Obsidian Control Systems and Capture Visualisation are excited to announce a new global partnership agreement to include a Capture license with every ONYX console, allowing all NX console owners immediate access to the popular and powerful lighting design and visualization software.
Every NX2 and NX4 lighting console will include a download of the latest version of Capture after a simple online registration.

Users will receive an unrestricted standard license of a Capture Edition depending on console type. All licenses are eligible for upgrades through Capture or any of its authorized resellers. Obsidian Control Systems and Capture Visualisation will be enhancing connectivity between ONYX and Capture over time for a seamless workflow and true plug-and-play experience, including synchronized patching and real-time autofocus.

Obsidian Control Systems product manager Matthias Hinrichs.

“Capture has been a great partner for Elation over the years and we look forward to strengthening this even further as we evolve the ONYX platform,” says Matthias Hinrichs, Obsidian Control Systems product manager .

“Visualization is an important part of the console programming workflow and we are happy to partner with this leading visualizer. The Capture team is great to work with and is fully dedicated to the visualization needs of the market. We know our users will benefit from the increased cooperation between our companies.”

Capture sales director Vangelis Manolis.

“The team at Obsidian Control Systems and the ONYX platform come with years of expertise in advanced lighting control so the decision to bundle a standard Capture license with every console feels rewarding,” adds Capture sales director Vangelis Manolis.
“It must also be rewarding for ONYX users since on top of visualization they will be able to work with design, reports, paperwork and presentation features, amongst others.

Elation has been a successful Capture reseller for years, and therefore we trust that the partnership with Obsidian Control Systems will also succeed in adding value when Capture and ONYX are used together by our mutual end users.”

Obsidian NX consoles range @ ISE 2019 in Amsterdam.

Obsidian Control Systems’ ONYX platform was launched in 2018 and has recently begun shipping the powerful and compact NX2 console to its customers.
At NAMM 2019, it introduced the next generation NX4 with enhanced playback options and motorized faders, a first in its class.

Capture 2018 is a comprehensive real-time lighting and video visualization software with world-class library support and rapidly growing user base.

For more information about ONYX and Capture visit www.obsidiancontrol.com and www.capture.se

Formed in 2003, Parkway Drive are an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay in New South Wales with an international following.
Fresh from back-to-back ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) no.1 spots, the band’s Reverence tour in support of their sixth studio album kicked off in Canberra in October 2018 and, hailed as their best live show to date, proved a total sensory overload.
Parkway Drive delivered their most fire laden show yet, which included a spinning, flaming drumkit and, of course, employed 16 Ayrton Ghibli LED spots for the main beam fixtures.

Lighting provider for the Australian leg of the tour was New South Wales-based ei Productions who purchased the Ayrton Ghibli units just prior to the start of the tour. “This was a complex show with lots of lighting, moving staging and pyro flames, and it relied heavily upon the Ghiblis to provide much of the lighting’s punchy looks,” commented Neale Mace, managing director of ei Productions.
“The fixtures were chosen by the band’s lighting designer, Steve Granville, after he heard we were looking at them, and I don’t think I’ve seen a light (especially an LED-based one) have so much punch and colour output, not to mention its zoom.”

Super bright with perfectly flat field

Granville positioned the Ghibli fixtures across three flown trusses where, Mace remarked, “they looked incredible! Having seen this show, I’ve never seen an LED based fixture that is as bright as the Ghibli.
They also have intense colours and can produce beautiful air / beam effects,” he added. “We didn’t actually use the motorised framing feature on this tour, but it’s great to know that we can also use them for front truss profile work when needed.”

LD Steve Granville agrees: “The Ghibli is the first LED profile fixture I’ve seen that is super bright and has a perfectly flat field that doesn’t drop off over a distance,” he says.
“The prism and zoom are nice, the gobos are really good, and the colour mixing is great. I didn’t get into the framing but had a play with it and would love to use it soon on a tour.”

ei Productions continually looks to expand and update it production inventory and, after seeing the new Ayrton products at some overseas trade shows, decided to add some Ayrton Ghibli units to its stock. The decision process was carefully researched as the team at ei looked at several options that would fulfil their requirements for an LED-based spot / profile that had motorised framing shutters, before deciding on Ayrton.

Few options on the market

“There are a few options on the market,” says Mace. “However, as we mostly look to comply with local and overseas lighting riders, we needed a product that was going to be universally accepted, and right now, Ayrton is an extremely popular brand with their products being used on lots of shows.
We also have experience with the Ayrton brand as we already own a lot of Ayrton MagicBlades which have been a rock solid product for us. “As usual, Show Technology (Ayrton’s exclusive distributor in Australia) has provided amazing sales support in getting us demo fixtures and answering any and all of our stupid questions!”

