NEWS - Spinworkz Pte Ltd

Transcription

January - February 2015
MCI [P] 010/09/2014 KDN: PPS 1663/08/2013 [022991]
te chnology
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Show Co. Pushes The Boundaries @
ZoukOut 2014
Electro-Voice Through
The Eyes Of A Sound Guy
What’s Trending In The
Cinema Scene
VIX Reopens With Full
Martin Outfit
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Barco Singapore Private Limited
No. 10 Changi South Lane #04-01
Singapore 486162
Tel: +65 6243 7610 Fax: +65 6543 4322
www.barco.com/CorporateAV
CONTENT
VOL 16 ISSUE 1 January - February 2015
80 The Grand Scores Sony’s
4K Twin Peak Solution
52 K-Array System With
FIRmaker Technology
56 The Changing Face Of Asian Cinema
06 FIRST WORDS
08 NEWS
34 ENNOVATIONS
EXHIBITION PREVIEW
50 PALM Expo 2015 Mumbai
TECH TALK
52 K-Array System With
FIRmaker Technology
54 Electro-Voice Through The
Eyes Of A Sound Guy
SPECIAL FEATURE
56 The Changing Face Of Asian
Cinema
60 What’s Trending In The
Cinema Scene
64 PVR Cinemas: Staying Ahead
Of The Curve
66 Auro – The New Sound Of
Movies
84 ULA Group Lights Up The
Bolte Bridge
INSTALL
85 FOOD- 4 -THOUGHT
68 Hertz II Infuses KV2 Into Club
Pyramid
70 blueFROG Grows With
L-Acoustics
72 VIX Reopens With Full Martin
Outfit
74 Christie Offers Truly
Immersive Experience
76 Electro-Voice Shakes The
Basement
78 The P.A. People Install New
Sound @ The SCG
80 The Grand Scores Sony’s 4K
Twin Peak Solution
82 TBSE Mumbai Creates
Unforgettable Sound With
QSC
LIVE!
86 ETC Dances For Hong Kong
Ballet
87 Martin Audio Gets FREQ-y
88 J Davis Prosound & Lighting
Rocks Afrojack
89 Mandylights Deploy
Ghostbands To Transform
G.E.M.
90 Show Co. Pushes The
Boundaries @ ZoukOut 2014
96 Christie and Wincomn
Honour Mongolian Folk Hero
97 HaAavve U Met...?
06
FIRST WORDS
Publisher / Editorial Director
Thomas Richard Prakasam
[email protected]
INDIA AND MIDDLE EAST
EDITOR
Ram Bhavanashi
[email protected]
Hellloooo 2015! Happy new year to you, dear reader!
Or is it? If you really think about it, the first of January is just another
day but after 25 years, I’m still working on swallowing that concept.
Whatever your personal beliefs are about the new year, no-one can
deny that it has arrived.
It’s new and shiny and full of promise. We’ve got very special issues
planned for you in 2015 and to kick things off, flip to page 56 to check
out a full comprehensive piece that concentrates on the changing
face of Asian cinema. We’ve even added an in-depth interview with
Gautam Dutta, CEO of India’s largest cinema chain and we also look at
what’s trending for cinema technology. This is just a taste of what’s to
come in 2015, so we hope you enjoy it.
Another interesting piece we have is on our Have U Met subject.
Wee Cheng Low is a 35-year old Lighting/Video programmer who has
travelled the world doing what he loves. He does not consider himself
special or talented, instead he says his career is due to him being a
“fast learner”. In the year since we’ve been doing our ‘Have U Met?’
column, it’s been amazing to hear about the different pathways that
people take to get where they want to be. We definitely look forward
to many more inspirational stories in 2015!
On that note, I would just like to say that there is no doubt in my
mind that Asia is becoming a strong contender across all platforms:
technology, entertainment, business, etc. So many things are already
happening before 2015 even has a chance to get properly going
and E-Tech Asia’s resolution this year will be to keep our ear to the
ground so that you are the first to know about industry events and
technology relevant to your business.
How about you? What will your new year resolution be and, more
importantly, how do you intend to keep it?
Elissa Nadine
Assistant Editor
[email protected]
EDITOR, DIGITAL PLATFORM
Rosalind Tan
[email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Shireen Ho
[email protected]
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Jimmy Chin
[email protected]
ADMIN & CIRCULATION
Julie Tan
[email protected]
MEDIA REP IN NORTH AMERICA
Broadcast Media International
Michael Mitchell
Tel: +1 631 673 0072
[email protected]
PUBLISHED BY
Spinworkz Pte Ltd, 51 Bukit Batok Crescent,
#06-10 Unity Centre, Singapore 658077
Tel: (65) 6316 2716 Fax: (65) 63162715 www.spinworkz.com
PRINTED BY
Stamford Press Pte Ltd
Disclaimer
Entertainment Technology Asia is published 6 times a year. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine is to be reproduced, whether mechanical or electronic without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views
expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. Whilst every care is taken to ensure
the accuracy and honesty in both editorial and advertising content at press time, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies.
08
NEWS
XJ Audio Relies On Sindo Exports
along with 2 units each
of complementary subs,
ES 1.5, 2.5 and 2.6. A rack
mount version of the
EPAK2500, 2 units of the
4-way, active control and
amplification, EPAK2500R
were provided as they
have been specifically
designed for the ES Series
modular loudspeaker
system.
SINGAPORE: Sindo Exports Pte Ltd
recently closed yet another KV2 Audio
deal in Singapore. XJ Audio and Video
Production, a professional audio and visual
production provider for large-scale local
and international events, decided to add on
additional KV2 Audio equipment to their
existing stock due to the demanding live
events that required high-quality gear.
The new sale features equipment from the
KV2 ES and EX series of powered speakers.
At the core of the ES System, 2 x ES 1.0 3-way
compact loudspeakers were purchased
Chan Xiang Ju, Technical
Director of XJ Audio, commented on the
system purchase: “The compact size of the
speakers together with their high output
were important factors to us. These systems
are also virtually plug and play, which makes
it easy to train general crew. It's so simple
that even lighting guys know how to hook it
up!”
Completing the line-up of new equipment
were 6 x KV2 EX12 2-way active loudspeakers
equipped with a 3'' NVPD large format
compression driver. “We purchased the
EX series because it provides plenty of
deployment options. There is one for every
purpose. Also, it comes with well-designed fly
gear. The Yoke for the EX12 allows easy flying
onto standard 300mm truss,” added Xiang Ju.
Regional distributor of brands such as KV2
and QSC, Sindo Exports has been supplying
audio equipment to rental houses and system
integrators for over 10 years. Having worked
with Sindo Exports on an earlier project in
2014, Xiang Ju added, “The service provided
by Sindo was thorough and we are very
pleased with the technical and after sales
support.”
www.xjavprod.com
www.kv2audio.com
www.sindoexport.com
KV2 Speakers Being Put To Good Use
TC Group Appoints New VP Of Marketing
INTERNATIONAL:
Andy Rust has
been appointed
by the TC Group
as the new VP
of Marketing for
Install & Tour, with
responsibility for
the marketing of
TC Group brands –
primarily Tannoy,
Lab.gruppen, Lake and White Acoustic – in
installed sound and touring markets.
Based at Tannoy’s headquarters in Scotland,
Andy has assumed the lead role in the
marketing of the Install and Tour verticals,
the managing of the core I & T marketing
team at Coatbridge, as well as the delivery
of the marketing strategy and co-ordination
of other marketing teams within TC Group
offices in North America, Japan and China.
In congratulating Andy on his new role,
Andrzej Sosna, CEO of TC Group’s Install
and Tour verticals, said: “Andy has a wealth
of experience of marketing and the audio
industry having spent 13 years at Peavey
and the last 9 of those as their European
Marketing Manager. His diverse experience
in traditional and cutting edge media tools
will benefit us greatly in the Install and Tour
market vertical in the coming years.”
With a degree in Business Studies, Andy’s
wealth of experience in audio extends his
personal life, having spent time as DJ in the
Leicester & Nottingham areas of the UK, as
well as being a keen producer. Committed to
the new role, Andy has relocated to Glasgow,
Scotland’s cultural capital. He has taken up
the role of VP of Marketing on November
3rd.
“I am really looking forward to getting settled
in and working with the fantastic team
that TC Group has built up over the years.
I am especially proud to be working out of
the UK Tannoy office, having observed the
company pushing their unique transducer
technology forward, year on year, as well as
manufacturing beautiful products out of this
UK operation.”
“TC Group is a company I have admired for
many years, having seen them make some
extremely well thought out projects during
my time in the industry. This now positions
the group as a true force in most areas of
the sound business and this is especially true
for Install and Tour markets where I will be
lucky enough to be focused. Their unique
technology is delivering true meaningful
value to the market and I am honoured to be
given the opportunity to help continue their
reputation for being the best; whether that is
for their training, technology or their product
launches.”
Andy can be reached at:
[email protected]
www.tcgroup.tc
10
NEWS
Roland Offers Dante With New M-5000 Live
Mixing Console
INTERNATIONAL: Roland has announced
their support for Audinate’s Dante audio
networking solution as an optional expansion
card in their new M-5000 Live Mixing
Console.
Roland is most noted in the audio market for
their live digital mixing consoles, digital snake
systems, multi-channel recording/playback
systems, and personal mixing solution – all
over Cat5e/6 Ethernet network.
Additionally, the Roland M-5000 Live Mixing
Console sits on a new platform called
O.H.R.CA. This represents “Open”, “High
Resolution”, and “Configurable Architecture”
by delivering definable audio paths,
supporting multiple audio format protocols,
plus pristine 96 kHz sound quality throughout
the system. The M-5000’s internal mix
architecture is not fixed and can be freely
defined for mixing channels, AUXs, Matrices,
subgroup buses, MIX-MINUS buses within a
range of up to 128 audio paths allowing the
user to create a console structure to suit the
needs of the application.
“We are excited to be working together with
Audinate in offering Dante connectivity to
our users,” explained Roland Corporation
U.S vice president, John Broadhead. “The
Roland Pro Audio lineup is one of the most
comprehensively integrated audio solutions
available and with the ability to now
integrate with Dante networks, it delivers an
enormous amount of power and flexibility to
our clients.”
Supporting Dante in addition to REAC,
MADI and Waves SoundGrid positions the
new Roland M-5000 Live Mixing Console
is considered as one of the most openly
networked audio consoles on the market.
“We have been working closely with Roland
for some time now, and the culmination of
the new Roland M-5000 Live Mixing Console
with Dante networking will be extremely well
received in the market” stated Lee Ellison,
CEO of Audinate. “Dante offers the most
extensive portfolio of networked products in
the pro audio market and we are thrilled to
welcome Roland into the Dante family.”
The Roland M-5000 along with the Dante
Expansion card will be available early 2015.
www.roland.com
www.audinate.com
ETC Wraps Up 2014 With Strengthened
Relationships
ASIA: Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)
celebrated the end of 2014 by getting up
close and personal with its customers.
Starting off in Singapore, ETC held an open
house at the LASALLE College of the Arts
which drew 120 participants from Singapore,
Malaysia, Korea and Taiwan. Students and
lighting professionals, including art venue
technicians, sales company representatives,
rental house employees, end users and dealers,
helped make the open house a huge success.
This was the first big event ETC held in Asia,
which also marked the official opening
of the new ETC Singapore Pte. Ltd. (“ETC
Singapore”) regional office, which aims to
improve sales support for the South-East
Asian market.
The open house kicked off with lighting
designer presentations that showed off ETC
fixture projects, followed by demos of Eosfamily lighting desks, the x7 Color System,
ETC LED products and system integration. At
the end of the event, ETC CEO, Fred Foster
made a special appearance and gave a
presentation on ETC product history.
ETC Open House
(Singapore)
“The ETC open house gave ETC a great
opportunity to share our technology with
students, lighting designers and our regional
distribution partners. ETC staff and guest
speakers, including lighting designers James
Tan and Gabriel Chan, shared interesting
presentations during the two-day event. ETC
also welcomed Alan Loh, the new regional
sales manager for Southeast Asia, to the
company,” he said.
Within the same week, the ETC team held
a special workshop for students of the
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
(HKAPA) where they got the opportunity
to experience ETC’s newest equipment and
meet Foster.
The workshop began with a tour of the ETC
Asia office, followed by a product-history
presentation by Foster and a series of
product demos by ETC staff. The event also
HKAPA Students
Discussing ETC Products
included ETC Asia’s founder, Jimmy Cheung,
who retired in 2009, as a special guest.
During the workshop, the students were
divided into four groups to learn about
different products including the Cobalt desk,
Source Four fixtures and Source Four LED
luminaires, and dimming and networking
devices. ETC engineers gave the students
hands-on demonstrations of all of the
equipment.
“It was an honour to address the HKAPA
students,” said Foster. “The interest and
energy that was shown by this group of
talented people is a testament to the wellestablished programs at HKAPA. It was also
an honour to have Jimmy return to visit the
company he helped start almost twenty years
ago.”
www.etcconnect.com
12
NEWS
PL+S Frankfurt 20th Anniversary Information
well as contract installations and trusses, can
be seen in action in Hall 11.0. The Event Plaza
Conference will be held in the ‘Portalhaus’
building while associations and publishers
make their presentations in Galleria 0 and
Galleria 1.
Conferences
INTERNATIONAL: The next Prolight +
Sound (PL+S) in Frankfurt will celebrate
its 20th edition from 15 to 18 April 2015.
The anniversary edition of the worldrenowned trade fair for events, installation
and production will be distinguished
by various products and technologies,
extensive complementary programmes and
presentation ceremonies.
The large number of registrations already
received, the many returnees and the
numerous first-time exhibitors taking part
in 2015 underscore the great significance of
Prolight + Sound for the sector.
The companies that have registered for the
trade fair include:
• Adam Hall
• Avid
• B&K Braun
• Clay Paky
• d&b Audiotechnik
• DiGiCo
• DTS
• L-Acoustics
• Lawo AG
• MA Lighting
• Martin Professional
• Meyer Sound
• Riedel
• Robe
• SGM
Halls Occupied
The exhibition halls occupied remain
unchanged in comparison to 2014. Exhibitors
from the audio and sound-systems sector are
to make their presentations in Hall 8.0 while
visitors will find everything relating to lighting
and stage technology, as well as trusses,
display and video systems, in Hall 9.0.
Exhibitors from Asia are represented by
a broad portfolio of products, stretching
from lighting and sound systems to stages,
trusses and network systems, in Hall 9.1. New
products and innovations from the world of
lasers and effects, show and stage lighting, as
PL+S Conference bundles the numerous
lectures and presentations held within
the framework of the fair. The conference
speakers will pass on expert knowledge, as
well as give practical advice, offer insights
into the sector and explain the latest
technological trends.
The conference is split into four main
sections: Media Systems puts the spotlight
on systems integration and AV-media
technology. The Prolight + Sound Forum
looks at new developments and areas of
application in the field of event technology
and promotes an interdisciplinary exchange
of ideas and information. The VDT Academy
is an information event organised by the
Association of German Sound Engineers for
the professional audio sector. Additionally,
the Theatre and Film Colloquium will form
a separate section of the Prolight + Sound
Conference for the theatre, stage and film
technology sector in 2015.
Eventplaza Conference And
Exhibition
Another part of the comprehensive
educational programme held at the fair
is the three-day Eventplaza Conference.
The programme is aimed primarily at
event and incentive managers, marketing,
communication and human-resources
executives, as well as congress and
conference organisers. For the first time,
each of the three days will have its own
focal point. Thus, Wednesday (15 April
2015) will be devoted to event safety when
the International Event Safety Conference
(I-ESC) tackles the subject of ‘Assuming and
transferring responsibility’.
Thursday (16 April 2015) will focus on
products and events while speakers on the
third day of the conference (17 April 2015)
will concentrate on personnel developments
in the event sector. The new Networking
Lounge represents a great opportunity not
only to exchange ideas and information but
also to make new business contacts. The
Eventplaza Conference will be held in the
‘Portalhaus’, located to the south of Hall
11.0. Visitors from the event sector will also
find everything they need for successful
events in the exhibition halls – an overview
of this product segment can be found in the
‘Eventplaza Quickfinder’ brochure.
Theatre-Technology Field
PL+S has expanded its range of exhibits and
services for trade visitors from the theatre
technology and planning segments with
a new thematic focal point – ‘Stagery’ –
and expects to welcome numerous new
exhibitors from this field. Thus, with the
Theatre and Film Colloquium, there will be
an extensive programme of seminars for
the sector coupled with a special customer
programme offering many exclusive benefits
for theatre planners.
From stage lighting, trusses, rigging and
hoisting equipment to curtain systems, show
textiles and seating – products and services
for the theatre industry will be listed clearly
in a special
brochure,
the ‘Stagery
Quickfinder’
and via a
special-interest
section of the
online exhibitor
search engine,
to ensure that
trade visitors
can orientate
themselves even
more easily.
Tickets
Tickets for Prolight + Sound are also valid
for Musikmesse. Visitors can purchase
their admission tickets quickly and easily at
the online ticket shop and print them out
there and then, which not only saves time
on arrival at the fair but also entitles the
holder to use local public-transport services
operated by the RMV public-transport
authority free of charge.
• Day ticket (on arrival) € 45.00
• Day ticket (in advance) € 29.00
• Season ticket (on arrival) € 69.00
• Season ticket (in advance) € 46.00
• Reduced-price day ticket (for trainees, on
arrival) € 15.00
Ticket purchase is available at:
www.prolight-sound.com/online-ticket
Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH,
Jochen Günther
14
NEWS
TC Group Holds Asia Pacific
Distributor Conference
THAILAND: TC Group’s Install and Tour
brands - Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake - held
a two-day conference seminar in Bangkok,
Thailand, for its distributor network across
the Asia-Pacific region.
understanding of the brands and how to
maximise opportunities in future install and
touring applications.
With distributors from all across the region
gathering at the five star Okura Hotel – itself
a Tannoy installation – the event gave TC
Group the opportunity to communicate
valuable information on new and future
products, as well as ongoing market strategy
in wake of the announcement that the
entire group was looking for investment
opportunities under any potential new
ownership.
Andrzej Sosna, CEO of TC Group’s Install
and Tour vertical, said: “The event has been
a huge success for all of our brands, and
our distribution base across the region. We
devised a programme that would give a
broad overview of TC Group technologies,
as well adding focus on key products and
software from Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and
Lake. We hosted some of Asia’s premier
distributors - which is part of our drive to
provide an increased level of education and
training worldwide.”
Over the course of two very informative days,
senior staff showcased some of the latest
and best technologies from Tannoy, Lab.
gruppen and Lake, giving distributors and
partners the opportunity to gain a deeper
The Okura Hotel venue was chosen both
for its key location in the region, and for
its 'flagship TC Group installation status.'
Vichai Trading, a leading AV company and TC
Group’s local distributor, were integral to the
event’s success, providing on ground support
in a venue they themselves carefully installed
in 2011.
Nick Williams, Business Development
Manager, Install & Tour,Asia/Pacific,
commented: “With such a globally focused
collection of brands, bringing key staff and
distributors together is an essential building
block for future success. The Okura Hotel
features hundreds of CMS Series throughout
and QFlex beam-steering products in the
ballroom, so as well as new products,
we were able to demonstrate real life
applications in one of the most stunning
locations in Asia”
www.tannoy.com
www.labgruppen.com
Clay Paky Delivers An Organic Event
of pruning!”
commented lighting
designer for the
event Richard
Grenfell.
AUSTRALIA: In order to entice tenants to the
Melbourne’s new Eastland Shopping Centre,
a cocktail party was held with a Yarra Valley
produce theme. Three truck-loads of trees
were shipped in to construct a lush forest.
“It seemed that every time we put some
lights up, half an hour later they were
encased in branches so it wasn’t so
much a matter of focusing more a matter
Richard wanted
a look of dappled
light coming
through the trees
but the process of
rigging fixture that
delivered a fat and
wide-angle beam
with only a 4m trim
in the venue, was a
problem. The only
fixture that could
do this was the Clay
Paky B-EYE which Richard used in a static
mode.
“If you take the B-EYEs out of their disco /
kaleidoscope mode into a nice fat breakup
beam and then use the inbuilt effects to
very slowly put orange onto a dark orange,
it really gives a great theatrical look of light
shining through trees,” he said. “Clay Paky
innovate so many things; they came up with
the Sharpy which has taken over in lighting
and now they have the B-EYE which I really
like. The effects the B-EYE produces are like
none other.”
Added to the eight B-EYE’s were Clay Paky
Alpha Profile 700’s, using the real foliage as
shadows and breakup gobos.
Lighting was supplied by Resolution X.
www.claypaky.it
16
NEWS
Update For Mackie DL Series Mixers
in the venue. It truly frees you to mix from
anywhere."
New features also include the ability to patch
any output to the DL1608/DL806 record path.
Now, users can select exactly which outputs
they want to record. This is great for creating
a completely separate recording mix from
what is in the left/right mix.
INTERNATIONAL: The Master Fader v3.0.
from Mackie is now available with massive
upgrades built specifically for professional
applications.
"Master Fader is designed from the ground
up for wireless mixing. It's the most intuitive
and easy-to-use live sound control app out
there," commented Ben Olswang, Mackie
Senior Product Manager. "Now, with a fresh
user interface that delivers faster workflow
and a whole new toolset designed to meet
the rigorous demands of professional live
sound applications, Master Fader is better
and more powerful than ever."
Master Fader v3.0 is compatible with all
DL Series mixers (DL32R, DL1608, and
DL806). While some features are specific to
the 32-channel DL32R, there are plenty of
powerful upgrades for DL1608 and DL806
users.
Brand-new features include the addition of 4
subgroups and 4 VCAs. These new grouping
options deliver mix management tools critical
for professional applications. Subgroups
can be stereo-linked and feature dedicated
processing. VCAs offer flexible control over
groups of channels. Users can dial in the mix
and get single-fader control over groups like
drums, guitars and more.
Also new is the overview screen, which
delivers at-a-glance information for all input
and output channels, allowing simple, fast
navigation. Users will also benefit from the
addition of digital trim to each DL1608/DL806
input.
With Master Fader v3.0, users can now
choose a color for each channel, providing
immediate visual grouping for easy
identification. Also added are enhanced
headphone controls including level and delay
for seamless remote listening. Plus, users can
now easily export presets, shows and even
the entire system via email, Dropbox and
iTunes.
"Master Fader v3.0 is built to deliver the
best wireless mixing experience from 8- to
32-channels. Be sure to download it now,
try it out, and experience the unmatched
workflow and incredible features Master
Fader delivers,"
concludes Olswang.
Master Fader v3.0 is
now available for free
download from the
App Store
"With digital trim, you get more mobile
control than ever before," commented
Olswang. "Just get the preamp gain in the
ballpark and adjust as needed from anywhere
W-DMX Teams Up With CLF
INTERNATIONAL: Wireless Solution Sweden
AB and Dutch lighting manufacturer, Creative
Lighting Fixtures (CLF Europe BV), have
announced the latest line of lighting fixtures
offering W-DMX as standard or optional OEM
installed.
The CLF Conan is an innovative concept by
CLF. The spot has a remarkably fast and wide
zoom (11°- 58°) with a high light output
and colour mixing. With 12 x 10W RGB+W
LED, the Conan is the ideal for theatre
applications, TV shows and rental projects.
With the optional W-DMX Module it creates
a flexible and creative solution, making it
possible to work without clumsy DMX cables.
Also available is the CLF JUNO, a fixture for
the indoor and outdoor corporate event
market, television broadcasts and general
rental applications. With adjustable head and
a manual zoom range from 15-30°, a bright 4
x 10W RGB+W LED and a lithium battery life
up to 10 hours, it can easily run a full day in
color mixing mode offering freedom without
DMX cables with its standard equipped
W-DMX Module inside.
Michel Arntz, CEO of CLF said, “We are happy
about this new strong relationship with
Wireless Solution and have so far enjoyed an
intense cooperation. For us, using W-DMX
in our new Conan and JUNO was an obvious
choice, providing both great support and the
latest technology.”
www.wirelessdmx.com
www.clf-lighting.com
CLF JUNO
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www.martin.com
18
NEWS
Theatreplan Expands Into Asia-Pacific
According to Theatreplan Partner, Dave
Ludlam, the opportunity to expand into Hong
Kong was not to be missed. “It was clear that
in order to deliver the best possible service
to the WKCDA, we needed a base in Hong
Kong,” he explained. “In addition to the
enhanced service we can provide to the Black
Box project, it also offers us the opportunity
for wider expansion into the region. Hong
Kong is the perfect hub for a business looking
to develop into Asia-Pacific markets, and
we believe that the Far East offers us an
excellent opportunity to secure growth for
the company.”
Senior Consultant, Robin Auld
HONG KONG: World-class London-based
theatre consultancy practice, Theatreplan
LLP has expanded into the Asia-Pacific region
with the opening of Theatreplan (HK) Ltd. in
Hong Kong.
The development of the West Kowloon
Cultural District (managed by the WKCDA)
is an important project in Hong Kong.
Stretching across 40 hectares of a dramatic
waterfront location, the project is to create
one of the world’s largest cultural quarters,
developing art, education and public space.
The new practice, which is already
operational, is being managed by
Theatreplan’s Senior Consultant, Robin Auld.
