the opposite side of the stage.
Creating an immersive soundfield where you can hear everything and know exactly where everything is coming from, even when you can’t see if, was the main challenge. Of course you shouldn’t point a microphone at a loudspeaker, but to achieve what we wanted that was exactly what we did.”

Throwing convention out of the window

And it worked, as can be attested by the reaction of reviewers who described The Nature of Why as a show that threw convention out of the window, reshaped the audience experience and allowed people to see, hear and feel the performance in a totally new way.

With a career in sound that spans more than 35 years, and as a DPA Master, Simon Honywill certainly has the experience to bend the rules of microphone placement when he needs to. For this production he says the choice of microphone was just as important as the position if he was to achieve the acoustic bubble he wanted.

DPA 4011.

Honywill hung d:dicate™ 4011A Cardioid Condenser microphones in a circle over the performance space, with two stereo pairs back to back in the centre so they covered 360 degrees and the remaining eight around the edge of the circle at points of the compass. Each microphone was 2.7 meters above the ground.

“This arrangement allowed me to route the microphones to the various speakers, which I had positioned in ring around the stage,” he says.
“At certain points during the performance the audience hears audio clips from a Richard Feynman interview. This arrangement allowed me to direct his voice through various speakers so that is sounded as though he was in a number of different places. The overall effect was really successful because you feel a wonderful sense of directional placement and space.”

People all over the stage

With people all over the stage it was also important to highlight the sound of various instruments so they could be heard by everyone. A selection of d:vote™ 4099 Instrument Microphones and d:screet 4061™ Miniature Omnidirectional microphones were used to great effect and their input was incorporated into the multitrack mix.

DPA 4099 (2 different versions).

“I had lots of direct sounds to play with, as well as the ambient sound from the d:dicate 4011As,” Honywill says. “All the mics were radio mics and I made sure to set up the overhead mics so there was coverage of the entire area with minimal chance of feedback. I could have done this project with different microphones but I chose DPA because they always give me the results I want.

Predictable sound between each microphone was really important, as was knowing how far I could push the microphones before anything distorted. They gave me a very even soundfield, which was what I needed – and they also gave me a sound I really like, which is why I use them all the time.”

Since its premier at the Bristol Old Vic in May 2018, The Nature of Why has been performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and is about to travel to Perth in Australia. It will then return to the UK for performances in Cardiff and Brighton later this year.

More information on DPA microphones and EM Acoustics loudspeakers.

Elation and Acclaim lighting effects were exploding with beams, effects and blazing colors during the iconic Space Needle in Seattle rang in the New Year indeed. This event was Seattle biggest fireworks extravaganza to date, so it has to be accompanied by a spectacular light show.
The integration of lighting effects into the fireworks, along with a musically-choreographed stand-alone light show prior to the fireworks, was a new element to the storied New Year’s Eve event and one that proved extremely popular.

Illuminate Production Services (IPS) was responsible for the lighting aspect of the event, collaborating with Pyro Spectaculars as well as fireworks designer Alberto Navarro of Infinity Visions. IPS installed and tested the Space Needle lighting in just three days prior to New Year’s Eve. IPS head Rick Franke managed the lighting project and the IPS team, which included son Caleb Franke who served as lighting designer.

“Although they have been doing fireworks for 25 years, a light show like this has never been done before on the Needle,” stated Rick Franke. “They wanted to do something different, something more multimedia, something that would impress. I think we accomplished that with this new light show.”

Perfect Proteus conditions

IPS positioned lighting at 87 different positions from the top 605-foot level all the way down to the ground. Perhaps not surprising for a project of this dimension, Franke says there were all sorts of engineering and show challenges to overcome, not least Mother Nature.
“After two days of good weather the winds picked up to 50 mph sustained winds with peaks at 75 mph,” he said. “We could feel the Needle swaying, which was a bit unnerving to say the least. There were also buckets of rain and extreme wind chill temperatures to deal with.”

In other words, conditions were ideal for Elation’s all-weather Proteus Hybrid™ and Proteus Beam™ moving head effects, which were central to the light show, sending powerful beams of light thousands of feet into the Seattle night sky.