Steve Granville’s design for the huge and dramatic Parkway Drive rig featured a lot of firepower from other fixtures, but the Ghibli fixtures were able to hold their own: “The Ghiblis cut right through them, even in some of the rooms with higher trim height,” confirms Mace. “Out on a tour, they performed flawlessly every night and being trucked across four States and a Territory didn’t faze them a bit.
“The Ghiblis are amazing! There’s a lot to like about these fixtures and although this tour didn’t use all their features, it certainly proved to us (and anyone who saw the show) that they’re a great light and I know we’ll be ordering more.”

Pixel mapped Magic Blades

Also included in the Australian touring rig were 64 Ayrton Magic Blade-R fixtures which Granville ran in full extended mode, running the pixel mapper and content through the High End Hog. The manner in which they were setup was, in Steve’s words, ‘big and offensive’.

“The MagicBlades were arranged in a big block on touring frames and I got so many looks out of them,” he said. “It’s nice to have the options in extended mode where I can, for example, have them all on and use them to wash the stage, and then swap to just having a single cell on to give me a totally different look. I’ve had this design out for nearly two years, in one configuration or another, and I’m still finding new things to do with them. I will no doubt add them back into another design in the future.”

MagicBlade-R units set on fire every two minutes

Steve admits his MagicBlade-R units were quite badly treated on tour as they were rigged on touring frames, thrown around by their hydraulic lifts and nearly set on fire every two minutes!
But, he says, they were solid throughout with very few failures. “I think we toured Europe the last time with only two spares,” he added.

Parkway Drive’s Reverence tour travelled across Australia from October to November 2018 and is currently touring Europe until the end of February before transferring to America between April and May 2019.

More info on Ayrton fixtures here.

Adamson Systems Engineering has announced the appointment of professional audio industry veteran Marc Bertrand as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Bertrand will lead Adamson’s global operations from its headquarters in Port Perry, Ontario, as company Founder Brock Adamson assumes the role of Chairman.

“It’s a tremendous honour to be leading a company as respected and reputable as Adamson – especially amidst an exciting time of growth and continued innovation,” begins Marc Bertrand. “We have one of the most passionate partner networks I’ve ever seen, and close collaboration has led to considerable growth in key territories in recent years.
Their connection to the product and the people that support the network provides a solid foundation as we build on Brock’s vision and proven approach to manufacturing with a host of new products and innovations in 2019 and beyond.”

Marc Bertrand.

Bertrand spent a decade with Tannoy North America beginning in the mid-1990s, eventually serving as Managing Director for five years.
Then, in 2009, he became the CEO of TC Group Americas, overseeing a catalog of brands including Tannoy, TC Electronic, Lab.gruppen, Lake, and others through to 2016.

Following his time with TC Group Americas, Bertrand assumed an advisory role with Adamson before formally joining the company in November 2017 as Managing Director Americas, attracted by the entrepreneurial and energetic management team at Adamson.

James Oliver.

In his new role, Bertrand plans to continue building the Adamson brand in the vital North American market while maintaining its strong presence in Europe and supporting its growing Asia-Pacific market position.

“Since I joined Adamson, I’ve worked with Marc both in his role as CEO of TC Group Americas and within our organization. Together, we formalized Adamson’s system approach through the standardization of the Lab.gruppen infrastructure.
This experience led to Marc gaining a deep understanding of the needs of our network and Brock’s vision. Our history of working together will make it easy to support him as he transitions into his new role,” states James Oliver, Director of Marketing and Sales.

“The core group at Adamson is focused and skilled,” Bertrand adds. “Our ability to continue the exponential growth that the organization has experienced under the leadership of Brock Adamson is undeniable.”

Brock Adamson.

In closing, Brock Adamson comments: “In his time with Adamson thus far, Marc has proven that his esteemed reputation in our industry is well-earned, and that his strengths as a leader complement our direction for the future.”

Talking about future developments, Adamson Systems Engineering has already been very active indeed recently, with the launch of the new CS-Series, the world’s first family of mobile loudspeakers to feature onboard Class-D amplification, DSP, and Milan-ready (AVB) network endpoints. The CS7p was the first pathfinder early 2019, but it seems the Port Perry R&D guys have more to come, stay tuned…

More information on the Adamson Web site.

PLASA has announced a free-to-attend seminar covering the latest developments in the EU Ecodesign regulations on 28th February in Lille, France. The seminar is part of PlugFest, a technical event for lighting protocol interoperability, but is open to anyone who may be impacted by the regulations.
It will be presented by Adam Bennette (ETC) and Ludwig Lepage (Robert Juliat).