The move follows the company’s success
in securing the contract with the West
Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA)
to provide theatre consultancy services to
deliver the Freespace Black Box Theatre in
the burgeoning West Kowloon area of Hong
Kong.
In a similar vein, Theatreplan is also
working with Hong Kong-based Rocco
Design Architects to create the Cross
District Community Cultural Centre, a
new multi-auditoria venue in Hong Kong’s
Kwun Tong district designed to serve as
a hub for theatrical, dance performance
and community events for no less than
five different districts of eastern Hong
Kong. The opening of a Hong Kong office
for Theatreplan which is already directly
associated with both projects is thus timely
and opportune.
“We are now ideally placed to service
both ongoing and upcoming theatre and
performing arts projects both within the
immediate vicinity of the West Kowloon
Cultural District and beyond,” added Partner,
Mathew Smethurst-Evans.
“We are also extremely lucky to have
Robin Auld spearheading operations for us
in Hong Kong. He is a highly experienced
theatre consultant with wide-ranging
technical knowledge accrued from stints
with The Royal Opera House in Covent
Garden and Opera Australia amongst
others. He is particularly gifted when it
comes to managing large-scale, complex
projects where partnership relations need
to be handled with care in order to achieve
optimal solutions. Naturally, Robin will be
fully supported by all of our partners and
associates here in London, but it helps
that he already has extensive international
experience including a certain prior
knowledge of the region in addition to his
considerable skills as a theatre consultant.”
www.theatreplan.co.uk
Immediate Shipping Of Martin RUSH MH 5
Profile
INTERNATIONAL: HARMAN’s Martin
Professional has announced the
immediate availability of the RUSH MH 5
Profile.
The RUSH MH 5 Profile is a compact
and bright LED profile moving head with
efficient optics to punch out a variety
of effects and colours. With two colour
wheels, two gobo wheels and rotating
prism the MH 5 Profile offers full effects
in a super compact housing, making it
perfect for DJs, bands, clubs, bars, cruise
ships and installations where small footprint
and low weight is critical.
“This highly anticipated fixture is fully CE and
ETL compliant, which is a strong differentiator
to non-certified products,” said Mark Buss,
Product Manager for RUSH by Martin. "The
RUSH MH 5 Profile has suffered a slight
delay in reaching the market, as we wanted
to ensure that all the necessary third party
certifications were in place before shipping.”
To watch the RUSH MH 5 Profile in action:
www.martin.com
20
NEWS
Matrix Ave Makes A Pointe With Robe
premium brand on-board and followed up
with lots of ColorSpot and ColorWash 250E
ATs which were also a best-seller for Robe in
their day. All of these original fixtures are still
working hard and looking good for Matrix
AVE.
Since being delivered, the 16 x Pointes have
been in constant use.
“We needed beam lights at the time,”
explained Rajesh, “And as soon as we saw
the Pointes in action we realised they were
effectively four-in-one as they can be used for
wash, spot and effects, and perform equally
as impressively in each different mode.”
Matrix’s Rajesh Pereira (left) With Elie Battah, Robe Middle East
DUBAI: Matrix AVE was the first technical
solutions company in Dubai to invest in
Robe’s Pointes shortly after the fixture’s
launch last year which certainly set the ball
rolling for a run of sales on the popular multipurpose luminaire in the region, delivered via
Robe’s Middle East operation headed by Elie
Battah.
Matrix AVE, currently based in Dubai
Investment Park (DIP1) was founded 16
years ago by Rajesh Pereira, specialises in
producing themed events, which has allowed
them to build a great reputation as well as a
thriving business. They also supply technical
productions for a number of other corporate
events, conferences and social events.
Besides providing lighting, audio,
video, staging and rigging, Matrix AVE
also conceptualizes and manages the
entertainment elements, setting them
apart from being just an equipment rental
company.
Their clients can literally have one point-ofcontact for absolutely everything needed to
stage a successful event, which in turn makes
the overall organisation that much more
streamlined and efficient as well as costeffective.
Rajesh made his first investment in Robe
eight years ago, purchasing ColorSpot and
ColorWash 575E ATs which were a solid
industry standard at the time. He wanted a
He appreciates the speed of the fixtures and
the fact they are small and very portable,
“You can do so much more with just 8 Pointes
on a show … than you can with any other
moving light.”
The company now has around 100 Robe
units in its rental stock. There are 40 full time
employees and the servies they provide vary
in size and complexity – from a single DJ or
a small presentation / conference / meeting
right up to sophisticated parties and gala
dinners for hundreds of people.
Rajesh noted that Robe’s Middle East HQ, in
Dubai, has signalled a big commitment by the
brand in the region. This and the excellent
support offered by Elie Battah and his team
has further boosted Robe’s presence in the
UAE.
www.robe.cz
A&H Personal Monitoring App
INTERNATIONAL: Allen & Heath has
added wireless personal mixing to its Qu
series mixer ecosystem in the form of the
new Qu-You app. The app allows up to
seven performers to control their monitor
mixes using an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch,
and frees up the engineer to focus on the
audience.
Senior Product Manager at Allen & Heath,
Nicola Beretta explained, “With Qu we’re
building a complete ecosystem of mixers,
stage boxes, recording tools, apps and
more – whatever the engineer and artists
need for mixing live or in the studio. Qu-
You is designed to be super easy to use in the
heat of the moment, so performers can get
up and running with it almost instantly. All
the functions they need are literally at their
fingertips, and unlike some apps out there,
all functions are available in either
orientation, so you won’t see guitarists
fumbling to turn their phone and play a solo
at the same time!"
Qu-You has a ‘Four Wheel Drive’ view
presenting chunky thumbwheel level controls
for 4 groups of sources, plus a master mute
and output level control. Double tapping
on a group gives access to individual
channel metering, send levels and stereo
pan. Groups can be named for instant
recognition and channels can be assigned
to groups via simple checkboxes, allowing
the user to create their perfect custom
mix.
Qu-You is available now from the Apple
App Store and is compatible with Qu16, Qu-24 and Qu-32 live, studio and
installation mixers.
www.allen-heath.com
NEWS
21
Outline Welcomes New Appointment
With combined 25 years’ experience, Pan
Asia is a professional audio/video lighting and
control equipment distribution and technical
service company founded by Chip Chong and
TatNam Yee.
Chip Chong has already had a long and
successful experience with the Outline
products and technologies while working
for another Outline distributor. In addition
to this, he previously worked with a Harman
Professional distribution company and was
later involved in turnkey project design,
including audio/video system, stage lighting
and control system design throughout
Singapore and Malaysia.
(L - R) Chip Chong, TatNam Yee and Giorgio Biffi
SINGAPORE/MALAYSIA: As part of its
ongoing process of preparing for the next
step of growth in the Far East, Outline
recently appointed Pan Asia Integrated
System as its exclusive distributor for the
territories of Singapore and Malaysia.
TatNam Yee had been with Asia Pacific
manufacturer support for Klotz Digital, then
with Harman Pro, involved in technical design
and product training support, particularly for
Studer on Broadcast, Soundcraft, JBL etc.
Company co-owner Chip Chong stated,
"At Pan Asia, everyone is passionate about
ensuring the ultimate sound experience,
and Outline offers the high-end loudspeaker
system solutions for our professional clients
who put sonic performance and build quality
as their top priority.”
“Similarly, their iMode’s unique Intelligent
Loudspeaker Platform provides unparalleled
real-time access to system control using iOS
and Mac OS X devices or a simple PC web
browser. Our goal is to provide the best
option for quality performance, based on
application requirements, as well as cost
effective solutions for system maintenance.”
On the new appointment, Outline’s CEO
Giorgio Biffi added, “We are excited to have
Pan Asia on board to take the lead with our
full product range. A premium brand like
Outline needs experienced highly reputable
partners with well established contacts in the
rental and install markets. Their background
as engineers and successful product and
marketing management makes them one of
the leading experts in this sector. Welcome to
the Outline family, Pan Asia!”
www.outline.it
22
NEWS
ACME Boost Jay 2014 “OPUS” Tour Stop In KL
MALAYSIA: After a series of successful
concerts in China and Taiwan, plus three soldout shows in Malaysia last year, Taiwanese
superstar, Jay Chou once again graced the
Putra Indoor Stadium. Lit by ACME Lighting,
the singer-songwriter performed his greatest
hits – Black Humour, Secret and Nocturne
– to some 16,000 adoring fans in a 2-day
concert extravaganza.
Considered as Asia's reigning King of R&B,
Jay's talent is reflected in his proficiency of
musical theory along with the skill to play
a variety of instruments. Staged in Kuala
Lumpur, the "OPUS" tour, brought a series
of classic songs and surprises where Jay
performed a diverse style of music which
included heavy rhythms, piano performances
and unique Chinese-style songs. All of which
left the screaming fans' wanting more.
As a supplier of the Jay OPUS tour concert in
Kuala Lumpur, ACME designed and created
the massive lighting used on stage with the
fiery artist. 74 x XP-1500SZ moving spots
together with 68 x XP-1500WZ moving wash
lights were the main attraction on stage and
brought the antics of Jay to life.
Accompanying the main lighting were 140
x of the XP-5R Saber Beam, 42 x BF-3000D
Strobe lights, 16 x XP-1500 Beam, 100 x BW54-3RGBW and 16 x LED-MTX25B IP. Working
together wirelessly with 4 units of the ACME
DMX Splitter CA-DD4.
“ACME products demonstrate high brightness
output, excellent colour mixing and rendering
characteristics that worked with the
different themes and rhythms of the songs.
Additionally, the flexibility of the fixtures
conjured up different lighting designs,
creating a unique musical atmosphere for
the event,” said Carol Chiu, ACME Head of
Marketing..
After providing fans an unforgettable world
class experience, some say that Jay may have
another repeat performance come 2015.
www.acme.com.cn
Dr. Frank Heinricht To Chair Sennheiser
Supervisory Board
INTERNATIONAL: Having recently turned 70
years old, Prof. Dr. Jörg Sennheiser is handing
over the chair of the supervisory board of
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG to
Dr. Frank Heinricht, as of 1st January 2015.
Since joining the family-owned company in
1976, Dr Sennheiser’s contribution has been
instrumental to the company’s success and
has paved the way for a future-proof set-up
of the audio company.
Frank Heinricht has been Chairman of
the Board of Management of Schott AG
since 2013 and became a member of the
supervisory board of Sennheiser electronic
GmbH & Co. KG five years ago.
Dr. Frank Heinricht
“Dr. Heinricht has a profound technical
expertise and brings experience in managing
large family-owned companies to his new
role. We are very happy that he is taking
over as chairman of the supervisory board
of the Sennheiser Group,” said Daniel and
Andreas Sennheiser, CEOs and shareholders
of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG.
In withdrawing as chairman of the
supervisory board, Jörg Sennheiser is placing
the management of the company fully into
the hands of the third Sennheiser generation.
His sons Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser have
been running Sennheiser electronic GmbH
und Co. KG as CEOs since July 2013.
Commenting on the changeover in the
supervisory board, Jörg Sennheiser added,
“My goal has always been to pass a healthy,
thriving company on to the next generation.
The family is committed to pursuing its
strategy without any influence from third
parties, a strategy that focuses on absolute
customer orientation, technical innovation
and first-class quality. This is an aim I have
always pursued, and it is the basis of the
decades of success that we have enjoyed and
will enjoy in the future.”
www.sennheiser.com
NEWS
PR Lighting Welcomes Pakistani Official
Delegation
Pakistani Delegation
CHINA: On the morning of Dec 2nd, a group of 25 senior officials
from Pakistan visited PR Lighting’s headquarters in Guangzhou,
along with representatives of the Chinese National Commercial
Dept. As a leading enterprise from the stage lighting industry in
China, PR Lighting was the only manufacturer from this sector that
was selected for their tour of the city.
A high profile reception was organised by PR Lighting’s
international sales team, while Dave Liang, the president of PR
Lighting, welcomed the guests personally.
Senior Sales Manager, Lawrence Mao, made an inspiring
introduction and presentation to the honoured guests. They, in
turn, were extremely impressed by PR Lighting’s history, talented
team, innovative technology, numerous high level projects and
the way in which it had expanded to gain brand recognition
throughout the world.
The officials were still reflecting on the company’s achievements
when the lighting and music suddenly fired up, engaging them in
a full concert atmosphere provided by the dynamic PR Lighting
fixtures. They gave a unanimous vote of approval and eagerly shot
videos of the impressive show.
Afterwards, the delegation conducted a factory walkabout,
taking in the workshop and factory, and getting to know the
management. When they witnessed the high standard of safety
measures introduced at the facility, as well as the on-site sporting
facilities, reading and entertainment activities for the junior staff,
as well as the competition and training standards, they realised
the extent to which PR Lighting has gone to build its enterprise
into a solid culture.
At the end of the visit, Dave Liang was presented with a hada,
a traditional ceremonial scarf, by the officials, as an expression of
their gratitude and highest respect.
“It was a great privilege for PR Lighting to receive these honoured
guests and be given the opportunity to demonstrate the
strength of the PR brand and the people behind it,” concluded
Lawrence Mao. “All of our team members demonstrated great
professionalism, which created a very positive image, and the
Pakistani guests left with a strong impression of PR Lighting.”
www.pr-lighting.com
23
24
NEWS
Dubai Sound Companies Expand With Adamson
UAE: Adamson Systems distributor, Thomsun
Trading, continues to expand the reach of
Adamson Systems within the United Arab
Emirates region. The company recently
delivered new line array systems to Stagecraft
Events and SAS Event Production – prominent
sound companies located in Dubai.
“Each company invested in full, turnkey,
SpekTrix line array systems,” explained Alok
Ghurde, Application Support Manager,
Thomsun Trading. “The SpekTrix performance
package consists of 16 x SpekTrix line array
enclosures. 8 x SpekTrix subwoofers powered
by 4 x Lab.gruppen PLM 10000K amplifiers.
They both purchased Cisco network switches
for Dante audio distribution as well.”
Adamson’s SpekTrix line array is a three-way
loudspeaker loaded with two dedicated
8-inch Kevlar Neodymium drivers and one
1.4-inch exit high frequency compression
driver mounted on a proprietary wave
shaping sound chamber.
“SpekTrix is a true line source system and is
considered one of the finest compact line
arrays on the market,” explained Stagecraft
Events CEO Aveline Pinto. “I had heard and
was always impressed by the clarity and
tonality of the Y-Axis Series Y-10s and wanted
something similar. When I heard the SpekTrix
system I knew it was the way to go.”
In addition to the SpekTrix performance
package, Stagecraft Events also purchased 6
x M12 and M15 stage monitors to round out
their rig.
The SAS Event Production team was equally
impressed with the quality of the SpekTrix
system. “We got better headroom than any
other system we have used before,” added
Bjan, CEO of SAS Event Production. “When
we first heard the system we were amazed.
The quality, especially in the mid-range
was impressive. In the future we hope to
upgrade even further with the more powerful
Adamson Energia PA.”
Adamson’s David Dohrmann, technical
director Asia Pacific, provided handson training to both organizations and
other companies in the region. The
2-day educational seminar covered line
array principles, Shooter and Blueprint
software training, Lab.gruppen Lake
Controller instruction and system alignment
measurement with Rational Acoustics Smaart
V7.
“Stagecraft graciously offered their premises
for the event,” said Ghurde. “All attendees
were technical staff from local rental
companies as well as the Stagecraft and SAS
teams. The training will allow them to use
their Adamson gear effectively and fine tune
system performance on gigs in the current
events season. It is just another example of
the excellent support Adamson provides their
customers.”
www.adamsonsystems.com
LOUD Appoints Jason Tan as Mackie APAC
Product Specialist
SINGAPORE: LOUD
Technologies Music
Gear Group has
announced the
appointment of
Jason Tan to the
position of Mackie
Product Specialist
for the APAC Region.
Based in Singapore,
Tan joins LOUD after
more than 20 years
in the professional audio industry.
In addition to a lengthy career in live
sound and recording, Tan is the founder of
Eastwardaudio, one of the region's major
production facilities, where he oversaw
productions for Universal Music, Sony BMG,
EMI, Pony Canyon, and other major labels,
as well as film scores and corporate clients
including Coca Cola, Lexus, Hitachi, and
Motorola. Singapore's National Arts Council
also appointed Tan as a mentor to their youth
music program.
"We are very excited to have Jason on board
as our Mackie Product Specialist for the
APAC region," remarked Rohan Smith, LOUD
Director of APAC Music Gear sales. "He brings
a wealth of Pro Audio experience to the
table, from both a distribution and an audio
engineering/production perspective. His
technical and training expertise is first class. I
am confident he will add significant value to
all of our distribution partners' businesses as
we drive forward with new, groundbreaking
products."
Tan added, "Working with LOUD is like a
dream come true. I've used Mackie and
Ampeg products since I began making music.
I can't remember how many hours I've
spent making and mixing music with Mackie
gear. It's fantastic working for a company at
the forefront of Pro Audio technology. I'm
looking forward to supporting the events and
activities of Mackie's great partners in the
region."
www.mackie.com
NEWS
25
Lab.gruppen Shipping All Models Of PLM+ and D Series
INTERNATIONAL: All models of the
recently launched touring platform
PLM+ Series, as well as all models of the
install platform D Series, from Swedish
manufacturer, Lab.Gruppen are now
available for shipping.
PLM+ range offers two models –
PLM20k44 and the PLM12k44 – each
combining a true 4in/4out configuration
for audio IO as well as 4 modules of Lake
Processing.
Based upon the TEC Award-winning
design of the company’s iconic PLM
20000Q, the new PLM+ range is the
most advanced touring platform the
company has ever produced, complete
with Rational Power Management (RPM)
technology, first debuted in the company’s
D Series install platform. A first in live
sound, this new feature allows the 12k44
to realise all of the unique performance
characteristics of the 20k44 model, a
unique feature that could have major
implications for a busy rental company.
Unlike other amplifiers where ‘flexibility’
often involves compromise (eg. reducing
channel count by bridging or reducing the
total power or impedance the output is
capable of driving), RPM allows genuinely
flexible power allocation across all channels
to ensure the most efficient and rational use
of total available power output from multiple
amplifiers. Therefore minimising inventory as
well as optimising workflow.
That same technology is also available
in the install dedicated platform, D
Series. Conceived to provide ‘true open
interoperability’, D Series integrates with
the widest range of digital audio and control
protocols, bringing powerful benefits
and unique capabilities that make a real
world difference, to any demanding highperformance installation.
Available in 3 power configurations (8000 W,
12000 W and 20000 W total power output),
the D Series platform is available in two
distinct variants – one featuring Lake, the
other featuring Tesira by Biamp Systems
– each offering unique capabilities and
advantages.
The Lake version provides a package of
Lake Processing DSP with analogue, AES
and a dual-redundant Dante network
solution, supported by the creation of
new custom software to provide extensive
integration potential with most of the
main systems manufacturers.
The Tesira variant is the result of a
collaboration between Lab.gruppen and
Biamp. These models are equipped with
Tesira DSP, as well as AVB audio and
control, for "unheralded" amplifier and
DSP platform integration designed to
ensure seamless interoperability between
respective systems.
All models of both the PLM+ and D Series
are now available for shipping.
Lab.gruppen.com
Smart speakers
for clever people
From touring sound to fixed installations, audio professionals spec NEXO for the high levels of
performance and reliability that come only from a truly innovative approach to speaker system design.
Find out more at www.nexo.fr
www.nexo.fr
Thinking. Inside the box.
26
NEWS
Avolites Quartz Available
In Singapore
SINGAPORE: Quartz is the newest addition
to the Titan Mobile family, complete with
on-board processing and a bright, vibrant
12.1'' screen, in the brands' smallest fullfeatured console. Measuring only 42.5cm
wide, the Quartz is considered the ideal
companion for all lighting projects, from
touring and festivals to clubs and one-offs.
from Avolites, the Quartz can go anywhere
and is ideal for life on the road.
The board is now available in Singapore
through official distributor, Total Solution
Marketing Pte Ltd. For enquiries, contact
[email protected] or +65 6287 9878
www.tsm-int.com
Featuring the same high quality faders and
hardware that users have come to expect
Clay Paky Lights Supplied
For Lady Gaga
UAE: Dubai-based rental houses, Eclipse
Staging Services and Delta Sound, both
unveiled new equipment as Lady Gaga
made her Middle East debut in Dubai.
Promoted locally by AMI Live and ATW
Live in association with Live Nation
Global Touring, artRAVE: The ARTPOP
Ball took place at Meydan Racecourse.
Eclipse provided the lighting, video
and primary and secondary power
distribution, while audio was supplied
by Delta Sound.
‘We are immensely proud to have been
selected as event technology supplier
for such a landmark show, the fact that
so much of the production was able to
be serviced locally is a real testament
to the local market’s ability to compete
on a global stage,’ said Martin Lubach,
general manager of Eclipse Staging
Services.
The main stage lighting featured many
fixtures, including 67 x Clay Paky
Sharpys, 11 x Clay Paky Alpha Wash
1500s and 24 x Clay Paky Sharpy Washs.
NEXT-proaudio New Website
INTERNATIONAL: The NEXT-proaudio
website now offers company information,
along with support and distributor
information. The goal is to be the perfect
guide to help the customers get all the
information about products as easy as
possible.
Users can now sort products by type,
series, or applications with the new
intuitive product menu. Inside the
application list, users can also receive
recommended series for touring,
installation and portable systems.
Additionally, all available software has
been made to be easily downloaded
(SOUNDWARE, DP240 Software, LMS242
Software and EASE FOCUS) along with
support files.
“Behind the professional appearance of
the website, it is possible for the user to
download software and support files as
well as all the technical information and
high resolution pictures which are the
ultimate argument to sell” explained Andre
Correia, NEXT-proaudio Assistant Manager.
www.next-proaudio.com
NEWS
27
DPA Appoints New Distributors
areas including broadcast, film, theatre,
installation, conferencing and security."
The new appointments include AV United
in Malaysia (www.av-united.com); Vision
One Co. Ltd in Thailand (www.visionone.
co.th); Pro AVL in Vietnam (www.proavlgroup.com); Promedia in Indonesia (www.
promediasolution.com) and Shin Lee Sheng
Music Corp. (SLS) in Taiwan.
Chin Foo Heng, Managing Director of AV
United said: "We are very proud to be
appointed as the DPA distributor for Malaysia
as this not only enhances our company
status but also enables AV United to deliver
unique high quality microphones and thereby
lead the industry to a higher standard. DPA
Microphones is a reference, a standard, a
must have item in the audio solution."
Ken Kimura With Chin Foo Heng
S.E.A: DPA Microphones has reorganised
its distribution channels in South East Asia
by appointing new distributors in Malaysia,
Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan.
"Sales in virtually every APAC country are
showing growth as the market recognises the
quality and breadth of DPA's product range,"
he added.
Ken Kimura, DPA’s general manager for the
APAC region, said the appointments reflect
the company's ongoing commitment to
develop new business channels and support
DPA's influential customer base.
Francis Lai, DPA's Regional Sales Manager,
continued: "With our new distribution
channels in place, we are now better
able to promote DPA microphones and
increase brand awareness in many industry
Tanapat Mongkolkosol, Managing Director of
Vison One, Thailand, added: "We guide our
customers by identifying which equipment
is the best solution for them. DPA is one of
these solutions because it offers high quality
microphones that are easy to use, with great
sonic results fit for recording and live sound
productions."
www.dpamicrophones.com
Sennheiser's Digital 9000 Wireless System
Now Dante-Ready
INTERNATIONAL: Sennheiser has announced
the availability of its Dante card for the
EM 9046 receiver, enabling the Digital
9000 wireless microphone system to
be integrated into Dante audio-over-IP
networks. Also available as free downloads
are the associated new Digital 9000 firmware
version 3.0.3, and the new Wireless Systems
Manager 4.2 with a set of optimised
monitoring functions.
“With the EM 9046 DAN extension card,
broadcast and live audio engineers can now
easily integrate Sennheiser’s top-of-therange wireless microphone system into a
Dante network,” said Claus Menke, Head of
Portfolio Management Pro for Sennheiser.
“They benefit from the system’s exceptional
sound with the incredible convenience
of routing high-definition audio data via
Audinate’s Dante Controller.” Dante works
with existing network infrastructure using IP
and Ethernet standards and offers hundreds
of channels of high-quality audio. The
networking solution is currently used by
more than 155 pro audio manufacturers
worldwide.
The EM 9046 DAN extension card is simply
inserted into the expansion slot of the EM
9046 eight-channel receiver. Internally, the
card features sixteen audio inputs to send
the digital audio and command signals
over the Dante network. Connection is via
two Gbit RJ45 sockets that serve to either
establish two redundant network circuits or
daisy-chain the signals. The card works with
sampling rates of 44.1/48/88.2 and 96 kHz at
a resolution of 24 bits.
www.sennheiser.com
28
EVOX
NEWS
Procom Announced
As Official UAE Philips
Distributor
TWO-WAY ARRAY SYSTEM
Procom Showroom
UAE: Leading Dubai-based equipment
distributor Procom ME has been named as
the exclusive Philips supplier for UAE in a
move to further expand its offering to the
high profile Middle Eastern market.
