Sound & Stage - September 2011

Vol: 5 Issue: 9 September 2011

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An ITP Business Publication

Intel stand, Dubai (2010). Client: Smyle Creative

HCT Education Without Borders. Dubai (2011). Client: HQ Creative

Philips Senso Touch launch, Dubai(2010) Clt: The Bridge

Stryker Meeting, Dubai (2011). Client: Giochi di Luce

RAMADAN KAREEMWicked Tents, Byrne and Flow team up on temporary venues for the Holy month

SHOW PREVIEWNew gear, new partnerships, new seminars - what to expect at PLASA 2011

NIGHTSBORACAYDubai’s latest hot-spot offers punters a concert atmosphere within a nightclub

10 MINUTES WITH...Klaus Seitz from Bosch

talks stadium strategy p22

GUEST COLUMNNick Groves speaks out

about staging safety p38

SOLVING THE MATRIXNetworking to future-proof Beirut’s Phonecia Hotel p44

Vol: 5 Issue: 9 September 2011 An ITP Business Publication

CONTENTS

01SEPTEMBER 2011 SAS

September 2011Volume 5, Issue 902 Ed’s letter

04 Web.log

06 News round-up

12 Ramadan KareemWicked Tents, Byrne and Flow team up for Ritz-Carlton and JBH Ramadan tents.

18 COVER STORY:KITTED OUTA 60-fi xture lighting rig gives a concert feel to the Boracay nightclub in Dubai

22 10 minutes with...Klaus Seitz, pro-audio MEA, Bosch, talks stadium strategy.

28 Show previewNew products, new features, new partnerships - what to expect at PLASA 2011.

38 Safety fi rstNick Groves highlights the impor-tance of risk assessments.

42 Controlling the massesNew research points to the end of dangerous crowd surges.

44 Solving the matrixHow an extensive DMX,HDMI and VGA network is set to future-proof the Phonecia Hotel’s events offering.

50 Buyer’s guideA look at the latest and greatest prod-ucts in the concert sound sector.

56 The guideThis month’s hottest new products from Sommer Cable, Martin and more.

62 Hitlist

64 Backstage

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

02SAS SEPTEMBER 2011

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Or is the answer stricter restrictions on stage builds and better planning – a plan B so to speak. For instance, if A, B and C occur, then the action plan will be to X, Y and Z. Luckily, in the Middle East, the weather is largely predictable (hot, very hot or extremely hot) but the onset of a shamal is not unheard of, and this must be considered when it comes to ballast in particular. Crew at the Indiana State Fair, where fi ve died as a result of the stage’s collapse, have spoken about how they saw concrete ballasts literally sliding across the ground due to the force of the wind – surely then, there’s a better way to anchor a structure? Perhaps permanent concrete anchors at set locations at commonly used sites would offer increased stability in the event of high winds.

Industry veteran Nick Groves gives his take on strategies to preventing similar incidents in this issue, in a guest column on page 38. He says pre-planning and the revision of build guidelines, which in the UAE, are a throwback to the construction industry rather than being event-specifi c, are key in ensuring safe temporary structures in this region.

If you too would like to voice your opinion on this or any other topics, feel free to get in touch.

Over the next few months - and years - we’re going to hear a lot of speculation about the cause of recent stage collapses in Canada, the US and Belgium. And whatever the outcome of the numerous enquiries that will follow, debate surrounding the

safety of portable stages and the impact of weather – the initial scapegoat of all three incidents – is at an all time high.

A key question that I feel should be at the forefront of discussion is the cancellation tipping point – at what point do you pull the pin on a show in the event of bad weather?

Some will say a set wind speed, once reached, is it, others say a number of meteorological fi gures are required. Alarmingly though, some of those I spoke to in the fall out of the collapses admitted that to cancel a show completely – or even postpone it – was a gamble between risking the promoter not booking the production crew again, particularly if predicted weather conditions didn’t eventuate, and losing out fi nancially; and proceeding with these factors in mind and consequently risking audience and crew safety.

So what is the solution? Only erect staging in sheltered areas such as the Yas Arena, rather than open spaces like the Festival City car-park in Dubai? Limit the loading of gear – PA’s, backdrops and video walls – that can encumber the quick dropping of a roof in an emergency?

Brooke [email protected]

Braving the storm

Qatar is certainly

services to event organisers throughout this region. The Emirate has rapidly

* Models & Promotions * Event Crew * Scenic Construction

WEB LOG DPme.com

www.digitalproductionme.com

SAS SEPTEMBER 201104

MOST READ NEWS STORIES OVERALL

1 Ben 10 in Arabic2 Breaking: Stage collapse in US3 3D - bad for you?4 Kuwait bans Ramadan

drama5 Usher’s Gaddafi link

MOST READ SOUND & STAGE NEWS STORIES

1 Breaking: Stage collapse in US

2 Usher’s Gaddafi link3 Sennheiser and Kings of Leon4 Stage collapse injures 35 Showtex goes green

EDITOR’S CHOICES

SPOT POLL

AUGUST’S TOP STORIES

35.3%

NEWS

VIDEO: TECH BEHIND SPI-DERMAN ON BROADWAYPRG presents a series of “webisodes” about the innovative technologies used in the new musical Spider-Man: Turn

Off the Dark. Each episode includes interviews with the designers and PRG personnel discussing the technology behind the ground-breaking production.

NEWS

IN PICS: BROADCAST NETWORKS’ 3D OB VANSystems integration specialist Broad-

cast Networks has equipped Norwegian broadcaster OB with a 3D capable, 16-camera High Defi nition Outside Broadcast vehicle - the fi rst of its kind in Scandinavia.

It made for a magnifi cent prel-ude: to the strains of ‘Noth-ing Else Matters’ by Metal-lica and with ‘Tolerance’ as its theme, lighting architect Gert Hof created a superlative light show to open the MICHALSKY StyleNite 2011 at this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin.

It began with the ignition to impressive effect of bowls of fi re, and transformed into a performance featuring xenon luminaires and lasers. For this production, Hof employed seventy-eight A&O FALCON searchlights from A&O Technology. Lighting designer/operator Pawel ‘Spider’ Pa-jak was entrusted with the programming and operation of the equipment.

“The overall contract for the technical implementation both indoors and out-of-doors was awarded to A&O Technology,” explained Adrian Gediga, senior manager

sales/rental, A&O Technol-ogy. “With our partners Black Box Music, Laserfabrik and Asamoa Agens, we were able to prepare and implement a fl awless programme in less than 72 hours.”

Hof suspended more than half the searchlights from a ring of trusses above the cat-walk in the Large Arena form-ing the heart of the Tempo-drom. Images of light that fl owed into one another and changed colour were displayed

along with a triple circle formed by points of light on the fl oor that kept reappearing. As the guitars faded out at the end, the xenon lights were extinguished in a spiral sequence to set the scene for the opening of the Michal-sky StyleNite catwalk show, in which light was again used to show the garments and interna-tionally renowned models such as Toni Garrn and Andrej Pejic to best advantage.

THE EXHIBITION

26.5% 20.6% 11.8% 5.9%THE CHANCE TO PLAY WITH

NEW TOYSTHE CONFERENCE THE END THE ‘NETWORKING’

A&O Technology at Berlin Fashion Week

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT THIS YEAR’S IBC?

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Showforce has an uncompromising attitude towards Health and Safety and all our crew are fully -

* RTA cert. forklift drivers* IPAF cert. scissor lift & cherry picker operators* IRATA cert. riggers & scaffolders* Live & Public event crews* Exhibition & Corporate show staff

* Sound, lighting & video technicians* Music festival & concert crews* Specialist seating & staging hands* Multi-lingual crew chiefs, project & stage managers


THE BRIEFING

Cementing its position as a prominent event for the lighting design and technol-ogy industry and building from previous years, Light Middle East 2011 is poised for a strong edition in Dubai from September 12 to 14 at the Dubai International Con-vention and Exhibition Centre.

According to organiser Epoc Messe Frankfurt some of the industry’s biggest names have confi rmed their participa-tion as exhibitors including Ruud Lighting Arabia, Thorn and Zumtobel brands from the Zumtobel Group, OSRAM, Philips Lu-mileds and Schreder Gulf.

Some of the latest technologies as-sociated with more sustainable lighting solutions will be on display at Light Mid-dle East 2011, with a major emphasis on LED technology. According to some experts, countries in the GCC stand to save around US$400 million and 5.1 megatonnes of CO2 emissions annually by switching to LED lighting technol-ogy. The products and services required for such a switch will be on display at the event in September.

partners and customers. The conference programme includes the Green Middle East Conference, The Light Insight Arabia Conference and the Exhibitor Expert Fo-rum. These will highlight modern trends in lighting solutions, energy-effi ciency, green lighting and the potential savings in costs and resources offered by the lat-est designs.

The interactive forums and instructional workshops and seminars have been prov-ing increasingly popular over the years with lighting industry professionals, design-ers and consultants from the Middle East.

Each day’s programme has been tai-lored to address the problems and issues that impact the industry and is designed to benefi t lighting designers and consult-ants, architects, government offi cials, engineers, developers, system solution providers and lighting suppliers. The pro-grammes are being organised in associa-tion with Sesam Business Consultants and the Professional Lighting Designers’ As-sociation (PLDA) and enjoy the support of RUUD Lighting Arabia, OSRAM, Zumto-bel and Schreder Gulf.

TRADE-SHOWS

LED tech could save GCC $400m - Light Middle East organisers

Wilbert Heijmans, group exhibitions di-rector, at Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Light Middle East, said: “The event is a major platform for many of the latest deals and developments in the regional industry and is considered the catalyst for introduc-ing the latest technology and methods into the local sector. It also represents the ideal platform for designers to gain inspiration from the best in the fi eld and it spotlights innovative product development, cur-rent design trends and invaluable technical know-how in the lighting design sector.”

Light Middle East allows exhibitors to facilitate business transactions with trade

NMK, Shure distributor in the Gulf has recently supplied Dubai based rental fi rm Mediakraft with wireless microphone sys-tems from the UHF-R series. The deal in-cludes receivers and transmitters from the top of the line UHF-R series. More im-portantly, Mediakraft have purchased the new UR4D+ receiver, which allows them to cascade up to 10 units without the use of an antenna distribution system.

The UHF-R series is the most power-ful and fl exible wireless system to date from Shure and masters the high pressure and extreme conditions of any large-scale

MEDIAKRAFT UPGRADES TO UHF-R+touring or installation environment. Rock-solid engineering, the latest technology, and unparallel RF performance provide sound professionals with all the features and fl ex-ibility they need to tightly control up to 108 systems for the most elaborate productions.

“The UR4D+ and the UR4S+ are the lat-est update to the highly popular and suc-cessful UHF-R series from Shure,” com-mented Shajahan K K, Shure product man-ager. “Mediakraft have recently open their new offi ce in Doha, Qatar and have in-vested in additional channels to supplement their inventory there.”

Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi showcases advances in architectural lighting.

* Scenic construction* Project Management* Design & Manufacture

* Exhibition Stands* Film ,TV & Theatre* Live & Public Events

Showforce Scenic Builders have really showcased their talent in this region. We now boast scenic carpentry, manufacturing and fabrication capabilities unparalleled in the Middle East. We deliver exceptional high quality, bespoke

modern construction styles and techniques.

Everything is produced in house and attention to detail is paramount through all stages of project delivery from consultancy to installation. We work with customers every step of the way to ensure they get exactly what they want. From concept through design, build and installation our expertise will help bring your brief to reality and help showcase your success.


THE BRIEFING


Tehran-based audio specialist, Farasout Negar, has recently completed the design and installation of a PA system for call-ing Muslims to prayer at the Imam Mousa Kazim Holy Shrine in Kazmein, Iraq.

To achieve 360-degree coverage and very high SPLs, Farasout Negar designed a system based on 16 Community RSH-462 exponential Focused Array horn sys-tems. Each voice-range RSH-462 utilizes four Community M200 ferrofl uid-cooled compression drivers mounted to a hand laminated, reinforced composite fi berglass horn-array with a 60 degree horizontal and 20 degree vertical coverage pattern. With a sensitivity of 117dB for 1W at 1 metre and a 750W program power han-dling capacity the RSH-462 provided the considerable SPL required.

Coverage was achieved by mounting four RSH-462 in each of the Shrine’s four minarets, at a height of 33 metres from the ground. Four Lab.gruppen C28:4 four-channel power amplifi ers are used to

environment, providing the exceptional resistance to the effects of humidity and dust needed.

Milad GhorbanNejad, commercial manager of Farasout Negar, commented, “We are very pleased with the sound levels, high intelligibility and coverage we have achieved with the RSH-462 loudspeakers and the combination of Community, Lab.gruppen and XTA has provided a system that ensures quality and long term reliability”.

INSTALLATION

Imam Mousa Kazim shrine in Iran loud and clear with Community

drive the Community loudspeakers and system management is handled by an XTA DP446.

Although the loudspeakers are mount-ed in the minarets, they are open to the full environmental conditions of Ka-zmein, so their all-weather capability was another important consideration for Far-asout Negar. The one-piece, non-metal-lic diaphragm of the RSH-462 faces for-ward, isolating the voice coil and mag-netic structure of each driver from the

Melody House, distributors of HK Audio speaker systems in the United Arab Emir-ates have recently supplied another 16 cabinets of the CT108 to the Dubai based rental fi rm. Delta Sound is the dedicated pro audio specialist providing support to major production and equipment rental companies from its base in the UAE and also now from their new branch offi ce in Doha, Qatar.

