Pro systems sep oct13 web

March / April 2013 R35.00

September / October 2013 R35.00

AV SyStem IntegrAtIon | InStAllAtIonS | lIVe eVentS | StudIo Pro AudIo

SOUTHERN AFRICA

//hAPo muSeum Freedom PArk

InFocomm 2013 Show rePort

BoP StudIoS

PlASA 2013 Show rePort

holy roSAry School InStAllAtIon

AnImotIon VIdeo mAPPIng

SenSationSinnerSpace

Cover Story

3-Way ActiveLine Array Model


3-Way Active

Active speakers Pro-active investment

Professional Active speakers


DVA T12 3 Way Active Line Array Module with DSP processing

Frequency Response (+/- 3dB): 60 – 19 000Hz

Max SPL: 136dB

HF Driver: 3 x 1” Neodymium Compression Driver

MF Driver: 2 x 6.5” Neodymium Compression Driver

LF Driver: 12” Neodymium Compression Driver

Power Rating (RMS): LF 710 + MF 350 + HF 350W

Weight: 29.9Kg

Dimensions mm: 580(W) x 386(H) x 430(D)

DVA T8 3 Way Active Line Array Module with DSP processing


Max SPL: 132dB

HF Driver: 2 x 1” Neodymium Compression Driver

MF Driver: 1 x 6.5” Neodymium Compression Driver

LF Driver: 8” Neodymium Compression Driver

Power Rating (RMS): LF 350 + MF 175 + HF 175W

Weight: 14.2Kg


700BL & 900BL series available

Professional Active Speakers

• Digipro G2 latest generation technology on board

• High effi cient power with limited weight and dimension

• Metal steel grille, 1,2mm thick

P15 2-Way Passive Speaker

Frequency Response (-10dB): 68 - 19.500 Hz

Max SPL: 128dB

HF Driver: 1”

LF Driver: 15”

Power Rating (RMS): 400W

Weight: 18,4 kgKg


Full of Technology

Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) LtdUnit 2, 2 Drakensburg Road

Longmeadow Business Estate West, West� eldPO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa

Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 [email protected], www.hybrid.co.za

viva afrika

OPERABLACK LINE

ALL BLACK

FOR A

LEGENDALL BLACK

FOR A

LEGEND

All you need from one system

Viva afrika – Hybrid+

2

In thIS ISSue

The latest issue of Pro Systems News you have before you is, in my opinion, one of our best issues yet and covers a wide range of stories across all of our verticals not to mention has one of the best

looking covers we have produced. Truth be told, the AV Integration section has always been a challenge to fill in past issues but this time, as you will see, it is chock full! Stories ranging from the installation at the new medical sciences training facility at the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein campus to digital signage at the Dube Trade Port will keep you up to date with what local integrators are doing. Our syndication of a Commerical Integrator white paper will bring to light why projectors are still so prominent in this day and age. This issue we cover no less than two tradeshows – Infocomm and PLASA London – and bring you event reports of Sensations Innerspace, international event Way Out West festival in Sweden and an exciting new style of AniMotion video mapping. Of course, we carry on with the third instalment of my column on recording drums in the modern DAW and bring you an interesting look at the history of Bop Recording Studios, the long lost jewel of the South African recording industry. Installations are always a big part of what we try to bring to your attention so don’t miss the inspiring story of the Freedom Park museum in Pretoria and the new audio, lighting and AV installation at the Holy Rosary School in Edenvale. As the year comes to a close we wish you all a fantastic holiday season as we won’t be seeing you until January, 2014. Au revoir and happy holidays!

Greg Bester

Deputy eDitor

Contributors

Contents

claire Badenhorst | Industry expert with eight years experience in event management, PR, marketing and advertising within the professional audio, video, lighting and staging sector. Claire has played an integral role in the development of the concept and content creation of Pro Systems and works closely with our advertisers and readers.

chanelle ellaya | A Journalism graduate from the University of Johannesburg. Chanelle has experience in both the magazine and television industry. She has a keen interest in the Media in various capacities, as well as in music and technology.

Louise Stickland | Professional journalist and photographer with huge passion and enthusiasm for technology and the production industry. Louise initially worked and toured as a lighting designer after graduating from university. She has many years experience in the music and live event sector, and works closely with leading international designers, production companies and technology manufacturers.

paul Watson | After touring professionally with several bands in the UK and then the US, Paul went on to open his own commercial recording and rehearsal facility, where he was resident producer/engineer for six years. For the last five years, he has been a regular contributor for a number of UK titles, covering live sound, studio sound, lighting, video, broadcast and post-production. He is also European Editor for one of the major US trade music publications.

Greg Bester | Musician and audio engineer – proficient in both the analogue and digital domains and has extensive experience mixing live music, setting up and configuring loudspeaker systems, monitoring and general stage management. He has mixed hundreds of events and is comfortable on large and small-format mixing consoles.

Publisher & editor | Simon Robinson | [email protected] dePuty editor | Greg Bester | [email protected] in-house Journalist | Chanelle Ellaya | [email protected] sub-editor | Tina Heron advertising sales | Simone de Beer | [email protected]

design | Trevor Ou Tim | [email protected] subscriPtions | Albertina Tserere | [email protected] accounts | Natasha Glavovic | [email protected]

Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd | Tel: +27 11 025-3180 | Epsom Downs Office Park, 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg | PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086, South Africa

www. pro-systems.co.za

neWS iLED new SA distributor of Symetrix ...........3

Dolby pioneer

dies age 80 ..................................................3

Sonifex appoint Wild & Marr ......................3

Kearsney College lights up

after upgrade ..............................................4

New international exhibitors sign

up for Prolight + Sound Guangzhou .........4

Prosound expands its

distribution portfolio ....................................4

Stage Audio Works to distribute

High End Systems ........................................6

Søren Storm joins Robe ...............................6

Koen Claerbout is new CEO of

Apart–Audioprof .........................................6

Questek resells Extron products .................8

InAVation Awards returns to Amsterdam

Convention Factory ....................................8

Gearhouse SA invests in

Martin and Robe .......................................10

SyStem inteGration InfoComm 2013 reaches new highs .......12

Why flat panels aren’t

replacing projectors .................................16

Unleash the power of projectors.............17

Phil Lord Interview .....................................18

Connecting our learners

to a paperless classroom .........................20

Local experts install robust

signage at trade port ...............................22

Breathing life into

UJ’s new medical facility .........................24

inStaLLationS //hapo Museum Freedom Park:

an interactive experience ......................26

Equipping girls’ school for

drama and sports .....................................30

Elevating your venue – big time .............32

pLaSa LonDon 2013 PLASA London 2013 ‘ExCeLs’ ..................34

PLASA London Innovation Awards ..........40

PLASA London Rigging

Conference 2013 highlights .....................42

LiVe eVentS Sensations Innerspace ..............................44

Way Out West festival ...............................48

Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1500 .....................50

Martin Mac Viper Profile ..........................51

Robe MMX Spot ........................................52

Varilite VL3500 Spot luminaire ..................53

Party on through the ‘Redd Door’ ..........54

A world first for

AniMotion video mapping ......................56

StuDio pro auDio Audio Technica

under the microscope .............................58

Recording and mixing drums

in the modern DAW Part 3 – Tracking.....62

Bop revisited ..............................................64

SociaL TPSA 2012 Award Winners .......................67

TPSA Awards 2012 .....................................68

Neets Training ............................................68

Smaart Training ..........................................68

Sarah rushton read | A co-founder of Women in Stage Entertainment; Chairman of the Knight of Illumination Rock Award and editor of the Association of Sound Designers magazine The Echo. She has previously lit a medal winning garden at the Chelsea Flower show, been employed as deputy editor on Lighting and Sound International, deputy lighting manager of Glyndebourne Festival Opera among others.

Publishers & Projects

3

Symetrix has appointed iLED to

distribute all of its products,

including the SymNet Edge and

Radius Dante networked digital

signal processors throughout

South Africa.

In the 12 years since it

launched, iLED has earned its

clients’ loyalty by providing expert advice

founded on a commitment to continual

education. iLED team members pride

themselves on the depth and range of their

AV knowledge, including all the latest

advanced solutions, coupled with their

ability to communicate that knowledge to

clients.

“iLED is focused on educating members of

the AV community in South Africa,” said Mark

Ullrich, international sales manager for

Symetrix. “The company started iLED

University in 2010 to offer free training on

products, concepts and techniques, and it

has been a huge success. We’re really

looking forward to working with

their dedicated team.”

“We were looking to include a

DSP-based product line in our

arsenal, and although there are

multiple brands out there to pick

from, only a handful hold their own

at the top end of the market,” says

Justin Mamulis, sales director with iLED.

“Symetrix is at the head of the pack and

when the opportunity to distribute Symetrix

presented itself, we jumped right on board.

With this powerful new addition to our line

card, we look forward to opening up

additional opportunities for our other brands,

as well as presenting our offerings to a larger

market.

“Now that Symetrix is leading the race to

deliver effective, affordable solutions for the

growing teleconferencing market, we’re

especially excited to distribute SymNet Edge

and Radius AEC throughout the territory,” he

adds.

Dolby Laboratories (DLB) last month

announced that Ray Dolby, the American

inventor recognised around the world for

developing groundbreaking audio

technologies, died at his home in San

Francisco, at the age of 80. Dr Dolby had

been living with Alzheimer’s disease in recent

years and was diagnosed in July of this year

with acute leukaemia.

Dr Dolby founded Dolby Laboratories in

1965 and created an environment where

scientists and engineers continue to

advance the science of sight and sound to

make entertainment and communications

more engaging. Dr Dolby’s pioneering work

in noise reduction and surround sound led to

the development of many state-of-the-art

technologies, for which he holds more than

50 US patents.

“Today we lost a friend, mentor and true

visionary,” said Kevin Yeaman, President and

CEO, Dolby Laboratories. “Ray Dolby

founded the company based on a

commitment to creating value through

innovation and an impassioned belief that if

you invested in people and gave them the

tools for success they would create great

things. His ideals will continue to be a source

of inspiration and motivation for us all.”

“My father was a thoughtful, patient and

loving man, determined to always do the

right thing in business, philanthropy and as a

husband and father,” said David Dolby, son

and member of Dolby Laboratories’ Board of

Directors. “Our family is very proud of his

achievements and leadership. He will be

sorely missed, but his legacy of innovation

will live on.”

Dr Dolby was known for his insatiable

curiosity and attributed his success to a quest

for education fostered by supportive parents.

Early in Dr Dolby’s career, while attending

high school on the San Francisco Peninsula

and then Stanford University, he worked at

Ampex Corporation and was the chief

designer of all electronic aspects of the first

practical videotape recording system. Today

Dolby Laboratories’ technologies are an

newS

iLED new SA distributor of Symetrix

iLeD ceo, ivan potter

essential part of the creative process for

recording artists and filmmakers, who

continue to use Dolby tools to bring their

visions to life.

“Though he was an engineer at heart, my

father’s achievements in technology grew

out of a love of music and the arts,” said Tom

Dolby, son, filmmaker and novelist. “He

brought his appreciation of the artistic

process to all of his work in film and audio

recording.”

In the 48 years since Dr Dolby founded

Dolby Laboratories, the company has

transformed the entertainment experience

from the cinema to the living room to mobile

entertainment. Tens of thousands of films and

billions of products and devices with Dolby

technologies have made their way to

theatres, homes and consumers’ hands

around the world. The industry has awarded

Dolby Laboratories with 10 Academy Awards

and 13 Emmy Awards for its groundbreaking

achievements throughout the years.

“Ray was generous, patient, intellectually

honest and fair-minded. Forever curious,

unafraid and oh so persistent, whether we

were driving overland from India, flying his

planes across the Atlantic or driving the big

bus around the National Parks, he not only

gave us an exciting life, but was a fantastic

role model for our sons,” said Dagmar Dolby,

Dr Dolby’s wife of 47 years.

Dolby pioneer dies age 80

ray Dolby

Wild & Marr was recently appointed the sole

distributor for Sonifex in South Africa.

Eamonn Heffernan, Sonifex sales manager

for Africa, says: “We are pleased to have

Wild & Marr on-board as our new face in

South Africa. Their renowned specialist

expertise in custom audio engineering,

audio/video integration and acoustic

analysis, will make them a significant force

within the Sonifex team. We look forward to

working together to promote the Sonifex

brand in South Africa.”

Sonifex appoint Wild & Marr

eamonn Heffernan, Sales manager for Sonifex and Joe copans, managing Director of Wild & marr

4

newS Prosound expands its distribution portfolio

PR Lighting has changed its South African

distribution arrangements, appointing

Prosound with immediate effect, as sole

reseller for its extensive range of LED and

automated discharge solutions.

With price sensitivity an ever increasing

issue in today’s market Prosound were

seeking a quality product range that could

also meet the demands of the house of

worship market.

Commenting on the decision, Prosound’s

GM Ian Blair, says: “The PR brand has proven

itself as one of the most respected Chinese

manufacturers — the company has

developed and maintained its reputation for

quality over the years.”

PR Lighting’s SA sales manager Lawrence

Mao, replies: “The South African market is

very competitive and we believe that

Prosound has the experience and contacts

to promote PR Lighting in this market

extremely well.”

The Johannesburg-based lighting

specialists say the primary market for PR

Lighting’s products are event hire

companies and installations at venues

where a quick return on investment is

required.

Prosound’s technical support team have

worked closely with their Chinese

counterparts to ensure a seamless transition,

enabling them to offer spares, service and

product training. Product manager Daniel

de Wet is planning a roadshow around the

South Africa to introduce the range to

selected potential customers.

Says Ian Blair: “We are delighted to

welcome PR Lighting to the Prosound family

and are looking forward to developing the

brand further in SA. I have been very

impressed by the quality of the products and

the feedback received from the industry has

been extremely positive.

“This is a great opportunity for both

Prosound and PR Lighting to work together to

supply exciting new products into an ever

demanding market place.”

For more information about the show visit:

www.prolightsound-guangzhou.com or

email: [email protected].

Kearsney College, situated on the edge of

the Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu-

Natal, has an award-winning choir ensemble

which was founded in 1994, and has picked

up twelve gold medals since 2000 at the

World Choir Games. The College is

renowned for its arts and culture

programmes, as well as for numerous

sporting accolades.

When an opportunity arose to upgrade

the school hall’s stage lighting system, its

prestigious reputation and history was kept in

mind and only world-class equipment was

sourced to enhance the performance

venue.

Nik Fairclough from Northwind Recording

received the brief to supply a world class

lighting system for Kearsney College that was

simple to control events ranging from a

weekly assembly, all the way up to a major

school production. Northwind Recording

was appointed not only as the

consultant but also project

managed the complete installation.

Virtually the entire old system was

replaced. Electrosonic KZN in

conjunction with Bruce Schwartz

from the Johannesburg branch

opted to integrate as many of the

advances in LED based technology

as possible. Apart from their

energy-saving benefits, the LED

fixtures are small and unobtrusive.

The client did not want large fixtures

cluttering the decor. Brand new cable-ways

and new Electrosonic pre-wired bars were

installed. An Electron dimmer and a

complete DMX network were also installed.

The award-winning Martin Professional

MAC Aura LED Wash was used as the

workhorse fixture along with MAC 350 Entour

LED Profiles. Versa-Light LED Parcans in both

RGB and Amber White Versions were also

used.

Atmosphere was created with a JEM

Compact Hazer Pro. All this was controlled

by the versatile and popular Martin M1

control desk.

Evan Lyle from KZN Electrosonic branch

handled the training and was also on hand

for their first show, a school play festival

which was a resounding success, much to

the delight of a very happy Kearsney

College.

Kearsney College lights up after upgrade

The continued alliance between Messe

Frankfurt and Guangdong International

Science and Technology Exhibition

Company (STE) is resulting in new

international exhibitors and supporters for the

2014 edition of Prolight + Sound Guangzhou,

which will take place 24 to 27 February 2014

in Area A at the China Import and Export Fair

Complex, Guangzhou, China.

Representing Messe Frankfurt, Ms Fiona

Chiew, Deputy General Manager of Messe

Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd says: “We are

working towards further developing and

improving the show so that it becomes a

global business platform for the pro audio

and lighting industry. So far, we are already

seeing some positive results. For example,

several new international leading suppliers

have signed up for the show and we have

new international supporters which further

strengthen our efforts to attract international

buyers to the show.”

Among the new international exhibitors for

Prolight + Sound Guangzhou are

Beyerdynamic (Germany), FBT (Italy),

Laserworld (Switzerland) and Maquinas

(Portugal).

As part of the show’s objective to become

a global platform, it has attracted new

supporting association – ANAFIMA (National

Association of Musical Instruments and Audio

Manufacturers) from Brazil. ANAFIMA is the

association for Brazilian musical instruments,

accessories and audio manufacturers.

New international exhibitors sign up for Prolight + Sound Guangzhou

ian Blair (prosound) and Lawrence mao (pr Lighting)

aV center

6

newS

Stage Audio Works is proud to announce a

new distribution partnership with

international lighting manufacturer High End

Systems (HES). The distribution partnership will

allow both companies to work together to

bring pioneering digital lighting technology,

LED lighting technology and lighting control

to clients across Africa. Stage Audio Works

will also offer demo facilities, training,

technical support and service for High End

Systems products.

Stage Audio Works CEO, Will Deysel

commented that the partnership can only

improve the industry standings of both

organisations. “We have been searching for

a lighting brand to add to our portfolio for a

while,” said Will, “and I am glad that we have

been patient about it. High End Systems fits

perfectly in completing our complete

solution of world-leading brands”.

High End Systems pride themselves on their

commitment to manufacturing and

customer support excellence with key

emphasis on product reliability.

“High End Systems is a well-established

manufacturer that have pioneered digital

lighting and offer excellent control solutions

with the new Hog 4 range,”commented

Gustav Barnard from Stage Audio Works.

“With four decades of experience as one of

the world’s largest lighting manufacturers,

High End has always collaborated closely

with lighting professionals in the field to bring

relevant products to the market. Their lighting

solutions offer a benchmark that not only

keeps pace with industry developments, but

guides it”.

Søren Storm has joined Robe lighting’s

executive management team as

International Business Development

Manager.

Søren’s experience includes 16 years of

working in top management for a leading

lighting manufacturer, during which time he’s

built up a vast amount of contacts

worldwide and an impeccable reputation

for integrity.

At Robe, he will be working closely

alongside International Sales Director and

CEO of Robe Inc. in the US, Harry von den

Stemmen together with all of Robe’s regional

sales managers in The Americas, the Middle

East, Africa and Russia and the CIS states.

Harry von den Stemmen comments:

“Moving forward, Søren will remain living in

Singapore, his home for the past 16 years,

and will be travelling to help grow our

business in all the EMEA regions as well as

also assisting with product development.”

Koen Claerbout is new CEO of Apart–Audioprof

Koen Claerbout has taken over the role of

CEO to further expand and grow Apart-

Audioproof together with its dynamic and

motivated team.

Audioprof is a growing company which

continuously invests in reinforcing its

organisation and structures to support its

customers and enhance innovation in our

product portfolio. Due to the strong growth

of Apart and the rapidly changing markets, it

was necessary to free up time for Tom

Gheysens, the company’s founder, to focus

more on the strategic development and the

vision of the company independently of the

company’s day-to-day management.

Tom Gheysens will, with all his experience

and passion for the audio industry, take up

the role of chief strategy officer and focus on

strategic challenges, opportunities and

partnerships.

He will execute these tasks within his role

as an important shareholder and board

member.

“The complementary roles with Claerbout

as CEO and Gheysens as CSO are a logical

evolution in the sustainable growth path of

Apart– Audioprof. We are ready to further

strengthen our position in the fixed install

audio market,” says Gheysens and

Claerbout.

Storm says: “I’ve watched Robe over the

past 10 years and seen the brand develop,

grow and innovate. Established in installation

markets for some time, the last two to three

years has also seen serious inroads made

into the rental / staging world, all with a

constant stream of highly reliable and

competitive products and an extremely

good attitude to business. I am really excited

to be a part of this.”

Søren Storm joins Robe

Stage Audio Works to distribute High End Systems

Koen claerbout, ceo apart-audioprof

Stage audio Works’ Gustav Barnard and nathan ihlenfeldt

robe’s Søren Storm

Gearhouse

8

newS

InAVation Awards returns to Amsterdam Convention Factory

The InAVation Awards will return to the

Amsterdam Convention Factory on 5

February 2014.

The only international awards programme

that recognises achievements in commercial

AV will culminate in an awards ceremony

and dinner held in Amsterdam during the ISE

exhibition.

Now in its 8th year it continues to attract AV

industry professionals – including vendors,

integrators, consultants, distributors and end

users – from around the world to celebrate,

relax and enjoy unrivalled networking

opportunities.

The event is held in Amsterdam on the

evening of the second day of the ISE

exhibition, one of the busiest events for pro

AV on the international calendar.

This year new categories and a revamped

entry process have made it simpler and

easier to demonstrate technology innovation

and integration excellence.

project categories All entries to the project categories of the

InAVation Awards 2014 must be submitted by

31 October 2013.

Projects completed between 1 October

2012 and 1 October 2013 and demonstrating

integration of AV technologies in commercial

spaces throughout the EMEA region are

eligible for entry into sector-specific

categories. Projects from outside the EMEA

region should be entered into the

International category.

Finalists and winners will be selected by

the InAVation Awards judging panel who will

be looking for innovative answers to

installation challenges, use of sophisticated

technologies and the delivery of AV solutions

that have a positive impact on their clients.

Outstanding consultants and project

managers can also be nominated for

consideration in the dedicated Consultant of

Project Manager of the Year category.

Finalists and winners will be revealed at

the InAVation Awards Ceremony at the

Amsterdam Convention Factory on 5

February 2014

Enter at www.inavationawardsonthenet.

net/projectentry.aspx

2014 project award categories• Retail

• Education Facility

• Corporate Facility

• Visitor Attraction

• Public Sector Facility

• Leisure & Entertainment Facility

• Transport & Communications Facility

• Live Event

• International

technology categories All entries to the project categories of the

InAVation Awards 2014 must be submitted by

11 October 2013.

Products, solutions and tools that are

designed for the professional AV integration

market and shipped between 28 October

2012 and 1 October 2013 are eligible for

entry.

Shortlists will be selected by the InAVation

Awards judging panel and winners selected

by online votes from the international AV

community.

