Paul McCartney delighted more than 45,000 fans during his recent concert in Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. Sound Solution, Adamson’s distributor in South Korea, and Tristar, sound system provider, coordinated the Adamson sound reinforcement system for the concert utilizing gear and manpower from network partners in the region.

The multi-purpose Jamsil Olympic Stadium was the original site for the 1988 Olympic Games and now serves as host to a variety of events, notably as a concert venue for South Korean and international artists. Spectator seats are distributed on two covered tiers. For the Paul McCartney concert, the stage was placed at the wide end of the stadium with seating on the field and also in the lower stadium tiers.

“ We use different PA systems around the world – I try and pick what I believe is the best,” explains Paul “Pab ” Boothroyd, FOH engineer for Paul McCartney.
“ With this being the only show in Korea, we were not travelling with a PA, and because the concert was at the Olympic Stadium, we needed a big PA. We had such a successful show with the Adamson E15 in Columbia, I was thrilled to be able to work with them again. Better yet, Adamson had introduced more products since that show so I ended up with an even better sounding rig than I remembered. ”

Tristar utilized Adamson Blueprint AV^TM software to model the stadium in 3D. Once the venue was designed, the Adamson system components – E15 and S10 line arrays, E218 subwoofers and the inner and outer delays – were placed in the design to ensure the best sound possible for the event.
The stadium layout required a throw of 160 meters distance and 32 m elevation to cover all of the seating areas. The goal was to achieve roughly 105 dBA +/- 3dB average SPL throughout the listening spectrum without any gain reduction from the system limiters. The Tristar team noted that the system performed exactly as Blueprint predicted.

Ultimately the main PA consisted of left-right arrays – each made up of 21 E15 enclosures with three S10s for down fill – hung from scaffolding columns constructed on each side of the stage. The E15 is a 3-way system consisting of two 15-inch and two 7-inch Kevlar cone drivers, and two 4-inch Adamson NH4 compression drivers.

A view of the huge stage surrounded by 21 E15 and 3 S21 as a main hang behind which are flown twelve E218 subs. Sidefill is covered by Adamson’s veteran Y18, 16 units still strong after all this years !! No need for extra subs on the ground thanks to Sir McCartney’s rock style

Adamson’s new S10 is a 2-way, full range, sub-compact line array enclosure loaded with two newly designed 10-inch ND10-LM Kevlar Neodymium low frequency drivers and an NH4TA2 1.5-inch exit high frequency compression driver mounted to a wave shaping sound chamber. The S10 offers tremendous output (max peak SPL 141.3 dB) for such a compact enclosure and pairs well with the E15.
“ The system has a ton of headroom, ” Boothroyd adds. “ The E15 is a very impressive box. The detail of what I always just call the voicebox – the Mid-High unit – is such a great design. It still sounds amazing. ”

Twelve E218 subwoofers were flown behind both arrays for enhanced low end throughout the seating area. The E218 is features two lightweight, long excursion ND18-S Kevlar Neodymium drivers mounted in an efficient band-pass cabinet. The design achieves a remarkable reduction of the rear-ward radiated energy without dedicated cardioid setups and algorithms.

“ The subs added that extra low end that we need, ” he continues. “ Paul plays a wide variety of musical genres – everything from rock-n-roll to quiet ballads – so although we don’t need “ in your face” low end, we did need something extra and these did the job quite nicely. ”
Sidefill was covered by a total of 32 Y18 enclosures – 16 per side. Four delay towers provided coverage for the tiered stadium seating. Two arrays – each made up of six E15 and five S10 enclosures – were hung from the inner delay towers. Two arrays consisting of six E15 and six SpekTrix enclosures were hung from the outer delay towers.

“ I would definitely recommend this PA to other engineers – I wouldn’t use it myself if I would not recommend it, ” Boothroyd concludes. “ I get offered equipment from manufacturers and promises all the time. Sometimes you don’t change – you need to stay with certain products that you know you can rely on. But sometimes you have to use something different. In this case it’s good. I like the way this sounds. ”

More information : http://www.adamsonsystems.com

A milestone in music history took place at Soldier Field in Chicago as legendary US ‘jam’ band The Grateful Dead celebrated their 50th anniversary with the three final ‘Fare Thee Well’ shows, produced by Paul Shapiro over the 4^th of July holiday weekend, playing to record crowds of 70,000 each night. This followed two gigs the previous weekend, each pulling capacity audiences of 65,000, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Lighting was designed and directed by the band’s long term LD Candace Brightman, who started with them in 1972. Paul Hoffman of Pulse Lighting LLC provided programming, equipment selection and moral support.
The pair have collaborated on the Grateful Dead since 2004. Central to the large lighting rig were 50 x Robe BMFL Spots and 32 x Pointes supplied by lighting vendors Felix Lighting in Santa Clara and Bandit Lites in Chicago respectively.

Candace and Paul started work on the design in January. The band wanted an industrial look to the stage and Candace was keen that the design follow-on from her ‘organic’ work of the past while incorporating some of the newest technologies. The stage was defined by a series of gently curved trusses wrapping the central performance space and topping off the PA / side screen wings. Upstage center was a 30ft diameter circular truss covered with a stretched scrim.
Assisted by Bandit account handler Dizzy Gosnell on the CAD elements, the lighting design and system evolved and morphed several times in the run-up period as new elements – like a live YouTube internet stream at Soldier Field – came into play.

