The Naha Cultural Arts Theatre is a new cultural center in the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, the tropical island group south of mainland Japan. Built to replace the aging Naha Civic Centre, the new venue is located in the heart of the vibrant tourist area and contains both large and small theatres seating around 1600 and 300 people respectively, both of which are equipped with NEXO sound systems.

GEO M10 line arrays with MSUB15 subs are flown left, central, and right above the stage in the large theatre, with additional clusters left and right and NEXO ID24s used as under balcony auxiliary speakers.

The three flown GEO M10 line arrays with MSUB15 and the two M10 arrays topped by two MSUB15 and acting as infills, visible at the left and right of the stage .

The GEO M6 hung as L, C, R in the small theatre.

Small clusters of NEXO GEO M6 are hung L, C, R in the small theatre, with NEXO PS10s used as side speakers and ID24s again used to cover seating areas under balconies to ensure even audience coverage throughout the venue.

Amplification and processing for both systems are delivered by 3 racks of NEXO NXAMPMK2 powered processors.

The NXAMPMK2 powered processors.

“We chose NEXO as this setup allowed us to build a full digital system with Dante encompassing everything from the Yamaha consoles to the power amps” says Hiroyuki Fukazawa, Manager (Sound Engineering) at the Culture Promotion Division, Civic Culture Department, Naha City.

“This is the key advantage of NEXO. The NEXO speaker system also allows us to suspend subwoofers alongside speakers, providing better sound and a better sense of localisation. Another reason was my own sense of familiarity with the NEXO speaker system, having used it at my previous place of employment. Personally, I just love how the speakers sound.”

A closer wiew on the GEO M10 arrays hung in the large theatre.

Commenting on the performance of the system, Naha Cultural Arts Theatre Sound Engineer Ryoko Hirano says, “When I heard the main speaker in the large theatre, my first impression was ‘Wow, what a beautiful sound’. Not only do the speakers deliver a faithful rendition of any song, regardless of genre, I must admit I was taken aback by how such small speakers can produce such a powerful sound, almost as though the sounds are sent flying through the air.”

For further information on the Naha Cultural Arts Theatre, visit nahart.jp

For more info on the GEO M modules, please visit nexo-sa.com/systems/geo-m/modules/

ETC has released a new ETC Library App, making ETC documentation accessible from one convenient location. Through the app, users can easily view, and share datasheets, brochures, and other standard technical documentation for all ETC products.

The ETC Library App replaces the former ETC Product Portfolio and is hosted on an entirely new platform. Users can expect improvements in both speed and search functionality on the app, with the ability to look up documents by part numbers and more.

The cloud-based platform also saves storage space for users, allowing them to directly download only the files they need. The new app makes it simple to create a collection of documents and share them via email, text message, and more.

The ETC Library App is now available with all ETC product datasheets and with plans to continue expanding documentation and language options.
Users who previously had the ETC Product Portfolio software downloaded on their desktop will need to download the new ETC Library App for current documentation. Users who had the Product Portfolio app on mobile devices will simply need to update the app.

To download the ETC Library App, please visit etcconnect.com/library

And Find more ETC apps at etcconnect.com/Apps

Stage Right Lighting in Virginia Beach, Virginia expanded its Ayrton lighting inventory with 38 Perseo IP65-rated compact, multi-function luminaires, which have been flying off the shelves, according to Production Manager Doug Arble.

“We’re based in the Tidewater area, which consists of seven cities, and from May to October we’re outdoors with concerts and special events,” he reports. “We were looking for a multi-function light with an LED source and an IP rating.

We needed something that wasn’t excessively heavy that we could throw into a pre-rigged truss and use as a downstage wash or upstage profile, something that had gobo effects and framing shutters, which are in big demand on riders these days.

ACT brought us some Perseos for a shoot out with other IP-rated fixtures, and afterward we decided to buy a compliment of Perseo Profile units and Perseo Beams.” Several years ago Stage Right purchased several Ayrton Mistral-TC LED spot luminaires, which Arble says have been “fantastic for corporate ballroom and theatre projects.”

From May to October Stage Right works in venues ranging from 2,500-seat theatres to 20,000-seat amphitheatres as well as on mobile stages set up temporarily for festivals.

Ayrton Perseo Beam

Starting this spring Stage Right used Perseo fixtures in the overhead package for The Trinity of Terror, a modern hard rock tour featuring Motionless in White, Black Veil Brides and Ice Nine Kills at the Chartway Arena at Old Dominion University in Norfolk.
One dozen each Perseo Profile and Perseo Beams also lit up a Neon Trees concert at Kaplan Arena at William & Mary University. “A lot of lighting designers have heard about Perseo, haven’t had a chance to try it yet and are happy to find them in our inventory,” notes Arble.

Perseo fixtures were next deployed on the day-long, high-energy FM99 Lunatic Luau 22 festival at the 20,000-seat Virginia Beach Amphitheatre where bands Disturbed, The Pretty Reckless, Dirty Honey and more performed. “We provided all the lighting for the festival, including 16 Perseos in the air, then added 10 more Perseo Beams in a floor package for Disturbed,” says Arble. “That resulted in Disturbed asking us for more Perseo floor packages for a couple more shows coming up.”

He points out that the Perseo units were ideal for a day-long festival where they could be used in many different applications. “They got used every which way,” he says. “They really cut through and looked fantastic. All of the bands’ LDs were happy with them.”

That gig was followed by Memorial Day weekend’s Patriotic Festival in downtown Norfolk with Morgan Wallen and Kane Brown headlining at the Waterside Drive outdoor concert zone. “Our Perseo Profiles and Beams supported the ground package for festival lighting,” Arble explains. “The holiday weekend’s Friday show, inside Scope Arena, also featured our Mistrals for a Jon Pardi concert.”

The Perseo fixtures even created aerial effects at Mount Trashmore, a city park in Virginia Beach, for a remembrance ceremony marking the anniversary of the town’s mass shooting in 2019. “We set them up on a hill so they could shoot beams in the air overnight, one beam for every life lost in the shooting,” says Arble. “They were great at that as well.”

