January / February 2015 R38.00
AV SyStem IntegrAtIon | InStAllAtIonS | lIVe eVentS | StudIo Pro AudIo
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Cover Story
Ear Monitor Evolution OneProfessional Active speakers
Wirelessin ear monitor
DVA M2M 2-Way Active Line Array System
Frequency Response: (- 6dB): 78 - 19 000 Hz
(- 10dB): 60 - 20 000 Hz
Max SPL: 126dB per unit
HF Driver: 2 x 1” Driver
LF Driver: 2 x 6.5” Driver
HF Amp: 200 W RMS (100W + 100W)
LF Amp: 200 W RMS (100W + 100W)
Weight: 7.6Kg
Dimensions mm: 460(W) x 190(H) x 345(D)
Full of Technology
Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) LtdUnit 2, 2 Drakensburg Road
Longmeadow Business Estate West, West� eldPO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa
Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 [email protected], www.hybrid.co.za
viva afrikaAll you need from one system
THE FUTURE OF LINE ARRAY IS ACTIVE...
Ear Monitor Ear Monitor
EME one Transmitter
Band of frequency: VHF 170 - 230 MHz
divided into 3 bands of 10 MHz
Modulation: FM with Digital Code subcarriers
RF Power: 20 mW
RF architecture: Microprocessor controlled PLL
Audio Inputs: 2 X MIC/LINE inputs with built in 2 ch.
audio mixer
Channels: 8 channels for each band
intermodulation free calculated
Power supply: universal plug 100 to 250 VAC
to 12V - 200mA DC
Antenna: loaded fi xed stylus
EME one Receiver
Band of frequency: VHF 170 – 230 MHz divided into 3 bands of 10 MHz
Sensitivity: -90 dBm for 85 dB S/N weighted “A”
Supply: 9V battery 6LR61
Autonomy: 6 – 7 hours with medium volume regulation alkaline battery
Channels: 8 channels for each band intermodulation free calculated
Audio Inputs: 6.3 mm jack for monitoring electric guitars
Audio Outputs: 3 mm jack for 12 ohms In Ear Headphone
S/N “A” weighted: 104 dB
Antenna: loaded fi xed stylus
Headphones: Fire One 12 Ohm custom headphone
by beyerdynamic with foam ear tips
Viva Afrika – DB technologies
Ear Monitor Evolution OneProfessional Active speakers
Wirelessin ear monitor
DVA M2M 2-Way Active Line Array System
Frequency Response: (- 6dB): 78 - 19 000 Hz
(- 10dB): 60 - 20 000 Hz
Max SPL: 126dB per unit
HF Driver: 2 x 1” Driver
LF Driver: 2 x 6.5” Driver
HF Amp: 200 W RMS (100W + 100W)
LF Amp: 200 W RMS (100W + 100W)
Weight: 7.6Kg
Dimensions mm: 460(W) x 190(H) x 345(D)
Full of Technology
Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) LtdUnit 2, 2 Drakensburg Road
Longmeadow Business Estate West, West� eldPO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa
Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 [email protected], www.hybrid.co.za
viva afrikaAll you need from one system
THE FUTURE OF LINE ARRAY IS ACTIVE...
Ear Monitor Ear Monitor
EME one Transmitter
Band of frequency: VHF 170 - 230 MHz
divided into 3 bands of 10 MHz
Modulation: FM with Digital Code subcarriers
RF Power: 20 mW
RF architecture: Microprocessor controlled PLL
Audio Inputs: 2 X MIC/LINE inputs with built in 2 ch.
audio mixer
Channels: 8 channels for each band
intermodulation free calculated
Power supply: universal plug 100 to 250 VAC
to 12V - 200mA DC
Antenna: loaded fi xed stylus
EME one Receiver
Band of frequency: VHF 170 – 230 MHz divided into 3 bands of 10 MHz
Sensitivity: -90 dBm for 85 dB S/N weighted “A”
Supply: 9V battery 6LR61
Autonomy: 6 – 7 hours with medium volume regulation alkaline battery
Channels: 8 channels for each band intermodulation free calculated
Audio Inputs: 6.3 mm jack for monitoring electric guitars
Audio Outputs: 3 mm jack for 12 ohms In Ear Headphone
S/N “A” weighted: 104 dB
Antenna: loaded fi xed stylus
Headphones: Fire One 12 Ohm custom headphone
by beyerdynamic with foam ear tips
As we usher in the new year
there seems to have been quite
a few developments within the
industry again. Hot off the press
is the news of Christie acquiring
Cologne-based media systems company,
coolux. Adam Professional Audio has
changed ownership and the TC Group (most
commonly known for their Tannoy, Lab.
gruppen and Lake brands) is set to be sold this
year. This follows a recent wave of other
acquisitions in the industry.
We too have some announcements to
make here at Pro-Systems News. We are
delighted to announce that Joanne Taylor has
been promoted to Deputy Editor. We also
welcome our new journalist Thuli Mlambo into
the fold.
I trust you all had a fabulous festive season
and you are ready to hit the ground running.
Claire Badenhorst
A very happy new year to all of
our readers and advertisers!
May it give you everything that
you put into it, and more.
I’d like to introduce myself as
the new Deputy Editor of Pro-Systems
magazine. With the guidance of Claire, the
Managing Editor, I will endeavour to bring you
quality content and relevant industry
information to help you and your business stay
informed within this exciting industry. Keep
reading our weekly newsletter for hot-off-the-
press news and keep those stories flowing into
our inbox!
Also keeping you abreast in the industry are
the not-to-be-missed industry events taking
place this year, which include our local
Mediatech Africa in July, ISE 2015, Prolight +
Sound, PLASA London and InfoComm. Best to
make booking and travel arrangements early
on to ensure you don’t miss out this year.
A brand new year brings with it boundless
opportunities to nurture the industry and make
it an even greater success. Work smarter to
expand your limitations and reach your goals.
Remember, ‘you are confined only by the
walls you build yourself’.Joanne taylor
Managing Editor
dEputy Editor
ContEntS
thuli Mlambo | Thuli is a sound engineer by profession and has experience as a roadie with Gearhouse through SARA. She’s been involved in the TV production, events and music industries and has toured internationally with the likes of Phil Collins and Zucchero while living in Europe, where she learnt the ropes of the Industry. Live entertainment, music and the arts are her passions. Thuli’s publication experience includes working as an intern for UK film magazine Bfm (Black Filmmaker magazine) – as an assistant to the editor.
neWs Christie acquires coolux .............................3
Avid relists on NASDAQ .............................3
TC Group up for sale ..................................3
Sharp strengthening efforts in
South Africa .................................................4
AVnu Alliance shows support
for industrial market ....................................4
NEXO appoints Jean Mullor
as their new CEO ........................................6
SACIA and TPSA finalise merge .................6
New owners for
Adam Professional Audio ...........................6
Shure remains choice
in mics for Idols SA .....................................8
Matrix Sound acquires distribution
rights for Galaxy Audio ...............................8
Mario De Sisti passes away ........................8
integrAtion & instAllAtion A guide to house of
worship lighting design .............................10
In the spirit of collaboration .....................14
ISE 2015 preview ........................................20
Unravelling 4K:
Does colour trump resolution? ................22
Acer increases AV focus in SA .................24
SA’s AV industry should suit up and
embrace global standards ......................26
A brand new audio visual
distributor is born .......................................28
Prosound expertise called upon
to install complex sound system
in Philippines Arena...................................30
Musion Africa – Mardi Gras Theatre,
Carnival City ..............................................34
2014 product highlights ............................38
liVe eVents ‘KG’ Moima ...............................................44
Robe BMFL – Choose your
own acronym ............................................48
EAW Anya – The new girl comes
to town… ...................................................52
Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2015
show sees huge exhibitor increase .........56
Mieliepop Festival .....................................58
GETshow2015 .............................................62
stuDio Pro AuDio DAW Controller round-up .........................64
soCiAl Martin Audio MLA Demo ........................68
Enco Workshop .........................................68
Meet.Inc Launch ......................................68
TID Roadtrip ...............................................68
David Davies | A journalist who has been covering professional AV and broadcast technology for 14 years. He is reelance managing editor of Sports Video Group (SVG) Europe and continues to contribute to a host of trade publications, including PSNEurope, PSNLive and Installation. He has also been a part of the team for The AES Daily, The IBC Daily and, since 2005, The ISE Daily, for which he served as an executive editor in 2013 and 2014. In addition, he is active as a copywriter and sub-editor.
Jimmy Den-ouden | An entertainment technician based in Sydney, Australia. His qualifications and experience span a broad range of subjects and technologies. He writes and reviews equipment most of the week, and works freelance on various shows and installations on a weekly basis. Jimmy can be seen on most GEARBOX video reviews, available on You Tube.
ContributorS
2
In thIS ISSue
Publisher| Simon Robinson | [email protected] Managing editor | Claire Badenhorst | [email protected] dePuty editor | Joanne Taylor | [email protected] in-house Journalist | Thuli Mlambo | [email protected] sub-editor | Tina Heron advertising sales | Claire Badenhorst | [email protected]
design | Trevor Ou Tim | [email protected] subscriPtions | Albertina Tserere | [email protected] accounts | Natasha Glavovic | [email protected]
Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd | Tel: +27 11 025-3180 | Epsom Downs Office Park, 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg | PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086, South Africa
www. pro-systems.co.zaPublishers & Projects
3
Christie has acquired Cologne-
based coolux, a world-renowned developer
and supplier of 3D compositing and
rendering systems, best known for its
Pandoras Box product family. Coolux will be
integrated into Christie’s Global Market
Solutions team, maintaining its office in
Cologne, Germany.
Jennifer Smith, executive vice president,
Global Market Solutions, said “Christie is
committed to deepen its marketplace lead
in supplying a total solution for advanced
applications such as projection mapping,
broadcast delivery and all manner of
large-scale digital canvas creation, so the fit
between our products and services and
those of coolux is a natural one.”
Continuing, Smith said “Pre-visualisation
capability when creating stunning,
experiential events – including real-time
rendering of same – is increasingly important
in the creative plans of entertainment
designer and creative visionaries. The
acquisition is a boon to those who need
multiple display technologies to come
together to create both continuous and
non-continuous digital canvases, but most
importantly, to be able to create and
manage the content that flows onto these
canvases,” added Smith.
Coolux CEO Jan Huewel, who will report
to Smith in his new position of senior director,
Processing Solutions, commented that in a
world where visual and audio experiences
are assuming new importance in inspiring
and moving audiences, content
orchestration and synchronised content
delivery is paramount and with today’s news,
Christie, with its already impressive presence
in this arena, has gained another leading-
edge product line and development team
to ensure it keeps its lead.
Coolux has become a welcome feature
at various industry shows, including ISE, NAB,
LDI and InfoComm, and this presence will
continue in the Christie experiential
marketing booths at these shows, beginning
with the NAB 2015 show in Las Vegas,
Nevada, in April.
TC Group, a designer and manufacturer of
innovative sound products, is expecting to
be sold in its entirety this year. Pro Systems
News spoke to CEO Anders Fauerskov and
he says the decision is partly based on some
main shareholders wanting out and partly a
strategic review showing that its future
growth opportunities would be significantly
improved under a different, and financially
stronger ownership.
“The profiling of ‘TC Group’ and the
bringing together of the individual brands
under that umbrella is unrelated to the sale
of the company shares,” he says, adding that
initial feedback from potential buyers had
been strong.
“TC Group has shown strong and
profitable growth for many years now. The
main assets having made that happen is
firstly the people in the company, secondly
the brands. So, whereas a new owner is
entitled to do what they want, I strongly
believe that they’d be wise to maintain and
build on those assets.”
newS
Christie acquires coolux TC Group up for sale
Anders Fauerskov
Jennifer smith, executive vice president, global Market solutions, Christie
Avid announced that it has received
approval to re list its common stock on The
NASDAQ Stock Market; this was effective with
the open of trading on 8 December 2014.
The company will continue to trade under
the symbol AVID. The company was de-listed
from the stock exchange in February 2014
following an accounting restatement.
Avid’s accounting issue caused a
restatement about how Avid accounts for
improvements to their software over time.
They had to go back eight years and cover
literally every single release for every single
customer during that period, which is why it
has taken so long.
This entire process saw Avid shares move to
the OTC markets while the issue was resolved.
Following this, the shares have now moved
back to the Nasdaq.
Avid believes this milestone will offer
current and future Avid shareholders an
exciting opportunity to share in the success
of Avid’s business through improved access
to their common stock.
Avid relists on NASDAQ
4
newS
ww
w.b
-eye
.itA REVOLUTIONARY, AWARD-WINNING RANGE OF SOPHISTICATED LED WASH-LIGHTS, THAT FIT ALL NEEDS.
All models feature: incomparable color and white light control, with light evenly diffused on the front lens and no visible gaps between LEDs. Zoom ranging from an impressive minimum of 4° (which turns the lu-minaire into a beam-light) up to 60°.
B-EYE K10, B-EYE K20 and K10 “Easy” generate, thru individual LED control, active eye-candy chromatic patterns and a striking array of inde-pendent micro-beams, that can be used for digital gobo design (virtual gobos) and aerial effect morphing.
The full versions of B-EYE K10 and B-EYE K20 produce the revolution-ary “vortex” and its unique kalei-doscopic projections, for countless fantastic atmospheric effects that may be controlled in shape, color and speed.
TM
TRIPLE CROWN!
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA:DWR DISTRIBUTIONIt’s all about the People
Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laser Park, Honeydew, 2170, JohannesburgTel: +27117935066 | Fax:+27117925076 | [email protected] | www.dwrdistribution.co.za
K10 CC K10 Easy K20 K10
ProSystem_A4.indd 1 24/03/14 16:29
Sharp Middle East, a subsidiary of Sharp
Corporation, the 102-year old global
electronics company, recently announced
its plans to ramp up efforts in South Africa, as
part of its regional strategy to continue
supplying innovative products to serve a
dynamic global marketplace. Speaking at a
press event in Cape Town, Hiroshi Kataoka,
executive officer of Sharp Corporation and
Osamu Narita, general manager of Sharp
South Africa, outlined the company’s plans
to aim to expand its business in South Africa.
The focus on South Africa as a key market
for growth comes on the back of continued
growth for the organisation, which has been
responsible for some of the leading
technologies applied in daily life around the
world. From the world’s first handheld
calculator through to the most advanced
LCD technology, Sharp Corporation has
continued to supply global markets with
innovative solutions.
Speaking at the media conference,
Kataoka and Narita said the company plans
to redefine the way the company is doing
business in South Africa, including a strong
focus on taking local insights through to the
product development process in Japan.
“Sharp is going to focus the business in the
new markets which has tremendous growth
potential. South Africa is one of our focused
regions. We will bring the cutting-edge
technologies and products from Japan to
the South African market,” explains Kataoka.
The future for Sharp in South Africa will be
spearheaded from their office in
Johannesburg, led by Narita and serviced
by a team comprising of both local
knowledge and global expertise. “South
Africa is a unique marketplace which can no
longer be considered as an emerging
market,” says Narita. “The growth potential
here as well as the higher-than-continental-
average in terms of literacy, economic
maturity and service sector population
mean that we cannot consider South Africa
with the same strategy as we would the rest
of the continent. South Africa requires a
different business approach that befits a
country that is blooming as an emerging
AVnu Alliance has announced a new
industrial market segment as standard
Ethernet continues to expand its range,
functionality and applications with the
evolution of the Audio Video Bridging (AVB)
standard into Time Sensitive Networking
(TSN). The new capabilities of TSN provide the
industrial community with the ability to use
standard Ethernet to support highly reliable
and precise synchronised networking
appropriate for industrial control.
With the expansion into the industrial
control market, three new members have
joined; Belden, General Electric, and
National Instruments. These companies are
driving forces in the recent expansion,
working within AVnu Alliance to develop the
foundational elements needed for industrial
applications, based on the common
elements of AVB/TSN. The industrial segment
is also supported by existing AVnu Alliance
members such as Broadcom, Cisco, Intel,
Interval Zero, Marvell, Micrel, Vitesse, Xilinx
and XMOS.
TSN technology shows promise to be the
core technology for high-end industrial
Ethernet communications in the future,
solving challenges faced in demanding,
high-performance and high-precision
industries, like motion control, robotics and
high-speed manufacturing. TSN promises
through standard silicon to converge the
previously disparate technologies needed
for standard Ethernet communication, for
deterministic high speed data transfer, and
for high accuracy time synchronisation.
Standard Ethernet is evolving to enable
next generation control systems. This will
allow convergence of low latency control
traffic and standard Ethernet traffic on the
same network for demanding applications
like multi-axis motion control, providing a
foundation for more advanced
manufacturing and production models
where data can be shared more flexibly
between layers of the control system and
where Internet of Things (IoT) technology
can be applied into production
environments. The new capabilities of these
open standards enable high-speed closed
loop control networks to support any
Ethernet device using standard IT
components, and creates the needed
foundation for IoT integration with industrial
production.
The industrial market, which parallels
work that AVnu Alliance members have
been doing in the Automotive segment, is a
$150-billion a year market space and
creates a pathway to the future of IoT.
market but as sophisticated as a developed
market.”
