For the new Michael Bublé tour, the Meyer Sound LEO configuration has been altered to remedy monitoring issues and to provide a more intuitive experience for the audience. This “dual hybrid” audio configuration complements and enhances the production’s split staging.

After a four year touring hiatus, smooth pop megastar Michael Bublé has returned to his adoring fans for 91 shows in North America and Europe. Dubbed “An Evening with Michael Buble,” the 2019 edition relies — as have Bublé’s tours for nearly a dozen years — on a Meyer Sound system supplied by Montreal-based Solotech.

Although the core LEO Family loudspeaker components are similar to those used since Bublé’s 2013 outing, for this tour the configuration has been altered dramatically to remedy monitoring issues and to provide a more intuitive experience for the audience.

Dual hybrid” audio configuration

Essentially, this audio configuration nicknamed “dual hybrid” complements and enhances the production’s split staging: a large end stage accommodating a full orchestra and background singers (up to 38 in total); and a smaller B-stage centered in the arena and connected to the main stage by a catwalk.

The main stage audio system, which anchors the orchestra image and covers the bowl seating up to about halfway back into the arena, comprises typical side and main arrays, but with the main front arrays canted off to the side, as they are not directed for vocal coverage of the rear portion of the arena.
That job is handled by a separate multi-array system flown under the scoreboard, with the two most powerful arrays here covering the rear seating bowl by functioning essentially as a massive delay cluster whenever Bublé is performing on the main stage.

Making the “zero point” follow the walking singer

Michael Bublé’s B-Stage.

However, when Bublé walks out to the central B-stage, the “zero point” of his voice follows along, transitioning in sync so that, when he arrives, his voice is securely anchored directly overhead while the orchestra image remains at the main stage.

As explained by Craig Doubet, Bublé’s FOH engineer since 2007, the original impetus for this novel setup came from Bublé himself.
“Michael loves getting out into the audience on a B-stage, which he has done the last two tours, but he was having a problem with his vocal from the main stage PA bleeding into his mic and then going into his IEMs. It’s distracting when you have a delay of 125 to 160 milliseconds coming back into your ears when you’re trying to sing.”

Craig Doubet, FOH Engineer, Jonathan Trudeau, System Engineer/Crew Chief.

When preparing for the tour, Doubet had a brainstorming session with Meyer Sound Director of System Optimization Bob McCarthy, Senior Technical Support Specialist David Vincent and Digital Systems Product Manager Rob Mele to sketch out possible solutions.
The particulars were engineered in collaboration with the tour’s System Engineer/Crew Chief Jonathan Trudeau and Solotech Audio Projects Manager Patrice Lavoie.

“The upshot is that now Michael is never directly in front of a loudspeaker,” says Doubet. “When he goes to the B-stage, we move his vocal along using some newly developed software in GALAXY.
What’s more, in a segment of the show where a small band joins him at the B-stage to evoke his days playing clubs, the main stage system is turned completely off and we bring up a pair of back-facing LEOPARD arrays to create a self-standing, in-the-round arena system. Michael is now very happy. We’ve made him feel like he’s always singing at the zero point.”

The innovations also help foster a more natural and intimate relationship between artist and audience. “There’s never a disconnect between where you see Michael and where you hear his voice coming from,” says Doubet. “When you see him go over there, his voice goes over there.”

The main stage system for the tour comprises a total of 16 LEO and 44 LYON line array loudspeakers configured across the front/out and side systems.
Twelve low frequency control elements 1100-LFC are flown at the main stage, with front fill from eight MINA and two JM-1P loudspeakers and floor bass anchored by four 900-LFC elements.

The B-stage system comprises two long-throw arrays each with five LEO-M and six MICA line array loudspeakers; side arrays of 14 each MICA loudspeakers; and stage-facing rear arrays of eight-each LEOPARD line array loudspeakers. Flown subwoofers here are 12 700-HP, with two 900-LFC elements on the floor along with 7 MINA loudspeakers for front fill. System drive and optimization is supplied by a Galileo GALAXY 816 AES master processor networked via AVB with seven GALAXY 816 array processors.

This novel configuration aside, the basic elements of the system deliver as expected for Doubet.
“I grew up in this business with the MSL-5 and 6, which were for me the epitome of a vocal box.
LEO sounds like that to me, except it has more power and versatility. Here LEOs are configured to cover the upper decks and it’s beautiful up there — out front as it should be, but rich and smooth all the time.”

He applauds too the consistency of the whole LEO Family, including the LEOPARD arrays, out for the first time with Bublé. “I know I can tune all the boxes the same way and Michael’s vocal will be the same everywhere,” he says. “That’s really my focus for this tour.”