Stage Right just wrapped a Patti LaBelle concert at The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach where “the lighting designer had a great time with our Perseos,” Arble reports. “We’ve found that it doesn’t matter what kind of floor package bands and artists might bring the Perseos match their intensity and mix well with every type of fixture we have seen so far,” he adds.

Arble points out that Stage Right has deployed its Perseo units for “R&B artists, country, metal, alternative rock even Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth and opera legend Renee Fleming performing at the Virginia Arts Festival in Norfolk and they always work out great!

“We’re very happy with the fixtures and with the customer service we get from ACT. We enjoy our relationship with the ACT team and hope to keep building on it as we purchase more fixtures.”

More information on Ayrton Perseo and the full portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED products can be found at www.ayrton.eu

The former White Stripes frontman currently wowing fans with “Jack White: The Supply Chain Issues Tour” has 82 Ayrton Magic Blade FX fixtures delivering dynamic effects lighting on stage.
Matthieu Larivee, who serves as the tour’s Creative Director and Lighting and Production Designer, obtained the Magic Blade FXs from Solotech Nashville. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.

The world tour celebrates two new Jack White albums, “Fear of the Dawn” and “Entering Heaven Alive.” The North American leg kicked off in Detroit in April and will wrap at the end of August in Kansas City. It then heads to South America with much of the same lighting rig, including the Magic Blade FXs.
Each Magic Blade FX features seven RGBW high-output LEDs that can be individually controlled to create airborne virtual scenery or illuminate sets and performers. It is equipped with a revolutionary FX optical zoom system that has no visible moving parts and a fixed transmitting lens.

Ayrton Magic Blade FX

The Jack White tour marks Larivee’s first use of Magic Blade FXs for a tour although he has used them on individual shows. “A few lights do some similar things, but they don’t offer the full breadth of effects that Magic Blade FX does,” says Larivee, who is a Creative Producer and Partner at Montreal-based Luz Studio, a group of talented designers and production specialists who create cohesive and immerse environments. “The Magic Blades were the one fixture on the design that I didn’t want to accept any substitutes for.”

Larivee explains that White enjoys playing arenas and more intimate theatres on his tours so the scale of the show had to be adjustable to the venue. “The concept is a 40-foot wide stage-on-a-stage that fits both arenas and theatres. In theatres the stage fills the space; in arenas the stage doesn’t look small because the outside of the design with the Magic Blades defines and extends the space.”

White likes to be in close proximity to other band members, “so everything is super tight” on stage, notes Larivee. For every tour cycle White picks a dominant colour – blue for “The Supply Chain Issues Tour” – which is the focus for his on-stage world. And since the artist is formally named Jack White III he likes to have groups of three feature into the lighting and set design.
This tour has a linear design with Magic Blade FX fixtures mounted on sets of three towers, stage left and stage right, at the outer edges of the stage; additional Magic Blades form a horizontal band that spans the top of the curtain. A flat videowall serves as a backdrop behind the band. “It doesn’t act as a video screen per se,” says Larivee. “We created the video content too, creating a rhythm that doesn’t overwhelm the audience using set extensions and merging virtual lights with physical lights.”

Larivee felt Magic Blade FX would give him “the big look” he wanted to create via set extensions and lighting. “The fact that the Magic Blades have an optical zoom system means I can use them to wash the stage and light the band; I can do chases with every pixel and create starry effects. The way they spin endlessly is great support for some of Jack’s very modern music with wah-wah pedal guitar effects. Other light bars that spin are very narrow so they look like EDM or club fixtures. But Magic Blades go really wide!”

More information on Ayrton MagicBlade FX fixtures and the full portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED products can be found at www.ayrton.eu

Grammy Award-winning Coldplay has completed the North American leg of their Music of the Spheres World Tour where Ayrton Domino and Perseo fixtures illuminated the stadium show from coast to coast. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.
Coldplay’s world tour supports their ninth studio album of the same name. The North American dates kicked off in April and wrapped in June; the tour will play Europe this summer and South America in the autumn. It has an innovative sustainability theme with each show powered exclusively by renewable, super-low emission energy.

© Steve Jennings

“Misty Buckley and Phil Harvey, the Co-creative Directors of the tour, developed a production design and creative direction inspired by Pythagoras’s Music of the Spheres theory,” says Lighting Designer Sooner Routhier of Sooner Rae Creative, who began working with Coldplay in 2019 on their Everyday Life album campaign.
“There’s a specific diagram that displays the arcs and movement of the solar system and its celestial bodies that we leaned on for inspiration. Thus, the architecture for the lighting design and the cuing of the system is heavily based on spheres, circles and arcs.”

Buckley explains that she and Harvey took as their starting point the Pythagorean theory that the sun, moon and planets create sounds and harmonies that are not audible to humans but can be heard by our souls. “We then explored music in space and went into a whole amazing creative wormhole of time, space, music and aliens, which led to the concept of alien music festivals in space, love, people and togetherness. It was a really mad and wonderful creative thread.”

© Steve Jennings

Sketches became CAD drawings with Buckley and Harvey keeping at it “until the geometry worked,” she says. “Then we added the alien hieroglyphics and all the different languages associated with the planet map on the album artwork. Each planet has its own language, concept and emotion. We created renders of this world and concept that led to building a scale model so we could visualize the production design in the context of the stadium. This is always the most exciting part as the band gets to see it in real space.”

Domino, the most powerful motorized blade edge spotlight in the Ayrton IP65 range with 1000W of white LEDs.

Routhier chose 66 Ayrton Domino S and 74 Perseo Profile fixtures for her lighting design for the unique show. Upstaging Inc. of Sycamore, Illinois, the lighting and trucking vendor for the tour, provided the fixtures.
Routhier positioned 24 Perseo fixtures on top of the large, upstage moonrise screen, a videowall in the shape of a moon or sun cresting over the horizon. Forty-eight more were on audience PA delay towers at Front of House.