Manufacturers can enter one product into

each of the Technology categories except

‘Breakthrough Technology of the Year’,

which will be selected by the judging panel.

This year is the first year there is a category

dedicated to distributors. The Distributor of

the Year category is open to all AV

distribution companies operating within

EMEA.

Enter at www.inavationawardsonthenet.

net/technologyentry.aspx

2014 technology award categories• Most InAVative Mounting Solution

• Most InAVative Audio Product

• Most InAVative Content

Management and Playout Solution

• Most InAVative Video Processing or

Distribution Product

• Most InAVative Projector

• Most InAVative Display

• Most InAVative Control Solution

• Most InAVative Loudspeaker

• Most InAVative Conferencing or

Collaboration Product

• Most InAVative Integration Tool

• Breakthrough Technology of the Year

• Distributor of the Year

Key Dates:• Technology and Distributor of the

Year categories close: 11 October

2013

• Project and Consultant of the Year

categories shut: October 31, 2013

• Voting for technology categories

shut: January 26, 2014

• Winners revealed at InAVation

Awards Dinner in Amsterdam:

February 5, 2014

More information can be found at

www.inavationawards.com

Or contact:

[email protected].

Johannesburg-based AV integration and

distribution company Questek recently

announced that they would be stocking the

very popular range of Extron products in

South Africa for resale to AV integrators.

Extron products have only previously been

available via import directly from Extron in

Europe via the South African office. George

Van Gils commented that this move allows

AV integrators to buy stock locally in South

Africa quickly and more efficiently in order to

complete their projects. Van Gils also said

that this will give them access to an

organization that can streamline the

ordering process and sidestep the otherwise

time consuming process of ordering and

importing these products directly.

Questek resells Extron products

Questek’s George van Gils

phot

o by

chr

is ta

ylor

pho

tog

rap

hy

The PRX700 Series powered speakers systems are the first to integrate JBL's next generation Differential Drive® Technology, delivering 1500 watts of high power, wide bandwidth, low distortion performance in a scalable, flexible format. Perfectly suited for live music, DJ, or fixed installation, they're easy to transport, set up, and control. Versatile connectivity supports simple, one man, speaker-on-a-pole operation, or full-blown systems with mains, subs and monitors. For high quality audio performance and reliability you can trust, the PRX700 series will let you take complete control night after night.

TAKE CONTROL OF THE NIGHT

Head Office+27 11 974 0633

[email protected]

Cape Town+27 21 787 9378

[email protected]

Durban+27 31 573 7400

[email protected]

Wild and marr

10

newS

Gearhouse SA invests in Martin and Robe

Gearhouse SA has made a substantial investment in new Martin and

Robe moving lights in recent months, with the purchase of 72 x Martin

MAC Vipers and 150 fixtures from Robe’s ROBIN series including

Pointes, DLX, DLS and DLF and LEDWash 600s.

This is to service a busy ongoing show and event schedule heading

into autumn. As a leading production company, Gearhouse is under

constant pressure to keep pace with the technology on all fronts. Their

strategy is always in tune with what international LDs visiting SA with

their shows and tours are specifying as well as offer the most versatile

and flexible options available for their own lighting designers and

directors.

The equipment was delivered by the brands’ respective distributors,

Electrosonic (Martin) and DWR Distribution (Robe).

Gearhouse MD Ofer Lapid explains that in the case of the Vipers,

they were looking for a product that would continue the success of

the Mac2K which has been a serious workhorse product for the

company for several years. He comments that the Viper is extremely

bright, lighter than the 2K and also robustly built.

In terms of capital investment, Lapid says they would expect a

product to start appearing on riders on riders in the three to four years

following its launch, to give them plenty of opportunity to recoup.

Lapid believes that Martin Professional – acquired by US audio and

infotainment giant Harman International at the end of 2012 – is in a

“turnaround situation” and he reckons that the new Harman

infrastructure will give a very well-liked and respected brand the

ability and freedom to continue developing and being at the

forefront of manufacturing.

Gearhouse’s new Mac Vipers were utilised to great effect on the

2013 Bidvest Annual Business awards dinner, where they were put

through their paces by lighting and visuals designer Tim Dunn – known

for his extremely ambitious design concepts and for pushing every bit

of technology on his rigs to the max. Dunn reportedly thinks they are

excellent fixtures – powerful and dynamic.

The Vipers – 60 of which currently reside in GH Johannesburg with

12 in Durban – were also appreciated by Mumbai-based Lighting

Designer Atul Sonpal, who lit the 2013 SAIFTAs event at the Durban

ICC using these and other fixtures.

Electrosonic’s Entertainment lighting manager Bruce Schwartz says:

“The sale is significant for us and for Martin Professional as a whole. It’s

a clear statement that Gearhouse believes in the future of both

companies.”

Gearhouse’s Lighting operation manager Stuart Andrews was

instrumental in making the decision to invest the 150 Robe LED fixtures.

He was particularly looking for a solution for their corporate and

the new martins in action at the Bidvest 2013 chairman awards

phot

o co

urte

sy Z

oom

pho

tog

rap

hy

11

newS

special event work which offered quality light sources that consumed

less power, were more eco-friendly and naturally adaptable and

reliable.

Many LED fixtures on the market have not addressed the issues of

smooth, even output and coverage and homogenized light-sources,

but this is an area in which Robe has concentrated from the outset

with all their technology, and in particular their ROBIN DL range,

which offers the Spot (DLX), Wash (DLF) and Profile (DLS). These were

developed with the performance and precision demands of theatre

and TV in mind.

The DL units are all small in size and lightweight and as Andrews

points out: “Ideal for small rooms and low ceilinged environments,

offering excellent functionality and a nice quality of light.”

The full list of Gearhouse’s most recent Robe purchase is 54 x

Pointes, 36 x LEDWash 600s, 24 x DLXs, 24 x DLFs and 12 x DLSs.

The DLFs and DLXs went straight on to the current series of So You

Think You Can Dance at SABC with lighting designed by Robert

Grobler.

The LEDWash600s join Gearhouse’s existing rental fleet, Andrews

comments: “You can never have enough.” Since their launch in 2010

Robe’s LEDWash has become one of the most successful products in

its class, and they are also now routinely appearing on international

lighting specs.

However, Andrews thinks it is the new multi-purpose Pointe that will

become a real ‘star of the show’, again for its small size, light weight

and huge versatility – it can be a Spot, Beam, Wash or FX unit. “All the

LDs on upcoming shows who have been offered Pointes have really

welcomed them,” says Andrews. “The small size again gives the unit a

real edge and it’s something really different.”

Duncan Riley from DWR comments: “The decision to invest in LED

technology on such a scale was a bold one for Gearhouse, but I think

it’s a sign of the times and they have set some new standards and

started the ball rolling! Any new bulb will look great initially but after

about 200 hours it will start to degrade – so it’s a decision based on

long term economic efficiency as well as being great for the

environment.”

Over time it will preempt other cost reductions for the client as well,

like smaller and fewer generators needed, consuming less fuel, and

so on.

WATCHOUT PREMIUM PARTNERSOUTH AFRICAPENMACPhone: +27 11 [email protected]

MEET US ATISE 2014BOOTH:11-F80

Imag

e cou

rtesy

EPH

Prod

uctio

ns

penmac

the new robe’s in action at So You Think You Can Dance

phot

o by

pet

e c

urrie

r

12

SyStem IntegrAtIon sHoW report

12

InfoComm 2013 reaches new highs

“InfoComm is the ideal place to make AV purchasing decisions,

connect with contacts and learn principles that will boost your

effectiveness,” said David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, executive director

and CEO, InfoComm International®. “The marketplace strongly

supports the InfoComm show and we are grateful for the attendee

support and for the innovative exhibitors who are committed to

making InfoComm a can’t-miss event on the industry calendar.”

InfoComm University™ provided practical training and attracted

the industry’s best instructors and students. Attendees come to

InfoComm for the diversity of courses on topics ranging from

acoustics to video conferencing. Popular courses included Unified

Communications and Collaboration, CTS Prep, EDID, HDCP, HDMI for

Pro AV, Digital Signage Revolution in Retail and Future Technologies:

The Inside Scoop from Silicon Valley.

This year, 237 AV professionals passed the Certified Technology

Specialist™ (CTS®) exam onsite, a new record. Twenty-five

professionals passed the CTS®-D exam and 14 earned the CTS®-I

credential.

There were 937 exhibitors participating at InfoComm this year.

Exhibitors occupied more than 470 000 net square feet of exhibit and

special events space. Other news released at the show includes the

release of the second edition of the CTS Exam Guide, the launch of

InfoComm’s new TecnoMultimedia Brasil trade show in Brazil,

improvements made to the InfoComm iQ online database and more.

InfoComm 2013 was sponsored by Blackmagic Design, Christie,

Crestron, Panasonic, Samsung, Aurora and NEC.

What the manufacturers had to offer:

chauvetChauvet booths at

InfoComm 2013 housed a

great selection of new

luminaires, next to the

already available CHAUVET®

Professional Legend™ 230SR

Beam moving yoke, Nexus™

4x4 tour-ready wash light,

Ovation™ series of theatrical

luminaires, PVP™ S5 and

PVP™ S7 high-definition

video panels, MVP™ Ta8

Curve modular video panel, WELL™ 2.0 wireless wash light, Q-Spot™

360-LED and Q-Spot™ 460-LED moving spot fixtures, wash lights from

the COLORado™ Series and more.

Chauvet’s ILUMINARC® brand of architectural lighting was also

represented by a variety of interior and exterior lighting solutions.

Distributed by www.audiosure.co.za

By Chanelle Ellaya

infocomm 2013, the annual conference and exhibition for professional audiovisual buyers and sellers worldwide, was held from 8 to 14 June in orlando, Florida. infocomm was visited by 35 126 professionals this year from more than 110 countries. this represents a 2.5 percent increase in attendance on infocomm 2012.

the annual ribbon cutting ceremony

1313

crestron electronicsCrestron introduced

AirMedia™, its new wireless HD

presentation solution for small

meeting rooms, at InfoComm®

2013. Using simple plug-and-

play installation, AirMedia

brings presentation,

collaboration and content

sharing capabilities to small conference rooms and offices that aren’t

wired for an AV system. AirMedia allows anyone to walk into a room,

connect to the existing display over WiFi®, and wirelessly present HD

content from their personal smart phone, tablet or laptop.

Distributed by www.electrosonic.co.za

d&b audiotechnikAt InfoComm 2013 d&b showcased the

inner workings of their latest ArrayCalc V7

on the stand and in the seminars they

presented.

ArrayCalc V7, the latest incarnation of

this system design tool from d&b includes

functionality to perform acoustic

simulations with a number of d&b point

source loudspeakers, most notably the

White range installation point source

products from the xS-Series, as well as

Black range Q, T and E-Series.

ArrayCalc V7 simplifies the process of

creating remote control workspaces for line arrays as well as point

sources, via an export function into the d&b R1 remote control

software. Version 7 also offers a new print out section that includes

the point source loudspeakers and an array collision detector. For a

complete installation project the additional algorithms within V7

address the requirements for a sophisticated d&b style simulation

and planning tool.

Distributed by www.stageaudioworks.co.za

panasonicPanasonic announced new

additions to its wide range of

professional audio visual

technologies, including new

projectors, professional displays

and digital signage solutions at

InfoComm2013. This year,

additions include a new line of

interactive plasma displays, the first Panasonic interactive ultra-short

throw projector, the industry’s brightest WUXGA single chip DLP™

projector and a new outdoor-ready ultra-bright LCD display.

Distributed by www.p0ansolutions.co.za

peavey architectural acousticsPeavey® Architectural

Acoustics® introduced its latest

advancement in pro audio

loudspeaker enclosures, the

ElementsTM weatherproof

loudspeakers. The new

American-made, incredibly

durable, reliable and versatile

Elements weatherproof enclosures are a combination of innovative

cabinet construction and proven, weatherproof components

designed for direct contact with the elements in the most

demanding climates.

electrosonic – Kramer

14

SyStem IntegrAtIon sHoW report

Surgex

SurgeX announced the new 1U Sequencer (SEQ 1U), a single rack unit

power management product that provides surge protection, power

conditioning and sequencing for audio, video, broadcast and

computer equipment. The SEQ 1U offers advanced protection

capabilities for any size AV or IT installation.

Loaded with proprietary SurgeX technologies, the SEQ 1U is

outfitted with Advanced Series Mode surge elimination protection, a

zero let through technology that stops all surges up to 6 000 volts /

3 000 amps without producing harmful side effects such as ground

contamination or common mode disturbances. The unit also features

common mode and normal mode Impedance Tolerant EMI/RFI

filtering and COUVS (Catastrophic Over/Under Voltage Shutdown), as

well as SurgeX ICE (Inrush Current Elimination) for a complete power

conditioning solution.

Distributed by www.audiosure.co.za

tv one

TV One exhibited at InfoComm 2013 a display of real-time video

manipulation with the new CORIOmaster mini.

The technological marvel, coined the ’Real-Time Video Windmill,’

features a rotating array of four 50” flat panel displays showing video

that maintains a stable horizon even as the displays rotate 360o in

real-time. Video sources will include live showroom floor video as well

as compelling streaming media.

To showcase its full potential, the CORIOmaster mini will alternate

between displaying a stable horizon while displays rotate, rotating

video in sync with the displays, or counter-rotating video in the

opposite direction of the rotating displays. Critical in the delivery of

clean video rotation and many other exciting features of

CORIOmaster mini is the product’s maximum video delay of two

frames in any application or resolution.

yamaha commercial audio

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. added a new 8-channel

amplifier line to its Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) product line.

The new amplifiers were shown at InfoComm 2013. The XMV amps are

8-channel versions of the 4-channel XMV amps and share the same

features and power ratings of 140W and 280W per channel, available

in either YDIF or Dante versions. The four new models also support

low-impedance and 70/100V modes.

The Yamaha YDIF Cascade Bus provides a simple intra-rack

connection utilizing inexpensive Cat5 cabling for an easy-to-use

16-channel bus, while Dante technology will allow CIS systems to

share audio with up to 40 subnets (using the Audinate Netspander

product) enabling Yamaha CIS systems to merge with other complex

professional audio systems simply and efficiently.

Distributed by www.yamaha.co.za

Turn conference rooms into collaboration rooms

The InFocus Mondopad™ transforms conference rooms designed for oneway presentations into dynamic visual collaboration workspaces. Break down visual communication barriers with this giant full-HD wall tablet, its intuitive touch applications and video conferencing connectivity. You and your colleagues can securely connect, share and collaborate with anyone, anywhere - making your meetings more collaborative, productive and sustainable than ever before.

MONDOPADPresentAnnotateCollaborateVideo Conference

CONTACT US [email protected]+27 11 706 0405www.questekav.com

Questek – mondopad

16

SyStem IntegrAtIon DispLAy teCHnoLoGy

Why flat panels aren’t replacing projectorsDo you think projectors are dead? think again. this ci Solutions Series whitepaper outlines how video projection can breathe life into an integrator’s businesses and provide ample return on investment for commercial video customers.

In the world of commercial video, the

falling prices and rising quality of

flat-panel displays has got a lot of

recognition in recent years. Projection

video, however, remains a vital part of

commercial integration business

because it offers value and addresses

needs that flat panels simply can’t.

As the quest to create standout commercial video solutions

becomes more daunting, projection video offer integrators limitless

opportunity to create custom solutions and provide return on

investment for their clients.

This CI Solutions Series whitepaper explains why integrators and

commercial clients should continue to focus on projectors.

arguments for the longevity of projectors

Yes, LCD panels are very popular right now. But projectors are here to

stay, says Mark Coxon.

I spoke to a major manufacturer of LCD panels last year who was

quite certain the projector would quickly become a relic of the past.

At that time I told him that I disagreed, and that the projector would

continue to be a staple in many applications, and the only innovative

option in others. It’s a year later and amid all the large format flat

panel display proliferation and 3D and 4K hype, the projector is still

alive and well. I foresee that this will continue to be the case into the

future, and here are a few reasons why.

1. Dollars per inch

Even in the world of available discount pricing through merchants like

Amazon, a 103-inch plasma display is a minimum of $400 per inch of

diagonal. With low-cost 6,000 lumen 1080p projectors available from

companies like BenQ, when coupled with a nice screen, you can get

that cost down to $33 per inch of diagonal for the same size screen.

Sure, you have to change some light bulbs, but $37 000 will buy you

quite a few, especially when typical boardroom usage will mean

lamp replacement every two to three years. There are still a great

number of spaces that will require screens above the high-end flat

panel sizes of 84- to 103-inch in diagonal based on viewing distances

at the back of the room.

2. existing structure

I once had a contractor tell me: “We’ve hung more on less,” when I

asked if the wall in question could support a 500-pound screen wall.

That was not the answer I wanted when my company was liable for

the end result. I concede not all large format displays are extremely

heavy. An 84-inch LED lit LCD is most likely 150 pounds, and there are

external mounting options that supply vertical support and extend to

the floor to keep the weight off the wall in question. However, if you

start to get larger than that, using multiple displays, or a 103-inch

plasma, you can bank on 500-600 pounds of potential hardware

being attached to a wall that may end at the acoustic grid, and may

not be attached at the top to any real structure. In cases like this,

engineering or adapting the wall to accommodate may not be an

option, and a light projection screen coupled with a projector is an

attractive alternative.

3. crosshair effect

LCD screen walls are an amazing sight. They are bright, crisp and

immersive. In environments with high ambient light, they can be the

only viable option for large-scale displays. They also offer higher pixel

density as each display is 1 to 2 million pixels, meaning a 2x2 screen

wall with 55-inch 1080p screens offers a 110-inch diagonal at 8 million

pixels. A 110-inch screen with a single 1080p projector would be a

2 million-pixel alternative, but depending on the viewing distance

and the light in the space, it may be a superior solution, especially if

you want to avoid having screen bezels interrupt your image.

4. mediatecture

If you haven’t heard the term mediatecture, Google it and you will

see some amazing things. Projection mapping, using a server and

custom media to project images on existing 3D structures, is a new

and exciting realm for A/V integrators. Many of us have seen events

phot

o co

urte

sy e

lect

roso

nic

uK

360 mall Family entertainment centre in Kuwait

17

DispLAy teCHnoLoGy SyStem IntegrAtIon

Unleash the power of projectors

catalyst aV board member

Wally Whinna describes dramatic

digital signage effects that can only

be accomplished through video

projection.

in December 2012, the industry

learned of a new nationwide

distribution network, catalyst aV, which launched

with 11 independent distributors to address the

residential and professional a/V channels. With 16

locations across the united States, the catalyst aV

network will serve more than 10 000 integration

companies.

in an effort to get to know the new distribution

network, ci caught up with board member and

principal of member company allnet Distributing

Wally Whinna for a conversation about the current

role of projection systems in commercial integration.

ci: For years, increasingly large and affordable flat panels have chipped away at projection systems’ share of the market. can you explain why projection is still being used?

Whinna: While flat panels have gotten less expensive, so have

projectors. At the same time, projectors have gotten smaller, lighter

and brighter. They are the best choice when you want to create the

impact that only a larger-than-life picture can deliver. For event

marketing, nothing beats a 100-plus-inch picture.

ci: in some ways, the role of projection systems has expanded to include new applications such as projection art and aesthetics-driven digital signage. are you seeing that?

Whinna: Combining a projector with a Quadview and digital

signage network player allows the display of three events plus

gaming or advertisements at the same time. Implementing

this strategy on a 65-inch flat panel delivers four images less

than 35 inches each.

When you use a projector solution with a 130-inch screen,

you have four 65-inch images creating a viable advertising

opportunity. Implementing this strategy also permits the

display of one to four events at the same time. Sunday

afternoon is four football games and Sunday night is the

game of the week. You wouldn’t have the same flexibility

with a flat panel.

Using a Quadview and digital signage network player also

offers a new dimension in promotion of events and specials.

BrightSign has an easy to use content generator in its

Brightauthor software. They also have scrolling content

capability as well as offer provision for times events.

As an example, five minutes every hour a bar can

promote upcoming entertainment, daily specials and

special events without being obtrusive. This sure beats a flyer

taped to the front door or conveniently placed in a visible

location in the bathroom.

In retail applications, integrators can also install a projector

with a motorized screen in the window. The business can

advertise all evening then raise the screen during the day to

restore the view into their store. That is an inexpensive way to

promote their business in a dynamic fashion.

ci: one of the manufacturers in your distribution network, Vivitek, emphasizes the 3D capabilities of its projectors for education markets. Does this focus reflect a trend that integrators ought to watch?

Whinna: From what we are hearing, 3D in education has

had slow adoption but we believe it represents good sales

opportunities as studies show that students are captivated by

seeing programs such as biology, astronomy, architecture

and geography in 3D, citing it enhances visual and hands-on

learning in the classroom.

WALLY WHINNA is a principal of Allnet Distributing and a

board member of the new distribution network Catalyst AV.

that utilise this to tell a story on a historic building or arena or museum.

Obviously the market for that application is small, but if you watch the

video for the Playstation Move project, seeing a white room and

couch turned into a brick-walled, wood floored apartment that falls

away, transforming the room into a space station, you may just rethink

the relevance of projection mapping to areas like retail, nightclubs,

restaurants, etc. Try doing that with an LCD screen.

5. immersive environments

Museums, engineering firms, and aerospace companies alike are all

starting to use projection-based systems in concert with curved rooms

or domed or spherical rooms. Projecting on these surfaces, edge

blending the overlaps and using warp engines to adjust for the

curvature of the spaces, allow these venues to create an

immersive virtual environment for tours, data analysis, and

simulation, respectively. This is similar to the projection mapping

argument above, but goes a little deeper, in that this scenario is

not about providing a show for an audience or customer, but

about creating an environment for work or exploration.

Large format LCD displays have changed the landscape of A/V

in a lot of ways and have their own advantages. Integrators still

provide value to their clients by helping them navigate the

potential pros and cons of different technologies in their specific

applications. An honest approach yields the answer that

projectors, which have been around potentially since 1420 and

were then called magic lanterns, are still relevant in the

marketplace today, and will continue to be.

this article was originally presented by and used by permission from commercial integrator. Find similar content on commercialintegrator.com.