Initially, the office will focus on developing
a burgeoning business-to-business market
and audio visual integration before
expanding to include consumer and
government markets. “Sharp is one of the
only office automation companies that can
provide a total office solution to the
customer, from printers through to AV display
units for boardrooms,” explains Narita.
“Therefore, it makes sense for us to capitalise
this advantage initially before expanding to
include the proactive marketing and
distribution of the rest of our product portfolio.
The sophistication of the business technology
solutions market in South Africa poses a
great opportunity for us to begin our
efforts here before taking on the
direct-to-consumer market.”
Sharp strengthening efforts in South Africa
AVnu Alliance shows support for industrial market
Fumio Yamaguchi, hiroshi Kataoka and osamu narita.
ww
w.b
-eye
.it
A REVOLUTIONARY, AWARD-WINNING RANGE OF SOPHISTICATED LED WASH-LIGHTS, THAT FIT ALL NEEDS.
All models feature: incomparable color and white light control, with light evenly diffused on the front lens and no visible gaps between LEDs. Zoom ranging from an impressive minimum of 4° (which turns the lu-minaire into a beam-light) up to 60°.
B-EYE K10, B-EYE K20 and K10 “Easy” generate, thru individual LED control, active eye-candy chromatic patterns and a striking array of inde-pendent micro-beams, that can be used for digital gobo design (virtual gobos) and aerial effect morphing.
The full versions of B-EYE K10 and B-EYE K20 produce the revolution-ary “vortex” and its unique kalei-doscopic projections, for countless fantastic atmospheric effects that may be controlled in shape, color and speed.
TM
TRIPLE CROWN!
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA:DWR DISTRIBUTIONIt’s all about the People
Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laser Park, Honeydew, 2170, JohannesburgTel: +27117935066 | Fax:+27117925076 | [email protected] | www.dwrdistribution.co.za
K10 CC K10 Easy K20 K10
ProSystem_A4.indd 1 24/03/14 16:29
6
newS
Nexo commenced the new year of 2015 with
a new CEO, Jean Muller, who hails from the
French subsidiary of Yamaha Music Europe
as the MD.
Mullor spent nearly four years with
Yamaha, where he was in charge of the
domestic distribution of musical instruments,
commercial audio products, audio video
products and music schools network
development.
A lawyer by training Mullor brings with him
wealth of knowledge and management
experience. Over the years he has moved
from petrochemical company Mobil in
America to joining the French subsidiary of
Yamaha in 1992 and augmented his legal
prowess, gaining experience in HR, logistics,
finance, sales and marketing.
In a statement about his new appointment
Mullor said “These are exciting times for Nexo
and it’s an outstanding experience to join a
company that has three decades of
technical experience and industry-leading
reputation. With its flagship technology
making inroads at the very top of the
international market, and a slate of new
products scheduled for release. I am really
looking forward to being part of the team.”
NEXO appoints Jean Mullor as their new CEO
New owners for Adam Professional Audio
Jean Mullor
In an update from the article TPSA
votes to merge with SACIA,
published in our previous issue that
informed our readers of the possible
changes to be made within TPSA
and SACIA, the two organisations
have finalised their agreement.
The two leading organisations
representing the audio visual
industry in southern Africa, namely
Southern African Communications
Industry Association (SACIA) and the
Technical Production Services Association
(TPSA) have merged so that they can present
a stronger front to clients and associates, and
a louder voice to government. “We’ve
merged in order to represent our industry
more effectively in engagements with
government and regulatory bodies – and in
order to better serve our members,” says
SACIA CEO Kevan Jones.
While SACIA members are responsible for
fixed audio visual displays such as those
often used in board rooms, shopping centres,
sports arenas and houses of worship, the
TPSA membership have been responsible for
the spectacular effects one sees at music
concerts and other similar events. Over the
last few months a task group made of
representatives from both the TPSA and
SACIA have been crafting a proposal for the
merger of the two organisations.
Both groups believe that by merging
SACIA and the TPSA there is an opportunity
to provide long-term value to members, and
Jones asserts that the value of this merger is
already manifesting itself in direct benefits
to members.
The merger provides TPSA members with
instant access to the wide range of online
training programmes available to SACIA
members, including specialist audio training
from Syn-Aud-Con and video production
training offered through Class On Demand.
“Whilst access to professional development
training is important, the real value to TPSA
members lies in our capacity to engage with
members and industry stakeholders in a
meaningful way,” explains Jones.
While there have been many people
who’ve resisted transformation up till this
point, the new regulatory framework means
that companies who fail to make a
commitment to the process of transformation
will be severely handicapped.
SACIA and TPSA finalise merge
German entrepreneurs with the CWM
holding company acquired ownership of
Adam Professional Audio on 11 December
2014. The new owners stated that their goal is
to invest in Adam Audio, bringing production
back up to normal and to invest in new
products which will strengthen the
competitiveness of Adam Audio’s already
excellent market position.
A representative of the new shareholder,
Sebastian Canzler states that: “Adam Audio is
known worldwide in the pro audio industry
for its superb speakers. Due to the high
precision and quality of the products as well
as the large technical expertise of its
employees, the company has become very
quickly a leading supplier of professional
audio monitors. All of this provides a very
good basis for further growth, which we strive
for together with the existing team.”
Sven Schmöle, managing director of
Adam Audio: “With CWM we have a partner
on our site that supports our passion for
innovation and helps us realise our full
potential. Our task now is to resume
production as soon as possible in order to
supply our customers with products again.”
8
newS
The De Sisti Organisation has issued a release
stating that its founder, Mario De Sisti, passed
away on 31 October 2014.
“The lighting industry has lost a true
pioneer, inventor, and true ambassador.
There was no one more charismatic or
passionate about his family, business or the
industry. Mario was highly dedicated and
inhaled lighting with every breath. His
enthusiasm and vigour was contagious,”
write sons Fabio and Sergio De Sisti, who are
entrusted with taking the company forward.
Mario travelled the world and considered
most of his friends as family. A man with a big
heart and high level of excitement and
dedication to the lighting industry.
The entire De Sisti Organization expresses
its immense gratitude and admiration to
Mario, for his genius contribution and
unrestful dedication to achieve the
prestigious results upon always innovative
products and solutions, for the worldwide
professional lighting industry.
“We will all miss Mario….there are not
known words to us, good enough to express
how much we will miss you,” say Fabio and
Sergio.
On behalf of Mario and the De Sisti
Organization, Fabio and Sergio express their
gratitude for your past support of the
company and future endeavours together.
Matrix Sound has announced the acquisition
of distribution rights for the Galaxy Audio
range of products. Galaxy Audio was
established thirty-five years ago and this
family run business is based in Wichita in
the USA.
Their range is extensive including speaker
systems, in-ear monitors, wireless lectern
mics, mixing consoles, stands and even
battery powered portable
speakers. This range of product
seamlessly crosses over from
pro-audio into the MI market and
provides innovation and reliability
at a brilliant price.
The first shipment has arrived and
product demos can now be
arranged with Matrix Sound..
Mario De Sisti passes away
Matrix Sound acquires distribution rights for Galaxy Audio
Mario De sisti
The winner of Idols SA
Season 10 was
announced during a
spectacular live finale
held at Carnival City
Casino and
Entertainment World on
23 November 2014. Idols
is now the longest
running reality show in
South Africa, and
Vincent Bones was voted as the winner of
Idols 10.
According to sources from DStv, all
previous Idols SA voting records were broken.
The total number of votes reached an
incredible 24.3 million compared to 7.2
million votes that were received last year.
The finale witnessed a variety of guest
appearances by popular South African
artists as well as surprise performances by
the judges.
An assortment of wired and wireless Shure
microphones were used during the show for
sound reproduction. Microphones ranging
from the legendary SM58 Vocal Microphone,
to the SM87 and Classic Shure 55SH Unidyne
have been used during the season and
contributed to the success of the production.
Shure wireless systems featured were 24
channels of ULX-D wireless microphones, as
well as 20 channels of PSM-900 personal
monitors for all the artists. RF Management
was through Shure’s Wireless Workbench.
For Marius Marais, owner of Audio Logic
and senior FOH engineer for Idols SA, Shure
has become a household name since the
show’s inception in 2002 and remains the
show’s preferred microphone of choice.
Marais says: “Shure has some iconic
models and their microphones are instantly
recognisable throughout the professional
audio industry – it is the trusted and chosen
microphone for the majority of international
artists and performances.”
Andrew Sorrill, sales and marketing
manager at Wild & Marr – the local importers
and distributors for Shure in southern Africa
adds: “We are extremely happy with the
contribution Shure has made toward the
success of the show and are proud of the
fact that Shure has been involved with Idols
SA from the beginning.”
“This success can be expected since Shure
microphones are known for their legendary
performance and are a respected brand
anywhere in the world. We would like to
congratulate Vincent and wish him much
success in his future. We also acknowledge
Bongi for being a worthy runner up in this
competition,” he continues.
As part of his prize package, Vincent
Bones received a Shure ULXD 4DE Digital
Dual wireless system, two Shure ULXD2/
Beta58 Digital handheld transmitters, a Shure
PSM9 in-ear monitoring system and Shure
SE425 earphones all wired and racked in a
Road Ready case for ease of transportation.
Shure remains choice in mics for Idols SA
Idols SA winner Vincent Bones using shure mics
www.tvaudio.co.za+27 11 805 9910
[email protected] Unit 11, Hitech Vilage Superior Road,Midrand 1686, South Africa
+27 11 805 9930
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IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon WhitE papEr
A guide to house of worship lighting design
the basics
Lighting serves several functions. First, and most obvious, is to simply
make the platform and the people on it visible. However, that levels at
which you light your platform makes a difference in how it affects
those attending the service.
“First of all, it’s important that the congregation be able to see the
preachers face,” comments Pastor Matt Reynolds, assistant pastor at
Jordantown Wesleyan Church in Vinton, VA. “In some churches the
platform is dark and the lighting is poor, so the people have a hard
time seeing the expressions on his face which can be important in
By Jim Kumorek
Whether you’re in an old cathedral, a traditional sanctuary, or a modern auditorium, how you light a church service impacts the mood and how well people will comprehend and retain what takes place. in this article, we’re going to discuss lighting for the benefit of those attending the service. lighting for broadcast (such as television, webcast, satellite campuses) has somewhat different needs, and won’t be discussed here.
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WhitE papEr IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
1111
making points.”
When lighting is too dim, people strain to see what is taking place
and can have a difficult time locating where people are speaking or
singing from on a crowded or busy stage. This cuts down the amount of
brain-power that they will put towards paying attention to the actual
service, as they are spending time locating those who are speaking. It
also is very tiring, and will cause people to start tuning out or
disconnecting from what’s taking place. Conversely, lighting that is too
bright can be painful to look at, and also causes people to disconnect
or stop watching.
Focusing attention
People’s attention naturally tends to be drawn to locations that are
brighter than others. Lighting for the platform generally should be
somewhat brighter than the general seating area so that people’s
attention is drawn to the stage and away from the squirming children a
few rows over.
Within the stage space itself, having the lights a little brighter in the
areas where the key ’action’ is taking place will draw people’s attention
to that area. If there are several people on stage who share leading
worship for different songs, transitioning the lighting during worship to
highlight the person leading worship for that song helps keep people
connected with what’s happening on stage and allows them focus
more on worshipping and less on figuring out where the person singing
is located.
A common response to this thought is “it’s a time of worship – people
don’t need to be watching the musicians.” However, if the worship
team is on a stage in front of the congregation, that in itself tells people
you expect them to be watching the worship team, and trying to locate
the ’primary’ thing going on is a natural instinct. So, you can try to
(unsuccessfully) fight that natural instinct, or you can eliminate the
distraction by guiding people’s attention through your use of lighting
levels and transitions.
Varying your lighting levels in the seating area as well as on stage can
also help the different parts of your worship service to achieve their
goals.
“Dimmed lighting during worship sets a ‘mood’ where the focus is
taken away from self and others and redirected to God where it
belongs,” adds Monica Ravenstein, worship leader at River of Life
Foursquare Church in Great Bend, KS. “It helps the congregation to shut
out the world for a bit and just spend time in His presence.”
reinforcing a mood
Another purpose of lighting is to support and enhance the mood of
what’s taking place in the room. As Ravenstein pointed out, lighting
intensity itself can make a great start at setting a mood. “I like for the
lights to be fully on at the beginning of service because people need to
see where to sit,” adds Reynolds, “they need light to read their bulletins,
and also it’s helpful in being able to see others around you and makes
visiting a little easier. Also, a more brightly lit room can increase energy
at the beginning which I think is important. As the service moves into
more of a worshipful atmosphere from a more celebratory atmosphere
earlier in the service it can be effective to slightly dim the house lights
creating a more intimate and worshipful setting. This could apply to
prayer times as well.”
The next step is to change the colour of the lighting that’s illuminating
the overall platform, and sometimes the side and rear walls and even
the seating area of the room. Colours impact one’s mood, and while
your goal isn’t to be manipulative in a negative way, colours can help
create an environment where the natural emotions that worship can
bring out are supported and reinforced. Brighter colours such as reds
and yellows help reflect energy and excitement; colours such as deep
DWr
“First of all, it’s important that the congregation be able to see the preachers face. In
some churches the platform is dark and the lighting is poor, so the people have a hard
time seeing the expressions on his face which can be important in making points.”
– Pastor Matt reynolds, assistant pastor at Jordantown Wesleyan Church in Vinton, VA
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IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon WhitE papEr
blues and dark greens reinforce introspection and peacefulness.
With LED lighting becoming more cost-effective and often more
energy efficient, the ability to change the colours used to wash your
stage and room has become easier than ever. But like any technology,
there’s also potential to create a distraction. Therefore, working with
your technical team to determine what’s appropriate for your church is
also important.
Architectural lighting
Lighting the facility is one area where significant electricity is used, and
architectural lighting systems can help you save on lighting expenses by
providing a greater level of control. These lighting systems can allow you
to have time- and motion-controlled lighting, turning off lights in a room
that’s no longer occupied. They can also be censored to ’harvest
daylight’, keeping lights off near windows but on in darker corners of a
room. Facilities built with architectural lighting control systems can be
programmed to ’sweep off’ the building at a certain time of day (11pm,
for example) to avoid lights burning throughout the church after it’s
closed for the night.
think long term
There’s one other thought I’d like to leave you with. Think about the long
term when making decisions about what lighting gear to provide. The
adage ‘you get what you pay for’ usually applies to professional lighting
equipment (not to mention video and audio). If you buy the cheapest
gear, expect to be buying it all over again in a year or two. If you buy
the better gear, it may last you a decade or two.
When it comes to more complicated equipment such as moving
lights, you also need to be thinking about maintenance. A moving light
has many small moving parts in them, and they do break. Unlike regular
theatrical fixtures, performing maintenance requires training and skill
that most church volunteers (and even staff) don’t have. Higher quality
(and more expensive) fixtures will go longer before needing repair as
they are built better to begin with.
Greg Persinger, owner of Vivid Illumination, suggests budgeting for a
lamp change based on the rated life of the lamps and your expected
usage, and then adding $100 to $150 per fixture per year to accumulate
for repairs down the road. For example, a new lamp for one moving
light costs $150, and lasts 750 hours. If you use this light for 20 hours per
week (don’t forget rehearsal time and programming time for your
team), you’ll be replacing the lamp every nine months.
This comes out to budgeting at least $300 a year on maintenance for
each of the fixture types you own. If you don’t maintain them, you’ll
likely find them useless after a few short years. If you can’t afford to
maintain them, then you really can’t afford to buy them either. A
reasonable alternative is to rent them occasionally for services or events
where they will make a significant impact, and do without the rest of
the time.
Terms and definitions
Professional lighting has a vocabulary all its own—here are some
terms that integrators should teach the church’s tech team.
• Lighting console: the device that is used to control a theatrical or
concert lighting system.
• Lighting software: software that functions as a lighting console but
runs on a computer you provide, and only requires extra hardware
to connect the computer to your lighting system. These often have
the same power and capabilities as a lighting console, but a
fraction of the cost.
• Static fixture: a lighting fixture that does not move by itself and
requires someone to physically handle it, often with tools, to
reposition it to light a different area or have a different colour.
• Moving light (or intelligent light): a lighting fixture that has motors in
it which can be controlled from a lighting console or software.
Moving lights can give you the all-out rock concert look, but can
also be used subtly to let a few moving fixtures take the place of
many regular fixtures by allowing the operator to re-aim them and
change their colour for different parts of a service.
• Dimmer: static fixtures are connected to dimmers to provide them
power; dimmers can be controlled by a lighting console or
software to set the intensity level. Dimmers come in packs that
contain typically at least four, but as many as 96, dimmers.
• Lamp: in your home, this would be called a light bulb. But in
professional lighting, it’s called a lamp. The bulb is technically just
the glass piece of the lamp. Changing the lamp in a fixture is
called re-lamping. The bulb part of a lamp should NEVER make
contact with skin, as they burn so hot, the oils left on the glass
cause the glass to shatter.
Story republished courtesy Commercial Integrator.