The BMFL fixtures were “the spectacle of the show – outshining anything else” stated Paul, who explained that they were hung on the curved trusses. The BMFLs emphasized the general outline of the trusses, allowing them to shoot right to the back corners of the stadium … and also to be focused in onto the circular scrim where their gobos could produce incredibly detailed and vivid projections.
They were also impressed with the speed of the movement. “They can move super-fast between positions compared to more sluggish, older luminaires,” observed Paul.

Robe Pointes were used around the central circle to project onto the circular scrim, giving some different patterns from the BMFLs, and also out on the wing curved trusses and floor for some long-throw beams.

As with all Grateful Dead or ‘jam’ band shows, the challenge was the fact that the same song is never played twice in the same way, so instead of being able to prepare and execute a tightly pre-cued show, Candace operated the grandMA 2 console very similar to a musical instrument, playing along with the band as the set unfolded.
Her 40 years of experience lighting the band, however, did give a reasonable insight into the next musical directions they might take.
Paul suggested the BMFL Spots having used them himself, and seeing them in action at various other shows since their launch last September. He has been incorporating Robe into much of his work for the last year, starting with Pointes.

Plus d’infos : www.robe.cz

This July, 200,000 visitors from around the world descended on the quite beautiful Lake Geneva setting for the 49^th Montreux Jazz Festival, a two-week musical treat featuring performances from a string of eclectic, internationally renowned artists spanning a whole host of genres, from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, to Lenny Kravitz, Lionel Richie, Toto, and Carlos Santana.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga in the Stravinsky Auditorium where an SD7 holds court at Front of House. (Photo : Marc Ducrest)

DiGiCo has had a major presence at Montreux for eight years now, providing consoles to all the festival’s venues. In the flagship Stravinsky, an SD7 holds court at Front of House, with an SD5 complementing it at monitor position; in the legendary Music Club (formerly the Miles Davis Hall), it’s an SD5 at FOH, and an SD10 on monitors; there’s an SD10-24 in the Jazz Club; and an SD8 sits outside at FOH position for Music in the Park. Further SD8s, 9s, 10s, and SD11s are also scattered among the Jazz Lab, Rock Cave, and even Montreux Palace.

Two major DiGiCo advocates involved at this year’s event were Laurie Quigley and Rob Mailman. Quigley works FOH for Lenny Kravitz, and Mailman (also GM of touring for San Diego-based rental house, Sound Image), does the same job for Carlos Santana.
“ For me, it’s a case of the wetter the better, as that’s what Lenny wants,” smiles Quigley, tweaking a few knobs on his SD7 during soundcheck. “We’ve had the curtains taken down for the show. It’s a tricky room, the Stravinsky, and Lenny is very particular about his reverbs. ”

George Benson in the Stravinsky auditorium

In line with Lenny’s love of old school kit, Quigley carries a plethora of classic outboard on the road, and also uses the internal processing within the console, which he rates highly. He is also a big fan of the snapshot function on the SD7. In fact, he is adamant that he couldn’t do the show without them.

“I am still very hands-on with the console, one because I love to mix, and two, because there’s too much going on during a Lenny show not to be hands-on,” Quigley explains. “But because so many channels are not being used on certain songs, having the snapshots is a godsend, and the facilities on the SD7 are fantastic for that; I basically snapshot the mutes and faders, so I’m not changing the effects sends on every song.”

The SD8 at Music in the Park

“ I hope they put the curtains back in for my show tomorrow night,” says Mailman, with a half smile. Mailman is also on an SD7, and has been for some time.

“ We have a strong relationship with DiGiCo at Sound Image, and I love the versatility of their consoles. Everything is where it needs to be, you can operate it as you would an analogue board very comfortably, and the sound quality is also phenomenal.”

It’s fast approaching showtime, and before heading back into the Stravinsky, Quigley warns us that “it might get loud”. It does. Very. At one point, the console looks like it’s floating, as the audience is jumping, and the dBs are rising, fast. Lenny’s set is absolutely banging, and during his encore, he even finds time to make it up to FOH to share a moment with his touring team, much to the crowd’s approval.

As the last chords of Are You Gonna Go My Way? ring out, and the crowd begins to disperse, Quigley is half squinting. He shakes his head, and breaks into a wide smile. “I told you it’d get loud, didn’t I?”

More informations : Web www.digico.biz

It would be hard to find a better place to enjoy an array of cultural activities – from exclusive performances by Cirque du Soleil to concerts by ZZ Top and leading international blues artists – than Amphithéâtre Cogeco in Trois Rivieres, Quebec. Located on a site marking the confluence of the Saint Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers, the stunning new amphitheater promises a full calendar of outdoor shows annually from May to September.
With LUMINEX as the backbone for audio, video, lighting and control systems effective network integration is assured as the new venue kicks off its debut season.

Situated halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, Trois Rivieres is a historical heritage site in its own right. The Amphithéâtre Cogeco offers a new stop for tourists and a cultural meeting place for regional residents. It has covered seating for 3,500 people and can accommodate up to 5,500 more on a grassy slope. Sophisticated outdoor stage equipment can meet the needs of the largest local, national and international productions; the stage house can be closed off with a steel and glass door for cabaret-style shows. Cirque du Soleil has been contracted to present exclusive shows and previews at the amphitheater, and the site will host other prominent events, such as the annual Trois-Rivieres en Blues festival.