In addition to the stunning opening of the Atlantis Hotel, George Michael, F1 con-certs in Abu Dhabi and numerous corpo-rate events, the company was involved in the epic grand opening of the Burj Khalifa.

The CT 108 is an extremely compact,

DELTA SOUND ADDS TO HK AUDIO STOCKpassive public address / full-range speaker cabinet. Featuring a dual-purpose housing, it may be employed as an FOH or delay speak-er as well as a stage monitor. It is an excel-lent choice for rendering the human voice and acoustic instruments. Hallmark features include superb intelligibility, extraordinary phase linearity and wide dynamic range.

“The CT108s have received great re-sponse from the market for their compact size and quality,” commented Dino Dri-makis, business development manager at Melody House. “We expect the HK Audio brand to have a greater presence in the Middle East live sound market because of this great reference.”

The PA installation at the Mosque is based on 16 Community RSH-462 exponential Focused Array horn systems.

Showforce Promotions provides immaculately presented ‘show-stopping’ staff. They are dynamic

-

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* Fashion & Photographic Models* Presenters & Product demonstration* Five star talent Acts

* Corporate & VIP Hospitality* Hosts & Hostesses


THE BRIEFING

PRS for Music and SACEM have announced an agreement with Emaar Properties PJSC (“Emaar”) to license the public performance of music that ac-companies ‘The Dubai Foun-tain’ - the water, light and music spectacle in Downtown Dubai, described as “The Centre of Now”. The deal is the fi rst sig-nifi cant public performance li-cence issued in the United Arab Emirates and a signifi cant step forward in raising awareness and promoting the value of music rights in the Gulf.

At present, there is no lo-cal collecting society operating in the area, meaning that the creators behind music publicly performed including concerts, on television, radio or in fi lms, do not receive royalties. PRS for Music and SACEM are now working together – and in co-operation with other rights hold-ers world-wide - to provide busi-nesses with the necessary infor-mation to understand licensing requirements that respect UAE law.

This new deal will ensure that those creators whose music is choreographed will now earn royalties when their music is used. The Dubai Fountain, the world’s tallest performing fountain, uses a range of music from classical to contemporary Arabic and world music.

Karen Buse, international director for PRS for Music said: “We are commit-ted to ensure that our members’ receive royalties whenever their music is used and we are delighted with this fi rst deal with Emaar Properties in the UAE for The Dubai Fountain. Creators rely on their royalties to continue to make the music

tor, Emaar Properties PJSC, said: “As a public joint stock company that values intellectual property rights, Emaar is committed to upholding the implementation of all relevant copyrights across its entire spectrum of operations. The Dubai Fountain is today a must-visit tourist attraction in the city, and draws on the mu-sic of respected musicians from around the world for its spec-tacular performances. The part-nership with PRS for Music and SACEM for the fi rst public li-cence performance of its kind in the UAE will further ensure that the owners of the music will re-ceive their rightful royalties. This marks a milestone for the music industry, and Emaar is privileged to be at the forefront in driving a positive initiative that values creative ownership.”

The Dubai Fountain is over 900 feet (275 metres) in length – equivalent to that of over two football fi elds – and about 25 per cent larger than The Bellagio Fountain in Las Vegas in area. Over 6,600 lights and 25 colour

projectors create a visual spectrum of over 1,000 different water expressions that ap-peal to visitors. Different combinations of water-forms of The Dubai Fountain per-form to selected musical pieces – chosen from a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music.

Discussions have already begun with Emaar Properties regarding licensing require-ments for its other properties and interests.

PRS for Music are working in partner-ship with SACEM and government au-thorities in the region, to help establish a local society. In the meantime they are looking to license direct to protect mem-bers’ rights in the UAE.

AGREEMENT

PRS For Music and SACEM sign landmark licensing deal with Emmar in Dubai

we all love so this will be welcome news not just for PRS for Music members but also those represented through our global reciprocal agreements.”

Thierry Desurmont, vice président of the management board of SACEM said: “Among its 132, 000 members, SACEM has in fact 15,500 foreign right holders of which 5,000 are from the Arab World. Two years after the agreement signed with the Group Rotana Audiovisual, the agreement concluded with Emaar Proper-ties is a new step towards the recognition and protection of the interests of Arab creators in the World.”

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, managing direc-

The deal will ensure creators of music that accompanies The Dubai Fountain earn royalties.



Sennheiser Middle East has recently sup-plied 16 ADN systems to Saudi Arabian AV systems integrator Electronic Special Equip-ment (ESE) for a single governmental pro-ject in the country’s capital of Riyadh. “We chose ADN for our client because we knew it would provide a true audio confer-ence experience in a reli-able system,” comment-ed ESE’s sales manager, Khaled Makki. “ADN delivers high speech intel-ligibility in a modern de-signed unit that befi ts the glory and splendour of the project.”

The project marks the largest single sale of the German manufacturer’s fl agship conference sys-tem and elevates Saudi Arabia to the position of the country with the most ADN systems in the world.

The system comprises a total of 240 del-egate units and 16 chairman units.

ADN CU-1 comes with free software that is continually updated, with the next version due this month.

“The new update will allow users to connect a hard drive to one of the USB ports on the central unit and use it as a hard disc recorder for recording the pro-ceedings of a meeting or conference,” said Mig Cardamone, business area man-ager for Sennheiser Middle East. “Sep-tember will also see us releasing the new ADN power supply for extending the ca-pacity of users in each system. It means we can now have over 300 delegates in a single system.”

Since its debut in August 2010, ADN has garnered a positive reception from both integrators and end users. The fi rmware update released earlier this year saw the in-troduction of media control over Ethernet

INTEGRATION

Sennheiser supplies ADN confer-ence and in-ear monitoring systems

for camera controllers and integration into Extron/Crestron/AMX control systems.

In further Sennheiser news, Dubai-based rental company Spectrum Entertainment Services has invested in a new in-ear moni-tor system from the manufacturer. Spectrum chose the ew 300 IEM G3 because it fi t with the it’s goal to stock the “best” equipment for its clients and so, according to the fi rm.

Supplied by Sennheiser’s UAE distributer Venu-etech, the eight channel system includes transmit-ters, receivers, antenna combiners and omni-di-rectional antennae.

“We were looking for a high quality wireless in-ear monitoring system that can work as eight channels or can be split into two four channel systems,” said Ju-lien Beyrouthy, Spectrum Entertainment Services gen-eral manager. “We recently used the Sennheiser system

on concerts by Shaggy and DOV Amiel and were really pleased with its performance.”

The system includes a 42mHz switching bandwidth, fi ve band EQ and data ports for use with Sennheiser’s Wireless Systems Man-ager software.

“Sennheiser IEM systems are now the norm on most stages across the world,” says Mig Cardamone, business area man-ager for Sennheiser Middle East. “The com-bination of high quality and affordability of this system means that they are used from globally-renowned live concerts like Live8 and Glastonbury, to small bars and clubs with resident live bands.

“The extensive use of Sennheiser IEM systems means that we are seeing less and less need for onstage wedges, which means much faster set-ups for technical crews and more energetic performances by performers, thanks to the increased space on stage.“


CASE STUDY

Breaking the fast at one of the city’s many luxurious Iftar ven-ues is a widespread tradition during Ramadan in Dubai. Temporary tented venues have

long been a common site on hotel grounds during the Holy month and Ramadan 2011 was no exception.

For the fourth consecutive year, Dubai-based structure specialist Wicked Tents was contracted to supply the Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s (JBH) Diwan Al Khayal Ramadan tent, including the project management of complementary suppliers – primarily Byrne’s special project and events division, which supplied power, and air-conditioning (AC) supplier Flow.

“This is the fourth year we’ve all worked together as a team on the JBH site and it shows – everyone knows what to expect from everyone else and there is really strong communication between the teams,” says Alistair McDonald, MD, Wicked Tents.

The three fi rms also partnered on the fi rst ever Ramadan venue at The Ritz-Carlton in DIFC, which opened earlier this year.

While Flow is a relatively new name in the region’s events industry, having only launched a year ago, its MD Stuart Kennedy is a familiar face to many, having worked at Wicked previous to his current role.

“It’s been a good fi rst 12 months - I think people are getting to know us now, we’ve come on site and do a nice, slick job as op-

RAMADAN KAREEM

The Holy month of Ramadan saw joint collaborations between Wicked Tents, Byrne and Flow at The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC and Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai.

The fi rms teamed up to supply structures, power and all-important air-conditioning at both sites to meet

briefs for seasonal Iftar and Suhour venues that were in-line with the hotels’ premium brands.

posed to some of the other companies around. We have all plug and play systems now, rather than having stuff welded on site, we’re still bringing in more stock all the time and we’re really looking forward to the new season - this will be the season where we will really kick off I think,” he says.

THE SET-UPThe JBH project is one that is planned over the six months prior to Ramadan and ac-cording to McDonald, sees only ‘the best of the best’ equipment and facilities installed. “It’s a bit of an institution, the quality is re-ally high, it’s got spectacular views and so there is a certain amount of pressure to de-liver something really fi rst-class,” he says.

The build began on July 1 and saw crews work right up until the few days prior to the start of the Holy month, which this year fell on August 1.

“The build schedule is pret-ty tight and the key to get-ting everything done on time is communication with all the other suppliers. So we’ll all sit down together and work out a schedule and if something is delayed, we have to then relay that to everyone involved in case it impacts of someone else,” ex-plains Kennedy.

Wicked supplied three tents that make up a six by 18 metre space for the public en-

his

ave

ALMOST

300 TONNES OF AC COOLS THE JBH

TENT




CASE STUDY

14SAS

trance, a separate tent for the corporate sec-tion and a main tent, from the fi rms Arcum range, measuring 20 by 70 metres.

“We also have a three by six men’s prayer tent, a three by three female prayer tent and a further 15, six by six back-of-house tents,” says McDonald.

Outdoor cooking areas meant an exten-sion of traditional indoor cooling, accord-ing to Kennedy. “We bought a special unit to cool the outdoor grilling area and had to be very mindful of how we installed it, because we can’t just blow cool air over a grill – it would change the temperature of the coals and affect cooking.”

Byrne supplied primary power on site, with Gulf Show Power subcontracted by InHouse Productions to provide power supplies to the AV and internal power points, as well as mains power for AC dis-tribution supplied by Flow.

Over at The Ritz-Carlton, Byrne also supplied power, while Wicked installed the structures, including base-level linings and fi t-out; and Flow handled power distribu-tion, the AC units and the air ventilation circulation system.

The unusual shape of the fourth-fl oor terrace at the site, which hosted the Rama-dan tent, dictated the shape of the fi nal structure, according to McDonald. “Essen-tially we’ve got two areas of tents – we’ve got one main tent, which is 15 by 20 me-tres – and then we have a series of fi ve by fi ve metre majalis’,” he says, “plus an A-frame ‘alley way’ tent.”

CONSTRUC-TION PHASEAll three suppli-ers agree that the main challenge of

the Ritz project was getting both equipment and power onto the terrace itself.

“The generators are on a construction site next door so we’ve had to run the ca-ble up, through our DBs and then the sec-ondary distribution has been done for the AC units,” explains Martin Nichol, business development manager at Byrne. “When you’ve got a metre of cable that weighs of few kilograms, running that up four stories is a huge challenge – as is securing it. We’ve got some padding underneath the cables, on the corner of the edge of the building to stop any hot spots forming in the cable, be-cause obviously you’ve got a serious joint there, and a lot of pressure being exerted and then it’s all tied off.

And despite the challenge of getting pow-er to such an unusual position, Nichol says there is no other option.

“There’s two reasons the hotel can’t use their mains power – even if they had the capacity - one, they have a pre-set con-tract with DEWA, and if they were to really have a spike in

t

CONSTRUC

From left: Martin Nichol, Stuart Kennedy, Alistair McDonald and James Ashwell.

The roof-top location of the Ritz-Carlton DIFC’s tent meant equipment was craned to site over a two day period.

their power usage, it would cost them an awful lot of money because they estimate with DEWA what they’re usage is going to be,” he says “And two, it’s really hard for them to allocate the cost of that power if it’s not generated, because they fi nd it hard to pull the DEWA cost into the event P and L, so they basically decided that, to monitor the event properly, and know exactly what it’s costing it’s best to use generators.”

A 120-tonne crane was brought in to move the majority of other equipment up over a two day period, with special attention needing to be paid to the spaces high-quali-ty fi nishes and safety aspects associated with erecting a temporary structure on a roof-top.

“We had to lay wood-en rubber down fi rst and all of the area where we craned



into is carpeted so we didn’t damage their tiles,” says Mc-Donald, adding that a unique weighting system renders the venue safe in wind gusts up to 120 kilometres per hour. “When we installed the structures, the hotel management didn’t want ballast everywhere because of aesthetic reasons, so we used a combination of very heavy cas-sette fl ooring and integrated lead weights, which is quite a new sys-tem actually. On the rim beams of the struc-ture we installed seven tonnes worth of 25 kilogram lead weights. So that kind of his-torical look of having a couple of giant one tonne concrete blocks outside with some ratchet straps is a thing of the past.”

SAFE AND EFFICIENTThe onset of plug and play systems for power supply and distribution at temporary sites has seen an increase in effi ciency – and consequently, decrease in costs – and safety, according to both Nichol and Kennedy.