L-PAD 6 X
L-PAD 8 CX
SMART PACKAGE
L-PAD 12 CX
"We are confident Philips will have a
significant share of the new-build market,
for several reasons," said Procom's
Business Development Manager Rami
Harfouch. "It is a highly recognized brand
name, and its catalogue of high quality
products is extensive, with a strong LED
offering which meets the increasing
requirement for energy-saving solutions.
Philips also has strong local support in
terms of design, commissioning and
servicing of the equipment and Procom is
excited to be a part of it."
Established in 2009, Procom quickly rose
to become a leading professional lighting,
audio, video and rigging supplier, stocking
Philips Selecon, Strand Lighting and
Showline among other industry-leading
brands. The company has now won
exclusive Philips distributorship for UAE.
"Being Philips' official UAE distributor
is a great opportunity for Procom and a
challenge at the same time," said Procom's
Business Development Manager Rami
Harfouch. "But we are ready to rise to it,
for example, we have been enhancing our
operation with dedicated staff to support
the product lines in sales and for technical
back up in our service centres."
The new official distributorship with
Philips means the company will hold a
wider range of Selecon, Strand Lighting
and Showline stock. This will facilitate
faster delivery within UAE of units as well
as spare parts and will allow customers
to get hands-on with the fixtures in the
Procom showroom. Philips will gain further
reach to Procom's extensive web of clients,
to whom Procom will also offer design
consultation.
"There has always been a high demand
within our client base for Philips products,"
continued Harfouch. "This is because
the Philips brand has stayed true to its
reputation of providing reliable equipment
with practical features. It has evolved
wisely by adding certain specifications
that meet the changing needs of the
market without compromising on quality.
Its products feature energy saving and
heat control properties and are often
lightweight, compact and multi-functional
while still being affordable. Furthermore,
with it being such a universal brand, most
technical professionals in the region are
familiar with Selecon and Strand Lighting
technology and are able to operate various
models easily or with little training."
www.usa.philips.com
NEWS
29
Symetrix Announces New Integration with
Shure & Audio-Technica Product
INTERNATIONAL: Symetrix has launched
SymNet Composer 3.0, an update to the
manufacturer’s award-winning open
architecture design software. Version 3.0 has
built upon the native support of Audinate’s
Dante media networking technology for
select third-party devices in earlier releases,
and extends support of market-leading
products thanks to new partnerships with
Shure Inc. and Audio-Technica.
Now, integrators can streamline their set-up
procedures and achieve network discovery,
Dante signal routing, and audio set-up of
supported third-party devices from the two
new manufacturers alongside Attero Tech
and Stewart Audio with a single piece of
software.
“The previous version of Composer was
genuinely ground-breaking because it
meant less software to keep up-to-date and
less jumping between different items of
software,” said Trent Wagner, Senior Product
Manager at Symetrix. “Since its launch,
integrators have consistently told us that it is
saving them both time and money. Now, with
SymNet Composer 3.0, we are delighted to
be able to extend this ease of configuration
to several other market-leading products and
make it possible for a Dante-based system
to be configured quickly and easily from
input to amplifier through a single software
program.”
For Shure users, SymNet Composer 3.0 brings
the MXWAPT4 and MXWAPT8 access point
transceivers from Shure's Microflex Wireless
range into the SymNet fold.
Chad Wiggins, Director of Networked Audio
Systems, Global Product Management
at Shure Incorporated, emphasized the
benefits of the integration for one specific
market segment: “Symetrix provides a great
conference room solution with its SymNet
Radius and Edge line of DSP processors, and
we think they pair nicely with our Microflex™
Wireless microphone system which excels in
that application environment. The audio and
control interoperability of these two products
gives our integrators a powerful tool to easily
design flexible, feature-rich audio systems.”
SymNet Composer 3.0 also adds native
Dante configuration for two leading products
from another prominent microphone
manufacturer, Audio-Technica. The two
supported items are the ATND971 Danteenabled cardioid condenser boundary
microphone and the ATND8677 Danteenabled microphone desk stand, which can
be used with any gooseneck microphone
sporting a three-pin XLRM-type output
connector.
Gary Dixon, Sales Engineer, Installed Sound
at Audio-Technica US, remarked: “With the
integration of Audio-Technica and Symetrix
technologies, the microphone becomes the
‘user interface’ for the AV system. It is able
to capture audio, transmit a user button
press and provide visual feedback for the
end-user – all over category cable utilizing
standard networking protocols. This means
reducing the equipment specified by the
consultant and simplifying the on-site wiring
for the installer. The signal routing and
control signals can be designed, tested and
implemented virtually. Ultimately, the AV
designer can be more creative in controlling
how the end-user interacts with the system.”
The new version of SymNet Composer also
includes a number of Window Management
(Composer UI) Framework improvements,
giving the user greater freedom to move
pallets to any side of the screen they desire,
resize them in place and nest them into
tabbed pallets. It is also possible to create
specific menu bars for frequently accessed
commands and customize toolbars to keep
preferred shortcuts at hand.
Symetrix founder and CEO Dane Butcher
commented: “Our overriding objective at
Symetrix is to make integrators’ lives easier,
and it is clear that requirement will gain
significance as we move into the world
of comprehensive A/V networking. With
SymNet Composer 3.0, I believe that we have
taken our support of integrators to a new and
higher level.”
www.symetrix.co
www.shure.com
www.audio-technica.com
30
NEWS
NMK Roadshow’s Success
In Qatar and Oman
SUPERSHARPY
A beam pushed to the Nth degree
MYTHOS
A Spotlight which is
already Legend
MIDDLE EAST: Nicolas Kyvernitis
Electronics Enterprises (NMK), hosted the
NMK Roadshow across the Middle East
region, and declared its recent Doha and
Oman seminar a success.
A.LEDA B-EYE Series
A
Versatile and spectacular
V
NMK Roadshow attracted varied
audience from systems integrators
to end users. The attendees could
choose to attend either morning or
afternoon sessions. Total number of
the attendees reached 84 people. NMK
product specialists teamed up with the
manufacturer’s representatives to deliver
the excellent presentations and product
demonstrations. Due to the variety of
products on show, there was a chance
for each attendee to experience tools
from different parts of the industry
and understand how complete turnkey
solutions work. Several brands distributed
by the company, namely HK Audio, Shure,
Roland, Neutrik and Clear-Com were
presented at the event.
“I am delighted to say that the seminar
went extremely well. Getting first-hand
experience on equipment is essential
and having a group like minded people
in the room who are able to share their
experience brings a lot of value and it is a
wonderful step to advancing the expertise
in the region,” commented Constantinos
Drimakis, Operations Manager at
NMK. “As NMK represents some of the
leading brands in the market with a
strong portfolio, the new products and
technologies attract the kind of audience
we wish to attract. We are expecting
similar crowd in Oman - the audience with
lots of questions,” he added. One of the
seminar attendees Richard Whiston, Head
of Sound, Al Rayyan TV underlined one of
the benefits of NMK Roadshow: “Being
that it is hard for my team to be allowed
to leave the country for such events – the
fact that it came to Doha was the highlight
for me.”
www.nmkelectronics.com
32
NEWS
Yamaha Is Console Of Choice For University
Cultural Centre, NUS
makes it easy to maximize system reliability.
Star networks allow the use of redundant
primary and secondary lines for each device,
thus ensuring that despite the type of setup,
a malfunction in a cable or other network
component won’t bring the whole system
down.
The deal was finalised through AV Equipment
Supplier, Matrix Resource who are one of the
key dealers for Yamaha Commercial Audio
in Singapore. “Credit to Matrix Resource,
as they have successfully implemented the
Digital Audio Mixing System and this helps us
cater to our clients and market even better,”
acknowledged Henry.
SINGAPORE: National University Singapore
(NUS) Centre For the Arts (CFA), is located in
one of the largest universities in Singapore
and is in the midst of upgrading its University
Cultural Centre (UCC). As part of the first
stage of upgrades, CFA has chosen to invest
in Yamaha's CL Series digital mixing consoles.
As part of the University's campus, UCC
operates throughout the week and has a
team handling in-house shows, while also
helping performing arts students during
external shows. Additionally, UCC is regularly
hired by external vendors for events and
shows.
Due to the many hands that would be
handling the system, ease-of-use was one of
the main factors when it came to choosing
the right console.
Having used Yamaha systems in the past,
K Shyam, Assistant Director (Production
Services) at CFA attested to the quality of the
brand. “The consoles are versatile and easy
to understand which is key for us to ensure a
fast and efficient set-up.”
Another plus point for the systems was the
Open Protocol architecture that Yamaha
provides. This enables the consoles to work
in-sync with any audio system, despite the
proprietary brand. “Our consoles are able
to communicate with any network – from
Dante to Cobranet. They are also able to
communicate with 3rd party network audio
interfaces such as AVIOM and RockNet, to
name a few. These efficient approaches
enable our product to expand and make it
easy and economical to integrate analog,
digital, or network audio standards into
systems of any scale for any application,” said
Henry Ho, Yamaha Music Asia's Manager for
Commercial Installed Sound. “The consoles
interface seamlessly so we consider them
'networking boards' because one CAT5 cable
is all you need for a faster and easier show
set-up.”
Yamaha recently launched the RMio64-D
Dante/MADI conversion I/O rack which offers
Direct Monitoring functionality for recording,
precision VST System Link synchronization,
and remote controllability via Nuage
Workgroup Manager system management
software. It has been implemented with
Dante/MADI redundancy formats and
provides 64 in/out ports and supports a
wide range of broadcast and live sound
applications.
“It is good that Yamaha provides technical
troubleshooting whenever we need it and
keeps us informed of software updates,”
added Shyam.
According to Henry, the rack is currently in
production and should begin shipping by
January 2015.
To ensure smooth operations at all times,
CL series consoles use the Dante network
protocol developed by Audinate which
sg.yamaha.com
www.yamahaproaudio.com
www.nus.edu.sg
The shortest path between thought
and reality. Touch the light with the
ETC Cobalt lighting control system.
Americas
■
Europe
■
Asia
www.etcconnect.com
34
ENNOVATIONS
PR Lighting: XLED 3019
When developing the new model PR Lighting based the
design on the extremely successful XLED 1037 Zoom. But
where that offers 37 x 10W RGBW LEDs, this contains an
impressive 19 x 20W in a similar chassis. So while having a similar
look, once switched on it provides a completely different level of
intensity, with an impressive zoom ratio of 1:6.”
- PR Lighting
www.pr-lighting.com
• Light source: 19 x 20W LEDs (RGBW
4 in 1)
• Beam Angle: 7° ~ 42°
• Colours: RGBW color mixing with
macro
• Power Consumption: 400W @ 220V
• Color temperature: 2700K~10000K
linearly adjustable
• Dimmer: 0-100% linearly adjustable
• Strobe: Electronic strobe 0-25 F.P.S,
pulse and random strobe effects
• Zoom: Motorized zooming linearly
adjustable
• Channels: (12) Standard, (20)
Extended
• Head movement: Pan 540° / Tilt 270°
(with auto-position correction)
• Voltages: 100-240VAC, 50/60Hz
Weight: 28 lbs (13 kg)
ENNOVATIONS
35
Elation Professional: Platinum BX
When an extremely powerful fat beam effect is required
for those impactful aerial looks, the new Platinum BX
from Elation Professional delivers in a big way. Housed in
an efficient compact design that means the Platinum BX is also
surprisingly fast, the wider lens produces a thicker beam of light
that looks great mid-air, making it ideal for high-impact long
throws.”
- Elation Professional
TOUCH THE
FUTURE
www.elationlighting.com
TIGER
TOUCH
POWER
CUBE
• Source: Phillips MSD Platinum 17 RA
350W Lamp
• Average Lamp Life: 1,500 hrs
• Output: 15,000 Lumens, 6,900K,
85CRI
• Effects:
- (8) Facet Rotating Prism and 16
Prism Macros
- Frost Filter
- Strobe: 1-18fps
- Dimming: 0% - 100%
• Colour: 10 Dichroic Colors Including
UV, CTB, CTO, + White
• Gobos:
- (2) Gobo Wheels
- (8) Interchangeable / Rotating /
Indexing Gobos
- (13) Static-Stamped / Indexing
Gobos
• Power Consumption: 500W Max
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 14.9’’
(380mm) x 14.5’’ (370mm) x 23.1’’
(588mm)
• Weight: 60 lbs (27 kg)
PEARL
EXPERT TOUCH
Avolites:
+44 (0) 2089 658 522
[email protected]
www.avolites.com
Total Solution:
(+65) 6287 9878
[email protected]
www.tsm-int.com
36
ENNOVATIONS
QSC: GXD Amplifiers
All the hallmarks of the QSC brand, superior audio
performance, outstanding engineering and best in class
quality are all found on the new GXD Amps. Customers will
be sure to find the combination of power, advanced, yet easy-touse DSP, form factor and legendary QSC reliability a compelling
package.”
- Dale Sandberg, QSC Senior Product Manager, Power Amplifiers
qsc.com
YOU´ VE GOT THE SKILLS.
SKILLS
WE´ VE GOT THE TOOLS.
www.tsm-int.com
Phone: +65-62879878
[email protected]
www.coolux.com
• Voltage Gain (8Ω): 33.5 dB
• Output Circuitry: Class D
• Frequency Response (20 Hz – 20
kHz): +0.7 dB, -0.8 dB
• Maximum Input Level: +23.5 dBu
• Input Connectors (each channel):
3-pin XLR/F / 1/4” TRS, balanced
• High & Low-Pass filters, 4-band PEQ,
Limiting, and Delay
• Outputs: Professional binding post
and NL4 connectors (compatible with
NL2) provide for mono and bi-amp
speaker connections.
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 3.5” (2 RU)
x 19” x 10.2” (89mm x 483mm x
259mm)
GXD 4
GXD 8
Output power: Up to 1600W
Dynamic Headroom (4Ω): 1.25dB
Weight: 11.3 lbs (5.1 kg)
Output power: Up to 4500W
Dynamic Headroom (4Ω): 2.73dB
13.2 lbs (6 kg)
ENNOVATIONS
37
Martin Professional:
MAC Aura XB
• Source: 15W RGBW Array System
• LED refresh rate: Beam 1200 Hz,
Aura 4395 Hz
• Minimum LED lifetime: 50 000 hours
(to >70% luminous output)
• Total luminous output (wide, onetenth peak): 6.0 Klm
• Total luminous output (narrow, onetenth peak): 4.3 Klm
• Maximum power consumption:
400 W
• AC power: 100-240 V nominal,
50/60 Hz
• Effects:
- Beam color mixing: RGBW
- Aura (secondary lens array
illumination) color mixing: RGB
- Beam color temperature control:
CTO, variable 10 000 - 2500 K
•
•
•
•
•
- Beam and aura electronic ‘color
wheel’ effect: 33 LEE-referenced
colors plus white, variable-speed
color-wheel rotation effect and
random colorZoom: 10° - 60° (onetenth peak angle)
Head movement: Pan: 540° / Tilt:
232°
Electronic dimming: Independent
beam and aura, four dimming curve
options
Zoom: 10° - 60° (one-tenth peak
angle)
Dimensions (L x W x H) 11.9’’
(302mm) x 11.9’’ (302mm) x 14.2’’
(360mm)
Weight: 14 lbs (6.5 kg)
Incorporating many new features first introduced in
Martin’s MAC Quantum Wash, the MAC Aura XB combines
a super compact design and low weight with a new colour
mixing system and an optimized lens design for tighter beams
and more even washes.”
- Martin Professional
martin.com
38
ENNOVATIONS
JB-Lighting: Varyscan P8
A new LED spotlight that clearly reveals the advantages
of LEDs also in professional applications. The name of the
new workhorse is Varyscan P8 and it is equipped with 21
high-performance RGB LEDs which have a maximum total power
consumption of 800W.”
- JB-Lighting
www.jb-lighting.de
• Source: : JB-Lighting LED module,
max. 800W
• Power consumption: Max. 980 W
• Effects:
• - Animation wheel, horizontal and
vertical, rotating in both directions,
variable speed
• - 4-facet prism, rotating in both
directions at variable speed
• High-resolution iris diaphragm, pulse
in different speed
• Zoom: 12° - 32°
• Gobos: 2 wheels with 7 gobos each
(rotating, indexable, exchangeable)
• Colour:
- RGB colour mixing
- Additional CTC channel
- Virtual colour wheel channel
- Pre-programmed white
• Dimensions (H x W x D) : 26.4’’
(673mm) x 16.1’’ (409mm) x 12’’
(308mm)
• Weight: 51.8 lbs (23.5 kg)
ENNOVATIONS
39
ProAudio Technology: M10
Monitor
Due to the visually elegant form and the solid
workmanship the M10 is both suitable for gala events
and the tough use on the road. When teamed with the
compact SW12 subwoofer, the M10 Monitor makes a highperformance drumfill.”
- ProAudio Technology
www.proaudio-technology.de
• 1-channel passive operation, 16Ω
• 10’’ cone driver , 1’’ HF driver
• Directivity pattern: 60 x 90 degrees
or 90 x 60 degrees (horn rotated)
• 3 + 1 SpeakON sockets (2-channel
wiring without reversible cables)
• M10 sockets for MT10 / MT12 flying
brackets
• Stacking feet for horizontal operation
• Water-repellent acoustic foam
behind the front grille
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 13’’
(340mm) x 11’’ (290mm) x 19’’
(495mm)
• Weight: 28 lbs (12.8 kg)
• 5 years warranty
40
ENNOVATIONS
Barco: RLS-W12
AMAZING
G OPTICS
Our RLS-W12 projector is a smart choice for customers who
are looking for a cost-effective projector that delivers the
brightness needed for large screens.”
- Richard Marples, Strategic Market Director Venues & Hospitality, Barco
www.barco.com
HIGH OUTPUT
FULL FEATURE SET
Debuting Worldwide
March 2014
www.vari-lite.com
www.tsm-int.com
• Projector type: WUXGA 1-chip DLP
digital projector
• Technology: 0.96’ DMD™ x 1
CW:RGBYCW
• Resolution: 1,920 x 1,200
• Brightness: 12,000 center lumens /
11,000 ANSI lumens
• Contrast ratio: 1,500:1
• Brightness uniformity: 90%
• Aspect Ratio: 16:10
• ScenergiX: Horizontal and vertical
edge blending
• Lamps: 2 x 465W
• Lamp lifetime: 1,500 hours (typical) /
2,000 hours (maximum)
• Lamp warranty: 120 days, 500 hours
• Picture-in-picture: Up to (2) sources
simultaneously
• Orientation: Table - Ceiling - Vertical
• WARP: Preset values + custom
• Dimensions (L x W x H) : 32.6’’
(829mm) x 20.8’’ (528mm) x 17.2’’
(437mm)
• Weight: 91.4 lbs (41.5 kg)
ENNOVATIONS
41
W-DMX: UglyBox MK2
•
•
•
•
•
Compact Wireless Signal Tester
4.3” Touch LCD Screen
Supports 2.4GHz, 5.2GHz and 5.8GHz
Can be used as both transmitter and receiver
In-built DMX Controller and RGB Fixture to simulate LED
fixtures on the LCD Screen for quick testing
• Runs on rechargeable Lithium battery (Up to 12 hours)
• Built-in SD Card reader to save data for export to Microsoft
Excel
Wireless Solution continues to listen to our customers and invest in R&D to be able to deliver the
products that solve problems. The W-DMX UglyBox MK2 is a direct reflection of these requests and
we firmly believe that it will be an incredibly useful tool to users in a wide variety of situations,
helping with both the signal distribution and providing piece of mind that users have a rock solid signal.”
- Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution
www.wirelessdmx.com
CHAUVET Professional: COLORado 1-Quad Zoom
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Source: (7) LEDs (quad-color RGBW) 15W
Average Lamp Life: 50,000 hours
Dimmer: Electronic
Strobe Rate: 0 to 20 Hz
Standalone Color Mixing: Yes
Color Temperature Presets: Yes
Beam Angle: 7° to 29°
Field Angle: 16° to 48°
Zoom Angle: 16° to 48°
Illuminance (16°): 3,950 lux @ 5 m
Illuminance (48°): 330 lux @ 5 m
Color Temperature (range): 2800 to 10000 K
Dimensions: 13’’ (334mm) x 9.25’’ (235mm) x
7.48’’ (190mm)
• Weight: 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg)
Basically, the COLORado 1-Quad Zoom Tour
is a ‘1’-sized version of our ‘2’-Quad Zoom
Tour – it’s smaller and more lightweight,
which makes it a breeze to transport and set
up. But it has the same professional quality and
versatile design features.”
- Ben Dickmann, Product Manager for CHAUVET Professional
www.chauvetlighting.com
42
ENNOVATIONS
PR Lighting: XLED 3007 Beam
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Light Source: (7) 20W LEDs (RGBW 4 in 1)
Power Consumption: 200W
Colours: RGBW linear color mixing with Macro
Linear color temperature correction from 2700K to 10000K
Beam: 7°~42° linearly adjustable zoom
Linearly adjustable dimmer from 0-100%
Electronic Strobe 0.3~25 F.P.S, with pulsing strobe effects
17 channels in standard mode, and 26 channels in
extended mode
• Shipping in mid-January 2015
Aside from its impressive zoom ratio, the fixture has endless pan and tilt rotation. In other words
it will pan 720°, 360° or endlessly, and tilt 270° (or endlessly), with Swap and Invert function, auto
position correction and magnet positioning function.”
- PR Lighting
www.pr-lighting.com
Tannoy : VX 8M Dual Concentric Loudspeaker
• Frequency Response (-3 dB): 85 Hz – 35 kHz
• Frequency Range (-10 dB): 62 Hz – 45 kHz
• System Sensitivity (1 W @ 1 m): 92 dB (1 W = 2.83 V for 8
Ω)
• Dispersion: 90o conical
• Driver Complement: 1 x 200 mm (8.00”) constant
directivity Dual Concentric
• Rated Maximum SPL: Average: 113 dB / Peak: 119 dB
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 260 W @ 8 Ω
• Nominal Impedance: 8 Ω
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 15.3’’ (388mm) x 11’’ (280mm) x
12.4’’ (315.7mm)
• Weight: 19.8 lbs (9 kg)
The new VX 8M model offers unrivalled flexibility in terms of use and mounting location. From
the floor to a table top or pole mount to flying bracket, this new cabinet can be mounted in any
way you choose, making it perfect for any application where crystal clear sound reinforcement is
required.”
- Stuart Archibald, Product Manager, Tannoy
www.tannoypro.com
ENERGISING.
Re-design your world. At ISE 2015, learn best practices, listen to fellow
professionals and acquire the skills you need to take your enterprise to the
next level of commerciality and creativity. Find out more:
www.iseurope.org
A joint venture partnership of
44
ENNOVATIONS
Shure: PSM300 Personal Monitor Systems
• Send (2) channels of audio wirelessly to performers
onstage
• 24-bit digital audio processing provides clear, detailed
sound
• Patented Audio Reference Companding sounds more like
wired
• Up to 90 dB signal-to-noise ratio
• Wide stereo separation
• Solid analog RF connection over a 300 ft (90 m) range
• Create a personal mix from the bodypack with MixMode
technology or stereo mode
• Frequency scan and IR sync quickly finds and assigns a
clean channel
• Half-rack, single channel transmitter with included rack
mount kit
• P3R bodypack systems available with SE112 Earphones
• P3RA professional bodypack systems available with SE215
Earphones
• (2) configurations:
- P3TR112GR: Plastic bodypack with SE112 earphones
- P3TRA215CL: Metal bodypack (Professional system) with
SE215 earphones
PSM300 brings the level of performance
and durability found in our industry
leading PSM1000 and PSM900 products to
musicians and performers who don’t need the high
channel count demanded by the top touring acts of
today.”
- Matt Engstrom, Category Director for PSM products, Shure
www.shure.com
Christie: Roadie 4K45
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
45,000 lumens using Xenon illumination
Contrast: 2000:1
4K Native Resolution at 60 Hz and upgradable to 120 Hz
Patented Christie TruLife electronics for high resolution
lifelike images
Built in Twist and Warp allows pixels to be mapped onto
any projection surface
Full Connectivity with Standard Display Port and 3G-SDI
input modules
User-replaceable lamps can be automatically aligned at the
push of a button
User-friendly controls ensure easy maintenance and
servicing
Stacking and rigging frame
Dimensions(L x W x H) [Head] : 52.3’’ (1329mm) x 25.5’’
(647mm) x 20.5’’ (522mm)
Dimensions(L x W x H) [Ballast] : 21.3’’ (542mm) x 17.5’’
(445mm) x 20’’ (532mm)
Weight (Head/Ballast): 284 lbs (129 kg) / 126 lbs (57 kg)
Shipping in March 2015 with a three-year parts and labour
warranty
Rental stagers often deal with unavoidable ambient light and now, with the new, even brighter
Roadie, that effect is minimized more than ever. And for the audience, it means a brighter, richer
picture with more vivid detail and a better overall experience.”
- Mike Garrido, Senior Product Manager, Christie
www.christiedigital.com
ENNOVATIONS
45
ADJ: Illusion Dotz 4.4
• Type: Moving Head with 4X4 Matrix of Pixel controllable
Tri color LEDs
• Source: (16) 30W RGB Chip On Board (COB) LEDs
• Average Lamp Life: 100,000 hours
• Beam Angle: 15o
• Operational modes: DMX, Master/Slave, Stand Alone &
Sound Active
• (5) Dimming Curve settings
• Head Movement: Pan: 360o or 540o / Tilt: 270o
• Digital display for easy addressing and function settings
• RJ45 Input/Output for Artnet/KlingNet Control
(Recommended control solutions: Arkaos Media Master
Express, Media Master Pro, and LED Master software - sold
separately).