Trizart Alliance, the Montreal-based, globally recognized theater and design consulting firm, specified a LUMINEX solution for the amphitheater. Boucherville, Quebec’s TKNL, which specializes in installations, events and environments, performed the audio, video and control integration. Montreal-based Solotech was the lighting integrator.
“It is great to see the entire AV and lighting infrastructure of a premium performing arts venue rely on and trust LUMINEX for such a important aspect of their system,” says Hugo Larin, director for LUMINEX in America.

A single multimode fiber ring backbone comprised of six LUMINEX GigaCore 16Xt PoE switches handle three main locations in the venue: the FOH mixing point, the main patch room backstage and the amplifier control room. Additional GigaCore 16Xt and GigaCore 12 managed Gigabit Ethernet switches are used in mobile racks as extra local network devices.

Benjamin Wahiche, technical director with TKNL and a trained LUMINEX technician, believes the amphitheater is one of the first in Canada with a fully-integrated AV network. “I think it’s a one-of-a-kind installation for Canada and Quebec,” he says. “I’ve never seen that kind of deployment before.

Transporting the signals over the network and receiving information in time and with the right priority is the real deal. Not every protocol plays well with others, but LUMINEX has met that challenge. There’s nothing close to LUMINEX on the market that can integrate all the AV and network protocols we use and that can cope with a project of that size.”
LUMINEX not only filled the technical needs of the amphitheater but also offered easy operation and maintenance. “LUMINEX is pretty much the only system that can run all the protocols with a user-friendly GUI,” says Wahiche. “Other systems require more programming and configuration.”

Also, since no IT staff was required the installation time and cost were reduced. All that was required by the technician on site was an easy assignment of Ethernet switch ports in preconfigured groups serving as different segments/protocols on a system.
Everything is redundant and double-wired, notes Wahiche. “We made sure all the redundancy of the system is there: If you unplug anything from the network at any point the network will use the back up link to that device.”
DanteTM runs primary and secondary main audio for the Yamaha consoles, Rio stage racks, Shure ULXD4D Dante wireless receivers, Lake LM 44 loudspeaker management devices, and Nexo loudspeaker and amplifier monitoring. On the same ring a Q-Sys Q-LAN Core, I/O frames, stations and paging devices for audio distribution and communication throughout the building is also present. “A single interface controls everything, and all of it is redundant,” says Wahiche.

For the amphitheater’s sACN and MA-Net2 lighting network Solotech used six LUMINEX Ethernet-DMX2/Truss MkII with PoE nodes and three Ethernet-DMX8 MkII nodes to provide sACN lighting data distribution throughout the building.

A grandMA2 light console and NPU processor are the house control system. A complete DMX RDM-ready system allows the system tech to monitor and remotely set lighting devices, such as 48 High End Systems’ SolaSpot Pro fixtures, via a LUMINEX LumiNet monitor.
“ We are very familiar with LUMINEX products having used them regularly within our rental inventory,” says Alexandre Pecqueux, Project Manager with Solotech. “Integrating the equipment into a permanent infrastructure at the amphitheater was a real pleasure. ”

Pecqueux notes that LUMINEX enables them to “easily manage a complete DMX network via sACN ensuring total control everywhere in the amphitheater as well as a MA-Net2 network for control architecture. I would sum up our experience with LUMINEX as ‘plug-and-play.’”
TKNL ran extensive tests of its portion of the system prior to the grand opening of the amphitheater on July 15. “Everything performed even better than we expected,” Wahiche reports. At TKNL Josee des Serres is the project manager and Jean-Francois du Nogier the account manager.

Amphithéâtre Cogeco Technical Director, Daniel Savoir concluded, “I am so impressed with the number of patch possibilities and signal quality we have with the Luminex GigaCore system. I have full confidence in the network.”

About LUMINEX :
Luminex Network Intelligence is a Belgium-based developer of lighting control, pro audio, and video data distribution equipment for the pro industry. It was formed by Bart Swinnen and Jan Renckens. Their complete DMX and Ethernet solutions range debuted at the Paralympics 2004 in Athens. Most recently, the GigaCore switch family opened the doors to the Pro Audio and AV markets for the company and broadened their commitment to the industry.
For more information visit www.luminex.be

This spring, the Royal Danish Opera staged Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet, Swan Lake, in a new production under the direction of Nikolaj Hübbe, Chief of the Danish Opera, and Silja Schandorff, Director.
To bring new life to the classic piece for the Royal Danish Opera (RDO), Hübbe and Schandorff called upon Finnish Designer, Mikki Kunttu to develop an original lighting, video and set design. Kunttu’s minimalistic set design meant that every element played a significant role in bringing the production to life, including Martin’s VC-Strips and MAC Viper Profile lighting fixtures.

Photo credit : Ralph Larmann

Kunttu has worked with the Royal Danish Opera on similar productions in the past. However, this is the first time he has developed every aspect of the lighting, video and set design in an RDO production. The first challenge presented itself to Kunttu early on in the design process: how creative was he allowed to get within the context of the Swan Lake ballet?
Ballet as a genre is traditionally connected with elements such as landscape-painted backdrops and projections with illustrations. Kunttu and his team wanted to challenge tradition with a new approach, but first Kunttu immersed himself in the Swan Lake story.

