November 2012

Transcription

November 2012

PSNEUROPE
NOVEMBER 2012
Lauten
Audio
Atlantis
p10
www.prosoundnewseurope.com
THE BUSINESS OF PROFESSIONAL AUDIO
Flying start for
Coda Audio
ViRAY
p37
Staying in
the loop
How audio adds to the
action for thrill rides
and theme parks
p52
Ravenna
comes of age
p14
L-Acoustics
takes the stage at the National p44
The standards stay,
but innovation never ends.
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November 2012 l 03
welcome
Photo: Jake Young
EDITOR’S COMMENT
“I have never
screamed and
laughed so much –
sometimes at the
same time, I think –
in my life”
Cover note:
Column, top: Mick Anderson (left) and
Svetly Alexandrov at ViRAY launch
Column, bottom: London Road cast in
the Olivier Theatre at the National
SCREAMING IN terror or laughing hysterically.
There’s a fine line between the two, as I discovered
when I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain in California
after NAMM a few years ago. Steve Connolly,
(PSNEurope publisher) and I spent an afternoon there
jumping on and off the world-class rollercoasters.
January is extreme off-season at the theme park, so
Steve and I managed 11 coasters in five hours, with no
queues and no hassles (read=no kids). And in those five
hours, I have never screamed and laughed so much –
sometimes at the same time, I think – in my life.
Imagine my delight when, on a bus trip to
Wisseloord Studios during IBC, I was chatting to Jeff
Levison of Iosono and learned that we have a mutual
interest. Jeff’s job sometimes involves consulting with
park designers to design ways of enhancing the audio
experience of thrill rides. And when Jeff has spare
time? He heads to the biggest, scariest coaster in the
park and rides it. And rides it again. And he loves it.
Hence Jeff and I spent that (rather more sedate)
bus journey sharing our experiences of Colossus,
Deja Vu, Tower of Terror and other rides and coasters.
It was only proper then, that I should ask Jeff to
contribute some of his favourites to this month’s
cover feature, starting on p52.
And, seeing as Halloween coincides with press time
for this issue, we’ve ramped up the scary factor
elsewhere too: L-Acoustics replaces the Frankenstein
PA system at the Olivier on p44; vampires with TiMax
on p46; and what it’s like to work for Roland
Hemming on p48 (...only joking, Roland).
Dave Robinson
Twitter: @psneurope
IN THIS ISSUE...
NEWS
APRS announces Fellowship recipients
Major deal for Outline and PRG
Industry appointments
Key pro-audio events and expos
4
5
6
8
TECHNOLOGY
Product review: Lauten Audio Atlantis FC-387 mic
New Products
14 Feature: Ravenna comes of age
10
12
Show review
AES 2012
p18
STUDIO
Permission given for Church Studios conversion
API seals HHB deal
Lewitt Audio microphones make a name
Horus and Pyramix shine in Rome
20
22
23
24
BROADCAST
PSI Audio kit selected for 2014 Winter Olympics
New names at BVE North
Bringing interactivity to radio with RadioDNS
Feature: Radio studios
27
29
30
32
LIVE
Coda Audio launches ViRAY
Trio of major announcements from Bosch
L-Acoustics and DiGiCo at Italian charity concert
UEP introduces sales division
37
38
40
42
INSTALLATION
L-Acoustics slays PA monster at the NT
TiMax tracks vampires
Roland Hemming looks back on 25 years
Exeter Forum deploys Harman kit
Feature: Theme parks and thrill rides
44
46
48
51
52
BACK PAGES
Hither & Dither
Interview: Robbie McGrath, FOH legend
65
66
04 l November 2012
For the latest news
news
UNITED KINGDOM
to give the keynote address by
way of proposing the special
‘Harewood Toast’ introduced
to provide an opportunity for
a prominent member of the
music, film and TV businesses
to speak about the relationship
they have with the studios and
service providers that make
their products.
The President’s Toast will be
given by revered producer Joe
Boyd (Fairport Convention,
Nick Drake).
David Hamilton-Smith will
pay a special tribute to Keith
Grant, APRS Fellow, who died
earlier this year.
For this first time this year,
the lunch will be recorded and
edited on HD film by James
Cumpsty, made possible by the
support of APRS member
HHB Communications.
Tickets for the lunch can be
booked via the APRS website or
by phoning the APRS head office
on +44 (0)1803 868600. Special
discounts are available for APRS
and other trade body members. n
www.aprs.co.uk
London Mayoralty: Boris
Johnson himself is required to
give approval to applications to
demolish both the Exhibition
Centres and houses on the
West Kensington & Gibbs
Green Estates.
Representatives of the
estates fighting the plans are
already claiming one significant
victory, with 11 October
bringing the news that His
Honour Judge Phillip Sycamore
had decided to grant a judicial
review. A date for the hearing
has yet to be confirmed, but
it is unlikely to take place
before 2013.
“The Council and the
developer now have 35 days to
submit their further defence to
the High Court. This one
legal challenge could, on its
own, put a stop to the whole
scheme,” says campaign
co-ordinator Jonathan
Rosenberg, adding that
activists are nonetheless in the
process of “preparing many
more legal challenges”.
Whatever the future of the
exhibition centre, what’s for
sure is that it will no longer
be providing a home to the
UK’s leading annual
entertainment technology
show. As discussed in the
September issue of PSNEurope,
the PLASA Show is to relocate
to ExCeL for its next edition,
scheduled to take place from 69 October 2013. n
www.westkengibbsgreen
wordpress.com
Gilmour, Townshend
to be Sound Fellows
Veterans of Pink Floyd and The Who will be honoured at the annual
APRS Awards Lunch later this month, writes Erica Basnicki
Recording Practice and founder
of Surrey University’s
Tonmeister course; David
Gilmour, Pink Floyd guitarist,
vocalist and writer, owner of
Astoria studio; Bruce Swedien,
engineer and mixer for Michael
Jackson among others; Pete
Townshend, rock guitarist and
THE 6TH annual APRS Sound
Fellowship Awards Lunch,
hosted by Sir George and Lady
Martin, will be held at the Roof
Gardens, Kensington on
Tuesday, 20 November. This
year’s six Fellowship recipients
are John Borwick, audio
journalist/editor of Sound
songwriter with The Who,
author, founder of HEAR;
Maggie Rodford, film
soundtrack producer, owner Air
Edel; Eddie Veale, leading UK
acoustic and studio designer.
Alison Wenham, CEO of the
Association of Independent
Music (AIM), has been invited
UNITED KINGDOM
Judicial review for Earls Court plans
IN YET another twist to the
protracted saga surrounding
the proposed redevelopment of
the Earls Court area of west
London, a campaign group
fighting the plans has won
the right to a hearing at the
High Court.
As was widely expected,
Hammersmith & Fulham
Council voted to approve the
controversial scheme at a
meeting held in early September.
But with several significant
obstacles still to be overcome,
the future of the plans remains
far from certain.
The fight continues to save
the iconic venue
Late last month, Kensington
& Chelsea Council was due to
consider whether to approve the
demolition of the Earls Court
Exhibition Centres. This month,
decision-making transfers to the
AIM’s Alison Wenham has been
invited to propose the Harewood Toast
C L E A R
A S
"! """ "" November 2012 l 05
news
UNITED STATES/ITALY
Outline and PRG announce major partnership
By Dave Robinson
ITALIAN LOUDSPEAKER
manufacturer Outline srl and its
US subsidiary Outline North
America LLC have entered into
a strategic partnership with US
production giant PRG
(Production Resource Group).
According to Tom Bensen,
managing director of Outline
North America, the agreement
means that PRG becomes an
authorised Outline dealer “with
full and unrestricted access to all
Outline product lines. PRG will
rent and resell our equipment, and
specify it into installations, as well
as sub-rent it to other companies.”
The centre of activities for
this new relationship will be at
PRG’s expansive Las Vegas
facility – the hub of PRG’s
touring sound business – where
a turnkey system of Outline
GTO, GTO-SUBS, Butterfly,
Mantas, DBS18-2 Subs
and recently introduced
LipFill-0182 – over 140
enclosures and power
amplifiers in total, plus
amplifiers and flying
accessories – will be
maintained for immediate
deployment for PRG’s
production requirements.
“We are very excited
to enter into this
relationship with PRG,”
says Giorgio Biffi, CEO
of Outline srl. “This
comes at an exciting time
for our company, as we
continue our global
growth initiative with the
addition of many of the
world’s largest sound and
production companies.
PRG is a welcomed
addition to our family.”
Outline’s large-format GTO
“I have seen the
incredible growth
of PRG over the
years and am very
pleased to have
them help lead the
charge for our
large-format line
array, the GTO, in
the US,” adds
Bensen. “We
appreciate PRG’s
confidence in our
company and their
shared vision for the
future as we begin
this relationship.”
PRG is a 360º
event operation,
supplying lighting,
video effects,
scenery and sound
for Broadway
productions such as
Spiderman: Turn Off the
Dark, and major live television
presentations including the
Academy Awards. PRG also
provides audio systems,
stage design and lighting
effect systems for major
tours and events such as
Elton John, Red Hot Chili
Peppers and the Super Bowl
half-time show.
In the past two years the
NYC-based company, which
celebrates its 30th anniversary
this year, has expanded rapidly
by aggressively acquiring
businesses in several territories,
including rental house EML
Productions NV in Belgium,
LED screen maker Bytecraft in
Australia, German production
outfit SHOWTEC as well as
other US-based entertainment
technology businesses. n
www.outline.it
www.prg.com
WORLD
Massive investment plan
for Music Group in China
By Erica Basnicki
IN THE past few weeks, Music
Group has announced plans to
invest $50 million (€38 million)
in a new 50-acre corporate
complex in Guangdong, China.
According to the company, the
investment comes at a time
when its current Music Group
City site in Zhongshan is
stretched to capacity “with
overwhelming demand for
new products”.
“It is my distinct pleasure to
announce the fulfillment of a
major objective of our group
today with the start of this
incredible undertaking,” said
Music Group’s founder and
CEO Uli Behringer at the
cornerstone ceremony. “This
new home will bring together
our people from several different
sites, our world-class
manufacturing and integrated
logistics teams into one
Uli Behringer, pictured centre, with local representatives at the cornerstone ceremony for Music Group’s new facility
Music Group’s new complex will be based on the ‘corporate campus’ buildings
typical of Silicon Valley
environmentally sustainable
location woven into the natural
local landscape. My goal is to
make this a place where talented
people can attain their life goals
without compromise.”
The new campus will be
home to nearly 5,000 employees
and is to include over 278,000sqm
of automated factory space
housing more than 100 surface
mount machines, automated
transducer lines, injection
molding and hydro forming
facilities and a total
‘clean-air’ wood products
and painting pavilion.
The company’s agency test
labs will be expanded with
additional RF and TDMA
facilities and a new anechoic
chamber will be built for
acoustical testing. The campus
will also offer housing for
almost 2,000 company
employees and include on-site
educational, child-care and
health facilities.
International consultants to
advise on site development,
livability and environmental
concerns have been
commissioned to ensure longterm satisfaction for workers
and minimal impact to the
surrounding eco-system.
The investment is testament
to the Music Group’s
commitment to its expanding
portfolio, which includes Midas
Klark Teknik and Turbosound.
Expected completion is some
time in 2014. n
www.music-group.com
06 l November 2012
industrymovers
artists and broadcasters all
over the globe.
www.richmondstudios.com
Riedel expands
cruise ship team
Rik Hoerée joins the team to spearhead the sales effort
RIK HOERÉE has
joined the Riedel
Communications
team as key
account manager
cruise ship
engineering. He is
charged with
spearheading the
sales efforts in the
cruise ship market
for the entire Riedel
range including
intercom, fibre and
audio solutions.
“I’m looking
forward to
developing new business
opportunities for Riedel here
in this market. From my past
experience with Apex in
Belgium and France, I have
been familiar with the Riedel
product portfolio for a long
time. Riedel is one of the
most forward-thinking
manufacturers in this industry.
I’m excited to be on-board,”
he said. Hoerée has 19 years of
sales experience in the pro audio
and broadcast industry. He has
spent the past 14 years as sales
Michel Brouard,
K-array
Dave Ball,
Polar Audio
In a move to further
broaden its scope in the
rental and installation sector,
Polar Audio has appointed Dave
Ball to the position of business
development manager. He
brings with him experience in
the custom install market
including time at LMC, KV2
and Midwich Home.
www.polaraudio.co.uk
& technical director at Apex
BeNeLux and Apex France.
Cruise ships are a relatively
new market for the German
communications giant but,
Riedel said, because of the
long time-frames involved
with specification, installation
and completion of the
comms systems on such large
vessels, it was not possible
to discusscurrent Riedel
cruise ship projects at
press time.
www.riedel.net
Geoff Foulkes, Richmond
Studios Productions
house Richmond Studios
Productions (RSP) as
development producer. In this
new role, he will be responsible
for identifying production
opportunities and strategic
partnerships, overseeing
the development of new
projects, and building on
RSP’s successes, producing
award-winning soundtracks
and live music content for
QSC Audio Products has
announced changes to its
executive team with the
promotion of Jatan Shah to
executive vice president, chief
operating officer and the
promotion of Barry Ferrell to vice
president, cinema. In his new role,
Shah will oversee the company’s
finance, R&D, manufacturing,
supply chain, IT, and legal
functions. He joined QSC in 2010
and has served as chief financial
officer and chief technology
officer. Ferrell began his career at
the company in 1990 as an
applications engineer and was the
first technical hire at the company
in the sales and marketing
department. After holding a
number of different positions he
assumed leadership of the
Cinema Group at QSC in 2009.
www.qsc.com
K-array has announced
that Michel Brouard has
joined the company as corporate
vice president of sales. In this
role he will manage the Asian
market. Brouard joins from
L-Acoustics where he covered
multiple roles; he has 16 years of
experience in the speaker
manufacturer sector.
www.k-array.com
Music television specialist
Geoff Foulkes is joining
London-based AV production
Jatan Shah (left) and Barry Ferrell, QSC Audio Products
Build-in Scalibility
Our Standards.
Expanding a Q-Sys network is as easy as adding switches and Q-Sys
peripherals to a network where you need them. Paging stations and touch
screens, as well as a host of I/O options are all available. System expansion
is easily programmed via the drag-and-drop interface of Q-Sys Designer.
Make it Powerful
Q-Sys™ utilizes a centralized processing topology operating under a customized
Linux operating system on Intel® micro-processors and motherboards. With
nearly unlimited DSP, any number of inputs and outputs can be routed and fully
processed without compromising speed or capability.
Keep it Simple
Q-Sys Designer™ software provides an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface to
configure, program, test and deploy even the most complex system with ease.
Guarantee Reliability
Elegant design, industry-best components, precision assembly, and rigorous
testing ensure that reliability, a hallmark of every QSC product, is built into
every Q-Sys device. For critical life safety applications, complete system
redundancy can be achieved with ease. And, should trouble arise, Q-Sys
support is available 24/7.
Q-Sys Core 250i
Ensure IT-Compatibility
Q-Sys operates using the same Layer 3 networking protocols and standard
Gigabit Ethernet switches that IT staff worldwide use on a daily basis. No special
proprietary hardware is required for Q-Sys to live on most existing networks.
qsc.com
© 2012 QSC Audio Products, LLC. All rights reserved. QSC, the QSC logo, and Q-Sys are registered trademarks in the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office and other countries. Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
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Annular Polymer Diaphragm
Upper Phase Plug
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2267H 15" Differential Drive Woofer
2269H 18" Differential Drive Subwoofer
A pinnacle achievement in over 65 years of loudspeaker innovation, JBL introduces the VTX
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Learn more at jblpro.com/ VTX
© 2012 Harman International Industries, Incorporated
08 l November 2012
For more events news visit
www.prosoundnewseurope.com/events
expos&events
EDITORIAL
PLANNER
SPOTLIGHT
TONMEISTERTAGUNG
22-25 November
Cologne, Germany
www.tonmeister.de
DECEMBER
f Review of the year
f Touring amps
‘Greater power in a smaller rack
THE 27TH Tonmeistertagung is being held in the
Cologne Congress Centre for the first time,
continuing the theme of regularly changing venues.
The 2012 event will once again feature an extensive
programme of lectures, roundtables, poster
sessions, seminars and workshops relating to
practical work and product developments. Topics up
for discussion include loudness normalisation, HD
video and HD audio, restoration and archiving, and
studio and acoustics. The SAE Alumni Convention
2012 will run alongside Tonmeistertagung.
space.’ Is there more to the future of
power amps than that?
f DSP/chip technology
FPGAs, semi-conductors, ICs: the
exponents of the components.
Deadline: 15 November
Distribution: 27 November
EVENTS Your complete events calendar for the months ahead
JANUARY 2013
2013 International CES
8-11 January 2013
Las Vegas, US
www.cesweb.org
SIEL
4-6 February Paris, France
www.siel-expo.com
CeBIT
5-9 March
Hannover, Germany
www.cebit.de Celtic Connections 2013
17January-3 February
Isle of Skye, UK
www.celticconnections.com
Music Producers Guild Awards
7 February
London, UK
www.mpg.org.uk
NAB
6-11 March
Las Vegas, US
www.nabshow.com
MIDEM 2013
26-29 January
Cannes, France
www.midem.com
Brit Awards 2013
19 February
London, UK
www.brits.co.uk
CABSAT MENA 2013
19-21 March
Dubai, UAE
www.cabsat.com
BVE
26-28 February London, UK
www.broadcastvideoexpo.co.uk
Prolight + Sound
10-13 April
Frankfurt, Germany
www.prolight-sound.com
The ARC Show
27-28 February London, UK
www.thearcshow.com
Musikmesse
10-13 April
Frankfurt, Germany
www.musik.messefrankfurt.com
Dynamic Events Conference
28 January
Amsterdam, Netherlands
www.dynamicevents.org
Integrated Systems Europe 2013
29-31 January
Amsterdam, Netherlands
www.iseurope.org
NAMM Show
24-27 February
Anaheim, US
www.namm.org
BETT
30 January-2 February
London, UK
www.bettshow.com
f ISE preview
f NAMM preview
f iPad/tablet apps
Alternative ways of manipulating and
affecting pro-audio proliferate.
Here’s insight into this new world.
f Surround microphones
Broadcasters are driving the need for
more sophisticated sound capture.
Deadline: 5 December
Distribution: 3 January 2013
FEBRUARY 2013
f ISE review
f NAMM review
f Audio in gaming
f Workflow/DAWs
THE PRO AUDIO MIXER AMONG MIXERS
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Ideal for all professional applications up to 8
channels. Also on board are two editable digital
effects units with 100 presets each, as well as a
professional 4xIN / 4xOUT USB digital interface.
For further information visit www.dynacord.com
10 l November 2012
technologyreview
Sponsored by
Lauten Audio Atlantis FC-387 mic
Lauten Audio’s newest microphone has been voiced with three different
characteristics. Mike Hillier dons his diving gear and goes looking for pearls
MANY
OF us
dream of
owning
large microphone
collections, selecting only
the best for each source
and holding shootouts
between several options
each time we get a new
vocalist to record. In reality,
economics usually dictate that
we make compromises. For
many this means reducing our
wishlist down to only one or
two mics of each type.
Many musicians will opt for
a single large-diaphragm
condenser as a good all-rounder
that can be used on acoustic
instruments, amplifiers and
vocals alike. However, this
means that you are no longer in
a position to pick the mic with
the best voicing for the job. And
furthermore, if you multitrack
multiple sources, all with the
same model, then any peak in
that mic’s frequency response
will result in a considerable
build-up around this frequency
come mixdown.
The Lauten Audio Atlantis
combats this problem by
attempting to offer three
different voicings in one
package. Accessed by a switch
on its body, the three are G
(Gentle), N (Neutral) and F
(Forward). These voicings are
more than simple EQ curves
and apparently relate to
three different preamp circuits
that Lauten has designed
in collaboration with
producer/engineer Fabrice
DuPont (Toots & The Maytals,
Mark Ronson). The Gentle
setting is described as
providing “maximum control
of bright or peaky sources such
as [sibilance]”.
All three voicings can be used
in any of the three polar pattern
options (cardioid, omni and
figure-8) and a further switch
on the body of the mix enables
you to select +10, 0 or -10dB
settings for recording sources at
different SPL levels. This +10dB
option is unusual (although it is
shared with Lauten’s Clarion
FC-357 microphone), but can
be useful when recording very
quiet sources to increase the
output signal before the
preamp. It can also be used to
drive the internal preamp
circuitry on louder signals for a
different coloration.
The microphone capsule is a
38mm edge-terminated dualdiaphragm design shared with
the Lauten Oceanus LC-381
(Lauten’s documentation
refers to this as a 31.25mm
capsule, but this refers to
the diaphragm diameter
only, not the whole
capsule). Finally, the
Atlantis output circuit is
transformer coupled using the
same custom-wound
transformer as the Clarion.
DuPont has described the
mic as designed to suit bright
female vocals and I can
certainly see how. When set to
the Gentle position the mic
would make an excellent match
for a bright or scratchy female
vocalist. In this position there is
some mellow high-frequency
roll-off above 5kHz which gives
the microphone a warm,
vintage quality.
However, I found on my own
vocal that the Neutral setting
had a slightly more natural
feel to it, without losing
the warmth and pleasing
vintage characteristics.
Most pleasingly the Neutral
position brought the
low-mids forward in the
mix, giving my
vocal slightly
more depth than
the Gentle
position. The
Forward
position
produces
a lift
above
5kHz,
producing
a much
more in-your-face
modern vocal sound, which
might be perfect for some hiphop and R&B vocalists.