• Multi-voltage Operation: 100-240V, 50Hz/60Hz (auto
sensing)
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 16.2’’ (414mm) x 6’’ (153mm) x
14.8’’ (376mm)
• Weight: 17 lbs (7.8 kg)
For those wanting to take their light-show
into a new dimension, the fixture is the
ultimate way to add eye-candy to their lightshow; providing incredible animated patterns and
unique movement.”
- ADJ
www.americandj.eu
Studiomaster Professional: Fire 51A
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Type: 2-Way Active Speaker
Power Output (RMS / Peak): 500W / 625W
Frequency Response (Hz): 50 – 20,000
Built-in amplifier and 2-channel mixer
LF Driver Size: 15” Woofer with 4” Voice coil
HF Driver Size: 1” Driver
Deploys Studiomaster P-Series amp technology to power
up
Sensitivity (1w @1m) : 98dB
Max SPL: 130dB
Dimension (W x D x H): 17.7’’ (450mm) x 16’’ (408mm) x
27’’ (690mm)
Net Weight: 78 lbs (35.5 kg)
Studiomaster Professional has taken special care to ensure that the tonal characteristic of the
speaker is similar to other speakers of the Fire series. The trapezoidal design of the speaker makes
it even more versatile for wedge/stage monitoring applications.”
- Studiomaster Professional
www.studiomasterprofessional.com
46
ENNOVATIONS
Christie: Q Series Additions
These industry-leading 1-chip DLP projectors require less power without sacrificing performance.
They also have software that works with an optional camera for fast and easy edge-blending and
warping in multiple projector setups to create panoramic or stacked displays.”
- Curtis Lingard, Product Manager, Christie
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Display Type: 1-chip 0.65” DMD
Contrast: 2500:1 full on, full off
Uniformity: ≤90%
Lamp: Dual 350W UHP
Average Lamp Life: Up to 2000 hours (Standard)
2 HDMI input
eClarity & HDCR
•
•
•
•
HD Base T
Portrait mode capable; Edge blending
Motorized zoom, focus and lens shift with memory
Dimensions (L x W x H): 18.2’’ (463mm) x 21.1’’ (537mm) x 6.9’’
(174mm)
• Weight: 37.5 lbs (17 kg)
DWX851-Q
DHD851-Q
DWU851-Q
• Native resolution: 1280 x 800 WXGA
• Brightness: 7,900 center (7,500
ANSI) lumens
• Native resolution: 1920 x 1080 HD
ANSI) lumens
• 3G-SDI Input
• Native resolution: 1920 x 1200
WUXGA
ANSI) lumens
48
ENNOVATIONS
ARX: MIXXMaker Master Mixer
SmartPhones, Tablets, Laptop computers
and other Bluetooth, USB and MiniJack
enabled devices have rapidly become
the program source of convenience for
DJs, Entertainment Venues, Gyms, System
Demonstrations and Testing, and many other proaudio playback applications. The MIXXMaker is
the solution whenever users of audio systems need
to connect the sometimes bewildering variety of
audio protocols and connectors quickly, easily and
faultlessly. “
•
•
•
•
•
•
Has Bluetooth, USB and MiniJack inputs
2 x Balanced XLR Mic / Line Inputs
2 x stereo Line In channels
Global 3 way EQ control
Switchable Phantom power
Switchable push-to-talk with a Priority override ducker for
Mic channel 1
• Left/Right (or Zone 1 and 2) Master level controls
• Auxiliary mono output with its own level control
• Available as a 100 to 120V AC model or a 220 to 240V AC
model
- Colin Park, ARX Managing Director
www.arx.com.au
Elation Professional: Platinum Profile LED
•
•
•
•
•
Profile / Framing Shutter 18° Spot LED Illuminare
Source: 180W LED Engine
Average LED Life: 20,000 hrs
Output: 9,000 Lumens, 6,500K, >65CRI
Effects:
- (4) Rotating Framing Shutters + Blade Macros
- 3-Facet Rotating Prism and Prism Macros
- Frost Filter
- Motoried Focus
- Iris: 5% - 100%
- Strobe: 1-18fps
• Gobos:
- 2 Gobo Wheels
- 7 Interchangeable / Rotating / Indexing Gobos
• Dimensions (L X W x H): 13.2’’ (336mm) x 12.7’’ (322mm) x
23.6’’ (600mm)
• Weight: 55 lbs (25 kg)
Elation Professional is proud to announce
another industry first with launch of the
Platinum Profile LED, the market’s first
entry-level LED moving head profile with framing
shutters.”
- Elation Professional
www.elationlighting.com
ENNOVATIONS
49
Powersoft: DigiMod IK
• Plug ‘N’ Play solution for active loudspeakers
• Offers all parts needed to easily compose a complete
solution around any DigiMod amplifier
• (2) aluminium heatsink plates, equipped with powercon
input and output
• Users choose between two different DSP solutions
including interface panels with I/O connectors, LEDs,
programming and networking connections
• Armonia ProManager, a software tool which configures an
IK combo while making the final product accessible in the
latest version of the Armonía Pro Audio Suite (2.5.0) is part
of the platform
• Compatible with the full range of Powersoft products.
DigiMod IK harnesses all the power and quality of our modular DigiMod amp series, in a complete
interface, equipped with XLR connectors for mono input + link output, volume potentiometers,
status and meter LEDs. It is simply a case of selecting the required DigiMod unit, choosing the DSP
solution that is most applicable and screwing the parts together.”
- Luca Giorgi, Pro Audio Business Unit Manager, Powersoft
www.powersoft-audio.com
Behringer: X18 iPad/Tablet Mixer
•
•
•
•
•
18 input/12 bus digital mixer for iPad/Android tablets
(16) Programmable MIDAS Preamps
Integrated Wifi Module for wireless control
18 x 18 channel, bi-directional USB Audio Interface
X AIR Gain Sharing technology manages fully automated
mixes (up to 16 live mics)
• Onboard virtual FX Rack provides:
- (4) True-stereo (8 mono)
- Multi-effects processoers
• Runs true-stereo reverbs concurrently with 31-band EQ
on the main and aux buses, without the need for any
additional hardware
• ULTRANET connectivity allows you to send (16) digital
sources over a Cat 5 cable to P16-D Digital ULTRANET
Distributors, or directly to P16-M Personal Monitor Mixerss
For the first time in audio history, Behringer has created a digital mixer which is integrated into a
stage box and combined with a wireless router, recording interface, personal monitoring system
and even a revolutionary auto-mixing function. While not only unprecedented from an engineering
point of view, the starting price of US $299 is equally unheard of.”
Jan Duwe, Music Group Senior Engineer of Conception
www.behringer.com
50
EXHIBITION PREVIEW
PALM Expo 2015 Mumbai
Building Brand Power In India
E
ntering its 15th year, PALM Expo India
(PALM) has become a MUST ATTEND
exhibition for anyone and everyone
within the Professional Sound & Light, DJ,
AV install and music production industry.
The show will be held from the 28th – 30th
of May 2015 at the Bombay Exhibition
Centre, Goregaon (East), Mumbai, India. It
will be held alongside Music Expo 2015 India’s exclusive B2B trade show for Musical
Instruments & Accessories.
Striving to be bigger and better in 2015,
PALM has claimed some responsibility for
the growth of the industry in the nation. This
year's show is an amalgamation of creative
and technical talent, trade and quality
business networking, and has been envisaged
as a platform to deliver enhanced business
opportunities within the Indian market.
It will be THE marketplace for anyone who
is aiming to launch their product or services
in India. Whether it is a product launch, or
a technical seminar, or whether one wants
to set up their international market in India
and meet new customers from all across the
Here are the 11 highlights not to be
missed at the 2015 edition:
2. Power Packed 2 Day Conference And
Workshop For All DJs In India.
Top renowned speakers from the Industry will
come together and share their experience,
views and knowledge within the music
Industry and the fast growing DJ segment in
India. The 2-day Conference and Workshop
provides DJs an opportunity to learn,
network and gain knowledge on the industry
and also see latest products and technologies
available on the exhibit floor.
1. DJ SOUNDSCAPE: Conference, Workshop,
Championship
Every year over 400 DJs register for the
annual PALM DJ Championship, an annual
national DJ talent hunt, which respects and
celebrates the art of DJing through a format
of educational workshops and coveted DJ
battles. Now entering in its 5th year, the
PALM DJ Championship will fire up the heat
among the upcoming budding and existing
DJs of India. Leading brands in the market
sponsor and support the championship
by encouraging DJs all over the country to
participate and visit the trade show.
3. Open Air Line Array Demo
With 12 companies showcasing their best
line arrays, the Open Line Array Demo in
2014 witnessed over 1,000 representatives
from the events industry in just one day.
Conducted in the open space at the venue
grounds, the line array demo provides an
excellent opportunity to exhibitors who
present their latest line array systems in
realistic conditions to interested buyers from
Rental & Event background. The annual PALM
Open Air Line Array Demo ritual determines
the next range of array systems succeeding in
the Indian market.
country, PALM Expo has become a significant
part of one’s overall sales and marketing
strategy.
Every year, PALM Expo hosts a series of show
features and highlights. This year, PALM
expects its largest exhibit floor and the
highest professional turnout ever.
EXHIBITION PREVIEW
4. Conference & Seminar
Each year, PALM Expo ensures that the
Conference & Seminar sustains its position
as the catalyst to the trade show. It helps
disseminate information related to latest
trends and development in the Live Sound
& Stage, Lighting Effects, DJ Gear, Music
Production, Pro Audio & Systems Integration
& related industries. Year after year, PALM
endeavours to take this initiative on a larger
scale, which helps the industry meet the
movers and shakers required to enhance
their business.
5. The PALM Live Arena
The PALM Live Arena is a sensationally
magnanimous feature which appeals to
performers as well, as it provides them
the perfect stage to identify, evaluate and
analyse how they can enhance their audio
requirements and deliver the best sound
quality. The PALM Live Arena enjoys its own
private space as stage, sound, light & music
come together in perfect harmony, making it
a holistic space for top notch entertainment.
Every year, hosted and sponsored by
HARMAN, the Live Arena brings life to the
trade show.
6. Palm Integration For Entertainment Demo
– Live 3D Mapping
In lieu of the rapidly progressing importance
of professional AV within the entertainment
domain, PALM launched the Integration for
Entertainment Demo in 2013 – a feature
dedicated to showcasing the world’s leading
projection and 3D mapping techniques. This
year, PALM and its partners will showcase a
live 3D demonstration of projection mapping
at the exhibition venue. Located in Hall 1,
the Integration for Entertainment Demo
will feature a seven-minute projection
mapping performance titled, “An Immersive
Stereoscopic 3D Augmented Reality
Experience With Live Interaction”.
7. PALM Demo Qube
Launched in 2014, the PALM Demo Qube
turned out to be the most successful
highlight of the trade show. Located just
outside Hall 1, the PALM Demo Qube is an
air-conditioned, waterproof, soundproof solid
structure that enables exhibitors to host a
live arena, workshop or technical seminar
along with demonstrating their products'
latest features with ease. In 2015, the PALM
will see more companies opting for the Demo
Qube.
8. PALM Live Rigging & Trussing Workshop
A very important feature that delivers quality
information, knowledge and skills required
to efficiently perform standard rigging and
trussing procedures. The Rigging & Trussing
workshop hosts live demonstrations which
are conducted by highly respected and
renowned professionals.
9. PALM Innovation Spotlight
The PALM Innovation Spotlight promotes
51
the technological advancement of the
industry, as it showcases selected products
ranging from across segments like live sound,
music production, installation and systems
integration, as well as lighting– all of which
is kept live on display. The booth has always
received tremendous footfall across all 3 days
of the show, with inquisitive visitors assessing
the products on display carefully.
10. PALM Sound & Light Awards
PALM Sound & Light Awards recognises and
honours outstanding service in the field of
Stage, Sound & Light. It fulfils the primary
objective of showcasing and recognizing
individuals and organizations for their
unparalleled contribution to the industry by
rendering outstanding services in the field of
staging, lighting and live sound in the Indian
market in the previous fiscal year.
11. The Indian Recording Arts (IRA) Awards
Into its 8th glorious edition, the IRA Awards
were the first ever music awards in India
that recognizes the music, recording and
engineering talent. Selected by leading
musicians and recording professionals, IRA
Awards felicitate the music maestros and
the technical and creative contributions by
leading sound recordists.
For details on the show and more, please
contact Mr. Ramesh Chetwani, Exhibition
Director of PALM Expo: [email protected]
52
TECH TALK
K-Array Launches First System Built For
FIRmaker Technology
Core Concept: Electronic
Optimization
The K-array KH8 loudspeaker system has been purpose-designed for steering and coverage optimization by
AFMG’s FIRmaker Technology.
When it was released in 2013, AFMG’s
ground-breaking beam steering and coverage
control technology, FIRmaker induced a
shift in how loudspeaker manufacturers
thought about system design, beam steering
and coverage optimization. Now, Italian
loudspeaker company K-array has launched
a new product that fully utilizes the digital
powers of FIRmaker optimization.
K-array has been known for innovative
loudspeaker solutions like the KAN200
“Anakonda” but the new KH8 takes the next
step in innovation, incorporating the thought
of full digital control.
Next to being the first loudspeaker system
that has been built from scratch with
FIRmaker steering inmind, the K-array KH8
offers a range of other, interesting features
that integrate with the fully digitalconcept.
In total, eight built-in DSP channels per
enclosure drive separate sections of
alltogehter 20 HF, MF, and LMF transducers,
resulting in exceptional coverage control and
a rated maximum SPL of 145 dB.
Coming boxed with 3 units in a straight
frame, the KH8 is flown effortlessly without
the need for curving. Instead, the vertical
aiming of each element of the flat hang can
be adjusted easily and at any time, while the
whole system remains straight, never taking
up more depth than a foot in total. Shaping
of the wave front, all beam steering and
coverage optimization is done electronically
by FIRmaker calculated filters, giving total
control to the system technician on site.
Benefits of FIRmaker
“Put your sound where it belongs!” is
the claim AFMG raises for its FIRmaker
Technology. In fact, the secret behind the
algorithm is as simple as it is powerful.
AFMG makes use of the FIR filter technology
available in most modern DSP controllers
to minutely control the superposition of all
sound waves produced by the individual
sound sources of a loudspeaker system.
Because this approach relies on AFMG’s
award-winning GLL loudspeaker definitions
that include high resolution, 3D data of each
sound source, the algorithm can also operate
in 3D all around a loudspeaker
system.
By this, AFMG was able to
include a plethora of functions
and, most importantly, make
these available directly to the
users of FIRmaker enabled
speaker systems. With
FIRmaker it is possible to
“design” the coverage that a
system provides onto the exact
audience areas. More than
that, the technology does so
for all frequencies resulting in a
smooth frequency response in
every seat of the house.
If, in a given set-up, feedback
problems occur on stage or a
corrugated iron roof produces
irritating reflections, FIRmaker
can also help. By simply
defining the roof or stage as
“avoidance areas” in the EASE
Focus 2 software, FIRmaker will
calculate a different set of FIR
filters typically delivering 6 – 8
dB less SPL in the problematic
places!
When K-array first approached AFMG with
the idea to electronically optimize a sound
system, it matched perfectly with the
research that the German software company
had been doing for the past few
years. AFMG was able to supply the patentpending optimization algorithm FIRmaker
and provide a complete interface for the
unique concept of a new sound system
presented by K-array. Thus, the KH8 system
has been designed to not only deliver high
performance and maximum ease-of-use
but to ultimately utilize the great flexibility
provided by FIRmaker optimization.
The AFMG FIRmaker Technology in
combination with the K-array KH8 system
and the Powersoft Armonia control software
provide a powerful basis for an efficient
work-flow and highly flexible set-up that
can easily be adapted to every new venue it
is taken to. AFMG’s EASE Focus 2 software
allows simulating and configuring the setup
during pre-production. After a quick check
on location, the FIRmaker plug-in within
EASE Focus takes only seconds to calculate
optimized FIR filter sets for
each of the DSPs inside the full
KH8 system.
These are then transferred
directly to the Armonia
platform to be uploaded into
the KH8’s DSPs. Thus, tailoring
the system’s coverage to the
venue is a matter of minutes.
Stefan Feistel, managing
director of AFMG noted,
“K-array have been the first
to approach us, with the
concept of the KH8 already in
mind. The degree of control
they thought of already made
in-depth use of our FIRmaker
Technology. From that point on,
our co-operation was driven by
a common understanding. We
all wanted to take the concept
further to create a turn-key
solution unseen by the market
so far.”
www.k-array.com
afmg.eu
54
TECH TALK
Electro-Voice Through The Eyes Of A
Sound Guy
Phill Webb has a serious passion for Electro-Voice microphones.
You might think he is merely blinded by his job, after all, he currently works for Bosch which owns Electro-Voice (EV), and sells EV gear for a
living. However, it’s his passion for great sound that shows his brand loyalty is based on something much more fundamental.
Throughout his career, Phil has promoted the merits of many mics in the EV range. He trusts the quality of the mics so much that he used to
demonstrate their robustness by throwing an EV microphone across the room. On one occasion, a mic landed at the feet of the EV Australia
Sales Manager who just happened to walk inside the door. He was so impressed with the demo that he offered to fix the mic at no charge if
it ever broke. Over the next ten years, the mic broke twice even though it was thrown an average of 10 times per week.
Here’s what Phil has to say about his obsession passion for EV mics:
How many EV mics have you got?
Over 400, but who’s counting?
Is there a model you are dying to
get?
Yes, a 667 which looks like a 666 but comes
with a preamp which was pretty radical back
in the 50’s for a dynamic microphone. Also
there is a condenser listed on the 1930 sell
sheet but I have never seen one – this would
be the Holy Grail for an EV mic collector.
EV has had a very rich history of
microphone technological firsts
in the last century, one that was
unmatched for a very long time.
How do the current EV products
compare to the major microphone
brands today?
It is true to say that EV doesn’t have the
product range of some mic manufacturers,
but they do have some stand out performers:
EV RE20 Microphone
TECH TALK
55
unless the mics were brand “XYZ” the band
would kick up a stink. I replied that as I was
doing monitors I was going to use what I
knew would do the job (in this case the EV N/
D967 vocal mics). After the second song of
the sound check the lead vocalist announced
to the FOH guy how much better the mics
were than the ones they normally use. That
brought a smile to my face.
It's when people have an open mind and
decide to go with something they may never
have tried that EV shines the brightest.
Collecting EV mics: Healthy interest
or an obsession?
Addiction.
When will you stop?
EV 666 Microphone
RE20 - A classic in the industry since 1968
and possibly EV’s best known and most
recognisable microphone used the world
over as on air broadcast, recording and live
kick drum and brass.
RE90B - One of the best boundary
microphones on the market and will stand up
to any competition.
RE92H - Arguably the highest gain before
feedback hanging microphone on the market
PC18XLR - Unique lectern microphone with
the ability to switch polar pattern between
Omni/Cardioid/Super-Cardioid and Hyper
Cardioid
N/D967 - Noted for its high gain before
feedback and flat sprung stainless steel grill
RE510 - A highly-respected Condenser
microphone that is equally at home as
an instrument microphone as it is a vocal
microphone
N/D468 - ‘Egg’ drum microphone and one of
the most commonly found EV’s on touring
riders
RE320 - No discussion of stand out units
would be complete without mentioning the
RE320 which has carried on the tradition
started with the RE20 as the new standard
in recording, broadcast and live sound
applications where a large diaphragm
variable ‘D’ dynamic is required.
Has anyone ever asked to borrow
your mics?
Yes, a number of years ago I supplied a
chrome REVHD9 transmitter to a dealer to
be used as a prop for a fashion shoot. I have
also supplied a few microphones for theatre
shows over the years. Recently I supplied a
classic suspension style mic for a production
of ‘Cabaret’.
Have you ever had a complaint
about an EV mic from an artist you
did sound for?
I have certainly come across artists who have
preferred to use their own microphones and
the main argument has been ‘keeping their
own germs to themselves’. I also come across
engineers who are set in their ways and like
using what they know but honestly I can’t
recall a situation where I have had to replace
an EV microphone because it wasn’t doing
the job.
I had a recent situation with a well-known
touring band where I was looking after
monitors and had a discussion with their
FOH engineer who basically told me that
When it kills me.
Not many people outside of ElectroVoice know, but EV mics have played
a part in some of the biggest events
in the history of mankind. When Neil
Armstrong uttered “One small step
for man, one giant leap for mankind,”
an EV mic in his helmet captured
the sound. Other notable historical
figures that used EV mics include
Martin Luther King (“I have a dream...”
public address), John F Kennedy, Elvis
Presley, The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe
and many others. Electro-Voice has
additionally won a Grammy Award for
the EV 642, an overhead microphone
that revolutionised sound recording on
movie sets and studios.
Not surprisingly, Phill owns a sample
of each of the mic models mentioned
above. Not quite the ones used by
some of the greatest historical figures
of our time, but the exact same models
from the same era, and most in a
fantastic working condition.
Did you expect anything else?
www.electrovoice.com
EV 674 Microphone
56
SPECIAL FEATURE
PVR India Director's Cut Auditorium
The Changing Face of Asian Cinema
East Making The Best of West, Cinematically
There is a great cinematic story unfolding
in Asia. The popular entertainment format
of cinema – as we all know – which has
essentially been a predominantly Western
phenomenon is fast changing its story telling
ingredients. Numbers, design, adoption
of technology, business practices, and
accruing rewards…everything appears to
be in for a hemispherical shift, though with
certain exceptions. Leading the charge,
understandably, is China, followed by India.
ETA takes a look at the changing face of Asian
Cinema even as it steps into yet another year
of transition.
I
t’s common knowledge for many in the
entertainment industry that cinema has
largely been a West-dominated industry.
Not only in sheer arithmetic relating to the
number of cinema screens, movie releases
and revenues but also in technology
adoptions and entrepreneurship, it’s been
generically an American or English dream
that has been selling all over when it comes
to commercial cinema. Interestingly, it
doesn’t seem to be the same any longer. Asia
appears set to dominate the future course of
global cinema entertainment.
Led by China – which had apparently been
exploding with galactic proportions (though
with ambiguous assumptions) – and closely
followed by somewhat stagnant but highpotential India, Asian cinema is changing its
face. Quite understandably, this evolution
is characterized by an energizing blend of
entrepreneurial leadership and technology
adoption.
Going by sheer numbers and current
indications, this is how Asia is faring right
now:
• Out of around 135,000 cinema screens
worldwide, Asia alone (including the
Middle East) today accounts for roughly
50%
• Out of around 60,000 digital cinemas
(without 3D) worldwide, the Asian count,
again, totals to 50% approximately.
• Of the total 53,000 3D digital screens
worldwide, Asian cinemas aggregate to
over 50%
by Ram Bhavanashi
• Considered holistically including those with
3D, Asia Pacific that is essentially powered
by Chinese activism accounts for almost
one-third of the total global digital+3D
digital screens
• China – though a bit ambiguous for want
of accurate documentation – is leading
the way in terms of both large-scale
technology adoption and cinema building.
According to unconfirmed sources, while
the country’s aggregate screen count is
placed between 20,000 to 30,000, an
approximate number of 2500 new screens
are being added every year with a good
number of them being in digital and / or
3D digital
China leading Asian activism
China has apparently steadied its growth
plans since the turn of the century and has
begun to explode with galactic proportions
for the last few years. From less than 5000
screens in 2003, the country’s cinema count
has reportedly grown roughly six-fold in
ten years. According to sources, there is an
unprecedented aggression in both conversion
of existing cinemas to digital and/or digital
SPECIAL FEATURE
3D, as well as building new cinemas with
ambitious digital fare in both audio and
video. That the Chinese industry is energized
by an aggressive entrepreneurism as well
as strong State support, the growth rate is
said to be outshining America and other
countries.
the very early stages. Japan, for instance,
begun its digital journey in 2008 – when
the country’s leading operator, Shochiku
adopted Christie’s digital cinema for all of
its 10 screens at Shinjuku Piccadilly Cinema
Complex – is said to be fully digital by 2018
with a majority of its 3500-plus screens being
already in digital format.
Consider this:
Beijing-headquartered Wanda Group, with
huge interest in cinematic entertainment,
broke new ground in the cinema
entrepreneurism when it acquired AMC
Entertainment, the world’s second largest
cinema chain. The group, as it is, has had
a screen count of 1247 from as many as
142 locations across 73 cities in China. By
acquiring AMC, it added in one shot as many
as 5000 screens (from 380 locations in the
USA) to its count.
While there are claims that the group is
currently the world’s largest cinema chain,
it is apparently just behind the Regal
Entertainment of USA which tops the charts
with around 7500 screens. However, Wanda
Cinemas recently signed a deal with IMAX
Corporation for building 124 IMAX cinemas
by 2021 (taking its total IMAX screen count
to over 200), it is claimed to be the world’s
largest IMAX cinema operator. More, that it
has also signed yet another land-mark deal
with RealD for as many as 780 3D cinema
installs over the next three years, paved for
another breakthrough in embracing cuttingedge technologies for cinema entertainment.