18

SyStem IntegrAtIon inDustry eXpert

phil, you have an english accent, tell us how you landed up in South africa?Well I’ve been with Christie for 13 years now, I moved down to South

Africa seven years ago because I was looking after Africa and the

Middle East. So I moved down 50 percent for personal reasons as I

have family here and 50 percent for the business.

and? are you enjoying it?Yes I love it, this is home now.

How did you find yourself working for christie?Mmm, that’s a good question. I was previously working in video

conferencing, I used to do training and demonstrations over video, so

I was kind of in the audio visual industry. Video conferencing never

took off back then, and the company I was working for was a bit

shaky, so the opportunity arose to join Christie as an internal sales

coordinator, and I took it and never looked back.

you were previously based in Durban, what prompted the move to Johannesburg?I was working as a consultant for Christie based in Durban and I would

come up here regularly. We opened the official ‘Christie Africa’ office

here at Monte Casino just over a year ago. We then subsequently

hired an office manager and engineers so it made sense to be here in

Johannesburg and to be with the team.

Jo’burg or Durban?Um…at the moment Jo’burg to be honest.

i hear you’ve travelled into africa extensively, what was that all about?Within Africa the business is still very much relationship driven, you’ve

got to get on a plane and you got to go there, it’s the only way to

generate any real business and find the real opportunities. Personally I

feel Europe is not like that anymore, Europe is very cut-throat and it’s

all about price, whereas in Africa and to some extent the Middle East,

it’s still people buying from people that counts.

What’s the market like further into africa? Has christie been well received?We’ve been developing the business a lot outside of South Africa;

from this office we cover the whole of Africa and Israel, that’s our

territory, all the way up to Egypt. Christie is very well known, and a lot

of our branding has really been accelerated by the cinema industry.

Over the last few years the cinema market has just been amazing, so

we’re very well-known globally in cinema.

What has been your personal highlight in terms of sales at christie?At the moment it would probably be the Ster-Kinekor deployment.

They are currently converting over 400 screens to digital, a lot of them

are 3D screens as well. We’re in the middle of the roll-out at the

moment, and that’s not just for South Africa, it includes Namibia,

Zambia and Zimbabwe. We’ve just landed another cinema deal in

Botswana which is also pretty great and also we’ve just signed a deal

with Tsogo Sun to upgrade 35 screens for them.

What can the industry expect from christie over the next year in terms of market strategy?Well we are very well established in South Africa so for this year we

want to develop the business north of the border, in East and West

Africa.

What christie product do you think offers the best performance at the best price point?From a single supplier, we as a manufacturer probably have the

largest range of displays from a single source. So we can offer

anything from a 4 000lumen boardroom projector all the way up to a

huge 35 000lumen projector projecting onto buildings. I’d say

probably where we’ve been really successful has been the M Series

platform, which is very high performance and high quality range of

projectors but the pricing is strategically placed. We’ve had a lot of

success with the rental and staging community, they’ve really

adopted that platform, as well as a lot of high end corporate fixed

installations with MTN, Vodacom and banks as well. So I’d probably

say the M Series is the hotbox at the moment.

What is your personal favourite technological innovation of the last decade?I would say anything that displays movie content, so whether or not it’s

an iPad or a tablet or it’s your mobile phone, I think easy access to

movie content is it for me, because I love movies.

What’s on the cards for christie moving forward? any new technologies?We’ve just launched our Brio product and this is a collaborative way of

sharing data. Gone are the days when you walk in with a laptop and

have to plug and cable in, the Brio will allow you to walk in and

wirelessly connect, share data and video and interact. So we’re not

just investing in displays but also in the ‘add-on’ products, so we’re

becoming more of a one-stop solutions provider. Within the next year

we’re seeing laser as the new technology, you can achieve very high

brightness, very big screens and pictures and you don’t have the cost

of lamps. Laser is the future for us!

What’s the strangest installation you’ve ever done?I’d say the strangest or the most eccentric is probably one we did for a

prince in Saudi-Arabia, where we sold a R1-million or $100 000

projector into his palace for his home cinema. Basically he just wanted

to watch Titanic on it, which was his favourite movie… (we laugh).

phil Lord has been working with christie Digital for over 13 years now, from england, to Durban, to Johannesburg and all over africa.

Between his constant jet setting, phil found a moment to sit down with Pro-Systems journalist chanelle ellaya and tell us a bit about himself and a lot about christie.

Phil Lord Interview

Vivitek all inclusive Product App

LARGE VENUEPROJECTORS

audiosure – Vivitek

20

SyStem IntegrAtIon CLAssrooM soLution

Then again, they used to beat us with sticks and if you didn’t get with

the otherwise rigid programme, you were left up the proverbial creek

without a paddle. Seems quite primitive, doesn’t it? Now, thanks to

21st Century technology, all the residue of that bygone era is slowly

eroding and Maragon Schools, an up-market private school in

Ruimsig, is leading the way in 21st Century learning.

Maragon Schools is a place where the pen and paper approach is

soon to be snuffed out of existence. To simply say they recently

received a comprehensive connectivity solution upgrade would be

somewhat of a half-truth and only barely touch upon the sheer

magnitude of their goals at the school.

Maragon, the name derived from the Greek word for pearl, has

rolled out a paperless system throughout grades seven to nine, aided

by their school-wide WiFi network and implementation of iPads,

virtual textbooks accessed via their own custom app, Apple TV, short

throw projection and peripheral connectivity in the classroom.

Richard Jowett from Johannesburg-based Audio Visual Designs

was responsible for the installation of the AV components needed to

get the learning material onto the projector screen. AV Designs is a

company that specialises in manufacturing custom electronic

solutions for the corporate and institutional audio visual market and

because of their history and experience in the field, they had just the

expertise needed by Maragon to bring the project to fruition.

The overall concept at Maragon was to get rid of traditional

textbooks and develop an app for iPad and Android tablets where

the learners can not only read the material but interact with it as well.

The app is called Maramedia and is available as a free download

from the iTunes App Store or on Google Play. In app purchase of

textbooks can be made and, according to Dion Kotze, Head of

Academic Research and Development at Maragon, they cost up to

45% less than traditional printed books. The app itself, impressively,

was coded in-house by a team of 16 developers from the publishing

arm of Maragon called Maramedia Publishing.

“We basically went from a paper environment to a more

technological environment,” says Kotze. “And the whole idea behind

that was to move with our IDMs – Interactive Digital Manuals. We had

printed books up until then but realised that it was not enough to

engage kids anymore; we wanted to move forward. We didn’t want

a simple, flat environment in the app. We wanted them to be able to

experience it and have it projected for them along with going on to

the internet if they needed to do research. So we opened up the

whole digital world to them.”

Obviously the advantages to a paperless, app-based learning

system are myriad. Besides the long term saving on textbook costs,

an app paves the way for multiple learning styles and can therefore

cater to the unique needs of unique children who all have their own

way of learning. The app and subsequent digital text book features

all sorts of interactive images, video, audio and test materials needed

to disseminate the lesson effectively.

One of the keys to this system is connectivity. A local network

backbone was installed by Dimension Data that included a Meru

MC4200 Enterprise wireless controller, HP Prolient servers, HP gigabit

POE switches with fibre links to the various buildings and eight Meru

AP320is managed wireless access points in each building, totalling 24.

This network backbone is the conduit through which the school’s new

learning platform will be delivered.

AV Designs then stepped in to provide the necessary components

needed in the classroom to project and share the lessons with the

students. All in all there are 41 classrooms, each of which received an

Apple TV, an Acer S5201M short throw projector with wall mount

extension brackets and a Kramer wall-mounted patch point

populated with HDMI, XGA and stereo audio inputs. Apple’s Airplay

Connecting our learners to a paperless classroomBy Greg Bester

at risk of sounding like an old fuddy-duddy, school isn’t what it used to be. When i was a boy during the model c era we took good old pens, paper and textbooks with us and learned the traditional way. We were called pupils and not learners. the teacher used chalk and blackboards. the only method of projection was by way of the overhead (and messy transparencies), and technology didn’t go beyond the media centre, never mind the classroom.

21

CLAssrooM soLution SyStem IntegrAtIon

By Greg Bester

technology is used to link the teachers’ iOS device to the Apple TV so

that learning material may be projected onto the screen via the

projector; a slick and stable option. This enables the teacher to guide

the lesson while also enabling students to work at their own pace

through the IDM.

Kotze comments: “One thing that’s important to us is to not stifle the

kids’ learning. Different children learn in different spaces. Some kids

need to go ahead and some kids need more revision. What we do

find, however, is that the kids walk into class and are ready to learn.

They are actually less distracted because of this system. We have

blocked social sites like Facebook until after school hours so during

normal school hours they can only access specific sites.”

AV Designs is also involved in fabrication so they were

commissioned to custom build a security bracket for the Apple TVs.

With 41 Apple TVs throughout the school, one could feasibly go

missing at any point.

“We had to build a custom bracket for the Apple TVs so that it could

be cradled and locked. However, we had to do it in such a way that it

didn’t impair Wi-Fi connectivity so you can’t just cover it up. You’ll get

no reception. So we finally came to a design that allowed the Apple

TV to be secure while still offering optimal connectivity,” says Richard

Jowett.

Of course, with hundreds of little bodies walking around plodding

around on their iPads, the WiFi network had to be robust. While each

of the access points are managed to the point that the signal

migrates from one to another as the students move around the

campus, wired connections were used where possible.

“One of the things we did find was that it would probably be better

to install a wired connection from the router to the projector,” Kotze

said, “and that takes care of the bandwidth issues we were facing. It’s

been split up into different areas now so the admin building is one

section, the school is another section and the teachers are on a

separate network so that has alleviated and organised the system

nicely.”

Clean, suppor t ive d is t r ibu t ion.

t ( + 2 7 ) 11 7 9 1 70 0 9 w w w w. t adc o . c o . z a e s a l e s @ t ad c o . c o . z a

tadco

the wrap

After visiting Maragon Schools and seeing their system for myself my

immediate thought was that my education had been short changed! The

advance of technological progress has made the learning process more

flexible to a far wider range of student types than ever before and that,

dear country, is something I can believe in. The shortcomings of the past

where students were forced to fit in with a rigid system or fail was clearly a

mistake and the implementation of a system such as the one at Maragon

Schools where the strengths of each individual child are nurtured is clearly

a sure-fire path to a future we can be hopeful for.

22

SyStem IntegrAtIon DiGitAL DispLAy

Local experts install robust signage at trade port

Dube Trade Port is a comprehensive trade portal between KwaZulu-

Natal and the world and is the only facility in Africa that combines an

international airport (King Shaka International) a cargo terminal,

warehousing, offices, a retail sector, hotels and an agricultural zone.

Positioned 30km north of Durban, it sits between Southern Africa’s two

biggest sea ports and is linked to the rest of the continent by rail.

In the case of the screens installed by System Solutions, models of

high specification were of paramount importance to ensure reliability.

Four previous screens had been installed by a different company

which failed, causing Dube Trade Port to seek worry free

replacements that would stand against the elements and supply

robust operation for five to 10 years.

The screens of choice were Lighthouse Impact 12. These 12mm

pitch LED screens are essentially the installation version of the DuoLED,

which LEDVision, the LED rental supplier of the Gearhouse Group, has

far-reaching experience with. This was a big motivating factor in

pitching the product to DTP, according the Roger Feldmann, System

Solutions’ general manager, along with ensuring forward

compatibility with the ever-evolving and competitive advertising

sector.

“The Lighthouse brand is one of the top five brands internationally,”

says Feldmann, “and we have direct access to their products. We’ve

been working with Lighthouse for many years. There are a lot of less

expensive Chinese products on the market and to the layman they

may look quite similar but there’s a huge price difference and a huge

quality difference. However, when the level is raised and we’re

comparing apples with apples on a high end scale, we are very

competitive in that sphere. So, this job really suited System Solutions

from that point of view because it was a high end application of

outdoor LED screens.”

During the procurement process, System Solutions demonstrated

the 12mm DuoLED screens in an on-site shootout with four other

companies as they exhibited the same brightness and resolution as

the Impact 12.

Once the tender agreement was signed, the project took four to

five months to plan and in January 2013 rigorous negotiations around

response times, uptimes and maintenance levels were concluded.

The project was given a go-ahead and handed over to Karen Blyth,

project manager at System Solutions who would see out the

installation to completion. The screens would be managed under a

maintenance agreement with System Solutions which outlined a

response and repair time within 48 hours in the case of a failure and

would also include remote management and diagnostics.

Prior to the shipping of the screens, representatives from System

Solutions and Dube Trade Port were flown to the Lighthouse factory in

Huizou, China for a factory acceptance test where the performance

of the screens were demonstrated for brightness, brightness control,

viewing angles and contrast ratios. Automatic brightness control was

a key safety specification from Dube Trade Port due to one of the

screens being in a flight path and therefore at risk of distracting the

pilot. For this reason the screens have been set up with automatic

brightness control and a Lighthouse LCM-HDP processor was spec’d

to manage video content, supply maintenance data and parameter

control. The brightness controller of each screen – which are

independently dimmable – were carefully placed to achieve results

required by the client. Richard Baker, Director at LEDVision, has

access to each screen via the Lighthouse LCM processor remotely

where brightness, temperature and module and diode robustness

can be monitored via network.

The 4992mm x 3849mm Impact 12 screens were shipped in two

40-foot containers and subsequently delivered to the site by road.

The screens were installed into the existing structures and all structural

work and specialised fabrication was performed by a specialist

Dube trade port, an infrastructural development parastatal aimed at facilitating the import and export of manufactured goods to and from South africa while promoting tourism, recently tendered the installation of four LeD screens to System Solutions, the system integrations arm of the Gearhouse Group.

LeD screen in KZn

23

DiGitAL DispLAy SyStem IntegrAtIon

contractor who worked in conjunction with the System Solutions team

comprising of Charles Naidoo and Johan Jacobs, who managed

signal distribution, rewiring and rust proofing. The System Solutions

team was overseen by Karen Blyth and Stephen Woodroffe. LEDVision

handled the commissioning and final configuration of the screens

and electrical affairs were subcontracted to another specialist

contractor.

In accordance with the high standards of System Solutions, a SAT

(Site Acceptance Test) was performed at dawn, mid-morning,

midday, mid-afternoon, dusk and night to monitor the performance

of the brightness control in various conditions of daylight. Barring

minor issues out of their control such as cable theft, the installation was

concluded by the first week in July 2013 and the screens have been

running since.

“Now that the install is up and running smoothly, we get to deliver

the client’s requirement of five years of fail-safe service and that will

be the trick that shows what sets System Solutions apart from the rest,”

says Feldmann.

the wrap

Given the market influx of many generic, low-cost LED

screens, making the right purchase decision is probably

more daunting than ever. Indeed, when such an

investment is taken it is wise to make sure you’re not just

purchasing the screens but also customer service, support

and reliability. In the case of Dube Trade Port, the moral of

the story was self-evident: forget about the cheap stuff

and go for quality. System Solutions along with LEDVision

are renowned continent-wide for their utmost attention to

quality, detail and support and for the next five years at

least, Dube Trade Port can enjoy stunning, trouble-free

digital signage thanks to their team.

24

SyStem IntegrAtIon CLAssrooM soLution

Breathing life into UJ’s new medical facility

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is one of the country’s

fundamental training centres for a variety of programmes falling

within the health sciences domain. The Faculty of Health Sciences

situated at the UJ Doornfontein Campus recently built a brand new

Simulation Centre which will cater for the practical training and

assessment of students registered for the various faculty programmes

being offered. Local AV integrators Audio Visual Centre were

commissioned for the bulk of the work. State of the art equipment

was installed throughout the centre which serves to streamline the

examination process, provides bio-clocking, audio and video

distribution, examination and training surveillance as well as

communication and audio video recording.

I met AVC sales executive and system designer Stuart Black at the

UJ Doornfontein Campus to take a look at what has been installed

and to get an idea about how the system will be used. Other

personnel involved in the project were project manager David

Hodgeson, head installer Timothy Hodgeson, and installation assistant

Carlton Mafa.

the project brief

From an installation point of view, the facility can be broken down into

three areas: the skills centre, patient simulation rooms, and a clinical

debriefing room. Simulation Centre Manager Geoff Petro explains:

“In the health care training arena, particularly on the paramedic and

nursing programmes, we have two different ways in which we

conduct practical training for students. This is achieved through the

performance of individual skills or patient simulations.”

The skills centre contains ten skills stations where students can

practice and are tested on their performance of individual skills, for

example, the insertion of an intravenous drip on a manikin arm. In the

patient simulation rooms, real-world patient scenarios are presented.

The clinical debriefing room is where student performance is

reviewed. This may incorporate the scrutinising of video recordings

taken during assessments. All practical training and assessments for

the programmes linked to the new facility is accomplished in different

parts of the training wing.

The general goal at the Simulation Centre was to install cameras,

microphones, projectors and displays throughout the facility to

convey training videos, record practical procedures and assessments

and distribute audio and video bi-directionally throughout. With

each section of the facility having its own requirements however,

each room had to be tailor-fitted with the new equipment to meet

the needs of its modus operandi.

the skills centre

The skills centre contains 10 work stations for skills training as well as the

control room where the rack, control and AV equipment are housed.

Each booth received a 42” Samsung LED TV to display training videos

and for video playback, a Hikvision CC431 IP camera to record the

training and testing, a cosmos amplified microphone that links to the

camera, and an Apart Audio CM20T 20W two-way ceiling speaker for

distributed audio.

An impressive feature of the video recording system is that it can

also record in infra-red. This is useful when students are required to

perform skills in a low light setting, for example, the diagnostic

assessment of a patient’s eye. A normal camera would obviously not

be able to record in the dark so the infra-red recording feature

sidesteps this hurdle.

State-of-the-art industrial-grade bio-clocking was also installed, not

just in the skills centre, but throughout the entire training wing. All in

all, 16 Virdi biometric fingerprint readers with LCD displays were

installed. The Virdi readers can also assist the different programme

heads keep track of student attendance by allowing statistics to be

drawn on staff and student movement in and out of the facility.

By Greg Bester

paramedics and nurses are an essential component of any well-functioning society. they are most often the first port-of-call in a medical emergency in the pre- hospital or in- hospital environment and can certainly mean the difference between life and death. the men and women who take on this responsibility are indeed heroes and deserve our utmost praise and respect. Holding a position of such high esteem and engage in stressful situations that require elevated levels of control and swift action, it is absolutely critical that health science students receive rigorous and effective training. When it comes down to the wire, they hold precious lives in the palm of their hands.

a training booth in the skills centre

25

CLAssrooM soLution SyStem IntegrAtIon

control room

The control room contains the rack and master control station for

addressing each zone. The entire facility is networked via CAT5/6 and

is fully matrixed so audio and video can be sent and received to and

from virtually anywhere in the facility. For video, a PTN MMX1616A

modular 16 x 16 matrix was installed. The PTN matrix received a 4 x

HDMI input card, a 4 x VGA input card and three 4 x HDMI over CAT6

output cards and each 42” Samsung display – all 12 of them –

received a PTN TPHD402R HDMI over twisted pair cable receiver to

convert video over CAT6 to HDMI.

The rack itself contains, other than the PTN matrix, two 12-input,

eight-output Apart Audio AUDIOCONTROL12.8 audio matrix with

on-board DSP, two eight-channel Apart Audio PA8250 audio

amplifiers (8 x 250w) and two Apart Audio eight-channel 100v line

transformers for distributing audio to their respective zones, totalling

17. An Apart Audio DIMIC12 12-button paging microphone with the

DIMIC125 12-button expansion unit was also supplied for paging each

audio zone along with a USB PC timer with LCD screen for timing

examinations.

A custom DVR rack- mount PC was supplied with 20TB of RAID

storage.

patient simulations

The patient simulations portion of the facility is comprised of five

rooms where students can train in real world situations using manikins

to simulate actual patients. There are two rooms containing a

simulated ambulance and high- fidelity manikin, one of which costs

well over R1 million. A general purpose training room, simulated

Emergency Department and a simulated hospital ward including an

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) cubicle make up the other three rooms.

Emergency patient scenarios can be simulated in the general

simulation room, two simulated ambulance rooms and/ or the

hospital Emergency Department (ED) better known as the casualty to

some Non-emergency scenarios can be run in the simulated ward.

Each bed in the ED and ward received the same IP camera and

microphone combo for recording video and audio. The general

purpose and ambulance simulation rooms each received one

combo which was strategically placed in the corner of the room. In

each ambulance simulation room, a separate combo was fitted in

the corner of the ambulance platform allowing entire assessments to

be conducted “in the back of an ambulance”. The ambulance

rooms also received an additional 42” Samsung LED display and a

Parrot magnetic whiteboard which was also included in the general

purpose training room. Each Parrot magnetic whiteboard is

projected upon by an eBeam®-enabled NEC projector and so

annotations can be made by a companion wireless IR pen. A PC in

the corner of the room feeds the projector.

The Clinical Debriefing Room

The Clinical Debriefing Room at the Simulation Centre received a

typical AV installation as you would find in a corporate boardroom. A

106” Grandview Cyber-series motorised screen was installed, along

with a Sony VPL-SW125 short throw projector. The choice of a

short-throw projector was made to ensure that it was kept at some

distance from air conditioner nearby.

Signal distribution is handled by a PTN WP-19 presentation switcher

with integrated scaler which can handle 12 inputs and three outputs

on CAT6. This switcher/scaler includes the SC121D-T receiver. A PTN

PTNET programmable network RS232 controller interface was also

installed along with a PTN 19-button programmable control panel

with RS232 control interfacing for controlling the projector screen,

input selection and volume control. The boardroom table includes

four pop-ups which include points for power, VGA, HDMI and audio

modules which are linked to the PTN presentation switcher.

Audio is handled by a PTN PA-2AB 2 x 20W mini amplifier which is

currently the smallest amplifier available on the market. Two white

20W Extron SM3 wall-mount speakers were installed and were a

perfect match for the PTN amplifier, which is also RS232 controllable.

a word from the facility manager Geoff petro

“We are really excited about the audio-visual equipment that has

been installed throughout the facility. The camera system for instance

will enable us to record activities like facilitator demonstrations,

student training sessions as well as formal assessments across the

entire facility at the same time. This is definitely not something that we

have been able to do within any of the health sciences’ programmes

at UJ to date. The audiovisual equipment will definitely enhance the

entire learning experience for our students. This equipment together

with the layout of rooms within the new facility will allow us to set up

realistic patient scenarios. We will then conduct integrated training

sessions and assessments utilising students from different health

science disciplines namely Emergency Medical Care which is the

paramedic degree, Medicine, Nursing, Radiography and even

Biomedical Technology. In the past, students were not exposed to this

type of training in the classroom environment. To date, most students

only got to experience these types of scenarios during their clinical

practice shifts on the road in the case of paramedic students or in a

hospital for others. This situation will now change.”

the wrap

As education in South Africa moves forward it is paramount that

institutions move along accordingly with the march of technology.