Twenty-four Domino fixtures were positioned on the floor upstage in front of the moonrise screen, ten served as side lights from the stage pylons and 32 were across the stage apron and side satellite stages. “We used them for large gobo looks, to paint the audience in light and as general effects lighting,” says Routhier.

Perseo Profile, IP65 rated, is equipped with a 500W 8000K cold white LED motor.

“We love the fixtures. They’re punchy, have an incredible assortment of beam and gobo features, and they’re rated IP65. Because of the band’s sustainability efforts, we worked hard to choose companies with healthy, eco-friendly practices and fixtures that could withstand the elements.
IP65-rated fixtures meant fewer manhours spent swapping out fixtures, less transporting of parts via post, and fewer parts used to fix lights that can’t withstand the weather. We’re also very impressed by Ayrton’s sustainability practices as a manufacturer.”

Shaheem Litchmore, who acted as the Lighting Operator and one of Lighting Programmers, declares that, “From start to finish these fixtures worked their magic. Different systems of Perseos and Dominos were creatively orchestrated to provide accents to the music and create an all-around vibe. One of my favourite moments in the show was the beginning of the song ‘Fix You.’ Chris [Martin] knelt in the middle of our B stage and, in a silhouette, was washed in an enchanting gold gobo backlight provided by the 24 upstage floor Dominos as well as 24 of our shelf Dominos. It was truly a perfect display of the power and elegance of the Domino fixtures.”

Lighting Programmer Joe Lott “really liked the look from the Perseos over the moonrise screen for the song ‘Viva La Vida.’ It’s where we had the Perseos in their widest zoom creating a really nice flared light source above the LED screen, which snapped colour and intensity following the beat of the music. It was very simple but really created the look of the song.”

He calls the upstage floor Dominos “a real workhorse in the design. It was great to have such a bright spot fixture on the floor to give us a strong backlight through the band even with plenty of gobo texture and deep saturated colours.”
Lott also felt that “having 48 Perseos spread out across the audience PA delay towers gave us a lot to work with. It allowed us to create some great looks where we threw gobo texture over the audience and lit up the whole stadium.”

© Steve Jennings

According to Litchmore the Ayrton fixtures “performed beautifully” and “creatively were a workhorse” for the tour. “Powerful backlight looks were provided by the upstage Dominos and Perseos while amazing audience lighting and effects were delivered by the Perseos in our audience towers.”
Their robust construction and IP rating were definite advantages, too, he adds. “We had our first bit of rain during our Philadelphia show, and the weather picked up during the load out. But we did not lose a single light. The fixtures stood tall against a nor’easter rainstorm and won. With these lights in our rig, I’m never worried. They’re rock solid!”

“It’s been tough this year. Nobody can debate that. Upstaging and ACT have a longstanding partnership, borne from the mutually held values of exceeding expectations and sublime customer service. That’s not debatable either. I’m convinced that this partnership, and these core tenets helped us put a challenging tour on the road during challenging times.
But make no mistake! Core tenets aside, this project was a labour of love. I’ll say it now, as I’ve said before ACT is an absolute pleasure to work with. When we’re working together, I know we’ll hit our deadline,” concludes Matt Gohring of Upstaging. David Kennedy was the Special Effects Designer for the tour and Matthew Kemp also served as a Lighting Programmer.

More information on Ayrton Perseo Profile and Domino S fixtures and the full portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED products can be found at www.ayrton.eu

Almost 1,000 GLP lighting fixtures – a near record in terms of brand deployment – were called on when the 2021 Valorant Champions esports tournament (VCT 2021) reached its conclusion in Berlin. Organised by the video game developer Riot Games, 16 teams from around the world competed for the honour of champions.

Held over a 12-day period, the offline event – which was broadcast on international streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube – took place in three locations, with the 4,500-capacity Verti Music Hall hosting the grand final following the knock-out stages.

Lighting director Michael Straun had been brought in by Swedish production designer Tobias Rylander and was working on the event for the first time.
Fixtures from right across the GLP portfolio were deployed, including FR10 Bars, Fusion Stick FS20s, X4 Bar 10s and Bar 20s, and JDC1 hybrid strobes, with PRG Germany sourcing this vast inventory.

Michael Straun explained that prior to the final, a sound stage in nearby Potsdam had been requisitioned for the knock-out stages: “Alongside that, we had to light the opening ceremony outside on the platz and we also had [production] set-ups ready in local hotel rooms in case players tested positive for Covid-19.”

Working alongside creative producer JB Blot, Tobias Rylander brought all his experience to bear, working across all settings, while Michael Straun was tasked with fulfilling the role of creative lighting director and programmer. Meanwhile, American collective 22 Degrees was brought in to conceive the broadcast lighting, Will Gossett as designer and Mark Humphrey and Chris Herman as programmers.

Straun revealed that it was the first time he had lit an audience-free live show purely for broadcast. “We used a lot of concert techniques and focused heavily on keylight and the scenic lighting balance rather than optimise it for camera only,” he explains.

“We added depth by using different colours in the keylight. For example, for broadcast you would normally run X4 Bars at a lower level than at a concert, but with the 22 Degrees team we worked hard to push the levels, finding a balance between intensity and shading. This meant that the light curtains could be seen clearly on camera.

“We ran everything in full-pixel mode, with individual control of each cell, and with the Fusion Bars we made sure we had the highest resolution possible for dimming purposes.”
In total, 930 GLP fixtures were provided for deployment across the three venues, Michael Straun continues: “For the knock-outs we had 108 X4 Bar 10 and 14 of the JDC1s – everyone’s favourite strobe.”

He added that his experience when touring the X4 Bars had always been nothing less than brilliant – borne out by the fact that the team specified no fewer than 544 of the fixtures at the Verti Music Hall, mostly set on angled trusses, he says: “Tobias designed these angles carefully so we ended up with massive monolithic trusses.” In addition, 60 of the shorter X4 Bar 10 battens lined the runway along with 14 JDC1s.