“We’re on site a lot less now – almost half the time really. And if we do have a situation where some-thing does hap-pen or a piece of equip-ment does go

down, it’s not a case of it all being hard wired and therefore taking a lot of time to repair. We’ve made quite a big invest-ment in buying plug-and-play distribution boards to increase effi ciency,” says Nichol. “Now, when we’re doing work for people like Wicked Tents, it’s a case of supplying the generator and the new distribution board, which means they can plug straight into it.

“As of the start of the new events sea-son, our special Projects and Events division will be completely 100 per cent plug and play. Come the F1 for example, we’ll turn up and within 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll have power.”

The plug and play systems also provide more fl exibility than traditional alternatives. “Flow was born out of our frustration with using companies that gave no customer service and were very much: you get what you’re given. So when we needed certain things to happen, they weren’t proactive or fl exible,” explains Kennedy. “Plug and play is much safer than welding on site and it al-lows for adjustments, including moving units around. Whenever someone says place it there, you put it there and then you’re al-most guaranteed that the fi t-out company is going to come up and say, I need it just one meter that way. Many companies will solve this by just cutting the copper and losing the gas, but we don’t do that. We make sure we have power, obviously through Byrne, so that we can pump the units down and don’t lose any of the gas.”

Synchronised power also means reliable power – all the more important in the Gulf’s soaring summer temperatures that mean air-conditioning is a must. “Nowadays, Byrne has synchro-generators, so instead of having manual changeovers or even any form of changeover, it runs parallel on two genera-tors in synchro,” says Nichol.

“And that means better effi ciency, on fuel costs especially, when you’ve got two gen-erators simultaneously running, rather than one running at full load,” adds James Ash-well, Byrne project manager. “Byrne, Wick-ed and Flow have very much bridged the

onle– htAds

down it’s not a case of it al

Split units from Flow means that in the event of

the breakdown of one, the second can continue

to cool while the other is being repaired.

Below left, the interior of the

Jumeirah Beach Hotel tent and

right, the Ritz-Carlton tent.


CASE STUDY

THE NUMBERS…The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC

Byrne 1 x 380KVA diesel powered generator 1 x 110KVA diesel powered generator 4 x 50 metre lengths 240mm single core generator cables 50m 35mm fi ve-core generator cable 1 x 1000Gls bunded diesel tank 1 x 400Gls bunded diesel tank Rubber matting and ties for securing elevated cables

Flow 4 x 8.5T split AC units

6 x 5T split AC units 8 x 2T split AC units 6000 CFM of extraction 4600n CFM of new air introduction 4 x DB’s 200 metres of cabling

Jumeirah Beach Hotel

Byrne 2 x 350KVA 415V 50Hz 3ph Generators (synchronised) 1 x 125KVA 50Hz 3ph generator 2 x 3000Gls Bunded Diesel tanks 5 x 10 metre lengths 240mm single core generator cables

60 metres mesh fencing c/w Barasti fi nish. 1 x 10x8 foot ticket booth c/w AC 24hr standby technicians in two shifts 2 x 20 foot VIP four-door ablution units

Flow 29 x 8.5T, split AC units 7 x 5T split AC units 8 x 2T split AC units 1 x 10T package unit 12,000 CFM of extraction and new treated fresh air introduction

500 metres of cabling 7 x DB’s

gap between the original spec’s, which were construction equipment and now it’s purely event-tailored equipment.”

“It’s what the customer wants and it makes our job a heck of a lot easier. Its European standards, its European specs,” says Nichol.

This strategy also extends to AC units, ac-cording to Kennedy. “We choose split units

so that if

something goes wrong and one unit stops working, the others can pick up the slack while it’s being fi xed,” he says.

CHECKS AND BALANCESA push by the Dubai Municipality in re-cent years to ensure the safety of those attending events in Ramadan tents has seen a greater focus on regulations de-signed to prevent accidents resulting

from cooking and smoking. “Both the Ritz and JBH have

been extremely aware of health and safety and have been very concise with what they’ve needed from us in terms of risk statements and risk assessments,” says McDonald. “This year in particular the Municipality was very strict on having separate smoking and non-smoking sections.

and not only that but where the actual non-smoking zone is and how it ties in with the ventilation system. They’re starting to ask questions like, what’s the temperature of the air you’re introducing - so it’s getting a bit more challenging but is a good sign safety-wise.

“There are also stipula-tions regarding how close cooking can be conducted to the tent and how much

air extraction is required based on the cubic volume of the tent.”

THE ULTIMATE IN ADVERTISINGThe 30-day timescale of the Holy month means an extended period of time to en-sure suppliers can deliver, which offers an excellent marketing opportunity, according to McDonald.

“It’s great when you can tell a client that you’ve run your product the entire month in the most inhospitable weather and its gone well and everyone in the public has been there knows it’s gone well – there’s massive credibility in that,” he says. “And to have uninterrupted power for a full month and that the AC worked fi ne as well.”

Kennedy agrees. “That does add a lot of credibility because on one-day events people never really see behind the scenes - but you can’t really hide a one-month restaurant!”

so that if signed t

yws

tivs

Power cables at the Ritz ran Power cables at the Ritz ran up four stories - from the

up four stories - from the generators to a roof terrace.generators to a roof terrace.


COVER STORY

BORACAYNIGHTS

Dubai’s newest Philipino nightspot, located in the bustling Deira district, shuns the stan-dard look and feel of a club, instead offering punters a nightly concert experience thanks to a two storey-height stage, full backline and whopping 60 moving head-strong lighting rig.

W ith an estimated 350,000 Pilipino expats in the UAE, it’s no surprise that there are a plethora

of music venues across Dubai in particular that are marketed towards the audience. The latest is Boracay, in the Asiana Ho-tel, Dubai, and despite targeting a similar niche, the likenesses end there.

“I felt that the existing clubs geared towards that market weren’t up to the standard that they could be, either because they are very small in size or that the interi-or and technology within them refl ects the lack of investment that has been made,” explains Asiana Hotel CEO Gene S. Cha of

his decision to develop the venue. “I want-ed to build a place with proper aesthetic design, acoustic design and with proper sound and lighting.”

And although it took time, he feels con-fi dent that the result meets his inital aim, despite signifi cant delays during construc-tion. “It took almost four years to fi nish as we faced some delays with planning per-missions. Because of changes to the fl oor area ratios in this zone, we’ve had to in-corporate double height ceilings in some venues within the hotel – Boracay is one of them and actually, it’s turned out for the best,” says Cha. “The double height not only looks impressive but has given us the room to incorporate an impressive lighting

rig and projection screens either side of the stage as well as a control booth for the in-house AV technician and DJ’s which is po-sitioned on a mezzanine level overlooking the club and stage.”

This concert-style set up refl ects the wide variety of live acts featured at Bo-racay, which the AV has been tailored to-wards, according to Cha. “We have three bands, eight back-up dancers, three DJ hosts and two solo signers. So it’s a big cast of entertainers – 33 in total - and we have needed to come up with a stage look and the equipment to suit this,” he says.

A key part of this set up is a huge light-ing rig that is designed to set the club apart from its competitors.



“I approached Semynov D’Souza, a lighting designer in Dubai to assist me with the lighting in the venue. I told him I wanted to use as many moving heads as possible for a real ‘wow’ factor,” ex-plains Cha. “He asked me how many I had in mind, and when I said about 60, he told me I was crazy! But that’s what we’ve done – 30 wash’s and 30 spot’s - and he’s confi gured a lighting rig and a lighting programme that takes advan-tage of the fi xtures and adds another element to the overall entertainment we have on stage. We’re really happy with the lighting and are currently installing an LED curtain at the back of the stage to add another element.”

According to D’Souza, the club’s light-ing takes its cues from the concert pro-gramming he has done and plays up the live element of the entertainment.

“Gene wanted to build something dif-ferent – something that gave the feel of a concert, rather than what you’d get in a standard club. So I designed the lighting programmes around the same types of looks, colour and effects such as fog that you’d see at a concert.”

The varying genres of music also proved a consideration for D’Souza, who programmed cues that the in-house AV technician, Francis Miralles could easily access.

“There are a number of different types of music at the club – so I came up with a more subtle feel for the lighting for acoustic sets and then bigger, more dy-

namic looks for the rock acts, for ex-ample. The stage is about 10 by 5 metres so it’s not a huge space – there is a ledge at the back of the stage – an archi-tectural feature that we worked to our advantage by sitting some fi xtures on top of to create a differ-ent look and then

we have a back truss and a front truss, to provide atmospheric lighting.”

Control-wise, simple but functional was the key consideration. “I suggested that they opt for an Avolites controller be-cause they’re easy to use and simple to learn but are reliable and compact and do everything that they need to be able to do. It’s turned out really well and the AV technician, who was new to the console, has picked it up really easily,” explains D’Souza.

Visually, two large projec-tion screens either side of the stage show a mixture of content – from shots fi lmed from a fi xed camera trained to the main stage, to music videos and ad-vertising. “We have in-

An analogue console initially pur-chased for audio mixing at Boracay was upgraded to a digital Yamaha LS0-32 desk. Following in the footsteps of the Yamaha PM1D, PM5D, and M7CL, the LS9 series expands on the manufacturers digital mixing console line-up for live sound and installations. The LS9 series consists of the 32-mic/line input 64-channel LS9-32, and the 16-mic/line input 32 channel LS9-16.

CRUISE CONTROL...Compact and light enough for one person to move and set up easily, both models include an extensive range of gating, compression, and equalisation capabilities, there’s also a built-in USB memory recorder/player for recording or BGM playback, and other function-ality that provide all that’s required for small to medium scale live sound or in-stalled applications in remarkably com-pact, all-in-one consoles.

ROL...

a

corporated two LG projectors that project onto the screens. We considered video walls as well as projectors, but again, it was about price and performance and al-though we were initially leaning towards the video walls, we found the controllers to be very expensive and we realised that today, projector technology has improved so much that they really give a very clear and crisp picture at an affordable price point so we opted to go with that option, and we’re very happy with our choice,” says Cha.

Audio-wise, Boracay is fi tted out with a 48 speaker-strong sound system – includ-ing two line arrays either side of the stage -from German engineered, Chinese-made manufacturer PSE-audio.

“Admittedly, price played a part in my decision but really it’s about a price/per-formance relationship and getting the best value for money. I got some quotes from other, well-known and European manufactured audio companies and at

the end of the day, I felt PSE offered

Acoustic panelling covering the double-height walls minimalises reverberation time.

The venue’s control booth is located on a mezzanine overlooking the stage.


COVER STORY

30 wash and 30 spot fi xtures are controlled by an Avolites console.



good sound at a good price,” says Cha, when questioned about his choice of gear.

PSE designed the system based on the venue’s layout and specifi cations, al-though a locally-based audio engineer consulted prior to installation and sug-gested a number of key changes – includ-ing the choice of mixer.

“Initially, we had an analogue mixer but he convinced us to go digital so that we could control pretty much anything that is contacted to the mixer, not just the line arrays, for instance. So we changed to a Yamaha digital mixer and our AV techni-cian now controls that from the fl oor us-ing an iPad – so it’s worked out much better for us, going digital, but we’ve had to pay double really, buying an analogue version and then the digital – so perhaps we should have consulted the audio engi-neer earlier on!” Cha says with a laugh.

Offering not only aesthetic appeal but also audio benefi ts are a large number of acoustic banners suspended from the ceil-ing. “We also have acoustic panelling in-

side all the walls – either side of the stage and in the seated area, which is based on cinema technology. We invested quite heavily in the acoustic panelling and we’re really happy with it, we’re confi dent it makes a huge difference,” says Cha.

Designed by British interiors fi rm WA In-ternational, which has also designed interiors at the Address Downtown Dubai, the One & Only on the Palm Jumeirah, Boracay fea-tures a minimalist, contemporary look that complements rather than competes with the action on stage. “The original design was very European, with lots of sofas and lounge seats, but we really wanted to max-imise our potential return on investment and that meant more capacity, not less, so we changed the design to incorporate more ta-bles and limited the lounge areas,” explains Cha. “We have also incorporated about 400 metres of LED lighting to highlight architec-tural elements of the space as well as fea-tures like the bar – this is set at a blue colour to compliment he decor and was sourced locally from Amason Lighting.”

Boracay hosts 33 different performers on its stage.


RAPID FIRE INTERVIEW

S&S: Welcome to Dubai, tell us about your new role.Klaus Seitz: Thank you. Since I’ve been travelling to this part of the world for about 30 years and I am now here on a more permanent basis, I feel I am kind of familiar with the region, espe-cially Dubai. I have changed roles from sales director of pro audio export, based in Straubing, Ger-many and being responsible for the pro sound segment - Electro-Voice and DY-NACORD - Europe, the Middle East and Africa and I’m now the sales director for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa and will cover both the pro sound products and, together with Ammar Fawzy, Bosch’s CCS segment, which is best known by RTS and TELEX products. The move is all about being here locally and strengthen-ing our presence on the ground and in particular, growing the business in certain geographical territories.

What areas are they?KS: Well the UAE is the strongest mar-ket for us in this region, if you look at it purely by numbers. Business-wise, it de-pends on which market segments you’re looking at.