Every day brings with it new and exciting opportunities for growth

and grasping onto them is the only way our society can progress

beyond the redundant and into excellence. The Simulation Centre

at the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein campus is a prime

example of the Latin phrase carpe diem and given what Audio

Visual Centre installed there, I’m sure we’ll be seeing many more

lives being saved by better trained emergency and general

medical personnel in the coming years.

cameras above beds

26

InStAllAtIonS MuseuM soLution

South Africa – The name //hapo means ‘dream’ and has been drawn

from a Khoi proverb “//hapo ge //hapo tama /haohasib dis tamas

ka i bo,” that translates: “A dream is not a dream until it is shared by

the entire community.”

//hapo’s vision was clear: to create an interactive exhibition space

where the story of southern Africa, dating back 3.6 billion years, will

unfold in an engaging narrative and visual form.

Designed by a collaborative team of South African architects from

Mashabane Rose, MMA and GAPP, //hapo sits at the base of

Pretoria’s Freedom Park and is reminiscent of a huge outcrop of fallen

rock.

Inside, the spaces are brought to life by evocative sculptures,

artefacts and information pieces, which are complemented and

supported by a carefully prescribed audio, lighting and video

infrastructure.

Renowned artist Clive van der Berg handled the exhibition design,

while the technological aspects of the project were conceived and

managed by Digital Fabric’s Gavin Olivier. He called on some of

South Africa’s leading integrators including: TDC Africa and DWR

Distribution for lighting and audiovisual collaborators Dimension Data

and Sonic Factory.

“Principally our challenge was to create a technological system

that was operationally simple and sustainable, yet equally, would

deliver a feature rich experience for visitors,” says Olivier.

a journey through seven epochs of South african history

It begins with ‘The Earth’, which explores an African story of creation.

Next, ‘Ancestors’ considers historical generations from both a physical

and spiritual perspective. ‘Peopling’ tackles the changes

experienced by pre-conquest societies in Africa. ‘Resistance and

Colonisation’ tell the story of the major historical forces that gave birth

to modern South Africa. ‘Industrialisation and Urbanisation’ moves to

the story of large-scale exploitation of minerals during the period of

colonisation and its impact on the indigenous industries and

settlement patterns. ‘Nationalisms and Struggle’ focus on the

contesting forces of white state formation and the struggle for a

democratic society as the backdrop to the birth of a new South

Africa. Finally ‘Nation Building’ and ‘Continent Building’ engages with

the story of the reclamation of the myriad of different freedoms that is

ensconced with the Constitution of South Africa.

//hapo Museum Freedom Park: an interactive experience

the recently completed //hapo museum forms the primary entrance to Freedom park – a heritage destination in pretoria, South africa, that stretches over 52 hectares. Built to serve as a place of remembrance, its narrative is one of humanity, freedom and ecological responsibility, Sarah rushton-read reports . . .

phot

os b

y G

avi

n o

livie

r

the ramp from earth epoch leading to ancestors

27

MuseuM soLution InStAllAtIonS

Visitors are guided by the technology within each area – led by

their own curiosity and some automated cues – engagement and

interaction are key vehicles for the journey.

olivier explains:

“Every area has a digital storyteller

– in the absence of a human guide,

it’s the person who contextualises

the narrative of that space for you.”

The highly sophisticated control system comprises Alcorn McBride

and Crestron platforms, facilitating the summarisation of hundreds of

control processes into an understandable user interface with

automatic daily scheduling for all AV and lighting functionality.

The audio-visuals range from simple 19” LCDs embedded into set

works to large, multi-projector blended and warped projections onto

a range of surfaces and set works. The introductory Earth story is

played out as a square format, utilising two Christie HD6KMs stacked

and blended, offering a massive five-metre high image to visitors as

they enter the exhibition. In each following Epoch a key film is played

via a number of mediums including four projector wide screens and

monitor trees plus projection onto art installations and wall surfaces.

“What is significant,” says Oliver, “is that none of these items could

be mounted using standard metalwork, each item had to be

designed from scratch requiring several hundred custom designed

mounts, bezels and housings. The results show in the final product, with

every item sitting comfortably in its surrounding – its not always about

hiding technology away, but rather ensuring that it looks like it’s

meant to be there.”

The technology is crucial and in this case lighting has a number of

roles to play as Olivier explains: “Given the large role that media plays

in the overall narrative, the highly visual and textured exhibition

design and build also demands a creatively theatrical approach to

lighting.”

Indeed lighting is used to evoke the feel and atmosphere of each

scene that //hapo presents.

TDC was awarded the lighting tender in 2009 and partnered with

DWR Distribution, which managed the project on TDC’s behalf.

Theatre lighting designer Declan Randall was engaged by Digital

Fabric to offer his creative thinking when it came to fixture positioning

and focus decisions. In addition well known TV and music lighting

designer Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier contributed to the final focus

sessions.

Randall assisted in specifying fittings and allocating units to each

zone, ensuring they had enough flexibility, precision and control, and

also specified the colour filters and gobos.

“Some of the areas called for low-level accent lighting on the

displays, others featured graphic panels that required even

illumination,” explains Randall. “We therefore required a large

number of fittings offering precision optics, energy efficiency and

cost-effectiveness. There were very few opportunities for any dynamic

effects, so we had to ensure that we chose colour, gobos and focus

very carefully.”

“It was the longest period I’ve ever worked on a project,”

comments DWR’s Robert Izzett, who along with Eazy Moeketsi,

headed the lighting installation. “This was even more so for Gavin,

who dreamed up concepts a couple of years before the actual

tender was compiled. He worked a total of six years on the project.”

For the permanent exhibition DWR supplied and installed 72 fibre

optic display case lighting systems. Manufactured to spec by

Universal Fibre Optics, Digital Fabric’s Alex Sanfilippo spent time in the

UK factory ensuring that the custom parts would work in the locally

constructed cases. “Each showcase has one or more LED engines,”

comments Izzett. “The showcases vary in size, and while some have 12

fibre ends, the larger showcases have an excess of 300 fibre ends.

Each fibre end has an adjustable beam angle so we can control the

spread of each one.”

DWR /TDC also manufactured more than 580 metres of internally

wired lighting bars. Designed by Digital Fabric to minimise installation

time, the lighting bars featured flexible connection points that mated

to the building infrastructure with minimal adjustment. Olivier

comments: “When it comes to delivering custom items for projects,

the experienced and diverse team at DWR is excellent. They take

pride in developing technical solutions, on time and to spec. It’s

extremely rewarding to see our designs delivered as required and

with such a no-nonsense approach.”

Augmenting these bespoke solutions was an extensive stock of

PhilipsSeleconfixtures–namely66PhilipsSeleconDisplay25˚-50˚

the mixture of exhibit elements in the ancestors epoch, from raw artefacts to multi-screen digital

28

InStAllAtIonS MuseuM soLution

ZoomProfiles,54PhilipsSeleconDisplay15˚-35˚ZoomProfilesand118

Philips Selecon Wing – Asymmetrical floods. “The compact, clean

look of the Selecon fixtures made them ideal for the job,” explains

DWR founder, Duncan Riley.

LD Randall agrees: “The team chose the Selecon display profiles

because they are bright and have fantastic optics. The flat field of the

beam is really useful and especially helpful when lighting graphic

panels. The framing shutters are great and the locking mechanism on

the shutters is crucial in ensuring the focus of the fitting remains true

for as long as possible. The range of beam angles available is also

really useful as it meant we could specify the right beam angle for

each job without losing too much light by being forced to adjust the

zoom optics too wide. They’re also easy to focus and their elegant

design makes them ideal for most applications.”

Because of the high number of metal halide lamps, Digital Fabric

specified minimal dimming in the museum, requiring fittings that

would be bright enough to light the exhibits but not be too

overpowering in the space. “The Selecon range enabled us to keep

the same design of fittings throughout the space,” explains Oliver,

“but at the same time we could opt to change the power of the light

sources as required.”

A further 470 lighting fixtures have been supplied and installed,

including 232 Custom WAC LED Zoom Profiles, 160 Par 16 LED Birdies,

38ETCSource4Zoom15˚-30˚Profilesand40ETCSource4Zoom

25˚-50˚Profiles.

Lighting is controlled by zone using DMX dimming and switched

contactor circuits, controlled by the AV control system.

Asked about the importance of reliable, low-maintenance lighting

equipment in this kind of environment, DWR’s Izzett states: “It’s crucial.

Some of the areas are pretty difficult to access and the lighting is

running for long periods of time. Low maintenance is paramount.”

It was experience, too, that helped shape the museum’s

audiovisual elements, which were addressed in a joint venture

between networking giant, Dimension Data and integration

specialists, Sonic Factory. Gavin Olivier explains: “Their combination

of resources, skill and experience is what made

the installation possible. Sonic Factory has a long history with Digital

Fabric, having worked together on more than 30 museum and

exhibition projects and this close working relationship made many of

the complicated processes much easier to achieve.”

Digital Fabric, worked with Dimension Data and Sonic Factory to

design bespoke solutions for the unique audiovisual needs of each

area, using a variety of loudspeakers including JBL Control

Contractor, Panphonics Soundshower and Stealth Acoustics’

architectural speakers, which have been deployed for the large

screen in The Earth.

“Stealth Acoustics architectural speakers are not the usual flat

panel speakers,” says Olivier. “I’ve tried many different kinds and

on the whole they tend to sound overly thin. However we found

these and they’re superb for a flat panel product.”

Crown amplification and BSS Soundweb London provide

power and control for the audio systems with override panels in

each area for audio levels and stop/start functionality. Each

exhibit epoch features concealed ambient sensing

microphones, allowing audio levels to be continuously adjusted

to suit visitor numbers during the day.

The video system delivers more than 70 channels of HD video

and 19 interactives across Opticom fibre transceivers. All video is

derived from Alcorn McBride HD Binloops with the exception of a

large projected landscape that required extensive warping and

blending across three projectors. For this exhibit Digital Fabric

specified a BSM Media Server. Projection consists of a range of

Christie and NEC projectors – the DS+750 and HD6KM handle the

larger screens – with NEC’s PA500U, PA750U and PX750U

projectors and V-Series LCD screens filling in the smaller

requirements. The touch screens are from Screenvision driven by

Apple Mac Minis.

The collective result is both absorbing and inspirational.

//hapo represents the creativity, inventiveness, resilience and

spirit of the South African people. For those who have

contributed to its creation, there is obvious pride. Its physique

and lasting statement are undeniably huge, but it’s also the

project journey, with its twists, turns and extensions that have

helped to deepen the impression left on people like DWR’s

Robert Izzett. “It was a privilege to work with Gavin Olivier,” he

says. “His knowledge of history and museum systems, and his

passion is awesome. Big museum projects like this don’t come

along often. A museum of this scale is the largest we at DWR

have ever worked on. They only come by a few times in your

lifetime. It’s a legacy for us.”

the wrap

Turning challenges into opportunities, Olivier has undoubtedly

helped to create something that he believes is very special: “I love

the way that the narrative takes visitors on a journey that starts with

very broad concepts of creation and gradually narrows down to

the knife-edge of our recent history, all within an African

perspective. It’s a different take to most other museums.”

phot

o by

Ga

vin

oliv

ier

the praise poets exhibit in the nationbuilding epoch, with multiple synchronised screens

prosound

30

InStAllAtIonS sCHooL soLution

Equipping girls’ school for drama and sports

Local audio and lighting distributors and installers Prosound were

commissioned from the onset of the initial planning to install state of

the art audio, lighting and AV systems there under the auspices of

Prosound Project Consultant Lindsay McGuire and Holy Rosary

Business Manager Bryony Williams.

the brief

Prosound, who came highly recommended to the school, worked

with architect Nicolette Gammon from the planning phase of the

project, which started in November 2012.

“Nicolette called me,” says McGuire, “because we had come

highly recommended having installed systems at many schools. The

brief was for a full, multi-purpose application. Obviously they wanted

to do theatre productions, school plays, etc, along with a sports hall

so we worked with the architects from the beginning. Also, they

wanted to have an amphitheatre at the rear of the building behind

the stage. With Prosound’s background in theatre and schools we

were able to offer them the full solution.”

Additionally, screens, projectors and flat panel displays were

installed and extensive sound treatment was installed by Dave Ter

Steege from Hammerhead Sound. Despite having no audio

background, Gary Cook, who works as the head of IT at the school,

took on the role of managing the newly installed sound, lighting and

AV systems at the hall. By way of his own research and training by

Prosound, he has come to a surprisingly comprehensive grasp of the

systems there.

audio

The FOH audio system centres on two-way, 600W 15” Electro Voice

ZX5s with dual-18” TX2181 subwoofers. An LCR (left, centre, right)

system was spec’d with two ZX5s in a centre cluster and a single ZX5

on either side of the stage. Two TX2181s were supplied; one per side.

When asked why a point source system was the preferred

approach, McGuire says: “Going point source at the end of the day,

in a venue like this, is a lot easier to handle. A lot of people go for line

array because it looks good and that’s the trend but there is much

more room for disaster with a line array. Even if they bring in a big rock

concert the infrastructure can handle it. We made sure that if artists

want to bring in extra sound that the infrastructure is there. There are

analogue and digital mults, DMX points, etc, for them to supplement

the system.”

In addition to FOH, a full delay system was installed not only for

those sitting in the balcony at the rear of the hall but also for under the

balcony. Four two-way 300W 12”EV SX300Es were installed for the

balcony and eight five-inch, two-way EV S40Bs were installed under

the balcony. For the amphitheatre two further EV ZX5s on stands were

supplied.

The FOH console of choice, of course, was a Midas PRO1 with the

standard touring package of 40 channels and 27 buses and loaded

with 24 local mic/line inputs, 24 analogue outputs, two AES3 inputs

and three AES3 outputs. Further i/o in the form of a Midas DL251 fixed

format i/o unit was installed that includes 48 remote controlled mic/

line inputs and 16 outputs, connected to the PRO1 via Midas Cat5e

cable. A 24 input/8 return analogue microphone snake was also

By Greg Bester

the Holy rosary School in edenvale, a catholic day school for girls, recently erected a brand new hall – the Bishop Shanahan Hall – at the old bowling club sports grounds purchased by the school and now called Shanahan park. the hall was built to be multi-purpose as an indoor sports arena, a theatre and general events venue for the school as well as an outdoor amphitheatre, located to the rear of the building.

31

sCHooL soLution InStAllAtIonS

supplied to use when

needed, configured as two

12x8 stage boxes on either

side of the stage.

Amplifiers used in the

system were all EV. The

following list outlines what

amplifier was used for each

system component:

FOH: 2 x EV Q1212

dual-channel 1200W

@4Ohms

Balcony Top: 1 x EV Q66

dual-channel 100V output

Balcony Below: 1 x EV Q66

dual-channel 100V output

Amphitheatre: 1 x EV Q1212 dual-channel 1200W @4Ohms

A variety of microphones and accessories were supplied and

included:

2 x EV RE2-410 wireless systems with RE410 radio mics

2 x RE2-BP belt packs

2 x DPA d:fine single-ear directional headsets

2 x DPA DAD6030 adapters for EV CSB-1000 (RE1/RE2), TELEX

4 x EV Polarchoice-12XLR podium mics

2 x EV N/D 468 instrument mics

2 x EV N/D 767A vocal mics

4 x Klark Teknik DN100 DI boxes

In addition to and independent from FOH, a distributed audio

system was installed for the foyer over-fill. Six EV Evid C8.2 eight-inch

coaxial 100W ceiling speakers were supplied, powered by a DV

PA1250 single channel, 100V output amplifier. An EV R300-HD

handheld system with PL22 radio mic was also supplied along with a

Rolls MP322 media card reader/player and a Rolls MX51 Mini Mix II,

which features two ¼” and three RCA inputs.

For monitoring, eight MyMix networked personal mixers and audio

recorders were spec’d and a MyMix IEX-16 hub that accepts 16

analogue inputs and coverts them to the AVB audio over Ethernet

protocol. The MyMix will also be used as an educational tool in the

school’s music department.

A full five-point coms system was installed throughout the hall,

centred on a Prosound PRS-1 paging/run-of-show control unit and

Prosound Commset 1 microphone headsets.

Lighting

Lighting control at the Bishop Shanahan hall is accomplished by an

ETC Congo Kid 256 channel console paired to two flat-panel

monitors. Two Zero 88 Chilli 24-10i dimmers handle dimming and were

installed on the wall of the left hand stage wing.

The following fixtures where installed:

18 x LED Par 64 (10W RGBW 45”)

18 x ETC Source Four parnel with supplied colour frame

18 x ETC S4 with 7” barndoor

12 x ETC S4 Profile fixed focus

An Enttec DMX/RDM eight-way isolated splitter was also supplied.

The house lights in the hall are linked to the lighting system via an

iLight source controller and can be controlled via the Congo Kid

console. However, a seven button control panel was also installed

that allows cleaning personnel to turn the lights on in the hall when

needed. The panel is overridden by the lighting console when it is in

operation.

Finally, four movable lighting trees were supplied for general

purpose positioning, particularly when the amphitheatre is being

used and lighting is required.

aV

AV systems in the Bishop Shanahan Hall comprise of two 200” Elite

Screens VMAX electric projection screens; one for each side of the

stage, two NEC NP-P420X networkable projectors and two 46” PVision

M46985-LED Lite commercial displays positioned at the rear of the hall

for the balcony audience.

the wrap

The Bishop Shanahan Hall for Holy Rosary School students is a

fantastic environment for children to express themselves and thrive

in sports and the performing arts. The state-of-the-art equipment

installed there by Prosound not only enhances the experience of

both the performers and the audience but also provides a

wonderful space for young girls who are interested in the technical

aspects of production to learn and train.

“This project just goes to show how we (Prosound) can offer a full

solution from start to finish. We had Ian Blair assisting on lighting

design, Boy Magnussen and his install team were great and Mark

Malherbe and Chenn de Wet presented training to Gary and eight

of the girls from Holy Rosary to close it all off. With everyone’s help

everything just ran so smoothly,” says Lindsay.

32

InStAllAtIonS Venue soLution

Local audio installers Tadco were recently commissioned

to install a discrete, high power, high quality sound

system in Elevate to keep the beats pumping and that’s

exactly what was done, under the direction of Francois

‘Nigel’ Booyse, technical sales manager at Tadco.

the brief

The main concern at Elevate was to supply a system that

wasn’t cumbersome and was out of the way. Elevate

isn’t the largest of clubs so while the system was spec’d to

be small, it was also required to give the DJ and

subsequently the club-goers what they need: big sound.

The club is part the Taboo, Cocoon and VIP Room

(which we have covered previously in PSN) consortium of

owners and so exhibits a similar up-market décor

sensibility and vibe. The overall look is funky, sleek and

quirky with plush, avant-garde furniture adorning all

three sections of the club: the bar area/dance floor that

steps down into a lounge with an industrial feel due to

red pipes garnering gold valve wheels stretching from

the ceiling to the floor; a chandelier-lit VIP lounge covered in darker

earthy tones separated by glass on either side; and a covered

outdoor ’beach-side terrace’ section with clear Perspex ball chairs

that hang from the ceiling and accompanying white couches. There

is also a balcony that runs along the north side of the club where

patrons can survey the inner city as they sip their cocktails.

the gear

As mentioned, a discrete, minimalist approach was the order of the

day at Elevate so putting in a large point source system or a line array

was completely out of the question. For this reason a combination of

compact NEXO and Quest Engineering speakers were installed.

For the main inside section encompassing the bar, dance floor and

the countersunk lounge, four NEXO PS8 loudspeakers were installed.

These compact speakers feature an eight-inch low frequency driver

and a one-inch high frequency compression driver coupled to a

rotatable, asymmetrical waveguide for either vertical or horizontal

orientation. The PS8s can pump out an impressive 125dB max SPL.

For handling the low end of the system, two Nexo LS500 subwoofers

were installed; one in the corner of the countersunk

lounge and one at the base of the DJ booth. These

single excursion single-15” subs extend all the way down

to 43Hz and can put out a max SPL of 134dB. For a small

club such as Elevate, they were the perfect pairing to

the PS8s.

In the VIP room, you can understand patrons are

looking for a lower-key space to relax and enjoy

themselves without having to shout over the music. Two

all-weather wall-mount Quest MS801s were installed to

keep the music flowing in high fidelity. The MS801s

feature an eight-inch low frequency driver, a one-inch

silk membrane dome tweeter and can produce 114dB

max SPL. The low end extends all the way down to 55Hz.

In the outside terrace area, two Quest MS601s were

installed. These speakers are very similar to the MS801s

but feature 6.5-inch low frequency drivers and a max SPL

of 110dB. They incorporate the same one inch silk dome

tweeter, however, and extend down to 60Hz.

The system is powered entirely by Quest Engineering

amplifiers. Two Quest QA3004s and a single QA1004

were installed. These stereo amplifiers deliver 660W and 290W per

channel at four Ohms, respectively. System management comes

courtesy of a Symetrix Jupiter 4 digital signal processor, a four input/

four output unit. An ARC-2e wall-mount controller was also installed

for easy access to zones and for volume, mute, source and preset

selection.

the wrap

Many of the upmarket clubs I have reviewed often go for earth-

shattering sound to pound their patrons into submission. However,

when you can’t hear yourself think over the music, particularly in a

smaller venue, things start to get uncomfortable. What Tadco has

done at Elevate is the perfect example of a high-fidelity, discrete

loudspeaker system that can thump when needed but still offer

clear, quality audio at lower volumes while staying out of sight. As

the summer sun goes down over the city, I’m sure patrons at Elevate

will bathe in that light and move to the sounds of music meant to

soothe instead of sear.

there seems to be a steady emergence of new and up-market night clubs in the Johannesburg nightlife scene and the elevate Venue on the 16th floor of the reef Hotel downtown is no exception. this cosy, elegantly decorated venue offers wonderful night time cityscapes while patrons enjoy cool drinks set to the sound of smooth tunes. of course, smooth tunes require a sound system that can deliver smooth sound across not only the dance floor, but throughout the club, giving each and every person an equal experience.