The Ecodesign lighting regulations have been looming over the stage and studio lighting sectors for several months, culminating in a vote at the EU Commission in December 2018.
Following the vote, the European Entertainment Ecodesign Coalition (a group of European entertainment associations) stated that “further exemptions for the live performance, lighting design and film sectors guarantee that the vast majority of stage and studio lighting can continue to be used.”

This statement will be explained further during the seminar in addition to sector-specific guidance and forecasts for the future.

To find out more and confirm your attendance please visit: plasa.me/ecodesignatplugfest and register free of charge for this seminar.

The rest of the Plugfest seminars, workshops and conferences, from February 26th to February 28th, is subject to regular payment and registering.

Following a successful launch at latest Namm show, Sennheiser confirms end of March availability of its new SK 6212 mini pocket transmitter, flagship of the Digital 6000 range. Designed for live applications, it provides a reliable transmission with high-grade audio quality.

« Ten years ago, the Sennheiser SK 5212 was established as a reference on the every stage in the world as being the smallest available UHF professional microphone transmitter », remembers Tom Vollmers, Sennheiser Professional Audio Senior Product Manager.

Tom Vollmers

« With the new SK 6212 digital transmitter, we write a new chapter. We’ve developed this mini-transmitter hand in hand with our main professional customers, so that it can win their approval thru all its qualities: compactness, efficient use of the spectrum and long battery life. »

The dream tool for artists, art directors and costumers…

The SK 6212 dimensions are only 63 x 47 x 20 millimeters for a mere 112 grams including battery, allowing it to be very discreet, hidden into stage costumes or wigs.

Moreover, the rounded corners and edges of the body and flexible replaceable antenna make the SK 6212 easy to adapt to delicate stage costumes and can be comfortably worn directly on the skin. Its metallic body allows it to resist moisture well.

And no need to worry about autonomy: the rechargeable lithium-polymer battery offers a running time of 12 hours, enough to allow artists and costumers to deploy all their magic on stage.

… and sound engineers and RF techies

Long before the show starts, the SK 6212 shows its effectiveness: it operates intermodulation-free and utilizes an equidistant frequency grid that enables more efficient use of the constantly shrinking available frequency spectrum.
Sound engineers will appreciate that, despite its miniature size, the transmitter offers a complete user interface with OLED display and buttons for functions.

The SK 6212 is equipped with a removable lithium-polymer (BA 62) rechargeable battery providing a running time of 12 hours. The recharge process goes thru a global rack charger L 6000 and the LM 6062 module.

The lithium-polymer BA 62 battery can be removed from the SK 6212 and recharged in the L 6000 rack thanks to a dedicated LM 6062 charging module.
Regarding audio, this transmitter includes the Sennheiser Digital Audio Codec (SeDAC) and long-range mode, also found in the Digital 9000 series. The SK 6212 is fully compatible with the series 6000 receivers, including the EK 6042 for cameras, and the Digital 9000 range receiver.

Tom Vollmers : « The SK 6212 will allow artists to fully concentrate on their performance because they’ll hardly feel its presence, whereas the sound engineer will be quieter thanks to the transmission reliability, the excellent audio quality, and the long running time. »

More information on the Sennheiser Web site.

With a continued focus on providing customers with superior service and high-quality products, SIXTY82, nicknamed The New Original manufacturer of next-generation trussing and staging systems, has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Codex Events for Luxembourg, and Electro Waves for Finland and Sweden.

Headquartered in Drachten, 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 craftmanship 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.

Scandinavian waves

Electro Waves is a company that has positioned itself as one of the leaders in audio-visual technology, digital signage, and water technology. They offer first-class solutions and bold innovations to their extensive customer network.

“We are very happy with our newly formed partnership with Electro Waves,” says SIXTY82 CEO Fokko Smeding. “It will help strengthen market synergy for SIXTY82 as it creates a solid foundation to penetrate the Scandinavian market.”

SIXTY82 Executive Account Manager, Date Jonkman continues: “Electro Waves is a highly regarded and well-renowned distributor in the trussing and staging industry. Their team is well experienced and, with their expertise and support, we are confident that, together, we can create something special.”

Electro Waves’ knowledge of the market will be invaluable in supporting SIXTY82 to provide Scandinavian customers with suitable solutions to their requests and a service that is second to none. The appointment will leverage SIXTY82’s extensive product range to address the Scandinavian market.

Miko Nurkki, CEO of Electro Waves, comments: “In order to offer our customers holistic, quality solutions, we have gathered the best partners around us – SIXTY82 shares our passion as innovative forerunners and as professionals implementing unique solutions in an ever-changing world. They are a highly versatile, progressive and innovative manufacturer with a big future. So we are proud to be able to use our expertise to put them on the Scandinavian map”.