Engaging the +10dB gain
switch let us drive the vocal a
little harder, but on my own
vocal produced only a slight
change in the low mids. Placed
in front of a loud guitar cabinet,
however, we were able to drive
the internal preamp a little
stronger than I could with my
voice and the additional lowmid frequency content became
more noticeable, we could also
hear a little compression kicking
in on transient passages.
For electric guitar the Gentle
position was a distinct favourite,
picking up plenty of growl from
the cabinet and taming the
top-end, which we usually end
up rolling off anyway.
Lauten has made a mic with
plenty of character and the
three voicings make it an ideal
choice for anyone wanting only
to invest in a single largediaphragm condenser. However,
even if you do already own an
enviable transducer collection,
it’s worth giving the Atlantis
a listen. We were particularly
impressed with the low-end
on this mic, which is in a
league with classics like the
Neumann FET47. Dive in! n
www.lautenaudio.com
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
f £1,198 (€1,470) inc VAT
Distributed by Synthax
Phone +44 (0)1727 829750
www.synthax.co.uk
TECH SPECS
f 31.25mm dual-diaphragm capsule
f Cardioid, Omni and Figure-8
polar patterns
f Three unique voicings
f Requires 48V phantom power
f +10dB gain
f -10dB pad
f Custom wound output transformer
f Low noise FET circuit
f Frequency response from
20Hz-20kHz
f 120dB dynamic range
f Impedance <200 ohms
f Max SPL 130dB for 0.5%THD
at 1,000Hz
PROS
f Three distinct voicings
f +10dB gain and -10dB pad options
f Comes with wooden box and
shock mount
CONS
f No high-pass filter
Atlantis with
presentation box and
shock mount
© 2012 MUSIC Group IP Ltd. Technical specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. iPad not included.
This Is Your Moment
The lights come up, the band explodes to life and your system is dialed in.
The show unfolds in front of you and everything is where you expect it to be.
Mains sound great, 6 monitor mixes, side-fills and in-ears are netting you nods from the
band. You’re bedding 32 tracks in ProTools™, and mixing a killer show. You glance down
at the X32 and marvel at the technology; motorized faders, LCD scribble strips, 16 mix
busses and racks of effects at your fingertips, iPad® ready to mix from anywhere.
Get your hands on an X32 and live your moment!
12 l November 2012
technologynew products
PSNEurope compiles this month’s list of hot new products
PROGUARD HEARING PROTECTION
Lin-Ear PR20
What is it? A universal fit music
earplug that will allow users to listen to
loud music in critical and social
situations without compromising audio
quality or risk of hearing damage.
Details: The Lin-Ear PR20 music
earplug features a reuseable 19dB
linear attenuation filter that is CE
approved to EN352-2:2002. The filter
fits into soft flexible silicon eartips that
provide comfort and durability even
after long periods of use. Fitting deep
into the ear canal the earplug is discreet
and has no protrusion allowing the user
to wear headphones or other types of
headwear if required.
Specifically designed for musicians,
DJs, sound engineers, concert-goers
and music enthusiasts, the Lin-Ear
PR20 will enable the user to listen to
loud music in perfect clarity, yet
maintain the live atmosphere without
risking hearing damage.
And another thing… The
PR20’s advanced membrane
technology acoustic filter is said
to provide natural undistorted
sound with minimal occlusion effect
that’s often associated with
earplugs. The vented design of
the Lin-Ear allows the trapped
sound to escape through the
acoustic filter as if the user’s ear
was open.
www.proguarduk.co.uk
DYNACORD
CLIFF ELECTRONICS
AIRTIGHT XLR
SOCKETS
A-LINE
What is it? A new family of airtight
connectors developed primarily for
active loudspeaker manufacturers
which are common in studio
monitoring and similar high-fidelity
audio applications.
Details: The A-Line series is made up
of one 12” and one 15” two-way/fullrange system and an 18” subwoofer,
in both active and passive versions.
Perfectly attuned to one another and
equipped with high-quality
components, all members of the A-Line
family are said to be notable for their
high power-handling capacities and
balanced frequency response as well as
for 15mm-thick plywood cabinets that
are both light and robust.
The members of the A-Line family are
perfectly matched, allowing a multitude
of combinations that respond to a wide
range of sound reinforcement needs.
Details: Air leakage from conventional
connectors is recognised as an acoustic
problem in high-quality loudspeaker
design, particularly the infinite baffle
types often found in recording studio
and broadcast applications.
The new airtight XLR connecter
family from Cliff provides a cost and
labour-saving solution to possible air
leakage affecting speaker fidelity. The
connectors are gas tight and supplied
with a flange sealing gasket which
promotes an efficient seal between
the flange and mounting panel further
helping to seal the mounting holes.
The airtight XLR and its gasket are
designed for both front and rear panel
mounting and are available in threepin horizontal PCB, vertical PCB and
solder bucket versions.
And another thing… Also new from
Cliff is the Cliffcon ¼” JumboJack
Plug which provides stage
performers with a solution to the
problem of connecting high-current
carrying, large section audio cables to
conventional ¼” audio jack plugs.
www.cliffuk.co.uk
What is it? A new loudspeaker family
comprising three active and three
passive models.
FLARE AUDIO
Q12, Q15
What is it? New compact versions of
Flare’s Quadhorn bass enclosures.
Details: The new product additions
offer a compact double 15” or 12” bass
enclosure consisting of two custom
neodymium drivers loaded using Flare’s
Nanoflow technology. Constructed
from birch ply and press formed for
increased strength, the bass systems
have been designed with tourability
and a small installation footprint in
mind, while a choice of different finishes
make them equally suitable for the
studio or live setting. All models can be
used in conjunction with Flare’s high
pack product range, Triwave, which
combines point source, line source and
line array technologies, or the V Series
compact speakers.
channel (biamping) digital power
amplifier as well as state-of-the-art
signal processing. The A 118A active
sub features similar performance
characteristics, the integrated power
amplifier delivering 400W (IHF-A)
peak power to the 18” EVS-18K woofer.
The device offers, in addition, a master
volume control, a phase-reverse switch
and an XLR/RTS combination input.
And
another thing… The Q12 (above) and
Q15 have a minimal footprint and an
integrated “top hat” which allows other
loudspeakers to be mounted
on a straight speaker pole above
the enclosure. Both models can also
be used to supplement large
venue installations.
www.flareaudio.com
The A 112A and A 115A can either be
pole-mounted or stacked on top of the
subwoofer and boast a Class D two-
And another thing… The A 112, A 115
and A 118 passive models can be
operated by powered mixers from
Dynacord’s PowerMate series.
www.dynacord.com
MC2 AUDIO
S SERIES
What is it? A pair of
high-powered amplifiers
designed for any
application where
transparency and reliability
are key requirements.
Details: The S Series currently
comprises two models – the S800
and S1400 – capable of delivering
1.55kW and 1.8kW (respectively) into
2 ohms. Both models can be operated
in bridge mode (via rear-panel
switch), raising output power to
3.1kW and 3.6kW (respectively) and
can also accommodate 4- and 8-ohm
speaker loads. S Series amplifiers
utilise complementary A-B, bipolar
output stages combined with MC2
Audio’s current-driven, floating drive
stage and analogue level controls for
minimal signal degradation.
Side-chain limiters are
incorporated to prevent distortion
and speaker damage but remain out-
of-circuit until the onset of clipping
and so do not compromise the signal
path under normal working
conditions. The design also includes
full DC, thermal and short-circuit
protection plus a high-fidelity
shielded, toroidal power supply
combined with intelligentlycontrolled, low-noise cooling fans to
maintain optimum operating
conditions. The frequency response
of S Series amplifiers is quoted at
20Hz-20kHz (+/-0.05dB) and THD
at <0.03% across the frequency range.
And another thing… Housed in a 2U
rack-mount cabinet, the S Series
S800 model weighs 20.5kg rising to
23.3kg for the S1400 model.
www.mc2-audio.co.uk The world’s finest wireless systems
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Computer monitoring software for all aspects of performance
S5.5 System
24 Channel Wireless Solution
True diversity operation utilizing twin RF sections
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14 l November 2012
technologyfeature
Ravenna
comes of
age
“Where will
we stand in
two years’
time? Well,
with Ravenna
we can do a
lot, but
soothsaying is
not on the
feature list…”
Hall 8 at IBC was awash with manufacturers displaying
Ravenna branding, suggesting that the networking
technology could be approaching a tipping point. David
Davies examines the present and possible future of
Ravenna, and what it all means – if anything – for AVB
Hildebrand agreed that a ‘tipping
point’ appeared to be in prospect,
remarking: “We have worked
long and hard to communicate
the benefits of this technology,
and it is evident to me that the
message is now getting across.”
ROAD TO ROUTABILITY
If that has proven challenging at
times, it is hardly surprising with
so many approaches to audioover-IP competing for pro-audio
users’ attention. But in its ability
to operate without licensing
Master
Ravenna
board for
Lawo routers
and consoles
purely on existing, Layer
3-based networks, Hildebrand
believes that Ravenna has a
strong offering.
“Ravenna streams can
traverse subnet boundaries
and, under certain conditions,
can even use WAN connections.
Since only standardised
protocols and mechanisms
are employed, Ravenna can
operate on existing network
infrastructures utilising available
equipment capabilities,”
explains Hildebrand.
This contrasts with Layer 2based AVB’s requirement for
dedicated switches – an issue that
could limit its relevance to
complex existing broadcast
networks. But with broadcast not
perceived to be among the core
applications for AVB, it may be
that the notion of a rivalry
between the two technologies is
erroneous anyway.
While he is careful not to
dismiss possible adoption in
other sectors including live,
Hildebrand is emphatic
that ALC NetworX does
“not consider AVB as a
competing technology at
all. While AVB has other
strengths which have a
better match in other proaudio use cases, we see the
need for both Layer 2 and
Layer 3 technologies for
professional media
distribution applications.”
Perhaps more than any
of its other features –
among them low latency,
flexible payload format
definition, scalability and
fully synchronised operation – it
is the technology’s licensing-free
status that Hildebrand regards as
its greatest single selling point.
“Manufacturers do not have to
buy any black-box IP or pay any
licensing fee to ALC NetworX to
implement Ravenna into their
devices – all protocol ingredients
are fully published and freely
available,” he clarifies.
REGIONAL VARIATIONS?
But while there is a firm rebuttal
to any suggestion of competition
with AVB, Hildebrand
acknowledges that another
lingering perception – that which
paints Ravenna as a primarily
European phenomenon with only
minimal support in the US – does
need to be addressed, however
mistaken it might be.
“Although the majority of
Ravenna partners are actually
based in Europe, most of them
are engaged in worldwide
business. Through the worldwide
deployment of Ravenna-enabled
devices, we actually experience a
growing interest from other
continents,” says Hildebrand.
The adoption of Ravenna by
US-based broadcast audio
specialist Telos Alliance is likely to
be particularly significant here.
Telos publicised its Ravenna
partnership at NAB 2012, where
Axia – Telos’s studio audio
division – also introduced a new
generation of Ravenna-supporting
IP audio interfaces, xNodes. And
that’s not all... “While the xNodes
are fully Ravenna-compatible,
through close co-operation with
the Axia development team we
RAVENNA:
REPRESENT!
Those partner companies in
full (as of October 2012):
l AEQ
l AETA Audio Systems
l Arkona Technologies
l Axia
l Digigram
l Dimetis
l DirectOut Technologies
l DSA Volgmann
l Genelec
l Infomedia
l Lawo
l Linear Acoustic
l LSB
l Merging Technologies
l Neumann
l Omnia
l Qbit
l Schoeps
l Sonifex
l Sound4
l Telos Alliance
even found a way [to achieve]
interoperability between
thousands of deployed legacy
Livewire and new Ravenna devices
– truly a major milestone.”
Additionally, Axia is one
of the proponents of the AES
X192 task group, which was
established by CobraNet
pioneer Kevin Gross (of AVA
Networks) in 2010 to develop
audio-over-IP interoperability
standards. Hildebrand is
confident that the resulting
documents will be applicable to
Ravenna – a development that
would further enhance the
technology’s market credibility.
t
DEBATE SURROUNDING
the long-term future of
networking has been dominated
by the Audio/Video Bridging
(AVB) project for a couple of
years now. The standardisationpromoting activities of the
AVnu Alliance and the
popularity of Audinate’s Dante
technology – perceived by many
as a pathway towards AVB
implementation – have done
much to ensure that AVB’s
profile remains high.
But on the basis of a robust
showing at IBC 2012, another
approach to the networking
problem could soon be rivalling
AVB for column inches: Ravenna,
which utilises standard IP to
deliver real-time distribution of
audio and other media. Of the 21
manufacturers who have signed
up to the initiative (see box, right,
for full list), no fewer than 19 –
including such heavy-hitters as
Merging Technologies, Genelec
and Lawo – could be found at
IBC, with many indicating their
affiliation by displaying identical
stand flags.
The announcement on
Day One that IP codec
manufacturer Qbit had also
agreed to implement the
technology further underlined
the feeling of momentum
behind Ravenna, which was
developed by Germany-based,
Lawo-sponsored company
ALC NetworX.
Welcoming PSNEurope to the
Ravenna stand on the edge of
Hall 8 at Amsterdam’s RAI
centre, ALC NetworX senior
product manager Andreas
Andreas Hildebrand,
ALC NetworX
16 l November 2012
Photo: Gregory Maillot (point-of-view.ch)
technologyfeature
RAVENNA FIRST FOR MERGING TECHNOLOGIES
A recording by classical label
Chandos earlier this year
became an operational first for
Merging Technologies’
Ravenna-ready Horus
Networked Audio Converter.
Two such units, connected via
Ravenna to a Pyramix mixingrecording system, were deployed
to capture new recordings by
Neeme Järvi and the Orchestre
de la Suisse Romande of works
by composers Joachim Raff
(Switzerland) and Emmanuel
Chabrier (France).
The event took place in the
1890s-built Victoria Hall in
Horus converter in the recording
chain via Ravenna
Geneva, with engineer and
Chandos managing director
Ralph Couzens and
producer Brian Pidgeon
using 24 microphones
for the undertaking.
Couzens is reported to
have said: “We have used
Pyramix on several
occasions with great
success and I had not
originally realised that we were
the first to use Horus in this
way. The recordings sound
absolutely brilliant. We finished
ahead of schedule and Horus
performed faultlessly.”
We’re thinking small
Seems like all of a sudden,
compact arrays are big
business. So talk to
Celestion about our range
of high performance,
small-format drivers.
AN2075 50mm/2"
AN2775 70mm/2.75"
AN3510 88mm/3.5"
(L-R): Ricardo Ryan (Merging Technologies software QA & project manager),
Claude Cellier (Merging CEO), Neeme Järvi (maestro), Ralph Couzens
(Chandos MD) and Brian Pidgeon (producer)
Miguel Sancho, technical
director of AEQ, pinpoints the
resonance between the two,
noting that AEQ joined the
Ravenna project “with the
objective to work through this
partnership in the preparation
and implementation of AES
X192. Our commitment is to
provide users with IP
interconnection of audio
equipment in professional and
broadcast environments with the
additional commitment of trying
to facilitate the interconnection
via IP to existing equipment,
manufactured prior to AES X192
being a standard.” Signing up to
Ravenna, adds Sancho, is “our
way of contributing to the
implementation of AES X192”.
Meanwhile, August’s news
that the AES and the EBU
are to collaborate on a new
common packet-based network
standard for linear PCM audio
– dubbed ‘Next Generation
AES/EBU Interface Based on
IP Technology’ – suggests that
the entire audio-over-IP
initiative is moving into an
important new phase.
SORRY, NO SOOTHSAYING
In any case, as Merging
Technologies CEO Claude Cellier,
observes, Ravenna-based
networks are already a reality.
“Some of our users are already
deploying Ravenna networks with
over 96 channels (equivalent
bandwidth to 384 channels
running at 48kHz) for some
prestige recordings, and all it takes
is a simple [sub] €300 managed
switch to route those signals
between all the I/O nodes,” notes
Cellier, adding that Ravenna is
“turning out to be a no-brainer to
deploy over new or existing
networks” provided that basic
configuration rules are applied.
With AVB arguably suffering at
present from questions about the
availability of sufficient quantities
of compliant product, the notion
that there might soon be one
overriding approach to
networking able to command
near-universal support holds less
currency than it did 18 or even 12
months ago. Hildebrand concurs
with PSNEurope’s suggestion that
there will probably continue to be
a multiplicity of different
solutions – “there are, and always
will be, application areas where
you can potentially apply one or
the other technology” – but he
believes that Ravenna’s case is
now clearly drawn.
As for where exactly his
preferred technology will stand in
a couple of years’ time: “Well,
with Ravenna we can do a lot, but
I have to report that soothsaying
is not on the feature list...” n
ravenna.alcnetworx.com
It’s another
innovation in sound
from Celestion.
Find us on Facebook
www.celestion.com
Ravenna representatives were in high spirits at IBC. Pictured L-R: Mike Buhnke
(Schoeps), Stefan Heinzmann (ALC), Michael Hofer (SLG Broadcast), Jan Ehrlich
(DirectOut), Marc Strähl (SLG Broadcast), Vincent Defritin (Sound4 – hidden),
Chris Hollebone (Merging – in the middle)
6)*6)7,
YOUR
7=78)1
'SRXEGX]SYVPSGEPHMWXVMFYXSVSV[VMXIXSWEPIW$TS[IVWSJXMXJSVEHIQS
A single rack unit: ¾I\MFMPMX]VIPMEFMPMX]IJ½GMIRG]
Huge power output and superb audio performance: 4S[IVWSJXEQTPM½IVWYXMPMÎQMRMQEPIRIVK]
8SXEPGSRXVSPEPPXLIEQTPM½IVWEVIIRXMVIP]QEREKIHF]XLI%VQSRME4VS%YHMS7YMXITMWSJX[EVI
)RLERGIER]WTIEOIVW]WXIQ[MXL4S[IVWSJX´WVERKISJXSYVMRKEQTW
8IGLRSPSK]ERHHIWMKRQEHIMR-XEP].
8IGLRSPSK]ERHHIWMKRQEHIMR4S[IVWSJX.
®
www.powersoft-audio.com
18 l November 2012
showreview
AES 2012
PSNEurope’s Nick Beck
takes in the sights
UNITED STATES
can be combined into standard
busses from mono to 7.1, plus
custom format busses of any size.
Solid State Logic unveiled an
enhanced version of its Duality
console, the Duality Pro-Station.
The new shape allows the console
centre section to accommodate a
27”Apple Cinema Display
mounted on an articulated arm,
enabling it to be pulled forward
towards the operator for more
intensive arrangement and
editing work. In addition, SSL
confirmed it will be adding its
A-FADA (Analogue Fader
Accesses DAW Automation)
system, first introduced with the
AWS 948, to Duality consoles. Also
debuting at the show were the
E-Series EQ Module and E-Series
Dynamics Module for the API
500 Series modular rack format.
Grace Design introduced its
m905 stereo reference monitor
controller to the industry at the
AES show. The m905’s main
audio circuitry and power supply
is housed in a 2U, 19” rackmount
mainframe, while system control
is managed by a desktop remote
control. The rear panel of the
mainframe provides balanced
analogue inputs on XLR
connectors, and a pair of
unbalanced inputs on RCAs.
Wrapping up the new product
launches is US manufacturer
Phoenix Audio, which launched
its N90-DRC/500 compressor,
also known as the David Rees
Compressor. The API 500 series
format compressor/gate
completes the Phoenix Audio 500
series line up. The N90-DRC/500
was originally conceived 20 years
ago by David Rees but was never
fully released. It’s designed
around a VCA control with Class
A discrete input and Class A
transformer balanced output.
In a final piece of AES news, it
has been confirmed that next year,
the 137th AES Convention will
move back to Los Angeles. So
long, San Francisco, hello LA. n
www.aes.org
The QUANTUM post-production
console from Fairlight
AES 133: from the
show floor in San Francisco
Couldn’t get to AES? Here are some of the new products
launched in San Francisco, writes Erica Basnicki
to transport a second processor.
All 32 microphone feeds can be
connected back to the control
room along a single Cat5 cable.
Compatible with all standard
sampling rates up to 384kHz,
the AX32 allows production of
future-proof master-quality
Digital eXtreme Definition
(DXD) and Direct Stream Digital
(DSD) audio data formats as well
as the 44.1 to 192kHz formats
commonly used for audio editing
and distribution.
Also launching a new
converter was Antelope Audio,
which introduced the Orion 32: a
32-channel A-D/D-A converter
and audio master clock in a 1U
rack. The device supports both
MADI and USB interfaces,
clocked by Antelope’s 64-bit
Acoustically Focused Clocking
(AFC) technology.
The Orion 32 allows 192kHz
I/O streaming of 32-channel
digital audio through its custombuilt USB chip, which provides
simple connectivity to any
USB-enabled DAW or computer.
The converter also provides 32
channels of 96kHz audio
through its fibre-optic MADI
I/O connections.
Introducing new hardware for
the first time in several years,
Fairlight debuted two products,
the first of which is XSTREAM,
a tactile, ultra-compact desktop
control surface for its CC-1
Media. The XSTREAM is a
cost-effective option suited for
audio and video engineers
working in post production.
The second offering is
QUANTUM – a mid-sized audio
post production console. The
console is available in both 12and 24-fader configurations, and
supports large projects up to 192
tracks feeding a 230 channel mix
into 72 bus elements. Bus elements
AT A GLANCE
t
Grace Design’s m905 stereo
reference monitor controller
t
Prism Sound launched
the Lyra family
t
audio-metering plug-ins in the
Avid AAX format, starting with
the Nugen ISL true-peak limiter.
AAX updates for the rest of
Nugen Audio’s product line are
to follow.
“Many of our customers use
Avid editing tools, so it was a
natural course of action for us
to create AAX plug-ins,” said
Jon Schorah, Nugen Audio
creative director.