We have some very good partners in some countries in the region and in oth-ers we’re at a more of a business develop-ment stage. In the GCC we are focussing our business development activities on Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain;

10 MINUTES WITH…Klaus Seitz, sales director MEA, Bosch. After relocating to take up a new post in Dubai in June, Seitz sits down with S&S to talk about stadium strategy, the price/performance ratio and the difficulties of finding the right distribution partner.

so in Kuwait and the UAE we have very active partners and a strong network.

Outside the GCC, the North African countries are served, when it comes to Electro-Voice, by our distributor in France, and when it comes to DYNACORD, we’ve started to build up a distribution network there. We recently signed up a new company in Tunisia, we are looking for a new partner in Algeria and we have a partner in Morocco. Egypt and the Le-vant region are also well covered, so is South Africa.

There are some political reasons that have held us back from developing cer-tain areas. In Bahrain, for example, we couldn’t have done a lot six months ago. Nobody wanted to focus on busi-ness there, for well known reasons. On the other side, everybody now is talking about the World Cup in 2022, so Qatar is getting a huge push at the moment – one stadium is awaiting completion this year and another 10 to 12 will follow over the next 10 years, so there is a lot of potential there.

How do you target poten-tial partners and what traits do you look for in do-ing so?KS: We look for a distributor who is already estab-lished successfully in those vertical markets, in order to gain the mar-ket share that we think we deserve. If you look at the pro sound market glob-ally, if you are in the

range of between 7 and 12 per cent mar-ket share, you can consider yourself one of the top companies, because there are quite a high number of players and even to get 5 to 6 per cent market share in a country is already a challenge.

The good thing with this industry is that it’s not huge – you know people, you know the major players in integra-tion and distribution and in manufactur-ing. So it’s not too diffi cult to fi nd poten-tial partners, although it may sometimes be diffi cult to fi nd the right partner, be-cause in the end, you can discuss every-thing in theory but whether it’s a reality or not is a completely different thing. Shows and exhibitions also help to fi nd new partners and to maintain relation-ships with existing ones.

How closely do you then work with these partners on pro-jects – is it a case of handing over to them completely?KS: The way we work is that for small to medium sized-projects, our objective is





not to be involved. We aim to train our partners to the level that we are confi -dent that they can handle these projects by themselves without our help. When it comes to larger or more complex projects, in many cases, the customer wants the manufacturer to be involved, so we work together with the distribu-tor and the system integrator and often the contractor to deliver the solution. We assist the architect to deliver the specifi cations and also help the integra-tor to source the products and then in between that, help the distributor with simulations and planning.

What other areas are of focus for Bosch in the medium- to long-term?KS: We will hopefully extend the pro sound team next year to ensure we have dedicated responsibilities to cover all the pro sound vertical markets. And what is really important for us on the pro sound side, because we have two brands, is that we have good represen-tation of both brands. Electro-Voice and DYNACORD actually compete with each other in, I’d say, 60 to 80 per cent of cases. And so we need good representa-tion across all the vertical markets – the dealer market, the concert sound and the installation market.

The installation market has some spe-cial areas – in the low impedance or pro sound fi eld, high impedance or com-mercial sound fi eld (70/100 volt catego-ries) and also in areas like cinema, where sometimes you need special, THX-ap-proved electronics and speakers; mosques need special attention and also disco’s, to some extent, where you need high SPL on short distance rather than a live sys-tems that cover a long distance. We need to make sure we can continue to success-fully cover all these areas.

Would it be fair to say that you’ll focus heavily on the stadium market in the region in the lead up to the World Cup in 2022, to be held in Qatar?KS: There is a lot in the development phase at the moment but certainly stadi-ums and other large-scale installations are one of our main focuses at the moment.

I think it’s fair to say that today, Elec-tro-Voice is the most prominent brand in stadium acoustics. We have dedicated products for stadium installation and we have a support team that has the expe-rience and expertise to provide specifi c advice for stadium installations – not only on the pro sound side of things, but also in combination with PA/EVAC sys-

tems from Bosch or DYNACORD. We can cover all the solutions under the Bosch brands and this is why we are one of the leading companies in this fi eld, es-pecially when it comes to stadiums. The architects and consultants that spec-ify our products know about the suc-cess and possibilities of the Electro-Voice products in the stadium market. A big push happened in 2004 towards the stadium market around the time of the Olympic Games in Athens when there were 18 out of 22 venues equipped with Electro-Voice. Since then, we’ve done the majority of installations for major competitions and world championships, using Electro-Voice specifi cally, but also other Bosch brands.

Do you think there is an un-derstanding of and a com-mitment to reach to same levels of quality on projects as we would see in Europe, for example?KS: This is an interesting topic. Our prod-ucts - Electro-Voice, DYNACORD and also RTS Telex to some extent – are not inexpensive, so if someone is looking for a cheap solution, we probably don’t have one. But if someone is looking for a good price/performance ratio, then we defi -nitely have one. We have a very good reputation for quality and the fact that the many products are coming out of fac-tories in Germany or the US also plays to our advantage.

We certainly have examples of the mar-ket being willing to pay more for better quality, that even if a comparable product would be 15 to 20 per cent more expen-sive, the fact that it is made for example in Germany is reason enough to choose it. So I think there is defi nitely an aware-ness of good quality – it’s changed a lot in recent years and everyone who has ever bought a cheap tool knows what I am talking about.

You buy a screwdriver for only 50 cents but you can only use it once and then it’s broken and you need to buy a new one – and this mentality is becoming more obvious to people than ever before. And

One of the biggest One of the biggest stadiums in Europe, the stadiums in Europe, the Commerzbank Arena in Commerzbank Arena in

Frankfurt, Germany boasts Frankfurt, Germany boasts an Electro-Voice and an Electro-Voice and

Dynacord sound solution.Dynacord sound solution.

for those about to ROCKwe support you.

Backlinerental



we have a commitment to helping clients understand why price/perfor-mance is more important than just buying as cheap as possible – it’s a mid-term, long-term return on in-vestment discussion really.

But of course, if the economy is not strong, then you just don’t have the money and then you have no choice.

How do you adjust the way Bosch and its brands does business elsewhere in the world to this region?KS: I think in this region, you have to be a little bit more patient. Not only because the culture is a dif-ferent but also, and perhaps more importantly, that the economic situ-ation in this part of the world can change very quickly, as we’ve seen especially over the past few years. If you had a list of projects that were planned and discussed, even in Dubai only, and

how many have been actually realised, it’s interesting to see that there is a sig-nifi cant disparity. There has been a lot of

talk and money invested into planning things that have been scrapped or have been delayed indefi nitely.

Bosch is keen to capitalise on the booming Gulf stadium Bosch is keen to capitalise on the booming Gulf stadium market, where it says it’s Electro-Voice brand can market, where it says it’s Electro-Voice brand can provide superior sound solutions, such as in this recently provide superior sound solutions, such as in this recently completed installation at the Alkazar Stadium in Greece.completed installation at the Alkazar Stadium in Greece.


Photo

s/Lay

out ©

A&O

Tech

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y, 08

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PLASA 2011 PREVIEW


SHOW PREVIEW: PLASA 2011

A major shoot-out of leading LED lighting fi xtures, hosted by the STLD (Society of Television Lighting and Design), will take place for the fi rst time at this year’s show.

Lighting designer Paul Middleton has teamed the STLD with PLASA to bring visitors a unique tradeshow experience, where they will be able to directly com-pare LED lighting fi xtures in three differ-ent areas of the 240 sq metre space.

Middleton comments, “The STLD has been looking at staging a major LED-based event for some time now, hav-

NEW SHOW FEATURES...ing previously organised events at Pine-wood Studios and elsewhere on the topics of consoles, moving heads and generic lights. We felt it was the right time to do another event and LED lighting was the obvious subject, basing the event on the simple question: ‘can you light a TV set entirely with LED fi xtures?’”

The STLD LED Shoot Out feature is split into three different sections. The fi rst sec-tion is dedicated to a lighting shootout onto a specially built eight metre-wide cy-clorama. Here LED fi xtures will be able to

show how they outshine their traditional 1250W tungsten halogen predecessors, especially when dealing with deep, satu-rated colours.

The central section is a practical hands-on ‘mini TV studio’, where competing LED washes, soft lights, key lights and more can be explored hands-on. Visi-tors will be able to try their hand at light-ing the two ‘mini TV studio’ set-ups, and view the results through two HD broad-cast cameras, with a lighting director and electrician on hand to offer guidance.

New products, new partnerships, new show features... Sound & Stage gives you the lowdown on what to expect at PLASA 2011.


YOUR CHALLENGEYOUR CHOICE

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RF performance and detailed AF response, the Sennheiser 2000 series provides the solution for Adam Clayton’s bass radio system

set up. Featuring a 75 mhz tuning band and a much enhanced audio frequency response in the bass range, the 2000 series is the

perfect system for such a demanding environment.

“With Sennheiser you always hear the bass” Adam Clayton, U2

PLASA 2011 PREVIEW



The third section is a lecture and pres-entation theatre where visitors can see the output from LED fi xtures in different cat-egories compared side-by-side with their traditional Tungsten or Discharge equiva-lent in a comfortable seated environment. These lecture theatre sessions will be re-peated twice a day, with no need to pre-book, and are in an open format so that show visitors can also stand and watch the presentations. Monitors and video displays will make it clear what’s happen-ing, and a light reading will be displayed to show exactly the illumination levels and types of shadows each fi xture generates alongside its traditional equivalent.

Finally, to link it all together, a print-ed Event Guide will be available to pur-chase which will list all the fi xtures on show, complete with a numbered key with full technical details of each fi xture - useful both during the show and after-

Artistic Licence Engineering has joined the newly formed Al-deramin Group, and will exhibit alongside the other Group compa-nies, on the Alderamin stand (1-E32). Specialising in the provision of comprehensive project solutions for the entertainment, leisure, ar-chitectural and retail lighting sec-tors, Alderamin Group comprises four key companies: Ptarmigan In-tegration, Artistic Licence Integra-tion, Artistic Licence Engineering and Ten Thousand Things.

The Ptarmigan and Artistic Li-cence brands are already established in the industry. Now, their respec-tive founders, Simon Fraser and Wayne Howell, have joined forces to create Alderamin Group, an or-ganisation that promises to” re-

NEW SHOW FEATURES... (CONTINUED)wards. If you prefer it in elec-tronic format, a downloadable version will be available online from the STLD website (www.stld.org.uk), with profi ts from the electronic version going to the Light Relief Charity.

Middleton concludes, “It’s a very exciting event for us to put together and we are get-ting a fantastic response from manufacturers. For show visi-tors who are interested in LED lighting for any applica-tion - TV, theatre, fi lm, dance, exhibitions, events or installs - it will be a great opportunity to put leading brands through their paces, and learn a lot more about LED lighting in general.”

Currently confi rmed supporters for the event include AC Entertainment Light-ing, Arri Lighting, Avolites, Chauvet, Co-

shape the lighting industry landscape”.“We believe we have a winning formu-

la,” says Howell. “Ptarmigan and Artistic Licence complement each other fantas-tically well, as Simon and I have proved working together on various projects over the years. The Group represents a new breed of business entity - one with world-class, broad spectrum expertise and in-ternational presence, but swift on its feet, innovative and fl exible”.

Speaking in his role as Artistic Licence Integration MD, Howell explains the factors driving the decision to create an alliance of companies, “Increasingly, I am spending my time on big budget ar-chitectural installations. Having worked on a number of blockbuster projects with Ptarmigan, it’s clear that there is a growing need to defi ne the state-of-the art as we go along. Off-the-shelf tech-

emar, Doughty, ETC, Galaxia, Gekko, Green Hippo, Highend Systems, Highlite International, i-Pix, LS-Live, MA Lighting, Martin Professional, Pixelrange, Philips Vari*Lite, Prolyte, Robe, Rosco, Robert Juliat, Sony, Stage Electrics, The Camera Store, Reveal and White Light.

nology doesn’t cut it for many of these jobs; custom-build solutions are becoming the norm, and we no longer consider data volumes of several hundred DMX Universes as unusual.”

Fraser concludes, “We realised that the best way to stay ahead of the game was to create a group structure, enabling us to offer our project clients all the necessary ex-pertise in-house. From our experi-ence working on large installations, we also realised that we could great-ly improve effi ciency by creating our own supplies company. Ten Thou-sand Things now fulfi ls that role, al-though it is, of course, also a strong trading entity in its own right. This is the vision that led to our combined organisation - Alderamin Group.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS...

Untitled-1 1 15.7.2011 10:48:43

ADVERTORIAL J&C JOEL


J&C Joel is among the world’s leading manu-facturers and suppliers of theatrical curtains, fl ame retardant fab-rics, drapery and stage machinery for the events and entertain-ment industries.

For over 30 years J&C Joel has built its reputation on quality: quality products, qual-ity manufacturing and quality service. From its headquarters in Halifax, UK, J&C Joel has grown into a truly global company, exporting prod-ucts to over 75 countries and with offi ces in South Africa, Middle East, and Hong Kong.

Fabrics: From velvets to voiles, stretch fabrics to sharkstooth gauz-es, chromakey fabrics to display felt; J&C Joel has fabric solutions for any occasion.

Manufacturing: We manufacture curtains and drapes of any size including the most complex of backdrops, shaped concept cur-tains, swags and even bespoke fabric shapes, fi bre optic and LED starcloths, fabric appliqué and curtain decoration.