“The Proteus fixtures were made for these kinds of conditions and everything held up great,” Franke continues. “I can’t imagine doing this type of installation with any other fixtures.
We considered using non-IP65 rated fixtures in the core stairwell positions but are glad we didn’t as, with the wind, the rain was coming in sideways.”

With an elevator that only stopped at three levels, IPS workers had to haul fixtures up 100s of feet of stairs to their positions. But perhaps Franke’s greatest concern when dealing with fixtures across so many levels were connection issues.

“Power and data distribution was a challenge as wireless control wasn’t a viable option,” he said, “but we had no problems and I was relieved to see that everything worked when turned on.”

Show lighting & fireworks collaboration

Nine Proteus Beams worked from the 100-foot level, 6 Proteus Hybrids from the 200-foot level, 6 Proteus Hybrids from the top of the Needle at 605 feet, and 12 Proteus Beams were positioned on the roof of the saucer.
Joining the Proteus Beams on top of the saucer were 12 Elation Cuepix 16 IP™ LED matrix panels used to color wash the top of the saucer for what Franke called ‘money shots’ taken from ever-present helicopters for newsreel broadcasts.
IPS had worked with Pyro Spectaculars on a previous project and was invited by owner Ian Gilfillan to be a part of the Space Needle project. While a 30-minute 10:00pm light show allowed the lighting an exclusive stage on which to build excitement, during the midnight fireworks show lighting played more of a supporting role.

“When we got involved with the project, Alberto Navarro, who has been designing the Space Needle NYE fireworks show for 25 years, had already scripted the fireworks show. So Caleb worked with Navarro to design the lighting around the fireworks. The result was a collaboration that led to some interesting effects.”

One striking result of the teamwork was Elation Paladin™ LED hybrid effect lights working in unison with the fireworks. Mounted inside the stair rail up and down the three sides of the Space Needle’s core were 30 IP65-rated Paladin lights (10 per side), all pointing outwards. Right after fireworks were shot off, the Paladins were used to illuminate the trail of smoke in a variety of colors, adding an extra layer of color and effect to the show.

Core lighting

The 55-year-old Space Needle has recently undergone a $100 million renovation, including the addition of enormous amounts of glass, including for the world’s first revolving glass floor 500 feet in the air.
Acclaim Lighting Dyna Drum™ LED wash lights were placed between layers of glass in the floor to downlight the core. Additional Dyna Drum fixtures were used at ground level.

“The Acclaim Dyna Drum HO showed itself to be a great fixture for this application,” says Rick Franke. “You don’t always know how a fixture will perform on a project of this magnitude, especially on a 605-foot tall structure. They had actually been told that LED wouldn’t be bright enough, but the Dyna Drum proved that it was and they were very impressed.” All of the lighting for the NYE show was designed and preprogrammed using Capture™ design software.

The client was very happy with the event, reportedly stating that in 25 years they’ve never had a show that over the top. “The show was fantastic and really built excitement for next year,” Franke said, adding that the event just may emerge as the West Coast answer to the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop. “I’m so proud to work with this team of relentless professionals and dedicated family,” he concludes.

More information on Elation Proteus IP65 moving heads and Acclaim Lighting Dyna Drum™ LED wash lights.

As the name suggests, the design concept of Illuminati is shrouded in mystery which is exemplified in its predominately black and white theme, which is reminiscent of royalty and power normally associated with these two colors. The whole technical set-up for sound and lighting was carefully sourced accordingly.

The narrative of the illuminati society has been steeped in mystery and intrigue and this is translated to the design by the symbolic triangular of the logo.
The major challenge in designing the lighting and sound system at Illuminati was that the client wanted a space that could work as a restaurant during the day and a bar during the night and turn to a lounge with a clubby vibe during the week ends.

These initial requirements from the client (Mr. Gaurav Bakaya and Mr. Akhilesh Rao of AGA hospitality) threw up enormous Interior design and technical challenges. SLA & Amate Audio were bought to India by White Eagle Entertainment, New Delhi.
They also designed and executed the lighting and sound system along with Mumbai interior design firm DesignWorx, providing an innovative solution to meet the challenges required for the space. The whole project was managed and executed by Transform Projects Pvt Ltd.