Elsewhere, Prism Sound
launched its Lyra family of audio
interfaces, based on the Orpheus
audio path and clock circuitry, but
in a package and price point aimed
at project/home studio owners.
Lyra 1 offers two analogue input
channels – one for instrument/line
and one for mic/line – plus two
D-A output channels and opticalonly digital I/O.
Lyra 2 takes the concept a
little further by offering two A-D
input channels with switchable
microphone, instrument or line
input modes and four D-A
output channels. In addition to
the optical-only digital I/O and
copper S/PDIF, the Lyra 2 also
offers wordclock In/Out enabling
synchronisation with other
digital devices.
Danish audio company NTP
Technology introduced the DAD
AX32 mastering-quality audio
A-D/D-A converter in San
Francisco. Housed in a 2U
chassis, the AX32 allows large
multi-microphone arrays to be
accommodated without the need
t
THERE WAS no
shortage of technical
presentations at the
133rd AES Convention in San
Francisco this year. Two were
made by Audio-Technica; ‘On the
Study of Ionic Microphones’
and the juried paper session
‘Transducers’, both of which took
place on Saturday, along with
‘Wireless Frequency Wrangling at
Large Events’, chaired by Bob
Green, Audio-Technica’s US
director of digital and technical
wireless engineering.
There was also plenty of new
product on the floor of the
Moscone Convention Center
too: the UK’s Unity Audio
previewed its forthcoming
Avalanche subwoofer, its third
monitoring product, designed to
complement the company’s
existing Rock and Boulder.
The Avalanche uses a
downward firing 12” woofer in a
65-litre enclosure. The input
circuitry uses two transformer
balanced XLR inputs feeding
Burr Brown op amps.
Amplification is by two Rock
low-frequency custom E.A.R
discrete Class A/B amplifiers
running in parallel, for a total of
150W. The cabinet sits on four
large, adjustable solid brass spikes
to stop any unwanted movement.
The Avalanche extends low
frequencies down to 30Hz with
the -3dB point down at 23Hz.
Among its new products,
Nugen Audio released its line of
The DAD AX32
from NTP
Unity Audio previewed
its Avalanche
subwoofer
THE NEW GTO SYSTEM IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
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OUTLINE ITALY Tel.: ++39 030 35.81.341 | mail to: [email protected] | WWW.OUTLINE.IT
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20 l November 2012
For the latest studio news
www.prosoundnewseurope.com/studio
Studio
SOUNDBITES
Soho Square Studios has
completed the challenging audio
restoration work on Hello Quo, a
documentary about British rock
band Status Quo. Tools from
Avid, Steinberg, Waves, TC
Electronic and iZotope were used
extensively on the archived audio.
“Because the tape had been
worn out over time I had to
actually replace the audio bit by
bit. You couldn’t just replace
the whole track,” said Soho
Square Studios sound engineer
Edward Sutton.
www.sohosquarestudios.com
7Hz Productions, Microsoft and
343 Industries have released the
Halo 4 original soundtrack.
Composed and produced by Neil
Davidge (Massive Attack) and
recorded at Abbey Road Studios,
it features a 16-person male
tenor/bass choir, 10 females from
the London Bulgarian Choir and a
full 50-piece orchestra.
www.halo4remix.com
www.halo4soundtrack.com
Organisers of this year’s
Music Production Show have
confirmed seminar and
masterclass sessions will be
run by sE Electronics, pro-toolsexpert.com, the Music Producers
Guild, Gearslutz, Nova
Distribution, Sontronics and
Sound On Sound and MusicTech
magazines. MPS 2012 takes
place at The Emirates Stadium,
north London on 23 and 24
November. Tickets are priced
at £10 in advance (£15 on the
door) and are available online.
www.musicproductionshow.co.uk
NOVA Distribution has
announced that the “eagerly
awaited” Lindell Audio 500
series modules are now shipping
in the UK. Exclusive to NOVA,
the series comprises the 6X-500
– mic preamp and passive EQ,
the 7X-500 – FET Compressor
and the PEX-500 – Passive EQ.
NOVA's Phil Skins says: “Tobias
Lindell has managed to create
superb sounding modules that
will add that big punchy
analogue sound to any recording
at an unbelievable price.”
www.nova-distribution.co.uk
David Gray:
“exploring other options”
UNITED KINGDOM
Redevelopment looms
for Church Studios
Haringey Council has granted singer David Gray planning permission to
transform the site into luxury flats, writes Erica Basnicki
FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER’S
report that singer David Gray
had made an application to turn
Crouch End’s The Church
Studios into a mixed-use
development of five luxury flats,
shops and office spaces,
PSNEurope has learned that
Haringey Council has granted
the musician the appropriate
planning permissions.
An update in The Ham &
High (Hamstead & Highgate
Express) reveals that over 500
signatories petitioned the
council to keep the former
chapel as a music venue,
originally converted into a
studio in 1984 by the
Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart.
Posting on his website shortly
after news initially broke of
Church Studios’ potential
The studio could be converted
into a mixed-use space
redevelopment, Gray said:
“I bought the studios from
Dave Stewart in an act of
uncharacteristic extravagance in
2004, as my own personal
recording space. I suspected
even then that it was madness.
But I have since recorded three
full albums there and a lot of
other music besides. It remains a
very inspiring place.
“However, in the last few years
the expense of keeping The
Church going has become too
much of a burden, so I have
invested a lot of time, energy and
money in creating a website,
upgrading recording equipment
etc, all with a view to trying to run
it as a business. A few people have
come through the door, but it is
still a country mile from breaking
even. In the light of a wider music
business in free fall, the chance of
selling it on as a working studio
seems close to zero. So I am – as
partly reported – currently
exploring other options.”
Gray is currently recording his
latest album at The Church, and
added he won’t make any
decisions about the studio until it’s
completed some time next year.
“Truly, nothing would please
me more than selling The
Church on to someone who
would like to carry on running it
as a music studio,” he added. n
www.thechurchstudios.com
UNITED KINGDOM
A Solid investment for Alchemea College
By Erica Basnicki
LONDON-BASED Alchemea
College has made a major
investment in a new Solid State
Logic Duality SE console, with
finance provided by Fineline
Media Finance.
Eighteen months ago
Alchemea’s technical team began
researching a replacement for its
Euphonix CS3000 desk – a
workhorse that had proved
reliable over 15 years, but was
starting to show its age.
“We needed a fully featured
large-format analogue console
with 24 channels, and we had a
fairly long list of other feature
Alchemea College principal Christian
Huant in front of the new Duality
requirements including full
processing on all channels,
surround and advanced
automation with full DAW
control. In addition we wanted a
console from a company we
could trust to provide support
for the next 15 years going
forward, and a brand that was
relevant to today’s market so that
we are training students on
equipment they will encounter in
the real world,” said Alchemea
College’s director, Neil Pickles.
The Duality will form the
centrepiece of Alchemea’s Studio
Sound diploma, an intensive
nine-month programme with
emphasis on practical use of all
of the equipment, which includes
an SSL 4000 G-series analogue
console, and an Avid D-Control
in the college’s 5.1 cinema
dubbing theatre.
Fineline Media Finance
provided the original finance
package for Alchemea’s
purchase of its Euphonix desk
15 years before, and the college
once again approached the
company for its new purchase.
“Sam Baker understood the
market and what we were buying,
and was able to come up with a
finance package that delivered
what we needed,” said Pickles.
“We also had confidence in
Fineline from our past dealings
and, when the time came to do
the deal, Sam was able to turn it
around rapidly.” n
www.alchemea.com
www.fineline.co.uk
November 2012 l 21
studionews
BELGIUM
FOR PIANO virtuoso Jef Neve,
La Chapelle studios is like a
second home. After having
recorded three albums with the
Jef Neve Trio (Nobody is Illegal,
Soul in a Picture and Imaginary
Road), Neve came to the
Waimes-based studio to work
on Sons of The New World.
The album, featuring Neve
and eight musicians, was
recorded at La Chapelle in
July and will be released
worldwide on 26 October
(Universal Music). Recording
engineer Werner Pensaert
mixed the album at
Audioworkx in Holland.
“Jef really appreciates the
exceptional acoustics of La
Chapelle,” comments Stijn
Verdonckt, studio manager.
“Jef was also the first to use the
new AL.SO Dynax2 dynamic
sound shaper, designed by
Olivier Bolling.”
Verdonckt added that the
legendary GAM studio (part of
La Chapelle) was upgraded with a
Pro Tools 10 production platform
(32 in/out). Interfacing between
the Sony ‘baby’ Oxford DMXR100 console and the Pro Tools
system is done through an RME
HDSPe Raydat card and an RME
Fireface 800. “GAM is mainly
used as a pre-production studio
and writing room,” Verdonckt
explains. “We want to profile
GAM as Studio 2 alongside the
Photo: Charlie De Keersmaecker
La Chapelle: home of the new world
Jef Neve behind the controls
at La Chapelle studio
AUSTRIA
Unterlass: the business
of DIY from Austria
main La Chapelle studio – it’s very
budget-friendly as well. But more
and more clients have been
upgrading to Pro Tools 10 – it’s
also a matter of workflow:
functionalities in Pro Tools 10
make work easier and Avid has
implemented quite some changes
to the plug-ins and software.
“The investment in the new
equipment is clearly paying off,
with GAM studio booked up
solid every month.
“Furthermore, since April this
year, the studios have become
part of The Miloco Group’s
management syndicate. This has
led to further success on an
international level.” n
www.lachapellestudios.com
Unity Audio’s Kevin Walker with studio designer Kevin Van Green,
and The Boulder
three -way
active monitor
By Erica Basnicki
A FRUSTRATING search for
a home studio workspace drove
Austrian musician/producer
Arno Unterlass to take matters
into his own hands, and build
one himself.
Three years later, Viennabased Unterlass Studio
Furniture has opened its doors
for business throughout the
European Union, offering its
flagship media production
workspace, the DUODESK 60.
“In 2009 I wanted to buy a
desk for my own recording
studio, but there was nothing on
the market that fitted my needs,
in terms of ergonomics, design
and materials. As a musician and
producer myself, I knew exactly
what I wanted: the look and feel
of a studio – without having to
buy a big analogue mixing
console,” he said.
“I rendered the first
prototype of the DUODESK
60 in 3D, then built it for real.
This was exactly what I wanted
– lacquered finish, open backs
UNITED KINGDOM
Unity adds hire service
The flagship DUODESK 60 from Unterlass
By Erica Basnicki
and lots of space for rack units.
The reason why I formed the
company was that I got so
many requests from people who
wanted exactly the same desk.”
The DUODESK 60 features
a concealed cable management
system, two 10º-angled
desktop-mounted side racks
(10HE each), two front-facing
floor-level vertical side
racks (16HE each), and two
rear-mounted horizontal racks
(4HE each). A companion
model, the DUODESK KEY
60 also features a pull-out
keyboard drawer capable
of accommodating most
88-key keyboards.
A range of configuration
options are available for both
models, including a deluxe
‘Zebrano’ wooden finish, an
additional 20 or 50cm desk
extension, and an additional
angled 10HE rack space at the
desk’s sweet spot. n
www.unterlass.info
UNITY AUDIO has launched
a hire division catering to both
studio and live markets. Most
products from the company’s
distribution lines will be
available to hire.
Commenting on the new
business, Unity’s Kevin Walker
said: “It was an easy way of
trying to add a different revenue
stream to what we currently do
in terms of sales. Pretty much
90% of the gear we have, you
can’t hire anywhere in the UK.”
Walker added that, eventually,
Unity Hire will expand into
small PA systems and beyond:
“I’m interested in that kind of
market and want to get into that
more. We’ve already got
bookings for some local festivals
next summer, so I’d better get a
PA system together! We’ll start
small on that and build it up. We
might also get into location
recording systems as well, and
offer that as a service.” n
www.unityaudio.co.uk
22 l November 2012
studioreport
ITALY
Horus and Pyramix
shine in Rome
Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the
Orchestra and Chorus of the
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Merging Technologies converters and DAW
capture live recordings at a famous Italian venue
– with the prime minister looking on
THREE DAYS in mid-October
saw an exciting and demanding
programme of Bruckner’s 9th
Symphony and Quattro Pezzi
Sacri by Verdi recorded live for
an upcoming international
release on the EMI Classics label.
Sir Antonio Pappano
conducted the Orchestra and
Chorus of the Accademia
Nazionale di Santa Cecilia at the
orchestra’s home base at Rome’s
spectacular Parco della Musica.
This iconic music complex was
designed by world-renowned
architect Renzo Piano, while the
acoustics for the three concert
halls was the work of Jürgen
Reinhold of Müller-BBM.
The recordings represented a
test of some new technology for
the recording team. The usual
infrastructure at the Parco
consists of a large Stagetec
Nexus system linked with fibre
optic cables. This operates at
48kHz – whereas the
requirement for these recordings
was 96kHz. Additional
equipment for the task was
supplied by location recording
specialist VDM, which is also
the distributor for several
leading equipment brands.
One of the innovations was
the use of Horus microphone
preamplifiers and A-D/D-A
converters from Merging
Technologies. Three Horus units
were used, one on the stage to
connect the 24 spot mics on the
orchestra, one in the roof to
take the 20 suspended orchestra
and ambience mics and one in
the control room acting as the
D-A to feed the various
monitoring devices. Single Cat5e
cables connected all these units
to the Pyramix Digital Audio
Workstation via the Ravenna
network. VDM has already
completed several projects with
this set-up (see boxout, p16),
but this was the first time that
three Horus units were to be
deployed. A Smart AV Tango 2
was controlling the mix and
providing the user interface for
the Pyramix and Horus from
the single screen. In addition to
a variety of headphones used,
PSI Audio high-precision
Swiss monitors were the main
listening system for the
recording, broadcast and
CD-premix workstations.
CEO of VDM, Igor Fiorini
said: “This was the opening
Igor Fiorini controls the Pyramix DAW
with a Smart AV Tango 2 controller
concert in this very important
winter season. On Saturday we
had Italy’s president, Giorgio
Napolitano in attendance and
on Sunday Mario Monti, the
prime minister, was in the
audience so it was important
that everything worked!
“There are many benefits to
using Horus for these concerts.
The sound quality has
delighted all our clients and for
me, the installation is so much
easier despite the complexity of
the session. Monitoring with
PSI Audio is a logical choice as
few monitors can reveal the
subtle details in sound balance
the way the PSI Audio
products do. These were
memorable performances and
our strategy is clearly to
capture the sound and listen
with the most accurate
equipment possible.”
The Accademia’s sound
engineer Giacomo De Caterini
was in charge of the joint
venture with EMI’s Abbey Road
Studios assisted by Fiorini.
Producer David Groves, a
veteran of the Sala Santa
Cecilia, looked after
performance and artistic
matters. De Caterini also knows
all concert spaces well: “I am
used to working with converters
and microphone preamplifiers
that were regarded as groundbreaking in their day, but
technology has advanced and
importing a completely new
recording chain [like this] allows
me to make some judgements.
“Both these pieces of music
provide a tough challenge for
Horus. The Verdi has huge
dynamic range with some very
quiet a cappella sections. Most
converters I know would lose
something at either extreme but
this was not the case here. The
sound was clean and had the same
sense of air regardless of whether
it was pianissimo or the maximum
the chorus could give us.
“The Bruckner piece also has
extreme dynamics but here we
often run into the complexity of
the orchestration. If brass and
horns are playing flat out it can
often become a little harsh and
over-bright. You lose some of
the detail in the rest of the
orchestra. Here again, Horus
seems to preserve the fidelity
and perspective regardless of
what is being played and at
what volume. I quickly got the
feeling that we could trust what
we were hearing and that
inspires confidence.”
The simplicity of connecting
the whole with Ravenna using
Cat5e cable surprised the
engineer. “It is very desirable to
have the mic pres as near the
mics as possible but you don’t
want to be climbing up into the
roof every few minutes. To be
able to get all the audio and to
be able to control everything
down one cable is a revelation,
but a little scary when the Head
of State is in the house!”
The Saturday night concert
was broadcast live on Rai Radio
3 and the feed for the
transmission was from the Horus
to the Stagetec Nexus system
used by Rai. The control room is
permanently equipped with a
Stagetec Cantus console and was
large enough to accommodate
the additional recording
equipment, so both teams were
recording separate mixes at the
same time in the same room.
CD-Rs of either mix could be
burned for the conductor to
listen to for any musical or
balance changes that might need
to be made.
Additional pieces will be
recorded in mid-November in
the same hall with the same
orchestra. Rossini’s Petite Messe
Solennelle will be on offer, with a
cast of exciting soloists. It has
already been decided to use the
same equipment for that series
of concerts and with more
planned in the New Year, this
could see the experiment
becoming the usual set up for
recording in this hall. n
www.merging.com
November 2012 l 23
studionews
UNITED KINGDOM
API seals HHB deal
By Erica Basnicki
LATE SEPTEMBER saw press,
dealers, producers and engineers
gather at Mark Knopfler’s
British Grove Studios in London
to join Source Distribution’s
celebration of its appointment
as API distributor for the UK
and Ireland. It was the perfect
setting for the event, as British
Grove’s Studio 2 features an
API Legacy console.
Source officially began
distributing its first discrete
analogue audio brand in the
summer, making its first sale to
Scottish DJ/producer Calvin
Harris, who purchased a
second 1608 desk. This is also
Source’s first opportunity to
sell large-format consoles, and
according to director of
distributed brands, Howard
Jones, the company is “already
talking with someone about a
Vision over here in the UK”.
Joining the celebrations
at British Grove were API
president Larry Droppa,
director of sales Dan
Zimbelman, and director
of engineering Jeffrey Bork –
all of whom flew in from
the US especially for the
event. Additionally Source
Distribution took the
opportunity to introduce new
pro-audio product specialist
Andy Bensley.
Source’s Jones commented on
the new partnership: “API is a
great brand, with great products;
huge in the States and other
territories but in the UK it hasn’t
quite had the profile that it
needs. That’s what we’re good at;
taking those brands and kicking
them up a little, and that’s what
we’re hoping to do with API.”
Droppa added: “We’re not the
only company out there that
makes pro-audio products, but
if you handle our stuff, you
need to be as passionate about
it as we are. It’s off to a great
start and I think [Source
Distribution] will do really great
things for us in the UK.”
Meanwhile at IBC 2012,
sister company HHB
Communications was named
Master Distributor for DiGiCo’s
UB MADI 2.0 USB device in
the UK and Ireland. The deal
further extends their relationship
as it follows HHB’s recent
appointment as DiGiCo’s UK
broadcast dealer.
L-R: API president Larry Droppa, Source Distribution’s Andy Bensley, API director
of sales, Dan Zimbelman, API director of engineering, Jeffrey Bork and Source
Distribution director of distributed brands, Howard Jones
HHB has also been appointed
as exclusive distributor for
Yellowtec in the UK and
Ireland. Microphone and
monitor mounting systems,
USB audio interfaces and voice
processors are among the
products to be found in the
Yellowtec range. n
www.apiaudio.com
www.hhb.co.uk
www.sourcedistribution.co.uk
Evolution
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24 l November 2012
studionews
Lewitt’s LCT
840 tube mic
AUSTRIA
Look out for Lewitt
In just two short years, microphone manufacturer Lewitt Audio has amassed
an impressive line-up of official endorsees. Erica Basnicki has an ear to
the ground to find out why…
THE CHALLENGE facing a
new microphone manufacturer
to not only break into the
market, but also into that
favoured position within an
engineer or artists’ mic locker,
is a daunting one. A quick
Google search for microphone
manufacturers returns a number
somewhere between 40 to more
than 100 companies, each with
at least half a dozen mics
on offer.
Yet somehow Lewitt Audio
has defied the odds, earning
itself an impressive line-up of
professional endorsees –
including David Crosby,
drummer Derrick Wright
Derrick Wright is just one high-profile
endorsee of Lewitt products
(Adele) and producers
Stereotypes (Far East
Movement, Justin Bieber) – in
just under two years
Is the company charmed? Was
it voodoo? No, says Steffen
Grachegg, Lewitt Audio’s head
of marketing: “We met the right
guys, and we have the right
products. It really is that simple.”
It sounds too easy, and yet
making things easy was the
concept that spawned Lewitt
Audio back in 2008, two years
before it officially launched its
first microphones at Winter
NAMM 2010.
CEO Roman Perschon
previously worked as project
manager at ‘another very famous
Austrian microphone company’
where, according to the official
Lewitt Audio history, “he knew it
was good to inspire and organise
people and bring a network to
life that ensures smooth
processing of ideas from the
manufacturing stage to the user.
And he knew that the anonymity
and bureaucracy of corporations
that often swallow up the best
ideas wasn’t good.”
So Perschon left, did some
travelling, and ended up meeting
with Ken Yang, owner of one
of the largest microphone
manufacturing bases in Asia, and
now Lewitt Audio’s president.
Within a few days, the two had
outlined what would become
Lewitt Audio, and went for it.
Together with Grachegg, who
has been in touch with Perschon
from the beginning, the company
set about producing prototypes
of their microphones.
“When we first went to
NAMM in 2010, we met Edwin
Oliver III, who is our vice
president of artist relations. He
was formerly a talent scout with
his own record company – very
deep in the music business – and
he was impressed with our
microphones. He showed them to
his artists and friends, and then it
was the classic snowball effect;
people talk,” said Grachegg.
Lewitt launched its entire
product line-up of LCT (minus
the recently-introduced LCT 840
tube mic and LCT 940 tube/FET
mic), MTP, DTP, and LTS mics.
They include technical features
such as illuminated LED
displays, automatic attenuation
with clip detection and history,
and a plethora of adjustable
settings, with an active R&D
centre in Austria aiming to
churn out even more.