Overseeing all aspects of the intricate staging and AVL technology — filling 19 trucks — is veteran Production Manager Dean Roney, who filled that role on Bublé’s tours since 2005. From Roney’s perspective, Meyer Sound technology and support have proven critical.
“Because of the unique set-up, with around 50 hang points for audio, having all self-powered loudspeakers was essential,” he comments. “And, as usual, Meyer Sound support is awesome. Their team took care of a great deal of paperwork and programming in advance, so we were ready to go from day one.”

Also contributing to the sonic excellence of the tour, alongside Trudeau, are monitor engineers Marc Depratto and Louis-Philippe Maziade.

Michael Bublé’s monitor engineers: Marc Depratto (left) and Louis-Philippe Maziade (right).

“An Evening with Michael Bublé” launched on February 13 and toured North America through April 19. From May 20 through November 10 the tour alternates between Europe and North America, with additional dates around the globe through next summer to be announced soon.

“In a segment of the show where a small band joins Michael Bublé at the B-stage to evoke his days playing clubs, the main stage system is turned completely off and we bring up a pair of back-facing LEOPARD arrays to create a self-standing, in-the-round arena system. Michael is now very happy. We’ve made him feel like he’s always singing at the zero point”, concludes Craig Doubet, Michael Bublé FOH Engineer

(L to R) Francis Lussier, PA/Stage Technician, Jeremy Walls, PA/Stage Technician, Sebastien Richard, PA/Stage Technician, Craig Doubet, FOH Engineer, Jonathan Trudeau, System Engineer/Crew Chief, Marc Depratto, Monitor Engineer, Louis-Philippe Maziade, Monitor Engineer (NOT PICTURED) Charles Deziel, Patch/RF/Intercom technician.

More information on Meyer Sound.

Beatles legend Paul McCartney released his latest album Egypt Station last September and then promptly launched his “Freshen Up” world tour to support the album.
Paul McCartney lighting designer LeRoy Bennett, who has been with the star for over 17 years, dresses the nearly 40-song playlist in complementary visuals using a lighting, video and effects package that includes over 500 Elation Professional DARTZ 360™ luminaires. Lighting supply is by Upstaging.

Some 528 of the compact LED beam/spot lights are used in the “Freshen Up” show under the lighting direction of Wally Lees, who has been McCartney’s lighting director for 17+ years and serves as lead programmer for all his tours and events.

Dartz on pods

Located above the stage in three identical pods are 240 DARTZ, each pod comprising 80 DARTZ in 5 rows of 16 fixtures wide. The pods are located center stage and run upstage to downstage on the center stage line.
Located behind an upstage see-through video wall, approximately 50’ from the down stage edge, is a rear wall containing 288 DARTZ spread across 24 columns. Each column is 12 DARTZ tall and only becomes visible to the eye when the fixtures become active.

With a punchy output, 3-degree aperture and small footprint (11.2 x 7.7 x 17.9, 28 lbs), the DARTZ is proving to be an ideal luminaire for large light walls and pod configurations. Bennett has turned to the compact DARTZ fixture often of late, using them on his current Kelly Clarkson tour design, as well as Lady Gaga’s Las Vegas residency Enigma show.

Best when used in mass

Lighting Designer Leroy Bennett. Photo ©leroybennett.com.

Paul McCartney lighting designer LeRoy Bennett said of the narrow beam luminaire, “The DARTZ 360 is a bright, reliable, fast, and compact light source. It’s proven itself to be the best when used in mass.”

At 76, McCartney still gives a highly entertaining performance and “Freshen Up” has received stellar reviews. The tour has played dates in Canada, Asia, Europe and South America with a U.S. leg kicking off on May 23rd in New Orleans.

More information on Elation Lighting Dartz 360.

The busy Vooruit arts complex in the centre of Ghent in Belgium has transformed a historic venue, built in years before World War I, into a bustling arts centre with an impressive variety of cultural events.
It has collection of different venues, all equipped with NEXO sound systems, but the jewel in the crown is the Concertzaal, where production company VDB-PA has just completed a permanent installation of NEXO’s modular STM Series line array.

Nexo STM installation.

Design and specification of the new front-of-house system for the 1100-capacity Concertzaal was managed by Thomas Coene and Jan Van den Brande at VDB-PA, and marked a step-change in the 15 year relationship between VDB and de Vooruit.
“They have been dry-hiring systems for many years,” says Jan Van den Brande, “they use their own team of technicians and came to us for the main PA, consoles and monitors, depending on the event. When Vooruit decided to install a permanent system, we were able to draw on our huge experience in this venue to guide them to NEXO STM, which they chose over several other high-profile loudspeaker brands.”