DWR DISTRIBUTION Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew, 2170, JohannesburgIt’s all about the people Tel: +27 11 794 5023 | Fax: + 27 11 794 5702 | [email protected] | www.dwrdistribution.co.za
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14
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon produCt round-up
In the spirit of collaboration
Wireless presentation and collaboration systems are ushering in a flexible new era in working practices across the corporate and educational worlds. reporter David Davies profiles five of the leading solutions in the company of manufacturers, distributors and integrators.
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produCt round-up IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
Christie Brio‘Simply connecting anything to everything from huddle spaces to multi-room conferences.’
Models: Team, Team+ and Enterprise
“We had a control room platform called Phoenix that we realised could be adapted to create a meeting room solution.
That was the starting point for Brio, although the electronics are now quite different from those contained in Phoenix,” says
Nick Wheeler, EMEA sales and technical consultant for video processing, Christie Digital Systems.
“What we wanted to achieve was the ability for people to walk into a meeting room, use whatever device and operating
system they wish, and then connect to and display their content on the screen. Brio allows you to display any five of the
following five input types: two DVI-D HDCP sources (Team+ and Enterprise models only), five Apple devices, five network
connected PCs, five Android devices, all over WiFi using full desktop mirroring – all this without cables or dongles.
“The fact that the system is essentially platform agnostic is a real advantage of Brio, although I would also draw attention
to the internal whiteboard feature, which allows users to load a still into the whiteboard from their device and enable
others to participate from their device via a web page. We have also had very good feedback about the annotation
feature, which enables you to annotate any source that is displayed on the main output and then save the result as a JPG
to USB.
“In addition, the Enterprise version of Brio offers multisite capability that allows the host to share content with any number
of Brio Enterprise-equipped destinations. In fact, we have been using Enterprise for just this kind of application between the
Christie offices.”
Future prospects: “We have only just started to ship Brio but are looking forward to raising awareness of the system in 2015,”
says Wheeler.
Availability: TBA
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IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon produCt round-up
Crestron AirMedia‘Complete wireless HD presentation from any mobile device and any platform.’
Model: AM-100 AirMedia Presentation Gateway
Corporate, military and educational facilities are among the key targets for Crestron AirMedia,
reports the company’s regional manager for South Africa, Rupert Denoon.
“Today you want to ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) to meetings to present, collaborate and
share content wirelessly,” says Denoon. “With Crestron AirMedia you can, and it couldn’t be
easier. Using AirMedia, you can walk into any meeting space and wirelessly present
PowerPoint, Excel and Word documents, PDFs, photos and screen shots from your personal iOS
or Android mobile device on the room display. Mac and Windows notebooks also connect
seamlessly, making presentations and collaboration from almost any device incredibly fast
and easy.
“Features that I would highlight include the Moderator Mode, in which presenters and
instructors can easily control the room and prevent ‘presentation chaos’. You just need to
select whose content to share and whose content to not share, all from the Air Media web
page or Crestron touch screen.
“Then for very large meeting spaces where the display can be difficult to see, Remote View
mode enables up to 40 participants – either at the back of the room or in other locations – to
log in from a web browser to view the presentation on their mobile devices.”
Future prospects: “We believe that we will improve the frame rate and be more efficient with
bandwidth. Wireless technology is getting better every year and we will see changes in the
way people collaborate in meeting rooms,” says Denoon.
Availability: Q2, 2013
“Wireless technology is getting better every year and we will see changes in the way people collaborate in meeting rooms.”
– rupert Denoon, regional manager for south Africa, Crestron.
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produCt round-up IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
Kramer ViA Collage / Connect Pro’VIA Collage is a wireless presentation and collaboration hub; VIA Connect PRO is a wireless collaboration hub.’
Corporate and educational facilities are chief priorities for these two wireless hub systems, explains
Jason Johnstone, Kramer product manager at the manufacturer’s South African distributor,
Electrosonic.
“The fact that these products would typically be installed on the user network makes it possible to
present wirelessly and stream video at 1080P/60Hz – without frame loss or lip sync issues – and then
collaborate while still having access to Microsoft Outlook as there is no need to switch wireless
networks,” says Johnstone.
“In particular, the Collage unit is intended to serve as an all-in-one solution that will save the
end-user money while still allowing scope for features such as VC, streaming, collaboration,
interactive whiteboard, presentation and BYOD.
“I also believe that our unit is the best that I have seen in terms of sending video wirelessly; the fact
that there is no frame loss sets ours apart from other units out there.”
Future prospects: “My feeling is that – due to the global popularity of users trying to make use of
BYOD for meeting purposes – they will strive to make the interactivity between these devices and
what is shown on the main screen even easier and offer more features across these devices. Typical
AV installs as we know it with hard-wired connections seem to have a limited lifespan and eventually
all AV will go the way of Ethernet and WiFi as encoding and decoding of video signals continue to
improve. Eventually all video will be compressed and the quality will be so high no one would see
the difference.”
Availability: From June 2014
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IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon produCt round-up
Barco Clickshare‘Wireless presentation and collaboration system that allows any meeting participant to share content on the central meeting room screen.’
“It’s all about the button!” declares Dirk Schreuder from South African Barco distributor Imago SA. “The Barco ClickShare USB button offers
plug-and-play wireless content sharing by simply plugging it into your laptop USB port and clicking the button.
“Most wireless presentation solutions require the user to connect their laptop’s WiFi to the wireless presentation access point, thereby making it
overcomplicated to the average user. In contrast, the Barco ClickShare USB button creates a WiFi connection to the ClickShare base station,
enabling the user to present wirelessly and be on the corporate WiFi network to browse files and the internet.
“As a premium product, the Barco ClickShare solution also offers up to Full HD 1080P quality images as well as sturdy and attractive build
quality.
“ClickShare is aimed towards medium-to-large corporate companies with multiple presentation or multimedia facilities, although we have
also enjoyed success in most verticals including government and financial institutions.”
Future prospects: “[In this market generally] we expect or hope to see complete wireless transmission from source to destination in future, but of
course one needs to be cognisant of other factors when it comes to wireless transmission technologies with regard to frequencies and licenses,”
says Schreuder.
Availability: From 2012
Integrator viewpoints:
“ClickShare’s brilliance lies in its utter simplicity.”
– Francois du Plessis, inchBrook Audio Visual.
“The system delivers ease of installation and set-up from an installer’s point of view; flexibility in terms of how to integrate the unit and what you want it to achieve for your client; and ease of use from a client’s perspective,”
– Darryl Katz, co-founder, managing member and
technology consultant, 4Ward Design.
19
produCt round-up IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
AMX enzo‘A content-sharing platform built specifically for meeting rooms, classrooms and other collaboration spaces, providing instant access to a wide variety of content and conferencing services.’
First of all, it should be noted that the ENZO product was not originally conceived as a wireless presentation device; the wireless presentation
aspect was: “...added later and uses the MirrorOp technology base, and as a result does a good job of screen-sharing from devices/
computers,” says Wynand Langenhoven from South Africa’s AMX distributor, Peripheral Vision.
“The main benefits of the system are that it allows content sharing and screen mirroring between laptops, smart devices and tablets;
facilitates integrated Skype and Microsoft Lync videoconferencing when used in conjunction with AMX’s forthcoming Serena
Videoconferencing Camera; and provides an on-screen keypad-based venue control interface when used in conjunction with AMX NX
Room system controller. There is also great strength in ENZO’s ability to connect presenters and their content without them having arrived with
any device or computer thanks to Dropbox integration.
“The main markets for this system are presentation venues (primarily huddle spaces) in the corporate and government market segment
and within education facilities for lecture spaces. Another market for which the product would be very attractive is in government or
parliamentary chambers.”
Future prospects: “As hinted above, AMX is about to release support for videoconferencing on the ENZO device. They will be releasing their
own camera for ENZO and it will support Skype and Lync videoconferencing. It’s a very exciting development that should really help to ensure
the popularity of the system.”
Availability: From July 2014
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IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon prEViEW
ISE 2015 will attract professionals from every link in the systems
integration value-chain, including manufacturers, distributors,
dealers, contractors and consultants. ISE also draws ever-growing
numbers of end customers, from fields such as education, sports,
corporate facilities, hospitality and live events.
Professionals from more than 150 countries are expected to attend
the show, looking to network, pursue new business opportunities and
see over 1 000 new product launches. The show floor will occupy
more than 36 000 square metres as well as four dedicated show
areas: Digital Signage; Residential Solutions; Unified Communications;
and the Smart Building area, which will showcase the latest solutions
in building automation and energy management.
Pre-show events
As in previous years, the ISE pre-show events will offer a motivating
programme including the return of the Smart Building Conference
and the Audio Forum. Following huge success at both ISE 2014 and
PLASA London 2014, the Smart Building Conference, a joint venture of
ISE’s co-owners InfoComm International and CEDIA, will take place at
the RAI on 9 February 2015. The conference will include an inspiring
team of industry experts delivering presentations and panel
discussions on the hot topics surrounding the smart
building industry.
Organised by media partner, Connessioni, the Audio Forum will
return to host a full-day educational programme consisting of case
studies and seminars, aiming to gather together the international
audio community. Taking place on the eve of ISE, the Audio Forum
has been designed to increase the dialogue between audio
manufacturers and professionals operating in the AV marketplace.
ISE 2015 preview
Amsterdam rAi, the venue for ise 2015
integrated systems europe (ise) 2015 returns to the Amsterdam rAi with an even bigger and better show. Promising more than 50 000 people and over 950 exhibitors, ise 2015 is set to present the largest AV tradeshow ever held in europe, from 10 to 12 February.
21
prEViEW IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
New on the show floor
Following the success of ISE 2014, the ISE Theatres will return to the
show floor including the addition of one new theatre, ISE Unified
Communications Theatre, which will stage case-study presentations
by manufacturers, product distributors, systems integrators and end
customers, focusing on the practical aspects of implementing
collaboration and communication systems within enterprises. Meanwhile, the Residential Solutions Theatre will aim to broaden
the market for whole-house automation and intelligent building
design, with non-technical presentations showcasing real-world case
studies. The Commercial Solutions Theatre will concentrate on the
end-customer benefits of systems integration in a range of market
verticals such as hospitality, healthcare, education, corporate and
government facilities.
Extra areas at the show have been created to benefit visitors and
offer them a chance to relax during the three busy show days. Extra
catering areas in the Park Foyer and Ruby Lounge, as well as the
return of the Business Lounge, offering WiFi access, massage and
charging stations, will give visitors a much-needed opportunity to
take a break. Modern seating, international newspapers and TV
screens broadcasting international channels throughout the show
days, the lounge will be an informal yet professional environment in
which visitors can work, relax and network.
Owing to its popularity at ISE 2014, an extra Discovery Zone has
been added to offer new ISE Exhibitors the chance to participate in
the show within a dedicated showcase. In the same hall, a new US
Pavilion will host stands from US exhibitors looking to integrate into the
European market. The pavilion is organised in cooperation with the US
Commercial Service, which is offering its support to the participating
exhibitors and networking events where interested companies can
meet them.
Professional Development
In addition to the Show Floor theatres, ISE’s co-owners CEDIA and
InfoComm International will present an even wider range of courses
at ISE 2015. Both associations will be offering more of their popular
technical and business education, with offers in place for early bird
discounts as well as on-site certification, it allows attendees to gain
globally recognised qualifications without leaving the show venue.
the crowds at ise 2014
Professionals from more than 150 countries are expected to attend the show, looking to
network, pursue new business opportunities and see over 1 000 new product launches.
22
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon opinion
Unravelling 4K: Does colour trump resolution?
Ever since the failure of 3D as a long-term movie and TV sales driver,
both Hollywood and the consumer electronics industries have
determined that 4K, or Ultra HD, provides the best opportunity to drive
video product sales.
Since both industries began to focus on 4K, momentum for the
format has been steadily gaining steam. Highlighting that momentum
was the buzz it generated at two of the biggest tradeshows of the
year – CES and InfoComm.
Both events featured a number of 4K products and the interest for
the format on each respective show floor was noteworthy.
Taking a step back from all of the 4K enthusiasm is Joel Silver,
president of the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and one of the AV
industry’s pre-eminent video experts. For well over a year, Silver has
been cautioning installers that there are other fundamentals in place
that should take a higher priority than resolution.
4K part of the larger picture
Silver is excited for the future of video and the performance potential
that exists with some of the upcoming initiatives the professional and
consumer markets are working on, but he points out that 4K alone
won’t push video standards into breaking new ground.
“Having 4K is one part of UHD and [next-generation, high-
performance video], but it is not the most important part and people
don’t get that,” says Silver. “It is part of the roadmap and there are
two flavours of 4K, which is exciting, but there is a committee looking
at HDR [high dynamic range].”
The reason why HDR is so important for the next generation of video
quality, Silver says, is the public has lived with the same temporal
resolution since 1939. In the near future he notes – around 2017 and
By Robert Archer
Video expert Joel silver explains why 4K is a piece of the puzzle, but not the next-generation standard bearer for high-performance video.
23
opinion IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
2018 – advances in colour gamut will really drive innovation.
“Going from 2K to 4K is an improvement, but it is not revolutionary,”
he admits. “But the new colours, that is something. There is a lack of
understanding concerning the rollout of 4K. I would much rather have
a dynamic 2K HDTV than more pixels. Something with great blacks or
great HDR, that is more impactful. Resolution is only apparent when
you are close.”
Underscoring what is happening in the video world, Silver
emphasises that 4K is just the first part of a new system. “Frankly [4K] is
the least impressive part of the roll-out,” he boasts.
Colour space advances key to quality
According to Silver, the underpublicised part of the impending video
industry’s format updates is the expanded colour gamut that could
become a part of their final specification.
“The 2020 colour space (the International Telecommunications
Union Radio Communications ITU-R BT.2020 recommendation) is
going to be great for laser colour space, but it will be difficult for
older TVs.”
“Flat-panel TVs will be expensive,” he continues. “The broadcast
space already uses [the spec]. I have a 17-inch HP laptop that was
part of a venture with DreamWorks and it includes Rec 709
capabilities and the Adobe Colour Space that is much better than
HD. The laptop also does DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives).”
“In a two-minute demo I can show pictures in three different colour
spaces. Improvements in colour gamut are instantaneously superior
to the average viewer. Showing Adobe Colour Space over Rec 709 is
noticeable. Glancing at 4K, the average person doesn’t see [a
noticeable difference] because it is just resolution.”
Joining manufacturers that include Digital Projection (DPI) and
Sony in their enthusiasm for laser-based projectors, Silver says these
products along with LED solutions will be able to deliver the colour
gamut capabilities that are a part of the next-generation formats.
“The Ultra HD format will bring us all of that,” he notes. “It will deliver
a much better image because dynamic range is more important.”
Quality begins with basics
The impending video formats may offer wider colour gamuts and
more resolution, but just like current industry standards, their
respective performance is based on the same fundamentals as
current-generation formats.
Both HD and Ultra HD/4K require proper black level and contrast
setups before moving onto colour and resolution calibrations.
“Contrast is the most important parameter,” emphasises Silver. “If
you don’t have good blacks and whites, you won’t have a good
image. Some of the great engineering minds from Philips, Dolby, the
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and to Technicolor look closely
at contrast.”
Explaining further, Silver says those in the video industry, including
the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), are examining
ways to develop ’smart’ dimming where the content ’directs‘ displays
to dim.
“The question is can they monetise the technology to include it in
video displays?” he says. “Contrast remains the single most important
feature in evaluating a TV.”
Backing up his statements on contrast ratio, Silver says dealers need
to examine the CEA/CEDIA-CEB23-A: Home Theater Video Design
specification that was updated back in 2012, which defines criteria for
home theatre setup and performance. It’s a good place to start
when thinking about commercial installations, too.
Silver, who was a part of the expert panel that created the jointly
developed guidelines, points out the 150:1 contrast ratio checker-
board pattern in CEB-23-A is unattainable for most systems, including
commercial systems.
“What I aspire to when I work with home theatre builders is that
150:1 contrast ratio. It is only really possible with a well-engineered
room and system,” he says. “If a room has white walls, it doesn’t
matter how good the screen and projector are [it won’t perform to
the guidelines].”
Summing up what dealers should concentrate on as the market
continues to evolve, Silver is succinct. His advice applies to designing
and setting up virtually any type of flat-panel or projection system.
“Contrast is number one, secondly colour saturation, and the third
thing is colour accuracy. The fourth thing is resolution, but it is nowhere
as important as the other three,” Silver emphasises. “The first thing
dealers should do when presenting to clients is to talk about good TVs
before getting to 4K.”
“Dealers need to consider performance parameters and ask
themselves when evaluating TVs, are the blacks and whites really
good? Does the TV’s dynamic range give you the punch you are
looking for? Can it deliver the [brightness] spec for theatres [14.4-foot
lamberts (fL)]? TVs like Sharp’s Elite put out more than 20fLs. So dealers
need to ask the clients if they want a good TV before they talk about
4K… I don’t worry about the market at all. The market speaks for itself
and that is why $1 000 4K TVs aren’t doing well in the market.”
Story republished courtesy Commercial Integrator.