“One of our goals is to create
one innovative product with one
never-before-seen feature a
year,” says Grachegg.
More important than LEDs
and switches is that, if Lewitt’s
endorsees are to be believed, the
microphones sound good.
“We are not dreamers,” says
Grachegg. “We know no one is
waiting for another microphone
company. Of course, we think
we have our place in the market,
and we are definitely ready to
defend our position.” n
www.lewitt-audio.com
Listen.....Wirelessly!
JTS TG-64 wireless tour guide system is a reinforced
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Good for tour guide, conference, church and anywhere
personal listening assistance needed.
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Exclusive UK Distributor: Proel International Ltd.
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2EGISTRATION2ESERVATIONS
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RAI Amsterdam
Conference 12-17 September : Exhibition 13-17 September
Exhibit at
IBC2013
9HPZL`V\YWYVÄSLTV]LPU[VUL^THYRL[Z
KL]LSVWKPZ[YPI\[PVUJOHUULSZHUKNLULYH[L
ZHSLZSLHKZ
H[[LUKLLZfrom over 160
countries
VM[OLPUK\Z[Y`»ZSLHKPUN
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TVYL[OHU accredited press
free feature areas including
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- Industry Insights Conference
:[YLHTPUJS\KPUN>*4,
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November 2012 l 27
For the latest broadcast news
www.prosoundnewseurope.com/broadcast
broadcast
SWITZERLAND/RUSSIA
Olympic win before the games!
PSI Audio speakers
have already shipped to
Sotchi in Russia for the
2014 Winter Olympics,
writes Terry Nelson
RELEC SA, the manufacturer
of PSI active monitors and
high-end hi-fi speakers, hosted a
double celebration at its
premises in early October.
The Swiss company revealed
that 25 pairs of PSI monitors
will be deployed to the
broadcast booths at the Winter
Olympic Games in Sotchi in
2014. The order comes as Relec
clocks up 20 years of producing
powered PSI monitors.
National print and radio press
joined Relec staff and Italian
PSI distributor VDM Group in
Yverdon, Switzerland to
recognise the occasion.
PSI monitors drawn from the
A-14, A-17 and A-21 models
will be used to equip the
broadcast booths for all the
commentary teams in the large
ice rink for all of the skating
events. There is also the
possibility that more speakers
will be required for the ice
hockey at a later date.
PSI’s Marc Chablaix said that
the order was “further
recognition of the qualities of
PSI active monitors, which are
already in use by major
including IRCAM in Paris, the
studios of France Télévision and
NHK in Hong Kong.
For Roux, accuracy is crucial.
He said: “Studio monitors
should not have a ‘sound’ but
just reproduce what is in the
programme content with respect
to phase and frequency response.”
VDM Group CEO, Igor
Fiorini, added: “PSI speakers
are like a professional camera
with sophisticated lenses – you
get the image and the clarity
without any artefacts.”
The current range of PSI
UNITED KINGDOM
Twin new training offers from IABM
By Erica Basnicki
THE IABM (International
Association of Broadcasting
Manufacturers) Training
Academy has introduced
two new training courses
designed specifically for
broadcast engineers.
Network Essentials for
Broadcast Engineers takes place
in Reading, UK on 4-5
December. It’s a hands-on
course that addresses the
transition of the broadcast and
media production world from a
customised environment with
dedicated interconnections
between specific-to-function
hardware to general-purpose
hardware, bespoke software, and
IP-based network interconnects.
The second course being
introduced is Compression
Fundamentals and Applications.
This explores the role of
compression as a fundamental
German hip-hop group Fanta 4
recently reprised their 2000
MTV Unplugged performance
at the Balve Cave, with
Rastatt-based Audio Broadcast
Services (ABS) providing
Lawo mixing desks for the
broadcast. Two mc²56 consoles
were used; a 48-fader version
at FOH and a 64-fader version
(48 plus a 16-fader extender) for
monitors, especially configured
for 96 aux channels.
www.audio-broadcast-services.de
www.lawo.de
The BBC has launched a new
version of its iPlayer system
specifically for radio. BBC
iPlayer Radio went live on
Monday 8 October allowing live
programmes and archive
material to be listened to in a
variety of ways. This includes
on PCs, smartphones (a new
app is available for iOS with an
Android version to follow) and
other mobile devices, including
tablet computers.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio
Alain Roux (left) and Marc Chablaix with
a selection of PSI monitors
broadcasters internationally as
well as studios”. Five other
brands of monitor are reported
to have pitched for the order.
The brainchild of the
company founder, Alain Roux,
the PSI Series was one of the
first active monitor ranges to be
released to the pro-audio market
in 1992. The speakers featured
such innovations as active twoway crossovers, matched power
amplifiers and specially
developed drivers. PSI Audio
speakers have found a home in
many prestigious establishments
SOUNDBITES
includes six full-range models
plus the Sub A225-M. The latter
can be equipped with the
optional R&B management
system, which provides routing
and bass management functions
for up to eight speaker channels
and three monitor channels,
together with channel
configurations within a
multichannel set-up.
Relec SA is typical of the
small, self-contained Swiss highprecision manufacturer… and
they intend to keep it that way. n
www.psiaudio.com
Danish event and television
production specialist dbLux
has taken delivery of a new
outside broadcast truck, fitted
with a DiGiCo SD10B digital
console. dbLux was recently
awarded a contract to relay 300
Superliga (Denmark’s top
football league) football matches
over the next three years.
Built to conform to EBU R128
loudness standards, the
truck’s SD10B was supplied by
DiGiCo’s Danish distributor
Soundware A/S.
www.dblux.dk
www.digico.org
building block of AV
environments and how it enables
functionality not possible with
uncompressed media. Attendees
will gain a fundamental
understanding of video
compression and how the science
can be applied to preserve and
optimise image quality – an
essential for success – in
operational environments. This
course will be held on 11-12
December, also in Reading. n
www.iabmacademy.org
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO,
the UK’s largest advertising
agency, has purchased four
licenses for Emotion Systems’
automatic loudness analysis and
repair software, eFF Audio.
AMV BBDO is the first
advertising agency to purchase
eFF Audio, which has been
installed in the master control
room at the company’s
in-house post-production
facility, the LAB.
www.emotion-systems.com
28 l November 2012
broadcastnews
RUSSIA
Calrec Beams into Moscow
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By Erica Basnicki
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CALREC HAS made its first
foray into Russia with the sale of
two Artemis Beam consoles to
Television Technical Centre
Ostankino for NTV-PLUS, a
Russian subscriber satellite and
HD service.
The 48-fader desks were
installed in the Moscow
Television Technical Centre,
networked together using
Calrec’s Hydra2 system,
allowing either console to access
any I/O on the network.
The company also designed a
panel that sits in the control
surface and houses a Colin Broad
SR4 serial remote/synchronizer.
This setup enables operators to
control multiple playback/record
machines from the Artemis desk.
OKNO-TV, one of Calrec’s
Russian systems integrators,
co-ordinated the project.
“We are thrilled about our
first sale to the prominent
Russian station, NTV-PLUS,”
said Mike Reddick, Calrec’s
manager of European sales.
“We feel it is a very positive
first step in forging strong
bonds between our companies
in what will be a long and
mutually beneficial
relationship.”
NTV-PLUS used the new
desks for the Wimbledon
tennis tournament in London
this year, and rented an
additional three Artemis
consoles for use during the
Summer Games in the city.
“We aspired to find a
system to match the
requirements of our
broadcasting and production
facilities,” said Oleg Kolesnikov,
CTO at
NTV-PLUS. “We believe this
choice offers the best answer for
live sports productions and
studio shows. NTV-PLUS is
widely known as a
technologically pioneering
NTV-PLUS’s Alexey Martynenko sits at one
of the broadcaster’s new Artemis consoles
company in the Russian
broadcast market, and this
digital audio transition with
Calrec allows us to maintain
that position.” n
www.calrec.com
UNITED KINGDOM
BBC ONE’S Question Time has incorporated
the Dugan-MY16 automated microphone
mixing card into its broadcasts.
The show is mixed on a Yamaha LS9-32
digital console, either by engineer Jeremy
Farnell (pictured) or Three Squared
Production’s owner Graham Backhouse.
With up to 10 omnidirectional microphones
in use, the automated microphone mixing
eliminates the missed first syllables that
can often result from the sound engineer
having to rapidly bring a low-level channel
fader up.
German OB company Heinen Studios has also invested in the Dugan-MY16, which was recently used to record the
programme Talking of Tomorrow for national radio station Deutschlandradio Kultur. n
www.yamahaproaudio.com
RPQLJ¦J>ABøPQRAFLøIFKBPø
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WORLD
SSL brings Golf Channel up to par
By Kevin Hilton
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INTERNATIONAL SPORTS
broadcaster the Golf Channel is
refurbishing its live and postproduction operations to HD
and 5.1, installing new SSL
digital consoles as part of the
audio upgrade.
A C100 HDS has been
installed in control room PCR1
at Golf Channel’s broadcast
centre in Orlando, Florida, with
a C10 HD going into voiceover
control area PCR3. The new
desks join a C100 HDS already
being used in PCR2, which was
upgraded in 2009. All three are
connected over a MORSE
router to allow material to be
shared between the studios.
The PCR1 C100 HDS
replaces a C100 HD desk and,
according to Ken Botelho,
senior director of engineering
at the Golf Channel, is part
of a plan to give engineers
“uniform topology and
functionality between the three
control rooms”. The
broadcaster receives coverage
of golf tournaments from
around the world, and so needed
a way to save time on its
production schedules. n
www.solidstatelogic.com
November 2012 l 29
broadcastnews
SOUNDBITES
UNITED KINGDOM
New names at BVE North
Broadcast Video Expo North, which takes place in
Manchester on 13-14 November, will welcome a
host of first-time exhibitors, says Erica Basnicki
BVE (BROADCAST Video
Expo) North reports that 33 new
brands will be exhibiting
at/sponsoring this year’s show.
Among them are three German
audio manufacturers, DirectOut,
RTW and Jünger Audio.
DirectOut is showcasing its
range of MADI tools,
including the M.1K2 1,024 x
1,024 channel MADI router
and its EXBOX series of
compact MADI converters, as
well as its ANDIAMO range of
A-D/D-A converters.
RTW is bringing its range of
EBU R128-compliant
TouchMonitor loudness and
PPM meters focusing especially
on the new TM3-3G. Designed
for use with 3G SDI digital
video, TM3-3G also functions
as a de-embedder and compact
audio monitoring controller.
Jünger Audio’s loudness
management tools will also be
on show, including the T*AP
eight-channel audio processor,
which provides unattended,
artifact-free loudness control for
stereo and 5.1 transmission.
In addition to a wealth of
broadcast-related seminars and
sessions, BVE North will offer
plenty of networking
opportunities including at the
BVE North Show Bar. This year
includes scheduled Bar MeetUps specifically for freelancers
and audio professionals.
Additionally, BVE North’s Skills
Zone will host informal sessions
lasting for one hour, with tips on
everything from how to get back
into work following a career
break, to financial tips for
running a small business.
Anita Pal, event director at
show organiser i2i Events
Group, said: “These networking
opportunities really are
invaluable for content creators
and broadcast professionals
in the region, and we’re
delighted to partner with these
organisations to bring people
together around BVE North.” n
www.bvenorth.co.uk
The 2012 event will offer new
exhibitors, networking and
education sessions
IT Broadcast Workflow (ITBW),
Europe’s premier event charting
the development and adaptation of
file-based operations in European
broadcasting organisations, will be
held on 9 July 2013 at BAFTA in
central London. Visitors can now
register for the event, organised by
PSNEurope sister title TVBEurope,
at an early bird rate of £49.
www.broadcastworkflow.com
Spain’s national broadcaster,
Televisión Española, has installed
Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak digital
wireless intercom system at its
Madrid HQ. Distributor QinMedia
supplied the new system.
www.clearcom.com
INFINITE
F
POSSIBILITIES
POSSIBILITI
DENMARK
TV2 East upgrades with Studer
By Erica Basnicki
READY FOR a technical
upgrade of its audio equipment,
Denmark’s regional broadcaster
TV2 East has purchased a 32fader Studer Vista 5 M2 digital
mixing console for its studio in
Vordingborg, supplied by Studer’s
Danish distributor Danmon.
TV2 East is primarily using the
console for its four daily news
broadcasts, sports programming,
along with its regional talk shows
and documentaries.
“We had a Yamaha PM1D
console but it was time to replace
the board, so we have been
researching and found Studer to
be the best fit,” said Kasper Thor
Larsen, head of technology at
TV2 East. “This Vista 5 console
has the best audio quality I’ve
heard from a broadcast console,
and its redundancy was another
major factor in our decision.”
Experience
ce the Eclipse GT – a virtuoso on any stage
TV2 East’s Peter Holmberg Pedersen,
Tonni Manum and Kasper Thor Larsen
with the station’s new Studer Vista 5 M2
Larsen added that the ability
to control the console via the
EMBER protocol played a big
factor in the decision. For some
applications, the console will be
controlled from TV2 East’s Ross
Overdrive automation system.
“The integration of Studer
Vista FX by Lexicon is also a
perfect match for our
requirements and gives easy
control of the effects in a costeffective way,” Larsen noted. n
www.studer.ch
Optimised console surface, high quality
components, superb workmanship
World’s first: complete workflow integration
of all digital microphone functions
Virtual soundcheck (M.A.R.S.),
64 channels HD record/playback
More information at www.innovason.com
30 l November 2012
broadcastreport
UNITED KINGDOM
RadioDNS moves ahead
It’s been a significant year for hybrid radio. The technology was highlighted at both IBC in Amsterdam and IFA
in Berlin. Nick Piggott of RadioDNS tells Kevin Hilton about the background to the project, how broadcasters
can tailor it to their needs and why combining FM with digital and the internet could revitalise radio
NEW INTERACTIVE services
linking digital and analogue
radio broadcasts to the internet
were launched last month on
both BBC services and German
public network ARD.
RadioDNS is an attempt to
combine the practicality and
familiarity of FM with the
additional data and connectivity
promised by digital radio when
it was introduced in the 1990s.
Standing for Domain Name
System, DNS is a computer
naming protocol that associates
specific information with
domain names and generates IP
addresses for the main services
and additional data.
The idea is to bring
interactivity to good old
analogue radio while at the same
time enhancing and expanding
the capabilities of digital
formats like DAB, as well as
media streaming services.
RadioDNS is hailed as an open,
hybrid technology and was
the format grew out of the
“maturing of a lot of
technological ideas” that have
been brought into “one quite
simple concept”. This, he
explains, focuses not just “all the
strengths of broadcast radio and
the internet” but also the
respective advantages of
analogue FM and digital radio.
RadioDNS offers radio over
DAB/DAB+, DRM/DRM+,
FM, the US HD Radio standard
and IP, all with access to
information about the
programmes through internet
connections. Because the core
technology only enables the link
between broadcast radio and the
web, RadioDNS includes several
sub-projects to further extend
Nick Piggott at IBC holding a
RadioDNS-equipped smartphone
originally conceived in 2008
under a joint project between
UK commercial group Global
Radio and the BBC.
The EBU launched its own
research into hybrid radio at IBC
2010 and at this year’s show
RadioDNS announced that “for
the first time there has been a
consensus to adopt common
standard hybrid radio across
Europe and the US”. During the
IFA consumer electronics
exhibition in Berlin in September,
German public broadcaster ARD
introduced two of the component
technologies of hybrid radio –
RadioVIS and RadioEPG – for
its DAB network. The BBC is
also using these for images and
text on Radio 1 and 1Xtra, as
well as more straightforward
RadioDNS on all other national
FM and digital networks.
Nick Piggott, head of creative
technology at Global Radio
and chair of RadioDNS, says
capabilities. Right now these are:
RadioVIS (an abbreviation of
visualisation) to add test and
graphics, which is available on
receivers including the Pure
Sensia and Revo Axis, plus some
mobile phone apps; RadioEPG
(electronic programme guide),
offering not just schedules but
also the capability to switch
between streaming and broadcast
radio, in addition to logos and a
‘universal preset’ to find stations
anywhere; and RadioTAG,
allowing the listener to push a
button during a song or
programme, creating a link to the
broadcaster, which can send more
information on the subject later.
Piggott describes RadioDNS
as a “framework”, with the
decision on how to use it and
develop an interactive strategy
left up to the broadcasters.
“There is a lot that is open to a
broadcaster,” he explains. “They
can have something very simple,
November 2012 l 31
broadcastreport
with just a logo and basic
programme data, or all that
along with entertainment and
travel news.”
Back in the early days of DAB
the EPG was a major selling
point of the technology but
implementing it has taken longer
than expected. Now EPGs
are more viable and can be
implemented on FM through the
internet. FM has had interactivity
for some time through RDS
(Radio Data System), which
is used predominantly for
linking to traffic reports, but
Piggott says the technology
behind RadioDNS is more
straightforward. “People can
use existing IT techniques and
don’t need to know about
complicated RDS groups,”
he says.
Internet radios and streaming
music players already offer a
wide range of stations and
supporting information, as well
as access to individual music file
libraries on personal computers.
Piggott acknowledges this but
argues that navigating round
these systems to find everything
is often cumbersome.
“There’s also more scope
with RadioDNS because if you
can’t find a station on one
platform you can find it on
another because there is digital,
streaming and FM to choose
from,” he adds.
RadioDNS receivers of all
forms – recognisable ‘kitchen
radios’ and apps for tablets and
phones – are now on the market
and car manufacturers are also
beginning to look seriously at
the technology, something that is
happening quicker than it did
with DAB.
While universal technologies
are still rare today, Piggott says
RadioDNS is coming close to
being that, with both European
and US broadcasters
implementing it. “America has
slightly different versions of FM,
RDS and digital radio,” he
concludes, “but they are agreeing
to go the same way as Europe on
DNS. Which is unusually bold
for a radio project.” n
www.radiodns.org
ROMANIA/MOLDOVA
Cross-border HD Voice
broadcast opportunity
By Kevin Hilton
IN A WORLD first, telecom
group Orange has connected the
mobile networks of two
countries using HD Voice. The
higher quality link between
Romania and Moldova could
signal greater flexibility for
broadcasters now using HD
Voice for audio reporting.
HD Voice is based on adaptive
multi-rate wide-band codecs
delivering 7kHz or 3.5kHz audio
bandwidth on 3G networks.
Radio stations have adopted the
technology for live reporting
because it produces better quality
connections than standard phone
lines and is cheaper than ISDN.
The spread of HD Voice is
increasing, with mobile networks
Glensound’s GS-MPI004 HD reporter’s
mobile phone (here at the Goodwood
Festival of Speed) is based on HD Voice
in 31 countries now offering it.
Orange is operating the
technology in 14 countries,
including Belgium, France, Spain
and the UK, with plans to launch
services in Africa and the Middle
East by the end of this year.
Commenting on the crossborder connection between
Moldova and Romania, PaulFrançois Fournier, executive vice
president of Orange’s
Technocentre, said: “Mobile HD
Voice offers noticeably better
audio quality and brings a real
satisfaction to Orange clients.
Almost 4 million customers have
switched to HD Voice in 14
countries, compared to 1 million
customers a year ago.”
Among the manufacturers
producing broadcast equipment
based on HD Voice is Glensound
Electronics, which produces the
GS-MPI004 HD reporter’s
mobile phone. Sales and
marketing manager, Marc
Wilson, called Orange’s
announcement “great news”, even
though the connection was over
only one border. “The significance
for broadcast is huge,” he said.
“As HD Voice awareness expands
in broadcast, cross-border calling
is a frequent request. I should
think broadcasters such as the
BBC World Service would be
very interested as HD Voice
borders open up.” n
www.glensound.co.uk
www.orange.com/hdvoice
32 l November 2012
broadcastfeature
Broadcast Bionics’ PhoneBOX has
been upgraded since PhoneBOX1 was
used in London’s old LBC studios
The radio studio
goes social
Kevin Hilton rounds up some
of the main areas of change for
steam wireless
THE RADIO studio has been
through its share of
technological changes over the
years – CD players, automation,
digital mixing desks, file-based
working – and it shows no sign
of slowing up in this evolution.
While new installations have
enough familiarity to keep most
people happy – even turntables
have made a come-back,
although that’s usually for
late night club music
programmes – new technologies
are making themselves felt in
this venerable medium. Let’s
take a look at some of them.
‘IP’
Internet Protocol in radio
divides into three neat groups:
contributions and distribution,
web streaming for the new breed
of listener, and studio
interconnectivity. In the first case
there is a definite shift in favour
of IP, driven partly by the fact
that getting ISDN lines will
become difficult in the future.
Shima Varsani, sales and
marketing director of codec
manufacturer Systembase,
comments that while ISDN and
X.21 lines are still the main
choice for live audio
transmissions, IP is becoming
“more widely accepted as
broadcasters get to grips with the
challenges of audio streaming,
such as increased delays”. She
adds: “The use of IP circuits also
require a much greater
understanding of IT systems to
enable users to configure and
optimise the network for a
broadcasting application.”
Dedicated IP streamer boxes
are now challenging more
expensive codecs as radio
stations look for budgetconscious ways to get
programme signals from the
studio to the transmitter.
Among the manufacturers
Sonifex’s Pro Audio Streamer range
producing IP distribution
products is Sonifex with the Pro
Audio Streamer range. This
comprises three IP-to-audio and
audio-to-IP streamers with
professional analogue and
digital inputs and outputs.
Sonifex’s Eamonn Heffernan
says these can provide up to six
concurrent streams from a single
unit and, because they do not
contain cooling fans, can be
installed in the studio as well as
the racks room. “One box can
feed multiple transmission sites,
which is a benefit for networks,”
he explains. “Distribution can
now be done from a box that isn’t
a codec. They’re proving reliable
and people are moving away from
codecs because of the expense.”