By Greg BesterElevating your venue – big time

Surgesound

audiosure – chauvet

34

PlASA london 2013 sHoW report

PLASA London 2013 ‘ExCeLs’

PLASA London 2013 was a great success for both exhibitors and visitors

at its new home at ExCeL London. More than 11 000 visitors attended

the show this year, of whom over 3 000 visited on multiple days. The

show attracted high international interest, with more than 2 200 visitors

from 84 countries. Stand re-bookings for next year’s show are up on

last year, and several major companies that did not make the move

to ExCeL have either already signed up for 2014 or are seriously

contemplating their return.

Chris Toulmin, head of events, PLASA London 2013, says: “The

response we’ve received to PLASA London 2013 has been

overwhelmingly positive, both from visitors and exhibitors. They have

embraced the new venue and also enjoyed the new features such as

the AudioLab Arena, Theatre and Interactive. The PLASA team has

worked very hard to get to this point, and while we acknowledge that

we have more work to do, we feel it has provided a great starting

point for the future development of the show and are excited by the

possibilities before us.”

Feedback from major exhibitors has been reassuring to PLASA

organisers not only in terms of the industry’s commitment and belief in

the show but also in terms of the move to ExCeL.

James King, director of marketing, Martin Audio, says: “We enjoyed

a very good show, with anyone that was interested in Pro Audio

flocking to our stand.”

Mick Hannaford, managing director, Robe UK, says: “The venue is a

massive improvement - the outside space and cafes by the river were

paramount to the overall feeling of the show and the customer

experience, and visitors also commented on the accessibility and

easiness. The show floor looked really good, it was easy to navigate

and signage was much more concise, and there was a constant

stream of people to the booth. We are really happy and have

already rebooked for 2014.”

Almost 5 000 visitors witnessed demonstrations of the latest

technology, including the first public showcase of Pioneer’s new club

speakers, in the purpose-built AudioLab Arena, which was sponsored

by Medialease and supported by Roland as Technical Partner. The

brand new AudioLab 2013 feature was a huge success and a big

drawing card for audio professionals. The AudioLab Interactive

sessions attracted more than 600 visitors, while the AudioLab Theatre

welcomed over 1 000 visitors to some eye-opening sessions on a

variety of sound issues.

The Professional Development Programme saw record-breaking

success. Visitors enjoyed case studies on large-scale events including

Eurovision 2013, Glastonbury’s Arcadia Stage and the Super Bowl

Half-Time Show. There was a behind-the-scenes look at the staging of

the new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and an

interesting discussion on the ‘revolutionary times’ of the National

Theatre, celebrating its 50th anniversary, as well as practical sessions

on entertainment technology.

The show floor was kept constantly buzzing by the 275 exhibitors

with everything from interactive demonstrations, dancing balls of light

and even an animatronic camel!

The 4th annual Rigging Conference which ran alongside PLASA

London 2013 on 7 and 8 October was a great success, with 140

delegates in attendance representing 15 countries. The conference

was opened by a truly engaging key-note delivered by industry

legend Robin Elias of Unusual Rigging, and for the first time ever the

event covered structures as well as rigging issues.

PLASA London 2014 returns to ExCeL from 5 to 8 October 2014.

Since its debut in 1977, pLaSa London has been the world’s premier platform for stage, lighting and pro audio technologies. this year’s event was held for the first time at London’s prestigious exceL centre from 6 to 9 october 2013.

Defi ning a new direction beyond line array, MLA’s award-winning cellular drive technology makes distant seats front-row, puts an end to lengthy tuning sessions and reduces sound spill. Straight out of the box.

Discover more at www.martin-audio.com

Not a new kidon the block.

A whole new block.

MLA. Welcome to the cellular revolution

®

PAA ADVERT MARTIN AUDIO.indd 1 09/04/2013 14:56

www.audiosure.co.za [email protected]

audiosure – martin mLa

36


audio

Harman’s Soundcraft showcased its complete line of

Si expression and Si Performer

digital consoles, delivering

world-class audio quality

(including lighting control with

the Si Performer) at an

affordable price.

All Si Expression and Si

Performer consoles are available with the Soundcraft Multi Digital

card that provides users with a multi-channel, multi-format interface

for live and studio recording to DAWs and other recording systems.

Distributed by www.wildandmarr.co.za

Shure Distribution uK (SDuK) showed three of their distributed

brands on their PLASA stand this

year. Specific displays focussed on

some of the most recently

introduced products from the SDUK

stable, including Shure’s new Se846 quad driver earphones, QSC’s new

CXD and PLD amplifiers, and new

interfaces from Radial Engineering.


Dpa microphones DPA

Microphones’

award-winning d:facto ii Vocal microphone

was just one of a

number of high quality

microphones dedicated to the live stage that were on show at PLASA

2013. Visitors also had the opportunity to see DPA’s new MMC4018

modular supercardioid condenser capsule that is an integral part of

the d:dicate™ Recording Microphone range. The MMC4018 offers a

highly directional pattern and an extremely controlled off-axis

response.

Distributed by: www.prosound.co.za

Harman’s JBL professional HARMAN’s JBL Professional showcased the

PRX700 Series portable loudspeakers and 3 Series studio monitors at

PLASA 2013. The next generation in JBL’s market-leading PRX portable

PA line, the prX700 Series offers improvements in power, SPL and

connectivity; while the 3

Series is the first studio

monitor line to incorporate

JBL’s patent-pending Image

Control Waveguide and is

designed to deliver exceptional imaging and detail in any listening

environment.


martin audio presented all their front-line installation

and touring products including their award-winning

mLa and OmniLine solutions at PLASA this year.

But the star of the stand was the newly-launched

MLA Mini, which was enjoying its first official outing

in the UK.

MLA Mini’s ultra-compact footprint provides far

greater user access to the ground-breaking MLA

control technology with broader application

appeal (from smaller portable touring to install) as a

result of the reduced size and weight. Distributed by: www.audiosure.co.za

Xta showed DS8000D, the new

version of the DS8000. The DS8000D

adds even more distribution

possibilities to the DS8000 – giving not only two electronically

balanced and two transformer isolated outputs from each input, but

also offering a pair of AES digital outputs for each input. Offering

selectable sample rates from 48k up to 192k or can be synchronised

from an external word clock with sample rate conversion from 32kHz

upwards.

Distributed by: www.audiosure.co.za

tc Group returned to PLASA London

this year and showcased their

recent product launches. Lab.gruppen was this year’s main focus,

with the new affordable amp

range, ipD Series, appearing alongside the brand new decentralised

install amplifier solution LUCIA. The flagship PLM 20000Q was also on

show on the stand.

IPD Series is a compact, 1U, 2-channel amplifier range targeted

towards smaller applications and more budget conscious users, albeit

those still looking for the Lab.gruppen hallmarks of exceptional build

quality, flexibility and reliability. it is available in two power

configurations (2 x 600 W & 2 x 1200 W).

Distributed by: www.surgesound.co.za

Gearshack

digiLED screens are distributed in Africa by displayLED and are available for hire and supported by AV Systems

Centre Screen : digiLED Ti6S 6mm LED Screen, Side screens : Double stacked Christie S+16K DLP Projectors

Tel : 011 805 6353

www.displayled.com Tel : 083 274 3001

aV Systems

38


Lighting

martin professional presented products

from their portfolio of award-winning

solutions, including new RUSH by Martin

installation effect lighting products.

Martin showed the full range of

award-winning mac Viper family

luminaires and high performance

lighting fixtures in the MAC III family.

Other innovative products on display included the new VC Series

creative LED video solutions, the state-of-the-art M6 lighting console

and new Jem atmospheric smoke solutions.

Distributed by: www.electrosonic.co.za

robe Robe’s new products included the

Pointe, minime, CycFx 8, Cyclone and MMX

Blade.

Newly launched at PLASA this year was

the Parfect 100, a static version of the

massively successful, handbag-sized and

very bright LEDBeam 100.

All of Robe’s popular ROBIN Series

products were prominent on the stand,

including the LEDWash, MMX and DL ranges,

however it was the Pointe multi-purpose

fixture that was again the star of the show!

Distributed by: www.dwrdistribution.co.za

Key to this year’s etc stand was the

company’s newest LED lighting

fixtures – the Source Four LeD cyc

and the Desire D22.

The CYC is an accessory which

can be attached to any Source Four

LED fixture engine, producing the

powerful beam that the Source Four

family is known for.

The ETC Cobalt family was launched at this year’s PLASA London

show. The new system is designed to offer a complete set of lighting

design tools with a short command, direct access style of operation.

In addition to the Cobalt 20 console, ETC launched the Cobalt

Light Server and Cobalt Nomad. The Cobalt Light Server is a

rack-mountable version of the Cobalt, designed for use as a back-up.

The Cobalt Nomad product, meanwhile, is the PC version of Cobalt,

limited to up to four universes of output total.

Distributed by: www.prosound.co.za

avolites launched a range of

wings to extend the

capabilities of all of its Titan

consoles – the Sapphire touch Wing, Sapphire Media Wing

and the Titan Mobile Wing. The

Titan Mobile Wing gives direct

access to items that are

always needed, such as Shape Overlay Cues blinders, house lights,

smoke machines or performer key lights for TV productions.


prolyte Group dedicated one stand to their

new proLyft aetos range. This product line,

comprising chain hoists and controls, is fully

equipped to meet future demands in lifting

equipment. PLASA 2013 visitors had the

opportunity to see the hoists in action for the

first time in the UK.


Lumenradio exhibited its

revolutionary new Supernova 3

software. Utilising the Art-Net and

RDM management protocols,

SuperNova 3 enables system-wide

control of the entire lighting

infrastructure.


robert Juliat introduced a new

motorised yoke as an accessory for its

range of Fresnel lanterns. The first

prototype motorized yokes were on the

stand at PLASA this year and are due to

roll out across the RJ Fresnel range in

the coming months. Robert Juliat also

showed the diversity of its product

range with a selection of LED fixtures

and by dedicating a section of the

stand to tungsten light sources.


This year’s PLASA witnessed the birth of the

new SGm G-Spot supercharged 850W high

power RGB LED light source. Measured

against other market leading moving heads

the blue registers up to 20% brighter, the red

is 400% brighter while the green matches

the best in class, says SGM. The upgraded

solution still boasts the unique characteristic

of being IP65-rated and maintenance free

as part of a fully-featured package.

clay paky showcased

a.LeDa B-eye, a fixture that is

simultaneously, a LED wash-light, an

amazing “beam-light” and a

projector for totally unseen graphic

effects.

Primarily A.LEDA B-EYE is a perfect

wash-light, generating vivid colours

and featuring an impressive, wide 6°

to 70° beam aperture. The zoom

however can be closed even further, down to as little as 4 degrees

thus switching the light from a wash diffusion into a narrow and

parallel beam. In this operating mode B-EYE becomes a “beam-

light”, whose beam consists of an array of nearly indiscernible,

individually controllable little beams.


audiosure – chauvet

40


aV

roland Systems Group (rSG) exhibited a full

range of audio and

video solutions for live

performance,

production, HD web

streaming, recording

and conversion at

PLASA London this year.

PLASA also saw the latest addition to the popular Roland VR Series,

the Roland Vr-50HD HD multi-Format aV mixer and the VC-1 range of

portable converters which made their debut to the UK market. A live

band performed on the stand throughout the show, and this

showcased the full range of Roland products working within a live

application.

pSco partnered with Samsung to

showcase a total of 38 displays,

encompassing models from the

ue, UD and ME Series in sizes

ranging from 22” up to 95” with a

special preview of the 95”

officially launching in December

2013..

Visitors at PLASA had the unique opportunity to view the entire suite

of professional ultra large format displays and video wall solutions

available from Samsung, in one place.

on the second day of pLaSa London 2013, a packed audience gathered in the audioLab arena to witness the winners of the pLaSa awards for innovation, sponsored by Lighting & Sound International magazine.

the pLaSa awards for innovation recognise products that advance the industry by demonstrating a new style of thinking, improving technical practice or taking a key step forward in terms of safety. During the show’s opening two days, 45 new products were judged ‘live’ by an independent panel of expert judges who viewed each product presentation on the show floor.

clay paky for the a.Leda B-eye K20The judges said, “The B-EYE had a “wow” factor. It’s an innovative look

and a modern retake on a classic effect. It’s also a fully-functional

and versatile luminaire.”

SGm for the G-Spot LeD The judges said, “It’s the first fully weatherised automated profile spot.

It’s an elegant and aesthetically pleasing fixture that will be able to

withstand any show in any environment, and be able to withstand

even the British festival season.”

QSc audio for the pLD/cXD amplifier The judges said, “This is an incredibly flexible amplifier that can be

used in almost any situation. It can sub-divided and reconfigured,

and will work well in installations or as hire stock.”

Flare audio for the SB18c The judges said, “This product uses a truly innovative approach to an

age-old problem. It takes the concept of reducing materials to a

whole new level and the technologies that have been adopted offer

exciting possibilities.”

Bleasdale for the interactive user manual The judges said, “This is the first user manual that people will enjoy

using. It has a lot of potential not just as a reference book but also

as an interactive training resource. It provides a green solution

that will save resources, and it solves the age-old RTFM problem.”

Line 6 for the StageScape m20d The judges said, “We were impressed with the simplicity of the user

interface. It fits a point in the market where technical ability is

secondary to usability, yet maintains a layer that is more familiar to

a pro user. It’s a totally different way of thinking and it encourages

a conceptual approach to sound.”

robe for the mini-me The judges said, “It’s the first to bring a new form factor to digital

luminaires. It’s conservative in its use of channels and it’s a digital

moving light with the simplicity of a conventional automated

fixture.”

The final award is shared between two products of similar purpose

and equal merit: Lumenradio for the Supernova3, and artistic Licence for eSense

The judges said, “They both solve data management problems

eloquently and practically. They will create new ways of

understanding the massive data produced by shows and

installations in an efficient and understandable way.”

PLASA London Innovation Awards

pLaSa 2013 awards for innovation winners

Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) LtdUnit 2, 2 Drakensburg Road

Longmeadow Business Estate West, West� eldPO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa

Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 [email protected], www.hybrid.co.za

viva afrika

VA401 • VA601 • VA801 • VA1201

Specifi cations:

• Range offers 800W-1950W/Channel/2 Ohms

• LCD Display

• Stereo, parallel and bridge modes

• Balanced line inputs

• ACL (Automatic Clip Limiter)

• DC protection

• Soft start

• Two speed fans, thermal protection

• Inrush current protection

K-LA28 Dual 8” 2 Way Passive Line Array


Average Sensitivity: 96dB/1W/1m

Driver: Customised Beyma and Faital driver

Connectors: 2 x NEUTRIK Speakon NI4MP

Power Rating (AES): LF 200 + MF 200 + HF 50W

Passive X-over Frequency: 450Hz / 2.2kHz Passive

Weight: 19Kg


K-LA Series

VA Series Amplifi ers

Core TechnologyThe K-LA series is primarily used for fi xed installation

and touring systems. The result of in-depth research,

the Audiocenter R&D team has developed the unique

PTVTM technology which combines phase and

waveguide engineering together seamlessly.

VA series is the result of excellent circuit design, robust

mechanical structure, with the best components

selected for this category.

Viva afrika – audiocenter

42


PLASA London Rigging Conference 2013 highlights

This year’s PLASA Rigging Conference event was sponsored by

Unusual Rigging, Outback Rigging and Yutree Insurance; and

featured eight separate sessions.

One of the key presentations was an initiative to create the

template for an international guidance document, which came

courtesy of PLASA’s Lori Rubenstein and Michele Enright. According to

Higgs, this is something that has been in the pipeline since the

conference’s inception.

“It’s a combination of things that PLASA has been fielding for years,

to be honest; the initiative is now starting to look like a template for

people who are thinking about making a code of practice, and if you

imagine the ideal list of headings, it’ll be rigging, work at height, lifting

safety, the list goes on,” he explains. “The idea is that each one will be

presented in simple terms and simple language, and should be

included in any rigging code of practice; if you compare three

regions of the world: Europe, North America and Australasia, then

that will obviously take time. There will be a team in each region,

each of which will compare what comes into the other regions; they’ll

reference all the standards they can think of and part of the process is

that they will then support the decision and it will go into a

bibliography.

“You end up with commonalities, of course; if you do a load-in in

Jo’burg or Seoul, for example, it will be pretty much the same: you

wait for the people to make their marks in chalk. But at the same time,

in a developed area of Greenfield in say, India, the crew are

probably going to be farmers; therefore you’re not going to have that

same infrastructure or experience.”

Higgs admits there was a slight undercurrent of “why are we

reinventing the wheel?” in the room, which he says he can

understand to a certain extent.

“One guy represented the European Arenas Association (EAA); he

was very proud of the work and probably won’t change anything,

but when it comes to review, they could use this international

guidance to check they haven’t missed anything or that some

legislation that came out in Belgium is the same as it is in Holland,

which could cause confusion.”

In 2010, the call for a standard “was a bit of a novelty”, Higgs says;

then in year two there was a genuine call for a standardisation,

particularly in Europe; and because the US hasn’t been keen on

change, it then became a case of: “OK, let’s look at the common

it was in 2010 that chris Higgs first approached pLaSa and said: “i have an idea” – thankfully the association sat up and listened; fast forward three years to the 4th pLaSa rigging conference, which took place from 7 to 8 october at London’s excel exhibition centre in the hub of the city’s financial district, with Higgs now assuming the role of conference content consultant, reports paul Watson.

electrosonic – martin Lighting

43

areas and do something about it.”

“It’s essentially designed to be the framework document for

rigging; it would inform venue managers, employers, training courses

and enforcing authorities, and the idea is to have at least a draft

version completed by the 2014 Rigging Conference,” he adds.

When asked about attendance, Higgs was honest in that although

it was well attended in general, he’d have liked to have seen more

riggers on the floor.

“We did a conference at PLASA Focus earlier in the year and we

got a great cross-section of riggers and rigging managers; it was so

well attended, more-so than this one,” he reflects. “I think perhaps it

was a mix of the dates clashing with other events and the fact that it

cost money to attend; despite the fact that a lot of these guys are

based in London, the turnout wasn’t what it could have been.

Perhaps it’s because the PLASA Focus one was free – I’ll have to look

into that for next year! But on a positive, it’s moved forwards great

strides since 2010; despite the fact that PLASA’s sources are clearly

going to be limited given that it covers all facets of the Pro AV and

lighting industries, they listened to me from the start, and we’ve

evolved together since.”

Another session of particular interest took place on day two of the

conference and surrounded construction and the new CDM

Regulations. HSE’s Gavin Bull first explained the potential impact these

regulations could cause within the entertainment field and then

announced that the consultation process has been delayed.

“For whatever reason it might be, the fact that the consultation

process seems to have really slowed down is disappointing, but as

CDM is about coordination between contractors and suppliers on

construction projects, it’s important that things don’t get in the way of

absolute safety,” Higgs says. “Much of the discussion was about hours

of work, and how some production managers will screw people

down in the name of economy; cutting corners was extremely

prevalent in the industry in the 70s and 80s – not allowing sufficient

contingency for welfare and safety – so HSE is now looking hard into

making sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Higgs says the definition of construction is “as scary as hell as it

exists”, and reveals that even painting and pipework can be

construed as construction. So where does it end?

“We don’t want to make too much noise about it as we don’t want

to make a rod for our own back, but it’s a shame, as the majority of

properly run projects are doing everything right already; the thing we

don’t have is a formal layout that constructors are very familiar with

now. I think it will feel to us like it did to the builders in the 70s and 80s.

These regulations initially came out in 1992, and we are all supposed

to be working under the same rules; but I can tell you now that if you

watch a project being run in south Italy, it won’t nearly be the same as

one that is run in Dubai!”

Higgs is confident that HSE has done a good job, and the

regulations are due to come out in October 2014. There will be

changes, yes, but not necessarily for everyone in the industry.

“If you’re putting up a PA system or lighting system, it’ll really be no

different at all; just join the queue. But if you’re a big festival like

Roskilde, Glastonbury, or V – basically anything Europe-wide – then

they will make some considerable inroads as to how you manage

your project,” states Higgs. “It will have to be notifiable and you will

have to register, but whether you’ll get a visit, as such, I don’t know.

Will we see people from local authorities turning up? Probably not, as

there are not enough of them and if they’re responsible for all of this,

then the next thing you know, the local village fete could be classified

as construction! They may well cherry-pick and go for the big ones

– we don’t know the scale of it yet – but what I am personally hoping

for is for there to be a simple check list; that would be the sensible

move.”

lIVe eVentS ConCert report

Sensations Innerspace

In many ways, the Samsung-sponsored dance event, Sensations

Innerspace, which took place at the Coca Cola Dome on 7

September 2013, shared a lot in common. It was fantastical. It

involved cutting edge technology. It was other-worldly, and all

participants found themselves changed for the better at the end,

injected with excitement. Indeed, South Africa has not seen a dance

event of this size, conceivably, in its entire history with 18 000 dance

fanatics congregated in one space – an inner space – to pound their

feet, gyrate their hips and throw their hands in the air in unison.

The theme of the Innerspace event was, like most Sensations events

– white. The Sensations brand is now a staple in the dance arena and

travels the world over to bring its philosophy of carefree spiritual

enlightenment through dance and unity to the masses. While they

ship a lot of their own equipment such as the lotus-flower shaped set,

the suspended internally-lit balloons, lasers and peripheral lighting

fixtures, etc, there is still a long tech rider that has to be sourced

locally. Given the size of the event there was only one company that

promoters G&G Productions and production company Mushroom

Productions had in mind: Gearhouse South Africa, the largest supplier

of event gear in South Africa.

Gearhouse supplied complete technical support for Sensations

including rigging, audio, lighting, trussing, structures and power,

contracted at the behest of Strike Productions and consulted by

technical production manager Dave Tudor. Mushroom Productions

handled the overall local production of the event. Project manager

Anthony Banks was Gearhouse’s ’man on the ground‘ and handled

the technical aspects on-site with the assistance of Madelaine

Whitehead.