Photo credit: Ralph Larmann

“I needed to get to the core of the story to understand what makes it so successful decade after decade,” said Kunttu. “Only after doing that was I able to form my own vision and felt comfortable presenting it to the rest of the team. Once I’m satisfied that I’ve done my basic work, I’m ready to get creative.”

Behind the scenes video

As an experienced lighting and set designer in genres ranging from concerts to theatre and TV, Kunttu always looks for and tries to represent the essence in his designs. His methodology is much the same whether designing for a concert or a ballet.
“ Often you’re hoping to evoke the same kind of emotions regardless of the application you’re designing for,” said Kunttu. “That part is the same – your toolbox just varies slightly in the different fields. ”

In the case of Swan Lake, the traditional elements gradually disappeared from the design and the basic idea of mixing video, set and lighting design was conceived. This idea was so strong and had so much potential that there was no need for anything else.
“One of the secrets is being able to see what you don’t need and then make the bold choice to remove them from the production,” said Kunttu.

Photo Credit : Ralph Larmann

One of the main challenges in ballet is that the stage floor needs to be kept free of scenographic elements to leave space for the dancers. Normally, you would frame the stage with legs and borders, but Kunttu wanted to overcome this somehow and convert the legs and border to become one of the performers. He envisioned a dynamic structure flying above the stage – being able to travel in the air like feathers but at the same time possessing a dark and heavy undertone. He wanted it to represent the darker side in the story and work as its own character.

Photo Credit : Ralph Larmann

Thus, Kunttu and his team developed a cut-out structure with an abstract shape to sometimes reference elements in the story, such as a castle. The appearance of the structure depended on the video content projected onto it and through it as well as how the structure was lit.

Once the structure design was in place, Kunttu’s vision for the lighting design quickly developed. He used eight towers of MAC Viper Profiles to add dimensionality and create a space without directly lighting the dancers. MAC III Washes, Profiles and Performances were used to add volume and heavy color to the production.

Kunttu had gotten a chance to test the MAC Viper Profiles before specifying them for Swan Lake, and he was immediately fond of them.
“I am really impressed with the MAC Viper Profiles,” said Kunttu. “It delivers a fantastic quality of light and an amazing output. It’s silent, the optics are great and there’s so much punch for a lamp this small.”

Photo credit : Ralph Larmann

32 VC-Strips of 4 meters each were also part of the production. In the first lake scene the fixtures served purely as set elements with no content displayed on them. They were then lowered all the way down to stage level with the dancers moving around them as if they were trees, symbolizing the swans’ journey through the dark forests towards the lake. In the second act, Kunttu used the fixtures as living pixels resembling stars above the Swan Lake.
“This is a creative video tool with a lot of potential,” said Kunttu. “It fits perfectly into a production like this, where it can take on several functions both as a lighting fixture, as a set piece and a video surface.”

Martin Equipment

• MAC Viper Profile, 48 pcs.
• MAC III Performance, Profile and Wash, 30 pcs.
• VC-Strips, 320 pcs. (16×1, 25 mm built into 32 pcs. 4 m strips)
• P3-300 Controller, 1 pc.

To read the full story, please visit: http://www.martin.com/en-US/View-Case?pid=13699&id=217&itemId=CaseStory:14556

For more information on Mikki Kunttu, please visit: http://www.mikkikunttu.com/

Ayrton MagicDot™-R, one of the latest products from innovative French LED lighting manufacturer, Ayrton, made its US debut with Bruno Mars at Rock In Rio Las Vegas in May.
Lighting designer Cory FitzGerald of Seven Design Works used a huge configuration of 184 of the new fixtures on the singer’s closing performance at this year’s festival which was hosted for the first time in the US. FitzGerald’s design also featured an array of 128 Ayrton IntelliPix™-R panels deployed as fascias fronting the stage-wide risers that backed Mars and his band.

Photos : Fred-Morledge

MagicDot™-R is Ayrton’s unique new professional moving head LED luminaire which features a single optical collimator in combination with Osram’s new 60W Ostar RGBW multichip LED. MagicDot™-R delivers an intense uniform 4.5° beam and a palette of rich saturated and pastel colours.

FitzGerald has used Ayrton fixtures on several shows for Mars, including New Year shows at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas and NBC’s Saturday Night Live. FitzGerald’s lighting for Mars’ one-off Rock in Rio set, however, was a unique evolution of his designs for the singer’s previous shows. “I wanted to create a similar visual vibe to the SNL show but was looking for something very specific that would bring an almost retro look to the show. Our reference points were the old PAR can rigs of those classic rock bands like Queen and AC/DC so we were searching for a fixture that would look good in a large array and create a visual reminiscent of those original touring looks.

“I saw Ayrton’s MagicDot-R in the video from Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt alongside a raft of their other new products and it was exactly what we were looking for. It has a unique look about it with a quality of light and a beam-look that is very reminiscent of an old ACL-style fixture. It produces an effect is rather like a PAR can – though its appearance more like R2D2! – with a tight pinspot, but has the advantage of being able to change position, give movement, change colour and strobe. It has a refreshing lack of multiple lenses and light sources which means all the magic comes from the cueing and colour changing.”