+27 11 840 0860 [email protected] www.peripheralvision.co.za
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24
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon adVErtoriaL
increases AV focus in SA
Acer is excited to announce that it is inviting AV integration distributors
to become a distributor for Acer projectors and monitors in the AV
market. Following the successful uptake of other Acer products
including laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones by consumers
in South Africa, the company now plans to introduce and promote its
products aimed at the AV market; these products include the latest
projectors, monitors and digital signage.
Acer uses digital light processing (DLP) technology in its projectors
and digital signage products and – as Acer’s statistics state – the
brand offers the number one source of products with DLP technology
in the Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) region.
Acer projectors have several unique benefits that are derived from
DLP technology, which include colour integrity (no colour decay),
contrast advantage, less screen door effect, fast switching speed and
a filter-free design. The colour saturation and intensity are highly
enhanced with BrilliantColor technology, they offer a deeper black
colour, sharper image on data, long-lasting image quality and
optimized 6-segment colour wheel design for boosting colour
saturation growth by 20% to 30% with wide colour gamut. Compared
to an LCD projector, the DLP projector produces less noise in
operation and its sealed chip resists degradation in dusty
environments, also maintenance costs are significantly lower than
those of LCD projectors.
Acer’s constant research and development illustrates its endeavour
towards bigger, better, longer-lasting image quality in projectors and
as a result of high expectations of consumers who want only the best
resolution and quality, owing to the constant improvement of digital
signage, monitors and (especially) televisions they use at home. These
high consumer expectations motivate Acer to offer state-of-the-art
projector technology and to develop projectors that offer higher
resolution, bigger screens and improved colours.
Acer ColorBoost 3D and ColorSafe technologies offer superior
colour performance, with all kinds of contents-based on chip DLP,
six-segment colour wheel design and lamp control capabilities. They
provide a true-to-life image even while displaying 3D or 2D-3D
content. ColorBoost3D has the ability to reduce brightness decay and
colour shift when displaying 3D or 2D-3D contents through enhancing
colour brightness. At the same time, it compensates colour saturation
and colour temperature. In addition, users can enjoy true 3D effect
through following the easy set-up. Acer is also accredited for its ‘EcoProjection’, which means the
technology has been measured against accepted standards for
sustainability and responsibility to the environment. Acer highlights the
add-on value of projectors equipped with distinct environment-
caring features by displaying an Acer EcoProjection logo.
“End-users nowadays are expecting to have their AV products with
wider viewing angles, improved sharpness and the ultra-resolution
such as 4K2K. No one can yet offer a 4K2K resolution projector for
daily applications other than for cinemas, but we at Acer are working
on it with Texas Instruments DLP technology to bring that ultra-
resolution to our projectors. In order to address the demand on high
resolution at present, Acer offers premium P7605 with WUXGA
resolution which is higher than full HD,” says .
Acer has also improved, and continues to improve, the product
and feature performance of its monitors, particularly those used for
boardrooms and digital signage for educational use, mobile use and
home theatre. Acer has 53% market share for the third quarter in 2014
in SA for projector business and Acer now provides total solutions in
the South African market.
The Acer product family covers screen sizes from one inch up to 100
inches and it is firmly placed as a go-to, one-stop solution provider for
all home and corporate AV requirements – for business travelers and
in rural areas that don’t have access to electricity.
Acer is thrilled to announce that it is placing more emphasis on its AV market in south Africa, to offer new and existing customers a total solution for their AV needs…
hung s liu, senior business manager, Product Business unit, eMeA for Acer europe sA
Americas n Europe n Asia
www.etcconnect.comFor 24 hour Technical Support call 081-010-3198 www.prosound.co.za
Liolà, National Theatre, London, lighting design by Neil Austin, photo © Max Narula
Graph represents R08 spectral distribution.
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Source Four LED Series 2 Better colour. Twice as bright.Source Four LED Series 2 Better colour. Twice as bright.
26
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon opinion
SA’s AV industry should suit up and embrace global standards
The result of this rapid expansion in the local AV space is that the industry is still largely dominated
by companies that don’t have the technical skills to deliver complex solutions that clients are
currently looking for.
This is hardly surprising. The industry is fiercely competitive, so training often falls by the wayside
in the scramble to win new business and keep customers happy. These retrenchments are
forcing more people to create their own businesses, which means that there are many more
unqualified companies vying for a piece of the pie. And for clients, it’s hard to sort the credible
players from the fly-by-nights.
Complicating the picture is the fact that our business is a multidisciplinary one, which also
needs some understanding of IT, environmental design and more. But for the long term health of
our industry, we need to place more of a focus in professional standards, based on the latest
international best practices.
Even though the industry is largely unregulated, international standards and certifications are
a good place to start. For example, InfoComm provides a range of best practices and training
courses to the industry. InfoComm is the trade association representing the professional
audiovisual and information communications industries worldwide. Its university offers a range of
courses covering management, design and installation of AV solutions.
Though they are somewhat North-America centric, these courses are a good way to
benchmark basic proficiency. Someone with the InfoComm Certified Technology Specialist
(CTS) certification has demonstrated his or her audiovisual knowledge and skills in an exam. At
Corporate AV, we use this as our basic benchmark.
The Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) – a trade association
that promotes adoption of professional standards and ethical business practice in the
communications industry – has partnered with InfoComm.
Executive director Kevan Jones says that he hopes that government and universities will back
the work SACIA and InfoComm are doing to bring relevant AV qualifications to South Africa.
SACIA members get a discount on InfoComm Training. In addition, suppliers such as TID and
Electrosonic offer free training to help build the local skills base.
In addition to this industry training, there is certainly no shortage of manufacturer-based
stefan Mayer
Corporate south Africa’s demand for audio-visual solutions is growing at a rapid pace, but training and professional standards are not keeping up with the expansion of the market, according to stefan Mayer, managing director of Corporate AV integration.
training. Good AV solutions providers will invest in keeping their staff
certified to work on the latest products from the leading vendors, in
addition will encourage them to be certified with InfoComm.
This is, as I mentioned earlier, just a starting point. As an industry, we
should start looking at what we can do to create a solid base of skills
for the future as well as to further professionalise our industry.
It is in our interests to lift standards so that we can improve customer
satisfaction and demonstrate the value of services for which we
charge good money. SACIA can offer some independent guidance
to recruiters in the AV industry as they look for skills.
Perhaps we need to initiate discussions with universities and
technical colleges, with a view to getting AV courses on the
curriculum alongside traditional IT courses? We should almost
certainly start thinking more about career paths that we can offer
young people entering the industry.
Given the wide and often technical skill sets required by the AV
industry – IT skills as well as electrical, sound and electronic
engineering skills – practical apprenticeships could help cultivate the
people we need. All too often people are learning from sales and
management rather than from the trade, resulting in poor
skills transfer.
It’s also important for corporate clients in the AV sector to start
holding their AV integrators to higher standards. They should ask their
integrators what qualifications their employees have and what sort of
investment they make in training their people.
Just as an enterprise wouldn’t want someone without the relevant
certification tinkering with its networks and servers, it should not allow
someone without the right qualifications to work on its AV products
and systems.
27
28
IntegratIon & InstallatIon ADVERTORIAL
A brand new audio visual distributor is born
“ LET ’S DO IT ”
A new company, Alpha Distribution Technologies, has been formed
to service the professional audio visual market.
Two directors from Audio Visual Centre will be heading up Alpha
Distribution Technologies that distributes and supports audio, visual
and automation products to the southern African dealer market.
Marc Gelman and Spencer Thomas will join Ivan Guerin and Joseph
Milan as directors of the company at a later date but will play a key
role in the managing of Alpha Distribution Technologies until
such time.
Alpha Distribution Technologies combines the collective
experience of Guerin and Milan; Guerin has more than 30 years
experience in providing audio visual solutions, manufacturing and
installations. Milan is an all-round entrepreneur who in the past five
years has contributed to the meteoric success in developing a
reliable supplier base of products and stock holding of the major
brands, which migrate to Alpha Distribution Technologies as part of
the exclusive sale and distribution agreement between the
two companies.
Things to look forward to in Alpha Distribution Technologies include
ongoing dealer training at a new in-house training centre, a variety of
themed showrooms, an authorised Sony projector repair centre that
will also provide full audio visual product repair and support.
Gelman and Thomas, currently the owners of Audio Codes, will be
involved in the audio and home automation side of the business: “We
see their inclusion of Audio Codes in Alpha Distribution Technologies
as integral to our long term vision of being an all-encompassing
and truly dedicated AV and automation distributor,” says Milan.
The formation of Alpha Distribution Technologies sees staff from
both companies come together to offer continuity and
dedication of a distribution service of brands including
GrandView, Smart-Bus, Sony, Evoko, PowerLite and PTN, as well as
dealer support to the reseller market as a whole, while at the
same time separating itself from any interest in the end-user
market. The company is also set to introduce audio products into
its offering in the near future.
The need for a separate company was identified by the
directors of Audio Visual Centre – Guerin and Milan – who will also
completely separate themselves from Audio Visual Centre once
the transition from Audio Visual Centre to Alpha Distribution
Technologies has been completed.
The transition in becoming a completely independent company
from Audio Visual Centre could take up to 18 months, but as from
1 March 2015, Audio Visual Centre will be a dealer of
Alpha Distribution Technologies.
Unit B5, Northlands Deco Park Phase 2, 29 Newmarket Road, Northriding, [email protected] 462 5495www.alphatechnolgies.co.za
Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) LtdUnit 2, 2 Drakensburg Road
Longmeadow Business Estate West, West� eldPO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa
Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 [email protected], www.hybrid.co.za
viva afrika
K-LA28 Dual 8” 3 Way Passive Line Array
Frequency Response (+/- 6dB anechoic chamber): 60 – 20 000Hz
Average Sensitivity: 96dB/1W/1m
Drivers: Beyma customised drivers
Connectors: 2 x NEUTRIK Speakon NLT4MP
Power Rating (AES): LF 200 + MF 200 + HF 50W
Passive X-over Frequency: 450Hz / 2.2kHz Passive
Weight: 19Kg
Dimensions mm: 590(W) x 236(H) x 436(D)
K-LA Series
Core TechnologyThe K-LA series is primarily used for fi xed installation
and touring systems. The result of in-depth research,
the Audiocenter R&D team has developed the unique
PTVTM technology which combines phase and
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PF218B+ Dual 18” Bass Bin
Frequency Response (+/- 6dB anechoic chamber): 32 – 300Hz
Average Sensitivity: 102dB/1W/1m
Drivers (LF): Audiocenter customised ferrite drivers, 4” voice coil
Connectors: 2 x NEUTRIK Speakon NLT4MP
Power Rating (RMS): 1600W
Hi-pass fi lter: 38Hz full range (24dB/oct Butterworth)
Weight: 91Kg
Dimensions mm: 984(W) x 625(H) x 660(D)
The K-LA series is primarily used for fi xed installation
and touring systems. The result of in-depth research,
the Audiocenter R&D team has developed the unique
PF218B+ Dual 18”
30
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon rEport
Prosound expertise called upon to install complex sound system in Philippines ArenaProsound continues to add to its already impressive résumé – this time in the Philippines.
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rEport IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
Purpose-building communications and paging systems for large
performing arts centres in the 1980s; preparing a site for one million
people for the Pope in remote Lesotho; staging the return of the
Swapo liberation movement in Namibia; staging the release event of
Nelson Mandela and later his inauguration; supplying 10 of 11 FIFA
World Cup soccer 2010 stadiums; and staging Nelson Mandela’s
commemoration service with only 48 hours notice – Just a handful of
examples of Prosound’s abilities but nothing could have prepared
them for the magnitude of work to install the sound system in
Philippines Arena.
In early 2013 engineers at Electro-Voice (EV) / Bosch in Germany
and Dubai contacted Prosound South Africa regarding a very large
EV sound system due to be installed in the largest indoor arena in the
world. Prosound and EV have a 35-year relationship and the
installation expertise of Prosound is acknowledged internationally. The
question posed by EV / Bosch was whether the South African
company would be interested in installing this system as its size and
complexity required deep experience and detailed skill.
Contact was made with the local contractor – EVI Philippines – that
paid for two senior Prosound engineers to visit Manilla in July 2013.
Mark Malherbe, Prosound technical director and Boy Magnussen, the
company’s electro mechanical expert, met Lito Dungca and Reynald
Rodil from EVI Philippines in their offices for the first briefing on the
scope of the project. This was followed by a site visit.
It is rather difficult to explain the size of something that has never
been constructed before and is twice the size of any indoor arena in
Europe or the UK. Seating up to 65 000 people, a dome of 36 000
square metres, a 160-metre roof span and a ceiling height of 65
metres all built to be earthquake-proof. The sound system design for
this amazing venue was by Engineering Harmonics in Canada and
EV had met the specifications with XLC line arrays.
the installation
The Philippines Arena was built for Iglesea Ni Christo (INC), a Christian
church which celebrated its 100th anniversary with the opening of the
Arena. Besides the religious services the venue is built for multi-
purpose hosting music, conventions, theatre and sports. The arena
site, Ciudad de Victoria, also boasts a 25 000 open-air stadium, an
indoor sports centre and in the future medical facilities, a university
campus and hotels.
INC had assembled international architects and engineers to set
world-class standards for the daunting projects so the task for
Prosound was going to be exacting.
The aim was for the loudspeaker systems to be installed during
December 2013 in time for preview shows in the venue during the
early part of 2014 to culminate in the Centennial celebrations to take
place around 27 July 2014. For Prosound, planning this meant a
contracting site that is 11 500 km away with freight times of five weeks
and minimum clearance times of two weeks. Excluding any design
time or manufacture preparation had to include two months – just to
cover the delivery time.
Of greater concern was the paper trail for approvals, involving:
Prosound to EVI, to the Church INC, to the Main Contractor, to Hanwa
and the same path back to Prosound. Revisions and approvals were
potentially long and arduous processes. On top of this, some design
processes would involve approval from EV / Bosch, based in Germany
/ Dubai with attendant delays.
After further meetings at EVI it became apparent that Prosound
had a lot more to offer than just the loudspeaker brackets. An
evaluation of the entire sound system installation and supply of
bespoke materials took place.
Prosound agreed to bid on the line array exoskeletons, all of the
equipment racks for both control and amplification, power
distribution units for all racks,
UPS units for all racks and all loudspeaker cabling systems from
racks to clusters, as well as oversight for the installation.
loudspeakers
Prosound proposed a loudspeaker cabling system that would be
based on the use of Socapex multipins, enabling all cabling to be
prepared in South Africa and shipped as a ready-to-use entity. The
racks were prewired to Socapex panels and then a series of Socapex
to Speakon mults were manufactured to suit each cluster. In addition
Socapex to Socapex extensions were provided for clusters to be
checked on the ground and for future servicing.
As time was of the essence, budgets were prepared and presented
while the team was still in Manila on the first visit. These were
accepted by EV and INC and go ahead was given to Prosound.
On returning to SA and meeting with the balance of the
contracting team, it was accepted that although Prosound had
successfully managed all of the steel work for the sound systems at
2010 stadia, the tropical conditions and earthquake potential on this
project had to be considered. It was agreed to employ the services of
a structural engineer (Drake Engineering) from the word go. This
would enable computer simulations of designs prior to manufacture
and a guarantee of suitability.
The total requirement was 18 x Electro-Voice XLC line arrays, 12 for
the upper bowl and six for the lower bowl with each hang comprising
16 cabinets. Two EV XLD line arrays of 14 cabinets each for rear
seating fill and four EV XLC sub arrays each comprising 10 cabinets.
Preliminary drawings were prepared and sent to EVI and EV for
concept approval which was given after minor revisions allowing for
full modelling.
A large stumbling block in the whole rigging process was getting
the understanding of the exoskeleton concept across to Hanwa and
thengetting even cursory approval to hang from the roof structure.
Prosound presented a clamp and steel cable hanging concept with
multiple bridle points for load spreading, although accepted in
principal the concern remained that the thickness of the roof chords
was not uniform, therefore the exact position on each beam had to
be predetermined to guarantee load bearing.
The time taken for this exercise was further exacerbated due to the
lack of reflected ceiling plans showing all services and that although
EV had plotted speaker positions, these did not take into account the
fact that for installation to take place it would be essential that
walkways were in a similar locale.
While waiting for confirmation of the hanging positions and
methodology, although the exoskeletons were approved,
manufacture could not start, as the final fixing steels could not
be designed.
Amplifiers
In conjunction with the delays in hanging approval, further problems
were encountered with the equipment rack locations for the
amplifiers. The walkways in the roof had multiple issues, the load
bearing was not determined, they were not level as they followed the
roof profile and cable trays were mounted horizontally on the actual
tread area minimising available space.
The impact here was that leveling systems needed to be designed
for the racks that would include a percentage of load spreading,
while fitting over, but not obstructing cable trays. There were also
32
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon rEport
constant problems of overhead aircon ducts that were not on the
supplied drawings but would be in the way of the rack. Apart from
the delays created here, the other major implication was that final
power and cable containment outlets could also not be determined
until the rack locations were finalised.
With all of the approval delays it meant that manufacturing could
only commence in November, which precluded meeting the original
December deadline.
The equipment racks were stainless steel and included internal
wiring and custom mains power distribution.
Preparation started in December 2013 and by this stage Prosound
had missed the shipping deadlines for any containers until the
beginning of January. Finding space to work on 28 racks
simultaneously devoured sizeable floor space and ended up taking
over the entire Prosound Johannesburg sales office.