When asked about Gearhouse’s involvement in the event, Tudor

says: “Greg Welsh (from G&G) has had a relationship with Samsung

for quite a while and the company that has done most of their work

previously was Strike Productions. Now, obviously the scale of an

event like this brings challenges from a sheer quantity point of view. I

then said to G&G that the only way they’re going to do something on

this scale is if they bring in Gearhouse and Mushroom productions.”

rigging

One of the greatest challenges of the event was rigging which turned

out to be the largest rigging operation Gearhouse has ever

performed. A total of 136 motorized rigging points were secured to

the roof of the Dome, coordinated by rigging operations manager

Kendall Dixon and his crew of 14 riggers. Eight riggers were roof-

bound while six were stationed on the floor. In addition to the 136

motorised points, the total number came to 272 points due to bridling.

Dave Tudor comments: “Rigging in the Dome is quite a

complicated process. The sheer weight was in excess of 30 tons so it

has to go through the Dome’s approved structural engineer who

works for a company called WSP. Kendall had to work out all the

bridles and submit the calculations, along with working out the floor

loading. At the Dome the floor is split in half; one side is solid and one

side is suspended so there is a difference in weight distribution so

44

Inner Space, to me, was a fantastical movie from the eighties starring martin Short and Dennis Quaid where a man inside an exploration pod was shrunk down to a minute size and injected into a human body. it brought another world to our minds with lights and sounds we had never before seen, hidden beneath the human skin.

By Greg Bester

phot

o co

urte

sy G

&G p

rod

uctio

ns

45

ConCert report lIVe eVentS

Sound Harmonics

based on his calculations and the recommendations of the structural

engineer, we have to make a call. The Sensations crew wanted an

additional eight and a half tons of audio flown but because of

budget constraints relating to recalculation and resubmission to the

structural engineer, the decision was made to stack it all.”

audio

The audio system for the event was configured in two concentric

circles with the main lotus set positioned in the centre. Senior audio

technician Llewellyn Reinecke was responsible for the configuration

of the system and on the audio requirements for the event, he says:

“For starters, instead of playing to one end as the venue is traditionally

configured for large music events; the sound system needed to cover

the entire floor space. Two PA rings were needed for this ‘in-the-

round’ sound coverage.” In close collaboration with the client’s

designer, L-Acoustics SOUNDVISION software was used to design the

system, overseen by Reinecke as well.

All PA installed in the venue was L-Acoustics, the main ring

comprising of eight stacks of L-Acoustics V-Dosc paired to their

matching 6 x 8 L-Acoustics SB28 subs. This totalled 48 fullrange and 48

sub boxes. The secondary ring was comprised of a combination of 12

Kara and 60 KUDO boxes, paired to SB18 and SB118 subs.

Following cutting edge trends in audio routing and distribution, the

entire system was linked via a 10Gbit fibre network with Neutrik

OpticalCon Quad fibre-optic with six Lake LM44s running the

Audinate DANTE protocol. The console employed was a Yamaha

PM5D, operated by sound engineer Bas Rijsdijk of Noizboyz, a Dutch

live sound production and solutions company.

A total of 24 channels were fed to front of house comprising a left

46


and right main and backup feed of each DJ console. A stereo booth

feed was sent to six L-Acoustics 115 HQ monitors paired to four SB18

subs powered by two LA8s and four Shure UR2/SM58 wireless

handhelds were spec’d transmitting to two Shure UR4D dual receivers.

One of the more interesting parts of the audio system was that the

dancers who emerged from the set later on in the show each had

their own set of Sennheiser 300 in-ear monitors and were directed by

the choreographer via a remote microphone.

The resulting system was the largest of its kind that Gearhouse had

utilised in any South African indoor venue.

Lighting

Lighting was a huge part of the Sensations experience but brought its

own challenges. Lighting operations manager Stuart Andrews said

that due to the extensive technical rider received from the

international production team, cautious preparation was the order of

the day.

While the audio systems were, to put it lightly, large, the lighting was

no different. No fewer than 240 sections of Prolyte H 30V trussing

(close to a kilometre) was adjoined into a master grid, which was

suspended from the main grid at the Dome. The signature internally-

lit ball system was then suspended from this grid by winches, which

were brought by the Sensations team. The balls were the highlight of

the event and could move vertically in unison or individually, which

presented the illusion of floating in space.

Gearhouse supplied the majority of the rest of the effect lighting

which included 60 Martin Mac 2000 profiles and 32 washes, 24 Robe

Robin 600 LEDs, 48 Martin Atomic strobes, 16 Acclaim 500W Fresnels,

16 Tomcat PAR16 Battens, four LED PAR64 Shortnoses and all necessary

cabling. This totalled 212 fixtures. For fog and hazing, four MDG

Max3000 fog generators and four High End F100 smoke machines

were commissioned. The Sensations team brought along with them

the Hog4 lighting control and lasers in addition to the ball system. A

total of 26 lighting personnel worked around the clock in shifts to

complete the lighting rig.

One of the main challenges emerged when determining where to

place the dimmers. Placement under the main stage was the final

course of action, the challenge being very long cable runs which

consisted of 18 metres up to the truss where it then traversed more

than 50 metres before reaching the first lighting fixtures.

Staging

The 14-metre wide lotus stage was brought along by the Sensations

team but assembled and installed by structures operations manager

Anton Hattingh’s personnel. Simultaneous completion of lighting

systems and structures was achieved due to the stage being

constructed on castors. This enabled the team to setup the stage,

lighting and trussing at the same time albeit in different locations in

the Dome. The stage was then rolled into place when the lighting rig

was completed. This was a tremendous time saving exercise.

A further circular stage of nine metres wide and 1.5 metres tall was

built atop the main stage that included a revolving section, which

was also supplied by the Sensation team. This ensured the DJs were

visible to the audience the entire time.

Two supplementary ‘B’ stages were constructed that contained

water fountains and pyrotechnics. These also served as dance

platforms for dancers and were placed on opposite ends of the

stage. Sensations also supplied the décor to cover the stages so

building them to specification was paramount.

All in all according to Hattingh, it took about 25 tons of scaffold and

12 tons of crowd barrier to erect the structures.

aV

The only AV components of the Sensations event were two circular

projector screens positioned on opposite sides of the Dome and four

18K Christie Roadster projectors. Each screen received two double-

stacked projectors to relay a live feed from camera and to announce

the DJs. Control gear, screens and cameras were all supplied by the

Sensations team.

power

Gearhouse supplied external power to the event under the auspices

of operations manager Antony Sackstein. Two 300KVA and three

500KVA blimped generators provided power for all audio, lighting, AV,

motors and hoists. Cable runs of between 120m to 200m were rolled

out throughout the venue.

the wrap

Sensations Innerspace was an event that I’m not usually

accustomed to attending so I didn’t quite know what to expect

upon arrival. Donning my all-white outfit, I was surprised at the sort

of bewildering wonderland they had created; the overall décor

literally transporting you to another planet populated by

white-clad inhabitants. The sound, lighting and rigging was

clearly exceptional and even from the balcony area overhead

the sound could be heard and felt. Viewing the spectacle there in

its entirety, it was obvious that Sensations Innerspace at the Dome

was an event of international calibre worthy of recognition as

were all the technical personnel who made it happen.

The Sharpy Wash 330 is an endless source of vivid colors.It’s compact, lightweight (*) and animated by a seducing agility.It’s versatile, with a beam ranging from 6.5° to 48°.It’s eco-friendly, with its 330 watt lamp producing as much light as a 1,000 watt washlight.

Having excited the globe with its sparkling Sharpy, Clay Paky is about to wash it with the colors of the new Sharpy Wash!

(*) It weighs only 18.5 Kg and measures only 515 mm

Sharpy Wash 330The little washlight that makes a big difference

SHARPY WASH 330

ww

w.c

layp

aky.

it

washing the worldWIth COLORS

EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA:DWR DISTRIBUTIONIt’s all about the People

Tel: +27117935066Fax:+27117925076

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

A4_EN_DWR.indd 1 27/09/13 17:15

DWr – clay paky

48


Way Out West festival

KRAV-certification is a pretty big deal: KRAV develops and maintains

regulations for ecological agriculture, and Way Out West was the first

festival in Sweden to be recognised by the organisation; as a result, its

waste management is impeccable, and rather than settle for organic

food vendors, it made the bolder decision to ‘go veggie’ in a bid to

further reduce its carbon footprint.

Impressive, certainly – and so was this year’s line-up, which

included Alicia Keys, Public Enemy, The Knife, James Blake and almost

Neil Young... He cancelled just minutes before he was due to take to

the stage as his guitarist broke two fingers coming out of the tour bus.

Ordinarily, I’d have expected a mutiny at such an announcement,

but not at Way Out West – although disappointed, the audience

simply took it in their stride and were all rewarded with a full weekend

pass as a result. I told you it was nice here!

All audio, lighting and staging was provided by leading Swedish

rental house, Starlight, which is quite the one-stop-shop. According to

the company’s production manager, Hakan Axlid, all kit is driven by

demand, which is why they invested in LEO.

“This is the second year we’ve had LEO on the main stage, and the

clarity of the system at 120-metres is totally flabbergasting; in addition,

because we’re flying the 1100-LFC subs for the first time this year,

we’ve been able to eliminate all of our delay towers,” Axlid reveals,

adding that in previous years, a Meyer Sound M3D system has been

at the helm on the main stage and remains the choice for the

festival’s second stage. “We have restrictions of 100dB LEQ and 115dB

peak here, but with LEO, even up to the barriers of stage two, we

have totally pristine coverage without pushing the system at all.”

Starlight’s CEO, Hakan Alfredsson, concurs; despite closely

monitoring the competing systems, the company’s long standing

Meyer Sound working relationship combined with the quality of

product made the decision to invest in LEO. “A complete no-brainer,”

he says.

“There are a lot of good systems out there, of course, but LEO offers

great power as well as astonishing quality of sound; everything just

fitted into place, especially as we’ve worked a lot with Meyer Sound in

the past,” Alfredsson explains. “Having a system that is easy to use

and set up means the overall planning becomes much easier.”

As far as system tech, Oscar Meijer is concerned LEO is a great step

forward from previous Meyer Sound models, mainly due to its

high-end definition.

“The sparkle is the really strong side for me; it sounds like an

enormous MINA, which is a very good thing to my ears! We use

Galileo as a master matrix, then we have (four) Callisto for the LEO

arrays and the 1100-LFC subs,” he says. “The whole system is very

exact and it also flies quickly; I’m also fond of the pull-back possibility

to make the array stay angled as you wish, no matter if you’re taking it

upwards or downwards. That’s very cool.”

Sixteen LEOs were hung L/R with two MICAs for the down fill, with

nine 1100-LFCs flown next to each respective hang. In addition, there

was a four-row end-fired configuration of 700-HP subs which

stretched all the way around the stage.

Having the hung sub worked “fantastically well” for Marcus

Agnesund, FOH engineer for renowned Swedish act, Daniel Adams-

Ray. This was his first time mixing on LEO.

“The experience was great, as there’s just so much headroom and

clarity in the box, which meant fewer things to worry about at my

Way out West might just be the nicest festival on the planet: set in the most beautiful of parkland settings, this KraV-certified event is uber-sustainable; and thanks to a sizeable meyer Sound Leo system on the main stage, it sounds just as good as it looks, writes paul Watson.

phot

os b

y pa

ul W

ats

on

alabama Shakes stage

49

end. The really nice thing is you get a completely constant EQ; unlike

many other systems, it doesn’t change when you turn it up, which is

fantastic,” he explains. “The configuration here meant a lot of thump

at the bottom end, which was really good; Daniel Adams-Ray is very

vocal-heavy – it was all compression and doublers on the voices –

and this system made it sound great; on this showing, I’d recommend

LEO to all engineers.”

For the main stage Starlight deployed a Yamaha PM5D at FOH

and a chunky old Midas H3000 for monitors; and for stage two, a

Midas XL4 and another H3000 were brought in.

The lighting rig consisted of 120 Martin Professional 2000s and 30 of

SGM’s new X-5 strobes for the main and second stages – a

combination which works perfectly, according to the festival’s

organiser Fredrik ‘Matazz’ Holmstedt.

“Every part of Way Out West has to be top notch, and the LED

lights specifically continue to get better and better, and are now

accepted by touring LDs; for us having the X-5s is a real bonus, of

course, as they use around 10 percent of the power of our previous

strobes.”

Calle Brattberg is lighting director for Swedish headline act, Hakan

Hellstrom. In general, he says, lighting operators are really starting to

reap the benefits thanks to the ever-evolving innovations in LED

technology.

“We get less and less time on stages these days but our post-

production is longer, which means the industry is going the right way;

new gear, like the X5, is getting much better and much more

efficient, and as a result, we operators are no longer doing the

graveyard shifts – the better the kit gets, of course, the more

possibilities we will continue to have,” he explains. “The X5 is also an

extremely bright strobe; I mean, we only have 15 on each stage here

at Way Out West, but it’s more than enough; they’re becoming very

popular, and for good reason.”

In addition console technology is way ahead of where it was years

ago, Brattberg insists, adding that in Sweden the Grand MA is at the

top of the tree.

“It’s all about the Grand MA here. At a festival, have to be very

dynamic, which is so easy on the console; we use five universes here,

and once we’ve set it out, we can do all colour cloning and

positioning very, very easily on this console,” he explains. “It’s just such

a great tool; even if you’re restricted on time, an hour is more than

enough time to prepare a good show, as it’s got everything you

could possibly want and more.”

“This festival is ultimately driven by me being crazy,” Holmstedt

reflects with a smile, as he ushers my attention to the large jellyfish

hanging next to the speaker arrays which he had made for this year’s

event. Fair point, I conclude.

“Way Out West has a different face each year and this year we

went for jellyfish; it was my idea, so I shall have to see how that pans

out! Ultimately though, we evolve every year – it’s about staying

ahead of the game with regards to technology and going with

customer demand, which is so important,” he says. “This is why we

work with the likes of Starlight – they’re a great company and always

deliver above and beyond what we want. LEO certainly isn’t a

cheap box, but it’s been worth every penny here, as the audience

experience is so much better with it than it ever was without it.”

Stage audio Works

the main stage

50

lIVe eVentS MoVinG HeADs rounD-up

pro-Systems takes a look at some of the popular moving head fixtures available in today’s market

Kevin rieck, head of lighting at Johannesburg-based

mGG productions has been using Clay Paky products for the past two

years an likes the Alpha Profile 1500 among others.

He rates the “prenominal optics” for gobo work, particularly when

combined with the Dyna-Cue Creator – a macro channel allowing

fast access to a library of fluid and impressive pre-programmed gobo

animations and special effects that utilize the auto-focus mechanism.

Other features topping his agenda include the Auto-Focus, sharper

blades (shutters) and the huge zoom (7 – 60 degrees), but especially

he likes the gobo effects that can be created utilizing the auto-focus

in combination with the Dyna-Cue Creator.

Recent events on which MGG has used its CP Alpha profiles

include a show for PBB Standard Bank at Sandton Convention Centre;

and also for Destiny Magazine at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton where

they made up custom gobos from the company’s logo and

combining auto-focus and the Dyna-Creator, layered this across 200

metres of set. Another recent project was for Skyy vodka where they

used an Alpha Profile 1500 to project onto a building two blocks

away.

“It’s a monster of a light with fantastic optics, rich colours and

features,” concludes Kevin.

Another keen Alpha Profile user is christopher Bolton,

Production Director from Keystone productions in Johannesburg,

which specialises in corporate launches and events and also has

plenty of experience in the theatre.

He first used Clay Paky products in 1998 back in the glory days of

the Golden Scan which was a firm favourite for lighting rave parties of

that era!

He likes the Alpha range for many reasons, a main one being the

optical system “something that CP had right since the beginning

across all their fixtures.”

He says the Alpha Profile 1500: “is a special fixture with many

incredible features,” of which his favourite is also the Dyna-Cue

Creator.

The wide focus and the prism make it good for upstage

applications, but it’s “Equally amazing” on a front truss or advanced

bars to cover a set with gobos of tightened right down and colour

corrected for a band or performance ‘special’.

He recently used Alpha Profiles on a gala event for Nestlé and also

on the South African Business Awards, both lighting schemes designed

by himself.

Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1500What the manufacturer has to say:

The Alpha Profile 1500 is a cutting-edge professional beam shaper that combines the high output power of a 1 500W lamp with an exclusive framing system (patented by Clay Paky) capable of any shape. It features an astonishing 1:9 ratio zoom, with a breathtaking speed, that makes it suitable to both short and long distance applications. It is extremely bright, very silent and has advanced electronics and software. It comes with a comprehensive range of graphic effects, the innovative Stay-Sharp-Zoom function allowing automatic focusing and the smart Zoom-Tracking-Diffuser for a linear beam softening. The Alpha Profile 1500 is a valuable resource for designers working in demanding lighting environments.

Key Features:

• Combines the high output power of a 1 500W lamp with an

exclusive framing system

• Innovative Stay-Sharp-Zoom function allowing automatic

focusing and the smart Zoom-Tracking-Diffuser for a linear

beam softening.

• 7°-60° electronic zoom

• 1:9 ratio zoom

• Stay-Sharp-Zoom function for automatic focusing

• Zoom-Tracking-Diffuser (frost filter synchronized with zoom

plus flood filter)

• Special 16-blade mechanical iris

• Patented framing system, adjustable over 90°

• ‘Total curtain effect’ with single blade

51

MoVinG HeADs rounD-up lIVe eVentS

pro-Systems takes a look at some of the popular moving head fixtures available in today’s market Martin Mac Viper Profile

For lighting designer ryan Dunbar the Martin MAC Viper is

currently his moving light of choice. Ryan’s industry experience has

been in theatre, TV and concert touring and he is currently working

for Gearhouse South africa.

He’s been using Martin products for over 10 years and says of the

Viper: “They are sexy, nice and clean and modern looking.” He likes

the tight, crisp optics which “Make for lovely gobos and beams” and

he’s also impressed by the light output and the menu scroll wheel.

The fact that they look great on camera are one of the features he

likes best: “I recommend them for any live show that’s being recorded

for TV.”

One of India’s leading LD’s Atul Sonpal recently used 28 MAC

Vipers for the South Africa India Film & Television Awards (SAIFTA) at

Durban ICC. The fixtures were chosen for their gobo beam definition

and for those big gobo projection looks into the camera. The

colourful, lively star studded event that celebrated the eclectic mix of

culture and talent from both countries and was recorded for SABC.

Brent Thompson from Eden Electronics is another fan of the MAC

Viper and has been using Martin products in his work for the past 14

years. He says he’s found the Viper to be “The most robustly and

well-built fixture in its class with enormous versatility.”

He particularly likes its enormous zoom and the ”well thought out”

optical system which gives it the functionality of swapping

instantaneously between a beam, spot or wash fixture. “I’ve learnt

quickly that the Viper has no limitations,” he confirms adding that it’s

“Perfectly suited” for live concerts and the touring market.

theo papenfuss from Stage effects has been in the lighting

industry for 15 years and using Martin for around 12. He likes the Viper

for its compact size, bright output, light weight, excellent zoom and

general performance.

Colors, gobos and the zoom top the list of his favourite features

together with speed of the parameters and the menu features. Stage

Effects initially invested in Vipers for their concert and live work, but

have found the units to be invariable for all types of corporates.

When they came to make the Viper investment, a 1 200W series

fixture was what they were ideally looking for … they heard there was

something coming and were keen to stick with Martin because in

Theo’s experience, it’s a brand most often specified by international

LDs on their riders.

What the manufacturer has to say:

The MAC Viper Profile is a new breed of high-output profile luminaire with an exceptional feature set, superior light quality and a highly efficient optical system. It outperforms all market-leading profiles in the 1 200-watt range and is even an alternative to 1 500-watt fixtures. The Viper Profile is not only brighter, it is also a faster and more compact solution. With its 1 000-watt HID source, the Viper consumes less power, making it over 50% more efficient than its 1 200-watt rivals.

Key Features:

• 26 000 lumens – Excellent light quality with a very flat and

uniform field

• 1:5 zoom – Fast zoom with auto-linked focus

• FX wheel – Patent-pending FX wheel provides an additional

four fixed gobos and 135° animation effect

• Linear CTO – Daylight to tungsten CCT control and

expansion of the CMY palette

• Soft frost – A light frost leaves gobo artwork visible with a

beautiful soft edge. Includes a linear focus

blurring option

• Aerial wheel: five interchangeable aerial effects + open,

indexing, continuous rotation and shake

• Breakup wheel: five interchangeable texture/breakup

gobos + open, indexing, continuous rotation and shake

• FX wheel: Interchangeable static gobo and gobo

animation effects

Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1500

52

lIVe eVentS MoVinG HeADs rounD-up

Robe MMX Spot

Gert Smit of busy rental company mJ event Gear declares that

Robe’s MMX Spot is “An AMAZING fixture,” adding that he reckons it’s

on par with most 1200W series fixtures on the market right now in terms

of brightness and the rich array of colours,

“I will even go as far as to say that the fixture projects better and

brighter with colour then most of the other units I have worked with,”

he declares

Like many, he appreciates the smaller physical size and lighter

weight – which are at the heart of Robe’s current design philosophies,

“This means that I can load my trusses with more – and brighter –

fixtures, which can be closer together to make up some great effects

….and still keep the riggers on my side. LOL!”

The thinks the MMX Spot gobo designs are really cool, and that

they work equally well for projecting onto sets as break ups and for

creating excellent beam style effects. The Dual Graphics Wheel “Is

also a great addition” to the unit and “Perfect for making some nice

effects on sets and the surfaces of buildings.”

Gert recently used 10 Robe MMX Units at the Annual South African

Guide Dogs Charity Ball at the Montecasino Ballroom. The 10 fixtures

were all placed on the floor, five either side of the stage, and used

primarily for gobo projections onto the draping and ceiling and for

producing rich textures for each part of the gala evening. They were

also used for aerial beam effects when the band and DJ kicked in.

christiaan Ballot MD of Centurion based Blond productions has been using Robe products for the past

eight years, mainly in the television industry, which is one of

the areas in which they specialise, and comments: “We

have had almost zero problems with them.”

The MMX is one of his favourite units of the moment

because of its “Brightness, the effects wheel and the

custom beam gobo kit” and he thinks they are best used as

effects lights and for tasks that utilise gobos.