On other hand, China Film Group, the Stateowned movie enterprise with high stakes in
cinema building has been roping in the two
digital cinema majors Barco and Christie.
According to sources, the company has
drawn up plans to build as many as 20,000
new screens, and understandably, all of them
being digital and/or 3D digital.
Even as Japan pursues its digital transition, its
active neighbour Korea has been even more
aggressive in the digital transformation. Led
by D-Cinema Korea Co.Ltd. (DCK) – a jointventure initiative between two Korean majors
CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema – as also Megabox,
the country is rearing to claim as the ‘world’s
first fully digitized cinema country’ with all
of its roughly 2500 screens set to go digital
very soon. Megabox, with over 450 screens,
continues to hold the Guinness World Record
for maximum attendees (over 6.20 million) a
year, while Lotte Cinema took the record for
operating Asia’s largest multiplex cinema –
21-screen Lotte Cinema World Tower – from
Golden Screen Cinemas’ 18-screen cineplex
at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur. All
the cinemas are digital today.
Thailand, an early adopter of digital cinema,
went one step further in 2014 when SF
Cinemas – one of the two major cinema
chains in the country – announced going
fully 4K digital with Sony. The company
operates 282 screens in the 1000-plus screen
Thai exhibition industry that is dominated
by Major Cineplexes Group which has been
equally aggressive in adopting cutting-edge
technology.
APAC – a new cinema package to
the fore
Korean, Thai, and Philippines cinemas
actually compete with one another for
building ostentatious cinemas with cuttingedge audio-video technologies. On the other
hand, cinemas in Indonesia, Malaysia, and
Singapore tend to be more of functional than
of architectural splendour, though they are
equally charged with passion for technology.
Singapore, though small in size, has one
of the world's highest cinema viewership
in relation to its size. In 2013 there were
207 screens providing a seating capacity of
38,000 in total with attendance reaching
22, 090,000. The cinemas have almost
all converted to digital and the emphasis
now seems to be on providing additional
experience values such as couples only
seating, serving of F&B to patrons within the
cinema and more.
While China takes the pole position as an
undisputed leader, Asia-Pacific as a whole
hasn’t been that behind. In fact, countries
that are much smaller in size to China have
been ahead in technology adoption since
The Middle East geography, while being
serviced by a few players from Europe, is
essentially being driven by Mumbai, Indiabased Scrabble Entertainment which – by
Hong Kong-headquartered GDC Technology,
one of the world’s leading digital cinema
solutions provider, has reportedly installed
worldwide over 14,000 systems, a majority
of which have been from Asia-Pac. Chennai,
India-headquartered Real Image with its
digital cinema brand Qube too has made a
credible market across Asia-Pac and beyond.
57
virtue of the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) business
model with major Hollywood studios – has
been pursuing DCI-grade 2K/4K digital
cinema across the region. The company
has focused on UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait,
Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel
for digitizing cinemas. Having already done
around 1300 2K installs, the company intends
to double it up by 2015, and reach 5,000
installs globally in two years.
Advent of sophisticated digital technology,
and multiplex entrepreneurism has brought
with them both fortunes and misfortunes
for the industry in India that is credited with
producing maximum number of movies in the
world - @ 1000 – every year, and employing
largest work force- 200,000.
While the multiplex entrepreneurism – aided
by corporate funds and States’ support for
tax holidays – have been trading its way to
box office glory on one hand, and hi-tech
domain 2K/4K/3D digital domain on the
other, the already ailing majority of singlescreen industry continues its struggle for
existence.
It is estimated that the country has around
10,000 screens in total of which some
2000 are in multiplexes from roughly 800
locations. However, multiplex operators have
been raking in as much as 80% of box office
moolah every year, owing to their fancied
exhibition and market formats, leveraging
technology.
Interestingly, while the DCI-grade 2K and
4K projection models as well as Barco Auro
11.1 3D and Dolby Atmos audio formats have
been on the rise, India still continues with a
predominant number of Electronic Cinemas.
As per a very generic estimate, there are
approximately 1300 2k/4k digital cinemas
that include both multiplex screens and
popular single-screen cinemas in tier-A cities
in the country.
“Digitization has played a major role enabling
simultaneous release of all films in even small
towns,” said Sriram Sistla, Regional DirectorSAARC for Harkness Screens. “Big 3D movies
are proving a major draw, but the number
of releases is still not significant.” Adding,
“a new generation of screens has ensured
improvement in the quality of presentation.”
According to him, online ticketing has been
gaining in popularity in the major cities. In
fact, ticketing is being elevated to a new high
by means of provision for mobile ticketing,
and kiosk-ticketing, as well as waist-mounted
gadget-ticketing. According to an estimate,
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SPECIAL FEATURE
adopting Dolby Atmos as well, the circuit
had elevated the benchmark for technologypowered luxury and premium cinemas with
ambitious multiplexes in Chennai.
The company is reputed to have also brought
into place interactive kiosk touch-based
digital signage format for the patrons to have
a glimpse of the movies in the lobby before
they watch them inside the auditorium. The
company’s first ambitious project Escape
Cinema in Chennai sports this provision,
while its second such venture Luxe sports
has in its central lobby a huge video pillar
equipped with as many as 72 LCDs to beam
diverse content.
Sriram Sistla, Regional Director-SAARC for
Harkness Screens
remote-ticketing has grown by over 25%
recently from being naught a few years ago. A
specific technology inducement, this has had
a significant impact on box office fortunes.
“The last decade has brought tremendous
changes to the industry,” opined Javier
Sotomayor, Managing Director of Cinepolis
India. The Mexican multiplex circuit which
is also the world’s third largest chain by
numbers, has a focused interest on India.
“In the last five years, almost all multiplex
operators have moved from analog to 2K
digital,” he felt. “Four-K is still nascent in
Indian market with fewer than 50 screens
having the format. However, there has been a
large-scale customization of cinema-fare such
as luxury/premium theatres, special formats
like low-cost cinemas for certain markets,
children, and teen generations etc.
“There has been a perceived implementation
of path-breaking technologies,” explained
the Cinepolis India chief. “Exhibitors are
experimenting with latest technology
like IMAX, sound systems such as Atmos
and Auro, other technologies like 4DX,
edutainment and interactivity.”
According to him, Cinepolis has been a
pioneer in this field by introducing 4DX in
India for the first time and opening Cinepolis
Viviana which is the most technologically
superior cinema with six different concepts
under one roof.
When it comes to creating a unique mix
of technology-powered movie fare, the
first reference will go to Chennai-based SPI
Cinemas, the erstwhile Sathyam Cinemas
who enjoys the reputation of being India’s
first to do 2k and 4k, full 3D digital 4K one
after the other, and simultaneously being
Asia’s first to adopt the Auro 3D. Besides
Audio – the new precedence
Thanks to the long debate and ambiguity
over the format, costs and content availability
stretching for over 16 years now, the video
component of modern/digital cinema took
too many dimensions. Having begun with
1.1K Electronic Cinema, it has more or less
standardized at 2K digital and 2K digital
3D, even as the 4K digital 3D has also been
spreading rather fast and wide.
However, quite interestingly, it is the audio
component that is apparently gaining its
ground again with newer, cutting-edge
formats coming to the fore, and in big
fashion. Having begun with 5.1 stereo,
it has standardized for many decades at
7.1 Surround and Surround Ex, and now
transitioning with 11.1 and even broaching
about 13.1 formats.
While it’s been a sort of fiercely-competed
field among Dolby, DTS, and Sony, the latest
genre of cutting-edge audio field is being
fought out by digital cinema majors Barco
and Christie with their own/acquired audio
brands.
That the audio solution needs to be recorded
along with the movie shoot and re-recording
in the studios, the importance of aural
experience as intended by the movie-makers
to be as realistic as possible, is far more
important than ever before. In fact, providing
the experiential, immersive audio experience
is as critical as the breath-taking movie
watching experience.
For the manufacturers, distributors and
integrators though cinema is going through
tremendous pressure from streaming, cable
and more, there is still the magic that only
a cinema can provide and this should augur
well for the solution providers for at least the
next few years.
60 SPECIAL FEATURE
What's Trending In The Cinema Scene?
it is an experience our guests will certainly
appreciate.”
Christie’s laser system provides unparalleled
image quality using a pair of 4K laser
projection heads, a 6P modular laser light
farm with fiber-optic delivery, and Christie 4K
3D high-bitrate IMBs.
Christie 6P laser projectors
Moody Gardens and D3D Cinema
Open World’s First Institutional
Giant Screen Laser Theatre
Featuring Christie 6P Digital Laser
Projection
D3D Cinema and Moody Gardens have
announced the grand opening of the MG3D
Laser Theatre at Moody Gardens, the first
institution in the world to feature a giant
screen 6-Primary (6P) laser projection
system. Audiences will now experience films
on a world-class 60 by 80 ft white screen –
the largest in Texas – at nearly three and a
half times brighter than the current industry
standard, with vibrant colors and new 3D
glasses technology. The 6P laser-illuminated
4K-resolution 3D dual projector system is
manufactured by Christie. The 6P eyewear is
designed and manufactured by Infitec GmbH.
The 1.4 gain premium white screen was
provided by MDI.
“This installation marks a great step forward
for giant screen projection technology – and
Moody Gardens has once again taken a
pioneering step with D3D to create a truly
great theatre experience for their audience,”
said Don Kempf, president of D3D Cinema.
“Their continuing willingness to forge ahead
with new cinema technology and branding
will help push the museum cinema market
forward into a new era of cinema clarity,
brightness and profitability. This industry has
been waiting for lasers for a long time.”
“There is a bit of nervous excitement with
being the first institutional theatre in the
world to implement laser technology,”
added John Zendt, President and CEO of
Moody Gardens. “But, when I walked into
the theatre and saw my screen light up
like never before, I was thrilled! And that
first impression was only at 75% of our
brightness capability. I can now happily
invite my giant screen colleagues to come
and see firsthand what D3D, Christie and
Infitec are capable of delivering on an 80ft
screen. To be first to market is very exciting.
But the results themselves are amazing and
“We can confidently say that Christie’s 6P
laser design is a real breakthrough for the
industry,” said Don Shaw, senior director of
product management, Christie. “Our nonflashing 6P architecture is without question
the most light-efficient 3D technology on
the market, providing 4 x the 3D brightness
versus the competition, and enhanced
colour gamut and a remarkable contrast
ratio as well. On a speckle-free premium
white screen, Moody Gardens has achieved a
peerless cinematic presentation.”
Infitec’s new 6P glasses deliver a startling
90% efficiency – unsurpassed in the industry.
It’s the perfect complement to the 80ft wide
screen in the MG3D Theatre, which is now
capable of light levels over 16 foot-lamberts
in 3D (measured through Infitec’s glasses).
This is many times brighter than the theatre’s
previous 3D 70mm system and far exceeds
any “ultra-bright” industry standards.
“We're thrilled to be a part of this project,"
said Markus Fritz, COO of INFITEC GmbH.
"We had to move a few mountains to make
this happen but the results are incredibly
gratifying. INFITEC is now uniquely positioned
to provide 6P eyewear technology as giant
screen venues turn to laser 3D in the coming
years. Moody Gardens is now a flagship
theatre for us, and we will continue to
improve on efficiency capabilities and giant
screen eyewear designs in 2015.”
“I'm so happy with the final result, the
brightness and clarity is amazing," added
Ronald La Faver, President of INFITEC Inc.
“The vision of INFITEC on a pure laser based
system came true.”
Barco And China Film Group Sign
Agreement For The Purchase Of 800
Digital Cinema Projectors
Barco announced a new deal in early
December 2014 with state-owned China
Film Group (CFG), the country’s largest film
company. Over the next few months, 800
Barco digital cinema projectors – including
the brand-new Barco Alchemy integrated
projection systems – will be deployed in CFG
theatres nationwide. Barco is CFG’s largest
cinema projector supplier and has been
selected in the chain’s approved suppliers list
for the next five consecutive years.
CFG produces and distributes films, imports
and exports foreign releases and runs movie
theatres across the country. The CFG cinema
chain includes many theatres of various
sizes and dimensions – from IMAX to small
screens – all over the nation, a number that
will be expanding rapidly between now and
the end of 2015. As the chain’s most reliable
and long-term device supplier, Barco not
only equips these theatres with high-quality
projection solutions, but offers a whole
service package as well. Accordingly, Barco
has been on CFG’s list of approved suppliers
for many years now.
Barco Alchemy Integrated projectors
Barco Alchemy is the first integrated media
server to reach DCI 1.2 level in the world
that can play 4K films at 60 fps 4K 3D content
on a single projector. In normal projection
modes, the system offers seamless 2D and
3D switching. As a result, Barco Alchemy
projectors are able to cope with higher
specification demands, and offer new
opportunities for the future operation
and development of cinemas. Thanks to
the fact that they have been installed and
debugged during the production process, the
Alchemy devices can go into operation very
quickly and require only low operating and
maintenance costs.
“Chinese cinemas are currently diversifying
their business in order to cope with
increasing competition,” explained Phil Chen,
General Manager of CFG-Barco (Beijing)
Electronics Co., Ltd. “CFG cinemas have
the widest coverage, including first-tier
metropolises and remotely rural areas. The
company therefore needs a supplier that
can offer both high-quality devices and
comprehensive, superior services. As for
users, CFG-Barco is a reliable choice. We
apply products and services locally based on
trust, respond timely to users’ ever-changing
demands, and make continuous efforts
to support the development of Chinese
cinema.”
SPECIAL FEATURE
Hong Kong’s Cinema City Langham
Place Takes the Movie-Going
Experience To The Next Level
Sony
Sony has equipped 6 movie theatres in
Cinema City Langham Place (CCLP) with
Sony 4K Digital Cinema systems. Opened
in November 2014, CCLP is located in the
heart of Mongkok, a bustling shopping
and residential district in Hong Kong which
is filled with activities even late into the
night. CCLP offers a full range of cinematic
experiences including 2D, 3D, Dolby Atmos
and 4DX. The combination of Sony’s
immersive 4K Digital Cinema projectors
with multi-sensory 4DX technology is a
first for cinemas in Hong Kong, taking the
movie-going experience to the next level for
audiences.
Inside any auditorium equipped with 4DX,
motion chairs and environmental effects such
as smoke, lightning, wind,bubbles and scents
work in perfect synchrony with the action on
screen. Inside CCLP’s theatre equipped with
4DX, the motion chairs are equipped with a
range of base movements covering heave (up
and down), pitch (left and right) and roll (tilt
backward and forward), and this gives CCLP
an unlimited number of combinations to
mimic anything ranging from a rollercoaster
ride, or a meteor hurtling through space, to a
stallion racing to the finish line.
The result is a totally immersive cinematic
experience that is not bound by visual
and aural limits, and almost feels life-like.
Another inspired move for CCLP was the
combination of Sony’s SRX-R515P 4K Digital
Projection system with Dolby Atmos in one
of their theatres, marrying high-quality 4K
images with true multi-dimensional sound
of exceptional depth and clarity. Since the
cinema halls at CCLP were designed in a
“stadium type” format, movie-goers will be
able to feel the full impact of 128 channels at
the same time.
Sony’s SRX-R515P is a high-quality 4K digital
cinema projection system designed for
small-to-medium auditoriums. It offers true
4K quality from the integrated media block
through the lens to the cinema screen, and
features an improved SXRD optical engine,
8,000:1 contrast ratio, 15,000 lumens
brightness, easy-on-the-eye Sony 3D and high
frame rate capabilities. It is also cost efficient
in terms of lamp and maintenance costs.
“Sony’s SRX-R515P embodies everything we
could ask for in a 4K projection system. It
was only logical that we marry that with the
best in audio technology, and for us it was
Dolby Atmos,” said Alvina Wong, Managing
Director, Cinema City Langham Place. “Sony
4K Digital Cinema gave us the opportunity to
screen a wide range of movies.
With the addition of 4DX to the equation,
we have raised the benchmark for cinematic
experiences,” she added. “We are very
pleased to work with Cinema City Langham
Place to make it the go-to cinema in
Hong Kong for a 4K multi-sensory viewing
experience,” said Tadahiro Fukumoto,
General Manager, Visual Presentation
Solutions Division, Professional Solutions
Company (PSAP), Sony Electronics Asia
Pacific. “The alchemy of such innovative
cinema technologies goes far beyond the
visual and aural, and we’re excited to have
played a part in creating such true-to-life
movie magic in Hong Kong,” he added.
With Sony as its trusted partner, the team
at CCLP continues to seek innovative ways
to raise the bar for movie goers, who can
count on truly mesmerizing and immersive
experiences at Cinema City Langham Place.
Dolby Atmos To Reach 200-Screen
Milestone In Indonesia
Cinema 21 and Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
have announced that Cinema 21, one of the
largest cinema chains in Indonesia, plans to
install Dolby Atmos in 100 cinema screens
over the next 18 months. Dolby Atmos has
now reached the milestone of 200 screens
installed or committed to in Indonesia,
making it the country with one of the largest
numbers of committed Dolby Atmos screens
in the Asia Pacific region. Another significant
milestone for Dolby, is that more than 900
screens worldwide have now been or are
scheduled to be equipped with Dolby Atmos.
Dolby Atmos unleashes the potential of
sound in storytelling by giving filmmakers
the creative freedom to easily place or move
sounds anywhere in the movie theatre,
including overhead, to create the most
engaging cinema experience ever.
61
"With consumers becoming more discerning
these days, Cinema 21 believes in constantly
offering revolutionary and state-of-the art
technologies to our patrons to ensure the
most epic movie experiences. We have seen
an incremental rise in box office taking with
the current Dolby Atmos screens installed.
The groundbreaking Dolby Atmos sound
technology is certainly the way to go, and
moving forward, audiences will be spoilt for
choice with hopefully more than 100 Dolby
Atmos screens to select from in Indonesia,"
said Catherine Keng, Corporate Secretary,
Cinema 21.
"Dolby is honoured that Cinema 21 has
chosen to equip 100 of its screens with the
immersive Dolby Atmos sound technology.
With Dolby Atmos, the audience is no
longer just watching a movie; they are
experiencing it," said Pankaj Kedia, Senior
Regional Director, India and South East Asia,
Dolby Laboratories. "We are confident that
movie-goers will go back again and again for
the extraordinary experience that only Dolby
Atmos can deliver."
Introduced in April 2012, Dolby Atmos has
been embraced by all the major Hollywood
studios, 11 Academy Award winning
directors, and 23 Academy Award winning
sound mixers, among others. Dolby Atmos
has received technical achievement awards
from both the Hollywood Post Alliance and
the Cinema Audio Society. As the inventors
of the only object-based audio format used
in the cinema today, Dolby is working closely
with the Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers in driving adoption of
standards for object-based audio.
CinemaBarco Ushers In A New Era In
Cinema Entertainment
Magical movie moments have made cinema
special for more than 100 years. Barco has
played a rapidly evolving role in elevating
cinema entertainment to new heights,
reinventing the movie going experience
for a new generation. “We see our job as
empowering storytellers to tell their story in
the most compelling and effective manner.
Barco has been true to this tradition for
the last 80 years, investing in revolutionary
technologies that enable such experiences.
As a major milestone, Barco has recently
reached 50,000 digital cinema projector
milestone for worldwide deployments this
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SPECIAL FEATURE
third quarter 2014,” said Todd Hoddick, VP
Global Entertainment for Barco.
Todd continued, “Fast on the heels of our
industry racing towards complete digital
conversion, we look forward to creating
brand new opportunities to energize the
industry, for both exhibitors and their guests.
One such concept launched at CinemaCon
2014, called CinemaBarco, represents a new
evolution in cinema entertainment.
Our goal with CinemaBarco is to champion
a new era in motion picture entertainment,
bringing showmanship and community back
to the cinema. CinemaBarco brings every
part of the theatre to life, delivering visually
spectacular and immersive entertainment
before, during and after the show to create a
one-of-a-kind movie going experience. From
the lobby, to the auditorium and beyond,
exhibitors can use Barco’s collection of
disruptive products to outfit their cinemas
with revenue-enhancing solutions that help
them grow their business while enhancing
audiences’ enjoyment.
From a business perspective, CinemaBarco
enables theatre owners to capture more
of the entertainment dollar by delivering
a value-added experience far beyond the
traditional movie-going experience. Our
latest solutions like Barco Escape, lobby
enchantment, immersive cinema audio and
audience interactivity appeal to the up-andcoming generation of moviegoers who are
attracted by thrill-seeking experiences that
are also interactive. By employing the latest
Dolby
audience engagement, interactive lobby
technology and immersive audio solutions,
exhibitors can create an environment that
attracts a highly engaged community of
movie-goers. It is precisely these types of
innovations that are beginning to drive
ticket sales and brand loyalty. All of these
experiences combined enable theatre owners
to create true entertainment.”
Dolby Selects Christie To Co-Develop
Dolby Vision Projection Systems For
Dolby Cinema
Christie will co-develop, supply, install, and
service proprietary Dolby Vision projection
systems for Dolby Cinema. Christie's
projection technologies will ensure that
Dolby Cinema combines a spectacular image
with immersive sound and inspired design,
to make every visit a completely captivating
cinematic event.
Dolby Cinema will feature the Dolby Vision
projection system, which uses state-of-theart optics and image processing to deliver
high dynamic range (HDR) with enhanced
colour technology that has been praised by
filmmakers for its amazing contrast, high
brightness, and colour range that more
closely matches what the human eye can see.
This new proprietary HDR technology with
enhanced colour uses two newly designed
high-frame-rate (HFR) capable Christie 4K
laser projection heads that feature a highly
customized and unique light path. Combined
with Christie's 6P modular laser light sources,
this technology delivers high-contrast images
and ultra-brightness, which define the visual
excellence of Dolby Cinema.
Unique to the Dolby Vision projection system,
beyond its astonishing brightness and vivid
colour reproduction, is its ability to deliver
HDR with an incomparable contrast ratio
that exceeds any other image technology
currently on the market. The result is a
richer, more detailed viewing experience,
with strikingly vivid and realistic images that
make viewers feel like they are in the movie's
world. Dolby Vision content will be available
in 2015, coinciding with the deployment of
the first Dolby Vision projection systems in
Dolby Cinema locations.
The Dolby Cinema will also deliver to
audiences the best in immersive audio, with
a potent combination of Dolby Atmos sound
and Christie Vive audio speakers and Class
D amplifiers, many of which were specially
designed for this demanding application.
"Dolby Cinema lets studios and exhibitors
focus on what they do best, with the
confidence that Dolby will deliver a premium
experience that makes the most of the
latest cinema technologies," said Doug
Darrow, Senior Vice President, Cinema,
Dolby Laboratories. "To get this right, we
naturally went to a leader in projection that
could help deliver a breakthrough solution,
and I'm pleased that we were able to work
with Christie to co-develop the Dolby Vision
projection system. With this announcement,
we are confident that exhibitors and studios
will now have the ultimate venue to present
movies that will keep audiences coming back
for more."
64
SPECIAL FEATURE
A CINEMA OPERATOR'S PERSPECTIVE
PVR Cinemas: Staying Ahead of the Curve
Gautam Dutta, CEO of PVR Cinemas, India’s largest cinema chain, is a young and energetic honcho of cinema
entrepreneurism in India. Credited with bringing visible increase in cinema media sales in PVR since he took the
reins in 2006, Gautam has been leading the company’s mission and objectives, building future leadership within the
organization and promoting revenue, profitability and growth. E-Tech Asia talks to Gautam Dutta on PVR’s cinema
exploits:
There have been many technologies
- both in audio and video - coming
and impacting cinematic experience
from time to time. What, according
to you, has been the most
impacting?
Gautam: Digital technology has certainly
transformed how we experience movies
and what movies look and sound like. PVR
moved to 2K digital systems which rendered
the picture quality stunning and life-like.
Even post acquisition period, we converted
all acquired cinemas from analogue and E
Cinema to 2K format, and began moving
into 4K digital domain which promises a
spectacular visual experience.
PVR has been a synonymic first
reference for new age Indian
Cinema for over 16 years now. How
does it look at itself today?
Gautam: We braved the odds to introduce
first multiplex to the country in 1997, and
made history with over a million people
visiting it within the first year. The success
story continues as the group stands as the
largest player in Indian cinema exhibition
space with 454 screens from 102 properties
across 43 cities.
We always believed in innovating the
business. Whilst taking ideas from across
the globe, we seek to transcend movie
watching to the next-level every time, by
ushering in the most luxurious and elite
cinematic ambience. A reflection of the same
is our recent announcement of launching
India’s first ever 15-screen Superplex with a
slew of world class-formats such as IMAX,
ECX (enhanced movie experience), PVR
Premier, Director’s Cut, PVR 4DX and PVR
Playhouse- all under one roof, and now
the latest addition of Auro 11.1 sound
technology. Today, PVR is amongst top 10
cinema companies in the world in admissions
per screen, and our getting a place in the
World Economic Forum's list of Fastest-
Growing 'Global Growth Companies' is an
endorsement of our leadership.
Expanding our innovative exploits, we
also distribute non-studio/ independent
international movies (under Director’s Rare
banner) in the country; we have recently
pioneered bringing alternate content like
ballets, stand-up comedy acts, theatre
performances and other varied content to
our screens.