Codex values

The agreement will enable both companies to cater to the growing demand for high-quality trussing and staging products and solutions.
With their wide product offerings, knowledge of the market and focus on local and technical service, Codex is a real asset to the distribution network of SIXTY82.

As Patrick Risch, CEO of Codex, comments: “Together with the team we have unanimously chosen SIXTY82 as our exclusive trussing and staging brand because they deliver unrivalled quality and top-class support. In addition to the strong points of know-how, flexibility, and an extensive engineering department, SIXTY82 brings innovations which are trend-setting.”

Due to the matching values of Codex and SIXTY82, both companies predict a great future for this partnership.

Johnny Marr, one of the UK’s most prolific songwriters, producers, and collaborators has been on the road again, this time with his fourth solo studio album, Call the Comet.
The former founding lead guitarist of The Smiths has forged a shining solo career since his debut album in 2013, bringing his latest UK journey to a stellar conclusion with a sold-out date at EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney), London, which boasts the first permanent installation of L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology in a European live music venue.

Johnny Marr in lighting rays.

For Marr’s Front of House Engineer, Russ Miller, this was his first date with L-ISA, and his post-show report was glowing: “I was blown away by it,” Russ Miller states. “The separation is unbelievable, without it feeling like it’s separate sources. At sound check our backline techs were amazed: we had people just walking around the venue listening; it sounded the same from front to back and from side to side.”

Miller was contacted prior to the gig by EartH’s Alessandro Melchior, Sound Engineer, and was pleased to have a day in the venue before the show to work with some virtual sound-check material. “You can’t be afraid of new technology,” says Miller. “I say just get involved and see what it can do.”

L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology uses spatial audio processing to position up to 96 sound objects in three dimensions inside a performance space. The EartH L-ISA Frontal system comprises five hangs of seven Kara and a central sub system of four KS28 flown in end-fire configuration in front and above the central Kara hang.
Ten X8 enclosures are positioned along the stage lip for front fill. 12 Syva make up the surround system—four per side—mounted along the left, right, and rear walls. An overhead system of eight ceiling-mounted X8 completes the installation.

Russ Miller, Front of House Engineer.

‘Miller decided to make the most of L-ISA and move to a more object-based mix for the show: “We’ve got the two-channel show to a point where, input-wise and processing-wise, I have the kick, snare, bass, and lead vocals in the centre of the mix with effects specifically to give the lead vocal more width.
I then push the guitars and ‘keyboard’ elements out to the side and use delay cabinets where the precedence effect happens [the Haas region] to clear space for the central elements.

Stereo illusion and mono compatibility

This creates a stereo illusion and gives mono compatibility even when the speaker stacks are a long way apart, so you get pseudo stereo without the old ‘disappearing guitar’ problem when a listener is right in front of the cabinets one side. But switching to L-ISA and not having to jump through hoops to get the separation was amazing. With L-ISA, if you put the vocal in the centre, it’s in the centre and not a phantom centre.”

The Call the Comet tour uses DiGiCo SD11 consoles, sharing SD Rack I/O. In this instance, Miller’s FOH SD11 was connected to EartH’s in-house DiGiCo SD12, giving him more real estate to play with and allowing him to get creative with L-ISA. DiGiCo consoles now have natively integrated L-ISA Source Control functionality, so Miller was able to pan from the console, while Melchior provided support on the L-ISA Controller software.

In addition of taking advantage of L-ISA spatialization to place sound objects to reflect their actual physical location on stage, Miller decided to make full use of L-ISA’s three-dimensional processing for a psychedelic moment in the Marr set.

“Johnny has a song on the new album called “New Dominions”. It has a break-down section in the middle that comes down to just bass and drums, and then Johnny comes in and there are delay throws where I change the delay time so that it creates a pitch change. It’s an old trick, but it works for this.”

Trippy and psychedelic

At EartH, Miller took the stereo delay output and sent it to the house console where they could ‘play’ the L-ISA Pan, Width, Depth, and Elevation parameters. “I said let’s go crazy and throw it around – send it over people, to the back, all around,” says Miller. “Johnny always said it should be trippy and psychedelic. It worked incredibly well.”

At EartH, Miller felt that a significant benefit of L-ISA was the exceptional inherent sound quality achieved with minimal effort: “I often have to work with the bottom end to reduce a problem, so you get used to going into venues and wondering what you will have to deal with for that show,” he explains.
“Then, when you’re faced with a really well set-up system, you have to take a moment and think ‘Am I hearing things? I don’t have to do anything.’

“EartH was a step on from that. It was balanced, yes, but felt full range. It didn’t feel like the subs were tacked on; it felt deeper. There’s articulation down there, so it’s easier to separate bass and kick; you can pinpoint things that you just couldn’t hear before.”