Contribs and distribution are
the nitty-gritty bits the audience
is probably unaware of but the
listeners are more than aware of
IP as another way to get their
favourite stations, either through
a computer, smartphone or
tablet. Heffernan comments that
the Sonifex Pro Audio Streamer
is being used to send streams to
IP radio transmission servers,
including Icecast and Shoutcast.
“People have been doing IP
streaming on PCs but with a
dedicated box they don’t have to
re-boot it once it is set up. It can
accept digital or balanced and
unbalanced analogue signals so
there is more choice for people.”
In the studio itself IP is the
new contender for connecting
equipment. The recent
partnership between Axia
Audio and Lawo, creating an
interface between the LiveWire
and Ravenna protocols for IP
(see p14), has put the focus on
consoles but this interconnectivity
extends from there to all
equipment in the studio.
Daniel Dedisse, product
director of automation
specialist Netia, observes that
IP audio “seems to be the
future”. He explains that
equipment can be integrated
without the need for specialised
audio boards or cards: “Audio
software must be IP compatible
to be controlled by the console.
At one time this was done
using hardware interfaces but
now it’s all software.”
This shift is confirmed by Phil
Myers, joint owner of broadcast
equipment manufacturer
Audionics. “More is being done
on the PC platform today,”
he says, “and we’re looking at
units that can be controlled by
IP.” These include intelligent
mains distributors and
transmission routers, meaning
many basic functions of the
station can be run from
anywhere using a computer.
VISUALISATION
Lovers of radio have always seen
it as superior to television because
it relies on sounds and voices to
create images in the imagination.
When digital radio was being
promoted in the 1990s it was
claimed that people would be able
to “see radio” because new
receivers would have screens.
This approach was soon
dropped as executives shied away
from making “cheap TV”. Today
webcams have been installed in
many radio studios but people
are realising there is more to a
visual element in radio than just
November 2012 l 33
200+
broadcastfeature
Dalet workstations installed
in VRT’s Radio 2
showing the presenter scratching himself
between records. Camera installations in
studios are increasingly sophisticated,
based on video switchers connected to the
audio outputs of microphones so the
shots follow who is speaking.
BCD Audio was one of the first
companies to address this new area and
now produces two systems: the Webcast 4,
with four PAL or SDI inputs, and the
Webcast6 (six PAL or SDI inputs). BCD
director Mike Law says the PAL versions
can use low-cost camcorders in situations
where the cost of SDI is prohibitive. “Both
use audio voice trigger inputs from the
mixing desk, taken from the aux busses. It
intelligently selects the correct camera,
depending on the audio trigger levels, and
the time it has been on a camera already.”
The BCD system has been installed in
studios at Radio 5 live’s new centre in
Salford but the new Radio 1 studio area
at Broadcasting House in London
features an installation based on
Blackmagic Design hardware. The
company’s ATEM 2 M/E production
switcher was installed by CVP in one
studio for the Official Chart Show online.
This controls six robotic cameras and
two DVD players for music videos, as
well as graphics, and is similarly triggered
from the mic outputs.
Ian Betson, managing director of
installation company AV Resilience, says
visualisation is a weapon radio is using to
fight back against TV and YouTube.
Betson is currently appraising the Dutch
VidiGo Visual Radio system, which has
INSTALLATION: VRT RADIO 2 OPTS FOR EXTENSIVE DALET SYSTEM
Belgium’s Flemish language public
broadcaster VRT is replacing the
production systems for the main
broadcast centre of pop and general
interest network Radio 2 and its five
regional stations. This involves
installing over 200 Dalet workstations
and 33 Dalet On-air systems, running
on the Dalet Radio Suite.
The system will work with a
centralised media asset management
(MAM) program to control all
programmes and information associated
with them. Material can be encoded for
a variety of platforms, including DAB,
DRM and HD Radio, as well as
repackaged for podcasts and distribution
online and to mobile devices.
“This upgrade will advance our radio
operations into the next generation,”
comments VRT project leader Bart
Lamberigts. “Dalet Radio Suite gives
us the flexibility in terms of
infrastructure, metadata and workflow
management along with the level of
reliability and redundancy we require.
For instance, our regional sites will
to reflect changes in the way people listen
and use radio today.
“Stations don’t have listeners any more,”
states Dan McQuillin, managing director
of Broadcast Bionics. “The stations want
as much interactivity as possible and that
means through Facebook, Twitter, emails
“Stations don’t have listeners any
more. The stations want as much
interactivity as possible and that
means through Facebook, Twitter,
emails and text as well as the
phone” Dan McQuillin, Broadcast Bionics
SOCIAL MEDIA AND
INTERACTIVITY
Radio has always had an interactive
element, first through listeners writing
letters to DJs and then through the
telephone, making the phone-in show and
listener participation quizzes a staple on
the airwaves during the 1970s and ’80s.
This made the telephone hybrid
ubiquitous in radio studios, providing the
link between the phone system and the
broadcast world. The next move on from
the hybrid was the call handling system.
This allows the production team to log who
is on the line and what they want to talk
about, all of which is available to the
presenter on a screen in the studio.
Broadcast Bionics’ PhoneBOX is widely
used for this and has now been upgraded
and text as well as the phone.” McQuillin
calls the stage for this new form of
communication “the social studio” and it
forms the basis of PhoneBOX v4. This
displays messages coming into the station
and can be sent to anywhere in the
building and divided into different
categories, or channels. These include
Tweets or FB posts about the programme,
the music and artist being played and news
or entertainment information.
“The audience is ahead of broadcasters
in social media and they want this,”
McQuillin comments. “They can
communicate with the radio station and
the programme is able to see who is getting
in touch, so they can contact them in the
future if there’s something coming up they
might be interested in.”
McQuillin says this makes for
“bidirectional bandwidth” between the
audience, who are now doing more than
just passively listening to the radio, and
t
been installed at Radios 1 and 2 in the
Netherlands and was shown in a new
version at IBC 2012.
connect to Brussels for production but
Dalet cache servers in each region will
ensure that playout is immune to any
network problem that might occur.”
The system is due to be fully
implemented by early next year.
34 l November 2012
broadcastfeature
Evolution continues
in radio studios
the presenters and stations. But,
he adds, this does not mean
that old faithful, the live phone
call, is obsolete. “It’s still the
gold standard for interactivity,”
he observes.
THE FUTURE – LOUDNESS
AND THE CLOUD
Radio has gone through bursts of
technological innovation over the
years. It is in the middle of one
right now through social media,
IP streaming and RadioDNS,
with more to come in the near
future (see page 30 for more).
On the technical standards
side there is the matter of
loudness. This is already
forcing new thinking in TV
audio operations and now the
EBU PLOUD group, which
formulated the R128 standard,
has formed a subgroup to look
at comparative levels in radio.
An EBU spokesman says there
are “multiple issues” to
address, including analogue
and digital transmission,
production and distribution
and wide dynamic ranges on
some services, such
as classic stations, against
the highly compressed output
of pop channels.
PLOUD is dedicating a day
meeting to radio during
December, with hopes that
guidance on loudness for the
medium could appear during
2013. Equipment for metering
and monitoring loudness in
radio is already on the market
from Orban, Audessence and
Hindenburg Systems, with
Audionics close to producing
a prototype.
Less tangible, as its name
suggests, is the Cloud. Storing
data files on third-party servers
NEW PRODUCT: NTP PENTA 721
IP-COMPATIBLE SWITCHER/PROCESSOR
Launched at IBC 2012, the
NTP Penta 721 is an audio
router and distribution system
that is compatible with IP
networks. It is aimed at radio
as well as TV and offers eight
AES/EBU input-output
channels, up to three MADI
ins and outs, two IP audio
Ethernet ins/outs and a control
interface. The unit can be
controlled over IP using
Audinate Dante routing
software.
The Penta 721 is designed to
work both at remote sites and
full studio centres, with
connectivity over a single Cat5
Ethernet cable. The Penta 721
takes up a one-rack chassis
and can run with a single or
mains and back-up dual power
supply. It is available now
priced €2,694.81.
located elsewhere is already
becoming a viable proposition in
TV production and postproduction but radio is still not
following suit just yet. Daniel
Dedisee at Netia agrees that the
concept is still “quite new” and
is not sure if the radio market is
ready now but says people are
talking about it. Netia has built
Cloud compatibility into its
automation systems and is
working with Microsoft Asia
and Orange to integrate with
their servers.
Nick Prater of broadcast
software and technical support
company NP Broadcast observes
it could “be great for disaster
recovery”, with a playout system
at the transmitter site that
would kick in if the studio link
went down. He adds that if a
automation system was running
from somewhere else there might
not be any point in having a
duplicate in the studio, meaning
a programme could be broadcast
from anywhere and not tied to
one place.
That kind of innovation
could spell the end of the radio
studio as it is now but, for the
time being, it’s likely to remain
a quiet, dimly lit room behind
soundproofed doors and
windows. Even if the
technology inside might be
alien to radio types from even
20 years ago. n
www.audionics.co.uk
www.avresilience.co.uk
www.bcd-audio.co.uk
www.bionics.co.uk
www.netia.net
www.sonifex.co.uk
www.systembase.com
www.vidigo.tv
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All products are subject to availability. All prices are shown in £ sterling and are valid at the date of going to press. Prices exclude VAT Specification is subject to change without notice.
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November 2012 l 37
For the latest live news
www.prosoundnewseurope.com/live
live
Distributors from the
Middle East and Europe
at the launch
ViRAY sees Coda raise
its game on global stage
Last month’s launch of compact three-way touring system heralds new thrust
from Hannover-based loudspeaker company, says Dave Robinson
CODA AUDIO began an
ambitious campaign to become
one of the “top five” pro-audio
loudspeaker brands in the
world with the launch of the
ViRAY medium-sized line array
last month.
Distributors from Europe and
the Middle East gathered at the
Coda HQ in Hannover,
Germany, to see and hear the
new system. ViRAY, says Coda
managing director and founder
Svetly Alexandrov, represents
the culmination of Coda’s
most accomplished sound
reinforcement technologies in a
compact three-way system that
can service audiences of around
4,000-6,000.
Mick Anderson, whose AWC
consultancy has been working
with Coda for the past four
years, revealed at the October
gathering that three major
rental houses had not only
NEW DS8000
ViRAY (left hang) is a compact
three-way medium-format cabinet
beta-tested ViRAY: they had
proceeded to make significant
purchases of the system.
Synthpop veterans Ultravox
are currently on the road with
the first ViRAY touring
system, supplied by Adlib
Audio of Liverpool.
ViRAY has been over
two and a half years in
development, says Anderson,
but the key technology in the
speaker is the DDP Dual
Diaphragm Planar-wave-driver.
This is a “ground-breaking
patented technology which
radically improves system
performance”, and is based on
the company’s well established
coaxial annular ring diaphragm
compression drivers.
Weighing 25.5kg, one
ViRAY cabinet combines the
DDP with two 8” neodymium
low-distortion cone drivers
to handle the LF. Coda’s
‘ViCOUPLER’ phase-plug/
waveguide hybrid then manages
and steers the energy produced:
Anderson describes it as “a flat
screen device that takes all the
frequencies from all the
components and gives them a
platform to gather on and
move forward as a coherency.”
At the Hannover demos,
ViRAY hangs of eight boxes
per side (frequency response
55Hz-22kHz; 24 boxes
maximum per hang) were
complemented by flown SCV-F
bass response boxes, which
feature a single 18” driver
governed by Coda’s unique
Sensor Control technology.
(Sensor Control ensures that
the driver reacts to the
incoming signal and nothing
more, producing, in short, a
more accurate bass and
eliminating ‘woofing’.)
ViRAY output can be further
strengthened by Coda Audio
SCP twin-18” sub-bass units,
which also feature Sensor
Control, as well as being fully
integrated with Coda Audio’s RC
Power/DSP management racks.
Coda’s operational HQ is in
Germany and the company
develops and manufactures the
majority of its components at
its own factory, including its
drivers. (Amplifiers and DSP
control are courtesy of OEM
suppliers.) Cabinets are made
of Baltic birch, and Coda
Audio Distribution System
DS8000. All new. Well, almost.
Some things you just can’t change, but everything else? No problem. Re-engineered from the ground-up based on your
feedback about the best-selling DS800, the DS8000 sets a new standard in audio distribution systems. With an all new mic
pre-amp, redundant power supply linking, quick one-to-many splitting, subtle panel illumination and an AES digital output option,
the DS8000 offers incredible performance and the highest reliability in all conditions. And it’s still blue.
has just brought a Polyurea
coating process on-board for
added durability.
ViRAY sits between Coda’s
AIRLINE LA12 and LA8
systems, both of which have
raised the profile of the
company over the past couple
of years – though ViRAY
represents a more aggressive
approach to the marketplace.
Beta-testing on ViRAY was
carried out before early
summer, with three existing
Coda users directly involved in
assessing the system. “That’s
Adlib in the UK, AMBION in
Germany and DPA in
Denmark,” says Anderson. “As
existing Coda users they were
ideal to use as field testers. But
what you don’t expect is for
them to do anything from that
point. And they did – without
being pushed: AMBION has
taken 100 cabinets; Adlib is
heading towards that; DPA has
taken 24, then increased by 12,
then another 12.”
Adlib took its system (based
around 32 ViRAY) on the UK
leg of the recent Ultravox
Reunion tour. Adlib’s Dave
Jones told PSNEurope: “The
Coda ViRay seemed the perfect
option for this tour due to the
diversity of venues and the
flexibility of the system. The
ability to fly with limited
weight and ground stack in the
same venue was a key factor in
t
GERMANY
www.xta.co.uk
38 l November 2012
livenews
California-based Sound Image
recently doubled its hire stock of
Adamson E15 line source systems.
Sound Image was one of the first
US companies to invest in Project
Energia, and also carry Adamson
Y18, Y10 and T21 systems in its
inventory. The company is
currently providing E15 systems for
Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson’s
North American tours.
www.adamsonsystems.com
Alcons Audio has released a GLL
(Generic Loudspeaker Library) of
high-resolution measurement and
simulation data for its L-series
pro-ribbon line-arrays and Q-series
pro-ribbon column-arrays.
www.alconsaudio.com
UNITED KINGDOM/CZECH REPUBLIC
A triple Bosch boost
By Erica Basnicki
ANEW demoroom, distributor
andlineof loudspeakersare
amongthemajorannouncements
madeby BoschSecuritySystems
UKthisautumn.
The company officially
opened its ProSound division
training and demonstration
room in Peterborough, UK,
on 25 September. Pro-audio
media, dealers and special
guests including Peterborough
Mayor George Simons were in
attendance for the ribboncutting ceremony and the
ensuing celebrations.
“The objective of having this
facility is to support our customer
base – that’s key,” said ProSound
UK’s sales director Sean
Maxwell. “It’s about making sure
that the facility is available for
them to come to, and bring their
customers to. We’re all about
supporting the customers; we
have to be, and we are.”
Andrej Hronec,
Audiopro
Shortly after the opening
celebrations, Prague-based
Audiopro was appointed as an
Electro-Voice and Dynacord
distributor for the Czech
Republic. Founded in 2002,
Audiopro has provided sound
systems and audio solutions for
O2 Arena, the new stadium of
Slavia Prague, the National
Theater (all in Prague), as well
as various installations across
the Czech Republic.
“Electro-Voice and Dynacord
have always had a great reputation
in our country, with products
already being delivered before
the Velvet Revolution. The
opportunity to add these brands
to our portfolio is another
important milestone in the
history of our company,” said
Audiopro CEO Andrej Hronec.
Audiopro’s partnership was
announced just as Dynacord
revealed its new A-Line range of
mobile loudspeakers. According
to the company, the A-Line
loudspeaker range is ideally
suited to bands, entertainers and
mobile DJs working small to
medium-sized venues.
The new product line
includes three active and three
passive models, comprising one
12” and one 15” two-way/fullrange system and an 18”
subwoofer, in both active and
passive versions. Because of
their asymmetric footprints,
both the 12” and the 15”
models can also be used as
active stage monitors with a
monitor angle of 60°. n
www.dynacord.com
www.electrovoice.com
t
SOUNDBITES
that can produce that
integrated approach in house.
Those that can’t will only be
able to develop at the speed
determined by their suppliers.”
Building its own drivers,
using its own evolving
knowledge base and resources
to build turnkey sound
reinforcement systems: this is
how Coda will succeed as a
brand, he predicts.
“Our efforts have already
created a significant buzz in
global markets – we’ve
undertaken several shoot-outs
and all the time we see ourselves
up against the top five – and we
come out very well. Our hookline
message is hearing is believe.”
Coda might mean ‘ending’
in music, but ViRAY marks
just the beginning for this
audio company. n
www.codaaudio.com
the tour’s success. I have to
applaud FOH engineer
Berenice Hardman for being
open to the idea of a
new system.”
Anderson’s philosophy on
how the ViRAY launch will aid
Coda’s growth makes perfect
sense. “If you look at where it
started in 1996, and the historical
patent of the ring angular
diaphragm, that is something
we’re still using today, but it’s
been incorporated into different
designs for a given end result.
“All along the line, with each
evolution, there’s been a level
of technology that can be
developed into something
more. If you project five years
into the future, there is a
view here at Coda that those
companies that will take
the top positions in the
loudspeaker market are those
November 2012 l 39
livenews
SWEDEN
JBL VTX in Sweden
By Erica Basnicki
KONSERT TEKNIK has
become the first Swedish hire
company to take on JBL’s VTX
line array system as its frontline
PA. Based in Uppsala, Sweden,
the company invested in a 32enclosure V25 rig and four VTX
S28 subs as well as 60 Crown
I-Tech 12000 HD amplifiers.
Swedish Harman distributor
Septon AB supplied the new kit.
In addition to the VTX system,
Konsert Teknik also carries a
JBL VerTec system with new V5
DSP tunings in its inventory.
The new system was broken
down into two rigs to service the
summer seasons at Furuvik Zoo,
just outside Gävle, and Stockholm
amusement park Gröna Lund
(see p52), which finished its
season with a performance from
Swedish band The Hives.
“It was essential to have the
best PA system to support the
acts that pass through the
venues and stages of Gröna
Lund and Furuvik during the
long summer season,” said
Mikael ‘Wibban’ Viberg, who
runs Konsert Teknik.
Viberg was introduced to the
VTX system at Harman’s
Business and Technology
Conference in January 2012,
which he attended with Septon’s
Lennart Dahlgren. It was the
sound of the D2 dual
compression drivers that
prompted him to invest.
“I expect to see VTX starting
to appear on riders very soon –
judging from the positive
reactions we have already
received from many
technicians,” he added. n
www.jblpro.com
www.konsertteknik.se
SOUNDBITES
WORLD
The second International Kazan
Autumn Opera Festival in Kazan,
Russia was mixed using an
Innovason Eclipse GT. FOH
engineer Vladimir Ryabenko, who
requested the console, first came
across the Eclipse GT at the Sziget
festival in Hungary. Innovason’s
Russian distributor Imlight
provided the AV kit for the event.
www.innovason.com
FOUR YEARS after their 2008
album Intimacy, Bloc Party are
touring again in support of their
latest effort, appropriately titled
Four, using Mogami Cable for Life
packaged cables supplied by HHB
Communications. The band’s latest
tour includes venues across Europe,
America, Japan and Australia, and
featured recent performances at
Pukkelpop and Ibiza Rocks. Bloc
Party guitarist Russell Lissack
commented: “I really didn’t pay
much attention to my cables until I
started using Mogami. I am
surprised at the amount of stress
you can put on them night after
night without losing any signal or
breaking the cable, and they are
very transparent.” n
www.hhb.co.uk
www.mogami.co.uk
Big Sky Acoustics and 24
Acoustics provided guidance on
noise control at this year’s CarFest
South, a motoring and music
festival organised by DJ Chris
Evans and 1979 Formula 1 World
Champion Jody Scheckter. Using
a ground-stacked EAW KF850 PA
system provided by South West
Group, sound levels were contained
within the strict limits stipulated by
the license. The event raised an
estimated £750,000 (€924,000)
for BBC Children in Need.
www.24acoustics.co.uk
www.bigskyacoustics.co.uk
E100. More power 2U.
4 x 2.5 kW, 12 kg, Class D Power Amplifier
7654325410/411021056.4-0/41101,+*4)))56.40,6(4.)0'4/2&4.2%$0#2$#0,6(4.4"!01 ,4.26.016 %"2%$0+5,/22*+326%02%0+0*65,+*3
6.5+3!00$ +.+%344104*4,326%+/016 %"0 +/230+%"0 356130.4/2+2/2302%03#4056130"45+%"2%$0*6%"2326%1)0 .0+"&+%*4"
042*24%30/+110'06 3, 3013+$40. %10*66/0+%"0".+(10/4110,6(4.0.6503#405+2%1)0
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+ "26)*6) 40 l November 2012
128,000sqm
Photo: Sound & Lite
livereport
Italian stars Giorgia (left) and Jovanotti took part in the event
ITALY
One million watts
for one good cause
THE 150,000 TICKETS sold
out well in advance for Italia
Loves Emilia, the 22 September
charity concert featuring 13 of
Italy’s top pop and rock artists.
The event was held to gather
funds to rebuild schools
damaged in the earthquake that
hit the Emilia region in May,
causing over €13 billion of
damage and resulting in 27
deaths and 12,000 evacuations.
As well as the prestigious lineup – Antonacci, Baglioni, Elisa,
Ferro, Giorgia, Jovanotti,
Ligabue, Litfiba, Mannoia,
Negramaro, Nomadi, Zero and
Zucchero (with special guest Jeff
Beck) – Italy’s top live sound
pros were out in force.