We, therefore, keep ourselves constantly
ahead of the curve; same time, we’re always
open to learning and innovating the business.
Rise of PVR cinemas coincided with
the rise of Digital Cinema, globally...
How would you describe this 'rising'
complementing each other?
Gautam: Rise of PVR Cinemas began in 1997
when it was still celluloid film projection
system, and DTS 5.1 2-way surround sound,
but with new innovations in this sector,
we wanted to bring in the best. With the
initiation of digital projection systems,
operations in the cinema level became easier
and effective allowing for smarter theatre
management systems. We can call it a winwin proposition for the adopter and the
adopted format.
Simultaneously, the audio systems too
got to a new experiential level with each
subsequent format of digital audio. From
3-way 7.1 to 4-way 7.1, and now to Atmos,
and Auro 11.1 which weave a very life-like
immersive audio ambience.
There have been other audio-video
technologies - outside the cinema
auditorium - like digital signage,
and BGM ambience... How has PVR
leveraged them for better patron
experience?
Gautam: PVR brainstorms on the complete
look and feel of every property. The design
domain is explored for innovating every
aspect of the interior décor- auditorium wall
panels, passages, foyers and lobbies, flooring
and seating, ceiling and lighting. Whilst
developing any property, minute details like
the fonts on the signage, poster box frames,
are themed to soothe the likes, preferences
and culture of a particular city/state.
Having done with poster displays through
LCD TVs, background music, and digital
signages, we are contemplating incorporating
interactive digital signages for engaging our
patrons with compelling services.
The use of media portals in both foyer and
pre-foyer areas helps the patrons know
releases. A DVD wall artwork and columns
add a splash of color to the space.
SPECIAL FEATURE
65
Ticketing has been one fascinating
intrusion into cinema technologies
domain...what has been PVR's latest
take on this front?
GAUTAM: We, at PVR, believe ticketing is not
just a procedure to be followed by patrons
but a specific aspect of customer experience.
We recently introduced ticketless walkin module through Mobile-Ticketing that
allows people to book online and enter the
cinema premises by just using their mobile
phones. This paperless transaction has
received positive feedback as this is a simple
mechanism that ensures patrons have an
effortless transaction!
While the much-talked 2K has
turned into 4K now - though no
regular content is assured as yet and there is already a hype about
laser projection...How does PVR
look at this ambiguity or promise?
GAUTAM: We have already moved from
2K to 4K projections. Content in the latter
seems to be limited, however, things are
still moving. PVR does aim at increasing the
technological standard by ensuring that all
prime properties have this facility.
Recently, on our senior management’s visit
to the CineAsia 2014 summit, a demo of the
laser projection system showed a marked
advancement in projection technology. Being
a quality-conscious brand driven by passion
to bring only the best, we would certainly like
to bring the latest and the best systems to
the country. The format does promise higher
and even brightness covering the length and
breadth of the screens, expanded colour
gamut and lower costs of operations.
Concurrently, audio appears to be
competing for precedence with 7.1
leading to 11.1 and even 13.1...your
thoughts on this.
GAUTAM: Growth is paramount to any
business, and as such technological
advancement in any industry is a boon. There
is no end to the technology race, and with
each new format there is a promise of higher
efficiency. The same is for audio exploits as
they keep developing clearer, noise-free and
immersive sound formats.
Given all this, where does PVR
intend to position itself?
GAUTAM: Indian cinema is definitely
expanding and has an amazingly wide
spectrum of movie aficionados owing to the
varied cultural and linguistic preferences.
There is a certain niche audience who
wants to watch alternate content on the big
screens. Movie enthusiasts had to
choose between catching world cinema
masterpieces on a small screen or wait for
once-a-year festivals to see them in theatres.
Gauging this need as well as the dearth
of this niche content, we introduced PVR
Director’s Rare. Under this banner, PVR will
regularly bring award-winning and critically
acclaimed movies from across the globe to
the discerning audience.
We have also tied up with several agencies
to get good content. Our ability to reinvent,
innovate and to challenge ourselves is a
testimony to the exponential expansion
across India. We aim to keep providing
movie connoisseurs a premier experience by
redefining movie watching. Our focus is to
innovate for more valued services.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Auro – The New Sound of Movies
Since the time it entered ‘show business,’ the Auro has been making some decent sound about its impact on the aural experience of film
enthusiasts. That it creates a spatial aura around the film watching patron has been its central characteristic, while the incredible ease of
formatting and flexibility that it brings to film-makers, and theatrical exhibitors, makes it the preferred choice for cinema operators.
For some ironical
reason, audio
technologies do
not make so much
sound compared to
visual technologies,
particularly when
it comes to film
exhibitions. This,
despite visual
Mandar Gupte,
components having
Barco
priority in the digital
domain. One has to commend Team
Spielberg and the DTS times to having
sensitized people towards the spatial aura of
cinematic sound.
It’s more than a commonplace that most
theatres in India make a prideful etching on
their names and film panels DTS to imprint
in the minds of film patrons their ‘incredible’
sound effect. Evidently, the 7.1 sound format
is by far the most popular theatrical sound
format today.
This special status is now being taken by the
new ‘spatial’ sound format Auro. Brought to
the fore by visual solutions major Barco, the
sound format is said to evoke interest in both
film-makers and theatrical exhibitors.
Says Mandar Gupte, Sales DirectorEntertainment and Corporate, Barco India:
“The Auro 11.1 is optimized for the highest
quality at the most economical price. The
three levels of height that are unique to the
format give it the advantage of providing
more natural sense of immersion without
needing exorbitant number of channels.”
According to him, Auro achieves this by
maintaining a more natural approach to the
way sound is made in real life. That the sound
format adds the unique third dimension
– height and overhead channel – allowing
sound waves to come from every direction,
“just like they do in real life,” and create the
most realistic and natural immersive spatial
audio experience.
Basing on the existing 5.1 surround sound
configuration, the Auro is designed along
three layers of sound – ear-level, height and
overhead – creating a unique 3D acoustic
effect. “Having three levels in the Auro 3D
configurations are the best way to achieve
that,” explains Mandar.
The beauty of Auro technology is that any
film can be encoded to play in Auro 11.1irrespective of whether the film is 2D or 3D.
Films mixed in Auro 3D formats can be played
with normal 2D film set-up as well. Theatre
owner does not need to install any other
formats to experience the immersive sound.
“The benefits are immense,” explained
Mandar.
• Auro 11.1 offers the most immersive audio
experience with the minimum number of
channels; so, very cost-effective for the
exhibitor
• It does not require any change in workflow for content makers; no additional
cost or time for the content maker
• It is extremely easy to integrate in the
exhibition set-up
• Single audio master delivery for DCP
(5.1 and Auro-encoded audio come in
the same PCM wave file); no additional
mastering cost for the producer
• No royalty requirement for the producer
like the competing formats
• Content makers have complete artistic
control over the 5.1 or the 7.1 unlike other
competing formats
• It is perfectly backward-compatiblemeaning films coded in 11.1 can be played
without any audio hassle in theatres with
5.1 or 7.1 set-up
• Only DCI-complaint system in the
market currently; also the only format
today where native 3D audio capture is
possible(with special microphone rigs)
That the sound format does require
alignment with the server component as
well, Barco Alchemy and Doremi are already
out with Auro decoding. Real image is also
set to soon start rolling out Qube servers
with Auro decoding.
India already has over 40 theatres
successfully installed with the Auro 11.1
format. These are a mix of multiplexes
and large single-screens spread across the
country. “Our most recent installs have been
in leading multiplexes in Mumbai and Delhi,”
informs Mandar.
The success of Auro in a country like India
where a majority chunk of theatres is still
stand-alone large-capacity single-screens
is due to the fact that it suits any size. With
the basic requirement of 5.1 set-up already
being there, the same number of speakers is
required for the mezzanine height layer. The
exhibitor concerned can then add 4, 6, or 8
speakers overhead depending on the size of
the room.
“It’s not just the size of the rooms but
also the acoustical properties and current
equipment used in these rooms,” explains
the Barco Director. The system enhances
the general sweet spot of the theatres
exponentially- hence the immersive
experience is uniform across the theatre. “In
fact, we already have 800-seat and 1000-seat
theatres installed in South India,” Mandar
explains further.
The question of 13.1: Seeking to ally the
ambiguity over 13.1, the standard 5.1 or
7.1 spec will work fine for 11.1 as well as
13.1 format as well; it’s just the additional
height layer required. “The full Auro 11.1
speaker layout is defined for up to 13.1
channels, with 11.1 being the ideal solution
for environments such as Cinema,” Mandar
explains. “Each sub-layout has its own fixed
set-up. It is important that we do not get
confused with different layouts for a certain
number of channels. While offering various
configurations (each one is appropriate for a
specific environment), they all offer the same
basic layout.”
This is how it works:
• 9.1 Auro 11.1: + 4 height channels (one
above each corner speaker / array)
• 10.1 Auro 11.1: + 5 height channels (+TS =
“Voice of God” channel)
• 11.1 Auro 11.1: + 6 height channels (+
Height Center)
The Auro 11.1 speaker layouts 12.1 and 13.1
are based on the 6.1 or 7.1 Standard:
• 12.1 Auro 11.1 = 11.1 Auro 11.1 + Rear
Center (6.1)
• 13.1 Auro 11.1 = 12.1 Auro 11.1 + Height
Rear Center
“The Auro is by far the most flexible and
cost-effective format to suit any set-up,” sums
up the Barco Sales Director. “As the industry
consolidates its view of how immersive
sound is to be defined, we will adapt with it.
The technology is made to evolve if the need
is required to do so.”
www.barco.com
tech n olo gy
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68
INSTALL
SINGAPORE
Hertz II Infuses KV2 Into Club Pyramid
A
ll-in-one entertainment destination,
St James Power Station is in the midst
of upgrading its entire outlet concept.
Club Pyramid, a nightspot at St James Power
Station, has catered to that upgrade by
raising the quality of its audio systems.
The club recently invested in KV2 Audio
loudspeakers on the advice of Hertz II,
integration specialists that were called in
to provide the sound, lighting and LED wall
equipment for the club.
Working together with the club's owner,
Gerald Ng, Director of Hertz II noted, “This
project was part of a larger revamp of St
James. It had highly specific requirements
and add-ons planned for the future so we
knew we had to find a versatile system that
could be upgraded if needed.”
In total, 4 x KV2 ES1.0 units complemented
by 4 x KV2 ES2.6 (8 ohms) double 15” and
4 x KV2 ES1.8 single 18'' subwoofers were
brought in for the task.
“The owner specified that no speakers were
allowed to be under the stage and that
everything had to be suspended. Directivity
was also an important factor as they plan to
expand the club to include a second level in
2015,” explained Gerald.
“From the first time that I heard the KV2 ES
system, I was impressed by the powerful
output. The mid and high frequencies
offered are excellent, which is the reason I
choose KV2. Furthermore, all the speakers
are manufactured in Czech Republic.” stated
Gerald. “This was my first time working on
KV2 with Sindo but I noticed their products
and projects all over Singapore so I trusted
their service 100 percent.”
Powering the entire rig are 4 x KV2
EPAK2500R 4-way modular, rack mount
amplifiers which have been designed
specifically for KV2 ES Series modules along
with a Behringer X-32 digital console for live
performances.
www.hertz2.com
www.kv2audio.com
www.sindoexport.com
IN A NUTSHELL
Mike Lim (Staff of Sindo Exports Pte Ltd), Sulaiman Simatupang (Project Manager of Hertz II), Mr Koh
(Director of Sindo Exports Pte Ltd) and lastly, Gerald Ng (Director of Hertz II).
• Venue: Club Pyramid
• Location: St James Power Station,
Singapore
• Integrator: Hertz II
• Equipment: KV2 Audio
• ES1.0 Loudspeaker
• ES2.6 Active Subwoofer
• ES1.8 Active Subwoofer
• EPAK2500R Amplifier
INSTALL
INDIA
70
blueFROG Grows With L-Acoustics
T
he blueFROG in Pune is the latest
in India's classy line of blueFROG
bars, which feature fine dining, live
entertainment, and a lush ambience, all
under one roof. Pune is the third blueFROG
venue; two successful establishments already
exist in Delhi and Mumbai, the latter of which
was recently voted as one of the top 20 bar
designs in the world.
The blueFROG mission statement is to make
every performance memorable for the artist,
production team, and audience, by delivering
an unsurpassable aural and visual experience.
The Pune venue needed to cater to a diverse,
young and demanding local community. To
achieve this, blueFROG commissioned Munro
Acoustics India to specify a high-end sound
system that could deliver enough power and
warmth to accommodate the eclectic mix of
musical genres that would grace the venue's
stage, from folk and jazz, to pop and heavy
rock.
blueFROG venues are renowned for their
modern and dramatic design - Pune was no
exception. The venue includes two full glass
walls which, while impressive for audience
members, was a nightmare for sound design.
Kapil Thirwani, acoustic consultant for Munro
Acoustics requested an L-Acoustics' XTi
Architectural Series point-source for the main
system and delay fills, and a pair of SB28s for
low-end reinforcement to face the challenge.
Images Courtesy of blueFROG
The install took ten days, with a further week
spent on optimising the system to get it up to
speed before the first live shows took place.
“The architect was very helpful in the
process; many a time we are given predefined points to hang our speakers, so
INSTALL
71
that's so often a major stumbling block, but
here in Pune, we were given free rein to do
what was best for the sound, which really
helped,” explained Thirwani. “To overcome
the reflections challenge, we played with
the height and the wide splay angles of the
XT system and then worked out an acoustic
model to avoid these unwanted reflections. It
worked perfectly.”
The blueFROG set-up resembles more closely
to a performance venue than a bar, as FOH is
integral, and the engineer gets the prime seat
in the house. “We use the XTs in our Mumbai
venue and for Pune, there was no other
option in my mind, as the XT system offers a
clean, powerful aural output, no matter the
genre of music; and of course, music is the
main ingredient of this space, as every night
there is a band, DJ, or live act.”
Thirwani also considers the L-Acoustics
amplifiers real 'pieces of art'. “They are
magnificent pieces of equipment, and they
give the designer full flexibility to route
signals discretely, which always helps the
FOH engineer in panning and playing with
the delays,” he revealed. “It really is the best
amplifier and processor system I have ever
come across, so I'll never use anything else.”
Although the system can be driven much
higher if required, it's running nicely at
between 112 and 115dB SPL, which is
just right for the venue, and pleasing on
the ear, Thirwani said. “I think in the XT
Series, L-Acoustics really have used some
outstanding drivers that perform seamlessly
across all the frequency bands. It's a great
sounding system here in Pune, and the
blueFROG managing director, Simran
Mulchandani, thinks so too, which is just
what we like to hear!”
According to Mulchandani, L-Acoustics has
been “brilliantly efficient”, and more than
satisfying across the genres of music that
his venue has played host to. “We will most
definitely continue to use L-Acoustics in all of
our music venue projects. Our patrons have
reacted very positively - many of them are
in awe of the sound - and all of our homegrown Indian artists as well as international
visiting artists have only had positive things
to say about the sound, which is fantastic.”
www.bluefrog.co.in
www.munro.co.uk
www.l-acoustics.com
IN A NUTSHELL
• Venue: blueFROG Pune
• Location: Ishanya Mall, Arcade 6,
Yerwada
• Integrator/Supplier: Munro Acoustics
India
• Equipment - L-Acoustics
• FOH System:
- 12XTi two-way passive coaxial
enclosures
- ETR12XTi adjustable U brackets
- LA4 amplifier
• Subwoofer System:
- SB28 subwoofers
- LA8 amplifier
• Delay Fills:
- 8XTi two-way passive coaxial
enclosures
- ETR8XTi adjustable U brackets
- LA4 amplifier
72 INSTALL
VIX Reopens With Full Martin Outfit
SINGAPORE
T
aking nightlife entertainment in
Singapore to a whole new level, VIX
Dance Club @ Deluxe Lido Palace
has combined the elements of a Western
nightclub with the beauty of a Chinese
Karaoke Television (KTV) Lounge. Reopened
after a major lighting overhaul, VIX considers
itself a venue where the “traditional
flower joint meets modern dance club”, as
acknowledged by owner, William
Han.
“VIX caters to a clientele whose age group is
in the late twenties and upwards. Therefore,
our new lighting plan had to be just right as
our clientele expect a certain level of effects
and intensity from the mood lighting. We
replaced, practically, all the lighting fixtures
and added lots of LED panels and laser
lights to help achieve the effect we wanted,”
stated William.
The lighting design was conceptualized by
William who engaged a renowned lighting
designer from China to help him achieve
the effects he wanted while staying within
the budget. Setting the tone now for VIX is a
full ‘RUSH by Martin’ rig which includes 12 x
RUSH MH 4 Beams, 16 x RUSH MH 1 Profiles
and 10 x RUSH PAR 1 RGBW, bright LED PARs
that offer premixed RGBW colour mixing.
Complementing and controlling the entire rig
is a Martin M2PC DMX console, a PC-based
lighting controller which features the same
layout and portable as the popular, M2GO.
The M2PC can control up to 32,768
parameters and comes with 8 x function keys
which are fully customizable.
“We have been using Martin fixtures in
our club for decades and the main reason
for choosing these particular models were
due to performance and also their value
for money. The greatest challenge that we
faced was integrating all the different lights,
laser and LED panels together before our
grand reopening, but we managed to get
everything done in record time thanks to
the assistance from Martin staff and our
integrator.” said William.
Rounding up the club’s new gear are 2 x
Magnum 1800 high-powered foggers, both
also triggered via DMX from the M2PC
controller for maximum aerial effects.
Clearly happy with his choice to go full
Martin, William added, “The new rig has
been very well received by our customers.
We’ve even had inquiries about our set-up
and cost, but we don’t want to give too much
away!”
www.martin.com
IN A NUTSHELL
• Venue: Deluxe Lido Palace Pte Ltd, VIX
• Location: 317 Outram Road, Concorde
Shopping Centre
• Equipment: Martin Professional
- RUSH MH 4 Beam
- RUSH MH 1 Profile
- RUSH PAR 1 RGBW
- M2PC DMX Controller
- Magnum 1800 smoke machine
Extend Your Network
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SCAN QR CODE TO CONNECT TO OUR FACEBOOK
74
INSTALL
Christie Offers Truly Immersive Experience @
Largest Multiplex In Asia
KOREA
Images Courtesy of Lotte Cinema
L
ocated in the highest landmark in Korea,
Lotte World Mall, the Lotte Cinema
World Tower is the largest multiplex in
Asia with 21 theatre auditoriums and over
4,600 plush seats for maximum comfort.
Catering to the expectations of the multiplex,
Christie Digitals' state-of-the-art cinema
solutions have been installed provide the
ultimate movie-going experience for its
patrons.
Each theatre, housed on separate floors, will
have its own unique concept and interior
design based on an “art movie city” theme.
The screen in its 21st auditorium currently
holds the Guinness World Record for the
largest permanently installed 35mm cinema
screen in the world, measuring an enormous
34 meters by 13.8m.
Lotte Cinema World Tower is also home to
the largest 4D theatre in Korea, equipped
with dynamic motion seats and other special
effects. The installation of the extensive
range of cinema solutions by Christie and its
Korean partner Eugenetek Corporation, was
one of the biggest entertainment solutions
projects undertaken by both teams in Korea.
“Lotte Cinema World Tower is one of the
biggest projects that we have ever embarked
on and we are thankful to be given this
opportunity to be involved in this major
installation. We have worked closely with the
team from Christie throughout this project
and are proud to present the best-quality
picture and sound to the audience with
Christie’s cutting edge cinema solutions,”
stated Joon-Ho Lee, President, Eugenetek
Corporation
All auditoriums are complete with Christie
digital cinema solutions, including the
flagship Christie Solaria Series projectors.
The Solaria Series offers precise vivid color
with the light output necessary to light
up even the largest auditoriums. Fully DCI
compliant, and built on Christie’s extensive
cinema experience, the Solaria Series is ready
for the next evolution of digital cinema –
displaying premium 4K content or 2D/3D
2K High Frame Rate (HFR) feature films and
alternative content in its original format.
Complementing the stunning visuals is
the Christie Vive Audio, which offers rich,
dynamic and detailed sound that unlocks the
full potential of the DCI digital cinema audio
format and supports leading formats such as
Dolby Atmos, 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound. It
consists of wall and ceiling surround speakers
that use unique ribbon driver technology in
a line array design, purpose-built for cinema
environments. From the thundering roar of
an airplane flying overhead to the delicate
hums of insects in flight, the Christie Vive
Audio system envelopes audiences with
dynamic, detailed and captivating sound.
Audiences can expect nothing but the best
visuals from the Christie Solaria CP2215,
CP2220, CP2230 and CP4230, which utilize
the latest generation DLP Cinema electronics
platform. Among the seven auditoriums
fitted with Christie Vive Audio, five are
INSTALL
Christie ACT Digital Cinema Theatre Control
and Christie Integrated Media Block (IMB)
round up the integrated equipment.
specially configured to meet Dolby Atmos
sound technology requirements.
Filmmakers use Dolby Atmos to place
and move sounds anywhere in the movie
theatre, including overhead, to make film
audiences feel as if they are inside the movie
and not merely watching it. Rounding out
the impressive list of installed products are
the Christie ACT and Christie IMB solutions
designed to provide the best performance
and reliability in terms of theatre automation
control and content delivery.
Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific,
said, “Christie is honoured to work with Lotte
Cinemas to have our most advanced and
comprehensive range of cinema solutions
installed in all auditoriums of Asia’s largest
multiplex. The audience can look forward
to be wowed by our brilliant projection and
audio systems that offer truly immersive and
memorable experiences. Lotte Cinema World
Tower is certainly one of the world’s premier
cinema destinations and we are proud to be
a major part of this project.”
“We’re very excited to install an extensive
range of Christie digital cinema solutions,
including the Solaria Series projectors and
Vive Audio cinema sound systems in our
latest multiplex which ranks among the best
in the world,” said Gwan Ro Lee, executive
director, Lotte Cinema. “Christie’s visual and
audio solutions are well known for their
75
high quality and reliability that is backed by
industry-leading service and support. We
have utilized a number of Christie products at
various locations and are confident that the
complete cinema solutions fitted at our Lotte
Cinema World Tower will offer the best and
the most lifelike visual and sensory cinematic
experience for all movie patrons in Korea.”
www.lottecinema.co.kr
IN A NUTSHELL
•
•
•
•
Venue: Lotte Cinema World Tower
Location: 240 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu
Integrator: Eugenetek Corporation
Equipment: Christie Digital
- Solaria Series Projectors
- Vive Audio Surround Sound Systems
- ACT Digital Cinema Theatre Control
- Integrated Media Block
AUSTRALIA
76
INSTALL
Electro-Voice Shakes The Basement
T
he Basement Canberra, a live music
venue and bar in the suburb of
Belconnen, was looking to upgrade
its sound system after the new owners took
over in July 2014. Described as a venue with
“cold beer, hot food, pool and live music –
what else could you ask for?” the basement
mainly caters to artists and fans of heavy
rock, metal, grunge and alternative music.
It also features acoustic artists and various
other musical genres from time to time. Acts
range from local to national and international
so a serious sound system was required to
provide high levels of volume and a premium
sound quality.
Lance Fox, one of the key principals and
general manager of The Basement, engaged
audio-visual company Eo Design to help
specify the ‘right sound’ as well as upgrade
the lighting. For the sound, Peter Guest,
Managing Director of Eo recommended for
him to try out the latest from Electro-Voice
which was getting rave reviews.
Peter contacted the EV distributors, Bosch
Communications Systems (BCS) to get the low
down and put together a great system for the
venue. “We were looking for loudspeakers
that were powerful, sounded great at any
volume, could provide high SPL and could go
hard at a high volume for a long time. Deep
clean bass was essential. It was important to
greatly improve the existing sound to help
attract promoters and key artists to want to
play at the venue as well having something
that was durable and long-lasting.”
After assessing the venue, BCS recommended
ETX Powered Loudspeakers and its
requirements. 2 x ETX-35P loudspeakers were
used with 4 x ETX-18P subwoofers while 5
ETX-15P loudspeakers are employed as stage
monitors.
To safeguard the investment, a special steel
and timber barrier protects the 4 subs and 5
INSTALL
77
monitors from physical and liquid damage,
while the 3-ways are suspended from the
ceiling. “With sound so good, we wanted to
protect the equipment a little. The barrier
also provides a safer environment for the
band as well as the audience,” said Lance Fox.
Once the speakers were installed, Bryan
Davidson from BCS tuned the system in the
room to provide a base platform for good live
sound mixing engineers to realise the best
possible sound.
“In order to do this I popped several balloons
and took measurements with EASERA
and noted the room’s acoustic signature.
I also made some long-hand calculations
and verified a couple of potential issues
including a nasty room mode. Then I used the
SysTune to verify the necessary equalization
adjustments which I set using the ETX’s onboard parametric EQ filters. Several minor
tweaks and listening tests later I was able to
lock these adjustments from anyone making
any changes using the ETX’s on-board lock
out feature” stated Bryan.
The day the system was installed, Bryan also
mixed the first band on the bill during their
rehearsal. They were totally blown away
by the ETX15P speakers that were used as
fold back monitors. “When the band took
their first break I was overwhelmed by
people commenting on how incredibly good
the system sounded. Not only was it loud
enough, and believe me it was really only
idling and still achieving 102dB at the desk
according to the SPL meter, the ETX35P’s
are extremely articulate and the subs had
more punch that I could have imagined.” said
Bryan.