Thomas Coene, who started his career as a student at VDB-PA, was put in charge of the design, noting Vooruit’s priorities for its 100+year-old architectural interior when it came to installing the line array.

“The size and weight of the small STM cabinets was an important factor,” says Thomas Coene. “There is a wraparound balcony around the venue so we had to respect audience sightlines, and also the flying points can only carry 500 kilos per motor. We need to choose compact lightweight loudspeaker cabinets.”

Doing the job perfectly

Coene designed the arrays with 12x STM M28 cabinets on each side, the top three boxes directed at the balcony audience, and then, with a small gap to avoid reflections from the balcony itself, the lower nine cabinets are angled at the floor.
“We did think of using some of NEXO’s small ID Series cabinets on the balcony, but the carefully-angled M28 cabinets do the job perfectly, and the top three boxes can be switched off if there is no one in the balcony.”

12x STM S118 subs are installed under the stage, equally spaced and running in omni mode. The system runs over a Dante network, powered by NEXO NXAMP4x4 amplifiers. “I can definitely hear a quality difference in the networked system,” says Coene.
“Also we have the flexibility to place the console anywhere, on the stage or on the balcony, and when bands come in with their own console, it is very easy to patch it into the system.”

Easy operation is key to the Vooruit installation. “We’ve set it up so that it is really practical to use. Whatever kind of event – dance party, world music, alt-rock – comes in, it takes just 10 minutes to set it up.
I like to hand over the system as flat as possible so it needs minimal adjustment for the room, and then I leave it up to the engineer.

“The STM M28 system is incredibly powerful, with enormous headroom. I like the brightness of the sound, and that the dispersion is truly 90 degrees, which allows you to make very precise adjustments to remove any unwanted reflections. The scaling and modularity makes it a very easy system to design.”

Three other performance venues with Nexo

De Vooruit has three other performance venues in its complex, featuring a wide variety of NEXO systems. The largest of these is the Teaterzhalle, capacity 700, with its proscenium arch stage. Here a long-standing NEXO GEO S8 system has just been expanded to 12 a side, with an upgrade to its amplifiers in the shape of new NXAMP4x2 models, as well as ID24 compact loudspeakers for infill.

NEXO ID24s discreetly installed in the Art Deco café.

In the Balzaal, new NXAMP4x4 amplifiers have been added to power the 5-a-side NEXO GEO S12 and RS18 system, and in the Vooruit’s ‘club’, the Domzaal, there are NEXO PS15 point-source speakers paired with RS15 subs.

One of the most dynamic areas of the complex is the Art Deco café, with its long bar and high ceilings, which has been equipped with a NEXO ID Series system, 12 units of ID24 super-compact point source speakers teamed with 6x IDS S110 subs.

More information on NEXO.

The “Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino” hosted the return of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story one hundred years after his birth (from 13 to 22 December).
This musical theatre masterpiece is one of the most loved shows still performed today.

The Florentine edition was directed by Federico Bellone and produced by WEC (World Entertainment Company), thanks to an agreement with Music Theatre International (MTI). The book was newly adapted by Franco Travaglio, Jerome Robbins’s original choreography was reproduced by Fabrizio Angelini, and the music was provided by the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra and choir conducted by Maestro Francesco Lanzillotta.

Lighting designer Valerio Tiberi says he “drew inspiration for (his) work from the new adaptation and the atmosphere of the Upper West Side of New York in the mid 1950s.
For this occasion, I requested and used the new Axcor Profile 600 from the Claypaky Axcor series, used here for the first time in Italy.”

Two versions are available on the market: one with an extremely bright 500W 6500K white LED source, and the other with a colour temperature of 5600K and CRI of 90.
Axcor Profile 600 lights mean top-ranking performance, with excellent light quality and high luminous efficiency, increasable by up to 25% using a boost function.

The enormous stage and scenery recalled the urban jungle of New York, where the Jets and Sharks try to get the upper hand in an atmosphere of hatred and intolerance.
This goes on until it is broken by the star-crossed romantic love story between Tony and Maria and its tragic epilogue.

The performance of the six Profile 900s the theatre is equipped with was integrated with 24 new Axcor Profile 600s arranged both on the ground in the wings, and above the stage on the battens.

“I am definitely happy with the overall set-up I was able to give this lighting design, and with the entertaining, romantic choral scenes. However I particularly remember the endings of the First and Second Acts with great satisfaction, since I was able to illuminate them with precisely the light I was looking for.”