Recent shows on which Blond has employed MMX Spots

include Money Drop for SA and Nigeria – both series were

recorded at Kew Studios in Johannesburg (LD Peter Reick)

where they were used as back light firing directly into the

cameras. Twelve units were used at Sasani Studios for Big

Brother Africa 2013, another Peter Reick lighting design. The

MMXs were used as top lights over stage, producing gobo

effects on the stage floor during performances.

What the manufacturer has to say:

The Robe MMX is a new technology discharge fixture that has similar light output to most existing 1200W luminaires. The unit is based on the all new Robin advanced technology design that provides Brighter, more efficient, physically lighter and smaller fixtures than

previously possible.

Key Features:

• QVGA Robe touch screen with

battery backup gravitation sensor for

auto screen positioning

• Dual Graphic Wheel: 8-bit

• CTO: 0–100%

• Hot-spot control: Hot-or-not-spot

• Dual Graphic Wheel

• Fixture total lumen output: 26 141 lm

• Weight: 25.5kg

• Stand-alone operation

• Ethernet port: Art-Net protocol,

ready for ACN

Joshua cutts from Johannesburg based design company

Visual Frontier is one of SA’s best known lighting designers. His 20 years

of active industry service have seen him light Idols for the last four

years, the SAMAs in 2013 and 2013, the Channel O Awards and

Skouspel for the past eight years to name but a few.

The Vari*Lite 3500 is one of his favourite moving lights, and he’s used

Vari*Lite products in his work since 2010, when DWR Distribution

supplied the first VLXs in the country to the SuperSport Soccer World

Cup Studio in Randburg.

Attributes he likes on the V*L3500 include the great framing, which

makes them ideal for using on a front truss where you can precisely

pinpoint performers with tight key lighting. He also really appreciates

is the great optics which enable the fixture to become a richly

textured wash across a stage or set. He used both V*L 3000s and

3500s on this year’s Skouspel event at Sun City Superbowl.

He thinks the zoom on Vari*Lite products offers much more latitude

than others and he also finds it really quick and maintains super-bright

bright whatever function it is being used for. “Like all Vari*lite products,

the luminaires are impeccably matched and very reliable – it really is

a premium brand lighting fixture.”

These sentiments are shared by Gearhouse Splitbeam’s MD

alistair Kilbee. Alistair has over 20 years’ experience in theatre

and has worked on most of the major musicals staged in SA over the

past 15 years.

When he started Splitbeam in 2010, they made the largest single

purchase of Vari*Lite’s in the country to date. Vari*Lite has always

been his ‘fixture of choice’ for the theatre and he’s actually wanted

to own V*Ls since he was an aspiring young lighting tech … and now

he’s living the dream!

He thinks the V*L3500 is a “great workhorse spot fixture”, and with

the addition of the shuttering system adds a whole layer of dynamics.

The gobos are “very usable” and he likes the fact that the 3500

matches perfectly with the 3000. “The colours are great and like all

V*Ls, you can mix in very nice pastel hues which are often absent

from other moving lights.

He also likes the 10 to 60 degree zoom, “There is no other fixture on

the market that can shutter as well, and focus clearly on all four

shutters.” He adds that the indexing is also excellent, so cues and

effects can be repeated hundreds of times over and still be millimetre

accurate.

Varilite VL3500 Spot luminaireWhat the manufacturer has to say:

The VARI❋LITE VL3500 Spot luminaire maintains the same high standards for imagery, beam control, colour and brightness set by the original VARI❋LITE Series 3000 Spot luminaires, but with the added feature of a four-blade shutter mechanism that allows the blades to be operated independently or in unison on two planes for a clear and crisp image.

Key Features:

• Zoom optics: A 13-element 6:1 zoom

optics system, covering a range from

10° to 60°.

• Shutter control: A four-blade shutter

mechanism that allows the blades to

be operated independently or in

unison on two planes for a clear and

crisp image. The entire mechanism

can rotate 50º in either direction.

• Intensity control: Full field dimming

designed for smooth timed fades as

well as quick dimming effects.

• Variable beam focus to soften edges

of gobos or spots. Remarkable depth

of field capability.

• Allows morphing effects between all

pattern and effects wheels.

MoVinG HeADs rounD-up lIVe eVentS

53

54

lIVe eVentS sHoW report

But what makes a good party? Well, first you need a set that’s out of

the ordinary. Check. Then you need chest pounding sound and

thrilling lights. Check. A little, ok a lot of, projection mapping might

help bring the party into the 21st Century. Check! The Redds party

had it all, helped in no small part by local technical production and

rental stalwarts, AV Unlimited.

AV Unlimited, headed by brothers Arnaud and Guillaume Ducray,

has been in the business for over 21 years and specialises in technical

production and out of the ordinary audio visual experiences, which

made a perfect match for what was required at the Ultimate Redd

Door event. First class sound, lighting and projection mapping was

the order of the day and AV Unlimited handled the technical aspects

of the event in its entirety including staging, set design, sound, video

and lighting.

Being that the event was staged at Exhibition 1 at the Sandton

Convention Centre, there was a lot of room to fill. Besides the sound

and lighting, which we’ll get to later, the focus on the show was an

abundance of screens which needed the mapping of video content

to them. This formed the backdrop to the stage and formed part of

the set to either side of the stage.

AV Unlimited custom made the entire set beforehand to

accommodate the desired projection mapping effect. Two Coolux

Quad LT servers were employed to map the video onto the set via six

Barco FLM HD14s and four Barco RLM W8 projectors.

“We custom made everything. The event was designed before we

had a venue so we had to adapt it to work within this venue,” says

Guillaume. “The whole set was designed internally. We pitched the

design, which we won, and a company called the African Motion

Picture Company were contrated to created the content. The event

was managed by a company called 24 Carrots and the video was

conceptualised by them.”

On why AV Unlimited prefers Coolux as a brand, Guillaume

explains: “We’re a one hundred percent Coolux company. We

wouldn’t entertain anything else; as an investment at least. Obviously

there are certain shows where we may be forced to use a different

server but when it’s our design, Coolux is what we depend on.”

The basic workflow when designing a set such as this that requires

projection mapping is, in the case of AV Unlimited, to design the 3D

model of the set in-house and then send to it to the content creators

who then can use that as a base for their design.

Party on through the ‘Redd Door’ By Greg Bester

Following on the 2012 ultimate redd Door experience, one of South africa’s most unusual and buzz-inducing parties, redd’s cider once again brought the titillating, star-studded event to a lucky 1 000 ticket winners in exhibition 1 at the Sandton convention centre in august 2013. needless to say, expectations ran high as to whether redd’s could not only deliver the same quality of event of the previous year, but raise the bar. according to the reaction to the event, the answer is a resounding yeS.

55

[email protected] www.ephproductions.co.za 012-345 5303 082 924 9046

For all your LED Screen requirements to the Rental & Live Event Market.

How would you like us to go?How would you like us to go?How would you

We also supply Sound - Lighting - Audio-Visual - LED Screens - Stage - Structure - Generators - Crew - Creativity…

epH

The set itself basically consisted of 16 vertical screens at the rear

wall to either side of an angled, 3D centrepiece with three

dimensional block-formation structures on either side of the stage.

The structures that hold the screens were custom made by AV

Unlimited and fabricated from scaffolding with panels clipped into

what amounts to a frame. Because of their use of quad servers,

each projector received its own feed. This resulted in two projectors

for the three dimensional portions of the set to the sides and in the

middle of the stage and a single projector per four panels hanging

on the back wall. 12 projectors were used in total.

On the topic of video mapping, Guillaume has strong opinions on

the distinction between 2D and 3D mapping. He explains: “3D

mapping requires you to hit an object from multiple light sources.

Using one projector to ’map‘ on a three dimensional object is not 3D

mapping. For me, the best way to describe it is by contrast of hitting

an object with one light source, which causes the light to stretch

around the curves. 3D mapping is a multiple light-source operation.

Having 3D content in your video does not make it 3D mapping either.

Once you have more than one projector hitting a 3D object from

multiple light sources, we can start talking about 3D mapping.”

While AV Unlimited custom designed almost all the elements in the

set and stage, the stage itself was supplied by Dream Sets, the

draping by SA Draping and the projection screen material by

Showtex in Cape Town.

The audio provided was a combination of Soundcraft and Alcons

Audio kit. The main console was a Soundcraft SI Compact 32 paired

with a SI Compact 16/32 stage box, interconnected digitally over

CAT5 cable. The loudspeaker system was an Alcons Audio LR16 line

array with nine boxes per side, paired with a total of six LR16B

subwoofers. The system was powered by a combination of six Alcons

Audio ALC2 and three ALC4 amplifiers. Another four Alcons Audio

BF362 subwoofers were employed, powered by two ALC6 amplifiers.

For monitoring, four Alcons Audio VR12s were utilised, powered by

two ALC2 amplifiers. Microphones used were all Shure: four WL-184

lavalier microphones paired to four ULXD-1 beltpack transmitters,

transmitting to two Shure ULXD-4DE dual receivers. Four more ULX-2

handhelds with SM58 capsules were spec’d.

Lighting was not skimped on, either. The heart of the system

revolved around a MA Lighting Grand MA2 with an extra fader wing.

Automated fixtures included 24 Martin Mac 101 LEDs, 16 Martin

Mac700 profiles, 12 Robe Robin 100 LEDs, 12 Martin Mac700 washes

and 12 Vari-Lite VLX LED washes. LED fixtures included 24 Longman

Colourme 011A stage bar and 24 Versalite LED Wall Wash. As if this

otherwise diverse combination of some of the best brands around

wasn’t enough, 12 more industry standard ETC Source 4s were also

implemented. To bring it all together in a fine haze, a Le Maitre MVS

hazer was the go to choice.

Prolyte, Litec and VUSA trussing was used throughout the event.

the wrap

A party such as the Ultimate Redd Door Experience is not one to

be taken lightly. A huge amount of planning takes place to get a

successful party such as this off the ground and a variety of

expertise are required to bring that planning to fruition. The 21st

Century has brought a vast new array of options to our fingertips

to give the party-goer a new experience, not only through aural

but visual stimulation. It is no longer acceptable to have a stack of

speakers and a few parcans. AV Unlimited is clearly a company

that knows what they’re doing in technical production arena and

they equally have a keen eye for using quality equipment that

makes the otherwise spurious challenges of the job easier to

contend with, not to mention bring a modern, heightened sense

of fun to the party.

56

lIVe eVentS ViDeo MAppinG

In a world where ‘mapping’ is often over-used, misunderstood and

mis-applied, projection and digital art specialist Ross Ashton

collaborated with Russian artist Maria Rud to present something

completely different.

Dark Matter was a dynamic ‘AniMotion’ live performance that

featured live painting projected in giant format on to – in this case

– the Institute of Astronomy library in Cambridge, UK.

The event embraced painting, music and proper projection

mapping (a technique that Ashton has been using for years long

before it ever became digital!) … all in one truly magical live

experience.

It was the world-wide launch of this new presentation concept,

complete with live music from flautist David Heath, vocalist Fay Fife

and DJ / producer Dolphin Boy (Andy Levy).

The one off event also coincided with the launch of the 2014

e-Luminate Festival in Cambridge – which in February will celebrate

the fusion of lighting and technology to show the city literally ‘in a

different light’ – with a fundamental emphasis on eco-sustainability.

Ashton was approached by Rud, who had heard about his work

and wanted to take AniMotion to a different level.

Ashton immediately saw the potential of her painting live onto

buildings via projection, bringing the specific qualities and grain of

real materials and genuinely hand-painted 3D images to cover a

surface, plus the raw emotion and edge of images unfolding in front

of the audience’s eyes.

“I am hugely excited about the possibilities – this is a completely

new style of live art,” says Ashton, adding that the “…analogue

quality and rich texturing brings great depth and detail to the work

that engages on many levels … and looks absolutely spectacular!”

Rud paints directly onto a light-box. Ashton has devised a way of

mapping the building architecture, which he then gives to her as her

canvass.

“As soon as we started to discuss the process,” says Ashton, “I knew

that I could make this work and give Maria the freedom she needed

to create her art. It has been a very satisfying intellectual journey and

I think that the results speak for themselves. Nothing is hidden, the

audience are encouraged to watch the painter as she develops and

redevelops the work.”

Before the live show, Rud experimented with a number of ideas

and established which worked the best in relation to the building

details and features. They discussed the colour palettes she might use

in advance, but on the night, the creation of the final three works

rested almost entirely on improvisation.

During the show, the painting surface is evenly top lit and a

mini-cam placed directly overhead, the output of which is fed into

a laptop running Millumin – a software originally developed for VJs

which can also edge blend, map and has a number of other useful

and cool functions. This was fed via the DVI out to a single

Panasonic DZ 21K WUXGA projector.

The use of live music added synergy to the piece, and for Dark

Matter, Maria collaborated with the three Edinburgh based

musicians who composed three pieces of music – An Improvisation

on Debussy’s Syrinx by Heath; The Sound of Sleat by Fife and Levy,

and Dark Matter performed by all three.

Says Rud: “By uniting music and painting through the art of

projection, AniMotion immerses its audiences in a world of

transcendence. By dissolving boundaries between art forms you

reveal a whole new world and in the process … a new art form.”

Panasonic sponsored the event, supplying both the projector

and the camera and is also a major sponsor of the e-Luminate

festival.

Locally-based technical solutions provider Anagram supplied all

the other technical production, which included lighting and the

sound system.

The building – the library of the Institute of Astronomy – provided

a fantastic setting, and after this success, it is hoped to be able to

produce another AniMotion work on a different building for

e-Luminate 2014 of which Ashton is the Creative Director.

A world first for AniMotion video mappingBy Louise Stickland

Dark Matter painting projected onto the library of the institute of astronomy

phot

o by

Lou

ise

Stic

kla

nd

DWr – Varilte

LED - The price revolution begins . . .

Philips Selecon has developed a game-changing initiative that is seeing its industry-leading PLfresnel1, PLprofile1 and PLcyc1

luminaires available at remarkably affordable prices.

Getting creative with our feature rich LED Luminaires is now within the reach of every lighting professional.

An unmissable opportunity - now is the time to Learn, Educate and Design with Philips Selecon LED luminaires.

Why not discover how Philips Selecon can help you create unique and engaging

experiences for your audience or visitors @ seleconlight.comseleconlight.com

Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park

9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew, 2170

Tel: +27 11 794 5023 Fax: + 27 11 794 5702

[email protected] www.dwrdistribution.co.za

58

StudIo Pro AudIo proDuCt reVieW

Audio Technica under the microscope By Greg Bester

Japanese microphone manufacturer audio technica, while not necessarily considered in the upper tier of microphone brands like Brauner or neumann, has been producing some very well regarded and high performing mics since 1962. With headquarters in tokyo, their microphones have not seen the ubiquity in South africa as in other countries which is unfortunate because while competing brands offer mics at a similar price point, audio technica has a large assembly of pro and novice followers alike who swear by them, particularly their 40 series and other well-knowns like the atm350 and ae series.

That’s not to say Audio Technica don’t make some top class

microphones. Their new AT5040 is as high quality as anyone could

expect and stands up against any of the large diaphragm condensers

two or three times the price. In a word, Audio Technica delivers quality

of a boutique brand at a price Joe Soap can afford.

Audio Technica has been in the audio business for over 50 years and,

while they are probably most famous for their microphones, they

manufacture other audio products including headphones, magnetic

cartridges for turntables, USB turntables, and have pioneered

technologies such as ‘Uniguard’, a 13 patent technique that eliminates

radio frequency interference due to cell phones, Bluetooth devices,

wireless computer networks and walki-talkies. 50 current microphone

models have been upgraded with this new RFI-resistant technology.

Here at home, Prosound was recently awarded the Audio Technica

distributorship and I was fortunate enough to receive three of their

models for a comparative review: the AT4047MP, the AT2050 and the

AT4080; two large diaphragm condensers and a ribbon, respectively.

For this review I went along to Playsound Studios in Craighall Park

owned and run by Garrick Van Der Tuin, a well-known music producer

and sound engineer for Hugh Masekela to check them out and do a

few comparisons. Before we get to that, however, let’s check out the

specs and features of each microphone.

at2050

The AT2050 is a multi-pattern,

dual diaphragm LDC (large

diaphragm condenser)

microphone and is at the top

end of the 20 series, the entry

level tier of the Audio Technica

LDC range. It boasts a typical

frequency response of 20Hz to

20kHz as we see in most LDCs,

a low self-noise of 17dB SPL

and a sensitivity of 7.9mV/Pa. It

can handle a sizeable 149dB

SPL maximum input level and

this increases to 159dB SPL with

the -10dB pad initiated. It has a dynamic range of 132dB, 1kHz at max

SPL. Probably the most useful feature of the AT2050 is the fact that it is

multi-pattern selectable.

Three patterns are offered: omnidirectional, cardioid and figure-of-

eight. Whether you want to accomplish an M/S or Blumlein Pair

recording, this mic can do it (provided you have two!). As

mentioned, the AT2050 also includes a -10dB pad, which

extends its max SPL handling. Finally, it integrates an 80Hz

high pass filter for a gentle low end roll off. Included with the

AT2050 are an elasticated shock mount and leather carry

case.

at4047mp

In the Audio Technica LDC

line, there are only three

microphones more

expensive than the

AT4047MP: the AT4050ST,

the AT4060 valve mic and

the flagship AT5040.

The AT4047MP is a

multi-pattern large

diaphragm condenser;

hence the ’MP‘ suffix at the

end of its model number

and contains what Audio

Technica terms an

“externally-polarised (DC bias) condenser” element.

The selectable patterns, just like the AT2050, are

omnidirectional, cardioid and figure-of-eight. The frequency

response of the AT4047MP comes in at 20Hz to 18kHz but do

not be fooled, this is not a bad thing. Audio Technica 40

series microphones are hailed for their natural top end that

lacks the hype of cheaper modern condensers. The result is

a mic that responds better to EQ and has a smooth top end

that isn’t brittle.

Like the AT2050, the AT4047MP includes an 80Hz low

frequency roll-off with a 12dB/octave slope. Another feature

it shares with the AT2050 is the exact same sensitivity:

7.9mB/Pa. This means that it should provide a similar output

level under normal conditions. That being said, the

AT4047MP trumps the AT2050 on almost all other fronts. The

maximum input sound level is a mammoth 155dB SPL and

that increases to 165dB SPL when the -10dB pad is engaged.

It has a self-noise of 14dB SPL and a dynamic range of 141dB

measured with 1kHz at maximum SPL. The AT4047MP comes

standard with a robust elasticated shock mount and a sturdy

dust cover.

By Greg Bester

prolight + Sound

60

StudIo Pro AudIo proDuCt reVieW

at4080

Given the recent

resurgence and revived

popularity of ribbon

microphones, it’s no

surprise that Audio

Technica decided to

deliver their own offering

as well. The AT4080 is an

active ribbon

microphone, which

means that, unlike

traditional ribbons, it

requires 48V phantom

power. However, unlike

condensers, it is not to charge the element but rather to power the

built-in preamp that boosts the output of the microphone to a more

usable level, requiring less preamp gain. Traditional ribbons were

notoriously low output so it was common to pair it to a very quiet and

high gain preamp to get the most out of it, particularly for quiet

sources.

Like all ribbons, the AT4080 features a fixed figure-of-eight polar

pattern. The frequency response is 20Hz to 18kHz, which hints at the

fact that it has a slightly higher high frequency extension than

traditional ribbons, which generally taper off around 15kHz. It has a

sensitivity of 11.2mV/Pa and can handle a whopping 150dB SPL

maximum input level. The AT4080 is a little noisier than its condenser

counterparts, coming in at 22dB SPL, resulting in 128dB of dynamic

range but this is more than enough for most sources and nothing to

worry about.

comparison

As mentioned, I took the three microphones to Playsound Studios in

Craighall Park for a comparison test, aided by studio owner and

audio guru Garrick Van Der Tuin. The plan of attack was simple. We

would set up all three microphones as close to one another as

possible in front a drum kit and then simply record the kit being

played. Then we would switch between the microphones to get a

feel for their strengths and weaknesses.

In addition, the next step was to set up other studio standard

microphones in similar classes to compare against the Audio

Technicas. The mics we chose were an AKG C414 and an AEA R92

ribbon as they would give us a good indication as to how the Audio

Technicas performed against tried and tested standards.

We used a Focusrite ISA828 to pre-amplify the microphones, fed

into a Lynx Aurora 16VT AD/DA converter and then monitored back

through an Audient 2802 console. The signal chain, as you can see,

was top notch.

After faffing about with the formalities of the setup, the fun could

begin. We recorded a few simple beats with the three Audio

Technica microphones placed coincidentally about six feet in front of

the drum kit. Next, we listened. All microphones, except the AT4080 of

course, were set to cardioid.

On its own, the AT2050 sounded decent enough. There was a fair

amount of top end coming off the cymbals and the lower midrange

seemed a bit polite, which reduced the ‘thud’ of the kick drum.

Without switching to another microphone, however, it was difficult to

make a call as to whether this was a good or bad thing.

After switching to the AT4047MP, we knew exactly what we were

missing with the AT2050. The top end rolled of a little, which revealed

the AT2050 to be, for want of a better word, a little bit brittle in

comparison. This also caused the midrange to sound a little hard in

the AT2050 because it was exposed due to the reduced lower

midrange and upper midrange presence peak. Not to say that the

AT2050 is a bad sounding microphone, but rather that it exhibited the

same hyped top end as other condensers in its price range. This

provided a fairly stark difference to the AT4047MP. The AT4047MP was

warmer and more forgiving in the midrange. Think ‘smooth’. It was a

little darker at the top but that was what my ears wanted to hear. The

kick drum came through with more low-end and the chest kicking

frequencies were back. Comparing a $1 000 mic to a $250 mic,

however, one has to expect a fair amount of improvement and that’s

exactly what was evident.

Switching to the AT4080, we were immediately met with the famous

top end roll off and fantastic low end that ribbon mics are famous for.

I always find ribbons to exhibit a ‘honk’ in the midrange around 1.4kHz

but the AT4080 seemed subdued in this range. The midrange was

buttery but also exhibited a rugged sound that I wager would sound

fantastic on electric guitars, drum overheads and intimate vocals,

particularly female.

Plugging in the AKG 414 and the AEA R92, we compared them to

the Audio Technicas. The 414 was surprisingly close to the AT4047MP

but a little brighter. Neither was better than one another; just different

in tonality. They both had a fantastic, unobtrusive sounding midrange

and didn’t get too sibilant when we spoke into them. Truthfully, I

preferred the sound of the AT4047MP because of its slightly darker

tonality which gave off a warmer impression.