Bringing clarity to the soundscape

In what might have otherwise been a challenging space, multiple discrete physical full range sources create a wide sweet spot, bring clarity to the soundscape, and lift a burden from the drivers.

“After only about four minutes of putting stuff through the PA I realised that this system is a solution to a very old problem,” Miller concludes. “It’s a big move into bringing down sound levels so you’re not smashing people in the face, but you’re still producing something that excites and intoxicates the audience.

This technology is amazing, it’s not going away, and it can only become more popular.”

More info on L-Acoustics L-ISA.

Fred Foster, ETC co-founder and CEO has passed away at the age of 61. Foster was a visionary, an innovator, and a role model.
The ETC culture of family, support, and encouragement is attributed to Foster and his vision of a creating a people-focused environment.
It’s difficult to put into words what it has been like to work for and with such an inspiring leader

One of Foster’s greatest qualities was his ability to bring people together and rally them around a goal or a vision. Whether it was a new product technology, a tradeshow booth design, or an employee meeting space, he was always creating, always making, and always giving. His ideas were big, and his heart bigger.

Foster is credited with countless industry contributions ranging from product innovations to student mentorship programs. He has been recognized repeatedly for his philanthropy from a number of organizations.

Foster announced his cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2015 and went through extensive treatment to prolong his life. Foster died peacefully surrounded by family and loved ones. Both of his children, daughter Kate Foster and son James Foster, as well as his wife, Susan Foster, are employed at ETC.

You can read more about Foster and his life of giving on the ETC Website.

Ayrton is delighted to welcome Linnea Ljungmark as the latest addition to its expanding international sales team. Based in Sweden, Linnea will be responsible for Ayrton across the whole of Scandanavia, the Baltic and Benelux countries and the Iberian peninsula.

From left to right, Chris Ferrante, Linnea Ljungmark & Michael Althaus.

Linnea brings to Ayrton a lifetime of experience in the industry, having spent the majority of her working life at Intersonic AB, the family-run distribution company founded by her father Per Olof Jlungmark in 1997.

Ayrton: family business.

“I’ve worked with my father for as long as can remember, first in the office and at local trade shows, and later as general manager of the newly acquired lighting distribution company, One Two Sales,” Linnea says.

The late Valère Huard

During this time Linnea gained in-depth experience in the Scandinavian market and a long association with Ayrton through Intersonic’s distribution of the brand. “I have fond memories of Valère Huard with whom I worked closely and who typified Ayrton’s approach to business,” she says.
“To join Ayrton is a dream come true because the company has everything I love: well organized, good management, high quality products and a very interesting marketing position – on the way to the top whilst remaining down to earth and ‘rock n roll’ at the same time.
“We are delighted Linnea has joined our international sales team,” says Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s Global Sales Director. “This is a time of rapid growth and increased activity for Ayrton and Linnea is a very welcome addition to the team. Her expertise, energy and enthusiasm will be invaluable asset to Ayrton’s adventure going forward and we are excited to welcome her on board.”

Ghibli: innovative example of Ayrton’s portfolio of LED moving fixtures

“Ayrton has always had a great team, and there is fantastic company culture of employing people from all around the globe. Ayrton is a multicultural, very modern, international company on a very interesting path.
I wanted to join a manufacturer that was truly international, and it is the energy in the company, the quality of the products, and the capacity of R&D and production that made me want to join Ayrton”, adds Ljungmark.

“With the new range of high capacity workhorse fixtures, we are a real game changer and these are exciting times for sure. I believe Ayrton is the coolest and best lighting brand there is today!”

More info on Ayrton Website.

Meyer Sound has introduced M-Noise, a new test signal that will promote standardized measurement of a loudspeaker system’s maximum linear output.

A mathematically derived test signal that effectively emulates the dynamic characteristics of music, M-Noise enables a far more accurate measurement of a loudspeaker system’s linear peak SPL in any application requiring reproduction of musical content.

The mathematical formula for generating M-Noise(M for Meyer or for Music?) was derived following extensive spectral analysis of a wide variety of music program material. In particular, the analysis measured the varying crest factors in music, and how these measurements compared to pink noise (crest factor is the difference between the average and instantaneous peak levels of a signal).

One can easily see in this diagram the difference between the crest factor in filtered pink noise and M-Noise, with progressive enhancement of the high frequencies above 500 Hz. The upper curves characterise different types of music.

It was discovered that the crest factors of music and pink noise were similar at frequencies below 500 Hz, but with music exhibiting a steadily rising crest factor at higher frequencies.

For Pablo Espinosa (VP Meyer Sound) : « It’s vital to have an accurate and consistently repeatable way to measure the linear peak SPL of a loudspeaker when reproducing music. Pink noise may get you in the ballpark but you still could be off by 6 dB or more when you switch to music program.