Lance and the other owners were also
impressed by the sheer power and quality
of the sound. “The sound is absolutely
awesome. I could not have hoped for a better
result. The ETX loudspeakers are great value
for money and just perfect for The Basement.
I am very happy with the end result” said
Lance Fox.
www.electrovoice.com
www.eodesign.net.au
www.facebook.com/basementbelco
IN A NUTSHELL
• Venue: The Basement Canberra
• Location: 2 Cohen Street Belconnen,
ACT 2617
• Consultant: Eo Design
• Equipment : Electro-Voice
- ETX-35P 3-way powered
loudspeakers
- ETX-18SP powered subwoofers
- ETX-15P 2-way powered
loudspeakers
Images Courtesy of Straight Photography
78
INSTALL
The P.A. People Install New Sound @
The SCG
S
ince the mid-nineteenth century,
Sydneysiders have used the current site
of the Sydney Cricket Ground in Moore
Park for sporting contests ranging from rugby
to cycling. In 1875, the ground was placed
in control of the New South Wales Cricket
Association and the dominance of this polite
sport was stamped on the site forever. By
1882, the SCG included two grandstands,
including the namesake of the current 1980s
era Brewongle Stand.
AUSTRALIA
In addition to being the spiritual home of
cricket in Australia, the SCG is also the home
ground of AFL team The Sydney Swans.
Allianz Stadium, right next door, is also
managed by the SCG Trust and together, both
venues make up the Moore Park sporting
precinct, which hosts regular Rugby League
and Union fixtures during the year.
When the SCG Trust recently rebuilt The MA
Noble, Don Bradman and Dally Messenger
Stands to meet the needs of the 21st century
sporting community, Sydney’s The P.A. People
were brought in to not only install new Front
and Back of House PA equipment, but also
integrate the new stands with the existing
facilities. After a 12 month build, the new
stand’s AV fit-out was completed with a
huge range of new and innovative features
throughout.
Greg DeAndrade, Project Manager for the
Design and Construction Electrical Contractor
- Barnwell Cambridge noted, “… adding
to the need to pair seamlessly with the
existing PA system within the Precinct, The
P.A. People worked with us to achieve an
excellent outcome…”.
The new MA Noble, Don Bradman and
Dally Messenger Stands host a huge
range of multifunction and hospitality
spaces including a micro-brewery, 14 bars,
banquet hall, dining room and corporate
entertainment suites. The operational side
includes extensive new outside broadcast
and media facilities as well as multimediaenabled coaching and training rooms.
Designed and built by The P.A. People, the
new stand’s bowl sound system consists of 8x
main clusters of JBL AE Series loudspeakers,
augmented with delays where necessary,
and powered by Crown CTs Series power
amplifiers. The PA mix positon remains in
level seven of the Brewongle stand, where
system processing is through a BSS Blu DSP
unit. The P.A. People expanded the existing
processor’s tasks, adding new control pages
to the PC interface used for overall control
of the system. Additional BSS Blu units were
added to process audio in the new stand’s
FOH and BOH areas.
Significant new network capability was a core
goal of the new build. A fibre optic network
was deployed in the new stands, with links
back to the Brewongle stand. All in all, 95
spaces in the Noble, Bradman and Messenger
stands are fully wired into the network. With
the existing processing and amplification
infrastructure already using CobraNet, The
P.A. People seamlessly connected new
processors and amplifiers to the existing
network over the fibre. Just to be sure, a
back-up copper feed was run between the
stands.
The SCG’s combination of heritage buildings
and state-of-the-art facilities requires care
and attention when integrating the old with
the new. The new stand’s PA system had to
be set-up so that it matched the existing
systems tonally and created a seamless
listening experience for the crowd.
“The new stands are taller” explained Josh
Jones, Project Manager at The P.A. People,
“so we had to realign our delays across the
stadium. The new stands have become the
PA’s zero point. The other stands have had
their delays time aligned to suit. You can
now walk from one stand to another and
not notice any anomalies due to the height
differences of the speakers in relation to the
seats.”
Aesthetics were also a major consideration.
Not wanting any unsightly loudspeakers
impeding the view, the stand’s roofs were
cleverly designed to incorporate the PA
clusters in a series of recesses. “We had to
co-ordinate with the builder and hang the PA
clusters up into their niches” continued Josh.
INSTALL
79
the existing PA system within the Precinct,
The P.A. People worked with us to achieve an
excellent outcome, which has seen the 2014
football season completed and now stands
ready for a summer of cricket events”.
www.papeople.com
IN A NUTSHELL
“Our aim was to make the speakers look like
part of the roof”. Josh and The P.A. People
managed to do this without compromising
on one of their guiding principles; that
a PA must not only sound good, but be
practical and easily serviceable. To this
end, they incorporated a simple system for
maintenance.
“The roof is built in such a way that you can
access the inside via a series of catwalks.”
Josh elaborated. “So we devised a mounting
system for the PA clusters that makes
servicing the PA as simple as unplugging the
speaker cable connector, loosening off the
mounting bracket, and then lowering the
cluster using a pair of hoists.”
The practical theme of ‘Fit for Purpose’
continues throughout the BOH areas. Simple
AMX touchscreen control throughout the
functions and training areas ensure that
any user can easily and simply switch audio
sources from local to the main PA feed and
control volume in their area. The PA systems
in the multi-purpose dining and banquet
rooms are designed to accept both simple
control of playback and volume by in-house
staff, or accommodate full-scale third-party
production equipment brought in for major
events.
The P.A. People task required flexibility of
being able to complete a high-end PA system
to the facility during staged handovers and
required changes to suit the developing
structure during construction phases, whilst
maintaining the patrons expected sound
levels.
Summing up the project, Greg DeAndrade
added, “The uniqueness of the new Stand
provided some challenges for audio services.
The solution for the main external seating
areas and also within the five floors of
the complex, had to meet functional,
acoustic, aesthetic and performance
requirements, unique to the building’s
design characteristics. With these challenges
adding to the need to pair seamlessly with
• Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
• Location: Sheridan Building, Moore
Park Rd
• Integrator/Designer: The P.A. People
• Equipment:
- JBL Professional AE Series
Loudspeakers
- Crown Audio CTs Series Power
Amplifiers
- BSS Audio BLU-100 12x8 Signal
Processor with BLU link
- AMX touchscreen control
80
INSTALL
The Grand Scores Sony’s 4K Twin Peak Solution
S
ony will be equipping the largest
multiplex cinema in Hong Kong with
its 4K Twin Peak Solution. Operated
by Shaw Group, The Grand features 12
screens, a seating capacity of close to 1,600
and continues to be one of the top-grossing
theatres in Hong Kong. Sony will be equipping
it with an installation of Sony’s 4K Twin Peak
Solution in The Grand’s largest auditorium.
HONG KONG
This is a joint venture project between Shaw
Group and Multiplex Cinema Ltd, and will
make The Grand the first cinema in Hong
Kong to be installed with this true Sony
4K/3D solution.
Sony’s 4K Twin Peak Solution essentially
consists of 2 x Sony SRX-R320 4K digital
cinema projectors ideal for delivering
optimum picture quality in larger cinema
halls. For 3D screenings, full 4K resolution
is possible for the left and right eyes
simultaneously due to the use of 2 x 4K
projectors, resulting in a high-brightness,
high-quality stereoscopic cinema
presentation that offers more faithful
reproduction of motion in 3D.
The solution achieves a 3D brightness of 6ftl*
(higher than the industry standard of 4.5ftl
recommended by DCI) and supports Dolby
Atmos. * The foot-lambert is used in the
motion picture industry for measuring the
luminance of images on a projection screen.
In late 2010, The Grand embarked on an
upgrade of its 35mm projection systems to
Sony’s SRX-R320 4K digital cinema projectors.
This was completed by 2011, with all 12
theatres equipped with Sony’s SRX-R320
and 7 being 3D-capable now. Back then,
there were limited product offerings for 4K,
and The Grand’s management felt that the
capabilities of Sony’s SRX-R320 to upscale
and project sharper, higher-resolution images
from 2K files were unrivalled. They were
also looking for reliability, as no theatre
would be able to tolerate any downtime
INSTALL
81
and subsequent loss of revenue and
reputation.
easy-on-the-eye Sony 3D and high frame
rate capabilities.
Since the time of installation, Sony’s
SRX-R320 projection systems have proven
to be extremely stable in performance,
which led to The Grand’s management
considering to take their technological
capabilities to the next level with Sony’s 4K
Twin Peak Solution based on the SRX-R320.
“The reasons we chose Sony are quite
simple – quality and reliability. We have
seen demonstrations from different
vendors, but at the end of the day, only
Sony’s 4K digital projectors deliver the
sharpest images with unmatched colour
intensity and contrast,” said Wendy Nam,
Consultant of The Grand.
Within the last few weeks, The Grand
has also procured a unit of Sony’s latest
SRX-R515P 4K digital cinema projection
system designed for small-to-medium
auditoriums. The high quality system
employs innovative technology where
the projector will continue to work even
if one of the lamps fail, minimising the
chances for any downtime. The lamps also
feature prolonged life spans for lower total
running costs for cinema operators.
The SRX-R515P offers true 4K quality from
the integrated media block through the
lens to the cinema screen, and features
an improved SXRD optical engine, 8,000:1
contrast ratio, 15,000 lumens brightness,
IN A NUTSHELL
• Venue: The Grand Cinema
• Location: Elements Mall at Kowloon
MTR station
“The Grand has always strived to remain
at the forefront of cinema technologies,
and we’re delighted that they have
again chosen to use Sony’s 4K digital
cinema systems due to their positive
experiences with our equipment and
services. All cinema patrons in Hong Kong
can look forward to an enhanced and
unprecedented movie experience at The
Grand,” said Tadahiro Fukumoto, General
Manager, Visual Presentation Solutions
Division, Professional Solutions Company
(PSAP), Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.
pro.sony-asia.com
• Equipment: SONY
- SRX-R320 4K digital cinema
projectors
- SRX-R515P 4K digital cinema
projection system
82
INSTALL
INDIA
TBSE Mumbai Creates Unforgettable
Sound With QSC
H
appy hours are a thing of the past
ever since Mumbai found itself a
new concept bar that keeps patrons
at, literally, the edge of their seats. The Bar
Stock Exchange (TBSE) is the country's first
and largest stock exchange based pub-chain.
Conceptualized along the lines of India's
infamous stock exchange, TBSE is a fun,
unique and cutting-edge bar that allows
customers to trade in alcohol and spirits.
Fully equipped with live feeds that enable
trade monitoring via a special app created for
the pub, TBSE is the first pub chain in India
to own a proprietary bar stock exchange
software that uses a comprehensive
algorithm to determine and change the price
of the drink for the next customer based on
demand. Customers can place an order via
the specially developed app (in addition to
the usual way of ordering) that also lets them
monitor prices and order in real time. This
way, customers compete with each other and
the system to score the best prices on their
choice of drinks.
With the high-end technology monitoring the
demand-supply algorithm, the entire bar is
designed to mimic a real stock exchange, with
the software and trading servers exclusively
created for the venture, along with huge LCD
screens, LED tickers and the legendary stock
market ‘gong’, of course.
INSTALL
83
system because their clients keep
complimenting them on the sound, and that
to us is just pure gold! We are extremely glad
to be a part of this project, and are happy
to welcome The Bar Stock Exchange to the
ProVA-QSC-AT family,” added a Pro VA official.
Sharing the sentiments of the integrators, the
management at TBSE confirm that ‘trading’
has never been better, with patrons coming
in regularly to enjoy the spirits, the food and
of course, the music.
“We love what an amazing vibe TBSE exudes,
and are extremely happy that our patrons
love to come by and spend time here! They
love the concept, love the vibe, love the food,
and they absolutely love the sound! What an
amazing feeling it is for us!”
qsc.com
www.audio-technica.com
For a pub chain which uses algorithms for
drinks, it’s no surprise that they invested in
high-end audio equipment as well. The bar
sports a state-of-the-art QSC loudspeaker
system that’s spread across both the indoor
air conditioned section as well as the outdoor
open-air area.
Commissioned by reputed system integrators
Elektra, the comprehensive QSC loudspeaker
system at TBSE features products from the K
Family of loudspeakers. The main indoor area
sports a combination of strategically placed
QSC K12 active loudspeakers, matched
to the QSC KW181 subwoofers, while the
outdoor area again features QSC K12 active
loudspeakers.
The carefully thought out set-up ensures that
patrons enjoy the same high quality of aural
delivery, despite whether they’re seated
inside or outside. Adding a microphone setup
from Audio-Technica makes for the perfect
icing on the cake!
Carl Alfonso, Director of Elektra shared, “The
brief we received from the client was very
simple: ensure good quality clean sound
that would not interfere with operations
and would allow people to enjoy the music
without hampering their conversation.
From the start, we realised that QSC was
the way forward for us on this project. But
before we could even suggest anything, the
client themselves insisted that they only
wanted a QSC system, based on the amazing
user experience they’ve had with the QSC
system being installed at some of their other
properties.”
“This came as a wonderful surprise to us
and was undoubtedly, a massive pat on the
back to our instincts! So thanks to all of these
factors, coupled with the excellent support
and service from Pro Visual Audio [official
distributors of QSC and Audio-Technica
products in India] Elektra has once again
introduced a state-of-the-art world class
audio system to a facility that truly deserves
to be recognised as one of the most unique
projects in India today.”
“Pro Visual Audio have always been
associated with projects that have been
cutting-edge in every sense of the word. And
now, TBSE is another feather added to our
cap. The owners love the QSC loudspeaker
system coupled with the AT microphone
IN A NUTSHELL
• Venue: The Bar Stock Exchange
(Mumbai)
• Location: Meera Society, Mhada
Colony
• Integrator: Elektra
• Equipment:
- QSC K12 Active Loudspeakers
- QSC KW181 Subwoofers
- Audio-Technica Microphones
84
INSTALL
ULA Group Lights Up The Bolte Bridge
T
AUSTRALIA
When the old lighting system of the bridge
had reached the end of its life, it was an
opportunity to look at how to enhance the
lighting while also helping to meet Australian
energy reduction targets.
Working closely with Transurban’s engineers
and after several site tests, the decision was
made to replace 42 high-powered metal
halide lights on the bridge towers with 36
x Griven Powershine D RGBW LED exterior
wash luminiares. 17 units were installed on
newly erected platforms at the base of each
column using a combination of narrow and
medium optics to achieve even coverage and
maximum light output.
Once the installation of the new LED lighting
system was complete, Transurban reported a
reduction in energy usage by incredible 89%
– the power usage for the Bridge lights went
from 327,000kWh per year to 36,000kWh
per year.
The components and replaced fittings from
the previous lighting system were recycled
and re-used wherever possible. The new
Griven LED lighting fittings have an estimated
operating life of 50,000 hours, which is much
longer then the previous system.
The new Griven Powershine LED wash lights
also create endless possibilities to achieve
dynamic colours, which can illuminate the
Bolte’s iconic towers in different hues, to
support and involve the bridge in special
cultural and sporting events (with the
consent of the State and other authorities).
The new lighting system is all controlled by
Pharos LPC Control via Lumen Radio Flex
Outdoor Transmitter and Outdoor Receiver,
which transmits the DMX signal from one
tower to all fixtures.
The new LED luminaires were strategically
installed and positioned at the base of
each tower to minimize the risk of glare to
passing motorists and reduce 'light spill'.
The environmental benefits and cost savings
achieved in this project stands as a great
example of how to replace ‘out of date’
lighting installations with new economic and
sustainable solutions. Overall the results are
both aesthetically pleasing, energy efficient
and culturally sustainable, which assimilates
perfectly into Melbourne’s progressive city
environment.
The Bolte Bridge spans Melbourne’s Yarra
River. Built in 1999, it was designed by
architects Dentor Corker Marshal and named
after the former Premier of Victoria Sir
Henry Bolte. It is one of the largest balanced
cantilever cast in situ box girder bridges
in Australia and forms part of the CityLink
system of toll roads.
www.ulagroup.com
IN A NUTSHELL
• Venue: Bolte Bridge
• Location: Western Link, Melbourne
3008
• Designer/Supplier: ULA Group
• Equipment:
- Griven Powershine Exterior Wash
- Pharos LPC Control
AUSTRALIA
he ULA Group (ULA) continues working
closely with the leading Melbournian
architects and lighting companies to
light up the city’s iconic structures. After the
successful re-lighting of the iconic Melbourne
'Red Sticks’, ULA was invited to head up
the supply and design of another project
managed by Transurban – illuminating the
towers of Bolte Bridge.
FOOD-4-THOUGHT
85
Food-4-Thought
Tired of the everyday industry mambo-jambo? Take a break with us and delve into the world around you. A
jukebox of ideas and interesting stories – just scan the QR Codes to stay updated on points of interest that could
one day affect you in your personal or work life.
Night Skiing With LED Suits
MUST WATCH! ‘Afterglow’ is a 3-minute surrealistic
film that shows of the progression of LED
technology – LED Suits. Director, Nick Waggoner
shares the technology in a special interview.
Not A Deadbeat Dad
Japanese giant salamanders are one of the largest
amphibians in the world. New research has also
found that they may be one of the best dads in the
animal kingdom. Find out why:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/16/
lightsuit-night-ski-movie-segment-afterglowsweetgrass_n_5989610.html?&ir=Technology&ncid=tweetlnkushp
mg00000046
http://www.wired.com/2014/12/japanese-giantsalamanders-devoted-dads/
Bendable Screen That’s Not
An iPhone
Taiwan’s Most Unusual
Philanthropist?
Curved screens are already on the market but not
like this. LG have been showing off an 18’’ OLED
(Organic Light Emitting Diode) that uses a high
molecular substance-based polyimide film as the
backplane of the flexible panel. Could this be the
next step for screens of the future?
http://interestingengineering.com/watch-this-lg-18-inch-oledscreen-bend-whilst-playing-video/#sthash.0slJgXke.dpuf
Echo Is The Future
A $199 smart-home device that
is a splash of Siri and can hear a
voice clearly from across a room.
Yet another way for us to become
more hands-off. Yay or Nay? You
Decide:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/12/tech/
innovation/amazon-echo-always-listening/index.
html
Chen Shu-chu, 63-year-old vegetable vendor has
quietly donated over 10 million Taiwanese dollars
($350,000) to her hometown. A positive message
that may make you consider what you’re doing with
your money:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JL7X_
ICVA&feature=youtu.be
New Jaw Thanks To 3D
Printing
3D printing is being put to
good use, especially after a
ground breaking treatment
on a patient in India that was
suffering from cancer. Thanks
to the wonderful technology,
a 41-yead-old man has a new upper jaw:
http://interestingengineering.com/mansuffering-from-cancer-gets-new-upperjaw-thanks-to-3d-printing/#sthash.
PTgQC2Em.dpuf
86
LIVE!
HONG KONG
ETC Dances For Hong Kong Ballet’s 35th
Anniversary
In Serenade, an expansive range of blue was
necessary to portray the beauty and mystery
of the ballet. Mak was able to bring various
blues to the stage, thanks to the flexibility
of the x7 Color System in the Source Four
LED Series 2 Lustr array. “The whole piece
is about blue, based on the vision of the
choreographer,” described Mak. “The x7
Color System really helps deliver the widest
range of colour available from LED fixtures.”
Programme: Swan Lake (Act III) | Guest Dancers: Artem Ovcharenko & Kristina Kretova | Photographer:
Conrad Dy-Liacco | Courtesy of The Hong Kong Ballet
I
n celebration of its 35th anniversary,
Hong Kong Ballet presented three dance
showcases in the Grand Theatre of the
Hong Kong Cultural Center. Befitting of the
celebration, Lighting designer and director of
C'est Bon Projects, Kwok Fai Mak, employed
numerous ETC Source Four LED CYC and
Selador Desire® luminaires to light up this
ballet trio.
To add drama to the show, Mak lit up the
performances with Selador Desire D40 Lustr+
luminaires positioned on sidelight towers and
Selador Desire D60 Lustr+ units on ladders.
“They are just lovely, giving me the right color
and intensity for all three pieces: different
blues for Serenade, cool white for Castrati
and warm amber for Swan Lake. The Selador
Desire fixtures are just great!” applauded
Mak.
www.etcconnect.com
“The x7 Color System really helps deliver the widest range
of colour available from LED fixtures.”
- LD and Director of C’est Bon Projects, Kwok Fai Mak.
Entitled 'A Celebration of Dance', the
showcases included George Balanchine’s
masterpiece Serenade, Nacho Duato’s
provocative contemporary ballet Castrati, and
Natalia Conus’ staging of Swan Lake’s third
act, which is based on Marius Petipa’s 1895
original.
Mak sought to maintain the original lighting
mood of Serenade and Castrati, with a touch
of his own interpretation, and he took a new
approach for Swan Lake. When he discovered
that the venue’s new LED CYC lights didn’t
fit his initial lighting proposal for the project,
he replaced them with 12 x ETC Source Four
LED Series 2 Lustr luminaires outfitted with
Source Four LED CYC adapters.
He was very impressed with the Source Four
LED CYC units: “This was the first time I used
the Source Four LED CYC units on stage. They
just do their job, with good colour capabilities
and even coverage. In fact, it surprised me a
bit that the vertical coverage was so good.”
Serenade | Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust | Courtesy of The Hong
Kong Ballet | Photo ©Cheung Wai Lok, 2014
LIVE!
87
SINGAPORE
Martin Audio Gets FREQ-y
S
ingapore's first and only music festival
freakshow was launched in 2014 with
two thrilling days of global acts covering
electro, trance, house and techno music. The
inaugural FREQ’ender dance festival was held
at Infinite Studios and promoted by Limited
Edition Concepts (Singapore), with 4,500
people attending over the weekend.
“The end result was that
everyone, including the
promoters, really felt the
music and were amazed at
the audio quality. They were
really blown away.”
The festival was split into two distinct days —
the first (in conjunction with Halloween) was
named Freq'show, and this made way on Day
2 for Mekanika, produced by international
Trance Festival brand, Godskitchen
“The MLX subs also became a talking point
for many of the AV industry professionals
who attended the gig as well.”
Singapore-based, EXPO AV-INSYNC (EAI) were
chosen to provide full technical production
for the unique festival — and the company
wasted no time in specifying its Martin Audio
MLA system for the two day event.
EAI managing director, Gerard Rodrigues,
confirmed that the MLA system had been
recommended by his company.
EAI kept the same rig in place for both days,
with hangs of eight elements per side (plus a
single MLD Downfill). The 12 MLX subs were
ground-stacked in configurations of 2 + 4 +
4 + 2.
In addition the company supplied 8 x W8LM
Mini line arrays and 4 x WS218X subs as a
potent DJ monitor system.
Limited Edition Concepts’ director and
co-founder, Godwin Pereira was certainly
impressed. “With EXPO AV’s experience
it was easy to get the best out of the MLA
system, and the sound behaved superbly in
the 18,000 sq ft sound stage. It was warm
and non-intrusive, producing little in the way
of ‘noise’; instead, it delivered purity, clarity
and a whole lot of thump!"
In addition to what Rodrigues described as
“the awesome sound”, he says the audience
were also treated to lighting and projection
mapping during the festival.
The event itself featured global acts covering
various musicians, including Hot Chip,
2ManyDJs, GlowInTheDark and Marco
V, along with over 20 live performers
and dancers from Taiwan, Singapore and
Malaysia!
www.martin-audio.com
88
LIVE!
INDIA
J Davis Prosound & Lighting Rocks Afrojack
In Bangalore
Traveling without their in-house FOH
engineer, the Afrojack team offered Santana
the honour of being the System Engineer and
Designer for the shows. He was accompanied
by J Davis system tech, Bharath Patil who
worked together with him on an Avid SC 48
Console for the show.
As his main area of control, Afrojack and his
team wanted the DJ Booth to be a clean level
surface with 6 x DV-Dosc + 2 x DV Subs for
Monitors with 3 x DV-Dosc + 1 x DV Sub (left
and right).
“It's been good to be doing some big acts in
EDM with R3HAB, DVBBS and now Afrojack,”
noted Santana. “We have consistently given
our best to the EDM Lovers of India, just like
we did tonight.”
“The EDM wave in India has taken the
country by storm,” stated Santana Davis,
Director at J Davis Prosound & Lighting (J
Davis), on e of the top rental companies in
India. A statement that couldn't be more true
especially when Grammy award-winning DJ
and producer, Afrojack, recently graced the
country to enthral audiences with a threecity tour.
Together with other popular EDM acts,
Gregor Salto and Apster, Nick Van De Wall
(Afrojack) has become a regular name on the
Indian Dance Music calendar. At only 26, he
has also made a large impact on the EDM
music industry and was a major player in the
worldwide explosion of the genre.
In 2013, Forbes magazine crowned him as
#7 on 'The World's Highest Paid DJs List' and,
he has been called ''a global icon'' by The
Hollywood Reporter who is set ''to conquer
the world.''
J Davis provided complete technical solutions
for the event including Sound, Lights, Roof
Truss and LEDs.
The PA system for any EDM show is critical
to the entire concert experience. And
Afrojack's show was no different. He required
a professional, stereo, line array with enough
power to provide an even 110dB to all areas
of the open venue. Only L-Acoustics systems
were trusted in this regard.
