Upload
pro-systems-africa-news
View
238
Download
7
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Â
Citation preview
July / August 2015 R38.00
AV SyStem IntegrAtIon | InStAllAtIonS | lIVe eVentS | StudIo Pro AudIo
medIAtech And Infocomm rePortbAck
educAtIon Sector focuS
StAte of the Art new StudIoS
mAdAme ZIngArA celebrAteS!
World class lighting designers at Mediatech
Cover Story
A10LA10” 2-way Active Line Array
RMS Power: LF: 400W HF: 100WMaximum SPL/1m: 133dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 56 ~ 18000HzLF Driver: Celto Acoustique 10MB401-4HF Driver: Celto Acoustique FCD738-8Amplifi cation: 4th gen 95% effi ciency Class DAmplifi cation Power: 1200W LF + 300W HFProcessing: 56bit fl oating point DSP with 114dBdynamic range A/D converter, 24dB/oct crossover, phase correction, EQ fi lters and dual stage limiters (4 total)Connectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 290 x 580 x 486Weight: 22kg
viva afrikaViva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd
45 Lake Road, Longmeadow Longmeadow North Business Park
PO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South AfricaTel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 608-4109
[email protected], www.vivaafrika.co.za
56 ~ 18000Hz
BRAND
NEW
Introducing Hybrid+ Active Line Array
All you need from one system
A218SDual 18” Active Subwoofer
RMS Power: 2400WImpedance: 4 ohmsMaximum SPL: 138dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 30~95HzLF Driver: Celto Acoustique 2x18S1200-8Amplifi cation Power: 3000WProcessing: 24dB/oct crossover, phase correction, EQ fi lters and dual stage limitersConnectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 580 x 1200 x 750Weight: 89kg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
The A10LA is a mid sized, Powered Line Array, utilising the latest switchmode power supply with power factor correction and class D amplifi cation, with DSP processing. The A218S is a high powered Dual 18” Sub Woofer, utilising the same PSU, class D amplifi cation and DSP processing. Both units feature ease of use and user presets.
APPLICATION OF PRODUCT:
Suitable for outdoor or indoor, fl own or ground stacked application, catering for between 2000-8000 people. Widely used for the following applications: Places Of Worship, Schools, Function Halls, Night Clubs, Small Rental Applications of ±2000-6000 people.
A10LA Frame
4 x A10LA
2 x A218S 3 x A218S 4 x A218S 4 x A218S
A10LA Frame
6 x A10LA
A10LA Frame
8 x A10LA
13200 Watts
±2000 people outdoor > 30m
±3000 people indoor > 30m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R215 500.00
20000 Watts
±4000 people outdoor > 40m
±5000 people indoor > 40m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R317 000.00
26400 Watts
±6000 people outdoor > 50m
±7000 people indoor > 50m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R418 800.00
A10LA Frame
4 x A10LA
2 x A218S 3 x A218S
A10LA Frame
6 x A10LA
A10LA Frame
8 x A10LA
Demos available countrywide
Viva afrika – hybrid+
A10LA10” 2-way Active Line Array
RMS Power: LF: 400W HF: 100WMaximum SPL/1m: 133dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 56 ~ 18000HzLF Driver: Celto Acoustique 10MB401-4HF Driver: Celto Acoustique FCD738-8Amplifi cation: 4th gen 95% effi ciency Class DAmplifi cation Power: 1200W LF + 300W HFProcessing: 56bit fl oating point DSP with 114dBdynamic range A/D converter, 24dB/oct crossover, phase correction, EQ fi lters and dual stage limiters (4 total)Connectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 290 x 580 x 486Weight: 22kg
viva afrikaViva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd
45 Lake Road, Longmeadow Longmeadow North Business Park
PO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South AfricaTel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 608-4109
[email protected], www.vivaafrika.co.za
56 ~ 18000Hz
BRAND
NEW
Introducing Hybrid+ Active Line Array
All you need from one system
A218SDual 18” Active Subwoofer
RMS Power: 2400WImpedance: 4 ohmsMaximum SPL: 138dB PeakFrequency Response (-6dB): 30~95HzLF Driver: Celto Acoustique 2x18S1200-8Amplifi cation Power: 3000WProcessing: 24dB/oct crossover, phase correction, EQ fi lters and dual stage limitersConnectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 580 x 1200 x 750Weight: 89kg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
The A10LA is a mid sized, Powered Line Array, utilising the latest switchmode power supply with power factor correction and class D amplifi cation, with DSP processing. The A218S is a high powered Dual 18” Sub Woofer, utilising the same PSU, class D amplifi cation and DSP processing. Both units feature ease of use and user presets.