“The contrast between light and dark prevailed at the tragic end of the First Act thanks to the position of the units, and the angles, but above all thanks to the power of the white light from the Axcor Profile 600s, which proved to be a successful fundamental feature.
The same thing happened in the final scene of the second half – the most intense and dramatic one. This is also marked by the contrast between powerful white lights and long cutting shadows, which accompany the final clash between the actors, the arrival of the police, and the last moments of Tony’s life.”

The lights were programmed by Emanuele Agliati, who used a Grand Ma 2 console.
The Axcor Profile 600s were provided by Audiolux srl Milan.

More information on the Claypaky Website.

In a succesful inauguration, Brompton Technology, manufacturer of high-end LED video processors, has opened its new China office, based in High Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan, in the modern metropolis of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.
The decision to open a dedicated China support office was made in direct response to requests from Brompton’s customers, with Shenzhen being the obvious location as the region is now home to the majority of LED panel manufacturers.

The Brompton Technology Asia team, from left to right, Pokman Chu, Account Manager, Summer Zhang, Office Assistant, Thomas Walker, Product Manager, Elijah Ebo, General Manager, Jack Fung, Lead FAE, Jacky Kwan, Senior FAE and Vivi Chiang, FAE.

“At the first few meetings I had with potential customers in China, there were two immediate comments made,”explains Elijah Ebo, Brompton’s General Manager (China). “I was told, ‘It’s nice to meet you, but we don’t speak English, so you’ll struggle to deal with us,’ and ‘London [where Brompton’s head office is located] is a long way away and the time difference is considerable. But if you had an office here…’”

As a fast moving, highly responsive company, Brompton acted quickly and within just a few weeks had employed two Chinese speaking Field Application Engineers (FAEs) to help its customers with system design and technical support, whilst Elijah, who is also learning to speak Mandarin, started travelling to China more regularly.

Considerable benefit

“We acquired the office space in August last year and we’ve already seen a considerable benefit,” Elijah adds. “And in addition to being on hand in Shenzhen we have recently added Chinese language support to all our processors, which can be accessed via the Language section of the Preferences menu, and are in the process of updating all our technical and marketing literature into Chinese as well as working on a new Chinese website.”
Both the new office and Chinese language support have had a big impact on how quickly and how many people the team can see. “Our panel manufacturer partners and customers appreciate the fact that we are now readily available for them to communicate with and offer support when needed and that we have both Mandarin and Cantonese speakers in our team,” concludes Elijah. “We are very much looking forward to welcoming many of our key customers to Shenzhen.”

More information on Brompton Technology.

Yamaha has been at the forefront of the professional audio industry for many decades. The corporation is committed to maintaining this position and, to achieve this, it has opened a brand new, $100m Innovation Center at its headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan.
Designed to accelerate pan-Yamaha development of a wide range of audio-related products, the major project has brought together engineers who used to be located in different buildings inside and outside the Yamaha Corporation HQ.

Originally planned a number of years ago, it had to be postponed due to the 2011 earthquake. The project was reactivated in 2016 and is now complete after three years of intense work and construction.

The Innovation Center comprises three buildings. A new seven-story, 35,000㎡ engineering facility is complemented by refurbished manufacturing control and quality assurance departments. The new building hosts engineers, including those from Yamaha’s professional audio, Unified Communications, home audio and its musical instrument divisions.
By assembling them together in one location, Yamaha is aiming to making collaboration between engineers from different business units and disciplines more streamlined, to enhance development efficiency. Complementing this aim, the new contemporary and inspiring work environment will boost creativity, delivering superior innovations and benefits to customers.

Also available are vibration experiment rooms, ergonomic evaluation rooms, sensory rating rooms (for subjective product evaluation), and reverb chambers with adjustable 0.3 – 1.6 second reverb time.

The recording studio, session studio and experiment rooms are all linked with both analogue and Dante digital audio networks. The Dante network allows for running remote session in multiple rooms, making it possible to simultaneously record studio sessions in different monitoring environments.

More information on the Yamaha Website.

“Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, “Shout”, “Sowing the Seeds of Love”, “Woman in Chains”, and many, many more… Tears for Fears was one of the UK bands who helped define the sound of 1980s pop-rock with classics – and this year they are back on the road in style, kicking off 2019 with a sold-out UK and European arena tour … for which lighting designer Alex Reardon, from LA-based creative design practice Silent House, delivered a stunning lighting scheme.

Alex utilised 66 x Robe MegaPointe moving lights a key element of the rig – among other fixtures – to imagine a memorable looking and highly flexible lightshow as the band delighted enthusiastic audiences – original and new – and fans with their diverse catalogue and multiple hits that have etched their place in 20th century music culture.