Each rack had two prewired socapex connectors terminated for
the EV TG7 amplifiers that would be mounted in Manila. All blank
panels and brush panels were preloaded and the correct cage nuts
positioned. Mating bolts and washers were supplied as part of the
contract.
Because the loudspeaker bracket delivery would only be done
after the December shutdown, the racks and hanging steels were
shipped first. This meant that work could commence on site with the
placement, then loading of the racks and that Boy Magnussen would
be able to go out and instruct on the installation of the first stage
steels, such as the bridle points to the cluster hook oblong.
The racks were finished and commissioned in Johannesburg just
prior to Christmas 2013 and shipping was scheduled for early January.
This meant that arrival on site would be mid-March 2014.
Weakness
The loudspeaker support skeletons hit a complication when computer
simulations detected a potential weakness on a support strut. This
required re-design and consequently the decision was taken to
manufacture these large brackets bracket in two parts, as a single
unit became impossible to man handle.
The practical reality was that on site the seats were in place so the
preparation of a hang of 16 line array boxes on a massive vertical
bracket had to be considered. Lifting machines could not access it so
plenty of manpower was drawn upon.
Malherbe had traveled to Korea in early 2014 to set up the sound
for a production of Jersey Boys the Musical and visited the site in
Manila on his way back to SA. It was apparent that the site was not
ready for any of the audio system installation and that there was still
not a clear understanding by the Korean engineers of the works to be
undertaken by EVI.
Prosound initiated a meeting of the professional team and ran
through what the requirements for the installation were with specific
reference to roof locations and load bearing. Prosound devised a
method of using brightly coloured paper in the roof to indicate the
required positions that could be seen from below as it was impossible
to get an overall picture from up in the roof.
Dates were agreed for the first fix visit of brackets onto the beams
and steel ropes accurately prepared to accept the motors to lift the
speaker clusters. Further project deadlines were confirmed as a
non-negotiable completion in July 2014.
Back in Johannesburg the loudspeaker brackets were completed
and test hangs undertaken using the EV XLC cabinets. Fortunately the
design and preparation was of a standard that only few minor
Flown arrays in the Philippines Arena
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rEport IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
changes were required.
Magnussen went back to Manila on in April 2014 and with the
assistance of the local riggers, started the steel cable installation. A
hurdle that had to be overcome early in these works was to
determine the actual location of the clusters once up in the roof as for
obvious reasons they had to be very accurate.
Prosound devised a method of using phone compasses against
plotted locations, which proved 100% successful. Once these works
were firmly underway, Magnussen overcame the rigging of
loudspeakers over the seats by designing and getting approval for
large temporary platforms.
During this period Malherbe again visited site, and additional works
were discussed and agreed on, which included supplying racks for
the control areas; 12 x 42 unit c/w power distribution and UPS.
The curve ball was the outdoor stadium sound system had an
excellent design of distributed Electro-Voice EVH loudspeakers – 60 in
total – and Prosound was asked to design and manufacture all the
brackets and initiate the installation and plan and supply the
necessary racks and all the cable.
exacting
This also demands a daily dynamic involvement with onsite issues.
Charles Markotter is the head systems engineer for Prosound and his
years of practical experience within the company proved invaluable
on such Philippines projects. He prepared the detailed drawings for
racking and cabling and importantly assisting with the complex
network design for the EV Netmax sound system processors. There
were 44 in total, an exacting task to integrate.
With the seriously difficult part of the loudspeaker installation about
to commence, EVI Philippines expressed concern as to the
experience of their local riggers. Prosound decided that these riggers
were capable however, the oversight of the company’s head rigger,
Tee Tebogo, for the cluster installs, would guarantee an efficient and
problem-free installation. In addition Magnussen went back out to
train the riggers and to ensure that the platform method would work
in preparation for Tebogo’s arrival.
The cluster installations and other works were hindered by the
electrical power distribution not being completed within the main
contract. EVI had to undertake this extensive work to avoid delays to
the project. In reality the cluster hangs happened with temporary
power and Tebogo ensured that every amp channel and every
loudspeaker component was checked prior to lifting.
Tebogo and Magnussen oversaw the first cluster installation and
then Magnussen returned to SA leaving Tebogo to complete the
entire installation, which constituted 40 days of work in tropical
temperatures and thick humidity.
Tebogo and Magnussen later oversaw the initial loudspeaker
installation in the stadium to ensure correct install methodology and
structural integrity.
A final oddment thrown at Prosound due to the success of the
Prosound manufactured power distribution equipment for the 40
racks, a request was made for portable 400-amp stage power
distribution systems. Prosound supplied a design of two 400A portable
DB boards with primary output connectors from four positions, cables
and mating connections. This was accepted and consequently
manufactured in Johannesburg. Unfortunately the late order meant
that these were not complete for the opening but were supplied later.
The complete installation of the arena speaker system was
completed by the first week of July. All systems were mechanically
correct, all electrical and electronic circuits were continuous and
correct and all electro-acoustic components were in order
for operation.
EV / Bosch carried out their system alignment which was further
tweaked by Malherbe for the opening events for which he was the
production manager for sound. The completion of this project was
another unique page in the Prosound history book. – On time, to
specification and within budget.
Array lift in process
Array at ground level ready to fly
Bracket fitting into array
34
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon rEport
in the age that we currently live in it’s easy to see the increasing quality that display media has experienced. hD tVs are now commonplace and usurp their predecessors, Crt displays, with such veracity that it’s difficult to believe we ever settled for less. indeed, with 4K resolution on our doorsteps in display and projection technologies, one has to wonder, what lies beyond that realm and, to quote the now trite adage: “what will they think of next?”
Musion Africa – Mardi Gras Theatre, Carnival City
3D holographic projection at the Mardi gras theatre at Carnival City
35
rEport IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
Well, they’ve already thought of it. 3D has come back in style in the
last few years and this is evident in the slew of 3D movies that have
occupied our theatres and in the proliferation of 3D HD TVs we can
now enjoy in our home. However the drawback to this type of 3D
technology has always been a loss in luminosity and the need to
wear those pesky glasses, which reduces it to more of a fad that
seems, thankfully, to be passing. However, there is another kind of
technology under the ‘3D’ umbrella that is a pleasure to view –
without any loss in luminosity or requiring any glasses – and actually
astounds the senses at the sheer realism of it all.
I am talking about 3D holographic projection. Anyone
remember the ‘resurrection’ of Tupac Shakur at Coachella festival a
few years ago? Well, the company behind that, hailing from the
UK, is called Musion 3D and they have come to our shores under
distribution of Musion Africa, run by CEO Ellen van den Burg and
Chico De Almeida. Musion aims to change the way we view and
interact with media of all sorts in the entertainment, corporate,
educational, political, digital resurrection and even the
TelePresence sectors by bringing 3D holographic projection to
the fore.
Musion Africa recently installed a system in the Mardi Gras
Theatre at Carnival City to showcase the technology and is involved
in other campaigns and installations both locally and in other
locations around the continent including at the Mozambique
National Stadium. The system at Carnival City was installed by local
AV experts System Solutions, a Gearhouse Group company.
A bit of background
Musion as a technology has its origins in 1996 when it was developed
and installed at the Swarovski Museum in Austria. The inventor of the
technology, Uwe Maass, founded a laser show company in 1988
through his experience in the live events industry in Germany and in
1992, through his affinity for 3D technology, he invented the first
polarised 3D laser projector. However, his dissatisfaction with the use
of those aforementioned pesky glasses, Maass founded Musion 3D in
1997 following the Swarovski Museum ‘pilot’ and once again
constructed their first Eyeliner – the technology used to resurrect
Tupac Shakur at Coachella – for Swarovski.
The Eyeliner is, essentially, the modern version of an old Victorian-
era theatrical illusion called ‘Pepper’s ghost’. The trick has been used
in theatre, haunted houses, dark rides and magic shows for centuries
and has its primordial origins in the 16th-Century under Neapolitan
scientist and scholar Giambattista della Porta. Della Porta is also
credited with the invention of camera obscura, an optical device
that led to the invention of photography and the camera.
Pepper’s ghost, named after John Henry Pepper – the man who
popularised the effect – uses plate glass, Plexiglass or plastic film and
special lighting techniques to create the illusion of objects appearing
or disappearing, becoming transparent or to make one object
morph into another. The objects are most often placed in a hidden
room called a ‘blue room’ where they are lit and reflected off of the
glass, creating the impression of a ghost or hologram.
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36
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon rEport
A famous example of this technique in action is the world-famous
Haunted Mansion rides at Disneyland, Walt Disney World and
Disneyland Tokyo. In those cases the glass is vertically orientated in
relation to viewer. Animated props are then reflected below and
above the viewer which creates the illusion of three-dimensional,
luminous ‘ghosts’ that seemingly dance through the ballroom and
interact with physical props on the ballroom floor. The key is that the
light reflected on the props causes the ghosts to appear
and disappear.
This, in essence, is the way Musion’s technology works albeit without
the need for props or a hidden room because a permanently
mounted HD projector is used as a programme source. The projector
is usually mounted above the stage and is aimed at a ‘bounce
screen’ (a custom-made, white cinema-type screen) installed into the
stage floor where an inverse video of the material is projected.
Musion’s patented, translucent foil is then rigged at a 45 degree angle
across the stage and the content projected onto the bounce screen
is reflected in the foil, giving the illusion of a 3D hologram. The higher
the resolution of the playback video: the higher the resolution of the
hologram. With the inclusion of some clever back-lighting, the result is
a completely undetectable 3D holographic performance that seems
to defy reality and, with modern CGI effects, the constraints of physics
as well.
Carnival City – Mardi gras theatre
Musion SA has been driven by Ellen van den Berg, a passionate and
enthusiastic entrepreneur who is very excited about the product
because it holds so many opportunities in so many sectors. Indeed, it
could revolutionise the way we view and interact with display media.
Van den Berg contacted Roger Feldmann from local AV experts
System Solutions who then teamed up with Musion to supply the
correct equipment specification for the installation at Carnival City’s
Mardi Gras Theatre. Feldmann then brought in local lighting experts
DWR to supply the lighting and truss and our local Christie
representatives, who supplied the projector.
Starting on the stage, the bounce screen is an 11.8m x 3m,
non-perforated web and eye Stagelite Contrast screen. This is
mounted in a triangular Prolyte H30D truss frame on the floor of the
stage and is out of view of the audience by a blackened border
3D holographic performance
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rEport IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
because obviously it is undesirable to give away any secrets of the
technology during the performance.
The foil screen is oriented at 45 degrees in relation to the stage, is
12m wide by 4m high and is framed by Prolyte H40V truss. The foil is
Musion’s proprietary design and is virtually undetectable in low-
lighting theatre conditions. In fact, I would say given that the rest of
the equipment is virtually standard such as the bounce screen and
the truss, it is the foil which provides the ‘magic’ of the illusion.
The projector spec’d was a Christie Roadster HD20KJ, mounted in a
box of Prolyte H30V truss 6.3m above the stage.
Playback equipment consists of an Avstumpfl Wings Engine Install
Dual in a 19”, 4U rack-mount multi-display video server. This runs Wings
Vioso projector mapping software, Wings Touch interactive user
interface creation software and AVIO manager, Wings’
network protocol.
The rest of the supplied equipment is lighting, to add ambiance
and flair to the 3D holograms. This brings an air of ‘liveness’ to the
show and bumps up the realism a notch for showmanship’s sake. In
summary, the lighting fixtures include eight Robe MMX Spots, eight
Robe Robin 300 LED Washes and eight Robe Robin LED Beam 100s.
the wrap
When I was a child I was lucky enough to be taken to Walt Disney
World in Florida by my parents. I still remember standing in that
endless queue for the Haunted Mansion ride and when my eyes
finally fell upon the ‘ghosts’ dancing on the ballroom floor, my mind
was perplexed at how this was possible. Little did I know that a
good 20 years down the line this trick would be drastically
revolutionised in the form of what we see today in technologies
such as Musion 3D. The key here is that as projection technology
has progressed to offer such definition and quality to the point that
these new ideas can be recreated and refined for a viewer
experience at a level never before conceived. Viewing the results
for myself was just as perplexing to my modernised mind and I’m
sure the technology will find its way into many sectors in the
near future.
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IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon rEport
2014 product highlights
Apple Yosemite and ios-8
iOS 8 has a convenient new way to respond to notifications, helpful
shortcuts to the people that business people talk to most, and
time-saving features for managing mail – all of which make the
experience of using iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that much better.
Apple Yosemite has the ability to perform quick calculations and
conversions. The calendar is a little more intelligent, autocompleting
attendees if one creates a regular event. There’s also a lot more
space for editing existing events. Markup in Mail is useful and Mail
Drop is more so. Along with iCloud Drive, Mail Drop means the need
for DropBox will be less frequent.
Integrator opinion:
“With this combination, the seamless integration between fixed and mobile devices is unbeatable, saving time and removing hassle.” – gavin olivier, managing director, Digital Fabric.
Avaya scopia Xt5000 telepresence Platform
The Avaya Scopia XT Telepresence Platform creates a lifelike,
immersive experience replicating the feeling of meeting in-person. The
Scopia XT Telepresence Platform is customisable to the unique
requirements of individual rooms and customer needs.
Integrator opinion:
“We have had the privilege of installing a custom telepresence solution at a few of our client’s branches. The Scopia XT5000 Telepresence solution impressed us with its versatility, allowing the integrator to tailor the solution to the customer’s exact needs. Calibration of the cameras was effortless, even though the boardroom table in the solution was a round design. It was possible to create the perfect illusion of being in the same room as the far-end, with the table flowing into the display, connecting the rooms physically. The video quality is superb, with life-like scale being portrayed. This platform uses H.264 High Profile and SVC (Scalable Video Coding), lowering bandwidth and providing high network error resiliency.” – Marnus swart, AV/VC engineer, ubuntu technologies.
Crestron DMPs 300-C
The Crestron DMPS 300-C is a complete presentation control and
signal routing solution for boardrooms and classrooms. Integrating the
control system, multimedia matrix switcher, mic mixer, audio DSP,
amplifier and DigitalMedia distribution centre all into a single
three-space rackmount package, the DMPS-300-C affords
substantial signal routing flexibility and high-performance signal
processing without the need for separate components.
Integrator opinion:
“It’s one of the most useful and versatile pieces of equipment currently available for the boardroom space. It’s not cheap, but simplifies the installation and works every time.” – stefan Mayer, managing director, Corporate AV integration.
As 2014 came to a close, Pro-Systems’ thuli Mlambo set out to chat to AV integrators and live entertainment professionals to find out which products and apps made their work easier during 2014.
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rEport IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIonCrestron DMPs3-4K-150-C
The Crestron DMPS3-4K-150-C provides a 4K multi-format presentation
switcher with fully automatic operation and DigitalMedia
connectivity. It works seamlessly out of the box with up to four
Crestron Connect It tabletop interfaces.
Integrator opinion:
“It’s an ultra HD Switcher / Scaler that supports 4K. It is HDBaseT-compliant with an auto-switching feature therefore requires no programming. If you want to programme then it also includes a Core-3 Crestron processor. In our view it’s a complete all-in-one solution perfect for small boardrooms. We are currently including this product in our system designs.” – Darryl Katz, managing director, 4ward-design.
Kramer VP-435 Component / uXgA hDMi scaler
The unit, which incorporates HDMI technology, scales incoming video
signals and outputs an HDMI signal with any associated audio
embedded. The VP-435 is ideal for projection systems in conference
rooms, boardrooms, hotels and churches, as well as for home theatre
and residential use.
Integrator opinion:
“It is a simple auto switching for HDMI and VGA input to HDMI output.” – stefan Mayer, managing director, Corporate AV integration.
ePson iProjection App and software
The EPSON iProjection App and Software displays content from an
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Android smartphones and tablets. This
new application allows road warriors to travel lightly and present from
their mobile devices.
Integrator opinion:
“It’s an innovative smartphone or tablet app that makes it possible for hotel guests and meeting delegates in corporate environments to connect wirelessly (via WAN, LAN or WiFi) to the projector and present seamlessly. We make particular use of this technology and it is one of the cornerstones of our integration service. EPSON were the first to perfect this and make it available on the App Stores for Google, Android and iOS devices. There are more innovative features coming in January 2015. The tangible benefits are: more immersive meetings, delegates use their own familiar technology, time saving setup, cross-platform integration… and more.” – Kevin MacMillan Craig, director of innovation, Converged Connectivity.
D-tools system integrator siX
D-Tools System Integrator SIX 2013 is a complete estimation, system
design and project management solution that scales to fit the needs
of your business – from large commercial integrators to small
residential companies. SIX can help you increase revenues as well as
reduce time and costs associated with the installation and integration
of audio visual, energy, home automation, security and IT networking
systems.
Integrator opinion:
“It makes quotation, system design, project management and implementation accurate and simple.” – richard hill-Jowett ,Ceo , Audiovisual Designs.
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Avolites Media Ai Media server Infinity EX Series
The Ai Infinity server features eight unique full HD DVI outputs, each
with internal EDID management and production and preview
connectors. The EX range now adds third generation PCI Express
motherboards, graphics cards and RAID SSD drives for ultimate
performance.