“The Main PA speakers were flown with 12 x
V-DOSC and 2 x DV-DOSC as downfill for left
and right clusters,” described Santana. “For
the delay system, 4 x V-DOSC were flown left
and right each, positioned at 65m from the
Main PA.”
Here, the team flew the system at 6m to
“cover the remaining 30m of the concert
grounds”. 24 x Sb28s were used in a Sub ARC
Mode while 2 x DV-Dosc as centre-fills and
6 x ARCS WIDE systems as Infills rounded up
the system.
Since an Afrojack show is a combination
of lighting, video and special effects, the J
Davis team constructed a 66 x 60 x 40 Ft
(20 x 18 x 12m) roof truss with sub hangs to
accommodate a total of 104 light fixtures.
With an artist as versatile as Afrojack, the
systems used definitely proved to be up to his
high standards. For a tour that many EDM
lovers in India will never forget, it was easy to
see why Afrojack is one of the most sought
after DJs in the world and J Davis comes in on
top for rental houses in India.
www.jdavisprosound.com
“It’s been good to be doing some big acts in EDM with
R3HAB, DVBBS and now Afrojack. We have consistently
given our best to the EDM Lovers of India, just like we
did for this tour.”
- Santana Davis, Owner @ J Davis Prosound & Lighting.
LIVE!
89
HONG KONG
Mandylights Deploy Ghostbands To
Transform G.E.M.
G.E.M. was so impressed by the impact that the
Ghostbands had on her show, she has re-branded them
as Spacebands and they have become part of her overall
marketing campaign!
HONG KONG: There are few who have not
heard of G.E.M., a Hong Kong based singersongwriter, dancer, musician, and actress,
and chances are they are not from Asia.
G.E.M’s stage name is an acronym for Get
Everybody Moving and the 23-year-old is one
of the biggest pop acts in Asia.
G.E.M. is currently on her G.E.M. X.X.X.
Live World Tour, which stands for “more to
eXpose, more to eXpect and more eXciting”
where Mandylights, a Sydney collective of
talented lighting designers, were charged
with making it a tour to remember.
“I’d describe G.E.M. as the Lady Gaga of
China and in the past year she has exploded
in popularity,” commented Richard Neville,
director of Mandylights. “Her music is less
mandarin-pop and more western-pop as her
musical director is Austrian, in fact many of
her team members are from outside of Asia.”
Mandylights were required to design the
lighting and visuals so that the live shows
would have more of an international feel and
thus more appealing to western audiences.
Their first show with G.E.M. was a DVD shoot
at Shenzhen stadium last June which has
been followed by a twelve stadium tour of
China that started in October. Each show is a
five-day build with 300 moving lights.
The tour was a perfect opportunity for
Mandylights to debut the Glowmotion
Technologies Ghostband, for which they
are the first distributor. The super bright
Ghostbands put 16 million colours right
on your arm, can communicate with each
other, can be controlled via DMX and can be
bitmapped.
The G.E.M. team leapt at the idea and so
15,000 Ghostbands were distributed to
the audience members on the floor of the
stadium at each show.
“The other 20,000 people in the stadium can
all look down and see the effect generated,”
added Richard. “What we were trying to
do is push the lighting effects out into the
stadium. The Ghostbands are incredibly
bright and when they are all switched on,
they light up the roof of the stadium. So if
the lighting onstage in blue and magenta, we
can make it so the people right at the back
in the bleachers are also glowing blue and
magenta.”
With their ingenious use of the Ghostbands,
Mandylights successfully created huge effects
and managed to immerse the entire audience
into the show.
The show features a mixture of proximity
effects such as the Ghostbands taking their
cues from other Ghostbands surrounding
them, whilst other content is bitmapped to
compliment what is happening onstage.
“There is a lot of cool geometric content
to match the visuals on the high resolution
onstage screens,” said Richard. “We also
use them as individual pixels controlled
from the lighting console. We extract colour
information from lighting fixtures onstage
and throw that out into the audiences
Ghostbands.”
As her fans leave the Stadium, the freshly
re-branded Ghostbands continue to flash
and interact in the colours chosen for her
marketing campaign.
Richard reported that the Ghostbands have
been incredibly reliable; out of the 7500 used
in rehearsal only two were swapped. There
are two crew on the tour to look after the
Ghostbands and Mandylights have their own
shipping container that has been converted
into Ghostband HQ on tour.
G.E.M. will be continue her tour in Europe
and the United States in 2015.
www.mandylights.com
www.glowmotiontechnologies.com
90
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Show Co. Pushes The Boundaries @
ZoukOut 2014
By
ByElissa
ElissaNadine
Nadine
For a full weekend in December, over 40,000
ravers packed the Siloso beach on the
island of Sentosa, for the 14th edition of the
annual ZoukOut festival. One of the biggest
dance festivals in South-East Asia, ZoukOut
is organised every year by Zouk Singapore
and has played host to some of world's most
famous DJs such as Paul Van Dyk, Armin Van
Buuren and James Lavelle.
Fans from around the world (The
Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan,
Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, etc.) gather
every year to party from dusk till dawn
and 2014 was no different. With a stellar
line-up of international acts such as Nicky
Romero, Skrillex and Martin Garrix, playing
alongside Zouk resident DJs and favourites
like Hong, FORMATIVE, Ghetto, fans of the
EDM(electronic dance music) genre were
treated to high-energy sets that melded
perfectly with visuals and effects that
included pyrotechnics, laser beams, and
confetti blasters.
Handling the delicate technical specifications
every year is Jeremy Boon. The man
responsible for defining Zouk's early sound,
Jeremy was also Zouk's pioneer resident
DJ who now doubles-up every year as the
Production Manager for the festival.
Before the party starts: (L-R) Nicolas Kirsch (NEXO), Jeremy Boon (Zouk), Jo Gan and Jon Sim (Show
Company) with Mark Bollenberg (NEXO)
“In true Zouk style, each year we always
try to raise the bar to heighten the event
experience for our customers, so that the
LIVE!
91
ZoukOut experience remains one that is
unique yet fresh” said Jeremy. “Over the
years, we've gained a lot of confidence from
the different artists that have come through
and based on that confidence, we always try
to do something different. This year, we have
even incorporated the island's coconut trees
into our stage design just so we could get the
most out of the festival space.”
Entrusted with the immense responsibility of
set-up and equipment supply was The Show
Company. With over 25 years of experience
in handling large arena productions, Show
Company is considered among the top
production houses in Singapore and has been
handling ZoukOut for over a decade.
“I wanted a certain feel for the 2014 show
and Jo Gan [Owner of Show Company] came
up with the technical requirements that
fit that feel, ” said Jeremy. Planning for the
2-day festival took 4 months and over 1000
hours with this year's concept considered the
brainchild of both Jeremy and Jo. Together
with his 40-man team, the entire festival area
was set-up within a week.
“We have been working with Show
Company for the past 13 years because
they understand our vision of what ZoukOut
should look and feel like,” Jeremy pointed
out. “On top of that, they also keep us up
to date with the latest technology while Jo
understands our vision of always looking
forward and not back.”
As with previous years, ZoukOut 2014 was
celebrated between 2 stages – Moon and
Star. Moon stage was the main platform for
the show and catered solely to the EDM fans
while Star was the smaller of the two and
played host to House/Techno acts.
“Star caters to fans who are deep into the
genre of House/Techno music,” explained
Jeremy. “We wanted to recreate the intimate
space that fans of this genre feel comfortable
in so we don't have the same effects like
pyrotechnics or lasers as Moon but we've
made it cosy like Zouk [club]. We also built a
mega roof that covers the stage, dance area,
VIP area and FOH control.”
Enhanced by 4 aerialists who performed
throughout both nights, decorations for Star
were skeletal structures shaped like, none
other than, stars. These allowed for the
stage lights to shoot through and around
the structures creating magical effects that
played on the roof of the dance-floor. “We
hung the props above the dance-floor so
that when guests looked up, they could see
the stars and get pulled even further into the
music,” said Jeremy.
2 clusters consisting of 16 x AIRLINE LA12
loudspeakers from CODA AUDIO made up
the main PA. Providing the “perfect punch
needed for house/techno music,” according
“We have been working with Show Company for
the past 13 years because they understand our
vision of what ZoukOut should look and feel like.
On top of that, they also keep us up to date with
the latest technology...”
- Jeremy Boon, Production Manager, Zouk
92
LIVE!
A full STM system comprises of: M46 (main),
B112 (bass), S118 (sub) and M28, the latest
release in the STM system that is an allpurpose 2-way cabinet, providing 90°/120° of
horizontal dispersion and 0° to 15° splaying
angle between modules. With the same
width as the main M46 but 2/3 of the height,
the M28 can be arrayed together with a B112
or used independently from other modules.
to Jo Gan, were 8 (per side) SC2-F sensor
controlled bass extensions flown behind the
main system. In addition to the main clusters
were 12 x CODA AUDIO SC8 ground-stacked
subwoofers that are equipped with quad 18"
neodymium low-distortion woofers each.
While Star utilized ShowLED panels to
showcase a variety of 'starlight' graphics, the
Moon stage was set up with ShowLED HD
LEDs with triple the number of panels used.
Originally planned to be set in a diamond
pattern, screens for Moon were split into 3,
both left, right as well as centred behind the
DJ booth.
On the left/right truss, the LEDs of Moon
were placed slightly apart to allow for
lighting and lasers to penetrate through.
Another detail carefully thought out were
the view of the stage screens. “The LED
panels we used were flat so they provide a
panoramic view of the action on stage even if
you were standing 200m away,” said Jeremy.
Previous years have seen identical Moon and
Star stages but under the intention of looking
forward and not back, Show Company took
ZoukOut as the perfect chance to début
their new STM system by French audio
manufacturer, NEXO.
The flagship system from NEXO aims to
change the way rental companies run shows.
Without the need for various systems, the
'Scale Through Modularity' system enables
contractors to design a wide range of systems
with just the four core modules.
“We went through the different riders,
crunched what the DJs needed and found
that our new STM system was the perfect
fit for all,” said Jo. “Before the STM was
released, we used to use the NEXO GEO-T
& D system which served us well for many
years, but when the new system came
out, we jumped at the chance because our
experience with the GEO-T & D was that
good.”
As the main PA for Moon, 24 boxes (per side)
consisting of 12 x M46 and 12 x B112 were
flown together complemented with 36 x S118
subs on the ground. Additionally, 6 x M28
made up the front fill, a first for Asia-Pacific.
Providing the DJs with the same audio quality
as the guests, the DJ booth consisted of 6 x
“We went through the different riders, crunched what the DJs needed and
found that our new [NEXO] STM system was the perfect fit for all..”
- Jo Gan, Owner, Show Company
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93
“At NEXO, we are very hands-on. We were here when the system arrived at
the Show Co. warehouse to help the team get settled and we always make it a
point to support our customers regardless of the show size.”
- NEXO Systems Specialist, Mark Bollenberg
S118 and 6 x M28 separated equally into L/R
groups. Driving the entire system were 16
x NEXO Universal Amp Racks (NUAR) which
provides users with a scalable, 'plug & play'
amplified audio distribution solution that can
configure systems of any size.
Since ZoukOut 2014 would be the first event
in Singapore featuring a full STM system,
NEXO Systems Specialist, Mark Bollenberg
flew in from Australia to support the event.
“At NEXO, we are very hands-on. We were
here when the system arrived at the Show
Co. warehouse to help the team get settled
and we always make it a point to support our
customers regardless of the show size. For
this show, I liaised extensively with Jon Sim
[Show Company's Audio Chief] on the set-up
needed to get the best out of the system,” he
explained. “The first thing we did was use the
NS-1 Simulation software which showed us
how many boxes we would need to achieve
the sound we wanted. The SPL for Moon can
reach 120 dB which means I'm sure the ships
near the island will be enjoying the music as
well.”
Joining his colleague on-site was Nicolas
Kirsch, NEXO's Sales Manager for Asia. “This
is the best audio for any Zoukout I've ever
heard,” said Nicolas, who has been attending
the show for the past 3 years, but “just for
work” he assured us. Standing near the shore
of Siloso beach behind the FOH, Nicolas
affirmed the quality behind the brand,
stating, “You can feel the transient sound of
the NEXO boxes. It literally passes through
your body.”
“Although the sub-bass system is set on the
floor due to lack of rigging space, the low-end
just runs through the extremely dense crowd
of 20,000 people to hit you hard even at
60m. Due to the clever stirring configuration
designed by Jon and Mark the sub level is in
fact the same at 5m and 60m,” noted Nicolas.
Adding, “similarly for the LF/HF/MF levels,
which are evenly distributed and so crisp and
clean with huge headroom and near zero
distortion. Not only one can enjoy every bit
94
LIVE!
of the music and DJ voice and appreciate
the most intricate details in the program,
but after over 10hrs of such high SPL you
leave without any numbness or any signs of
ear pain whatsoever. And you feel fresh and
ready for the same treatment the following
day. This is absolutely unique and will let the
audience rediscover what is true high fidelity
for live shows, albeit at unseen levels.”
At 5am on the first day, the system was still
going strong, confirming to Show Company
Audio Chief, Jon Sim that the team had
chosen the right system for the world-class
festival. “This is a very stable system. We
played at more than 110 dBA for so many
hours and STM system maintained a great
sonic performance throughout.
Describing his experience as the engineer
together with Mark for most of the stage
acts, Jon added, “We definitely played louder
this year as compared to other years. In the
past, we would cautiously push the sound
levels, bringing them up slowly but this year,
from the second act, we went full throttle.”
“This [NEXO STM] is a very stable system. We
played at more than 110 dBA for so many hours and
STM system maintained a great sonic performance
throughout.”
- Show Company Audio Chief, Jon Sim
Seamless mixing for the system was via a
Yamaha CL5 board, the same console used
for ZoukOut 2013. Accompanying the console
at the FOH were a range of lighting consoles
from the Avolites Sapphire Touch, High End
Systems Hog4, Martin Professional's M1,
to the GrandMA2, giving as Jo Gan put it
“lighting programmers has the option to
choose which console suits them the best”.
LIVE!
95
“We definitely played louder this year
as compared to other years. In the
past, we would cautiously push the
sound levels, bringing them up slowly
but this year, from the second act, we
went full throttle.”
- Jon Sim
Besides the hi-quality audio gear and
panoramic LED screens, another feature
which set Moon apart was its open-top
concept. This allowed for confetti, fireworks
and pyrotechnics to be shot through and
behind the mega main structure, captivating
and fascinating guests at the same time.
This was a trade-off as explained by Jo
because “exposing the systems to the
elements is what festivals try to avoid but we
wanted to push the boundaries for ZoukOut
2014.”
However, one could not help but wonder
what would happen to the systems if
Singapore's unpredictable weather decided
to rain on ZoukOut. According to Jo, “If it
rains, we party on!”
Already looking forward to ZoukOut 2015, Jo
also shared the unique relationship between
Show Company and Zouk: “It’s the passion
for music, and I understand what is needed
for ZoukOut. And at the end of the day, Zouk
is a business driven by passionate people,
so it makes working together all the more
seamless and enjoyable. Every year, Jeremy
challenges us to do something different and
I'm sure next year will outdo this year, the
same way it does every year.”
ever backed by deep rich bass and heartthumping music and the promise that no
matter what happened, they would party on.
Luckily, it was clear skies for 2 whole days
which allowed ravers at the world's only
sunrise beach festival to party harder than
nexo-sa.com
show-company.com
www.zoukclub.com.sg
96
LIVE!
CHINA
Christie and Wincomn Honour Mongolian
Folk Hero
Images courtesy of Wincomn Technology
Noted as a flexible, efficient 3-chip DLP digital
projector, the Christie DS+6K-M is easily
tailored to meet the needs of the end user.
The projector comes in a sleek, compact
chassis and is equipped with a full set of
options, including 2D and 3D capability. It
also has a dual lamp system, offering highefficiency and low-cost of ownership.
C
hristie, together with its Chinese
partner Wincomn Technology, assisted
the Jangar Culture & Arts Palace to
present an engaging 360-degree projection
display to honor Jangar, one of the most
respected Mongolian folk heroes.
Jangar Culture & Arts Palace is a majestic
circular-shaped museum that is located in
the Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County
in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous
Region. The four-storey structure covers over
6,000 square meters and took four years to
complete.
It now features an elaborate showcase of
Jangar’s life story and the rich heritage
of Mongolian culture. One of the biggest
highlights is the permanent 360-degree visual
display on the first floor which recounts
the Mongolian Khan’s heroic exploits with
spectacular visuals made possible with eight
Christie DS+6K-M 3-chip DLP projectors.
Beautifully displayed on a continuous flat
screen measuring 12m wide by 4 m high,
and using Christie Twist, the 10-minute
show features highly realistic imagery and
sound effects for an immersive experience.
Wincomn Technology was responsible
for the design, selection, installation and
commissioning of the overall audio, visual
and control solutions.
“The contents of the projection mapping
performance are based on the Jangar Epic,
a unique form of Mongolian storytelling and
dance dating back to the 15th century,” said
Zhiqiang Liu, project manager, Wincomn
Technology. “We are very proud and
honoured to present one of the three great
epics of ancient Chinese literature through
projections on a 360-degree screen, and
are pleased that the deployment of 8 x
Christie DS+6K-M projectors have enabled
us to provide visitors with a high quality and
immersive viewing experience.”
Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia-Pacific,
added, “We are thrilled that Christie’s robust
M Series projectors have been used for
the first time to recount the amazing story
of Jangar. A hero who was elected Khan
at just seven years of age, defeated the
monster Mangus with his mighty warriors
and established a Mongolian-style utopia.
This visually arresting 360-degree projection
mapping performance is a fitting tribute to
Jangar at this magnificent venue and it is an
honour for Christie to play a role in breathing
new life to this legendary folk hero and
helping Jangar Culture & Arts Palace to create
memorable shared experiences.”
The Christie M series projectors additionally
come with features such as Christie Twist and
Comprehensive Color Adjustment to ensure
unparalleled edge blending capability and
colour uniformity across the entire display.
A critical benefit for larger scale projection
mapping projects, such as this 360-degree
projection mapping performance at Jangar
Culture & Arts Palace.
“We are thrilled that Christie’s robust M Series projectors
have been used for the first time to recount the amazing
story of Jangar. A hero who was elected Khan at just seven
years of age, defeated the monster Mangus with his mighty
warriors and established a Mongolian-style utopia.”
- Lin Yu, Vice President, Christie Asia-Pacific.
HaAavve U Met...?
97
Low Wee Cheng
Lighting/Video Programmer - Singapore
Every engineer has their own unique story to tell. For Low Wee Cheng, his story began with a
short stint as a technician of the Substation, before joining the lighting technical department
of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. “I remember going for the interview and not expecting
anything at all because I was still new to the industry,” he recalls. “When I walked into the
room, there were seven different department heads along with the HR director. I was very
frank with them and I told them that I had no professional experience, but I really wanted
to learn. A week went by before I got the call. I once wondered to a senior colleague why
they hired me. He said it was probably my eagerness to learn.” That same eagerness is
what drives him today. At the age of 35, Wee has not only started his own company, but has
toured the world doing what he loves. Here’s what he has to say about how far he has come,
how he got there and where he plans to go next.
Tell us about your first tour
Wee: There was a show called I La Galigo
that the Esplanade co-commissioned and
co-produced with Change Performing Arts, an
Italian production company. The production
was staged at the Esplanade Theatre and
directed by renowned director Robert
Wilson. The lighting designer for the show
was AJ Weissbard. I was the programmer
for that production and the process was
really challenging. At the end of I La Galigo’s
run at the Esplanade, AJ invited three of
Esplanade’s lighting technicians, including
myself, to follow the production on the rest
of the tour. I was like 'WOW', I didn't expect
that someone like AJ, a well-known figure in
the international lighting industry who does
most of his work in Europe and USA, would
actually pick me. Since then, I’ve had the
opportunity to work together with AJ on a
number of new productions, including some
interesting installations and other special
events.
What's the longest you've ever been
on tour and was it tough?
and it was wintertime! It was definitely not
a conventional production as there were
all these large inflatable sculptures buoyed
by boats that had to be lit and controlled
wirelessly. We had a big team with more than
10 Japanese crews and crews from Germany
working on the production. There were so
many challenges we encountered but I really
enjoyed it the process.
What is Ctrl Fre@k?
Wee: In 2010, I teamed up with another
ex-colleague from the Esplanade, Jeffrey
Yue, to explore a new path in our careers.
Jeffrey specialises in audio while I specialise
in the area of lighting and video. Since both
of us are into control systems, we wanted to
integrate audio, lighting and video together
and that's how Ctrl Fre@k was formed.
Our main core service is to provide design,
programming and system design services.
You say that you love trying out
different consoles, do you have a
favourite?
Wee: The longest tour I've ever been on was
probably more than a month long. In 2005,
I took unpaid leave from the Esplanade to
go to the Aichi World Expo in Nagoya, Japan
and work on a multi-media event called
“In the Evening at Koi Pond”. It was my first
experience working with media servers and
that got me interested in video. I would say
touring is really fun but this was the longest
I’ve ever been away and you can’t avoid
missing home.
Wee: I won't say one because to me,
consoles are a tool. It's more about how
familiar or comfortable you are, so there
is no such thing as a good or bad console.
There are 3 major brands and models that
I enjoy working with right now: ETC (EOS),
MA Lighting (grandMA 2) and High-End
Systems (Hog 4). Depending on the show
requirements, I will choose a console that
can best suit the production’s needs and
also help me deliver my work in the fastest
manner possible.
What has been your most
memorable show so far and why?
Does having a business affect your
touring?
Wee: I guess it would have to be “In The
Evening at Koi Pond”. It was fun because the
entire show was literally in a giant pond,
Wee: Yes and no - touring has become part
of the business, so more jobs are coming in.
That has also led Jeffrey and I to think about
98
HaAavve U Met...?
hiring staff, one for lighting and audio, so that
we could take on more projects.
Where do you stand on the
Education vs Experience debate?
Wee: I think you need both. Having an
education relevant to the industry will
definitely help because you have the basic
knowledge to start with when you join the
industry. I have a diploma in Mechatronics
Engineering which is not related to my
current profession. When I first started, I
had to pick everything up myself. I was also
fortunate to meet Ben Davies, a UK lighting
programmer who worked on the Esplanade’s
opening show. I regard him as my mentor
as he taught me the basics of programming,
which became an important foundation that
I could apply on different consoles.
So I feel that experience comes with working
on productions, but starting with education
will be very useful to give you a head
start. After that it is also about constantly
upgrading your knowledge in between
productions, for example reading up on
manuals and trying out different offline
console software when you do not have any
access to the console.
Many outside the industry don't
understand what you do, especially
in Singapore. How did your family
react to your career choice?
Wee: My parents never opposed me joining
this industry, they have always been very
supportive even when I have to work late
nights or not come home for a few days. I
even brought them to shows to see what I've
done and since I'm not struggling financially,
they are not worried about it.
Do you think it matters to have that
support system?
Wee: Definitely. I have met people whose
parents are against them going into this
industry because they see no prospects. To
me, every job has a prospect – if you are
willing to work hard enough and enjoy what
you do, you will go far.
Would you ever leave Singapore
and migrate overseas for better
prospects?
Wee: No plans at the moment because
my focus is to build up Ctrl Fre@k. Besides
providing design and programming services,
Ctrl Fre@k also aims to educate and train.
For example, we've taken on trainings for
manufacturers such as ETC to conduct
console trainings. These are free sessions
open to people in the industry and so far it
has been well-received.
Know someone with a great story? Let us know by sending an email to: [email protected]
What does the future look like in 10
years?
Wee: I haven't thought that far but I will
probably stay in Singapore. Jeffrey and
I will continue to develop Ctrl Fre@k,
integrate our knowledge and ideas and try
to bring in technology that can work with
the requirements and needs of Singapore
productions. That was what we set out to do
when we started the company and are still
striving for now. At the end of it all, we want
Ctrl Fre@k to be recognised as a team of
people who have the knowledge and skills to
help the industry do better.
Do you have any advice for those
just starting out in the industry?
Wee: As I mentioned earlier, education is
important but it's also about how much
drive you have inside. You need to push
yourself and learn on your own. Our industry
in Asia is not like those in the US or UK,
where you are surrounded by manufacturers
and professionals whom you can access to
learn from all the time. In the past, when I
wanted to learn a new product, there was
little support and I had to teach myself. But
I see this changing as more manufacturers
are setting up offices in this region. I am still
learning new things everyday; whenever
possible I browse websites and read up on
the new technology released in the market
and see how I can use it in what I do.
BRILLIANT.
STUNNING.
QUALITY.
Christie Roadie HD+35K
The Christie Roadie HD+35K delivers superior image quality and allows you to stack, blend and color-match
multiple projectors. Ideal for building projection, live events and large venue applications, it is one of the
brightest projectors in the industry, offering a native 2048 x 1080 HD resolution, user-replaceable lamps and
user-friendly controls. With built-in body handles for handling and rigging or an optional stacking/rigging
frame, this tough, manageable projector is built for true roadworthiness, frequent transport and quick set up.
Available from Singapore systems integrator:

NEWS - Spinworkz Pte Ltd

Transcription

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