Meagapointes everywhere

He positioned the multipurpose MegaPointes everywhere in the rig. Thirty – 10 each – were rigged on three overhead trusses, some were positioned upstage behind a row of LED video pixel battens, there were three per side on the deck for low-level cross lighting and another six in the air each side for high-level effects.
He described the MegaPointe as “a perfect size and choice for multiple lighting tasks” on this design. Their flexibility meant he could use them for a soft-edged front light and a hard-edged beam effect, having both the necessary punch and being compact and adaptable enough to work in arenas of all sizes.

Alex Reardon, Light Designer, Silent House.

Alex explained how his successful design projects break down into the “three bars” of aesthetics, logistics and finance, all of which must be levelled at the same height.
“MegaPointes have the functionality to give me the style and looks I needed, they are available in sufficient numbers to check the ‘logistics’ box and are nicely priced as a rental item to please even the most stringent tour accountants!”

In addition to these, Alex spec’d two BMFL Spot fixtures which were used with a Robe RoboSpot remote follow spot system. “I’m a huge fan of this” he commented. “The simplicity of operation and the smooth motion of the RoboSpot system is stunning, and the fixtures are great as well!”

Leaving targeting and iris control to the spot operators

He and his lighting director / operator on the road, Richard White, left the targeting and iris control to the spot operators, with all other parameters running through the control desk.

This was an obvious way to achieve perfect fade ins / outs and interesting colour bumps as well as keeping the operators focussed on accurate pick-ups and following trajectories!

On the design process itself, Alex starts every piece of work with the same approach – a delicate balance between illumination and effects. As a lighting designer, he feels his job is to find the “tipping point” for those two criteria and get the balance just right for the specific song or music. His goal is to create designs where every permutation and combination of the two can be created and mixed appropriately.

He’s also a big fan of using LED screens as light sources – which essentially is exactly what they are – and he was able to push this treatment during the huge numbers like “Shout” and “Change” which he found extremely satisfying.

Architecture, shape and form – an inspiration

Architecture, shape and form – from buildings to performance spaces – has always been an inspiration for Alex’s visions of stage or performance environments, and in this instance, he chose to keep the look very straightforward with simple, clean, straight, directional lines and “no visual fuss”. Juxtaposed against this, he let the cueing, contrasts and timing do the “heavy lifting”.
He and Richard White previously worked on The Black Eyed Peas … where Richard’s calm, professionalism, sense of rhythm and excellent timing really impressed Alex.

Richard recently directed / operated for him in China on a Jesse J tour using local promoters and productions.
Having dealt with the unpredictability of this with so much panache, Alex knew that he’d be ideal for the Tears tour, which he also felt it offered a bit of a “karmic salvation” by comparison!

Lighting for the UK and European dates was supplied by award-winning London based Neg Earth – who Alex thinks should win another award for “Best Prepped Rig I’ve Ever Seen”.
Richard, programmer-to-the-stars Joe Cabrera and he spent two days in previz and then a week at the LH3 rehearsal space in London with the rigged plugged in pushing the grandMA2 console hard with 163 DMX universes going into it … which is where Alex was blown away with Neg Earth’s attention to detail.

Overall challenges

Quizzed on the overall challenges – this one was refreshingly relatively challenge-free thanks to some great teamwork and communication.

The whole process between production manager JB (Jean-Baptiste Blot), band management and himself was very transparent, and any elements that potentially could have been mountains on another tour proved to be proverbial ‘molehills’ on this one!

“We just worked through it! Anyone who has worked with me knows that I only ever ask for what’s needed to give the client what they want”. Having been given everything he needed – an expert programmer, an accomplished operator, a fantastic lighting company and some time … they got what they wanted!

Alex worked closely with video provider Stu Mercer from Vis-A-Vis Video who supplied the LED screen and added the cameras for the London O2 gig which the multi-talented Stu also directed. Stu presented several “thought-through solutions” says Alex, to ensure that the two mediums of lighting and video worked optimally together.
Alex concludes, that in addition to all the great people and positives involved, “the music really is superb, so this was a labour of love to create!”

More information on Robe MegaPointe and RoboSpot.

Equipped with Meyer Sound’s Constellation® active acoustics and Spacemap® spatial sound, Octave 9 affords virtually limitless potential for exploring new ways to create, present and experience music from all genres and eras — from string quartets and vocal ensembles to contemporary electronic — in a richly immersive environment.
Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center has been created by The Seattle Symphony to expand creative possibilities for musical performance and composition throughout the community. It was designed as an intimate venue inside the orchestra’s home at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle.