The Infinity server includes many more unique hardware features,
such as LTC timecode input, DMX 512 and Artnet output and a front
panel touch screen showing the Ai Visualiser. All of these features
reduce the requirement for other separate rack mounted products
which also reduces the overall project budget and saves on precious
rack space.
“The Infinity EX8 revolutionises the way in which video content is played back, especially onto 3D surfaces, where the server plays content on
3D mesh models in a virtual environment. Unique in class tools such as individual projector mesh correction makes this an incredibly powerful
tool for video mapping applications.
End-user opinion:
Projector placement and content warping is now really fast to setup, and with Ai’s projector mesh correction tools, the content can be mapped
onto the physical objects perfectly in a matter of minutes.
The other really attractive feature of the product is the flexibility the program’s interface offers. The core underlying program is build-on modules
which are wired together in the order you wish to use them in, the user can largely determine how certain features and effects engines behave.
This, coupled with the flexibility to control the server from various control surfaces, really won us over.” – Mike tempest, senior audio visual engineer and development, gearhouse group.
Ayrton MagicPanel 602
MAGICPANEL™602 is a modular LED luminaire allowing for a broad range of diverse
visual effects . Equipped with continuous unlimited PAN & TILT rotation, it is able to display
media thank to its ArtNet inpout/output or to be controlled via DMX RDM protocol
through its XLR connectors.
The display is made up of 36 15 Watt LED RGBW modules fitted with high-output 7,5°
45-mm optics, the unit runs on a sophisticated and particularly quiet cooling system and
offers an overall luminous flux in excess of 14.000 lumen for a consumption of 600 Watt.
End-user opinion:
“I haven’t seen an innovative light like this in quite a while and it is phenomenal when it
comes to creating visual and 3D effects. It boasts a lot of features which make it unique
and different to any other light on the market, such as unlimited pan and tilt rotation,
which means it can be spun around in any direction for as long as you like. Making use of
the new 4G Ayrton technology, each of its 36 LED modules can be controlled
individually allowing you to create images, numbers and even logos. The possibilities are
endless with this product and it ensures a world class event whenever it is used.”
– sean Crawley, hoD lighting, sound stylists.
robe MMX spot
It is a new technology discharge fixture that has similar light output to most existing 1 200 W
luminaires. The unit is based on the new Robin advanced technology design that provides
brighter, more efficient, physically lighter and smaller fixtures than previously possible.
End-user opinion:
“It is an awesome light to use; it is very powerful and versatile with the effects wheel and
projection gobos. It provides brighter, more efficient, physically lighter and smaller fixtures.
MMX has the ‘dual graphics wheel’ – two fully controllable contra-rotating plates that can be
positioned anywhere across the light path to produce unique visual effects.”
– Christiaan Ballot, managing director, Blond Productions.
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Coolux Pandoras Box server and ManagerPandoras Box server
Pandoras Box Server system offers a turnkey solution that perfectly
unites state-of-the-art rendering technology with intuitive media and
show control. A high-quality server featuring a powerful render-engine
offers real-time compositing in 3D and allows for projection onto any
shape and on any surface.
Pandoras Box Manager
The Pandoras Box Manager re-defines real-time editing and playback
control. This standalone software allows synchronisation and remote
control of all Pandoras Box media playback products via network. The
built-in sequences and cue-based timeline interface enables you to
control Pandoras Box Servers, Players as well as interfacing with all
kinds of external controllers via TCP/IP, Serial RS232/422, SMPTE, DMX,
Art-Net, analog and digital industrial sensors.
End-user opinion:
“It is a media server and show control system which is both stable and versatile, allowing operators to 3D warp, blend, mask or pixel map with
ease. No matter what you need to do on your event, coolux can handle it! The only limitation it has comes in the form of you, the user! If you can
dream it, it can do it!” – Jason Cole, hoD /AV, Dream sets.
JBl VtX line array series
VtX V25
The VTX V25 is a full size three-way
high-directivity line array element. The
VTX V25 features two 2 000 W 15-inch
Differential Drive woofers mounted in die
cast aluminium baffles, with four 8-inch
Differential Drive midrange transducers
and three of the revolutionary new D2
Dual-Diaphragm Dual-Voice-Coil
Compression Drivers mounted on a
third-generation waveguide and
patented RBI – Radiation Boundary
Integrator assembly. Patented rigging,
Crown VRack DSP and amplification, and
JBL HiQnet Performance Manager configuration and control software complete the system package.
VTX V20 features the advanced technology and extraordinary performance of the VTX V25 in a smaller format, high power density three-way
system complemented by a new suspension system that provides efficient transport, fast setup and precise configuration. All VTX V20
components have been specifically engineered to provide stable 110-degree horizontal coverage and effective line source array coupling in
the vertical plane while delivering linear, transparent sound up to surprisingly high output levels for its diminutive size.
End-user opinion:
“The JBL VTX25 and new ‘baby’ VTX20 have phenomenal audio power and have marked a major step forward with innovation and design.
Audio fidelity is exceptional with a much smoother, solid frequency response. The system has received very favourable comments from even the
harshest critics.
It appears on many local riders as well as international artists such as John Legend, Maroon 5, Metallica and others.” – Marius Marais, sound engineer (and company owner), Audio logic.
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renewed Vision ProVideoPlayer 2
Since its original release eight years ago, PVP has been used by organisations around the
world to create video walls, digital signage, dynamic staging and much more. This
experience and customer feedback drove the development plan for the next generation of
this powerful tool. The need for a robust, easy-to-use playback tool that excels in multi-
screen environments is something we have heard from many customers.
End-user opinion:
“PVP is a video play back program for Mac. The new PVP 2 has so many new improvements.
PVP is known for its versatility to play back a wide range of codecs but now with all the effect
generators built-in to PVP 2 and masking abilities, it has taken this product to a whole new
level. PVP 2 is a must-have if you are in live video playback. It is cost efficient and reliable.”
– Johan Botha, hoV of AV, Mgg.
SGM G.Spot Profile LED Moving Head
The G-Spot is a multi-environmental, maintenance-free fixture with an
IP-rating of 65.
End-user opinion:
“This product has several exceptional features that make it not only a
wish-list top 10 but a must-have item. The fact that it is maintenance-
free makes it enough of a win, in addition it has an IP rating of 65 so it is
water, dirt and sand proof, works in any weather conditions and
environment, and it’s the brightest 100% LED-based spotlight with all
the bells and whistles. It won the top industry Plasa Award for 2013 (for
good reason) and it adds on modular capabilities that make it
interchangeable between profile and spot which means your
inventory can be a lot smaller.” – Michael Collyer, Ceo, techrig technical solutions Agency.
shurePlus Channels app
ShurePlus Channels untethers you from the mixing console, delivering
time-saving convenience to roam the performance space while
monitoring key Shure wireless system parameters from an iOS device.
The app relays critical channel information including RF, audio, and
battery levels. Quickly switch between any of your wireless channels
using the sortable channels list.
Mobile control of wireless channel settings can be added via
in-app purchases. Unlocking this feature allows remote adjustment of
frequency assignments, audio gain, muting, and more.
End-user opinion:
“The app helps engineers to have remote control and monitoring of compatible Shure wireless systems to an iOS device. The app relays critical
channel information including RF, audio, and battery levels, and allows for remote adjustment of wireless channel and receiver settings. Our
sound engineers can use it on iPhone or iPad and increased efficiency of RF management.” – Marius Marais, sound engineer (and company owner , Audio logic.
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shure ulX-D digital wireless microphone system
The Shure ULX-D Digital Wireless offers extremely efficient RF
performance, networked control, Dante digital audio, and AES-256
encryption for professional sound reinforcement.
End-user opinion:
“The Shure ULXD is a brilliant digital wireless system. It is rugged, scalable
and reliable. The RF is exceptionally stable. Dante simplifies audio over IP
solutions and the Lithium Ion batteries and recharge stations have
drastically cut my battery budget! It’s a no-compromise solution for the
professional audio industry. Shure’S Wireless Workbench (their RF
Management software) ensures that the RF is always stable.”
– Marius Marais, sound engineer (and company owner), Audio logic.
soundcraft Vi3000
The Soundcraft Vi3000 features an all-new appearance with a more
efficiently designed control surface, 36 faders, 24 mono / stereo busses
and a sweeping black screen panel with four Vistonics II touchscreen
interfaces with sleek, updated 3D graphics. Because the Vi3000 has four
touchscreens, it’s the only console in its class that can be used by two
engineers at the same time.
End-user opinion:
“By far the best value for money digital console available (in its
category) since its launch this year. 3D Vistonics makes mixing so simple
and easy to follow. Vistonics can also allow more than one engineer to
mix on the desk simultaneously. It has FaderGlow, which is a unique and
elegant solution to help follow assignable faders. The seamless operation
with UAD plug-ins is brilliant! Vi3000 also has Lexicon Effects, built-in
Dante and MADI, which simplifies integration. Routing capability of the
desk is large (more than 200 ins and outs) making it quite versatile.” – Marius Marais, sound engineer (and company owner), Audio logic.
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‘Kg’ Moima dreams of introducing the entertainment industry to rural communities and feeding them with the wealth of possibilities within their communities…
‘KG’ Moima
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proFiLE lIVe eVentS
Kagiso ‘KG’ Moima is the owner and founder of full-service lighting
company Blackmotion Production that specialises in providing
entertainment lighting systems. With a vision and future as bright as his
enthusiastic personality, KG plans to bring skills, entertainment and
information to rural communities to expose them to the wide array of
career possibilities within the entertainment industry.
the beginning
While at school, KG was president of the Student Representative
Council (SRC) and he felt the school needed some spunk and
arranged quarterly folk shows with ‘singers’ miming on backing
tracks, using old large grand speakers as the PA. But, the career-type
interest in the entertainment industry sparked at the age of 17 when
KG and his cousin found themselves backstage of the entertainment
at a career expo they attended with their parents. “The stage was
huge and built out of scaffold pipes, and it had minimal lighting and
huge Electrovoice speakers that were about 1.2 metres wide, all
stacked on top of each other. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew that was
the moment I realised I wanted a career in the entertainment
industry,” he says.
He went on to graduate from the Tshwane University of Technology
in 2001 with a National Diploma in Performing Arts Technology, and
majored in Lighting, Sound and Stage Technology. Following that, KG
spent six weeks at Prosound doing his internship for the course and
when he realised that lighting is the direction he wanted to go in he
went to MJ Event Gear and courageously did a presentation to Mike
Jones to secure his first ‘real’ contract of employment. “You have to
know what you are doing before you walk into Mike’s office and ask
for a job. I was so nervous!”
Jones gave KG the opportunity he needed and he spent two years
working in sound and audio visuals and learning about the lighting
industry. In 2003 KG left MJ Event Gear having solidified a working
relationship and experience that would bear fruit for later years.
Personal development
“One day I received a call from Izak Furstenberg of Urban Brew
Studios and he wanted me to join them doing television lighting. I had
never done TV lighting before and because I wanted to diversify my
lighting skillset I gladly joined them. I wanted to learn all forms of
lighting design and TV lighting proved to be totally different to
concert and industrial lighting. The whole philosophy is different – you
need to light the set, create a mood, create a look and feel that the
SABC wanted, and light the actors. I learnt very quickly because I only
had four weeks with Izak before he left me to do the lighting on
my own.”
“One of my first sets was the Castle Loud entertainment show, and I
thought I did an awful job in lighting it. All I had done with Izak was the
Live Lotto Draw, which was simpler than Castle Loud. The set just had
darkness everywhere, but the producers assured me I was improving
with each show and that kept my confidence levels up during that
learning curve.”
Next was 3 Talk with Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu, a show for
which KG had sleepless nights trying to light in his head before even
seeing the set, but it was the compliments from this show that made
KG realise that he did in fact have talent and a career in the lighting
world, and this is where he ‘cut his teeth’ in TV lighting.
After gaining an extensive amount of lighting experience lighting
game shows and talk shows, KG needed to expand his knowledge
and skills in the TV lighting industry and went to work for Frans Marx
Films to light drama TV.
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lIVe eVentS proFiLE
Becoming an entrepreneur
In 2005, KG started his company, Blackmotion Production, and at the
time the industry was dominated by a mono cultural group which
seemed undemocratic and biased in creativity. KG believed he had
enough courage to participate in this heavily competitive industry by
offering sound business relationships with his clients based purely on
cost effective creative lighting services. So his business sprung to life,
operating mostly on weekends.
It took a while and it was when KG got a call from Moja Movie
Factory that he was able to take the plunge and turn his weekend
business into a full-time venture. Moja Movie Factory offered
Blackmotion Production a lighting contract for a sitcom it was about
to start producing and there was a real possibility of securing a
second season as well. Among the building blocks of getting
Blackmotion Production off the ground was MJ Event Gear and
Duncan Riley, owner of DWR Distribution, who set up an enterprise
development agreement to help him get the lights he needed to be
competitive in the market and have payback terms that suited KG.
“Duncan was my pillar in terms of building resources within my
company. If we had not spoken, then the enterprise development
wouldn’t have happened. Duncan was that spring board to get us
into the market.”
As an emerging company in a market full of experienced
competitors, Blackmotion Production had to focus on its skills,
knowledge, final presentation and its product offering, to position
itself in a way that made clients choose them for their credentials and
skills and not for their black ownership.
“We decided to dig deeper in the general market and find niche
markets where other companies were not looking. We have
managed to mould and develop that niche market as the country is
changing and progressing and laws are being made to help
companies, particularly black-owned companies, be considered for
jobs in previously unobtainable markets, where we were previously
unable to compete with because of
our lack of long term experience and
reputation in the market. So moulding
our niche market had more to do with
personality than anything – because
people do business with people they
like. So we had to be likeable. We had
to change how we speak and dress
and how we present ourselves and that
became the cornerstone of building a
niche market for ourselves.”
The company also keeps ahead of its
game by partnering and
subcontracting larger, more
experienced companies such as
Gearhouse and MJ Event Gear to take
on the jobs that are beyond
Blackmotion Production’s current
scope, and project manage them to
learn and gain skills. “The highlight of
my career was when I got a call to go
to Accra in Ghana, to light a Chris
Brown concert. This is when I realised we
can be a multi-national company and
offer our services to the rest of Africa
as well.”
KG’s vision is to bring what the
entertainment industry has to offer in terms of career possibilities, to
rural communities who rarely venture to cities and therefore do not
get the proper exposure to all the money-making, economy-
producing possibilities out there and help ignite thriving rural
economies so that urbanisation can be stopped in its tracks and
maybe reversed.
the next big thing for Kg
KG says the most important industry innovation in the last decade has
been the LED light. “LED is the way forward. They are energy-efficient,
durable, offer design flexibility which allows lighting innovators to
continue producing new innovative lights that offer different
characteristics for entertainment lighting.”
LED features prominently in Blackmotion Production’s lighting
offerings, and is sure to feature in the business’s next five year plan
which kicks off in 2016, when they plan on building their first
amusement park in Mpumalanga, in a township community that is
already performing well. “We want to bring the technology and
entertainment experiences to the communities while creating brands
that speak to people about lifestyles and self-empowerment, we
want to spawn dreams and new careers for youngsters to aim for.
People in townships don’t usually know the vast array of opportunities
that they could do in their townships to ignite the economies. The
future is bright. We just need to have the stamina to keep it going,” he
laughs. “I had to come to Johannesburg to get the skills and
knowledge I sought, and now I want to take them to the rural areas
and distribute information and opportunities.”
To conclude, KG urges companies of all sorts and sizes in all
industries to invest in their people and send them overseas to learn
from our international peers to keep South Africa relevant and
forward-thinking. If all companies did this then there would be a
constant cross-pollination of skills and development and all
companies and industries would benefit from it, even if people move
from company to company.
MYTHOSSUPERSHARPY
STORMY
something is changing...
It was hard work... but exciting!It went beyond our expectations.The Masters of Light are coming... Get ready for the Projectors:Supersharpy. A beam pushed to the Nth degree.Mythos. A spotlight which is already legend.Stormy. More than a strobe. A real tempest.
Future is now.
www.t
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MYTHOS
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA:DWR DISTRIBUTIONIt’s all about the People
Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laser Park, Honeydew, 2170, JohannesburgTel: +27117935066 | Fax:+27117925076 | [email protected] | www.dwrdistribution.co.za
ProSystem_A4.indd 1 23/10/14 09:19
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Robe BMFL – Choose your own acronym By Jimmy Den-Ouden
it’s probably safe to say robe is telling this one like it is. the BMFl is indeed a bright multi-function luminaire, and it’s very much all of those things.
BMFL uses a 1 700W discharge lamp which
Osram developed in conjunction with Robe
over the course of two years specifically for this
application. That’s a whole lot of Watts – the
most in fact I’ve ever seen in a moving head
fixture. It’s definitely a single-fixture-per-10A-
circuit kind of deal – just feel the heat which
emanates from the back of the head if you
want to better understand why.