Installation and stage machinery: J&C Joel can also design and manufacture the stage machinery and equipment at the heart of any venue, undertaking projects as diverse as tracks for studios and stages, powered fl ying systems, rigging solutions and more.

Acoustic solutions: From concert halls to

J&C JOELThe world’s premier manufacturer and supplier of specialist fabrics, drap-ing and stage machinery, J&C Joel has served the entertainments and events industries for over 30 years.

recording studios, J&C Joel’s acoustic solu-tions can create a customisable acoustic en-vironment in any venue. J&C Joel’s range of acoustic curtains, acoustic motorised roller and concertina banners and acoustic duvets can help to make any performance sound as it should.

J&C Joel Middle EastJ&C Joel Middle East, a division of the IBS GROUP, is at the heart of some of the most groundbreaking projects currently underway in the region. Playing an integral role in the Education City complex in Qatar (see oppo-site) and also:

Royal Opera House, Muscat, Oman – Oman’s fl agship venue for opera and the arts, J&C Joel is currently furnishing the main auditorium with front-of-house curtains and acoustic solutions.

Zayed University, Abu Dhabi campus, United Arab Emirates – J&C Joel is in the process of supplying the campus’s main audi-torium with a complete fl ying system as well as motorised stage and orchestra lifts.

These projects join the ranks of some of the most prestigious in J&C Joel’s history, including the historic London Coliseum, home of the English National Opera, The Royal Shakespeare Thea-tre, National TV companies worldwide, English heritage restoration projects for Frank Matcham Theatres across the UK, the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada plus more. J&C Joel is currently working on Sin-gapore’s Esplanade Theatre due to be fi n-ished at the end of this year.

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acoustic curtains are a ro-bust and adaptable way of reducing sound reverbera-tion, particularly in areas with hard, flat surfaces

Whether hung as a clas-sic curtain, used as part of multi-layered screening or to cover panelling, Premier Wool Serge has excellent acoustic prop-erties and is also ideal for use in perime-ter curtains and on-stage masking when combined with our range of manual and motorised curtain tracking.

J&C JOEL PRODUCT FOCUSAcoustic banners, duvets and concertina banners:J&C Joel’s bespoke acoustic systems are used to improve the acoustic environments of venues around the world and in recent years J&C Joel’s acoustic roller ban-ners and concertina ban-ners have been installed in major performance halls, university auditoriums and recording suites across the Middle East.

Our acoustic systems are made specifi cally to meet the requirements of any venue, regardless of its size or ap-plication. Manufactured us-ing unique wool serge fabrics with excellent sound absorp-tion properties, our roller and concertina banners can also be custom dyed to any colour on request.

Acoustic duvets are also available, of-fering a new dimen-sion in customisable acoustics. Mounted on either walls or tracking systems, acoustic duvets can be made to any size and consist of lightweight frames covered in custom dyed Acoustic Transparent fab-ric (ACT001) and filled with a solid acoustic infill. We have installed acoustic duvets in ven-ues around the world, including the BBC Hoddinott Hall, home of the BBC Philhar-monic Orchestra.

Acoustic curtains:J&C Joel’s Premier Wool Serge (WS090)

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Stage machinery and fl ying equipment:J&C Joel has the capacity to design, manu-facture and install a vast array of mechani-cal rigging equipment and complete fl y-ing systems for any entertainment venue.

From counterweight sets, motorised winch units and JR Clancy Powerlift systems to lighting grids, traversing bridge plat-forms, trussing, suspension systems and much more besides; We can supply every-

thing that a professional and fl ex-ible performance space needs and provides the heartbeat of major venues the world over.

With all heavy machinery and suspended equipment safety is paramount. With this in mind J&C Joel offers a safety inspection and main-tenance service to any venue, providing peace of mind and insurance related compliance.

Pit and orchestra lifts, and chorus risers:J&C Joel supplies and installs stage lifts and risers powered with Serapid and rigid chain drive systems.

We have installed these systems in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and auditoriums and specialise in providing specifi cally engineered, fl exible stage solutions.

J&C Joel can also provide seating wag-ons which, when used in conjunction with stage lift systems, can change the confi gu-ration of any performance space.

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PLASA 2011 PREVIEW


Architectural lighting and entertainment technology inno-vator Artistic Licence Engineering (1-E32) will launch fi ve new products at the show:

Multichrome Tube is a linear, double-sided LED fi xture based on Multichrome Flex technology. It is available in lengths of 500 millimetres and is IP rated for exterior use (IP67). Multichrome Tube is compatible with all existing Multichrome drivers and can be used alongside Multi-chrome Flex and Multichrome Web.

Multi-Play is a rack-mounted hardware device for show recording and playback via a choice of output protocols. Multi-Play allows the user to record up to 12 Universes from any Art-Net lighting console. Playback protocols in-clude Art-Net, ACN (E1.31), KiNet and ShowNet.

Art-Net 3 is a massive evolution of Art-Net I and Art-Net II, allowing 32768 Universes (or 32 Kiloverses) to be transferred over the network.

Colour-Tramp has recently been upgraded to v4, of-fering more features including multiple viewpoint layers allowing programming and visualisation from different perspectives, support of up to 250 universes, enhanced Art-net remote control and triggering and advanced import - export mode and Hippotizer fi le format support.

The popular Rail-DALI-DMX converter has been up-graded, with a new feature that offers the choice of two fade times when run in Virtual Ballast mode that can be employed to give a DMX fi xture a smooth dimming curve, without the need to send multiple DALI commands.

Robert Juliat (2-P14, within the White Light zone) will unveil its new Aledin 330 LED wash light for the fi rst time at PLASA. The new, vari-able beam angle, 85W LED Aledin wash light is a complement to the award-winning Robert Juliat Aledin 630 LED profi le spot.

Initially of interest to television studios, the Al-edin wash’s popularity is growing as its good re-port is spreading with exhibition halls and theatres also choosing to take advantage of its qualities.

Robert Juliat Sales Director, Lionel Garraud, says, “The feedback we are receiving is that cus-tomers fi nd the Aledin wash a very powerful LED product which is easy to daisy chain and produces

NEW GEAR AND NEW UPGRADES...a clean, even beam. The dimming is very smooth with no ‘stepping’, its strobe feature is useful for concert lighting and the choice of colour tem-perature lends itself well to exhibi-tion work.”

Using the same technology and light source as the profi le, the Aledin 330 wash offers a choice of two col-our temperatures (3500K or 5800K) making it suitable for theatre, studio and event applications as well as ar-chitectural and exhibition work.

Also in the White Light zone is ArKaos (2-R23), which will use PLASA as a platform to launch its highly-anticipat-ed new network protocol, Kling-Net. According to the live performance technology specialist, Kling-Net is a unique protocol designed specifi cally to allow the distribution of real-time video data to remote display devices, like LEDs or LED panels, over Ethernet.

“Kling-Net can transform the simplest of LED devices into an intelligent Kling-Net device that can talk to, and be controlled by, a media server. Auto confi guration of de-vices upon start up dispenses with the need for complicated set up procedures. The media server can then read and change parameters from the device. This makes the whole process extremely fast and easy and minimises the poten-tial for mistakes,” says CEO Marco Hinic.

Costs are reduced because the devices do not need switches or a physical confi guration panel. Everything is confi gured by implementing the software SDK made available by Arkaos to the partners creating Kling-Net devices. And because the Media Server does all the work, video will still run at a smooth 60 FPS.

“Many basic and fi rst time users are afraid of using LED lighting because of the complexity of networking and control is-sues,” says Hinic. “Traditionally, using and networking LED lighting has required a high level of technical knowledge which has

been a deterrent for many. We wanted to remove all this complexity and replace it with a simple to use protocol which automatically takes care of the magic numbers for the user!”

The manufacturer will also launch the Pixel Strip P25, a 1 metre x 3 centimetre LED strip of 40 pixels; and the Pixel Batten P25, a 1 metre x 15

centimetre batten of 160 pixels. Out Board (1-H9) will preview iPad and iPhone

apps developed to control the TiMax2 SoundHub mix matrix, playback server and audio showcon-trol matrix on stand 1-H9. Simple factory-default setups are user-confi gurable, and a custom pro-gramming service provides bespoke GUI’s specifi -cally tailored to individual systems and sound–ef-fects control projects.

Also demonstrated will be powerful new S-Version software features for the TiMax2 Sound-Hub – the PanSpace effects map and TimeLine Editor for in-depth sound-effects programming, featuring multi-channel waveform-based editing, looping, panning, volume profi ling and versatile showcontrol trigger management. TiMax2 Sound-

Hub is a scaleable mix-engine, sound effects playback server and delay-matrix platform which offers up to 64 channels of ana-logue or AES I/O - with MADI, Ethersound, Co-branet and Dante networking options - all in a single compact 2U chassis.

Leading LED screen brand Pixled launches its brand new F-9 LED surface at PLASA (2-S27). The design and archi-tecture for the nine-millimetre pitch F-9 features all the same dynamic characteristics that have proved so popular with its predecessor - the F-6; high resolution, extremely

ti t b tt f 160 i l

ETC’s newest console features “minimalist” design.

The Allen & Heath iLive-T system.

ArKaos’ Mediamaster Express software.ArKaos’ Mediamaster Express software.


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PLASA 2011 PREVIEW


PLASA 2011 PREVIEW

Sunday 11 September to Wednesday 14 September 2011Earls Court Exhibition Centre, LondonOpening hours: 10am to 6pm, except on Wednesday when doors close at 5pm

THE DETAILS

light weight, very easy to build and set up, ultimately creative and curvable in both directions - both concave and convex. F-6 and F-9 modules can be mixed and fitted to-gether if desired in the same quick-lock touring frames. These utilise the renowned rapid hanging and footprint system that has proved such a winner for touring and temporary installation environments.

Like the F-6, F-9 is also available with standard Pixled or super-HD resolution Mitsubishi processing, with highly serviceable and accessible IMs (LED strips) and power sup-plies, due to its unique tile architecture.

PixelRange will demonstrate three newly re-leased lighting fi xtures at PLASA 2011: QPar, PixelSmart and SmartLine 6 (1-F39).

QPar follows in the footsteps of the ubiquitous PixelRange PixelPar. A fully-programmable, plug and play, high powered colour-mixing LED wash fi xture, QPar features 12 high-intensity, QUAD colour, RGBW CREE LED’s ensuring exceptional colour as well as colour-washing capabilities with a completely homogenised light source.

PixelSmart was the fi rst product from Pixel-Range that pioneered a new wave in intelligent lighting – it comprises 13 CREE XPG warm white LED’s alongside 12 CREE MCE Quad LED’s RGBW to give the advantage not only of a vast spectrum colour palette – with a huge choice of both vivid saturates and subtle pastel colours – but unique-ly, a choice of whites: brilliantly cool (XPE) white or golden warm (XPG) white.

The newest addition to the range and measur-ing a slender 6 feet by 50 millimetres, the Smart-Line 6 LED wash fi xture assures instantaneous colour mixing across its length, via the 36 individ-ually addressable, CREE MCE high intensity QUAD LEDs. SmartLine, which can be stacked either horizontally or vertically with no change to the pitch of the LEDs, is fi tted with a 20 degree beam angle as standard, though other light-shaping

diffusing lenses are available to vary the output beam.

PLASA will see the offi cial debut of the newest control desk in the ETC’s award winning Eos line: Gio on stand 1-G39. Gio is designed to fi ll the mid range posi-tion in the Eos family, sitting between the Eos and Ion. It will offer the power of full Eos functionality, in a tidy footprint. Fea-tures include integrated, articulating multi

touch displays, helpful backlit buttons and unique tactile response direct selects and encoders.

ETC is also showing its new ultra bright, high colour, energy effi cient Selador Desire D40, D40XT and D60 lines of LED luminaires, including the unique Studio for broadcast work for the fi rst time. These fi xtures are earn-ing high praise for their ability to blend beautifully with conventional tungsten colour and light in today’s greener hybrid lighting rigs.

British mixer manufacturer, Allen & Heath, (1-E9) will also exhibit, showcasing various control surface and MixRack components from its iLive digital mixing family, as well as the range of audio networking possibilities such as MADI and Dante, and additional control options including the Allen & Heath PL Series remote controllers, iLive Editor software, iLive Tweak app for iPhone and the MixPad app for iPad.

Also on display will be models from the Xone DJ range - including the Xone:PB patchbay, Xone:S2 installation mixer and Xone:DB4 FX mix-er – as well as the ZED USB compact mixers and GS-R24 recording mixer.

In order to keep pace with the huge success and high demand of the recently introduced Resolution 3, Funktion One (1-F36) has enhanced its production with a new set of tooling for the mid high wave guides. This new tooling created the opportunity to refi ne the technology taking the product to a new level. This has also given rise to the new stand alone R3SH which has been used to great acclaim in venues as diverse as the National Theatre, for Danny Boyle’s

production of Frank-enstein, to the main room at Space Ibiza. This further under-lines Funktion One’s stance that good loudspeakers are in no way genre specifi c and are suitable for all audio applications.

Demonstrations of

our full range of products will be taking place throughout the show in the Funktion One demonstration room, where for many years audio enthusiasts from around the World have joined us for an informal and informative time, listening to both the familiar and the unfamiliar, through crystal clear Funktion One loudspeakers and engaging in interesting audio conversation.

Martin Professional has promised to unveil “visual LED innovation” at PLASA (1-F44). The manufacturer has kept details of the product close to hand but is confi dent it will “bring LED to the next level”.