Triangle inspiration

Just like the interiors, lighting too draws its inspiration from the Triangle which is star spangled along the two prominent dome structures. These triangular lighting system has been painstakingly and intricately custom designed to illuminate on both side in order to create an illusion of infinity and space. Most of the lighting fixtures have been customized to the unique requirements of the space and had to meet the design intend.

A vertical moving Light truss and rotating truss have been juxtaposed to creating multiply effects when the place needs transcends into the lounge zone. This movement also helped in camouflaging the technical lights when the place needed to switch back into the restaurant mode.

The sound system had been challenged due to large reflective surfaces of mirrors and glass across the space. These were addressed by using facets and some innovative sound dispersion techniques.

Lighting is programmed by a prefssional software controlling pixel-like each of the 500 odd triangle in color and intensity. This provides a wide range of lighting schemes and patterns combinations, as seen in the best international night clubs.

The passage to the toilet block is spewed by laser beams to give an effect of entering a Star Wars movie set. The end result of Architectural design, lights and sound have created a mystical yet magical experience and the guest feel transported to a world of realm often seen in sci- fi movies.
“This is Matrix meets Tron meets Inception kind of vibe and becomes a close encounter of a different kind!” quotes Akhilesh Rao Aga hospitality.

While this is the first venture of this kind that Akhilesh there’s a lot of room for growth and expansion. The team is already looking at a potential venue in other cities in India and look forward to working with White Eagle Entertainment. “This is our Launchpad.” Arun Kalra from White Eagle Entertainment quoted.

1,000 LED fitted

This installation has been a changing and time consuming but was very successful at the end. As the triangular made for the custom made domes where specially made in acrylic and fitted with a LED which would be able to be seen from both sides of the dome and they were 1,000 of them! Each had to be fitted with the LED and place correctly to insure it could be seen from both sides after which we had to glue them.

DesignWorx remarks “We also had a challenge as the venue had a very low celling height and the client wanted a truss which could be recessed in to the ceiling during the dining hours and once the venue turned in to a club the lights could move in to action and the main sound will be turned on with the surround sound.”
The interiors, draws its inspiration from the Triangle which has manifested itself in many ways in the flooring pattern, in black and white marble resonates with the faceted three dimensional faceted mirrored ceiling which creates the illusion of height and space as well as the reflective Jalli work along the façade.

The highlight of the design is the two dome structure with houses the VIP seating. This intricately designed metal Jalli structure is star spangled with custom designed triangular prism shaped lighting fixture which has be painstakingly and intricately shaped to illuminate on both side in order to create an illusion of infinite possibilities.

The other challenge to overcome the changing need of the space during the day and night was achieved by using a vertical moving light truss holding the technical lights which would hide behind a vortex shape in the ceiling.
A rotating truss have been juxtaposed with the vertical moving truss to creating multiply lighting effects when the place transcends into the lounge zone.

The end result of interior design, lights and sound have created a mystical yet magical experience and the guest feel transported to a world of realm often seen in sci- fi movies.

More information on Amate Audio and SLA lighting products.

We sadly learned the loss of one of the Stage Lighting pioneers, not only in France but truly worldwide. Jean-Charles Juliat is deceased. The announcement was made by his two children François and Frédéric Juliat.

Since 1960, when he joined Robert Juliat’s team, Jean-Charles has never stopped innovating and turning this company, originally dedicated to the lighting of film shoots, into an absolute and worldwide reference for stage lighting, jumping from one idea to another, from follow-spots to DMX512 fixtures, and finally LEDs. 100 years of quality, innovation and beautiful light.

« We don’t have the words to express the deep sadness that overwhelms us and to honor our father, who died today at the age of 76. Inquiring mind, passionate about shows and their lighting, strong personality, Jean-Charles transmitted his values to us and made Robert Juliat a sustainable family business he can be proud of. The flame of his presence will continue to shine in our hearts forever. »
François and Frédéric Juliat.