Despite a busy schedule, we managed to
secure the BMFL for long enough to sit it down
and ask some questions. The first of these was:
“How bright are you?” The obvious answer was
to get a light meter and check the 220 000 lux
at 5m spec. I carefully measured the distance
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By Jimmy Den-Ouden
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lIVe eVentS rEViEW
and got the beam focused up, then stuck the meter into the light
field. It wasn’t able to tell me much other than more light was being
produced than it was capable of reading. So I’ll make do with my
own observations. It’s very bright – to the point I had some very real
concerns about burning holes in my cyc at 5m.
Obviously with such a bright source lamp life will be impacted – at
1 700W the lamp is rated to 500 hours. The lamp can be bumped
down to 1 500W or 1 200W output which extends its lifespan around
50% to 750 hours. Personally I found the difference from 1 700 to 1
500W pretty hard to pick – it’s still very bright. Changing output isn’t
possible via the fixture touch screen but instead done by DMX.
Colour happens in two forms on BMFL – a CMY mixing system allows
for extremely smooth and gradual shifts from open white through to
saturated colours. I tried a couple of 30-second colour fades and the
process is so subtle it’s virtually indiscernible. Dimming is equally
smooth and there are no changes to the beam during either process.
In addition to the CMY system, two colour wheels allow for saturated
colours and TV colours (minus-green, CTB, lavender and so on). The
wheels are indexed such that you can also do split-colour beams.
BMFL has an electronic motion stabilisation system which is kind of
hard to see in action. The idea is that it better deals with truss swing
caused by multiple heads simultaneously moving. It’s really hard to
observe this in our test environment with the fixture on a bench, but
what is obvious is how well its movement is controlled. Even on fast tilts
the fixture comes to a nice, precise stop. If knocked it homes to
the correct position with alarming accuracy – pretty important if
you’re using it over a throw distance of 80m or so (which is a pretty
realistic application).
Zoom range is five to 53 degrees and stupidly fast. The dual gobo
wheels are both rotatable and indexable – one wheel has breakup
effects and the other is more geared toward projected images. The
BMFL uses the same six-facet linear and four-facet circular prisms as
found on the MMX. There are three variable frost filters too.
Natively, BMFL has a fairly high colour temperature but can happily
put out anything between 2 700 and 6 000K.
I think the BMFL is something of a contradiction. It’s a hulking giant
light source in a compact body. The sheer brutish output means you
can jam all the beam effects you want in-line and still achieve really
solid output.
Perhaps most surprising is how refined the control and optics are – it
does everything you ask quickly and with a level of precision I simply
wasn’t expecting from such a BMFL.
Brand: Robe
Model: BMFL
RRP: R156 310 ex-Vat in dual case Price correct at time of print and subject to change.
Distributor: DWR Distribution
Product Info: www.robe.cz
Review syndicated from CX Magazine.
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EAW Anya – The new girl comes to town…By Jimmy Den-Ouden
Anya is a self-powered full-range array system from eAW. in some ways Anya is like traditional line array systems, but probably the key point of difference is that vertical coverage is controlled electronically rather than mechanically.
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rEViEW lIVe eVentS
EAW calls this ’Adaptive’ technology, and it can also be found in their
Otto subwoofer. For reasons soon to become obvious we didn’t
review Anya in-house but instead went up the road for the official
launch night.
Each Anya cabinet comprises 14 HF drivers (35mm voicecoil on 1”
exit), 6 MF drivers (38mm voicecoil on 5” cone), and 2 LF drivers (4”
voicecoil on 15” cone). Each driver is individually amplified and has
its own DSP channel with EAW Focusing. That’s a lot of brains and a lot
of horsepower.
There’s no specific nominal vertical beam width for each module
because it can be whatever you want it to be. Anya can steer sound
up or down in the vertical plane through a range of 180 degrees and
it does so from a vertical hang. How low down the frequency
spectrum you can effectively steer the sound depends on how many
modules you employ – just like any other line array it has to obey the
laws of physics.
Because the vertical pattern control is done electronically you
don’t need gaps in the line source to achieve the result, nor do you
need to make any physical changes to the array to modify the
coverage. It’s clever. You could theoretically use a single module,
but low end steering is more effective with more modules. More
modules also gives you higher SPL – see the Resolution 2 plots for
single, 3 and 6 modules illustrating vertical steering at 200Hz. Note
with the increase in modules not only where the sound is, but also
where it isn’t.
Operating range of each cabinet is 35Hz to 18kHz with a nominal
horizontal beam width of 70 degrees. The system is scalable in the
horizontal plane, so if you add additional columns then each hang
covers 60 degrees. Because the hangs are dead vertical and the
cabinets are angled at the sides, each hang can physically about
the entire length of the adjacent one. This is very exciting, since it
drastically reduces the comb filtering you’d encounter when joining
’J’ curved arrays. The result is more consistent audience coverage
and smaller interference zones.
All the rigging (bar the fly bracket) is integrated into the cabinets.
Push a pin on a box, and rigging tabs extend into the box beneath it.
Push a different pin on the lower box to lock into those tabs. It’s
simple, fast and there’s limited scope to get it wrong. Up to 18
cabinets can be flown in a single hang with a 10:1 safety factor. The
fly bracket can be suspended from one, two, three or four points to
accommodate available rigging facilities. The accompanying
system power/data distribution rack can be ground-stacked or
flown too.
The dolly on which the modules travel is rated to hold an entire
stack of 18 boxes in case ‘captain chain motor‘ isn’t paying too much
attention at de-rig (whether your stage can hold it is another matter).
Ordinarily you’d travel three or four modules per dolly depending on
whether you’re using a ramp or forklift to unload the truck.
When the system is first powered up, infra-red transceivers on every
abutting face to see if any neighboring boxes are present. This
information then automatically configures the Resolution 2 software
to display the array logically as it exists in the physical world. If too
much sunlight or whatever causes a problem with the IR, you can
configure the layout manually using internal winky lights on the front
of each boxes for identification. Audio inputs include Dante, AES, and
for the complete philistines, even analogue. Auto failover is
supported between primary and secondary Dante and future
firmware releases may see this feature further expanded upon.
Now the cool bit. You’ve got the system in the air, powered, and
you can see it all in the software. Now draw the area over which you
need coverage and hit the ’go‘ button. Resolution 2 calculates all
the necessary control parameters required to achieve this then once
you hit ’upload‘ it sends this configuration info to Anya. Anya then
steers the sound to exactly where you’ve asked it. It’s pretty subtle
eAW Anya cabinet
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about the whole matter too – the coverage just magically shifts with
no break in audio or weird noises. You can even modify the coverage
mid-show if you need to.
Reading about this is one thing, but actually experiencing it is
another thing entirely. The sensation of hearing the PA completely
re-steer itself to another part of the venue is almost eerie. There’s also
a ’find me‘ function, where you place reference mics at the
boundaries of your intended coverage area and leave Anya and
Resolution 2 to just figure it out.
Early in the day I was lucky enough to spend some time alone with
Anya at the Concert hall in the Concourse at Chatswood – a venue in
which I work quite regularly. I’m very used to how the room sounds
with the house PA, and I’ve heard it with a several other systems
toured in as well. There’s a certain predictable element of confusion
inherent to putting amplified sound into a reverberant space
designed for acoustic performances. Anya eliminated this by putting
the sound only where the audience sits and massively reducing the
reverberant field of the space. It’s seriously quite incredible.
Coverage is even where you want it, and just stops where it’s
supposed to.
It sounds good too. Straight off the bat with no system EQ in place,
frequency response is fairly neutral and doesn’t have the shelf type
attenuation apparent in the high frequency end of some systems.
The system I tested was six cabinets per side, so with 24 x 15” drivers in
the air (and another 24 x 21” sub drivers on the deck) I wasn’t game to
turn it up as loud as it would go. I don’t think I even really got past idle
on the amps, and I was pushing serious level. It’s definitely a serious
large format system and I’d suggest the companion Otto adaptive
sub will only add to the excitement.
Each Anya cabinet has an internal reference microphone, and this
can be used to compare what each box is doing with its stored
factory trace information. All this happens inside the box, and if it
detects a problem with a driver (impedance, response, whatever) this
is logged internally. When the system comes down after a show (or
before it goes out), checking each box is as simple as pushing the
’test‘ button on the back. A battery powered circuit lights up the
adjacent LED – green for all good or red meaning you need to power
up the box and check the logs for a problem.
If you lose a driver mid-show, Resolution 2 will report this and give
you the option to ’heal‘ any gap in the coverage caused by the loss.
Importantly the system won’t automatically change anything by itself
– any change to what it’s doing requires user input. Once the driver is
replaced, you can re-calibrate the module’s internally stored traces.
Internal sensors inside each Anya cabinet detect movement of the
array and will alert the user via Resolution 2 if it’s been tilted.
For all its brains, Anya won’t stop you doing fundamentally stupid
things. You still need to point it in the right direction, spec it the right
way, power it appropriately and control it correctly. Good
underpinning system knowledge is still important.
A sngle module at 200hz
3 Modules at 200hz
6 Modules at 200hz
Operating range of each cabinet is 35Hz to 18kHz with a nominal horizontal beam
width of 70 degrees. The system is scalable in the horizontal plane, so if you add
additional columns then each hang covers 60 degrees.
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tiD
All in all Anya is quite exceptional. It’s a sound system that does
exactly what you ask it to. If you’re a great engineer you’ll love it. If
you’re a lousy engineer then you’d better prepare some good
excuses now, because Anya won’t leave you anywhere to hide.
All of this comes at a premium – at 130kg each, the modules are
definitely not lightweight. Any large format line array (Anya sits in the
top end price bracket) is a big investment, so value for money counts.
Anya gives more of the punters the same sound experience as the
mix engineer and I reckon there’s a lot of value in that.
Brand: EAW
Model: Anya
RRP: The system sold as a complete G24 compliment
(ie. 24 x boxes plus accessories) is approximately
R14 million excl VAT.
Price correct at time of print and subject to change.
Distributor: Surgesound
Product Info: www.eaw.com
Review syndicated from CX Magazine.
the MF / hF section of the Anya rigging is integrated into each element
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lIVe eVentS adVErtoriaL
Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2015 show sees huge exhibitor increase
Prolight + Sound Guangzhou continues to receive strong support from
the pro audio and lighting industry with its 2015 show expanding by 18
percent to 130 000 sqm of exhibition space. The expanded show will
now occupy 12 halls at Area A and B of the China Import and Export
Fair Complex.
The show, which will take place from 5 to 8 April 2015 during the
industry’s prime sourcing season, has attracted almost 1 300
exhibitors, making it by far, China’s largest industry fair.
Commenting on the tremendous growth, Ms Fiona Chiew, deputy
general manager for Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai), says: “Already more
than 90% of our 2014 exhibitors have signed up for the show. The
overwhelming response is largely due to their successful experience
last year. They believe that Prolight + Sound Guangzhou is the best
platform for launching their products to the Chinese market,
especially as we are expecting 70 000 Chinese and international
visitors to attend the show.”
huge demand for high-end audio products in China
In 2014 three Audio Brand Name Halls were launched and for the 2015
show, the number will increase to four with the new hall 13.2 in Area B.
the up-coming Prolight + sound guangzhou 2015 has grown by 18% due to strong exhibitor support and the expanded Audio Brand name halls is in response to the huge demand for high-end audio products in China.
This will allow leading international and local brands to raise their
brand image at this premium business platform.
Exhibiting in this new hall are returning brands: Ableton, Active-
audio, Adamson, APEX, Avid, AUDAC, AVMEDIA, beyerdynamic,
CARLSBRO, Clair Bros, Crown, db Technologies, dbx, DPA, ENEWAVE,
FBT, Funktion-One, Hayaco, HARVEY, KV2, JBL, KRK, Lexicon, Mach,
Master Audio, NEXT-proaudio, Proel, RAM audio, Seeburg Acoustic
Line, Sennheiser, Shure, Sonifex, Soundcraft, Soundking, Studer,
Studiomaster, Twaudio, Ultmate and Yamaha.
Brands joining for the first time include APG, Architectural
Acoustics, Audio Zenit, Beyma, Cicognani, Countryman, Crest Audio,
DAS, d&b audiotechnik, elite Core, Kempton, MediaMatrix, MIDAS,
Neumann, Peavey, Phonic, PKN, PL-audio, QSC, Qube, timax
and Xilica.
Renowned German brand beyerdynamic from hall 5.1 is optimistic
about the opportunities in China’s cultural market and is hoping to
further access this sector by joining the show. Jason Zeng, sales
director for the company, says: “beyerdynamic is a top audio brand
with 90 years history and we have been supporting the Prolight +
Sound shows for a long time because of their industry influence.
Having good responses from the last edition, we decided to
showcase our full product range in the 2015 show including TG wired
and wireless microphones, professional surveillance headphones
and headsets, Quinta wireless conference system and Orbis wired
conference system. We will also organise new product
demonstrations so visitors can know more about these.”
Another returning exhibitor AV Media, located at hall 4.1 and hall
13.2, will showcase KV2 Audio, Peavey, Mediamatrix and AVMedia
with lines for entertainment, performance and conference use.
Commenting on the recent development of entertainment and
performance industry in China, the representative from marketing
department said: “The market has certainly a higher requirement for
audio products. They have to be professional, comprehensive and
user-friendly. We believe that the wide variety of our product lines
plus our professional service can serve market needs. Joining the
Audio Brand Name Halls gives us good exposure to the Chinese
market and the business potential of Southern China.”
Spanish brand Beyma from hall 13.2, a first time exhibitor of the
show, plans to take advantage of the show’s leading industry position
to raise their business profile in Asia. Ms Lily Xiao, general manager for
Beyma China explains: “Chinese audio system manufacturers are
becoming more advanced in audio product technology, leading to
an increased demand for this technology to be used in European-
made speakers and compression drivers. A show like Prolight + Sound
Guangzhou is a great opportunity for us to let our customers in Asia,
especially in China, learn more about our latest products, including
our new 10, 12 and 15-inch compression drivers and coaxial, which
we will launch at the show.”
In addition, to help buyers navigate the larger show area,
exhibitors will be grouped by products in different halls. This applies to
the Audio Brand Name Halls, Pro Audio Hall, Lighting Hall, Enping
Microphone Halls and KTV halls. The Enping Microphone Hall will be
relocated from Area A to Area B, Hall 12.2. As this hall was fully
booked shortly after opening for booth applications.
Prolight + Sound Guangzhou is organised by Messe Frankfurt and
the Guangdong International Science and Technology Exhibition
Company (STE). For more information about the show visit: www.
prolightsound-guangzhou.com or email: plsgz@hongkong.
messefrankfurt.com.
For more about other Prolight + Sound fairs listed below visit:
www.prolight-sound.com.
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lIVe eVentS rEport
Mieliepop Festival
If you’ve ever been to other festivals out in the South African
wilderness, such as Oppikoppi, you’ll know that they’re not for sissies.
The conditions are often hot, harsh and dusty and this can take its toll.
However, Mieliepop is quite different and that’s what makes it
special. You camp out on manicured lawns, there is no dust, the
weather is idyllic, natural rock formations and waterfalls abound and
a river divides the festival in two upon which festival goers can enjoy a
barge cruise, fishing and swimming, if they so desire. There is also a
heated swimming pool, opportunities for hiking and the main bar is
located in a hollowed out rocky grotto. All of this, plus enjoying what
the festival is all about – good local music – makes its allure
undeniable and the experience supremely pleasant.
Another great thing about Mieliepop is its size. You’re not overrun
by swarms of people and that claustrophobic feeling of restrictive
movement. There are wide open spaces and everyone seems
happier than usual. There is plenty to eat and drink and ablution and
shower facilities abound so you get around that dirty feeling as well.
In the main entertainment area there are two areas of music
appreciation: the main stage and the dance floor, which is also
located in a hollowed out rock grotto next to a natural waterfall. The
audience area in front of the main stage is soft and grassy and you’re
never wanting for space. The overwhelming sense is of simplicity,
which is refreshing.
J-Sound Productions, headed by Jan Haarhof, was the sole
company involved with supplying the technical requirements for the
festival. Haarhof and J-Sound have had a long relationship with
Mieliepop going back to the beginnings with their relationship with
Mieliepop festival director Coenraad Nel.
“Since the first show I worked on with Coenraad we dreamed of
running our own festival. As good friends we attended almost every
festival in the country and a few overseas. We had this dream venue
in the Cape at one stage that we wanted to develop with an old
colleague of ours, Willem Visser. In fact, many of the readers will
remember the legend. But those dreams came to an end with him
passing in a bad motorcycle accident. We wanted something
different though – slightly off beat from the regular camp in the dust
fest with a little more glitter for the more matured festival goer and
always great on the musical side of things. Only a few years later we
discovered the venue that would host Mieliepop as it is today. With
Uriah Heep and Men Without Hats entertaining the crowds in previous
years the future is looking exciting for this new wave fest!”
the main stage
Since the dance floor was a simple system comprising a couple of
powered speakers with a DJ setup, the main stage was the central
point of attraction at the festival and is worthy of explanation.
The stage structure was constructed out of 24 Prolyte 2m x 1m stage
decks on 900mm legs, a 3m x 2m drum riser and a Trustt 135 degree
custom roof system measuring 8m (w) x 64m (d) x 5m (h).