Also on show will be the EC-10, a high per-formance, true 10 mmillimetre pixel pitch LED display panel that teams with Martin’s EC-20 to form a fully compatible EC family of LED displays that can be mixed and matched for ultimate de-sign creativity; the ultra-compact MAC 101 mov-ing head wash - now available in three white light versions, the Stagebar 2, with twice the lumen output and 10 times the intensity of the Stage-bar 54; and the P3-200 System Controller - a new addition to Martin’s P3 System Con-troller fam-ily for LED screens.

NEW GEAR AND NEW UPGRADES... (CONTINUED))

1

Pixled’s F-9 tile.

Robert Juliat will showcase the

new Aledin 330 LED wash light.

F1’s ceiling-mounted R3SH.

TiMax2 SoundHub apps.


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GUEST COLUMN


So sadly we have heard of yet another stage collapse within the events industry. This time it was the Indiana State Fair. Not so long ago

we were all speculating about the cause of the Bluefest collapse, or at least those of us who actually consider the implications of poor event safety were! Others, sadly, I am sure shrugged it off as just part of the risks involved in stag-ing such an event.

I am equally sure full investigations will be put in place and carried out with all due diligence. A shame per-haps that the same due diligence was

not put in place when plan-ning the event. Speculation as to the cause will continue, but early indica-tions it appears will place the fault squarely with the sud-den change in weather condi-tions. Wrong, people.

Why? Con-sider this; the event organis-er has ultimate responsibil-ity for safety at the event. Here within

the UAE and perhaps the Middle East in general, we lack event specifi c guidelines. Most of the legislation in place at present is based on the construction industry es-pecially when we discuss the installation of temporary structures. And even then this legislation is put in place by very few venues, but at least there is an awareness and this must be applauded event though it is perhaps a little misguided. Most pre-cautions are still put in place in line with individuals personal standards.

Having handled the site management and production for some of the larger concerts within the region, it is still as-tonishing to come across so many ven-

ues who do not ask about something as simple as a risk assessment. And even if they do, let’s be honest, how many actually understand what they are reading? Most I would say are fi led away with lawyers or advocates ready to be pulled out should a court case arise. At this point it’s too late, ‘I told you so’ is not now or has ever been an acceptable defence.

This lack of legislation and or guide-lines however should not of course be considered as a stumbling block to safe execution of an event. After all the pur-pose of safety management is not all about compliance, it is actually about reducing and removing risks and ulti-mately saving lives. So getting it right should be the most important consid-eration of any event.

Robert G. Ingersoll, a Civil War veter-an and American political leader said ‘It is a thousand times better to have com-mon sense without qualifi cations, than to have qualifi cations without common sense’. Well said, Bob.

Risk management involves you, the employer/event organiser, looking at the risks that arise in the workplace/venue and then putting sensible health and safety measures in place to con-trol them. By doing this you can protect your most valuable asset, your employ-ees, as well as members of the public from harm.

A risk assessment is an important step in protecting your workers and your business, as well as complying with the law. It helps you focus on the risks that

Nick Groves, founder and managing director of InHouse Productions, speaks out about the importance of risk assessments and pre-show due diligence in the wake of recent stage collapses.

SAFETY FIRST

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GUEST COLUMN


really matter in your workplace – the ones with the potential to cause harm. In many instances, straightforward measures can readily control risks, for ex-ample, ensur-ing spillages are cleaned up promptly so people do not slip or cable ramps are em-ployed to en-sure people do not trip. For most, that means sim-ple, cheap and effective measures to ensure your most valuable asset – your customer – is protected.

Okay, forgive me for two minutes while I back track a little but I think it’s important to explain exactly what a risk as-sessment is.

In my opinion, a risk as-sessment is simply a care-ful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to pre-vent harm. The general public and your employees have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures. Don’t overcomplicate the process. In many organisations, the risks are well known and the necessary control measures are easy to apply.

If you work in a larger organisation, you could ask a health and safety ad-viser to help you. Sadly in this region they are few are far between and we must still look to Europe for assistance. I have lost count of the number of so

called health and safety offi cers I have asked to leave site because they lack the required basics, such as hard hats and high-visibility vests, some still arrive in sandals, can you believe that. Well of course you can, you’ve been there, right?!

If you are not confi dent, get help from someone who is competent. In all cases, you should make sure that you involve your staff or their representatives in the process. They will have useful informa-tion about how the work is done that will make your assessment of the risk more thorough and effective. But remember, you are responsible for seeing that the as-sessment is carried out properly.

Here are fi ve points to remember:1. Identify the haz-

ards.2. Decide who might

be harmed and how.

3. Evaluate the risks and decide on pre-caution.

4. Record your fi ndings and implement them.

5. Review your assess-ment and update if necessary.

When thinking about your risk as-sessment, remember: a hazard is an-ything that may cause harm, such as chemi-cals, electric-ity, work-ing from ladders, an open draw-er even, etc and the risk is the chance,

high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.

So back to the Indiana stage collapse. Apparently offi cials warned the audi-ence that the concert could be delayed due to weather and the area could be evacuated. Moments later, the stage collapsed, witnesses and offi cials said. It is easy to judge in retrospect and of course I was not there, however, the concern was there obviously, and per-haps rather than convey the poten-tial threat the event should have been stopped right then.

What would you have done?

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The Indiana State Fair stage The Indiana State Fair stage collapse last month. collapse last month. Image courtesy of Reuters.Image courtesy of Reuters.

Image courtesy CNN.

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INNOVATION


CONTROLLING THE MASSESNew advances in video surveillance could be the key to predicting potentially danger-ous crowd surges at mass gatherings like music festivals, according to researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems in Germany.

Predicting how large crowds will react in certain situations has long been the holy-grail not only for architects and town-planners but also

event organisers. The power of a crowd when panicked

can have tragic consequences, as seen dur-

ing last year’s Love Parade music festival in Germany, when 21 people were killed as a result of a stampede (see below right).

But thanks to research carried out at the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analy-sis and Information Systems in Germany, newly developed software could pin-point risk scenarios and predict dangerous

movements within the crowd before they result in tragedy.

Barbara Krausz has worked on a soft-ware system that recognises dangerous motion patterns in crowds of people and her accompanying paper, ‘Detection of

Dangerous Motion Behav-iour in Human Crowds’,



A stampede at the Love Parade mu-sic festival in the western German city of Duisburg killed 21 people and left more than 500 injured in July, 2010. The panic started near the only en-trance to the area of the parade when crowds of the arriving fans of tech-no music surged through an already jammed entry tunnel. The annual mu-sic festival, which attracted an estimat-ed crowd of 1.4 million last year and is considered to be one of the loud-est festivals due to the special water-cooled sound equipment producing extremely loud sounds, originated in

LOVE PARADE DISASTER – A YEAR ON1989 but has since been cancelled.

An extensive investigation into the trag-edy saw over 3,050 witnesses give testi-mony in a German court but to date, to formal charges have been laid. What has come to light however, are a frightening number of errors that seemed to culmi-nate in the ultimate incident – more con-cerning given the usually strict standards enforced at similar events in Europe.

A 452-page interim report of the Duis-burg public prosecutor investigating the matter asserts that offi cial permission for the Love Parade was “unlawful” and “should never have been granted”. Fur-

ther, it was revealed that a public ad-dress facility had not been erected, re-portedly because the “cables would be too long”, and that “a prior right of cellular radio communication for the police was neither requested nor ac-tivated”, despite this being the usual practice at such big events, presumably due to the high-costs involved.

While the blame-throwing will likely continue for years to come, it’s hoped that tools such as the human behaviour prediction software in this article will lead the way in ensuring a similar trag-edy doesn’t occur again.

has been accepted for presentation at the IEEE International Conference on Ad-vanced Video and Signal-Based Surveil-lance in Austria this month.

“In the past, research focused on de-veloping physical models that model human behaviour in order to simulate pedestrian fl ows and to identify poten-tially hazardous locations. However, no automatic systems for detection of dan-gerous motion behaviour in crowds ex-ist,” she says. “In this paper, we present an automatic system for the detection and early warning of dangerous situ-ations during mass events. It is based on optical fl ow computations and de-tects patterns of crowd motion that are

characteristic for hazardous congestions. By applying

an online change-point detection algo-rithm, the system is capable of identify-ing changes in pedestrian fl ow and thus alarms security personnel to take neces-sary actions.”

She says she realised that when peo-ple become trapped in a highly con-gested area, they sway slowly from side to side in an effort to keep their balance and so the software she has created notices the motion by scrutinising the movement of each pixel between differ-ent frames of crowd video footage.

And when there are highly symmetri-cal pixel motions, it means the crowd is swaying, or there is something unusual going on – and alerts the operator by highlighting the area in red.

She told the New Scientist: “It does

not recognise that there is a person, we just check the pixels.”

When she applied the software to the footage of the tragic Love Parade, it highlighted areas where people were squeezed together as emergency vehicles made routine patrols through the crowds.

Had Krausz’s new system been used, security staff may have been able to no-tice a dangerous build-up of the crowd in the area where the crush later took place

The system produced its highest alert about half an hour before the disaster – the last moment for which Krausz ana-lysed the data.

Had it been used on the fateful day, se-curity staff would have known there was a problem and could have take action, such as opening a gate in a given problem area.

SAS SEPTEMBER 201144

NETWORK SPECIAL

The Phoenicia Intercontinental is in the process of undergo-ing major renovations to re-fl ect the former extravagance of the luxurious hotel, one of

Beirut’s most famous landmarks. As a re-sult, a major face-lift of its grandiose ball-room and the fi ve other smaller meeting rooms was recently completed.

Thirteen years ago, HI FI Service was contracted to execute the AV works throughout the hotel following its reno-vation and expansion after its destruction during the devastating Lebanese civil war

and was again brought in as integrators for the latest round of renovations.

During extensive meetings with the hotel owners and project manager, it was emphasised that HI FI Service was to be responsible for the elaboration of the de-sign and implementation of the various AV systems, taking into consideration that no cables were to run in the ballroom dur-ing events, that the system should be HD compatible, be versatile and fl exible and ultimately be future-proof.

Although the requirements were few and look simple, the design and imple-

SOLVING THE MATRIX

mentation of systems fulfi lling the above are complex and diffi cult, according to Oussama M Abou Faraj, manager of HI FI Service, who decided to design and im-plement an extensive network of DMX, HDMI, VGA, and of course audio, and video in order to fulfi l the requirements. A fi bre optic network was also on the menu.

Although VGA, audio and video net-works are common, the diffi culty lay in the HDMI network and to a lesser extent, the DMX network, says Faraj.

“The ballroom itself is divisible into three smaller rooms, and room combina-

The refurbishment of Beirut icon the Phoenicia hotel saw extensive DMX, HDMI and VGA networks installed to meet its event audio and visual requirements, now – and in the future. System integrator HI FI Service explains how the project was completed to ensure ultimate fl exibility, versatility and HD compatibility.

SEPTEMBER 2011 SAS


45

tion is of course a requirement. Therefore choosing the proper matrices and signal management devices is the core of the entire design,” he says. “Multiple audio, VGA, HDMI, and video inputs were to be spread all around the ballroom, signals needed to be processed, managed and routed to the fi ve Sanyo PLC-XM100 HD projectors and to the sound system.“

The HDMI network was the one that needed particular attention and dedica-tion. HDMI signals were to be carried over Cat6 cables from the various inputs to the HDMI matrix and then from the matrix to the LCD projectors. This was accomplished using a variety of Extron HDMI to Cat6 transmitters and receivers and an Extron 8x8 DXP 88 HDMI matrix, according to Faraj.

“The team was worried about the vul-nerability of the HDMI signal and had to make sure that all the components used between inputs-outputs are reliable and stable. HDMI and Cat6 cables were to

be chosen and laid carefully. Those were supplied by Extron, and laid with utmost caution within separate conduits away from power cables. Special attention was made to the termination of cables at both ends,” he explains, adding that as a re-sult, “amazing” HD images were ob-tained on all fi ve screens.

Since fl exibility and the need to cut down on cable runs inside the ballroom during events was a key requirement at the venue, Faraj says he decided to elabo-rate on this matter and provide the hotel with solutions that met their requirements.

“The ballroom is frequently used for weddings, where event organisers have their own sound and light rental com-panies. So in order to avoid the mess of running cables everywhere in the ball-room, it was decided that multiple lo-cations for mixers inputs/outputs and speakers cables connections were to be provided,” he says. “Hence XLR and other audio inputs/outputs panels were

installed to allow mixers for live events to be installed in four different locations in the ballroom.”

Speaker cables between wall and ceiling were also provided, all terminated with proper Speakon connectors. “As such, the rental companies can connect the ampli-fi ers racks directly to the wall input and the speakers to the ceiling output, with-out running the cables here and there,” Faraj adds.

Due to the size of the ballroom, sev-eral DMX points in the ceiling and on the walls were implemented and to add fl exibility to the system and to assist the lighting technicians to program their in-telligent lights, a DMX matrix system was installed. After thorough research, DFD routers were chosen and one 12-in-puts and three 12-outputs DMX routers were installed. “This allows the installa-tion of the lighting mixer in 12 different locations in the ballroom thus providing the programmer a great deal of fl exibility

XLR and other audio input/output panels were installed

to allow mixers to be installed in numerous locations.