Photos : Fred-Morledge

FitzGerald used all 184 MagicDot-R fixtures in the air above the band, rigged on four staggered trusses mounted on variable speed motors. These allowed him to use the bank of MagicDot units in several configurations and positions above and behind the band throughout the show. “We were able to create so many different effects this way and at one point had all four trusses moving in a song-length sinewave effect for the song Marry You,” he says. “The MagicDot-R units added yet another dimension to the entire rig, using their continuous movement feature to create unique effects in the song Locked out of Heaven, as well as tight beamed ‘laser like’ effects during the song Gorilla.”

FitzGerald is also a long-time user of Ayrton’s IntelliPix™-R panels which he instituted to great effect on the SNL show. One hundred and twenty-eight IntelliPix-R panels were incorporated into the Rock in Rio design where FitzGerald used them as wrap-around fascias on the stepped risers behind the band. In addition, eight vertical trusses were installed upstage of the risers, each of which carried 5 more individual IntelliPix-R panels mounted at a 45º angle using the new IP-R™ mounting frame from Morpheus Lights. Fitzgerald used the IntelliPix-R to create background interest by running a series of unique chases across them.

Photos : Fred-Morledge

“IntelliPix-R has a similar quality of light to the MagicDot-R and each of its 25 emitters is individually controllable so I can treat each one as a separate pixel or light in my design,” he says. “I was able to extrapolate this feature into the MagicDots which essentially became moving versions of the bank of IntelliPix units below.”
FitzGerald chose not to use any of IntelliPix-R’s on-board macros but took advantage of the fixture’s high degree of controllability. “It’s a personal design choice that I treat each emitter as a separate light. It gives me total control over every aspect of the fixture and gives me the ability to create unique looks. Operating this way can be extensive on parameters and add to the programming time, but as a designer I give this some forethought and factor it in to my preparation. Once you get used to the quantity of lights and creating groups, you have a lot more options and access to so many unique effects. It’s so worth taking a little time over this for the results I can get.”

The MagicDot-R and IntelliPix-R proved their durability too: “Being solid state fixtures they are very robust and we were very happy with them,” concludes FitzGerald.
“I am now looking forward to trying out some of the sister products that Ayrton also released at Prolight!”

Ayrton’s range of LED lighting products are distributed exclusively in the US by Morpheus Lights. (www.morpheuslights.com)
More of the Ayrton’s Radical Series at www.ayrton.eu   

Top international pop artists, Take That, are currently promoting their seventh studio album, III, on their Live 2015 tour with seven Robert Juliat followspots playing major roles in highlighting the artists and the many theatrical antics that surround them. 

Creative director, Kim Gavin, has devised a show that involves a high degree of theatricality with acts, including aerial stunts, taking place across a large set, designed by Misty Buckley, that loops out into the arena from a multi-level dynamic main stage.

Lighting designer, Tim Routledge was briefed to produce a design with ‘a very theatrical look, but with a huge pop punch over the top’. His enormous lighting rig contains a large number of powerful moving light fixtures and LED video screens. Routledge therefore needed followspots that would punch through the sheer amount of lighting and video and cope with the long throw distances on this huge arena-sized show.

He turned to Robert Juliat, chosing three RJ 4000W HTI Lancelot followspots as his main front-of-house fixtures to follow the three members of the band. “Not only did the followspots need to be powerful enough to hold their own in the rig and be able to handle the distances involved, but because of the theatrical nature of the show, I also wanted a unit that had the finesse of a theatre followspot.
Robert Juliat was the obvious choice with features that allow operators to use them with the subtlety of a theatre spot without the clunkiness that a touring spot can sometimes have.”

The front-of-house Lancelot followspots are augmented by four RJ Victor 1800W MSR followspots stationed front-of-house stage left and right. Routledge uses these to highlight the main theatricalities from other performers, including some flying acts, in addition to filling in on the three main artists from right and left.

Routledge chose to call the followspot cues as well as run the show himself: “It’s a busy show for spot cues and a real opportunity to sharpen my spot calling skills while running a major show at the same time. It’s proved a really fantastic thing to do. Very helpfully, and as usual with Robert Juliat, I’m happy to say we have had no problems with the RJ spots at all.”

The Take That Live 2015 tour is currently touring the UK before crossing to mainland Europe in the Autumn with a team led by tour production director, Chris Vaughan, assisted by technical manager, Phil Broad.
More information : www.robertjuliat.com

UK LED manufacturer CORE Lighting expands its range of wireless LED technology with the StripPoint battery powered LED batten: a IP 65 fixture which emits 4000 lm whilst drawing only 75W of power.
The 1 metre long StripPoint unit features 18 RGBW LEDs that can be pixel-mapped and which emit an impressive 4000 lumens whilst drawing only 75W of power … giving it an expedient carbon footprint.

The colour of each LED cell is also individually controllable with a homogenous mix of 4 colours using Red, Green, Blue & White LEDs, so 72 DMX channels are required to run the unit in ‘wide’ mode, and a selection of stunning effects can be produced as a result.

A number of pre-programmed effects and colours can also be quickly and easily selected. The colour range is rich and dynamic – from the gentlest of pastels to the deepest saturates, all without any ‘blockiness’. A variable PWM frequency facility eliminates flicker for TV work.