“The stage structure we used is such an easy system to work with
and expandable beyond our wildest imaginations,” remarks Haarhof.
The audio system for the main stage is entirely JBL and centres on a
SRX700 system. In total, there were eight SRX725 dual-15-inch point
source enclosures configured as four per side and eight SRX728
dual-18-inch subwoofers, also stacked four per side, all powered by
Crown I-Tech 6000 and 4000 amplifiers. The console of choice was a
Soundcraft Si-series digital consoles that handled FOH and on-stage
monitoring, which comprise JBL EON XTs.
nestled in the highlands of eastern Mpumalanga near lothair and about 50km from the border of swaziland, one of south Africa’s most quaint and special festivals takes place: Mieliepop.
the setting of the Mielipop Festival in Mpumalanga
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LIVE EVENTs REPORT
“Although not a line array this old school point source array is one
of my favourite all round systems and is a workhorse like no other. It’s
clear, well balanced and if setup is done correctly it delivers enough
punch for a small to medium crowd,” says Haarhof.
Lighting on the main stage comprised a mix of various lights from
various manufacturers. As Haarhof puts it, there was an
“exciting mix” of:
• Chauvet LED 350 beams
• Chavet Core 3x1
• Chauvet Beambars
• Martin MAC401s
• Versalite LED par cans
• 1080x768 8mm LED panels
• Stagg Headbangers
The lighting rig was controlled with Show X-press, Lightjockey and
Resolume while Geyser smoke machines handled hazing.
“As we are very short on power we really rely on the led fixtures for
effects and visibility,” explains Haarhof. “Every year I’m surprised by
the brightness versus power consumption!”
With any festival, especially new festivals that are trying to make a
name for themselves and navigate through the trials that come with
the territory, there are always challenges.
Haarhof outlines a few of these: “From a technical perspective it
was mostly to squeeze everything into a limited budget with little
sponsorship and with little finance. For a young festival the sponsors
are only noticing the niche festival that it is now and are starting to
bite for next years’ fest. We (JSP) have been running the technical
side for the past four years with the help of a few friends we’ve always
made it work in sometimes difficult circumstances. But we believe in
this fest and we have passion for what we do.
“On the logistical end: toilet paper and showers! It is quite a
challenge to setup infrastructure in a place that is only starting to
develop as a festival grounds and to cater for more people than you
bargain for. It’s like a snow ball effect – with more people you need
more water, more pumps, more electricity, more cleaners, etc. I think
we’ve got the hang of it now and it will only get better in the coming
years with more permanent infrastructure going up!”
The wrap
After experiencing Mieliepop for myself this year I kicked myself for
turning down the opportunity to go in 2013. When you pull over that
ridge after a three-hour drive and peer down into the grassy valley
your first impression that it is paradise and you feel you’re in for a
treat. The small crowds (for now) and their happy vibe are
infectious and when it was finally time to go, it wasn’t easy.
Regardless of the fact that Haarhof admits that the main stage
doesn’t have a line array is of little significance. The music and the
people are enough. The JBL SRX700 system did more than enough
to keep the good times rolling and in combination with the
surrounds, will keep people coming back.
“This is a fest to keep your eye on,” concludes Haarhof. “In four
years it achieved what other festivals do in eight and it will continue
to grow in all kinds of ‘differentness’ and explorations of tastes and
sounds. The music experience is so vast that it serves a wide
spectrum of music lovers. And it all happens in a very pleasurable
venue to take it all in.”
Agreed.
The Main Stage
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lIVe eVentS adVErtoriaL
GETshow2015
The Exhibition of Guangzhou (International) Entertainment
Technology Show (GETshow)) will be held in Pazhou Poly World Trade
Expo Center (PWTC) from 1 to 4 April 2015. The exhibition area will
extend some 78 000 square metres and more than 550 exhibitors are
expected to attend the show, which is an increase of about 30%
compared with last year’s exhibitor figures. The show will be attended
by over 30 000 professional audiences from home and abroad.
Key highlights of GETshow 2015 include a high-end silent show in the
first International Brands Audio Hall and a holding exhibition in the
Factory-Industrial base.
During the 2015 GETshow, it will carry forward the spirit of creating
the show by holding the first high-end silent exhibition in China.
GETshow will set up six halls (including three professional audio halls
and three professional light halls) and one outdoor line array stage.
There will also be an independent international brand audio hall for
the first time. There are a few large domestic and overseas brand
manufacturers and agents invited to join the show. They include
famous brands, such as ACE (JBL, Crown, Shure, Soundcraft), Meyer
Sound, Yamaha, Ruisheng (German TW Audio, German SAL-
acoustics line, German GLP Computer Lights, Australia LSC), Verity
Audio, Pioneer, AV Media (Peavey Electronics), America QSC, Acton
(Spain DAS, German KS Audio, Sound Works and Supplies (German
D&B), Win-sound (Midas, Klarkteknik, Turbosound), Martin Audio,
Racpro (L’acoustic, Sennheiser, Digico), PAL Audio (C-Mark), Real
Music (Canada Adamson), Portugal Norton, Belgium APEX, France
Active Audio and Digital Media Technology (Clair Brothers, DPA,
DB Technologies).
In addition, there will be many famous enterprises that will attend
the show at the professional light hall, such as PR Lighting, Fine Art,
Top-led Lighting, Deliya, DS Lighting, Goldensea Professional Lighting,
Hongcai Lighting (Jolly), Huihong Lighting, Liangyi Lighting, Rentian
Lighting, Omarte Lighting, ACME Group, Yajiang Applied Technology,
Max Lighting, GTD, W-DMX, Nanshi Lighting, Nanyi Lighting, Chuangyi
lighting, Light Sky, Yellow River Lighting, East River Lighting, RGB, FDL,
Globaltruss, Ledika Lighting, Ruiying Lighting, Weifa Truss, Huawei and
Tinhao Maquinas. They will each offer a stunning visual feast
for audiences.
GETshow in 2015 will simultaneously hold an industrial summit,
several professional technology lectures, an outdoor line array tour
of the show, an enterprise products launch and live interactive
activities, among others.
Compared with the previous shows, there will be more packed
programmes, richer activities and additional highlights compared
with previous years. For example, the GETshow Committee will
cooperate with the professional media to plan a visiting activity for
them called ’Enter into the factory’. Visiting media will visit the
production base, which will help the exhibitors promote their
products. The committee is creating this activity to become one of
GETshow’s characteristic projects going forward.
enhance service to create a brand new event
The show also aims to improve service to exhibitors and attendees
by providing 2015 show exhibitors additional after-show service.
They aim to absorb the service experience of domestic and large
overseas exhibitions, follow science and technology development
trends and put up an intelligent exhibition system.
Therefore with the help of the internet, the show will give
exposure of the exhibition products by displaying them on its
website for the whole year, which is one of the additional value
services provided for all 2015 GETshow exhibitors.
Show sponsors will also hold the opening ceremony and
banquet of the show which will be held in the Chime Long Hotel in
Guangzhou, the largest city in the Guangdong province in South
China. Industry friends and customers will be able to meet
and network.
During the GETshow of 2015, an industrial information exchange
platform for the participating enterprises, purchasing agents and
exhibition visitors will be available to consolidate the business
cooperation relationships and provide the entertainment
equipment industry (home and abroad) with various brand new
development ideas and business opportunities.
the opening ceremony of getshow 2014
A preview of the exhibition of guangzhou (international) entertainment technology show
15 – 17 July 2015THE DOME @ NORTHGATEJOHANNESBuRG SOuTH AFRICA10AM – 6PM I WEDNESDAy TO FRIDAy
VISIT WWW.MEDIATECH.CO.ZA FOR MORE INFO
Proudly brought to you by Thebe Reed Exhibitions and Sun Circle Publishers
Publishers & Projects
Technical Sponsor
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StudIo Pro AudIo produCt round-up
Presonus FaderPort
The cheapest of the lot and
despite getting a bit long in
the tooth it’s one of the most
successful as well. The
PreSonus Faderport offers
simple single channel control
and works with most major
DAWs on both Mac and PC. It
features a single 100mm fader
that can be used to write
single and group channel
automation. Additionally it
provides complete transport
control, pan control, mute,
solo, record enable buttons,
window view control and
automation modes. A
footswitch can be used for
hands-free punch in/out.
DAW Controller round-up
After years now on the digital front engineers are still searching for the ultimate in intuitive DAW (digital audio workstation) control.
While filled with cumbersome gear and a requiring more than a small fortune to build, analog studios of eras past still had the advantage of a lot of control available at your fingertips – especially if you had an automation system – and had added allure on the eyes.
indeed, many records we love and regard as some of the finest ever produced were made in these now costly-to-maintain relics and, as a result, engineers today are grappling to infuse the way things were done in those environments while implementing the compact workflow advantages of digital.
one of the most effective tools engineers had on the large format analog console was the fader. it’s hugely
important to have complete control over your levels and the fader gave us that. in fact, one could argue it is the essence of what mixing is about. Balance is everything.
in the digital domain the mouse becomes tedious and anyone that’s ever written automation with it will understand. For some reason it just ‘feels’ better to touch a fader, close your eyes and ride levels. the answer? A DAW control surface.
While not entirely new news, at this point in time controllers abound; some affordable and modest and some expensive, large and complex. Pro-Systems takes a look at a few from the current crop on offer.
PRODUCT ROUND-UP Studio Pro Audio
Icon Qcon Pro USB Midi Controller Station
The Icon Qcon Pro USB is an
eight-fader controller
expands on the basic
functionality of the
single-fader QCon Lite; a
more extensive alternative
to the FaderPort. It features
eight dual-function rotary
encoders, a large backlit
LCD display, 18 assignable
buttons, illuminated record
enable, solo, mute, select
and monitor buttons for
each channel, full transport
control including jog wheel,
four-direction zoom buttons,
nine illuminated assignable
MIDI function buttons, an
expansion slot for Icon’s
Umix-series USB audio
interfaces and two
footswitch jacks. It can be
expanded by adding Icon
EX Expander eight-channel
fader wing.
Softube Console 1
The Console 1 is a more
recently released controller
from respected plugin
developer Softube in
response, I assume, to have
intuitive control over more
than just fader levels and
offer a complete channel
strip control solution in any
DAW. Console 1 has a bit of a
caveat, however: it is a
software and hardware
mixing platform. Included
with the Console 1 is Softube’s
emulation bundle of Solid
State Logic’s SL400E console
and Softube’s Transient
Shaper and the way that it
works is that once you have
inserted the Console 1 plugin
into your chosen DAW
channels, control of the
channel strip can be handled
from the surface by selecting
the relevant channel.
Changes made on the
surface then reflect in the GUI of the Console 1 plugin where all forms of automation can be
written. Each channel can also be separately customised by adding in any Softube equaliser
and compressor and functions can be grouped for simultaneous control.
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StudIo Pro AudIo produCt round-up
Mackie Control universal (MCu) Pro
A mainstay in DAW control for a while
now and still going strong, the Mackie
Control Universal Pro has proved its value
time and time again for many studio
owners the world over. Using the Mackie,
HUI and Logic Control protocols over USB,
it is compatible with almost every DAW;
offering eight 100mm touch-sensitive
motorised Alps faders and V-Pot control
over software, plugins and virtual
instruments. It has more than 50
dedicated buttons for engaging
software parameters and features a full
transport section including jog wheel.
Full meter display is available along with
track names and parameters while zoom
and cursor buttons (up, down, left, right)
aid navigation. Perhaps a little different
than the others, the MCU also includes a
USB MIDI interface for connecting
external MIDI gear directly to your Mac
or PC. Software-specific Lexan overlays
are included and the surface is
expandable by adding the optional
Control Extender Pro and C4 modules.
Midi Music studio
67
produCt round-up StudIo Pro AudIo
ssl nucleus
Based on the SSL Matrix, the SSL
Nucleus is Solid State Logic’s project
studio offering that blends advanced
DAW control, SuperAnalogue
monitoring, two SuperAnalogue
microphone preamps, a USB audio
interface and bundled SSL Duende
plugins. Like the rest of the controllers
in this roundup, it is compatible with all
major DAWs and connects via
Ethernet to the host (Mackie and HUI
protocols) while the 2 x 2 audio
interface connects via USB for record
and playback facilities to and from
your DAW. The Nucleus features 16
touch-sensitive motorised faders in two banks of eight, digital scribble
strips with assignable V-Pots and soft keys, user-customisable DAW &
key command mapping, configuration through the remote Logictivity
browser, an SD card slot for project storage, full transport and jog
wheel, illuminated buttons, LEDs and DAW metering, a full monitoring
section, two headphone outputs and an iJack monitor input. Finally,
it also features a four-port USB hub.
Conclusion
There are many more controller options out there, such as the Slate
Raven MTX and MTi (which Pro Systems has covered), the Avid Artist
series controllers, the Behringer BC series and the Steinberg CC and
CMC controllers (which only work with Cubase). There are more
still. However, one thing’s for sure: there is no better time to bring
your fingers back into the mix and many companies are offering a
host of features at every price range. Happy mixing.
Avid s3
The newest control surface offering
from Avid inherited from their S3L live
mixing system and borrowing
workflow highlights from the flagship
Avid S6, the S3, while more expensive
than the others so far, provides
universal DAW control over the
EUCON protocol developed by sister
company Euphonix. The S3 is a
compact desktop control surface
and 4 x 6 audio interface that
integrates both the EUCON protocol
and local AVB (Audio Video
Bridging) I/O over one Ethernet
cable (AVB available for OS X Core
Audio only). It offers 16 channel
strips, each with its own touch-
sensitive 100mm motorised fader
and 10-segment signal level meter.
32 touch sensitive, push-button
rotary encoders (16-channel control, 16 assignable) provide gain control, plugin parameter adjustment and more while a tri-colour LED
function indicator is implemented into the encoders for instant visual feedback. There are 32 high-resolution OLED displays that display track
names and numbers, detailed metering data from mono to surround sound, parameter names and values, current automation mode and
more. Solo, mute, channel select and record/automation enable buttons are available while a four-segment touch strip allows transport
control. If you need a job wheel function, the S3 can be used alongside the Avid Artist Transport for extended control. Dozens of dedicated
buttons abound to control navigation, automation, control assignment and software control. The local I/O includes two XLR mic/line inputs,
two TRS line inputs, two XLR line outputs, two TRS line outputs and a stereo headphone output.
68
SoCIAl
themba Malaza, sin Dislie Zulu, Zweli Mndebele and Dumisani hadebe
hanif seedat and Vernon Meyers
greg Payne, Alison taman and Paul newman
Arthur nieman
Botsotso Maphosa and nkani shabalala
nathan van Zyl, greg Buitendag and Matthew gray
Wynand Delport and Andre stoltz
Michael van rensburg stephan grawe
Charl Marais, Michael Kennidy and Andy Davies
Bernie nagel
Comfort Mokgethi, sfiso Petri Mahlangu and Parata Faustinus
Jade inder and ryan Beck Makabongwe ngceba and sabashnie govender
Alison taman
Zak Mangera and John Peche
nomusa and Plona
Djalita von Mollendorf Justin Mamulis
gene novacek hein Zentgraf
Karen Kruger and Peter taljard treasure Vilakazi and nelson tabane
Martin Audio MLA Demo – Summit College, Kyalami
TID Roadtrip – The Focus Rooms, Sunninghill
Enco Workshop – Wild and Marr Offices, Isando
Meet.Inc Launch – Kathea Offices, Rivonia
IntroducesFT Series
FT15Multi-purpose full range
RMS Power: 400WImpedance: 8 ohmsAverage Sensitivity (1W/1m): 98dBMaximum SPL: 124 dB RMS / 130dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 47~18000HzConnectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 445 x 710 x 414Weight: 25kg net / 28kg gross Cabinet Material: Birch Plywood Cabinet Finish: UltraTex (USA) Texture coating Low VOC waterborne paint
FT152Multi-purpose full range
RMS Power: 800WImpedance: 4 ohmsAverage Sensitivity (1W/1m): 100dBMaximum SPL: 128 dB RMS / 134dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 45~20000HzConnectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 445 x 1126 x 473Weight: 46kg net / 50kg gross Cabinet Material: Birch Plywood Cabinet Finish: UltraTex (USA) Texture coating Low VOC waterborne paint
FT18SSubwoofer
RMS Power: 1000WImpedance: 8 ohmsAverage Sensitivity (1W/1m): 97dBMaximum SPL: 127 dB RMS / 133dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 38~18000HzConnectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 605 x 580 x 690Weight: 42kg net / 46kg gross Cabinet Material: Heavily brassed Birch Plywood Cabinet Finish: UltraTex (USA) Texture coating Low VOC waterborne paint
FT218SSubwoofer
RMS Power: 2000WImpedance: 4 ohmsAverage Sensitivity (1W/1m): 100dBMaximum SPL: 133dB RMS / 139dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 38~18000HzConnectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 1140 x 580 x 690Weight: 72kg net / 77kg gross Cabinet Material: Heavily brassed Birch Plywood Cabinet Finish: UltraTex (USA) Texture coating Low VOC waterborne paint
viva afrikaViva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd
Unit 2, 2 Drakensburg RoadLongmeadow Business Estate West, West� eld
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[email protected], www.hybrid.co.za
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