Sound chief Willy Gubellini
and his Nuovo Service team,
which included sound
co-ordinator Angelo Camporesi,
All 150,000 tickets sold for Italia Loves Emilia
had the task of installing the
audio material (supplied by
audio contractor Agorà),
organising radio playout and
multi-track recording by Lorenzo
Tommasini for CD/DVD release.
To get as close as possible to
a non-stop show, two identical
stages were installed on the set
and each performer presented
the following artist. Numerous
duets were foreseen, so (as well
as identical backlines managed
by stage managers Toni Soddu
and Alessio Martino) head
monitor engineer Steven
Photo: Francesca Fadalti
A huge L-Acoustics rig and eight DiGiCo consoles were fielded for a concert in
aid of the Italian earthquake reconstruction fund, writes Mike Clark
Martinovic had the idea of
using a DiGiCo D1 for vocal
mic preamplification, with a
MADI coax feed to a D.O.
Tec splitter, then on towards
four Optocore-linked SD7
(two FOH and two for
monitors). All vocals were thus
available on all desks, leaving
total freedom for duets, no
matter which stage performers
were on.
Some artists used outboard
processors, so at FOH an SD8
received the MADI signals from
the vocal mic splitter system,
ensuring each voice had the
possibility of a ‘dynamic’
analogue or digital insert. From
there, via MADI, the signals
reached the two SD7. As well as
its on-board FX, each FOH
desk had an outboard rack with
Lexicon 480, TC Electronic 6000
and Yamaha SPX2000.
A spare SD7 and SD8 for
FOH and an SD7 for monitors
were kept on standby with
presets uploaded.
Sound designer Daniele
Tramontani had to ensure
quality sonic coverage for an
audience area of approximately
128,000sqm. This was
accomplished with four main
stage hangs, each with 18 K1
and three KARA for downfill,
plus a centre cluster with eight
K1 and three KARA. Ten
KUDO were used for frontfill
and the bottom end at the front
of the 40m stage was covered by
size of
audience area
20 stacks of three SB28 each.
Other subs were positioned in
groups of four at each of the
17 delay towers. Power was
courtesy of 206 LA8 amps
controlled via Ethernet.
Difficulties to be overcome
included signal and power
transport, with sturdy analogue
multicore cable runs being the
final choice, as thousands of
people trying to access the web
would have put WiFi
connections at risk.
FOH Hugo Tempesta had
12 matrices fed to the White
Mobile, for balancing and the
addition of ambient mics. The
mixdown was fed to the radio
and TV teams, who required
different EQ and compression.
Eleven top FM radio stations
joined forces, airing the show
simultaneously, and Sky
transmitted coverage in pay-perview mode, donating TV ‘ticket’
takings entirely to the cause.
A multi-track recording
was made of the show by
Lorenzo Tommasini, in order
to enable post-production work
on individual tracks for
CD/DVD release.
The 30-strong audio team
included well-known sound
engineers Andrea Corsellini
(Ferro and Jovanotti), Marco
Monforte (Zucchero) and sound
engineer co-ordinator Alberto
Butturini. Butturini, who was
also FOH engineer for three of
the artists, added after the event:
“Although work during the
run-up to the show was at times
complicated, all the difficulties
involved in satisfying 13 artists’
requests were overcome,
thanks to the willingness of
performers and sound engineers
alike and our team’s ability to
come up with valid solutions
without compromising the
original project.”
Tramontani added: “This
was a great emotion and very
rewarding for the Agorà team
and myself, as well as being
perhaps one of the largest
systems ever, with about a
million Watts!”
Gubellini concluded: “In spite
of the lack of time at our
disposal for rehearsals, move-in
and set-up, everything worked
well, thanks to the unique
co-operative spirit of artists and
technicians and, as an Emilia
man, I’m particularly proud to
have contributed to the success
of this really great event.” n
www.digico.biz
www.directout.eu
www.l-acoustics.com
www.optocore.com
November 2012 l 41
livenews
SOUNDBITE
EUROPE
RCF realigns in Europe
DBTECHNOLOGIES HAS
announced the appointment
of Giovanni Barbieri as sales
and marketing director
worldwide. In his new role,
Barbieri will be responsible
for global brand strategies and
will concentrate on driving
sales worldwide.
The appointment heralds a
consolidation of dBTechnologies’
worldwide sales and marketing
operations in the Italian HQ in
Crespellano near Bologna.
The dBTechnologies Germany
satellite, based outside Cologne,
will operate as a distribution
company for Germany, Benelux,
UK and Spain but under control
of the Crespellano office.
“dBTechnologies is facing its
golden age growing so much
month after month and that’s why
we decided to build up a strong
team here [at the HQ],” he said.
Barbieri joined RCF Group
almost a decade ago as export
manager and for the past
four years has served as
dBTechnologies business
development manager.
“I feel sincerely honoured by
this appointment,” he added.
“dBTechnologies will continue
to provide our customers with
innovative products developed
by our young and active
R&D team and will plan an
aggressive growth strategy
worldwide especially in the
emerging markets.”
The reorganisation at dB has
resulted in international sales
manager Harald von Falkenstein
leaving the company. n
www.dbtechnologies.com
Giovanni Barbieri, dBTechnologies
sales and marketing director worldwide
UNITED KINGDOM
SOUNDCRAFT’S SI Performer
made its live show debut in
September at the Royal Albert Hall
for Sunflower Jam; an event
founded six years ago by Jacky
Paice, wife of Deep Purple’s Ian
Paice, to raise money for
underprivileged and sick children.
This year’s performers included
Alice Cooper, Brian May and Alfie
Boe. Connected via MADI to a
Soundcraft Vi6 at FOH, the Si
Performer controlled “everything
except the live band”, according to
Harman’s Gert Sanner (pictured),
who mixed the show. “This event’s
such a good one to be involved in,
and a great test for a brand new
product,” he said. n
www.soundcraft.com
For the first time ever, Si Performer integrates class-leading
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AUTOMATION
Capital Sound’s Charles Ellery
deployed the company’s new Martin
Audio MLA system for this year’s
Shakedown Festival in Brighton.
Originally Ellery had chosen a W8-L
setup for the event. “A few calls to
Martin Audio confirmed we would
have the system in time, so I adjusted
the spec, selecting 12 MLA per side
for the hangs with nine WS218X subs
per side in a cardioid array,” he said.
www.martin-audio.com
42 l November 2012
livenews
UNITED KINGDOM
UEP introduces sales division
By Erica Basnicki
SoundTools’ Sniffer/Sender testers are among
the first products UEP Sales will supply to the UK
BUCKINGHAMSHIREBASED live events hire company
Universal Event Productions
(UEP) has created a new sales
division as part of a planned
expansion of its business.
The focus of the division will
be on supplying professional AV
products not currently directly
available in the UK, the first of
which will be the XLR and NL4
Sniffer/Sender range of pro audio
cable testing tools from
Californian brand SoundTools.
SoundTools’ Sniffer/Sender
products are ‘on-the-fly’ testers
with remote ends, designed to
detect faulty cables onsite and
in-situ, and for testing phantom
power at various stages and
locations – including on
multicore/control snakes.
UEP has been in business for
over 15 years, providing audio,
visual and staging solutions for
corporate and live events.
Among its audio hire stock are
EAW and d&b systems.
Commenting on the
businesses new division UEP’s
Steve Butcher remarked: “The
sales division has been planned
for some time – it was just a
question of waiting for the right
moment to launch.”
UEP Sales will function
completely independently from
the design and hire business, and
will be administered via its own
dedicated website and telesales
phone lines.
Additional products added
to UEP Sales’ range will be
determined based on the hire
company’s experience working
in unusual and challenging
locations, where specialist
or bespoke equipment has
proved invaluable. n
www.u-e-p-products.co.uk
Teenyweeny loudspeakers. Live.
UNITED KINGDOM
PRESONUS AND Source
Distribution put on a ‘Riff to Release’
roadshow last month, during which
PreSonus teamed up with UK
songwriter Leroy Buckley to
demonstrate how to take a song from
initial concept right through to
commercial release.
Over 500 visitors registered
for the three events, held at
London’s Alchemea College,
Liverpool’s Institute for the
Performing Arts (LIPA) and
Glasgow’s La Cheetah Club.
“Our aim was to stage a series
of events that educated as well as
entertained, and hopefully
everyone went home with a little
bit more recording knowledge
than they had when they arrived,”
said Source Distribution’s
Howard Jones. n
UNITED STATES
Lectrosonics makes the grade
By Erica Basnicki
On 13 September, The
International Space Orchestra
(ISO) performed the world
premiere of Ground Control: An
Opera in Space – a concert
inspired by mission control
rooms. The ISO is made up of
scientists drawn from NASA
Ames Research Center, SETI
(Search for Extra-terrestrial
Intelligence), Singularity
University and the International
Space University.
For the performance, sound
designer and mix engineer Alan
Chang used a large assortment of
Lectrosonics wireless microphone
technology, including three fullystocked Lectrosonics Venue
receiver systems that were
outfitted with a combination of
VRS and VRT receiver modules,
three Lectrosonics UCR411a
compact receivers, 12
Lectrosonics LMa beltpack
transmitters, five UM400a
beltpack transmitters and two
UM200C beltpack transmitters.
“Sound quality comes first
when deciding on what wireless
equipment to use, and among all
major wireless companies,
Lectrosonics has a big
advantage,” said Chang. n
www.groundcontrol-opera.com
www.lectrosonics.com
The E4 loudspeaker is barely bigger than a postcard. A miniature made for
mobile applications in theatres, conferences, flexible production environments
and meetings. While it sounds distinctively bigger than it is, it remains neutral,
clear, transparent and intelligible even at high sound pressure levels. As with
all the little systems in the d&b E-Series.
November 2012 l 43
livenews
NETHERLANDS
DiGiCo makes a splash for opera
THIS SUMMER, De Utrechtse
Spelen presented Christoph
Willibald von Gluck’s opera,
Orfeo ed Euridice. Under
the direction of Jos Thie,
the production took place
entirely on the pond at Soestdijk
Palace in the Dutch province
of Utrecht.
The production’s unusual
setting created a few audio
issues to overcome,
explained sound engineer
Jelmer Dijkstra.
Orfeo ed Euridice took
place entirely on a pond
ITALY
www.dbaudio.com
By Erica Basnicki
“The main challenge I had
with these shows was to create
as natural a sound as possible,
and when working with DiGiCo
consoles, I find everything is
possible,” he said. “The way the
SD7 is designed and laid out is
just so good; it’s a really great
desk all round.”
“This is a complex
production,” added Dieter van
Denzel of Ampco Flashlight,
who provided the DiGiCo
consoles. “We worked closely
with the audio team to provide a
number of innovative solutions,
which are not only technically
appropriate, but also help to
provide the audience with a
traditional operatic feel.” n
www.digico.org
Adamson jazzes
it up in Umbria
SOUNDBITES
AKG has partnered with the
Global Rockstar Online Song
Contest to provide prize packages
for the winners. The first place
packages include both a live set
and a studio set. The live set
includes a C214, C451, four D40, a
D112 and two handheld D7
microphones. The first prize
studio set includes a Perception
820 Tube, C414, two sets of
K702 and K240 headphones and
a C451 microphone.
uk.akg.com
www.global-rockstar.com
MAMA Group has purchased a
50% shareholding in All
Tomorrow’s Parties (ATP). ATP
will now assist with the booking of
talent for MAMA Festivals,
including Lovebox, Wilderness
and The Great Escape, and shows
across the group’s venue estate,
while both groups will work
together to further develop ATP’s
shows in the UK and abroad.
www.atpfestival.com
www.mamagroup.co.uk
By Erica Basnicki
SINCE 2004, the Adamson Y18
has been used as the main PA at
the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy.
This year, the new E15 debuted
on the festival’s main stage.
Umbria Jazz’s technical partner
Angelo Tordini, owner of Italian
Adamson distributor Reference
Laboratory, specified the PA.
For the 2012 festival, which
featured a headline performance
by Sting, 12 E15 speaker
cabinets per side were suspended
from the trussing towers,
together with two Spektrix frontfills for the FOH system. The
two arrays were boosted by 16
ground-stacked T21 double 21”
subwoofers run in cardioid mode
with a further four Spektrix
speakers employed for front-fills
on the central two ground stacks
in front of the stage.
“The venue is acoustically a
big challenge because the entire
floor is covered by wooden
panels, and a stone bleacher
with a church right behind it
that causes slap back reflection
issues,” said Adamson’s Jochen
Sommer, who flew in to support
the E15s for the festival.
“Also while the base width for
the PA is a reasonable 21m wide,
the FOH position is 63m away
from the stage, so the major
challenge during tuning is to
maintain clarity and the ‘in your
face’ feeling at FOH, which the
E15 delivered very well.” n
www.adamsonsystems.com
Jennifer Lopez made her Polish
debut in late September,
performing to a crowd of nearly
25,000 at the PGE Arena
Stadium in Gdansk. Amplifying
the JBL VerTec PA system were a
total of 80 Powersoft amplifiers
– 60 K10s and 20 K20s –
pumping about 1 million watts of
the company’s energy efficient
Green Audio Power, fed from two
500kW generators.
www.powersoft-audio.com
Annabel’s, a London private
members club, used a K-array
KR200 system for a performance
by British singer Leona Lewis. The
system was specified by Lewis’
FOH engineer Dave Wooster, and
supplied by Steve White from
Patchwork London, the club’s
audio provider. White hired the
KR200s from London-based
audio rental company Capital
Sound, and was impressed
enough to later purchase a system
for Patchwork.
www.k-array.com
Polar Audio is now shipping the
Custom series of headphones
from beyerdynamic. A key
feature of the headphones is the
'Custom sound slider' which
allows the user to select from four
different audio profiles via
adjustable bass reflex vents in the
housing shells. They also do not
require batteries for the noise
reduction system to work.
www.polaraudio.co.uk
44 l November 2012
For the latest installation news
www.prosoundnewseurope.com/installation
installation
SOUNDBITES
The St James Theatre in London
SW1, the first newly built theatre
complex in central London for
30 years, features EM
Acoustics products
throughout. London-based
consultancy firm Theatreplan
specified a proscenium LCR
system of EM Acoustics MSE159 two-way medium-format
passive loudspeakers for the
main theatre with three
EMS-61s as delays. The Studio
Theatre has a pair of MSE-159s
as a main PA with a single
EMS-81X compact full-range
loudspeaker for balcony fill.
www.emacoustics.co.uk
www.theatreplan.co.uk
A DIS conferencing system
has been chosen for the
Landmark Hotel in Amman.
Advanced Solutions, the
exclusive distributor of DIS
products in Jordan, has
ordered three DDS 5900
Digital Discussion Systems for
the venue, which features a
large conference centre.
www.dis.cc
London Waterloo, one of the
UK’s busiest railway stations,
has installed a Tannoy VLS PA
system. The series is the first
from Tannoy to incorporate
FAST (Focussed Asymmetrical
Shaping Technology),
delivering acoustic performance
benefits not previously seen
across a full range of passive
column loudspeakers.
www.tannoy.com
d&b’s T-Series has been
chosen as the new PA system
at The Svenska Teaten
(Swedish Theatre) in Helsinki,
Finland. Helsinki-based
Msonic via entertainment
integrators Hedcom provided
the d&b system while the
installation design was mostly
the work of Andreas Lönqvist
the theatre’s head of sound. In
total 130 d&b loudspeakers
were installed throughout the
theatre, all driven from 50 D6
and D12 amplifiers.
www.dbaudio.com
www.hedkon.fi
www.msonic.fi
UNITED KINGDOM
L-Acoustics slays PA monster
Leading London theatre
upgrades “mish-mash”
of speakers with a
flexible KARA/ARCS
system, writes
Dave Robinson
A FEW thousand people were
lucky enough to see the run of
Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein
at the National Theatre on
London’s South Bank two
years ago. That show, for the
record, employed a Funktion
One system to carry
Underworld’s “deep, dark,
death-like” soundtrack.
But everyone who has ever
seen a production at the Olivier
– the largest of the NT’s three
venues – will have encountered
the Frankenstein’s monster that
is the in-house PA system. Ed
Ferguson, head of sound for the
Olivier, was responsible for
wrangling the beast.
“I inherited a system that had
grown organically – [Meyer]
MSL2s and 650s for music, and
a mixture of d&b E3 and E9s as
a vocal system. Tannoy and
Duran Audio were in there too
for surround. The way that grew
is, you’d find holes in the system
and buy items on a show budget
to ‘Polyfill’ those holes.”
A roll-over on the NT’s
capital expenditure two years
ago meant the sound team had
the budget and the opportunity
to revisit the Olivier’s design
and replace it with something
that was not created from a
hybrid of parts.
This upgrade project has been
split into phases. First in was a
new EM Acoustics PA to
replace the “mish-mash” of
stage and surround speakers.
“On-stage speakers are used for
anything from spot FX to giving
focus to vocals or music,” says
Ferguson. The boxes vary from
the 5” compact EMS-51 to the
The KARA/ARCS set-up was put
to the test on London Road
(L-R): Chris Vass, Ed Ferguson
and Andy Huffer
15” EM152, all powered by
Lab.gruppen C Series amps.
But, says Ferguson, the
upgrade stalled when it came to
the bigger ‘vocal and music’
system, because of the greater
Ferguson says he was keen to
move away from a fixed system,
and arrive at a flexible solution
that would hand the power of
control and creativity back to
the sound designer – rather than
holding the designer hostage,
which is what the old hotchpotch arrangement did.
The final decision was
between Meyer, d&b and
L-Acoustics. “We knew these
brands would stand the test of
time, and still be relevant in 15
years,” he says.
“Sometimes we mic up actors to
‘energise’ the space – rather than
amplifying them – and that requires
transparency in the PA”
Ed Ferguson, head of sound, Olivier
budget commitment. Initial
design considerations led to a
number of demos to explore
whether the concept of a line
array would work in the theatre.
“And it was such a headache,
because in the Olivier we had
to find a system that would
satisfy the hugely different
styles of plays. I had to look at
what the old system had given
us, how we’d used that – and
more importantly, what it
didn’t give us.”
Ideally the size and width of
the Olivier dictated that if a line
source gave enough throw for
‘music’, then a point source
centre cluster for the vocal
system would be required to tie
the whole together, “but the
whole system needs to be flexible
and capable of doing anything”.
The ‘vocal’ system needed to
be adaptive, too. “Sometimes we
mic up actors to ‘energise’ the
space – rather than amplifying
them – and that requires
transparency in the PA. [This is
a case of: if you can hear the
speaker, it’s too loud.] But in
addition to that, when we need
high SPL, it should supply
that too.”
Ultimately, then, the Olivier
was after a system that was
capable of doing more or
less anything. Not a small
demand for any sound
reinforcement system.
The three finalists got
whittled down to two… and
L-Acoustics emerged the winner.
“We’ve got a tie-line
infrastructure in an amp room,
whereas the Meyer speakers are
self-powered and that would
mean additional infrastructure
which we didn’t have,” he
reveals. “Also, there were
questions of maintenance for
such a powered system.
“It was a hard decision to
make – but the ARCS tipped it.”
The ARCS II point source
array in the central cluster
position, that is; and the ability
to create a horizontally-coupled
120º dispersion by flying six
22.5º cabinets. “ARCS are
designed for a wide space like
the Olivier,” says Ferguson.
Add that to two flying
KARA line array columns on
the proscenium and you have
a winner.
November 2012 l 45
Ferguson worked with HD
Pro’s Andy Huffer and
L-Acoustics’ Chris Vass
throughout the process. Huffer
has had an association with the
National Theatre stretching
back to 1996, when he first
supplied equipment through
Marquee Audio.
The L-Acoustics gear (at a
total cost of around £150,000)
went in at the end of May.
(This rigging upgrade is part
of the ambitious NT Future
scheme, which will see
around £70 million, raised
from a number of sources,
including profits from War
Horse and an Arts Council
grant, spent on overhauling
many aspects of the National
Theatre complex.)
The ‘LCR’ vocal and music
system comprises nine KARA
cabs per side plus the six ARCS
II centre hang, on chain hoists
so that two people can rig/de-rig
the lot during a change over day
between shows.
Photo: Paul Greenleaf
installationreport
The National Theatre on London’s South Bank
Six SB18 subs sit below the line
arrays to the sides of the stage;
eight 8XTi delay cabs and two
12XTi coaxial sidefills bolster the
sound to the trickier areas. It’s all
powered by eight LA8 amplifiers.
The system was tuned over
three evening sessions, one
of which included renowned
sound designer Paul Arditti
making final adjustments on
the eve of the run of Timon of
Athens. (Arditti’s tweaks were
“small”, reports Ferguson.)
London Road, for which Arditti
also designed the sound,
followed a week later and saw
the KARA/ARCS set-up
put to the test for a full
musical production.
There’s still a little work to
do, admits Ferguson. “Yes, there
are little tweaks here and there –
we would like to add to the
system – it’s a work in progress.
But I love it.
“Chris has been good at
supporting us, and we’re really
happy with what we have so far,
considering the weight that was
on my shoulders to make the
right decision!”
Ultimately, Ferguson says the
new rig “is wonderful in its
simplicity – considering we’ve
come from a system with
multiple speakers from different
manufacturers, rigged at various
points, to, basically a LCR with
a row of delays.”
Once upon a time, the Olivier
created a monster: but the
creature is finally slain. n
www.hdproaudio.co.uk
www.l-acoustics.com
+ HD Pro Audio is holding
a demo day at the NT on
28 November, where Andy Huffer
will present ARCS Wide and
Focus cabinets, the Olivier’s
KARA and ARCS II systems,
and other L-Acoustics kit.
SOUNDBITES
The state-of-the-art control room
at the newly remodeled Reduta
Concert Hall in Bratislava now
features Genelec 1238 CF
monitors. Genelec SAM software
was able to ‘virtualise’ the space
to create a perfectly calibrated
audio monitoring environment.