The StripPoint is completely battery powered and can last up to 8 hours in 2-colour rainbow mode. It can be run fully wirelessly via WDMX or even mains powered if preferred.
The fixtures can be recharged from a very neat 4-way flightcase ‘system’ or a stand-alone AC mains cable. A wireless master / slave option also enables the StripPoint to be run with CORE’s ColourPoint 15, 20, 30 uplighter fixtures or other StripPoints.
An IP65 rating for outdoor use and maximum versatility is another bonus – and an especially useful feature in Europe where the weather can be erratic!  A selection of lenses are available to vary the beam angles.

As with all CORE products, the StripPoint is quality engineered in the UK and is compact and light enough at 5Kg to be ensconced in all sorts of discreet places, or hung from trussing, stands and other structures using the feet to attach and angle the unit.
The first production StripPoint units were available last month and purchasers so far include event companies such as Production Plus based in Stevenage.

The trend and demand for good quality wireless LED fixtures for all types of events continues to grow, and CORE’s success capitalises on good design, sharp pricing and bringing the right product to the market at the right time. Right now, there is plenty of interest in the stability of UK made products and the excellent technical support for which CORE is known.

More informations : www.corelighting.co.uk

Robe was very proud to participate in Karel Gott’s latest arena tour, the best known and most successful ever Czech singer, at the end of 2014, which featured eight high profile concerts, five in the Czech Republic and three in Slovakia, culminating in two performances at the 18,000 seater O2 Arena in Gott’s hometown of Prague – all completely sold out.

Photos : Lukas Pelech

The size of the shows and the venues meant the tour was an ideal opportunity for Robe’s new BMFL Spot moving light to show off its moves, and Lighting Designer Martin Hruska – working on his first Karel Gott tour – incorporated four of these on the rig, together with 31 x Pointes, 16 x Robe MMX Spots, 19 x LEDWash 1200s, 10 x CycFX 8s and eight 600E Beams – all from Robe’s ROBIN series of moving lights.
These and all the other lighting equipment was supplied by leading Czech rental company Audioblue from Cesky Brod. The company is owned by Tomáš Barták and has invested steadily in Robe products in recent years.

Photos : Lukas Pelech

For the tour, the BMFLs were placed on the top of the front truss and were used for beaming around the audience, drawing them into the performance.The Pointes were rigged on the back truss and on the stage deck where they made high-impact beam effects, especially using the prisms.

Photos : Lukas Pelech

The LEDWashes were on the back truss and also placed around the large LED screens onstage where they bathed the stage, set and band in many colours and a good quality of light, highlighting the band and also filling in the back-of-shot space for the IMAG cameras.The CycFX 8s were vertically mounted at the back of the stage, upstage (and underneath) the LED screens, making up a low res video layer to contrast with the high res screens.

Photos : Lukas Pelech

These, plus a large amount of generic fixtures were looked after and operated on the road by Petr Koutek using a grandma2 full size console.

It was the first time that Audioblue had used BMFL’s on one of their tours and they were all very impressed with the brightness and sheer presence created by these luminaires together with their light weight and compact size for such a powerful fixture.

The Tour Manager was Jiri Kratochvil, sound and video were also supplied by Audioblue.

More informations : www.robe.cz

In the film “The Miracle of Bern”, director Sönke Wortmann tells the story of the unexpected German victory in the 1954 World Cup in Bern and, at the same time, focuses on the difficulties of a prisoner of war who returns home and fails to re-adjust to his old life.
However, in conjunction with the German team’s success, the ex-POW draws closer again to his son and his family. Stage Entertainment took this story and made it into a musical, which was staged in Hamburg for the first time at the end of 2014 with the same title.

Photos : © Stage Entertainment/Brinkhoff-Moegenburg et Stage Entertainment/Morris Mac Matzen

Among the equipment lighting designer Andreas Fuchs chose for the production were 53 Alpha Profile 1500 STs, 18 Alpha Profile 800 STs and 30 A.leda B-EYE K20s, all made by Clay Paky, along with one grandMA2 light, one grandMA2 ultra-light, two MA 8Port Nodes, two MA Network Processing Units (NPUs) and twenty-six 12 x 2.3 kVA MA digital dimmers.

Fuchs spoke very positively about the Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20s: “I chose the B-EYE K20s for a number of reasons. First for their low noise level, which was extremely useful in a theatre.

Photos : © Stage Entertainment/Brinkhoff-Moegenburg et Stage Entertainment/Morris Mac Matzen

These moving head lights also require very little space on the rig – therefore they add very little weight – and produce very little heat.
As regards the lighting design, besides the wash light and beam light functions, they offer gobo effects. They are different from conventional gobos and open the way to new, never-seen-before structural elements, which match the show perfectly.

I was also able to use the B-EYEs to create a break with plaintive images. We should not forget that they also work admirably as beam lights, thanks to their brightness and the possibility of reducing their beam angle to 4°.”

Fuchs also had words of praise for the Clay Paky Alpha Profile 1500 STs and Alpha Profile 800 STs. “The light intensity of both lights is excellent. They may be focused in quickly and efficiently even when zoomed in from afar with the blinders, without large distortions and keeping straight lines. I was able to use the moving heads flexibly, both as stage lights for the actors and as lights for the stage, and this versatility is a big plus when it comes to theatres and musicals.”