Octave 9’s street-level space had been previously occupied by Soundbridge, a modest venue primarily devoted to educational programs. It had hosted small ensemble performances, but the room’s limited size and low ceiling provided limited and fixed acoustical support. Looking to the future, Seattle Symphony Vice President of Education and Community Engagement Laura Reynolds envisioned a radical transformation using 21st century digital technologies to create highly adaptable aural and visual environments.

“We knew that if we were to transform this space into a venue that could serve many audiences, and be a place to experiment and explore, we would need the flexibility to create different acoustic environments,” Laura Reynolds recalls.
“Our project partners suggested active acoustics, and Meyer Sound was the company that immediately came to mind.”

A whole spectrum of new possibilities with refined active acoustics

For the Seattle Symphony, Octave 9 opens a spectrum of new possibilities. Reynolds shared, “When we think about the future of music, we think about partnerships with artists who are redefining experiences, intersecting with many disciplines and technologies.
For example, Constellation and Spacemap allow our resident composers and artists the opportunity to create site-specific works in new ways. They are treating the room itself as an instrument.

Beyond that, we also think of that future as inclusive of the community, so we need a space that can adapt to everything from early childhood and elementary school programs to contemporary music concerts, meetings, parties and so much more.”

Constellation is a highly refined system of active acoustics.By applying digital signal processing coupled to multiple ambient sensing microphones and an array of evenly distributed lateral and overhead loudspeakers, Constellation modifies the room’s acoustic characteristics by adding early reflections and/or reverberation to create the optimum acoustics for the event at hand.

Acoustic characteristics are generated using the patented VRAS (Variable Room Acoustical System) algorithm. As implemented at Octave 9, Constellation comprises 62 small full-range loudspeakers augmented by 10 compact subwoofers that extend the reverberation envelope through the deep bass frequencies.
Twenty-eight miniature microphones are spread across the ceiling for ambient sensing. Digital signal processing is supplied by a D-Mitri® digital audio platform with 13 modules, including two D-VRAS modules for separate control of early reflections and reverberation.

Available system presets can instantly transform room acoustics to emulate a small room, medium room, large hall or cathedral. The suite of Meyer Sound technologies also includes Spacemap, a software-based system for exploring three-dimensional spatial sound through the dynamic movement of discrete sounds around, over and through the audience.

One artist who already is leveraging the creative potential of Octave 9 is noted composer and clarinetist Derek Bermel, currently the Seattle Symphony’s composer in residence, who will debut a new work on April 28 that was written specifically to incorporate the new technologies.

“Constellation expands the dimensions of my thinking,” says Derek Bermel. “Generally, spatialization is not part of my composing palette, though I have in the past placed instrumentalists offstage, in the audience or in specific places on stage to achieve a sonic effect. But Constellation allows me to adjust the space to fit a musical concept, rather than the other way around. As you can imagine, that opens all sorts of possibilities.”

Bermel expects the late April concert will “bring the Constellation system into full effect” as it will feature works with an electroacoustic edge from a host of contemporary composers, including Seattle’s own Kaley Lane Eaton. As for his own work, he will bring the pre-recorded Seattle Symphony into Octave 9 along with live players on stage.

“I’m working with [composer and digital artist] Marcin Pączkowski to design custom spatialization that takes full advantage of the loudspeakers and microphones in the space. It’s a promising new direction, and I hope it’s the first of many creative experiences with Constellation.”

Non-stop, 24-hour music marathon introduction

Octave 9 was introduced to the Seattle music community with a non-stop, 24-hour music marathon on March 23 and 24.
Musical selection encompassed everything from multi-track electronics to solo instruments and percussion ensembles.

Composer Melody Parker, who also is the Meyer Sound acoustic engineer principally responsible for the system’s design and tuning, premiered a sound installation piece called “Hearkening” which exploited the aural dynamics of both Constellation and Spacemap.

The architecture of the space, including the innovative “honeycomb” acoustical ceiling, was designed by LMN Architects in Seattle working in collaboration with principal acoustical and AV consultant Garth Hemphill of Jaffe Holden.

For a full sensory experience, the sonic effects of Constellation are complemented by equally advanced visual technologies as designed by Belle & Wissell, Co. of Seattle. Visual effects are displayed on moveable screens that can fully surround the space with images displayed on 10 ultra-short throw projectors.