The SoundLightUp editorial team is fully associated with this tribute and shares with the whole family its sadness for the loss of the man, but also the creator of projectors that made each show even more magical.

Jean Charles, the second-generation CEO of the 100-year old French followspot and lighting manufacturer, was the driving force behind the development of the company for nearly 40 years, from the early 1970’s until he handed over the helm to his son, François Juliat, in 2009.

Blessed with a curious spirit, a passion for lighting and the entertainment industry, and a strong personality, Jean Charles was an ingenious inventor, developing products as he designed tools to carry out his many projects.

With lighting design as his first love, Jean Charles was to introduce an architectural and outdoor lighting dimension to the family company that had been started by his father, Robert Juliat, in 1919. Robert, who coined the Robert Juliat brand, was the son of cinema effects, projection and lighting specialist, Jean Juliat, and opened his first shop in Paris selling cinema and theatre lighting equipment.

From these beginnings, Jean Charles took the decision to ‘go niche and innovate’, creating original, bespoke products that people needed but no-one else was making. The 1960s saw the arrival of a gobo changer, an oil wheel, the first bubble machine outside the US, the Actibul, and the Minuspot – the first spotlight designed for general public use – which sold 100,000 units.

By the time Jean Charles replaced Robert as CEO in 1975 the company numbered 7-10 people working in production, and Jean Charles curtailed his love of lighting design to concentrate on the company. The factory premises were extended to handle increased production demands and Jean Charles employed a dedicated marketing manager to allow himself more time to develop the product portfolio and to expand Robert Juliat’s growing reputation for quality and innovation.

With his customary sharp business acumen, Jean Charles wisely decided to consolidate the company’s energy into developing products for the theatre market after President Mitterand announced a major change in government policy in 1981 with a plan to develop and support theatre in every province across France.

The sound decision paid off when, in 1984, the newly-built Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, experiencing problems with its huge throw distances, held a shoot-out between manufacturers to find a 2K profile which could meet the challenge. On reaching the final two, RJ’s fellow contestant literally went up in smoke and RJ came away with an order for almost 700 luminaires!

The event was to completely revolutionise the image of Robert Juliat and confirmed the company as a major presence in theatre lighting.

As its brand spread internationally, Robert Juliat moved to a new purpose-built 5500m2 facility at the current site in Fresnoy-en-Thelle, north of Paris. Robert Juliat followspot sales boomed and its ‘niche’ products, such as the HMI profiles, attracted interest worldwide. Today, the company employs a team of more than 70 people.

Jean Charles always ensured that the company he presided over was, and remains, proudly French, with all aspects of its products designed and built in France. Some of the many ground-breaking products to come out of Jean Charles inventive mind include the first HMI followspot in the early ‘70s, the Cyrano and Lancelot followspots and the 600 Series and 700 Series HMI profiles. All bear the same superb optical qualities which have gained Robert Juliat its unbeatable reputation for top quality light production and rock-solid manufacture, with many fixtures garnering awards along the way.

Jean Charles’ master stroke, however, came with the formation of an extensive worldwide dealer network known as the ‘Robert Juliat Family’. Jean Charles claimed that he picked all Robert Juliat Family members “for their like-minded attitude to the Robert Juliat ideals, being enthusiasts who also know and love lighting, and have specialist knowledge in their individual fields and commitment to lighting as an art.” In other words, who had the same passion and integrity as himself. He led by example, chose his partners well, and many of those individuals and companies have since grown to become leaders in the market.

It is bitter-sweet that this year marks the centenary of Robert Juliat as a company when the man who did such a lot to establish its reputation is no longer here to celebrate the achievement. But the Robert Juliat name lives on in Jean Charles’ two sons, François Juliat and Frédéric Juliat, and so the spirit of the RJ Family continues to flow in the company headquarters at Fresnoy-en-Thelle and through the extended family of distributors in France and around the world.

Jean Charles is survived by his two sons, François and Frédéric, and by his wife, Marie-France. The funeral and celebration of his life took place on Friday 15 February at Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, Champagne-sur-Oise, France. The flame of his presence will continue to burn in our hearts forever.