The AEA R92 is a traditional ribbon microphone not requiring

phantom power made by AEA, a company that prides themselves on

their ribbon pedigree. They make some of the most faithful

recreations of the classic ribbons of old such as the RCA 77 and 44 so

comparing the AT4080 to it would be somewhat of a benchmark.

The R92 was unabashedly ‘ribbon’. It had a pronounced honk in

the 1kHz to 2kHz region with a dip in the spectrum thereafter that

peaks a little bit once again at 10kHz and then rolls off. This gave the

illusion of a pronounced bottom end ribbons are famous for.

The AT4080, by comparison, was a lot more linear. The low end was

there, no doubt, and the honk in the midrange was limited to a slight

bump between 1kHz and 2kHz. There was definitely an extended top

end compared to the R92 and overall I felt the AT4080 was flatter and

probably usable on a wider range of sources.

the wrap

The latest range of Audio Technica mics are indeed winners.

Admittedly, I have been waiting a long time to hear them due to

very little availability in South Africa and after reading so many

positive reviews on the interwebs about them, I am pleased to say

that the reports are true. The AT4047MP is a fantastic microphone

that, in my opinion, trumps most LDCs in its price range in terms of

sound quality and the AT2050, while more affordable, is well worth

the money despite the slightly hyped top end and reduced lower

midrange punch. The AT4080 is a stellar ribbon mic that takes the

application of the ribbon sound to new dimensions, adding to its

versatility for a broader range of sources. Overall, I am glad to see

Audio Technica taking a step forward in South Africa and I hope to

encounter them more and more in my audio travels. Au revoir!

Yeongnam University, Cheonma Art Hall, South Korea

+27 (0)11 791 5761 www.matrixsound.co.za

For more information, visit www.alconsaudio.com or www.wymiwyg.info

yamaha

matrix

62

StudIo Pro AudIo stuDio tips

Recording and mixing drums in the modern DAW Part 3 – Tracking By Greg Bester

tracking, to me, is the most important stage in the

recording process and requires the majority of your

attention. i cannot stress this point enough. The only

secret to great recordings is that your sound is only as

good as your source. a well overused cliché, i know, but

there is a reason for that. When you listen to your

favourite album you might think you’re listening to

something that has a fair amount of processing and

enhancement. Well, it may sound that way but chances

are it’s probably just a well-crafted recording. Be that as

it may, the tools we have to manipulate audio have

purpose and would not be here if we didn’t need them.

this is for two main reasons:

• to correct an inconstancy

• to supply an effect

In my experience the better the quality of firstly the performance and

secondly of the recording during the tracking phase, the less of a

degree of processing is needed and the easier it is to reach excellent

results during mixing. An even, consistent drummer is a lifesaver to a

mix engineer and a pleasure for workload, not to mention the mix

itself. It is just another aspect of the ‘everything counts’ ideal that

needs to be great in order to sound great.

The next aspect of a great drum sound is ambience, as touched on

previously. Back in days of old when major commercial studios were

the only gateways to professional audio a lot of attention was paid to

the construction of the performance rooms, or stages, as they were

called, where the acoustics and therefore the ambience was finely

tuned to supply a luscious and natural reverberation to recordings.

Great sounding ambience can add immense depth and space to a

drum kit and is almost essential if not because of the advent of digital

reverb and now high precision convolution reverbs which make it

possible to record drums in a relatively ‘dead’ environment and add

convincing ambience later.

A major consideration here is that the shape of a room can highly

influence the response and quality of a recording, even while being

‘dead’. If you are recording in a room with parallel walls the room will

have certain frequency resonances called standing waves that will

accentuate certain frequencies in an unnatural way at certain parts

of the room called antinodes. Because of the average dimensions

required to accomplish a simple recording, these frequencies are

often most prominent in the low or bass end of the spectrum and will

cause the recording to become ‘boomy’ or ‘muddy’. The inverse of

this is that often there is a lack of low end in certain parts of the room.

Simple alterations to room shape by way of corner functional bass

traps, baffles and diffusers can greatly relieve this problem.

tracking levels

The first thing I would say when tracking drums is to track them dry,

without EQ (unless you know exactly what you’re going for), and keep

your levels relatively low (Note: good mics and good mic pres are a

must here. I can’t stress the front end enough, especially if you’re

working in a DAW). Peaks topping out at -12dBfs should do the trick. If

you think it’s too soft, simply turn up your control room volume.

Modern analogue to digital converters may seem relatively the

same but they’re not and some perform better than others. It’s also

somewhat true that low to mid-level converters can perform better at

higher sample rates but this is a topic of fierce debate on the

interwebs. The old adage of ‘keep your levels as hot as you can

before clipping’ is now advice from a bygone era and should be

avoided completely.

Back when 16-bit audio and therefore narrower dynamic range

was the norm, ‘getting the most out of your bits’ by way of maximised

levels was preached as gospel. However, with the advent of 24bit

audio it is no longer required (or advisable) to drive your levels

anywhere near the 0dBfs (digital clipping) region. The reasons for this

Louder is definitely not better so trust your ears or use a trusted RMS meter to match the average levels. Both used together can be very powerful tools in processing and correcting inconsistencies.

63

A team of specialised technical supply professionals for corporate,

television, theatre and music events.

Lighting Supplier and 3D Lighting Design

Advanced Video Presentation Technology

Sales & Rental of Pro Audio Equipment

matrix

are simple. The first is that it’s not necessary, so why do it? In the

24-bit domain you have a theoretical dynamic range of 144dB

(closer to 120dB in reality due to thermal noise generated by the

analogue ends) and that’s more than enough considering the

signal to noise ratio of even the quietest mic preamps don’t usually

exceed the 100dB mark.

The second is that as the voltage reaching your AD converter

rises to full scale a phenomenon called “inter-sample peaking”

occurs. In the simplest terms, this is due to the fact that peaks

occurring between digital samples can actually be higher than

the sampled audio and when reconstructed at the DA, clipping

may occur. Digital peak metering only reflects the instantaneous

sample level and not the reconstructed DA signal so these peaks

slip by un-noticed like ghosts but are, in fact, a reality. That being

said, the main advantage of keeping your levels low is that you

preserve the full dynamic range of the recording whilst making

sure your converters are operating at their optimal level. If there is

no obvious noise at these levels, then there’s no problem.

One more worthwhile thing to know when it comes to levels in

general is that on most AD/DA converters, 0VU (Volume Units, the

industry standard metering scale for decades) is -18dBfs. This is not

to be confused with the dBu or dBv scale found on most analogue

equipment, such as mixing consoles. Just so you can correlate

how these levels relate, this is the general breakdown:

0VU = -18dBfs =+4dBu

Depending on the calibration of your AD converter, 0VU – in the

broadest sense – can be seen by the input meter as anywhere

from -12dBfs to -22dBfs but the generally accepted value is

regarded as -18dBfs. These are regarded as standard nominal

levels in a professional audio system. This means that when the

input level of your mixer’s microphone preamp is hitting +4dBu on

the output peak meter, it should be seen as -18dBfs on your AD

converter’s input meter1, and 0VU on a VU meter (well, with a sine

wave; complex waveforms exhibit different behaviour). Note that

an average mixer’s meter could top out at anywhere between,

say, +18dBu to +28dBu (and more). This is an indication of where

the mixer’s internal circuitry will clip, or in laymen’s terms, distort.

So, if you subtract +4dBu from, say, +18dBu, the resulting number –

in this case 14dB – is the amount of headroom you have to work

with. Therefore, if your highest peaks are hitting -18dBfs at your AD

converter, you have 14dB of headroom before the audio will

experience clipping at the mixer.

Simple, right?

internal levels

I don’t recommend going above -6dBfs on any channel at any

time. Keeping your levels conservative ITB (In The Box, ie. inside the

DAW software) is the best approach when mixing, and processing

should be auditioned in relation to the original source at a

nominal level, ie. the same level. Sometimes it’s easy to think

you’ve done something really great to a track when in actual fact

you’ve only made it louder and therefore appealed to the ears’

equal loudness curves.

Reference is the key word here and all processing you attempt

should always be in relation to the original sound. In other words,

when you affect a sound with a processor, you should always A/B

the processed signal at the same perceived volume. How else are

you going to know if what you’ve just done actually sounds

better? Louder is definitely not better so trust your ears or use a

trusted RMS meter to match the average levels. Both used

together can be very powerful tools in processing and correcting

inconsistencies.

64

StudIo Pro AudIo stuDio retrospeCtiVe

I, for one, have always wanted to travel to Mafikeng to see Bop for

myself. One just simply cannot believe the sheer gravitas of a place

like this and when you see it for yourself, it’s difficult to believe that it

even exists in such a small, if not random little town in Northwest

Province.

Stepping into its reception area the scale of its cost is immediately

presented. Hardwood floors, infinitely high ceilings, austere concrete

fasciae and dated furniture from the 1990s tells an interesting tale

without uttering a single word. It’s almost as if the facility is a time

machine that warps us back twenty years; its accolades only hinted

at by the paltry-few homages of past successes on the wall.

Not to say the studio didn’t produce anything noteworthy. It did.

The Lion King soundtracks, Laura Branigan, Indecent Obsession, Ray

Phiri, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Springbok Nude Girls were

all recorded here with great success. It’s just that it never got the

chance to truly flourish and the time when its halls bustled is now but

a memory.

prime

Nestled on four hectares of prime land next to the Mmabatho

Palms Casino and the Leopard Park Golf Estate, the studio itself

also includes its own resort set in a tropical garden complete

with full service chalets, a pool, a restaurant and a bar. To the

average musician and production crew, this place is a

Disneyland of sorts. What an amazing idea it is to be able to

come to one of the best recording studios in the world, check in

and stay for a few weeks, take game drives, get creative and

Bop revisited

on the outskirts of dusty mafikeng, northwest province lays the jewel of the South african recording industry: the world famous Bop recording Studios. a massive, purpose-built triple-studio facility, it is a place of legend and intrigue that many audio engineers living and working here only speak softly of in passing, speculating about its fate and contemplating its demise. indeed, this facility in its prime was state of the art and after abbey road in London and ocean Way in Los angeles, it was ranked third among the top studios in the world. But alas, the studio now sits practically defunct; its story as heart-breaking as it is wondrous and it’s façade as imposing as it is desperately calling out for someone, anyone, to bring it back to life.

By Greg Bester

Studio 1 at Bop Studios

65

stuDio retrospeCtiVe StudIo Pro AudIo

record. This is truly the ultimate African recording experience.

However, upon arrival the big questions start to emerge, the

most pressing being: “what happened here?”

the history

In the late 1980s, in the time of the Bophuthatswana

government, the idea of the Bop Recording Studios was

conceived. Bophuthatswana, which translates to “gathering of

the Tswana people”, was classed by the apartheid government

as a ‘tribal homeland’ with a scattered patchwork of borders in

what then was the Western Transvaal, Cape Province and

Orange Free State. It was an autonomous state with a

parliamentary democracy and a president – Chief Lucas

Manyane Mangope at the time – as its head of state.

After having established the Mmabana foundation for the

arts, culture and sports, former Bophuthatswana president Chief

Lucas Mangope came up with the idea of bringing people

together through music and building a recording studio. This

idea was then mooted around to the relevant decision makers

and after building the Bophuthatswana Broadcasting

Corporation buildings nearby, an erstwhile recording studio was

established there as a trial run.

Identifying that there was indeed a niche demand for such a

studio, Mr Mangope solidified his pursuits. Indeed, even US

musician Isaac Hayes, an acquaintance of Mr Mangope, had

an influence on his decision as they had met and discussed the

matter during a paths-crossing. In the mind of Mr Mangope, the

building of the studios was to go ahead.

Originally, Mafikeng was not the only place considered to

build the studios. Sun City via negotiations with Sol Kerzner was

considered along with other cultural hubs such as Soweto.

However, considering the infra-structure that Mafikeng had

already established such as the Broadcasting Corporation, the

Mmabatho Stadium, the Mmabatho Convention Centre and

the Mafikeng Airport, and the fact that it was, at the time, the

capital of Bophuthatswana, it was finally selected as the prime

position.

One of the main objectives in building the studios was to

attract foreign artists and projects so in order to do that it was

decided that the facilities would offer the best industry has to

offer. To say that the planners were thinking large was an

understatement, considering what they built. Funding, however,

was required.

The Sefalana Employees’ Benefits Organisation, a pension

fund contributed to by employees from various sectors of the

economy including civil servants, was then mandated by Mr

Mangope to fund the venture. According to a reliable source,

the final costing figure to purchase the land, build the studios,

buy the equipment, and erect the resort was around

$40 000 000.

In terms of the studios, only the best was good enough. For

starters, world-renowned acoustic designer Tom Hidley and

architect Thomas Rast were commissioned to design and build

the studios while Shozo Kinoshita handled the design and

installation of the custom monitoring system. These three men

had a huge hand in what became Bop Recording Studios,

arguably one of the best acoustic recording spaces in the

world. Three studios were built with identical control rooms

albeit with live rooms of differing sizes. Studio 1 has the largest

room – enough to accommodate a large orchestra – while

Studio 2 is slightly smaller. Studio 3 has a small booth for

overdubs since it is considered better suited to mixing.

Of course, the equipment installed was nothing but state of

the art. All studios included the Kinoshita RM-7V Infra-Sonic

system that extends all the way down to 9Hz – a world first. Each

studio received an enormous 96-channel analogue console

from Focusrite (Studio Console, one of 10 ever made, Studio 1),

Neve (VRP96, Studio 2), and Solid State Logic (4000G+, Studio 3).

Multi-track recorders included a Studer A820 2” 24-track tape

recorder, two Studer D820 48-track DASH digital recorders, a

Sony 3348 DASH recorder, and a Mitsubishi X-880 32-track digital

DASH recorder. Two-track recorders include a Mitsubishi PD8620

digital master recorder and two Studer A820 ½” analogue

master recorders.

Of course, the comprehensive list of all the equipment is too

vast to list here but suffice it to say that names like API, Focusrite,

Neve, Manley, Urei, Eventide, AMS and Drawmer are found all

over the studios. Also, Studio 1 and 2 received 9-foot Fazioli

pianos for their live rooms and a number of custom made

microphones were purchased. For a complete list of all the

gear at BRS visit: www.boprecordingstudios.co.za.

Studio 1 at Bop Studios: (left to right) phil Dudderidge, Schalk Janse Van rensburg, Shawn taylor, chris mayes-Wright, David Stride, Dewald Visser and Hugh robjohns on keys

66

StudIo Pro AudIo stuDio retrospeCtiVe

the more things change…

Shortly after the studios were completed in 1991, Nelson

Mandela was released from prison. As a result of this, the

dynamics of the country changed and this affected Bop in a

profound way. All of a sudden, because Bophuthatswana was

absorbed into the Republic of South Africa, there was a dispute

as to who actually owned the property. That, combined with

many challenges the country faced in terms of change of

leadership, put the fate of the studio on hold. In short, the

government’s hands were full dealing with other matters.

Additionally, those that had come to BRS from foreign lands to

work there suddenly found themselves out of status and were

therefore forced to leave. Eventually, the Public Investment

Corporation (PIC) inherited all SEBO assets and became the

overseers of the studios for the time being. As a result of all of

the red tape involved in this, the studio was then shut down

before it even started.

In 1994, after South Africa’s new democracy was established;

the SABC leased the facility from the PIC and then subsequently

sub-leased the facility for various projects. This continued from

1994 to 2003. There was then a fall out between the PIC and

SABC which resulted in a termination of their relationship. The

fate of the studios once again hung in space.

Thereafter rumours abounded that the PIC was going to sell

the studios because it did not fit into their portfolio of investments

and because they lacked the expertise to keep it running.

Subsequently, the Department of Arts and Culture decided to

attempt a purchase of the facility but were in breach of their

agreement due to non-payment. The agreement was then

terminated.

The response of PIC to this was to identify specific entities to

tender for BRS and it was then that current owner Mr Saj

Chaudry and his consortium at that time was selected for

tender consideration along with four other groups. After a long

decision making process based on the conditions of the tender,

vision, business plan, personal backgrounds and business

acumen, Mr Chaudry and his consortium were selected as the

preferred buyers and subsequently became the owners in 2006.

In 2009, Mr Chaudry bought out his partners and became the

sole owner.

today

Today BRS is laying in waiting. When Mr Chaudry took over the

resort it was in a state of disrepair so many renovations were

indeed carried out but there is still work to be done. However, a

full audit has been concluded on both the studio and resort

and, according to Mr Chaudry, an immediate amount of R10m

has been identified in order to finance the recapitalization

process. The studios, however, are still currently in a less-than-

desirable state with only Studio 1 in relatively good working

order. Nevertheless, rumours of anthills growing in the control

rooms, thankfully, are untrue. In reality the Neve Control Desk in

Studio 2 requires a complete overhaul. The SSL in Studio 3 is in a

good working order but requires power supplies as well as

attention to its monitoring system’s amplifiers.

Between August 2003 and 2005 most of the microphones

were stolen along with a few amplifiers that need to be

replaced. This means, combined with two broken consoles and

nothing to record on, the studio has a long way to go before it is

able to comfortably generate revenue. The only saving grace

of the studios will be the recapitalisation process Mr Chaudry

assures me they are in the process of, which will bring the studios

once again to an operation state.

When asked about the future of BRS, Mr Chaudry had this to

say: “As our complex stands, we have the resort side and we

have the studio side. It is not just a recording studio. We have a

restaurant, a bar, and a conference centre. But, on the studio

side we are at an advanced stage of negotiating with the

government, SETAs, universities, etc, to have an academy that

would cater for sound engineering training for the industry. The

other thing is the Rhino record label that belongs to us where we

hope to sign and promote artists. We hope to make this a hub

of arts and culture for the country, and eventually to the globe. I

think with very little financial input we can suddenly bring the

resort and studios back up to the five stars that it should be.”

the Wrap

So for now, the fate of BRS is to sit quietly in the dusty Northwest until

Mr Chaudry’s business plan is executed. I, for one, am in complete

in support of such a move and encourage potential partners and

investors in South Africa, on the continent and globally to take

interest in the project. If I were in such a position I surely would be

because to someone who is passionate about audio, I would be

proud to know that, as a South African, we hold such a gem in our

crown. There’s no doubt that such a massive icon of our recording

heritage needs preserving and I’m sure with the right direction, it

will have no trouble attracting investment and support. Bring back

Bop Recording Studios! the Bop Studios building

67

SocIAl

BeSt neWcomer LiGHtinG DeSiGner renaldo van den Berg

FaVourite SounD rentaL company trevor peters on behalf of matrix Sound

FaVourite aV rentaL company Guillaum Ducray on behalf of aV unlimited

BeSt neWcomer SounD enGineer Waldo van Wyk

FaVourite LiGHtinG rentaL company ofer Lapid on behalf of Gearhouse

BeSt Set DeSiGner oF tHe year Sean Hoey on behalf of robert Hoey

BeSt neWcomer aV enGineer Dave thompson

FaVourite tecHnicaL Venue Vino pillay on behalf of Sandton convention centre

BeSt riGGer oF tHe year richard Baker on behalf of Kendall Dixon

FaVourite BacKLine company Sa Backline

FaVourite SpeciaL eFFectS company Starburst pyrotechnics

LiGHtinG DeSiGner oF tHe year Joshua cutts

aV enGineer oF tHe year Denzil Smith

SounD enGineer oF tHe year Jaco de Wit

HaLL oF Fame robbie Blake

HaLL oF Fame in memory of Kentse mpahlwa

FaVourite tecHnicaL StaGinG companyrobyn D’alessandro on behalf of Gearhouse

proDuction manaGer oF tHe year mark Daubery

FaVourite Set anD StaGe companySean Hoey on behalf of Dream Sets

68

SocIAl

alvaro rodrigues and Vaughn martin Kevan Jones

richard Baker, nasser abbam and tony raciti

neill pash (audiosure), Jaco Lubbe (Dynaniczon), rudy taljaard (Dynaniczon) and pieter preller (audiosure)

Jamie anderson (rational acoustics instructor) with the Smaart training class.

nishan nandkissoor (First technology), natalie Longariello (First technology) and Leon Vorster (First technology)

craig potter (iLeD) and Sean Bezuidenhout (creative Kilowatt)

chris pugh and Joseph mandy

marius marais richard Smith

camilla-Lee Brengosz (audiosure) and charl marais (audiosure)

Bernard pienaar (Viva africa), Jamie anderson (rational acoustics – instructor) and Fried Wilsenach (Freelance Sound engineer)

michael Jarl christensen (neets trainer) and thys Venter (audiosure)

niklas Fairclough (northwind recording)

Jonathan royston, clinton Seery and Joshua cutts

mark Gaylard and ofer Lapidtrevor peters, Garth o’Kelly, Bronwyn mathias and mike theunissen

Juan Soothill (in-Harmony productions) and pierre Slabbert (Lucidity)

Greg payne (audiosure) and neill pash (audiosure)

ruan Joubert (Surgesound – Host) and Jamie anderson ( rational acoustics – instructor)

Joshua cutts and Bruce riley nicolet Brits and Gareth chambers

TPSA Awards 2012 – The Venue, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg

Neets training – Audiosure Office, Midrand

Smaart Training – Montecasino, Johannesburg

viva afrikaViva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd

Unit 2, 2 Drakensburg RoadLongmeadow Business Estate West, West� eld

PO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South AfricaTel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 608-4109

[email protected], www.hybrid.co.za

BT Series SpeakersPrice and performance that can’t be BeaT!

A range of speakers for all your needs, off ering quality sound at the best price.

B 212 12” 800W RMS Bass Refl ex

BT 152 MKII 2 Way 15” 800W RMS Full Range Speaker

BT 8 MKII2 Way 8” 200W RMS Full Range Speaker


B 218 MKII Dual 18” 1600W RMS

Bass Refl ex


B 18 MKII Single 18” 800W RMS

Bass Refl ex

Viva afrika – Hybrid

DWr

Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park

9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew, 2170

Tel: +27 11 794 5023 Fax: + 27 11 794 5702

[email protected] www.dwrdistribution.co.za

Pro systems sep oct13 web

Documents

Transcript of Pro systems sep oct13 web