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SEPTEMBER 2011 SAS


47

addressing the 36 DMX outputs scattered along the ceiling and walls,” says Faraj.

The sound sys-tem consisted of EV EVID C8.2LP and CPS8.5 mul-tichannel am-plifier, with the audio signals being routed and managed by a Biamp Au-dia Flex unit and four EXPI units.

“I love those ceiling speakers,” says Faraj. “I keep on us-

ing them in every ballroom we execute, the sound is great and should you need to generate a high SPL then they are there for you. Biamp is my favourable signal processing device, flexible, reli-able and easy to manage.”

The whole AV system is controlled by an AMX NI-4100 control unit with three NXTCV7 wireless touch screens and four NXD 500I wall mount touch screens. Sev-eral Dynacord mobile systems were also provided for events requiring small sound systems and two wireless Bosch discussion systems were provided to take care of conferences and meetings hosted within the hotel.

“HI FI Service was able to install the system in less than two months, and Lebanese will enjoy not only the Phoe-nicia Intercontinental’s new facelift but also a state of the art AV system in one of the most luxurious ballrooms in the area,” concludes Faraj.

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HDMI signals are carried over Cat6 cables to the HDMI matrix and then to the projectors.

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BUYER’S GUIDE


PIONEERS...L-Acoustics is regarded as the pioneer of the modern line source array - as early as 1993 it introduced its Wavefront Sculpture Technology (WST) on the now notorious V-Dosc system. Based on physical rules developed by Heil and Urban (AES 1992) the WST theory defi nes fi ve criteria for design and use of true line source arrays. At the heart of Wavefront Sculpture Technology is the internationally-

patented Dosc waveguide, which morphs the spheri-cal wavefront of the HF driver into a cylindrical, isophasic wave. In combination with WST, coplanar symmetry - the equivalent of coaxial assembly for HF, MF and LF drivers in vertical arrays - provides a coherent wavefront over the en-tire horizontal coverage at all frequencies. This behaves as if the sound was radiated by a single, continuous and articu-lated ribbon.

L-ACOUSTICS - K1Not necessarily designed as a replacement for the popu-lar V-Dosc, the K1 is packaged as a complete system for the touring market, combining an advanced three-way, quad-amplifi ed enclosure featuring a K transducer ar-rangement, with boosted resources on the HF section.

Introduced in 2008, 15 years after the V-Dosc, the K1 enclosure is typically combined with a dedicated LF extension (K1-SB) to offer an unprecedented level of directivity control and throw at low/sub frequencies. Inheriting 15 years of Wavefront Sculpture Technology experience and the latest L-Acoustics research, the K1 set a new benchmark of coherence and tonal balance control over distance.

K1 has been designed to seamlessly combine with KUDO for complementary fi lls, delays and SB28 subwoof-ers, all driven by the LA-RAK universal electronic and sig-nal distribution platform.

APPLICATIONS: Large-scale concert stadiums and outdoor festival venuesFREQUENCY RESPONSE : 35 Hz – 20 kHz, us-able bandwidth 10dB NOMINAL DIRECTIVITY: horizontal: 90 de-gree symmetric and vertical: dependent upon number of elements and line source curvatureFUN FACT: Won the 2010 Parnelli Award for audio for ‘Indispensable technology’

-

BUYER’S GUIDE: CONCERT SOUNDThe line-source versus point-source debate has been raging for years now, and while staunch advocates of point-source accuracy may disagree, line arrays, particularly on the tour and festival scene, are coming up trumps. We look at some of the favourites...

An L-Acoustics K1 array powering the Coachella music festival.


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JBL’s latest generation of high-powered, lightweight differ-ential drive transducers, cou-pled with its proven line array technology, is at the core of Vertec systems and is a direct response to the rental sound industry’s demand for reduced system size and complexity while simultaneously deliver-ing highly advanced performance, according to the manufacturer. Rug-ged, integral array suspension hard-ware ensures fast, reliable setups and takedowns and for maximum inven-tory fl exibility, the compact models VT4881A and VT4887A and the mid-size models VT4882 and VT4888, are pre-engineered to accept the JBL Drivepack electronic modules with robust Crown amplifi cation and dbx digital signal.

JBL - VERTEC APPLICATIONS: A tour-favouriteFREQUENCY RANGE (-10 DB): 40 Hz - 18 kHzFREQUENCY RE-SPONSE (± 3 DB): 45 Hz - 16 kHzHORIZONTAL COV-ERAGE (-6 DB): Full size model - 90 degrees nominal (250 Hz - 16 kHz)

FUN FACT: All Vertec mod-els feature patented, suspension hardware to ensure rapid setup and securing of arrays. Robust centre hingebar pins and chrome-moly steel bars, pre-treated for maximum envi-ronmental protection, are standard. Quick–release pins are fi tted with stainless-steel lanyards, minimising loose parts for optimum transport and setup effi ciency.

The Vertec line array systems, with their unique suspension hardware system, provide a continuous baf-fle surface and can be configured into straight-line arrays, uniformly and non-uniformly curved arc arrays, progres-sive spiral, and J-form arrays. They are representative of the dramatic evolu-tion of the original compact ‘speaker column’ that was first explored by early developers of similar systems.

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A JBL Vertec line array on tour with Aerosmith.

BUYER’S GUIDE



Newly released is the latest version of the Vertec Line Array Calculator II Software - V1.1. Enabling the simu-lation of mixed-model arrays from the entire range of Vertec enclosures, V1.1 retains much of the same ap-pearance and functionality of the V1.0 version that users have become familiar with, while offering a variety of new features. For example, with LAC II V1.1, new Vertec subcompact line array accessories (VT4886-SF, VT4886-DF88, VT4886-DF89) are in-cluded, and parametric EQ (compat-ible with JBL DrivePack, Crown Au-dio I-Tech/I-Tech HD and dbx 4800) is introduced. Signal delay functions are linked for all VT4889, VT4888, VT4887A, VT4887 and VT4886 en-closures, including DrivePack models, while subwoofer model delays remain individually selectable. LAC II V1.1 also features an SPL Mapping View

The KLA Series brings the power and sophistication of a line array system into an easy-to-use product sig-nifi cantly redefi ning the line array product category, ccording to QSC. With its simple ‘Lift, Click and Play’ approach, KLA can be deployed in a fraction of the time required by comparable line array products.

This fi xed arcuate, active line ar-ray system is ideal for a wide range of portable and permanently installed applications ranging from live en-tertainment to houses of worship or other venues where a line array sys-tem is desired.

The KLA Series is comprised of two models, the KLA12 12-inch, 2-way loudspeaker and the KLA181 18-inch subwoofer. The KLA12 features a highly effi cient 500 watt by 500 watt power amp module and the

A CALCULATED EFFORT

QSC – KLA SERIES

probe (displaying XY co-ordinates and SPL).

With LAC II V1.1, it is now possible to manually create circuit groups so that EQ, Delay and Gain are linked. LAC II V1.1 also offers a user-selecta-ble auto-update, and a check for updates can be launched from the Help menu. Additional Vertec V4 preset data is now included in the Frequency Range menu.

As with the previous LAC II software, V1.1 features enhanced acoustical mod-elling with colourised graphical represen-tation of results, including SPL mapping, 0 dB Isobar, and SPL attenuation modes. User guidelines allow for up to 24 enclo-sures per array.

“JBL Professional’s Line Array Cal-culator II software has been positively

KLA181 offers the same highly effi cient power amp module in a 1,000 watt con-fi guration. This effi cient design enables up to fi ve KLA models (any combina-tion of KLA12 and KLA181) to be driven off of a single 15 amp, 120 volt electri-cal circuit.

KLA loudspeak-ers incorporate QSC’s DEEP DSP algorithm - pro-viding extended bass response by actively managing potentially damaging low-fre-

received by system designers and setup technicians around the world since its introduction in March 2010,” said Paul Bauman, senior manager, product development - tour sound, JBL Professional. “The new LAC II V 1.1 builds on the soft-ware’s ability to simplify system de-sign and deployment by offering an even greater feature set.”

quency transients - and GuardRail circuitry pro-tection which prevents the amplifi er module from unnatural and de-structive clipping.

APPLICATIONS: ‘Rugged’ manufacturing and design makes it ideal for portable useFREQUENCY RANGE (-10 DB): 44 Hz - 20 kHzFREQUENCY RESPONSE (-6 DB): 49 Hz - 18 kHzHORIZONTAL COVERAGE: 90 degrees nominal

FUN FACT: Available in black or white

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BUYER’S GUIDE



The Meyer Sound M Series is a fully integrated, purpose-designed line of loudspeakers that bring singular advan-tages to small, medium and large scale real-world applications. Drawing upon classical linear array principles, these hybrid systems utilise advanced engi-neering to optimise line array perfor-mance for consistent, reliable coverage across the full frequency range of op-eration. All M Series products are self-powered and work well with the ma-jority of the reinforcement loudspeaker line. RMS remote monitoring system is fi tted standard and weather-protected versions are available for outdoor ap-plications (standard with M3D and M3D-Sub).

M Series products are scaled to suit applications, with the MILO models popular for large-scale uses. The MILO high-power curvilinear array is remark-ably compact and lightweight for a self-contained, four-way system - par-ticularly considering that it delivers 140

The Resolu-tion 5 Tour-ing enclo-sure is a high intensity three-way, mid-high loudspeaker used to create high accuracy point-source arrays. The unique and patented mid-range Axhead loading device not only gives incredible effi ciency and disper-sion control, but also increases high frequency output from the eight-inch cone driver. This means that the cross-over point to the compression driver can be raised to around 6kHz for dra-matically reduced distortion compared

MEYER SOUND – M SERIES

FUNKTION ONE – RESOLUTION 5 TOURING SERIES

dB SPL peak output with exceptionally fl at phase and fre-quency response. MILO contains three dedicated very-high frequency transduc-ers that extend its operating range to 18 kHz, increase available high frequency headroom, and result in extraordinary res-olution of delicate transients, even in very long throw applications.

MILO is the same width as the M3D-Sub directional subwoofer, though much smaller in other dimensions. This matched width affords seamless confi guration of combined MILO/M3D-Sub arrays for ex-tension of low frequency bandwidth and headroom. The combination also exhibits Meyer Sound’s proprietary low-frequency directional control, so bass energy is ef-fectively steered away from areas behind the array.

MILO can serve as the keystone com-ponent in scalable, building block systems

to the compression driver based mid-range systems so prevalent in the in-dustry. Its highly controlled and fo-cused dispersion enables precise tailoring of overall system coverage, simply though the

geometry of the array. Unwanted room re-fl ections are thereby substantially reduced, maintaining the enclosure’s high intelligi-bility. The system’s fl exibility in application makes it suitable for any event size from 500 people to the largest festival, thereby maximising use of rental inventory. Its innovative and simple integrated fl ying system, combined with minimal size and

comprising combinations of M Series products. For ex-ample, MILO can be paired with the M3D line array for very large venue applica-tions, or transition to MICA compact high-power curvi-

linear array loudspeakers for near fi eld coverage where appropriate.

APPLICATIONS: Completely scalable, the M Series can be confi g-ured to cover venues from concert stadiums to theatres to nightclubs. The MILO range is best suited to large-scale applications.FREQUENCY RANGE: 60 Hz - 18 kHzFREQUENCY RESPONSE (±4 DB): 65 Hz - 17.5 kHz HORIZONTAL COVER-AGE: 90 degrees nominalFUN FACT: QuickFly rigging system simplifi es use in fl own or ground-stacked arrays.

weight, allow for easy and effective fl ying or ground stacking. The Reso-lution 5 is economic in terms of sys-tem cost, production budget and truck space. Above all, the accuracy and sonic quality it delivers are exceptional for all genres of music.

FEATURES: • Superior Point Source alternative to

Line Array• Fully horn loaded for high effi ciency• Funktion One designed Neodym-

ium drivers• Integrated inter-cabinet fl ying system • Captive link lead in recessed cable

pocket• Identical size to Resolution 4 and 18 • Supplied with protective wheelboard • Optional scrim for discrete appearance

A Meyer Sound system consisting A Meyer Sound system consisting 72 MILO line array loudspeakers 72 MILO line array loudspeakers

and 40 700-HP subwoofers on and 40 700-HP subwoofers on the Usher OMG world tour.the Usher OMG world tour.

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THE GUIDE


GUIDETHE

This month’s hottest new product releases from PR Lighting, Martin, Native Instruments and more...


TOR, an analogue-modelled eight-band fi lterbank, the new “stereo tune” chorus, and the unique “Reso-chord” harmoniser.

Guitar Rig 5 also introduces the ul-timate facility for fl exible and intri-cate speaker emu-lation with its new convolution-based “Control Room Pro” module. From a comprehensive collec-tion of 27 cabinets and 16 microphones, up to eight cabinets can be combined at a time, each with individual mic place-ment and room sound controls, enabling an unlimited array of guitar tones for so-phisticated studio productions.

Out this month for $199, the new

The latest version of the popular Guitar Rig - 5 PRO – is being halied by its de-veloper Native Instruments as the “next generation” of its versatile effects stu-dio. The new version expands the com-prehensive feature set of the software with additional amplifi ers and effects, advanced speaker emulation, and various new creative features.