“We also used 90 Fusion Stick FS20 on the floor,” he continues, “because they were a good non-moving solution that we could focus manually on the ground and just leave in one set position.”
But in some respects, one of cleverest deployments was outside on the platz, where 96 impression FR10 battens really showed their merit. “Tobias and I are both big fans of the FR10 and designers generally love this linear light curtain,” he enthuses.
“It is an evolution of the X4 Bar 20 and is great for a bit more punch outdoors when you are up against LED screens. Here, they managed to shoot through [the screens] with no problem, and on top of that we could also create ‘rooves’ above the stage.”

The winning team of Rylander and Straun has long been proven since they first came together around 2013 on the XX tour. Other shows with the 1975 and FKA Twigs, and the XX’s Armory show in New York, further consolidated the relationship. And during that period GLP fixtures have never been far from either designer’s toolbox.

“It’s really nice to be back together as part of a team you can trust,” Michael Straun concludes. “This event was a really nice experience, as everyone was so supportive. It’s nice to work with producers who thank you every day.”
Now he’s looking forward to the same team regrouping for the next season. “GLP fixtures will be staple for the future when it comes to producing a linear light curtain,” he adds.

For more information, you can visit the GLP website

Full Flood Inc. has chosen Ayrton MagicBlade FX lighting fixtures for NBC’s new, eight-episode American Song Contest, the domestic answer to the hugely popular and long-running Eurovision Song Contest. Volt Lites supplied the MagicBlade FX units, which are exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment.

Hosted by Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg, American Song Contest will feature 56 live original song performances by artists from all 50 states, five US territories and the nation’s capital. It debuted on March 21 and wraps with a finale featuring the winning performance on May 9. Episodes are also air on NBC.com, Peacock and Hulu.

Lighting Designer Noah Mitz and Lighting Director Will Gossett, both from Full Flood, are using 144 Ayrton MagicBlade FX for American Song Contest, which shoots on the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles. “That’s by far the most MagicBlade FX fixtures we’ve ever used in an array such as this one,” says Gossett. “We’ve used MagicBlades on other shows in linear arrangements to border scenery or align with trusses, but it’s great to have such a visual impact in the vertical plane like we do on this show.”

Each MagicBlade FX fixture features seven squared 65mm transmitting lenses and a revolutionary FX optical zoom system. The RGBW high-output LEDs can be individually controlled to create airborne virtual scenery or illuminate sets and performers.

American Song Contest has “a uniquely-shaped performance environment” by Production Designer Julio Himede in the style of a forced perspective roadway, which terminates in an upstage wall comprised of various interchangeable lighting elements.
“The set has to support 56 performances, each with a bespoke design, over the eight shows,” explains Gossett.

“The MagicBlades comprise most of three independently sliding light walls; the three pieces can be configured as one wall element or used in different combinations.
There is a grid of 54 MagicBlades in the centre wall and 45 MagicBlades in each of the left and right walls. The fixtures are yoked out 90º to maximize the variety of looks achieved through different pan positions”

MagicBlade FX fixtures were a logical choice to meet the needs of American Song Contest. “They are very versatile and we have yet to reach a limit to the patterns and effects that the MagicBlade FX can achieve in various position and zoom configurations in combination with clever programming by Patrick Brazil,” says Mitz.

“MagicBlade’s unique fixture face – linear with pixels – almost feels like dots moving freely through the upstage space,” Gossett adds. “And we have full pixel control, which adds an element of mystery, too. Sometimes there’s more negative space on the walls; sometimes a sequence of pixels gives a unique sense of motion for slower moments in songs – they don’t always look like lighting effects. But the MagicBlades also have a lot of horsepower to push light out of the wall when we want that intense presence.”

Lighting Directors/Programmers Patrick Brazil, Rob Koenig, and Darien Koop masterfully command a network of grandMA2 consoles in addition to Capture software in an extensive previs process for the set and lights. The consoles remain on site for the current run of shows and additional previs. ACT Entertainment also is the exclusive distributor of MA Lighting products in North America.

Gossett says, “It was quite fun when the entire production team participated in the first camera look-see day, and they saw the wall come alive and go through some looks and effects. It’s not every day that people stop and say, ‘Whoa! What are those fixtures?’ That many fixtures creating patterns and almost bending light is not what people are used to seeing.”
Other members of the lighting production team include Tyler Ericson (Assistant Lighting Director); Matt Benson (Gaffer); Mark Marroquin (Best Boy); David Russell, Janos Bode, Ben Lewis, Jeff Geisser (System Techs).

More information on Ayrton MagicBlade FX and the full portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu

Woodroffe Bassett Design creates breathtaking visuals at Al Wasl Plaza and other Expo entertainment venues. Elation’s Proteus Maximus has been employed on top name shows and events since launching in 2019 but none perhaps as impressive as Expo 2020.

In September 2021, Dubai saw the beautiful opening ceremony of Expo 2020, the kickoff of the world’s premiere international exhibition event that ran through March 2022. With 192 participating countries a part of the journey, Expo focused on ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ explored through the themes of Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity.

Al Wasl Plaza

Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD) served as Lighting Design Consultants on Expo 2020 with WBD Founding Partner Adam Bassett lead in the process. The initial brief was to transform Al Wasl Plaza, a 67-meter-tall, 130-meter diameter structure with 252 video projectors and an immersive sound system, from a spectacular garden into a live event venue.
Al Wasl Plaza, the beating heart of the Expo, hosted an ambitious daily program of shows, concerts and ceremonies, which changed nightly over the Expo’s six-month duration. WBD designed a house lighting rig that integrated into the structure with the clear direction not to detract from the beauty of the architecture.

Outdoor rated

While Expo was open to the public during the winter months, rehearsals and programming in the outdoor dome was carried out at the peak of the Dubai summer. It was recognized from the outset that the harsh summer environment would place a lot of stress on all parts of the lighting system and that, where possible, all fixtures needed to be outdoor rated.