“Integrating the sonic, acoustic, and visual technologies in this room was no small feat, and is a testament to the creative vision and talents of the Seattle Symphony, Jaffe Holden, LMN, and Belle and Wissell.
Octave 9’s unique combination of adjustable active acoustics, spatial mixing, and immersive digital imagery provide a virtually unlimited palette to support both current and emerging forms of musical expression,” summarizes Meyer Sound Director, Spatial Sound Steve Ellison.

The response to Octave 9 — from critics and audiences alike — to both the marathon and the first concerts has been enthusiastic, if not ecstatic.

“At the symphony, our inboxes are filled with emails from audience members and artists who are eager to hear, see and do even more,” says Reynolds. “People love the variety of programming and the new experiences we are able to create.”

Funding for Octave 9 was raised through public and private sources, spearheaded by a $2 million matching grant from philanthropists James and Sherry Raisbeck.

More information on Meyersound technologies.

Netherlands-based Fairlight and André Rieu Productions design lighting for 100-venue concert tour using MAC Encore Performance CLD and MAC Aura to meet the needs of live audiences, broadcast and cinema.

World-famous violinist and conductor André Rieu is known for his incredibly popular tours, visiting over 100 venues a year with his Johann Strauss orchestra. The tour has a huge opportunity to impress both live audiences and millions of viewers watching in cinemas and on DVD. This means that the lighting needs to be suitable for cameras recording the show for broadcast, DVD and the cinema, as well as the audience attending the performance.

It is important for the André Rieu Tour lighting be as compact, portable and low weight as possible to enable quick transitions between shows, supporting the tech crew as much as possible. The large number of performers in the orchestra need to be lit with a uniform field and dynamic effects to highlight different aspects of the performance, creating a great atmosphere for the audience.

To meet these goals, Maurice Verbeek, lighting designer at André Rieu productions, used lights including MAC Encore Performance CLD and MAC Aura, supplied by Netherlands-based Fairlight. The set is 100 % made up of intelligent lights and all moving lights are LED.

Mac Encore CLD fixtures under roof.

Martin MAC Encore CLDs are deployed as the orchestra’s key lights, offering ultimate size/weight/performance ratio. They are attached to pre-fabricated parts of the set, facilitating quick transitions between performances.

The cutting-edge LED technology’s advanced colour mixing is ideal for illuminating the orchestra, and flicker-free refresh rates ensure that cameras can capture top quality footage.

For the orchestra’s backlight, Verbeek created five chandeliers, each incorporating 16 MAC Auras. The chandeliers are on wheels and thanks to the Aura’s compact, low weight design, can travel as one piece in the tour truck, helping to ensure fast transitions between venues.

MAC Aura XBs under rain protections.

Super-bright MAC Aura XBs are used as side lights, hanging at both high and low levels at the side of the stage, providing 6000 Lumens output and rapid movement.
For the tour’s outdoor events, such as Rieu’s annual Maastricht summer concerts, MAC Quantum Wash provide an impressive balance between colours and whites.

Features such as smooth CMY colour mixing make it possible to illuminate large areas of the orchestra, stage and surrounding buildings in colour, creating an atmospheric experience for the live audience and cinema viewers alike.

“The tour is getting better and better every year,” Maurice Verbeek says. “I personally think that we have the perfect tour set. I have the perfect products and the quickest, most silent and most flexible tour set. I’m really happy with it.” He adds “the technical crew who work with the gear, doing the loading and unloading, are also really happy with the set as it’s all on wheels and the Encore is really light.”

Verbeek’s experience has helped him to realise the importance of orchestra key lights.
“I notice a big difference with the Encore. I’m convinced it’s got the perfect flat field and colour temperature,” he explains.

The pricing of the MAC Encore has also had an impact on the effects that Verbeek can create, enhancing the visual experience for the audience. “It’s made it possible for me to add more spots, so I can include more specific key lights,” he says.

The quality of the lighting fixtures means that all elements of the stage can be lit with the same intensity and brightness, so the performance can be captured by the cameras, ensuring a high-quality show for Rieu’s millions of viewers. Verbeek concludes: “Every year it looks better for broadcast, for DVD and for the cinema.”

More information on Martin Professional lighting fixtures.

IFGF Semarang is widely known for its lively, contemporary services. They recently built a new main campus in Semarang, Central Java, to better serve its dynamic weekly congregation of over 650 worshippers.
As a result of a rigorous audition process, the main auditorium boasts a brand-new audio system built around the install-focused IS-Series from Adamson Systems Engineering, which was selected to enhance the church’s musically-rich services and maximize community engagement.

Adamson IS-Series audio system at IFGF Semarang, Indonesia.

IFGF Semarang administrators were clear from the outset that no expense would be spared in delivering a premium audio experience for its congregants. As such, they invited five manufacturers to demo their solutions in the previous auditorium. The IS-Series system, supplied by longtime Adamson Network partner Big Knob Audio, was the clear winner across the board.