Photos : © Stage Entertainment/Brinkhoff-Moegenburg et Stage Entertainment/Morris Mac Matzen

On the subject of his lighting design, Fuchs had this to say: “The biggest challenge was to adapt to the very different situations found in a musical with a flexible lighting rig. With “the Miracle of Bern”, we needed to design lighting both for classic acting and singing scenes and show-like moments with a large choir and 54 different visual stage sets, some of which were totally changed during the rehearsals. “

Chief lighting technicians: Mike Neumann and Dimitri Ambokadze
Responsible for lighting coordination : Andy Peistrup

Artistic Licence launches Art-Osc, an open domain, free-of-charge protocol that enables the transport of DALI lighting control data over an ethernet network. 

The DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) standard provides a popular means of controlling ballasts that do not require fast special effects.
It operates over low cost and simple wiring, but is limited to 64 devices per circuit. Until now, DALI has lacked a standardized and open method of integration into larger networks.

Art-Osc solves these problems by providing a non-proprietary method to transfer the DALI language over a network; putting this into numbers translates into control over a billion DALI ballasts. Historically, the situation bears close analogy with the invention of Art-Net, an ethernet protocol designed to overcome the channel restriction of DMX512 while still utilizing its structure.
In addition to transporting DALI over ethernet networks, Art-Osc has two other main areas of application: RDM visualization and network remote control.

While RDM allows a lighting controller or building management computer to report on equipment status, it is not designed to convey data in a user-friendly manner. Art-Osc solves this problem by enabling simple integration of the RDM data to smartphones or tablets. 

Because Art-Osc sits upon the widely used OSC (Open Sound Control) standard, lighting users can benefit from numerous existing free or low-cost tools such as TouchOSC™ and Lemur™ for iPad™ and Android™.
Finally, Art-Osc provides a standardized remote control syntax specifically written for the lighting control market. This enables automation and triggering of devices over the network.

More informations : www.ArtisticLicence.com

EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music – the offspring of a musical orgy attended by disco, techno, house and reggae sometime in the late Eighties has emerged as the fastest growing sector of the live entertainment industry. EDM will be around long after the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac wrap up their very last (they promise) reunion tours.
So what’s ETC doing in this throbbing mix that has parents and stadium managers fearful? Could anything be further from the safe territory of huge installs in theatres worldwide? The answer is another three letter word – thankfully not an acronym – Eos®.

The Haunted Beach concert at the Avila Beach Resort in California, with lighting controlled by an Eos Ti. ©Nate Deack

EDM may appear like a lot of random flashing, but puts a lighting console through a stress test quite unlike any other. Without the luxury of a script or a set list, the EMD lighting designer has to create an infinite series of dramatic looks that match the feel of the music and support the strong video images that are another hallmark of the genre.
Tom Schneider, an ETC tech and console trainer in the company’s Hollywood office, has designed and operated EDM shows since he was old enough to sneak out of the house to light raves in warehouses. He believes that Eos is the perfect tool for the job: “What really sets this console apart from other high end consoles is the effects engine. It’s pretty cool. The effects engine is programmable to anything I could possibly want.”

Haunted Beach Credit VTL and CLCTV

While big US EMD events get much press, there are hundreds of hastily thrown together desert one offs and tours where the acts pick up sound and light in every city. While the heavy lifting is done by moving lights, PARs are used for audience blinders and the DJs are often lit by Source Four profiles.

Tom says : “I have rarely seen a lighting rider for these tours, so the local rental company can put together a rig of whatever is available in the budget, and the designer will make it work. That is why a fast, versatile console is so important.” In a show with cues firing with every eight or 16 measures of music, the designer has to set up timed fades – complex moving-light cues using additive and inhibitive command lines as well as dramatic colour shifts.
With three ten-point native touchscreens and the ability to run three more through the TVI, the Eos Titanium (Eos Ti®) desk has a tactile, immediate quality that works for EDM and rock and roll. Tom adds: “It’s like being a jazz keyboard player. You get a feel for what is needed. I can go to my preset cues or I can improvise.”

To learn more about the ETC Eos family of lighting control, visit www.etcconnect.com

After a recent summer tour throughout Europe, legendary musician Stevie Wonder’s audio team has something new to sing about; the addition of DPA microphones to his touring rig. On recommendation from Jazz singer Dee Alexander, Wonder’s front of house engineer tested the DPA Microphones d:facto™ Vocal and d:vote™ 4099P Instrument piano microphones while on the road. Now a permanent fixture for all of Wonder’s performances, the mics provide the perfect blend of tone and detail that is necessary for the musician’s wide range of styles.

As Wonder’s FOH engineer for more than 20 years, Danny Leake has had plenty of time deciphering what audio tools are best suited to the musician. Having used DPA’s original 4006 recording mics for Wonder’s percussion section for years, the decision to switch the performer himself to DPA mics was an easy one.

“I still use my original DPA 4006s for the percussion section,” says Leake. “When I finally had the opportunity to try the DPA d:facto Vocal Mic, I jumped at the chance, and I’m glad I did. Along with Dwayne Jones, who handles Stevie’s in-ear monitors, and John “Bugs” Parkinson on band monitors, we all agree it has a bigger and more powerful sound, has good volume before feedback and is also really full on the low-end.”