“One of the driving factors behind our fixture choices was their proven ability to withstand harsh environments,” Adam Bassett commented. “We needed not only for the fixtures to operate in extreme heat but also withstand sandstorms and torrential rain over an extended period, operating 24 hours a day without the need for regular heavy maintenance. The Proteus Maximus was one of the fixtures that confidently matched up to the challenge and we were delighted to see the units live up to the promise!”

Elation Proteus Maximus

Two thirds of the way up the dome were mounted 159 Elation Proteus Maximus LED moving heads that sat outside with a custom shade to protect them from direct sunlight.
Around the perimeter of the trellis were 42 projection pods, below which a further 82 Proteus Maximus hung along with other lighting fixtures. WBD worked closely with Agora, the lighting supplier for Al Wasl Plaza, who in turn worked with Elation distributor Audio Effetti.

WBD executed a number of ambitious shows in the Al Wasl Plaza, 40 by the end of March, with some of the most notable Al Adiyat: The Story of a Boy and His Horse, Diwali and the stunning Sami Yusuf performances of ‘Beyond the Stars’.
Along with the house shows that were delivered throughout the exhibition, the venue was host to a number of external lighting teams bringing in concerts and special events. In addition, WBD were asked to provide the lighting design for the Expo Daily Productions in Al Wasl Plaza, led by Principal Designer Terry Cook.

Other venues and Expo pavilions

Eight other entertainment venues fell under WBD’s scope, among them the Jubilee Stage lighting design. Inspired by a contemporary music festival main stage, music acts, spoken word, dance and comedy acts performed beneath 200+ moving fixtures including Proteus Maximus. Also, the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, a more intimate multipurpose venue with an emphasis on theatrical events, featured 180+ moving fixtures consisting of Proteus Maximus and other lights. Neuman and Muller supplied lighting for both the Jubilee and DMA stages.

Several of the country pavilions offering immersive cultural experiences utilized Elation lights as well, including 29 Proteus Hybrid LED moving heads by Novelty Group for the French Pavilion, and Elation luminaires from Intersonic Oy for the Finnish Pavilion, amongst others. Throughout the four years that WBD spent supporting this extraordinary project, they had the pleasure to work with an extremely talented and diverse team both locally and across the globe.

Specific mention goes out to five individuals who led and supported WBD’s journey at every turn: Tareq Ghosheh, Chief Events and Entertainment Officer; Amna Abulhoul, Executive Creative Director; Kylie McOmish, Vice President – Production & Operations; Kate Randall, Vice President- Ceremonies & Programming; and William Ainley, Vice President Technical. The principal consultant team for Expo included Adam Bassett and Simon Fraser of WBD, Piers Shepperd of Wonder Works and Scott Willsallen of Auditoria.

For more info about Elation Lighting, you can visit : www.elationlighting.com

MAILA is not just a product – it is a scalable sound reinforcement system that sets new standards in user-friendliness and flexibility in the professional rental market.
MAILA combines the best concepts of sound reinforcement technology in one system. The basis is formed by four basic elements: the MAILA SAT satellite module, the MAILA COL column module, the MAILA SPA amplifier module, and the MAILA SUB subwoofer.

With these elements, MAILA enables scalable, flexible system configurations for a wide range of sound reinforcement applications. This extends from precise stereo speech reinforcement without subwoofers, to larger conferences and club gigs, to flown line array systems for professional live sound reinforcement at festivals with variable subwoofer arrangements on the ground.

In addition to the system flexibility, MAILA impresses all round with its sophisticated features and technologies that noticeably simplify the life of every sound engineer.
SmartLink+®, for example, enables wireless connection (power + signal) as well as automatic detection of the individual modules via robust aluminium rails, while the invisible LogoLink® antennas offer wireless connection with ranges of up to 30 metres under practical conditions.

MAILA app

Using the free MAILA App (iPad OS), each MAILA system can also be configured quickly, easily and in detail – including the calculation of SAT angles and wireless system updates.

With the patented EasySplay® mechanism, MAILA takes user-friendliness in the line array sector to a whole new level.
This mechanism allows users to adjust the tilt of each satellite almost infinitely between 0° and 8°. The angle can be adjusted with just one hand via a rotary handle, even under load.

In this way, every MAILA system offers an innovative and flexible concept for adapting the sound coverage to any sound reinforcement situation at any time. The result is a large, scalable sound for almost any application.

The MAILA system is built around four basic elements

Le MAILA SAT comporte cinq tweeters à dôme de 1” montés sur un support assurant le couplage avec un HP de 6.5”placé derrière.

MAILA SAT

The MAILA SAT satellite speaker – which comes in a unibody aluminium enclosure – is a genuine line array element and houses five 1” tweeters in front of a 6.5” midrange driver, arranged in coaxial design based on Advanced WaveAhead® technology.

Via the SonicGuide® (two combined waveguides), the speakers in the MAILA SAT are brought together with virtually no interference. The result is a classic line array dispersion pattern with impressive throw and energy density. On the rear side of the housing of each MAILA SAT is the rotating handle for the EasySplay® mechanism.

MAILA COL avec ses quatre woofers actifs de 6,5” et un amplificateur DSP à 4 canaux d’une puissance totale de 2,5 kW pour alimenter la colonne elle-même et les satellites MAILA SAT.

MAILA COL

The MAILA COL full-range column module, with its four 6.5” active woofers, doesn’t just provide an extended low-mid range – it also includes a 4-channel DSP amplifier with 2.5 kW of total power, which drives both the column itself and the MAILA SAT satellites.

In this way, MAILA sets with a column module can be used as a ground stack variant or as a flown array consisting of MAILA COL and up to eight MAILA SAT units per side particularly useful for festivals and fixed installations.