However, if you measure your maximum level using M-Noise, following our recommended procedures, you will know for certain your real-world limit for sustained, linear and full-bandwidth music reproduction. The procedure is consistent and repeatable, and it gives you full confidence that your system will have the headroom required for accurate reproduction of dynamics without compression. »

Additional information and a free download of the M-Noise file are available on Meyer Sound’s dedicated M-Noise web site.. File format is 96 kHz WAV with a size of 10.2 MB. Playing time is 53 seconds but playback can be looped indefinitely.

Regarding videos

Schematics of the measurement chain used.

The principle is: recording the transfer function of the system in linear activity, then pushing the level up until the transfer function if distorted in one or several areas of the bandwith (compared to the reference one), and write down the average and crest levels at this very moment.

Measurement principle taken from the distorsion of the transfer function, compared to the one monitored in perfectly liner activity.

To obtain reliable measurements with maximum coherence and correlation between the output signal and the measured signal, it is necessary to free oneself as much as possible from reflections and noises during the placement, which implies a test microphone at relative close distance (except in an anechoic chamber), and of course from any distorsion in the measurement chain. The microphone and its pre-amplifier, to begin with, must be able to accept very loud SPLs with very minimal distorsion, and of course not exceed the admissibles values of the analyser, to obtain function values not altered by the measurement process.

The accuracy and consistency of results will depend on the type and quality of the test equipment (as specified in the video) and adherence to the proper measurement procedures.
M-Noise was introduced to many audio professionals as a concluding point of the Heyser Memorial Lecture by President and CEO John Meyer at the 145th AES Convention in New York last fall.

More information on the Meyer Sound Website.

Launched on the Harman booth (as Martin is part of this large AV group) at the ISE show in Amsterdam a few days ago, the new compact Martin moving head fills a gap in the Spot range of the Danish manufacturer.
Indeed, the worldwide known success MAC 250, dating from the golden period when this spot had complemented the legendary MAC 500, didn’t then had a successor at Martin with such a level of popularity, even though the Mac 250 Entour, with a look of its own, had a nice career some time later.

In the center, between the Mac Allure Profile and the ELP profile projectors, the new Era 300 Profile Martin.

Led replacement for the MAC 250

As a result, the Era 300 allows to switch to led technology for those who want a compact Spot to replace the MAC 250, with even more functions, while remaining (very) slighty under the 4,000 € tag (list price).

Era 300 Profile, 260 W of white leds, CMY, almost 10,000 lumens and gobos choice inspired by the Viper: a small vitaminized Spot.

The range of Martin led moving spots is now divided in 3 levels. The upper one is declined in 4 different models of Mac Encore, in WRM (warm white, tungsten emulation) or CLD (cold white, TV studio, touring and more), and either in Framing Profile Spot or Wash.
The Mac Allure, soon to be delivered in a few weeks in its definitive version, does propose a very original concept with its 7 segments led engine. Last but not least, for more common cases, the Era 300 Spot should address most of the day-to-day mid-size venues or events.

Functions and compromises

See for yourself: 260 W 6,500K white led module, first wheel of 7 rotating/indexable gobos with Shake effects, second wheel with 9 fixed gobos, CMY color mixing (another evolution compared to the more “basic” Mac250), plus additional color wheel, iris, 3-facet rotating prism.
To stay in comparisons between old and new world, it should be noted that, under almost the same format as its widespread ancestor, its light output now approaches the 10,000 lumens tag, formerly reserved for much bigger lamp fixtures.
Comparing functions, the zoom is a strong point for a compact machine like this, even if limited to a quite small excursion 13° to 28°, there we see the light output optimisation/manufacturing quality/price compromise. In the same idea, the CRI of 70 clearly indicates this was designed mainly for Touring or high-range Club installation use.

Similar graphic combinations

Last strong point of the Era 300 Spot, the LD or techie used to bigger beasts will find it more familiar, the gobos choice is very much inherited from the Viper. This leads us to say that a multiple lighting design with several fixtures of different power can now be considered as a whole with the same “family look” of aerial beams and figures.

This model is announced as available Q2-2019.

More info on the Martin website.

On 17 December 2018, Member States voted on the Commission proposal to revise ecodesign regulations for lighting products also called “Single Lighting Regulation”. The European Entertainment Ecodesign Coalition – a European-wide group of associations working in the entertainment, lighting design, live performance and film/TV sectors had a lot of remaining concerns regarding stage and studio lighting.
These matters were addressed by the expert group. The coalition welcomes the outcome of the Member State vote.