In a further addition to its carefully selected arsenal of authentically mod-elled guitar amplifi ers, Guitar Rig 5 in-troduces the new “Van51” and “Hot-Solo+” models, adding two distinctive fl avours of heavily overdriven amplifi ca-tion for intense solos and heavy riffs. Six new components have also been added, including an additional classic compres-sor model, the versatile “vintage verb” with various plate and spring emulations, a compact studio-grade convolution re-verb based on the acclaimed REFLEK-

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS – GUITAR RIG 5

version will also be included in the new Komplete 8 and Komplete 8 Ultimate bundles. The software will also be avail-able in combination with the Rig Kon-trol pedalboard controller as Guitar Rig 5 Kontrol for a suggested retail price of $449. A software update for owners of previous Guitar Rig versions will be avail-able for $79.

SOMMER CABLE – TRICONEHeralded as a ‘fi rst aid kit’ for musicians, the new Tricone from Gerrman cable and connector manufacturer Sommer Cable offers easy, reliable connectivity. A jack plug kit for a solder-free assembly is as simple as it’s brilliant. It contains four jack plugs with a massive pin, gold-plated contact surface and a super solid barrel plus 16 metres of the high-quality TRI-CONE XXL guitar/instrument cable.

The solder-free DIY assembly is a cake-

walk - strip four millimetres of the cable jacket, fold the screen backward, press the cable all the way into the pin and screw the plug barrel on (with an eight millimetre jaw spanner the pressure, and thus the tensile strength, can be further increased).

The plug connectors can also be coded with coloured rubber rings which makes this tool a steady companion of any guitar or keyboard player, event technician and studio designer. Due to the solder-free DIY assem-

bly, contact resistances on the connector are negligible, ideal for almost all profes-sional events.

THE GUIDE


PR Lighting has intensifi ed its penetra-tion of the architectural lighting market with the release of the PR-8800 and PR-8802, which create vibrant outdoor colour changes with the added possi-bility of wireless DMX control.

The PR-8800’s design includes a true outdoor IP67 waterproof rat-ing, an advanced RGB colour mix-ing system and automatic environ-mental brightness adjustment. It has already obtained an exterior design patent.

Containing 108 3W LED’s (27 each RGBW) and linear colour temperature correction, it has a power consumption of 350W at 220V and LED lifetime of 50,000 hours. Other features include a zero to 100 per cent linear adjustable dimmer; a zero to 20 fps strobe; a fi eld angle of 28 degrees (with optional 26 and 56 degrees) and a beam angle of 14 degrees (with optional eight and 45


The EC-10 is a high performance, true 10 millimetre pixel pitch LED display panel from Martin Professional that teams with Martin’s EC-20 to form a fully compatible EC family of LED dis-plays that can be mixed and matched for ultimate design creativity.

Featuring the same award-winning, lightweight and cable-free design for rapid deployment, the EC-10 is 100 per cent compatible with the EC-20 in terms of colour, setup, curving, and control and processing, even accessories, allow-ing for seamless, mixed resolution visu-als in one system.

Using high effi ciency Nichia LEDs, the EC-10 offers visual performance at the highest level. Pinpoint 48-bit colour pro-cessing ensures uncompromised colour depth at any brightness setting.

Each pixel is colour and brightness cal-ibrated for maximum colour and bright-

MARTIN - EC-10 LED PANELS

degrees); DMX512 (and wireless) control, with 16 recallable preset and 16 user mem-ories. The DMX mode, setting status, oper-ation mode and user’s memory data can be transmitted by synchronous control.

Other functions include control board temperature display; fi xture service time display and timer control. Standard ac-cessories include barndoor, clamps and

a safety cord. The PR-8802 resem-bles the PR-8800 but has two stacked ‘heads’, containing a total of 216 3W LED’s (54 each RGBW) and double the power rating. It also boasts the same characteristics (including IP67 rating), but the lens angle is 14 degrees (fi eld angle 32 degrees) and at 27kilograms, is 13 kilograms lighter.

PR LIGHTING - PR-8800 / PR-8802

ness uniformity and consistency from pixel to pixel and panel to panel.

The EC-10 fea-tures 3000 nits of brightness, more than suffi cient for any indoor use and bright enough for virtually any out-door application, and operates com-pletely fl icker free thanks to a high 2250 Hz LED refresh rate.

The EC-10 is fully compatible with the EC-20 LED panels in terms of mechanical construction, color points, power distribu-tion, signal/data interface, processing and alignment. This allows both types of pan-els to be mixed within one screen with no need for separate processing, scaling, data-

distribution or cabling. A key feature of the modu-

lar EC Series system is its ease of set up (and tear down) with no tools required for savings in time and hassle. The EC-10 panels are low weight (13.2 kil-ograms) for easy one man han-dling and the user-friendly de-sign requires no separate rental structure. Integrated power and signal connections eliminate the need for cables between panels.

The integrated curving mechanics of the EC Series allow users to create curved screens while maintaining an accurate pixel pitch with no gaps be-tween curved panels. The EC-10 pan-els support stepless curving down to 15 degrees concave. A range of useful ac-cessories is also available for even more creative layouts.

8 t h A N N U A L

W E D N E S D A Y

29th FEBRUARY 2012 EM I R A TE S TOWER S ,DUBA I , U AE

For sponsorship opportunitiesplease contact:

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THE GUIDE



CHAUVET – Q-WASH 260-LEDThe latest fi xture from Chauvet is the Q-Wash 260-LED, a fast and compact LED moving head that according to the manufacturer, is ex-tremely bright and can punch through almost any environment with its 37 high-power RGB LEDs and narrow, six-degree beam angle.

The Q-Wash 260-LED serves as an effective wash light and mid-air effect fi x-ture – it includes an aerial beam moving head, electronic dimming and strobe features that deliver silent operation with no moving parts, awesome sound-activated programs dance to the beat of the music, easy-access to built-in au-tomated programs generate a synchronised show in mas-ter/slave mode, and built-in effect macros and move-in-black features minimise programming time.

Program and store a scene into the 255-step onboard memory to run a show without an external DMX control-ler, keep light where you want it with the user-selectable pan and tilt ranges and user-selectable basic or advanced operating modes.

PROLYTE – H40R

ARX - TAP-IT TRANSFORMER ISOLATED AUDIO LINE TAPPERARX, the Australian-based manufacturer of USB, digital and ana-logue interface and signal processors has announced the release of its new TAP-IT Transformer Isolated Audio Line Tapper.

“With the ongoing convergence of Audio, AV and IT systems, providing a clean audio feed to Wireless and Cabled transmis-sion and recording systems has become a priority for Systems Designers, Integrators and Installers,” says ARX managing direc-tor Colin Park.

“Hums and ground loops, problematic Y leads, the misuse of headphone outputs or jury rigged patch ups need no longer be tolerated because the ARX Design Team has developed the new TAP-IT Transformer Isolated Audio Line Tapper as the solution.”

Main inputs and outputs are hardwired, so your signal integ-rity isn’t compromised, and the TAP-IT’s passive design elimi-nates the requirement for problematic external power supplies and “wall warts”.

Making its debut at PLASA, is Prolyte’s latest truss – the H40R truss, which according to the manufacturer, com-bines the best features of Prolyte Group top selling trusses and merges them into something new. Brand Manager Eric Laanstra frequently received enquiries for a smaller truss with a higher loading capacity and has mas-terminded the perfect solution. With his team of engineers he has designed the H40R truss, a rectangular standard H40 truss with a very clever programme of specifi cations based on the H30V, H40V and S36R truss.

The H40R has three-sided webbing. The thicker braces on the bottom side allow easy mounting of automated lu-minaires/moving heads and central loading, reducing the torsion effect resulting from one-sided loading in stand-ard trusses.

The spigot orientation follows that of the S series truss, al-lowing easy assembly while the truss is still on the fl oor.

The H40R measures 339 millimetres high by 239 millime-tres wide. The diagonals are placed to allow room for a 30D truss to rest on the bottom chords.

The loading rate is comparable to the H40V, taking into account that, due to the three-sided webbing, lateral forces are limited.

The H40R is available in three standard lengths of one, two and three metres, plus a box-corner.

www.lightME.net

The Middle East‘s Premier Conference and Exhibitionfor Lighting Design and Technology

12 – 14 September, 2011Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, UAE

What‘s unique about Light Middle East?

• One of the 6 global exhibitions in the portfolio of Light+Building Exhibitions.• The only dedicated lighting platform in the region.• Attended by architects, lighting designers, specifiers and other industry

professionals from across the GCC.• Over 200 exhibitors from 20 countries will be a part of the 2011 show.

Don‘t miss!

3 days of quality conferencing, including Green Middle East Conference (supported by Sesam Business Consultants) and Light Insight Arabia Conference (supported by PLDA).

To know more about these conferences, please visit www.lightME.net

Pre-register online at www.lightME.net/visitEnter VP Code LTAD080 when registering online

THIS MONTH’S...



HitlistTheMUST ATTEND EVENTS...

Arguably one of the biggest events of the year, PLASA is the ideal place to check out the latest gear in the pro audio, AV, lighting, stage engineering, systems integration technology sectors. This year, expect a free-to-attend, highly acclaimed and far reaching seminar and workshop programme, and plenty of networking opportunities, both formal and informal.

A second installment of the independent industry networking platform - the Events Industry Night Out – has been confi rmed. “It is a get together to have a chat over a few drinks in a relaxed atmosphere and in-formal setting,” according to organisers Dana Haubold and Stefan Wieland. The event is open to everyone working in the industry, from event managers to technical professionals.

PLASA,September 11 to 14, 2011, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London

Events Industry Night Out, September 21, 2011, Red Lounge, Raffl es Hotel, Dubai

YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE MONTH...This clip from Entech takes viewers Down Under and be-hind the scenes at the Kylie Minogue Aphrodite show in Melbourne with lighting director Steven Douglas. Steven has been on tour with acts like Kanye West, The Kill-ers and Rage Against the Machine, and has been tour-ing with Kylie since the show started in Europe in Janu-ary. Kylie is renowned for her elaborate stage shows, and Steven says she has stepped up the game with this one. This in-depth interview will let you into the world of large scale lighting direction for an act that keeps everyone on their toes!YouTube search term: Entech Kylie Minogueou ube sea c te tec Ky e ogue

App of the month...Yamaha StageMix v2.0StageMix for iPad and iPad 2 provides remote control of M7CL functions via a simple, intuitive graphical interface from anywhere within wireless range. The software has been specifi cally designed to allow engineers to adjust monitor mixes from the performers’ positions on stage, directly controlling mix parameters via the iPad rather than having to rely on verbal directions to a second engineer.The result is better mixes in less time: a huge advantage during high-pressure pre-show setup. StageMix does not provide remote control of all M7CL parameters, but is focused on the requirements for adjusting monitor mixes on stage.

New features in the latest version include the control of head amp gain for each input channel and scene memory management, including store, recall, scene titles and comments.

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BACK STAGE


“We’re a new band, we’re not going to get above ourselves and start thinking we can play stadiums and arenas, we don’t want to jump the gun, we want to go out and do small gigs, get back into that vibe then do another album, and take it gradually, stay in the moment of being a new band.”

Liam Gallagher sets expectations ahead of his gig at the Flash

forum in Abu Dhabi this month with his new band, Beady Eye.

“There are just too many events now in the UK and it’s impossible for them all to survive. The market is saturated. I don’t think there will be a big casualty, I think there will be smaller ones. I think it’s like a culling affect at a lower level.”

Isle of Wight Festival organiser John Giddings speaks out about the quantity of music festivals in the UK, which he says is leading

to poor sales. Over 30 festivals have been postponed or

cancelled this year, with poor sales said to be to blame. Last

month, Michael Eavis said that he

believes Glastonbury only had “three or four years” left and claimed

that festivals are “on the way out” as music fans are growing bored

of going to them.

Off the record...

we’ve already paid for the artist.”

Shoppiesta organiser Radhesh Menon explains the cancellation of rapper 50 Cent’s inclusion in the festivals line-up to Gulf News. The

Eid festival was also forced to drop Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan for similar reasons.

“Perhaps after so many of these things have come down recently we need to rethink

the use of a roof that has to come in during bad weather in order not to kill people! Line arrays, video walls and other new production technologies seem to prohibit the roof from coming down quickly in my practical experience.”

Matt Lemmon, a poster on lighting forum The Light Network, makes a bold – but perhaps valid – assessment following the

collapse of a stage at the Indiana State Fair in the US last month, which left fi ve dead and dozens injured.

The Flaming Lips’ lighting rig as it usually stands.Ethan Miller/Getty Images

“F**K!!!! Wind and rain destroyed the stage !!!!! Show is cancelled!!!! Devastation!!!”

Wayne Coyne, frontman for the Flaming Lips, tweets following the collapse of a lighting rig shortly prior to a gig in the US. Strong wind and rain were said to have brought the rig down onto the band’s equipment in the same month that stages collapsed at

Pukkelpop in Belgium, the Ottowa Bluesfest and Indiana State fair, reportedly due to the same weather-related causes. Coyne also said he thought he was going to die via the social

network site, before noting that the only injury was some speakers and instruments.

“There’s been a complete communication breakdown. Ever since we signed the contract and announced the event, various agents have been in touch with us claiming to offi cially

represent the artist. Because of the confusion, we have decided to cancel the contract and claim back the money

50 Cent – notDubai-bound.DIRK WAEM/AFP/GettyImages

An endangered species? The Isle of Wight Festival. Simone Joyner/Getty Images

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Documents

Sound & Stage - September 2011