Clarity and impact

“We heard the other four systems first, and none had the clarity or impact of the Adamson IS-Series,” says Dibya Krisnanda, IFGF Semarang’s Senior Engineer. “As soon as we heard it, we knew we’d found what we were looking for.”
The system now installed in the church’s auditorium is comprised of left-right arrays of five IS7 two-way, full-range line array enclosures beneath a single IS118 subwoofer per side and an additional four E119 subs on the ground for extra low-end support.

“The ultra-compact IS7 cabinets pack a lot of SPL and sound like a much larger system, and the E119s are just a world apart from any other subwoofer on the market,” adds Krisnanda. “We can get the furniture literally shaking if we want to!”

Fully-operational system in a few days

(L-R) Ahmad Rafi’i, Big Knob Audio; Timo Wibianto, Big Knob Audio; Dibya Krisnanda, IFGF Semarang & Steve Widjaja, IFGF Semarang.

Thanks in large part to the IS-Series rigging hardware, which is specifically designed for permanent installations, the entire integration process from cabling to a fully-operational system took only a few days.

“The installation crews love the IS-Series because it is incredibly light considering its capabilities and goes up so easily,” offers Timo Wibianto, Senior Partner with Big Knob Audio.
“It’s just a matter of following the instructions from Adamson’s Blueprint AV software regarding the angling and tilting. It’s as simple as that. We’re thrilled to welcome IFGF Semarang to our fast-growing Adamson family in Indonesia.”

Since moving into their new home, both clergy and congregants at IFGF Semarang have noticed a significant improvement in the clarity and quality of their services – especially the music ministry.

“This system is just so flexible,” concludes Steve Widjaja, one of the church’s audio department volunteers. “You want it loud? You’ll get loud. You want it musical? You’ll get musical. It’s so enjoyable to mix on this system. Regardless of what you throw at it, the Adamson IS-Series will deliver.”

More information on Adamson IS-Series.

The P3 PIX3L is a rather large industrial looking hexagon, dressed up in a shiny big reflector. It comprises 3 linear halogen bulbs positioned in star configuration behind a honeycomb-like grille.
Each lighting source can be individually controlled thru DMX512-RDM and integrated dimmers. Adapted to its time, wireless control is available as an option, from Wireless Solution Sweden.

Originally delivered with a yoke, more hanging/mounting accessories can be supplied to assemble several items into spectacular frames or structures.

Detailed view of the rear plate with the XLR-5 DMX in/thru, the PowerCON mains input, and the display.

The 3-lamp P3 Pix3l head.

More info on the Portman Website.

Mid-May sees the start of a brand new series of webinars from Yamaha, aimed at professional audio engineers, systems integrators and venue technicians. Taking a fresh and engaging new approach, each webinar will run twice to ensure that as many participants as possible from across Europe, the Americas, Russia, Africa and the Middle East can take part.

For many years Yamaha has been renowned for its training, helping tens of thousands of users in more than 50 countries worldwide to deliver the best audio experience to audiences.
The new webinars form part of Yamaha’s new Audioversity training initiative, which ushers in an even more deeply involved era of education and training that will lead to increased satisfaction and confidence for customers, as well as trying to deliver a brighter future for the pro audio industry as a whole.

Yamaha product specialists Andy Cooper and Karl Christmas.

Hosted by Yamaha product specialists Andy Cooper and Karl Christmas – who are familiar faces to audio professionals across the globe – the new webinar series begins on Wednesday 15th May, with a session focusing on system design using CL and QL series digital mixing consoles.
The series will continue at approximately monthly intervals and cover a wide range of pro-level topics aimed at the live production, hospitality, house of worship, corporate installation and broadcast markets.

Each webinar will take place at 10am and again at 5pm UK time*. For those who are unable to participate, they will be archived for later viewing. “With these Audioversity webinars we have taken a new look at what we offer,” says Atsushi Kitagawa, General Manager at Yamaha R&D Professional Audio (UK).

“We are making them more interactive, with Q&A sessions, as well as adding interviews and other useful content. “We want to engage with as many audio professionals around the world as possible and give our webinars much more of a face-to-face training feel. I believe that they will make a very positive difference throughout the professional sound market.”

Participants will need to register in advance for each webinar. For the 10am (UK time) session on 15th May please register here. For the 5pm (UK time) session on the same day please register here.

* UTC (or UTC+1 during periods of Daylight Saving Time). Please check the registration web site and your local time zone to confirm the start time in your location.