Because our sectors aim at providing the best quality and experiences for lighting design customers, audiences of live events and film spectators, the Coalition had introduced a number of amendments covering essential requirements for our businesses.
The European Commission had introduced a first technical exemption for the sector in July 2018, allowing around 80% of specific lamp types used in the live performance and film sector to be exempted from ecodesign requirements.

New revision

Additional exemptions voted

With the additional exemptions voted in December 2018, the vast majority of light sources needed on stage, in specialized lighting design as well as in film studios can continue to be used. The European Commission will publish a consolidated version of the text at the end of January 2019.
The vote in European Parliament (scrutiny procedure) is scheduled for March 2019.
Revised ecodesign rules will be applicable to Member States as of September 2021.

For more information, please contact Silke Lalvani, EU policy adviser, Pearle* – Live Performance Europe here: [email protected]

Powersoft demonstrates his know-how in amplifiers being able to drive very low impedance loads, derived form the M-Force. They will use this year’s ISE to demonstrate its ground-breaking new product, Mover – a small yet incredibly powerful linear transducer that can be used in audio applications and, more excitingly, as a linear motor / shaker.

Adaptable to various purposes, including 4D cinemas, theme parks, or venues with vibrating acoustic floors – as well as applications that go beyond entertainment – Mover lets audiences feel the sound through haptic perception by vibrating the surrounding environment, which the human body picks up and, through bone conduction, translating the vibrations into perceivable frequencies.

Mover is a true Made in Firenze (home of Powersoft) invention, as these guys perfectly know how to make the moving coil transmit the power generated by the movement thru an axis to any kind of load, the exact opposite of what happens in a traditional loudspeaker.

The first linear Powersoft driver, named M-Force, pictured here in version 01 into its chassis frame and with one of the cones, global ready-to-go kit with its specific amplifier, the M-Drive.

Mover is based on Powersoft’s patented moving magnet linear motor technology. Introduced in 2013 this results in an unbelievable performance. Extended power handling, electromagnetic conversion, reliability and maximum SPL are a few of the incredible innovative features and improvements with respect to conventional moving coil arrangement.

Mover is available in two versions: Direct Drive and Inertial Drive

The Mover Direct Drive recognisable by its piston rod ready to be thgihtly bolted the material it’s going to drive like a membrane, or even like a springboard, considering its excursion.

Next to exciting the surface, Direct Drive is also able to create an offset of +/- 15 mm. As a result, the surface will not only shake but also move giving the audience the sensation of falling off or jumping over an object.

Mover Inertial Drive. The piston rod is replaced here by four holes, to operate in full conjunction with the surface to move thru inertia.

The Inertial Drive version can be mounted directly to a surface. The ultra-low frequency reproduction and unmatched efficiency of Mover – Inertial Drive will excite the surface and extend the low frequency experience.

A view of the rear terminals of a Mover Direct Drive. Making them easy to access is essential, and the screwing has to sealed with resin ;0)

Mover is also available in a low impedance and 100 Volt version, and can be used in conjunction with a Powersoft amplifier, especially for the Mover Powersoft has introduced an an updated firmware version.

A specific subharmonic generator plug-in has been added. This new algorithm transposes the pitch of the frequencies down in order to reproduce ultra-low frequency extension all the way down to 5 Hz.

Shakin’ all over

On the ISE booth, users standing on the platform and wearing the requisite HTC headset can experience an immersive 360° video while being stimulated through haptic perception.

We’ve been there, and we can tell you the experience is worth testing it !

More info on Powersoft website.

Modulo Pi is pleased to announce two new hires into the sales and marketing teams: International Business Developer Phil Blue, and Marketing & Communications Manager Amandine Teyssier. The new recruits will support Modulo Pi’s international expansion.

Designing the next generation of media server solutions, Modulo Pi is pleased to announce two new appointments to support the company’s expansion on an international level.

Phil Blue, International Business Developer

Phil Blue joins as International Business Developer. Blue is a highly skilled technical sales manager with extensive experience in the Pro AV and media servers’ fields.
Prior to joining Modulo Pi, Blue ran VER’s European media servers’ department. He also shows strong commercial experience having managed distribution networks and sales operations at Avolites and Green Hippo. His background as a freelance lighting and video designer will also be a valuable asset to support Modulo Pi’s existing and new clients in their projects.
Based in the United Kingdom, Phil Blue will work in close collaboration with the French headquarters to further expand business internationally. His role will encompass sales and training operations to offer international clients and partners the best experience with Modulo Pi’s media servers.

Phil Blue comments: “Modulo Pi offers the perfect product range for both installation and live mapping projects. This is an exciting opportunity to help grow a great brand with great people behind the scenes”.