The SAM system allows monitors
to be controlled with digital
networking to enable the building
of flexible computer controlled
systems of monitors.
www.genelec.com
Bar Cubo in the Bulgarian resort
of Varna has opted for a Martin
Audio OmniLine system.
Installed by local integrator
Imperia AV, the system is driven
by Martin Audio MA2.8Q,
MA1.3S and MA4.2 amplifiers,
along with dedicated DX1.5
system controller, while subbass extension is provided by
two low-frequency Blackline
S18+ units.
www.martin-audio.com 46 l November 2012
installationnews
GERMANY
TiMax the vampire tracker
By Erica Basnicki
A TIMAX Tracker and
SoundHub-S32 delay-matrix are
being used for a stage musical
production of Roman Polanski’s
1967 film Tanz der Vampire
(Dance of the Vampires) at
Berlin’s Theater des Westens.
Production sound designer
Thomas Strebel from Swiss
event specialists audiopool
specified the TiMax systems,
supplied by German production
hire company Sugar
Veranstaltungstechnik GmbH.
Though familiar with TiMax, it
is the first time Strebel has
worked with Turbosound’s Flex
Array system (supplied by
Bernd Schmitz of FeedBack
Show Systems and Service
GmbH), having been introduced
to it by Robin Whittaker,
director of TiMax developers
Out Board.
An LCR vocal system
comprises three hangs of
TFA-600H while the separate
Tanz der Vampire has been extended
to January 2013 following a
critically-acclaimed year-long run
left/right music system uses TFA
cabinets plus aux-fed TFS subs.
Upstage is a d&b Q7 split L/C/R
first-wavefront system to help
anchor the vocals, and E3s were
used for front-fills.
These discrete speaker
channels are matrixed from a 32
x 32 TiMax2 SoundHub via
analogue I/O. The matrix
receives 13 Sennheiser radio mic
channel direct outs, plus band
and effects submixes from the
house Cadac J-Type console.
FINLAND
EUROPE
Lectrosonics legs it
in Finland
By Erica Basnicki
FINLAND’S JYVÄSKYLÄ
City Theatre recently invested
in Lectrosonics’ Digital Hybrid
Wireless microphone system,
supplied and installed by
Noretron Broadcast, the
professional broadcast division
of Noretron Group.
The system incorporates 22
Lectrosonics SMDB/E01 super
miniature beltpack transmitters
two HH/E01 handheld
transmitters and four
Lectrosonics WRMWB Venue
Series/E01 receiver mainframes
– with all but one of the
six-channel systems equipped
with VRT receiver modules.
The first production to use
the new microphone system
was the Finnish musical
Myrskyluodon Maija. “The
show opened on 9 September
and was very well received.
The combination of the
A TiMax Tracker system
controls the TiMax SoundHub
to continuously localise the
vocals by morphing matrixeddelays from each mic to the
distributed vocal PA as the
actors move around stage. Six
TT sensors distributed around
the stage and auditorium
receive UWB signals
transmitted via a miniature
TT-Tag worn by each actor. n
www.audiopool.net
www.outboard.co.uk
The theatre has invested in a
Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless
microphone system
Lectrosonics wireless
equipment with the DPA 4061
lavaliere and d:fine earset mics
makes a terrific setup,” said
Timo Vilmi, owner of
Noretron Broadcast. “Digital
Hybrid Wireless technology
sounds exceptional and
exhibits none of the sonic
artifacts one typically
encounters with systems using
a compandor. The SMDB/E01
transmitters are extremely
small and, as a result, are easy
to hide among wardrobe, so
they’re a great choice for
theatrical applications.” n
www.lectrosonics.com
www.noretron.fi.
Revolabs opens
European office
IN A move designed to meet the
needs of its growing number of
multinational customers,
Revolabs has opened a new sales
and support office in Europe.
Located in Tonbridge, Kent, the
new site provides pre- and postsales support for Revolabs’ EMEA
and Asia-Pacific customers.
“In the last few years,
Revolabs’ client base has grown
dramatically,” said Marc Cremer,
COO at Revolabs. “The addition
of a new office in Europe
strengthens the company’s
support infrastructure to meet
the needs and expectations of
our customers. When combined
with our US office, we can now
offer nearly round-the-clock
support globally.”
In addition to sales and
support staff, the new site also
features a videoconference
demonstration link, which allows
Revolabs’ partners and
customers to dial into and hear
the far end quality of the
company’s HD microphones for
video and audio conferencing. n
www.revolabs.com
November 2012 l 47
THE ULTIMATE
CLUB
SYSTEM
installationnews KV2 SL SERIES
SLIMLINE WIDE DISPERSION SPEAKER SYSTEM
Slim and
discreetly
profiled
the new
SL Series
incorporates
KV2 Audios
VHD Active
Driven
philosophy
UNITED KINGDOM
SL412
L-R: DHP engineers
Matt Vaughan (sound
and lights), Steve
Martin (head engineer,
Rescue Rooms),
James Littlehales
(sound and lights),
Dave McVea (technical
manager DHP Group)
and Jonathan Pears
(head engineer,
Stealth)
First CL5 installation
to the Rescue
THE RESCUE Rooms, part of the
Nottingham Rock City venue complex,
is the first in the UK to install a
Yamaha CL5 digital console as part of a
major refurbishment.
The revamp saw a number of changes
made to the venue’s layout last year and,
with owner Daybrook House Promotions
(DHP) keen to match it with a significant
technical upgrade, SSE Audio Group was
called to supply and install the desk.
“The old system had been outdated
for a little while and with DHP’s
experience of running venues they soon
realised that the cost of an upgrade
would be a worthwhile investment. This
would not only improve the visitor
experience, but also reduce day-to-day
technical maintenance costs,” said SSE
sales manager Alex Penn.
“The choice of digital console for
front of house was the subject of
very careful consideration but, at a
visit to PLASA Focus this year, DHP
group tech manager Dave McVea and
Rescue Rooms technical manager
Stephen Martin were very impressed
by the CL5.”
McVea and Martin took a number of
the venue’s technical staff to SSE’s CL
series training day in May, for some
hands-on experience.
“The fact that everyone will know
how to use the CL5, because of its
Centralogic user interface is very
beneficial,” said McVea. “The multitrack
recording capability ‘out of the box’ is
another very exciting feature.”
Additionally, a Yamaha DME4i/o-C
has also been installed to extend the DME
network already operating at the venue. n
www.yamahaproaudio.com
SL2.15
By Erica Basnicki
FULL & WIDE SOUND EXACTLY
WHERE ITS REQUIRED
LEBANON
Just 300mm deep,
the SL Series
can be installed
against a wall or
in it...dramatically
reducing the
venue floorspace
required.
VEER, A boutique resort situated in the Kaslik
region of Lebanon, has installed an ElectroVoice system provided by distribution partner
AMAC: the largest fixed audio installation in
the country.
For the main system, AMAC opted for two line
arrays each comprising 12 Electro-Voice XLD281
elements. Six EV F1152 loudspeakers serve as
backfills for the VIP aquarium pool and the
restaurant, while 16 Xsubs reinforce the low end.
“The system is versatile and the sound
powerful and of first-class quality – everything,
in fact, our customer, Hagop Tekeyan, had
hoped for from the installation,” said AMAC’s
sales manager Wissam Hayeck. n
www.electrovoice.com
The new KV2 SL412 and SL2.15 speakers incorporate
an eye-catching, slim and stylish cabinet design. Using
KV2’s VHD technology, the SL412 loudspeaker utilises 4
x 12” low mid-range components with a single 8” midrange and 3” large format NPVD compression driver.
The cabinet’s configuration keeps low mid frequencies
in a controlled pattern, greatly reducing problem room
resonances. Cabinets can be designed and supplied
with custom colors, grill templates and logos, offering
a flexible and true designer-integrated product.
The system is driven by proprietary KV2 amplification.
The KV2 SL3000 powers a pair of SL412s and the
VHD3200 which can drive up to four SL2.15 subs.
SL Series - The Ultimate Club System
Maximum SPL: 137dB
______________________________________
Freq
Resp
+/3dB
:
SL2.15 40Hz - 500Hz, SL412 70Hz- 22kHz
______________________________________
Dispersion:
H110° x V40°
______________________________________
Power:
VHD3200
- 1600 Watts x2
______________________________________
Power:
SL3000
Low
1000W
x2,
Mid 200W x2, High 100W x2
______________________________________
Crossover Points: SL2.15 - 70Hz, SL412 - 400Hz & 2.5kHz
______________________________________
SL412
- H670mm (26.38”) W1080mm (42.52”) D300mm (11.81”)
______________________________________
Weight: SL412 - 60kg (132.28lbs)
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48 l November 2012
installationreport
Hemming with business
partner Lauren Rogers
EUROPE
Faze response
Hemming leads a training
session for Avitas
Big projects, small
details: who you gonna
call? Phil Ward marks
consultant Roland
Hemming’s 25 years in
the industry
YOURS IS the Earth, according
to Rudyard Kipling, “If you
can keep your head when all
about you are losing theirs and
blaming it on you”. By this token
Roland Hemming, consultant
and audio project veteran of one
or two head-losing bonanzas
including The Millennum Dome
and The Olympic Games, is
running the planet – except that
his characteristic modesty
would never let on. Instead, let
the final success of those and
many other achievements speak
for themselves.
MAX HEADROOM
Hemming started on the bottom
rung, in the warehouse, making
tea and coiling cable. As a
MIDI-generation music
technology enthusiast, he
spotted the potential of this
digital interface to sync up
pro-audio and other devices in a
show context. Once TP had
merged with Vari-Lite, colleague
Richard Bleasdale was writing
software for MIDI control of
the Vari-Lite Artisan desk via
Atari laptops, and the two of
them began to develop multidevice control programming way
ahead of its time. Hemming’s
program ‘Theatre Sequencer’, in
fact, drew something of a cult
following among those who
knew IRCAM’s Max protocol –
now a mainstay of object-based
multimedia composition,
looping and sequencing.
It’s typical of Hemming’s
apparent gift for beckoning the
zeitgeist. At the same time as
cracking the sub-atomic
minutiae, his solution may well
turn out to be some kind of
macro that the industry was
waiting for. Having done it,
Hemming is then in a logical
position to lead rather than
follow, which is why assembling
teams has been as much a forte
as programming code.
Seeing the job ad and
interviewing successfully, the
Millennium Dome project was a
deep end into which he threw
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__________________________
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__________________________
Dimensions: H340mm x W374mm x D455mm
__________________________
Weight: 15Kgs
November 2012 l 49
installationreport
Roland Hemming inside the Olympic Stadium
Daniel Green
FOH & Studio Engineer / Co-Producer
himself – with relish. “They wanted the
Renaissance audio man, but got someone
personable with a reasonable grounding in
lots of things,” he recalls. “They didn’t
want a product-obsessed touring engineer.
This was a management job.”
Immediately after the Dome, and the
safe dispersal of hardware back into the
industry as legacy plant, Hemming
entered into a relatively short-lived
installation partnership that failed to
satisfy his exacting demands – despite
initial success supplying entertainment
technology in turnkey packages and a
notable early score at the revamped
Wembley Stadium. The subsequent
formation of RH Consulting was almost
accidental, Hemming claims today.
BRAND OF THE FREE
In the true spirit of consultancy,
Hemming is robustly brand-agnostic.
Only rarely does he venture into a public
display of product development, as when
his contribution to Harman’s HiQnet
communications protocol helped it onto
the market with a very considered seal of
approval. More than anything, it’s the
process that engages him.
“Installation has become even less
flexible,” he says. “The industry is tied up
in red tape and stymied by the whole
process, from the construction industry
onwards. Some of the procedures are
good, some of them bad, but the whole
thing it has to go through is just so slow.
The so-called flexibility of portable
Waves live sound solutions
are used by front-of-house
and monitor engineers for
the biggest names in show
business. Now, bring Waves
studio-quality sound to
your stage.
“Installation has become even less flexible.
The industry is tied up in red tape and stymied
by the whole process, from the construction
industry onwards. Some of the procedures are
good, some of them bad, but the whole thing
it has to go through is just so slow”
systems being ‘installed’ in multipurpose
venues is just a minor design detail: you
can ‘network’ a building to accommodate
lots of input points, but the software
doesn’t really exist to make it work well.
There are isolated examples of ‘smart’
buildings, if you like, but there are too
many issues facing the practical
application of networking technology that
this industry has not yet solved.”
Pointing to the new software package
Audio Architect, the developers at
Harman Professional may say with some
justification that big steps in that direction
are being taken – and Hemming, once a
HiQnet acolyte, would not disagree. “It’s
just that there are working practices and
other influences that technology alone
cannot overcome,” he says. “Some of
them come from within the industry and
t
“I left that partnership fairly
demoralised,” he admits, “and in that
state you do re-evaluate your own worth
very carefully. Your confidence is
eroded, but I had a bit of money set
aside and didn’t have to rush into the
next job.
“I took some time off and starting
calling people and having lunch – not to
ask for work, but literally to find out
what I should do! There was some good
stuff on the CV, so where did I sit in the
world of pro audio? After that the phone
just started to ring, as people came back
to me seeking some corroborative advice
for themselves. After about six months I
took on Lauren [Rogers], whom I’d
known at the previous partnership – and
here we are seven years on. The
consultancy has just built and built…
Find out more at waveslive.com
INTEGRATED
INTEGRA
ATTED SOLUTIONS F
FOR
OR
50 l November 2012
installationreport
some from outside – other
stakeholders, if you like, in the
final product. It ranges from
things like health and safety,
which is right and proper, to how
things are contracted – which
often isn’t.
“Generally speaking, our retail
and leisure world is becoming
more ‘themed’: there’s more than
simple background music in a
great many places and the whole
experience is more targeted. It’s
not so much that we’re putting
sound in places where it’s never
been before; it’s that it needs
more explaining. Most people
involved don’t know about audio
– frankly, why should they?”
GAMES WITH FRONTIERS
Hemming’s role at the London
Olympic Games was also
typical: less to do with
specifying given technical
solutions than with managing
processes, linking
communications and resolving
problems. From this unique
vantage point, he made some
'In the 10-year gap between the two mega-projects, Hemming has
designed or managed projects such as Royal Ascot Racecourse
(shown), St Pancras Station and Lords Cricket Ground.'
very sobering observations.
“What it all put into clear
perspective,” he says, “is the
huge gulf in the understanding,
enthusiasm and care
that the live sound industry
displays as compared with the
majority of the installation
industry. Whether that’s because
the latter is, as I said, stymied by
various factors that prevent it
delivering 110%, maybe… but
you just see it. Live audio is less
compromising; it’s about doing
the most you can do.
“By its very nature, install is
about reaching a minimum
standard and that’s it. That’s not
specific to the Olympics, by the
way, it’s generally true
everywhere.
“The working knowledge of
audio that people have in the live
industry is far better. It’s a
different skill set, true, but on the
whole it involves people who are
more competent, more
passionate and more committed
to making things work on the
day. I’m not saying that the
installation side of the Olympics
was poor, far from it, but there is
a startling difference in attitude,
skills and desire. Dealing with
the install side is like dealing
with the Civil Service, as
opposed to Parliament. It does
deliver, eventually, but it’s like
night and day.”
Furthermore, Hemming does
not expect this situation to
improve. “In fact, the indications
are that it will get worse,” he adds.
“The process works against you.
You’re trying to deliver to a
minimum standard, so you get
non-audio people doing it. That
means a consultant has no one to
talk to, no one to engage with,
and whole conversations never
take place.”
But the really huge showcase
projects are one-offs, Hemming
insists. Each time, it seems like
the greatest show on Earth – until
the next one. So the goalposts –
and don’t forget Brazil 2014 is
coming up – are constantly being
moved. Above all this means that
RH Consulting, just like anyone
else involved, is not to be
associated only with these
distorting monoliths. “I really
don’t regard myself as ‘the guy
who does the big projects’,”
Hemming reflects. “I’m a
consultant, I’m someone who
gives advice. I just happen to have
been lucky enough to do these
two large events. I’m not defined
by them. They certainly don’t
bring in all the money! But you
take away the experience, a
hugely accelerated learning curve,
and the knowledge that you’ve
worked with some amazing
people. A week at the Olympics is
like a year on any other project –
and I love that pressure.” n
rhconsulting.eu
Working on the original Millennium
Dome project, circa 1999
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www.hkaudio.com
November 2012 l 51
installationnews
UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED KINGDOM
Harman goes back to school
By Erica Basnicki
THE FORUM is a £48 million
(€59.8 million) facility in the
heart of the University of
Exeter’s Streatham Campus
that features several technologyrich learning spaces, the
centrepiece of which is the
404-seat Alumni Auditorium.
Its AV system incorporates a
wide range of Harman Pro
brands, supplied by UK and
Ireland distributor Sound
Technology and installed by GV
Multi-media.
All audio within the
auditorium is transported
through CobraNet protocol
devices – including BSS
JBL’s ScreenArray loudspeaker system was implemented
to satisfy the varied needs of the flexible space
Soundweb DSP – and streamed
to appropriate areas via a pair of
Ethernet switches installed in a
separate remote amplifier rack.
The speaker setup features
JBL ScreenArray cinema range
cabinets powered by Crown CTs
amplifiers, and an Assisted
GERMANY
Sony’s DWX takes centre stage
By Erica Basnicki
GERMANY’S DARMSTADT
state theatre (Staatstheater
Darmstadt) has installed a Sony
DWX wireless system as part
of a modernisation of its
in-house facilities.
“After exhaustive research, we
decided in favour of the best and
most ‘future-proof’ technology
that is currently available on the
market,” said Alfred Benz, head
of sound technology and sound
engineering at the Darmstadt
state theatre. “The system’s
versatile adaptability has also
given us an additional benefit in
respect of theatre operations.”
According to German
distributor HL Audio, the DWM02D handheld transmitters were
one of the reasons the theatre
opted for the DWX system, as
LM Series
Digital Audio Processors
*Please note the racing steering wheel depicted is for artistic purposes only!
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Reverb System (ARS) as part of
a 7.1 surround system.
In the first Exploration Lab,
audio is routed via a Crown CTs
600 amplifier to a pair of JBL
CBT 100LA line array column
speakers. A further four JBL
CBT 100LAs are installed in
the Exploration Labs’ Group
Study room.
GV Multi-media’s Daniel
Victory commented: “The BSS
Soundweb worked extremely well
with the CTs amplifiers and JBL
ScreenArray. We are extremely
proud of what we have achieved
at The Forum, creating at the
heart of the university a hub of
AV technology.” n
www.soundtech.co.uk
they can be fitted with capsules
from other mic manufacturers.
A total of 64 channels were
installed, with HL Audio supplying
32 Sony DWR-R01D two-channel
receivers, 20 DWM-02D handheld
transmitters, 48 DWT-B01 pocket
transmitters and eight DWT-P01
plug-on transmitters. The
system was supplemented with
additional kit from Thomann
Professional Audio. n
www.hlaudio.de
www.pro.sony.eu
SINGER-SONGWRITER DELILAH
performed through the windows of
Topshop on Oxford Street in London,
thanks to FeONIC Technology’s
Whispering Window devices.
Multisensory marketing and
advertising consultancy 76MsMA
designed the installation, using
FeONIC Technology’s ‘invisible
audio technology’ whereby small
sound transducers are used to
create very powerful microvibrations (less than the width of a
human hair), causing resonant
surfaces to emit high-quality
immersive sound.
Prask Sutton, chief consultant at
76MsMA, commented: “By audioenabling the store’s windows,
Delilah was able to perform right
through them, so fans both inside
and out were able to soak up the
complete musical experience.” n
www.76msma.com
www.feonic.com
Keeping control of high performance systems is often a complicated
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the new LM 44 from Lake will drive it with absolute precision, and minimum
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The LM 44 provides four analog input and four analog outputs, in addition to
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SH[LZ[PTWSLTLU[H[PVU VM3HRL»ZPJVUPJº4LZH,8»JVUÄN\YH[PVU;OPZTHRLZ34
WLYMLJ[S`LX\PWWLK[VOHUKSLH^PKLYHUNLVM-6/HWWSPJH[PVUZPUJS\KPUNHZH
TP_TH[YP_HUKM\SSZ`Z[LT,8JVUZVSLZ^P[JOLYVUSHYNLL]LU[ZPUZLY[LK,8MVY
TVUP[VYZ`Z[LTZ-6/[VZ[HNLKPNP[HSH\KPV[YHUZTPZZPVUHUKT\JOTVYLILZPKLZ
0U JVUQ\UJ[PVU ^P[O [OL UL^ ]LYZPVU VM 3HRL *VU[YVSSLY ZVM[^HYL 34 ZL[Z H
ULÎLUJOTHYRPUWYLJPZPVU[\UPUNJVU[YVSHUKÅL_PIPSP[`PUWLYMVYTHUJLH\KPV
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52 l November 2012
installationfeature
Licence
thrill
to
‘More, more, more’ is the mantra for modern
theme park rides – a challenge to which audio developers
have risen with a fresh generation of high-impact sound
solutions. David Davies straps in and prepares for
a long, strange trip...
PUBLISHED IN 1985, theorist
Neil Postman’s formidably
prescient book Amusing
Ourselves to Death contained a
stark warning about the
individual’s declining span of
attention in the televisual age.
More recently, the advent of the
‘digital brain’ – shaped by the
dizzying turnover of online
content – has given rise to a
survey suggesting that a foursecond decline in average attention
span has taken place in only 12
years (from 12 to 8 seconds...
that’s one second lower than a
goldfish! Source: Associated
Press 2012).
Winning – and, crucially,
retaining – the attention of the
public has therefore never been
more challenging. Amusement
parks can hardly have failed to
escape the trend, conjuring
increasingly impactful rides
virtually guaranteed to inspire in
the participant a comprehensive
sensorial overload.