In addition to the gain features, Leake also noted other effects. “A lot of artists tend to ‘eat’ the microphone, which can alter a mic’s sound because of proximity effect,” he explains. “This doesn’t happen with Stevie because the mic is a few inches away on a stand, but I was still able to tell that the proximity effect of the d:facto was right on point. That was a really cool thing for me in terms of keeping it on track.”

Switching to DPA’s d:facto wasn’t the only change to the performer’s mic setup as Leake also selected a stereo pair of the d:vote 4099P piano mics, which he used on Stevie’s grand piano in conjunction with MIDI. “Personally, I think the MIDI stuff is sort of dry-sounding, but it enables us to sound even with the rest of the band, while still keeping the piano up front,” he says. “The mics are there to add sparkle and realism to Stevie’s sound, because he is a really great pianist.
I think the d:votes capture the dynamics of what he’s doing much better than the MIDI does. Compared to our older mics, the d:votes are more open and they sound much clearer. I think they were also able to pick up the piano better because you can position them exactly where you want. It was definitely a better experience for me.” 

Leake has now written the d:facto and d:vote mics into the rider for all future shows, guaranteeing that the musician will always be amplified using DPA mics. A veteran sound engineer, Leake is also a past president of EARS – the Engineering and Recording Society of Chicago – an organization of engineers and producers who promote the Chicago Recording Industry and mentor students.
A child prodigy who lost his eyesight as an infant, Wonder signed with Motown records at the age of 11. The winner of 22 Grammy Awards, he has sold over 100 million albums and has had 30 Top 10 hit singles.

For more information, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com

At the midnight countdown, lighting designer Jeff Freeman employed Clay Paky SuperSharpys to illuminate the iconic Arc de Triomphe for the festivities. The display saw the monument spectacularly video-mapped, with Freeman using 18 of the super powerful Clay Paky fixtures, supplied by rental company Magnum, to complement the visuals.

Paris Arc de Triomphe with the SuperSharpy – photo H.Garat

“Our creative brief was clear – we had to support the video projection,” explains Freeman. “The head of Magnum Jerome Chupin and art director Martin Arnaud of Les Petits Français made the decision to use the SuperSharpys, as the light sources had to be powerful enough to cover the colossal monument, but soft and accurate enough not to impair the projected visuals.”

Also supplied by Magnum, the projection-mapped display highlighted the Parisian ‘art of living’ and environmental issues, in recognition of the international climate change to be hosted by France at the end of this year.
“From experience, I am well aware of the creative requirements of projection mapping large structures and monuments,” continues Freeman. “It all has to tell a story, with the sound and light enriching it to ensure it’s emotive and engaging for the audience. This is why the SuperSharpys were the perfect choice; they were powerful enough to sharply illuminate the Arc de Triomphe and marvel 600,000 attendees, whilst also being extremely reliable.”

Paris Arc de Triomphe SuperSharpy – photo JB Gurliat

The SuperSharpy boasts a 470W lamp, making it three times brighter than the original Sharpy and can deliver a number of effects and stunning colour.
“The SuperSharpy’s CMY colour mixing is fantastic, letting designers switch between coloured ambiences seamlessly,” says Freeman. “It really was the perfect, high quality fixture for lighting the ‘plus belle avenue du monde.’” 

More  informations : www.claypaky.it

Jochen Frohn (left), director of business development for L-Acoustics and Han Dohmen sales manager for Benelux.

L-ACOUSTICS announces the strategic appointment of Han Dohmen as Sales Manager to manage the Benelux market.

The newly created position reflects the company’s commitment to European markets, which continues to represent growth for the brand. 

Dohmen, who holds an MBA in Management, lives in the Netherlands and brings exceptional experience in the professional audio industry, having worked with Sennheiser in the Benelux region, as well as holding senior European Sales and Marketing position in companies outside the sound industry.

Jochen Frohn, Director of Business Development at L-ACOUSTICS states, “L-ACOUSTICS has seen constant growth of around twenty per cent per year, and as this trend continues we felt the need to strengthen our support for installation and rental clients in this key domestic market. Han is the perfect fit to do this.  He shares a common culture with his clients, as well as a passion for audio, and brings great experience in B2B marketing and sales. He has been handling premium brands in the territory and will be the perfect addition to cultivate our leadership position in the Benelux market.”

Dohmen adds, “I am thrilled to come back to the professional audio business, joining a market leader and fast growing company. L-ACOUSTICS is well known in the Benelux market for its technological leadership and I look forward to contributing to growing the business through dedicated support for L-ACOUSTICS clients.” 

About L-Acoustics
Founded in 1984 near Paris, France, L-Acoustics is a leading manufacturer of turnkey solutions for the professional sound industry. With 250 team members, 20 percent of whom are dedicated to R&D, L-Acoustics is present in over 60 countries either through subsidiaries or via a network of certified distributors or providers.
Recognized throughout the industry for pioneering the modern line array, L-Acoustics offers a total system approach for both the touring and fixed installation markets, and a product line responding to the needs of venues from the most intimate club to the grandest arena. L-Acoustics sound systems can be heard in places like the Hollywood Bowl, the NBA Houston Rockets Toyota Center, or the Philharmonie de Paris. L-Acoustics solutions have been used at six of the world’s ten top-grossing festivals, the London and Sochi Olympics, and on the Justin Timberlake 20/20 Experience World Tour, among others.