On the ground, the use of MAILA COL provides a further advantage: the interposed column module allows ground stack sound reinforcement to be implemented that is significantly higher (up to 3.2 metres) than conventional systems and, with its greater throw, enables uniform sound coverage even in the far field.

MAILA SPA

MAILA SPA is the only MAILA module without integrated loudspeakers – and yet it is an integral part of the MAILA concept. MAILA SPA is an amplifier module in an elegant unibody aluminium design.
It features an integrated 1.25 kW power amplifier with SysCore® DSP for driving up to eight MAILA SAT satellites.

MAILA SPA, un module ampli et DSP de 1,25 kW.

Via the SmartLink+® system, the satellites can be easily plugged in and wirelessly supplied with audio and power. In addition, the SmartLink+® technology allows independent determination of the installed satellites for optional automatic or manual DSP processing.

As with the MAILA COL column module, MAILA SPA allows users to implement ground stack configurations with a spacer rod (included in the MAILA S set), as well as flown systems with the EasyMount+® mounting adapter.

Une vue indiscrète du pack ampli et du montage passe-bande avec les deux 15” Lavoce embarqués dans MAILA SUB.

MAILA SUB

MAILA SUB forms the basis of every MAILA system. This 2.5 kW double 15” high-performance subwoofer is a bandpass design and delivers a massive and powerful bass foundation in any application with its SysCore® DSP.

The acoustic concept of the MAILA SUB is based on a planar wave bandpass design with quarter wave horn and symmetrical driver design.
Due to the opposing arrangement of the two 15” loudspeakers, the MAILA SUB allows for exceptional impulse compensation, resulting in powerful and precise low frequency output.

MAILA – The sets

LD Systems offers MAILA in five sets, each with customised basic configurations and accessories: While the smallest MAILA system (in the SMALL configuration) already delivers an extremely powerful, active full-range stereo system with 7.5 kW of total power, the large, flown MAILA XL and MAILA XXL systems will easily cover clubs, large conferences or halls, as well as medium-sized festivals. Some jobs require a big line array. For everything else, there’s MAILA.

MAILA S

MAILA M

MAILA L

MAILA XL

MAILA XXL

Baptiste Languille

Baptiste Languille, Senior Global Brand Marketing Manager LD Systems: “Let’s face it: until now, no one in the professional rental market had LD Systems on their radar.

Now, MAILA is here, offering a flexibility and ease of use that has never been seen before. I am absolutely convinced that MAILA will establish itself worldwide as the ideal complement to large, bulky line array systems.”

Viktor Wiesner

Viktor Wiesner, Senior Product Manager, Pro Audio: “Finally, the cat is out of the bag! MAILA is starting to make history. MAILA is a system that you have to see, hear and touch to realise the full added value.
That’s why we cordially invite anyone and everyone who is interested to come to us in Neu-Anspach for a detailed demo, to see for themselves, and to meet the LD Systems development team.”

More information on the LD Systems website

Multiple award-winning lighting designer Ed Warren called on a range of GLP’s products when it came to lighting Idles’ tour – despite the fact that this Bristol-based noise-rock band have historically kept their stage lighting to a minimum.

Warren has worked with the band since their first album, Brutalism, back in 2017, through to a landmark gig at Ally Pally and the Glastonbury live stream last summer. “Previously they only brought me in for the bigger shows as they wanted to stay true to their DIY roots,” he explains. “But now they recognise that lighting makes a big difference and are stepping up their game with every album.”

This time around they again played a number of O2 Academy-sized venues, moving to multiple nights at the larger capacity Brixton Academy, Victoria Warehouse Manchester and Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, where the basic house rig/floor package combination made way for a full production show, involving 20 GLP JDC Line 500, 28 X4 Bar 20s and 18 JDC1 hybrid strobes on the floor.

GLP impression-x4-bar-20

GLP JDC Line 500

GLP JDC1

“I have used GLP since the initial Impressions as they make great lights; this time I wanted to give the JDC Lines a whizz,” continues Warren. He contacted rental company LCR, and it supplied full inventory and support.

Explaining his design rationale, Warren says: “When a band is playing various-sized rooms, I look at the venues we are going into and produce a rig that will work everywhere. By working from the ground up it gives the tour manager and production manager less of a headache.”

The last tour was largely tungsten-based, but the latest album, Crawler, with its sparser sound, required an augmented approach: “I wanted to complement that with something low-key but powerful such as a big strip of lights behind the band to provide colour and replace the video wall from the last tour. That just wouldn’t have worked practically this time.”

Enter the JDC Lines, set on a crossbar at the rear of the band, while the remainder of the trusses are on Kinesys-automated motion control.
The GLP X4 Bar 20 battens are fixed to a trapezium-shaped truss, while the 16 JDC1 strobes carry out a basic function on the floor.
Additionally eight X4 Bars were placed horizontally and used as side light.

“I didn’t want to over complicate things, so I programmed the floor JDCs in normal mode,” Warren explains, “whereas the X4 Bar 20s and JDC lines were set in full pixel mode. They were pixel mapped as there’s some jazzier stuff going on such as a full rainbow chase.”

However, the tour was not without a hitch, as Ed Warren explained. “I was meant to be at Brixton for production rehearsals and the first four shows, but I tested positive for Covid-19 a few days before. As a result I programmed the whole show at home and sent the file to [board operator] David McIntyre.

It was a squeeze to programme 32 songs in three days, but everything turned out okay. As I’m a ChamSys user, Dave agreed to use an MQ500 on tour, otherwise he would have needed to re-programme on site. Everything was fantastic: the GLP fixtures, were bright, colourful, uncomplicated, perform well and are rock solid. The band and management were delighted.”

In closing, he gives full credit to LCR. “Ryan and Steve Bliss have been brilliant, with lots of suggestions on the best way to rig, and were very hands on. It’s the first time I’ve used LCR and I’m extremely happy.”

More on the GLP website

Slovenians got revved up for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest with their own selection event which was organised by Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTV SLO) and staged at their main studios in capital city Ljubljana over three weekends, featuring two semi-finals and a final, all broadcast live on National TV.