This commitment to thrill
extends even to the pre-ride
areas, hence the abundance of
“elaborate queue sets that
include audio, video, lighting
and prop effects to entertain
riders as they await the thrill
of the latest extreme
rollercoaster,” says Jeff
Levison, VP cinema &
entertainment systems at
Germany-based spatial audio
specialist Iosono.
It is indisputable that, as
elsewhere in the media world,
“the idea of total immersion
including all senses has found its
way into theme parks”, as
Levison remarks. More often
than not, the ride is attempting
to relate a concise narrative, and
in this context “creating a
convincing sonic environment to
push the ‘story’ [...] makes the
overall experience even more
immersive”, says Johan
Wadsten, product manager –
Pyramix Virtual Studio/Ovation,
Merging Technologies.
The impulse to specify more
powerful loudspeakers and
amplifiers has not gone away,
but more than ever theme park
audio is about the sum being
greater than the parts – a
development that inevitably calls
for increased emphasis on show
control technology and overall
project integration.
SPILLS AND CHILLS
In the 1980s, you didn’t have to
look too far for theme parks that
essentially resembled glorified
fairgrounds, combining some
decidedly iffy, cheap-looking
amusements with maybe one or
two elaborate ‘setpieces’. That all
changed during the 1990s when
a new generation of rides came
onstream, assisted by the arrival
of more powerful motion-control
technology. In 2012, the high-tech
rides of the world’s leading theme
parks are entirely in keeping with
the ‘everything and the kitchen
sink’ mentality of 3D cinema –
and frequently utilise some of the
same AV solutions.
In helping to deliver more
exciting rides, recent developments
in audio technology have proven
to be a tremendous boon – from
the design of more compact
loudspeakers and amplifiers for
use on on-board carts, to
increasingly elaborate show
control software able to trigger all
manner of effects.
Simon Holley, Bose Pro
divisional manager, underlines
audio’s role in engendering mood
and emotion in every area of the
park. These days, he remarks,
“audio can be used to create
atmosphere – from tense
excitement to calm – and from
environmental sound to queue
line messages”.
Tannoy’s product manager,
Mark Copeland, agrees that
audio is pivotal in creating what
he describes as a “much more
multi-sensory [experience] than
ever before” – a development that
is obviously “great news for AV
manufacturers as modern parks
look to incorporate both sound
and visuals alongside the usual
‘thrills and spills’ type attractions”.
But with theme parks
representing a very different
audio environment to the
theatre, concert hall or festival
stage, where exactly does the
specifier/installer start? Marc
Kocks is managing director of
RIDES OF YOUR LIFE: JEFF LEVISON’S TOP THREE*
has always been one of the
best examples of audio in a
theme park ride,” says
Iosono’s Jeff Levison (a huge
theme ride fan). “Audio is a
major part of the show including
the outside queue, the preshow ‘stretching room’, the
ride portion itself and the exit
area. All types of approaches
are used, including room
ambience, specific spot effects,
narration and in-cab audio.”
THE HAUNTED MANSION
Each version of the
Disneyland attraction
(Disneyland Florida, the Magic
Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland)
incorporates a walk-through
show in the queue followed
by an Omnimover-based
ride-through tour of a
haunted house.
“From its inception in the
1960s, The Haunted Mansion
KING KONG (PICTURED)
Part of the Universal Studios
Tour (otherwise known as ‘the
Backlot Tour’), this ride
brings participants to a
recreated version of Skull
Island from Peter Jackson’s
2005 cashtill-ringing remake
of King Kong. The spec
includes an extensive
contingent of L-Acoustics
KILO and KIVA components,
powered by the French
manufacturer’s LA4 and LA8
amplified controllers.
“Peter Jackson’s audio
group, Park Road Post, did an
incredible job creating the
audio for this attraction,”
says Levison. “In order to
accomplish this feat they
had to reconfigure their studio
– designed for movie mixing –
to accommodate the very
different world of the largescale dark ride. The end result
is both impressive and
exciting. The 22-channel
mix by Michael Hedges
pushed the envelope for audio.”
* in no particular order
MICKEY’S PHILHARMAGIC
Based around a 12-minute film
directed by George Scribner,
Mickey’s PhilharMagic at
Tokyo Disneyland delivers 3D
effects, scents, water and
multiple characters from
Disney movies. The film is
screened on what is reported to
be the largest purpose-built 3D
screen ever devised (48m wide).
“A 3D speciality theatre,
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
presents a 3D film along with
an elaborate audio recreation
of the orchestra. The audio
presentation is exceptional for
its immersion and detailed
positioning using a large
number of speakers in an
array around the audience,”
says Levison.
November 2012 l 53
The specification process
commences, suggests Levison,
with “a good understanding of
the performance goals and a
strong attention to detail. For
example, determining the sound
pressure levels and then the
coverage for the audience will
dictate the type of speakers used
and their position. If done early
in the process the ride designers
work hand-in-hand with the
Johan Wadsten, Merging Technologies
audio integrator to ensure
maximum performance and
maintain the proper look or
sightlines for the show.”
In this regard, discreet speaker
solutions with minimal – or nonexistent – visual impact can
be distinctly advantageous.
“Concealed speakers work well,
which pair all-weather ability
“with well-defined coverage
angles and throw capabilities”; to
Tannoy’s DVS Series, whose
certification to IP64, remarks
Copeland, makes it “a perfectly
capable performer in challenging
interior areas such as water parks
or general outdoor areas where
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more advanced digital playback
systems, the power consumption,
weight and dimension of onboard
audio systems is reduced.”
But while it is now easier to
specify products off-the-shelf,
the exacting requirements of
individual rides mean that
customised solutions are
t
“The ride determines how
audio will be provided to
the audience,” he says. “It can
be onboard audio if the carts
on the ride are suited to
build a sound in; it can be
audio provided by source
along the track; or a
combination [thereof].”
unusually high levels of dust or
moisture may be present”.
For those applications where
onboard audio is preferable, the
development of more powerful,
Class D topology amplifiers –
thereby requiring fewer devices
and less space in often highly
cramped environments – has been
hugely beneficial. Kocks says:
“With the use of Class D
amplifiers like Powersoft and
“Creating a convincing sonic environment to
push the ‘story’ [...] makes the overall
experience even more immersive”
Community R Series loudspeakers are
installed in the water park area, The
Boardwalk, of Hersheypark, Pennsylvania
Netherlands-based audio
supplier and installer TM
Audio, and has been involved
in a number of theme park
projects. As he perceives it,
thinking carefully and
rigorously about the nature
of the ride itself is priority
numero uno.
including environmental speakers
hidden among foliage or speakers
built into the fabric of the ride,”
remarks Holley.
Withstanding the elements –
both real and invented (!) –
around the clock calls for
robustly-protected, weatherresistant speakers. Fortunately,
specifiers appear to be spoilt for
choice here: from Community’s
R-Series and WET Series II,
SEQUENZA 10
November 2012 l 55
installationfeature
Gröna Lund
Theme Park, Sweden
frequently necessary for onboard
deployment. The design and
delivery process can be
protracted, but it seems that
the end results do justify the
labour involved.
“Onboard systems are perfect
[for telling] the story of the ride
and also give the possibility of
having different versions of the
story [for each cart],” remarks
Kocks. For the properly besotted,
there will be a desire to experience
a visitor as they walk through an
area, or providing an interface
for the visitor to control all of
what happens, interactivity is
where designers are exploring
more and more ways to enhance
their productions.”
Logistically and practically,
rugged software/hardware
‘combination’ systems often
represent the best way forwards.
As Wadsten notes: “The time
needed to connect up 50 ‘black
generating interest. Tan notes:
“An infrastructure that not only
transports video in real-time, but
also provides the backbone for
distributing the communications
and audio signals streamlines the
installation significantly. With
MediorNet being a fully fledged
network this also makes the
system a lot more flexible,
allowing point-to-multipoint
set-ups over great distance with
high bandwidth.”
“The ride determines how audio will be
provided to the audience. It can be onboard
audio if the carts on the ride are suited to build
a sound in; it can be audio provided by source
along the track; or a combination [thereof]”
GOING GLOBAL
As to where theme park audio
goes next... “From Iosono’s
perspective, we see ‘object-based’
production of audio to be a
major advance for themed
entertainment,” says Levison.
“Sound designers can make
content in a different environment
than the final venue and have
successful reproduction that works
when the venue opens. I can’t stress
how big an advantage this is. Until
now the sound designer had a
limited range of ability without
building a duplicate of the venue in
which to prepare the audio. With
an object-based creation and
rendered output (as in the Iosono
system) the end-result will be as
expected in the studio where it
was designed.”
TAKING CONTROL
With greater complexity, of
course, comes an increased
need for effective control.
Consequently, show control
software is a prerequisite for the
vast majority of new installations,
where it is selected to trigger
often widely contrasting effects at
different stages of a ride.
No wonder, then, that Kocks
describes show control as
“the heartbeat of the system,
Marc Kocks, TM Audio
every variation – a tendency that
means lucrative repeat-business
for theme park operators.
“True fanatic rollercoaster
junkies will love to experience
all the different versions of this
one rollercoaster.”
Indicating the elaborate nature
of many new rides, Kocks cites
a recent project in which “the
proximity of the props to the cart
and the localisation required by
the user [resulted in the
specification of] a 96-output
system with individual loudspeakers
across the 300m track. Fifteen
carts are in different scenes on the
track at the same time and all of
the effects had to be triggered and
timed. In total, this took three
weeks of programming on-site,
resulting in our crew going on
the ride more than 500 times
before completion.”
[precipitating] effects in lighting,
sound, motion or other show
elements. This show control
system can work on timecode
or external triggers.”
Apart from issues of
practicality, more powerful
control also brings the ability to
refresh a theme park environment
more readily – an important
consideration when it comes to
ensuring that crowds make return
visits year in, year out.
Merging’s Wadsten reflects:
“Control software and software
that has a control paradigm built
into it – like our Ovation Media
Server – are able to provide a
level of show that can react to
the environment in which [they
are] placed. So whether it is
simply starting a scene running
when someone walks into the
room, panning a sound to follow
boxes’ and get them to do what
you need can be so much more
laborious and costly than
employing products like Ovation.”
Along with effective control,
the ascendancy of flexible
networking technology has
contributed significantly to easing
the design process. More easily
managed networks, observes
Levison, have “made the whole
process of integrating elaborate
sound much more manageable”.
As in other sectors, project
specifiers face a variety of
possible solutions. Riedel is just
one of the suppliers to have
benefited, with general manager
South East Asia Joe Tan
highlighting demand for the
company’s RockNet redundant
ring topology. Video, audio, data
and communications network
solution MediorNet is also
Tan, meanwhile, pinpoints the
continuing drift towards digital.
As he remarks: “Switching over
to entirely digital systems will
prevent noise interference while
allowing even longer distances
when using fibre systems instead
of common copper cabling.”
The prospect of upgrade/
renewal programmes can only be
good news for suppliers – as is an
expanding geographical focus that
encompasses the BRIC nations as
well as the stronghold markets of
the US and Western Europe.
“While the traditional markets
are perhaps about maintaining
what is already there, the emerging
markets are where the future
business lies,” says Copeland.
“As more people start to have
disposable income, attractions
like theme parks and other
leisure centres are emerging in
tandem with that.”
For audio suppliers, it is
evident, this is one thrilling
ride that is far from over. n
www.bose.co.uk
www.communitypro.com
www.iosono-sound.com
www.l-acoustics.com
www.merging.com
www.riedel.net
www.tannoy.com
www.tmaudio.nl
The Gröna Lund Theme Park, close to Stockholm, has purchased and
installed an Ovation Gold turnkey system as it’s new park-wide musical
playback and announcement system
INNOVATION
TECHNOLOGY
PERFORMANCE
APPLYING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS TO REAL WORLD AUDIO SOLUTIONS
SUPERIOR LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEMS BY DESIGN
www.acoustictechnologygroup.co.uk
Contact Nick Beck
email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000
directory
APPOINTMENTS
ARE YOU
YOU SOUND MINDED? JOIN L-A
L-ACOUSTICS
COUSTICS
Leader dans l’industrie audio
audio-pro,
-pro, notre réputation s’est forgée sur la création de solutions high-tech,
adaptées aux exigences les plus sévères de la sonorisation du spectacle vivant.
P
Pour
our développer notre présence sur le marché de l’installation fixe nous recrutons :
un ingénieur application
un technico-commercial
technico-commercial
Véritable ambassadeur de la marque, votre expertise technique vous permettra d’accompagner nos clients
d’installation..
et partenaires dans leurs projets d’installation
+ d’info sur www.l-acoustics.com/careers
www
w.l-acoustics.com/careers
.l-a
.
CONTACTS
November 2012 l 57
Editor
Dave Robinson
[email protected]
hither&dither
Staff Writer
Erica Basnicki
[email protected]
Managing Editor
Joanne Ruddock
[email protected]
Sales Manager
Nick Beck
[email protected]
Sales Executive
Ryan O’Donnell
[email protected]
Head of Design and Production
Adam Butler
[email protected]
Editorial Production Manager
Dawn Boultwood
[email protected]
Hither & rocker
Bits and pieces and people and places from the world of pro-audio
Senior Production Executive
Alistair Taylor
[email protected]
Digital Content Manager
Tim Frost
[email protected]
Office Manager
Lianne Davey
[email protected]
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Steve Connolly
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Managing Director
Stuart Dinsey
[email protected]
Correspondents: Mike Clark (Italy),
Marc Maes (Belgium/Holland), Phil Ward (UK),
Mel Lambert (USA)
Contributors: Mike Hillier, David Davies, Jim Evans,
Kevin Hilton, Nigel Lord, Paul Watson, Phil Harding
PSNEurope
Intent Media London,
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Editorial: +44 20 7226 7246
Sales: +44 20 7354 6000
Our sometime gear reviewer Dave Arcari was
in London recently, performing his jet-fuelled
punk blues at Charlie Wright’s Hoxton. Here’s the
great man himself, replete with much cherished
National guitars
Press releases to:
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Optocore GmbH has provided shirt sponsorship for a local Munich youth team,
SV Waldeck’s Under 13s. Yorick Brunke, son of Optocore’s Marc Brunke and
Tine Helmle, has played for the team for the last six years. Club executive Herbert
Bueser (left), also presented Helmle (right) with a jersey in the same new design
From the ‘What will they think
of next?’ department: Rubik’s
Cube USB portable speaker,
20 quid from the Science
Museum shop. Yes please!
Sometimes Sensorcom
is called to manufacture earplugs
and moulds for customers other than humans. Police
horses, for instance. Here’s what Dobbin will be sporting at this year’s riots
Please send all contributions for possible publication to [email protected]
58 l November 2012
industrytalk
“Anyone who claims digital desks sound better
than analogue obviously never had good sex
with a [Midas] XL4”
Robbie McGrath
L-Acoustics K1 is such a good
sounding box, so everything was
totally manageable.
YOU MIXED with a Midas
PRO6 for The Stone Roses; have
you always been a Midas fan?
Yes, absolutely. For me, the
PRO6 is the best digital desk
around, though I should also
say that anyone who claims
digital desks sound better than
analogue obviously never had
good sex with a [Midas] XL4. I,
unfortunately, had a huge affair
with it, and I just think it’s an
amazing, very musical and
incredibly easy-to-use console.
You mic up the drum kit fairly
extensively, don’t you?
I do when working with The
Stone Roses, yes. Probably 16
or so channels in total are
dedicated to the drums. We have
about six channels on the bass
and guitar respectively: there’s a
DI that comes straight from the
bass guitar itself and then a DI
that comes off his FX, then
several DIs that come out the
back of the amps, as well as a
number of mics positioned at
the front of the cabinets. It’s a
lot to play with, and they’re all
compressed, delayed, phased,
out-of-phased, to give it a kind
of image. You have to build a
wall of sound; it’s just bass,
drums, guitar and vocals, after
all, so you need to use a few
little tricks to make it sound as
big as possible.
How much of that XL4
‘magic’ has been translated to
this machine?
Well, the PRO6 is also incredibly
musical, and the compression is
second to none. I also like its
interface: it feels analogue, but it
isn’t; and it’s easy to get around.
It may not have all the plug-ins
that some other consoles have
these days, but when mixing live,
why do you need them?
What did you want to see go into
the PRO6, in particular?
For me, the Midas EQ has
always been absolutely brilliant,
and thankfully they’ve
translated it into digital really
well. The whole thing with
digital is VCA – it’s all voltage
control – so there is no real
sound going through the desk at
all, if you think about it. But on
the whole, I am extremely happy
with the PRO6, and it’s never let
me down yet.
What’s your current FOH setup
then, and what kind of outboard
do you have in tow?
Well, for The Stone Roses, I used
56 channels – and that’s with
everything: the band, effects, the
ambient mics, multi-tracking,
which we do every night onto our
Klark Teknik DN9696 recorder.
And then I have my favourite bits
of outboard, which include some
classic tube compressors, a
couple of Lexicon units to get
those nice rich reverbs for the
vocals, and a Yamaha reverb
which I use on the drum kit to
give it more of an attitude; it
might sound cheap, but
somehow it knows how to
provide that rock ’n’ roll feel!
The fruit of
his labour
Robbie McGrath is somewhat of a superstar in terms of his FOH acclaim,
having mixed for huge acts including The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Simply Red,
Kasabian and The Stone Roses, the last of whom have just completed a
sizeable European tour. When riding the faders, McGrath is old school in his
approach: he lets the band do the talking, and doesn’t cut any corners; for him,
it’s all about the music, writes Paul Watsonx
Did you feel there was extra
pressure on you to deliver,
considering The Roses were on
such a publicised ‘comeback’?
Well, at the very beginning the
nerves all round were pretty
evident – that’s every
department, not just the band
members. It’s one thing touring
something like this where you
can get a chance to iron it all
out, but just to focus it on three
shows over a weekend is another
thing... But actually, this brought
us together as a team; the crew
was superb, and the band trusted
us to just get on with it, which is
how you want it to be.
The weather was horrendous for
some of those summer shows –
did this affect the sound?
The main problem at an
open-air show is always going
to be the wind, and it was
pretty blustery, particularly
on the first night. We had a
few problems, but the
Coda Audio ...................................45
d&b audiotechnik.....................42,43
Direct Cable Systems.....................23
Dynacord ........................................9
Full Fat Audio................................57
Genelec..........................................31
Hand Held Audio...........................34
HHB Communcations....................36
HK Audio......................................50
IBC ...............................................26
Innovason.....................................29
ISE................................................54
JBL.................................................7
JTS Professional...........................24
K-array..........................................15
Kling & Frietag ..............................53
KV2 Audio...............................47,48
L-Acoustics..................................IFC
MC2 Audio....................................39
Midas.........................................OBC
MIPRO .........................................30
NAMM..........................................25
Outline Srl .....................................19
Powersoft Srl.................................17
Primacoustic ...................................3
Prism..............................................4
QSC Audio ......................................6
Radial Systems Engineering .........IBC
ADVERTISER INDEX
ADVERTISER INDEX NAME ....PAGE
Acoustic Technology Group ...........55
ASL Intercom..................................8
Behringer .......................................11
Cadac............................................38
Canford Audio...............................35
Celestion .......................................16
Clear-Com.....................................33
Do you listen to the artists’
records before you do a show to
get an idea of how you need to
make it sound?
Well, with some bands you can,
yes, because they might be on
sequencers or using samples, or
whatever; but for this band,
absolutely not, because you have
to listen to what they’re doing
here and now – they’re not
trying to reproduce any album,
they’re just trying to get their
songs up and be a band.
The Stone Roses tour was an
SSE/Canegreen production; how
has that worked out for you?
Oh, fantastically well. They are
very in to the project, if you
know what I mean. I would be
lost without Pete, the Canegreen
systems engineer; he is
absolutely amazing. The thing
is, once people are really into the
show and the band, they can
understand why you’re asking
for silly things, because they are
aware of all the upheavals
involved; and that makes a huge
difference when you’re out on
the road, believe me. n
www.l-acoustics.com
www.midasconsoles.com
Renkus-Heinz ...............................46
Sommer Cable ..............................28
Soundcraft ....................................41
Tannoy ..........................................51
TOA/Trantec .................................13
Waves Audio ................................49
XTA..............................................37
Yamaha Commercial Audio ...........FC
ONE more reason
to get excited
PRO1 expands the ever increasing
possibilities within the exciting world
of truly creative digital audio.
24 mic / line inputs on the sur
face
surface
Expandable to
to 40 input channels
27 sample
-synchronous phase-coherent
phase-coherent busses
sample-synchronous
Up tto
o 12 multichannel FX units
multi-channel
Up tto
o 28 KLARK TEKNIK DN370 31-band EQs
POPulation g
roups
6 POPulation
groups
A groups
groups
8 VC
VCA
Daylight-viewable full ccolour
olour TFT displa
een
Daylight-viewable
displayy scr
screen
MIDAS Latency
Latency ccompensation
ompensation sy
stem
MIDAS
system
iP
ad remote
remote control
control
iPad
Lightt w
weight,
Ligh
eight, ccompact
ompact aluminium frame
frame
midasc
midasconsoles.com
onsoles.com
echnical specifica
tions and appear
ances ar
e subjec
© 2012 MUSIC Gr
Group
oup IP Ltd.
Ltd. TTechnical
e
echnica
specifications
appearances
are
subjectt tto
o change without notic
noticee and accuracy
accuracy is not guar
guaranteed.
anteed.
MID
AS and KLARK TEKNIK ar
e par
oup (music
-group.com).
MIDAS
are
partt of the MUSIC Gr
Group
(music-group.com).

November 2012

Transcription

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