Amandine Teyssier, Marketing & Communications Manager

Amandine Teyssier has also joined Modulo Pi as new Marketing & Communications Manager. With 10-year experience in the Pro AV industry and previous position of Communications Manager at Analog Way, Teyssier will be in charge of taking Modulo Pi’s marketing strategy to the next level.
She will define and implement the activities to raise awareness and educate customers and partners on the benefits of Modulo Pi’s state-of-the-art media server solutions. Teyssier is based in the company’s French headquarters near Paris.

“I’m very excited to join Modulo Pi, a team of passionate professionals committed to offer the most comprehensive and innovative media server solutions. I look forward to supporting them in spreading their vision and grow awareness about their outstanding systems” comments Teyssier.

Ever-growing interest for the Modulo Player and Modulo Kinetic systems

Phil Blue and Amandine Teyssier will report to Yannick Kohn, Founder and CEO of Modulo Pi. “We’re proud to be a leader on our home market, and to see the ever-growing interest for the Modulo Player and Modulo Kinetic systems on an international level” says Kohn. “I’m delighted to welcome Phil Blue and Amandine Teyssier whose experience and passion will be key to extend Modulo Pi’s footprint, while enriching further the overall experience with our systems.”

More info on Modulo Pi products.

Vari-Lite is back in the saddle again, indeed. Their new hybrid moving head, the VL10 Beam-Wash, includes the new Philips 25R Platinum, 550 W of sheer power. Apart from an impressive 2.2 to 48° zoom, this U.S. hot rod can rely on its 16 gobos, 5 animations pattern of the exclusive sur l’exclusif disque VL*FX Animation Wheel, its 2 prisms, its Frost filters and its combination of CMY color mixing + color wheel to run ahead of the pack.

SoundLightUp camera was there on the first European presentation during last JTSE show in Paris to interview Cyril Prat, Technical Manager of Freevox, the Vari-Lite french distributor.

Muscle Beam

Picture it: the Vari-Lite warehouse, 2 Choppers driving in with sputtering motor backfire from hell. The two drivers step out, open the back door and step inside the premises to unwrap some VL moving heads sleeping on the shelves. Getting out of one of the just parked HotRods, a heavily tattoed guy points to a VL3500. An incredible customisation ballet begins, to mutate the Last Great US Flagship of Moving Light into a monster BeamWash fixture. Days have flown, tests duly undergone, here’s the result.

Well seated on its 2 hanging rails, the new Vari-Lite creation boldly takes pride wit hfreshly sticked original logos. The VL10 is wisely (and relatively) high enough for a Texas lighting jewel. 33 kg and 70 xcm of steel and black polycarbonate give precedence to the perfect eye of the 180 mm, an agressive grille firmly tightened by the large base and the head equipped with two extra handles on the top sides

At the heart of the mechanical part waits an extreme light source, a 550 W Philips 25R delivering 28,000 lumens, 640,000 lux @ 10 meters!
The resulting beam flux confirms the synthesis spirit of the Americans flux, an ideal balance between raw power, traditions respect and effects modernity.

The 7,000K color temperature and the CRI of 80 fate the VL10 to stage lighting, rather modern concert or show. The CMY color mixing follows the path, it sticks to the up-to-date standards, quite saturated, with deep tints and precise pastel hues. 10 fixed colors wisely come in addition on a dedicated.

The optics evoke the good old days of Vari-Lite. The very wide 20:1 ratio of the zoom goes from 2.2° to 44°! The focus can me made in every zoom position, allowing the user to play endlessly with the incredible collection of gobos and effects provided by the VL10.
On the first wheel, one finds 8 efficient and fixed gobos, and 4 beam reducers to reach down to 0.7°. The second wheel is equipped with 8 rotating gobos, more dedicated to aerial shapes and volumes.

The third wheel is the main Vari-Lite here. Named LV*FX, this provides 5 large animation patterns on one gear, for effects of dressing, deformation, aerial or multicolored beams.

The customisation goes on with a double superimposed prism, 8-facet circular or 4-facet linear and 2 Frost filters.The first one is a Soft Edge to soften the edge, the second one is a Heavy Frost, allowing the use of the VL10 as a Wash fixture with an angle of 48°.
Almost each of the effects is controlled thru 3 DMX channels, multiplying even more the combinations and possibilities. Apart from indexing, rotation and speed, another channel drives different modes: mega stepping, twist, shake or scrolling. A 2-glass blades dimmer and a shutter conclude the DMX chart, in DMX – RDM or ArtNet.

Please take note that the Vari-Lite VLZ and VL2600 are still available simultaneously. Please remind that each range hosts Led fixture in Profile, Spot or Wash model. The VLZ fixtures provide a power and a number of options aimed at big stages, while the VL2600 models are lighter and more compact and can be defined as Vari-Lite’s Swiss Army Knifes.

More info on the Vari-Lite website.