Lighting designer Crt Birsa utilized 66 x Robe moving lights including 13 of the new high-powered Fortes, to ensure the challenge of lighting his seventh ESC selection offered plenty of vibrance and flair. He was tasked with creating 24 unique and stunning environments in which the contestants could perform their entries, for which he collaborated closely with set / scenic designer Greta Godnic, video content creator Den Baruca and director Nejc Levstik.

Crt was using Fortes for the first time. These were supplied – together with all the supplemental show lighting which also included 53 other Robe fixtures – by leading Slovenian rental specialist, Event Lighting. Crt’s design also took advantage of lights in the TV studio’s house rig. He had been wanting to use Fortes for a while, and this presented “a perfect opportunity” as they were also a new purchase for Event Lighting.

The director’s brief included wanting to see a lot of contrast between the different artists, so Greta hit on the genius idea of having two totally different setups – offset by 90 degrees to one another – on the same stage, allowing performers and cameras to simply turn around to present a dramatically different ‘stage’ and visual picture in the background.

The first look had a large upstage LED screen that set the visual aesthetic, with all the light sources present but hidden from view, which contrasted sharply with architecture on the other scene that was more defined by lighting beams and looks, again with the physical hardware largely concealed, but the sources and effects extremely present.

The Fortes were positioned on the floor, filling the background area of both spaces and blasting powerful beams and gobo looks in from upstage. As the only lights deployed on the floor, they also had a very strategic role, hidden behind the horizon of the 1.8-meter-high stage piercing all the camera shots with their fabulous fat beams.

“I loved the beams, the intensity, the colours as well as the general smoothness, and they worked very reliably and accurately through all the broadcasts,” he elucidated, adding that he also appreciated the refined colour mixing – both the CMY system and the colour wheels – and he enjoyed the new contemporary gobo selection. “For live events I think they are a brilliant moving light,” he confirmed.

Also on the rig were 19 x Robe MegaPointes and 15 x Pointes which are solid favourites of Crt and ‘must haves’ on his lighting plots. The Pointes were positioned on three vertical sections that provided side lighting on one stage view and strong bursts as a central vertical for the second one. Nineteen MegaPointes were rigged and hidden above the LED screen on three slightly asymmetrical trusses.

Two Robe BMFLs were used for the key lights on each stage view and 11 x ParFects were used for lighting the lower sections of set. Crt also used six Robe Square 5×5 matrix moving LED wash fixtures as specials, which were flown and hidden upstage behind the scenic, providing a surprise factor. “In the right context these are really great looking lights,” he commented.
Crt, Greta and the creative team started work on the project in November. Their workflow included visualising the set, lighting and video in wysiwyg allowing all to properly see the juxtaposition and synergies of the different elements as they received music from the different artists and decided on the base looks for each piece.

On site, lighting was programmed by Crt, a complex task due to the asymmetric design and the shared and individual lighting aspects for the two different set-ups.
Each contestant’s song was timecoded for precision and the camera shots and vision mixing were pre-programmed using CuePilot, so they arrived on set well-prepared enabling the time to be used efficiently.
For the first time this year the key lighting was under the creative team’s direct control rather than the studio’s, and this was operated by Klemen Krajnc working alongside Crt … both using their own consoles.

The results looked spectacular, with Crt proving that a well-executed minimalist approach to lighting with well-chosen fixtures coupled with the innovative set and visual design produces the diverse and vibrant looks that everyone wanted. “Shows like this can easily slip into being formulaic, so we needed to ensure that it was a totally stand out production,” concluded Crt.
Slovenia’s winning entry was “Disko” by LPS who will represent the country in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest Finale in Turin, Italy in May.

For more info, you can visit www.robe.cz

Gala evening at the Cadre Noir de Saumur © B. Lemaire – Cadre noir IFCE.

The Cadre Noir de Saumur IFCE (Institut Français du Cheval et de l’Equitation) recently took possession of a large number of Zep2 LED luminaires and Robert Juliat followspots as part of the renovation of the stage lighting of the Grand Manège.

A true institution of international renown, the Cadre Noir is one of the four top riding schools in the world and as such, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Heir to an illustrious military history and based on an ancestral equestrian culture, it perpetuates its mission of training and showcasing the French Equitation tradition for almost two centuries.

This prestigious venue will open its 2022 season beneath Robert Juliat’s LED luminaires. One hundred and twenty Zep2 360LF2 Fresnel lanterns, six Zep2 660SX2 profiles and two Super Korrigan followspots have just been installed in the Grand Manège by Geste Scénique, Robert Juliat’s regional partner.

The Grand Manège du Cadre Noir de Saumur IFCE © Geste Scénique, Christian Desaivres.

Gala evening at the Cadre Noir de Saumur © B. Lemaire – Cadre noir IFCE.

“The collaboration with the Geste Scénique teams has proved very efficient,” comments Benoît Lemaire, Cadre Noir’s Sound and Lighting Manager. “We now have top quality stage lighting that allows us to illuminate the different formats of gala presented in the Grand Manège, and also on tour.
Thanks to this new installation, we will also be able to design creative lighting for the ‘matinales’, a special format show for visitors based on the intricate disciplines of the Institute’s horsemanship.”

“The 120 Fresnel Zep2 360LF2 fixtures are distributed over three bridges and the structure of the Grand Manège,” Benoît Lemaire says.

Robert-Juliat ZEP 360LF

“The central bridge forms an artery alternating warm white and variable white Fresnels. This allows us to create paths of light in which the riders and their mounts move with elegance.

I was a little concerned about the strength of the light output at the beginning of the project, but I’m now convinced that we made the right choice, especially considering the power and the beautiful homogeneity of the lights on the track.”

Robert-Juliat Super-Korrigan

The two Super Korrigan followspots were chosen to enhance the venue’s needs and complement the two Super Korrigan units that have already been in service for many years.

“We are delighted to support the French excellence promoted by the Cadre Noir, by having our lighting products, designed and manufactured in our factory in France, associated with such an emblematic venue,” concludes François Juliat, General Manager of Robert Juliat.

For more information on Robert Juliat’s range of lighting solutions, visit www.robertjuliat.com

Rapidly recognised as one of Japanese capital’s leading theatre venues, the Tokyo Garden Theatre is located in the city’s waterfront area within a major new development that also includes a retail mall, hotel, spa facility and housing complex.

In a country where most theatres and halls operate on weekends only, the Tokyo Garden Theatre is designed to stage events every day of the week, where shows can load in out quickly, with easy access to a versatile, world-class, and permanently installed sound system.

Left to right : Mr. Katsushi Kamuki, Operation Group at the Theater Operation Department, Mr. Hiroyuki Honda, General manager of the Theater Operation Department at Sumitomo Fudosan Retail Management Co., Ltd. and Mr. Yasuto Terada, sound manager.

“At my previous job, I was in charge of establishing Sendai PIT, a small live club in the city of Sendai” explains Katsushi Kamuki from the theatre’s Operation Department.
“We used NEXO speakers there, and I felt that their bold and powerful sound would be well-suited for the sound at Tokyo Garden Theatre. So, I took everyone involved in making the decision to Sendai PIT for a test listen before deciding to use NEXO.”

Two hangs of NEXO STM M28 and B112 are rigged either side of the stage as the main speakers, with adjacent hangs of GEO M10 and MSUB15 subs as outfills. STM S118 subwoofers are located under the stage and PS15-R2s are used as frontfills.

The stage right hang of 18 STM M28 topped by 4 B112 with a hang of GEO M10 and MSUB15 sub as outfills.

Small clusters of STM M28s are installed on the ceiling as delays, and NEXO’s compact and powerful ID24s are used to extend coverage under balconies.

The FOH Rivage PM7.

Amplification and processing come from a bank of NEXO’s 4-channel, networkable NXAMP4X4MK2 powered controllers, and Yamaha RIVAGE PM7 digital consoles are used for FOH and monitor mixing.

Commenting on behalf of the Theatre Operation Department at Sumitomo Fudosan Retail Management Co., General Manager Mr. Hiroyuki Honda says “On weekdays, we aim to be like a large live music club that you can just pop into when the mood strikes you and, on weekends, a hall that major artists can include in their arena tours.
We wanted to cut down on set-up time by preparing permanent equipment that performers can use as much as possible. Performers use our permanent speakers even more than we expected. I believe that this percentage will increase even more in the future.”

The engine room of the Tokyo Garden Theatre, we are still looking for an apparent wire!.

Despite a capacity of 8,000 seats, the venue is relatively intimate, with a maximum viewing distance of just 54 metres. “Performers have praised the closeness to audience seating, saying that it’s easy to feel the energy from the audience” continues Mr Kamuki.
“On the stage, it feels as if the audience surrounds you. One artist who came to see the hall before their performance said, ‘This is amazing!’ when they stood on stage.”

More information on the NEXO website

Zonda 9 Wash

Zonda 9 FX

Ayrton is very proud to launch Zonda 9 Wash and Zonda 9 FX, the first luminaires in a new family of products devised for stage lighting. Equipped with a high-performance 40W LED source with RGB+W additive colour synthesis, these new products fit into Ayrton’s Multi Sources 9 Series category.

AYRTON – Zonda 9 – Presentation from Ayrton on Vimeo.

Zonda 9 Wash

The beam of the Zonda 9 Wash.

Zonda 9 Wash is a radical luminaire intended for stage lighting in the true sense. Ayrton has developed a silent ventilation mode specially for this fixture to accommodate the quieter environment often required by stage lighting.

Zonda Wash’s inter-lens areas are typically black.

The careful colour mixing of the sources allows for perfect colour reproduction, and each concentric circle can be controlled independently to adjust the size of the emitting surface and the luminaire’s power. A complete library of pre-programmed colours – created in collaboration with lighting designers – is instantly accessible.

Zonda 9 FX

Zonda 9 FX is a versatile fully-equipped luminaire designed for a multitude of applications. It borrows from the main features of the Wash version and offers infinite continuous rotation on the pan and tilt axes (I.R.S.™). Individual control of each LED allows you to achieve 3D volumetric effects.

The Zonda 9 FX animated in pixel mapping.

Zonda 9 FX can produce a high-definition liquid effect from between its main lenses to create complex graphic effects, known as LiquidEffect™. This effect can be used alone or in combination with the main LED matrix.

Zonda 9 Wash and Zonda 9 FX share the same proprietary optical system which consists of a wide, 384mm diameter, dial of 37 lenses in PMMA, combined with 37 glass light guides with an output surface made of an optical micro-structure.

The translucent inter-lens veining is illuminated by a network of 588 video LEDs.

This LED/optical system combination can produce powerful light output of 25,000 lumens and a perfectly homogeneous mixture of pastel and saturated colours, regardless of the colour mix chosen, with a CRI of <86.

The perfectly crisp separation between the light sources helps to reinforce the level of contrast. Endowed with a 50mm truncated transmitting lens with an optical surface equivalent to that of a 70mm round lens, Zonda 9 Wash and Zonda 9 FX can obtain a highly intensive beam with a zoom ratio of 14:1 and a wide zoom range of 4° to 56°.

A new optimised cooling system, simplified lens guidance systems, and ever smarter design of the internal structure have made it possible to reduce the size and weight of these luminaires considerably, in keeping with Ayrton’s Slim-21 programme which miniaturises and reduces the weight of its fixtures.

Zonda 9 Wash and Zonda 9 FX are true marvels of technology geared for creativity.

Zonda 9 Wash and Zonda 9 FX will make their tradeshow debut at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt (26-29 April 2022) on the Ayrton stand in Hall 12 Stand D74-D75.

For full technical specifications and to view the new Zonda 9 Wash and Zonda 9 FX videos, visit www.ayrton.eu