APPLICATION OF PRODUCT:
Suitable for outdoor or indoor, fl own or ground stacked application, catering for between 2000-8000 people. Widely used for the following applications: Places Of Worship, Schools, Function Halls, Night Clubs, Small Rental Applications of ±2000-6000 people.
A10LA Frame
4 x A10LA
2 x A218S 3 x A218S 4 x A218S 4 x A218S
A10LA Frame
6 x A10LA
A10LA Frame
8 x A10LA
13200 Watts
±2000 people outdoor > 30m
±3000 people indoor > 30m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R215 500.00
20000 Watts
±4000 people outdoor > 40m
±5000 people indoor > 40m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R317 000.00
26400 Watts
±6000 people outdoor > 50m
±7000 people indoor > 50m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R418 800.00
A10LA Frame
4 x A10LA
2 x A218S 3 x A218S
A10LA Frame
6 x A10LA
A10LA Frame
8 x A10LA
Demos available countrywide
EDITOR CONTENTS
elaine strauss | A journalist and photographer, with experience in writing articles featuring a broad range of subjects, Elaine is also currently working towards completing her Masters degree in Visual Studies, while making her mark in the audio and AV industries. With a keen interest in lighting design and film studies, she is a peoples-person with a fascination for all things new and shiny. With experience in journalism, videography and marketing, she brings to her writing a passion for and understanding of various fields.
neWs Nye to lead Christie in Africa.............................. 3HARMAN acquires SVSi ....................................... 3Innovatec Africa acquires Teljoy’s Meet.Inc. ... 4Avid completes acquisition of Orad Hi-Tec Systems ........................................ 4Merging teams with PENMAC ............................ 6ProAudio acquires new brands .......................... 6TID launch Adamson ........................................... 7Prosound honours French composer................. 7RocknRoller joins TV Audio family ...................... 8Switching on in Lusaka ........................................ 8
Mediatech africa 2015 Crestron shows independence ........................ 10DWR stand impresses ......................................... 10Portable Acer projector steals show ............... 11Getting to know Alpha Technologies.............. 11Boxer 4K30 projector main focus for Christie .. 11Lighting Designer Competition raging success at Mediatech .......................... 12Theatre lighting for stadium events ................. 14Stage Audio Works’ stand built by industry people, for industry people .............................. 15A stage for projection mapping ...................... 16TV Audio returns with double stand ................ 16Show on par with international standards ...... 16Audiosure and CHAUVET Professional dazzle visitors ...................................................... 17Bigger, better stand for PENMAC ..................... 17The art of lighting design................................... 18Clay Paky shows off Mythos ........................................................... 19BMFL Series centre stage at Robe stand ........ 20New product brands at Peripheral Vision ....... 20TID showcases new brands ............................... 22Tadco debuts Digico S21 at Mediatech ......... 23Viva Afrika’s sound presence at Mediatech .................................... 24A new look for Wild & Marr ............................... 24
infocoMM 2015 AV pros flock to InfoComm 2015 ..................... 26Product showcase par excellence ......... 28 – 34
coMpany profile Audiosure – professional brands in good hands ......... 36 – 40
integration & installation AV solutions and the education experience ...................................... 42Virtual Reality Centre revolutionises mine design ................................ 44Academy of Sound Engineering launches a higher state of learning ................ 46Prosound in the education sector ................... 48Education first for the LETPC ............................. 49Wild & Marr brings new voice to Newlands ... 50Media 24 installs giant screen .......................... 53
liVe eVents Classic guitar bands should get in touch! ...... 54Tim Dunn – the ethics of design ....................... 56SGM G-Spot – IP rated moving fixture ............. 58Powersoft X8 – Brawn & brains ......................... 60Topping the technicals for Madame Zingara ............................................... 62
studio pro audio Sound and Motion Studios – the Director’s Cut! ........................................... 66Howard Audio goes state of the art ............... 68
social Mediatech Africa 2015 ............................. 70 – 72
david davies | A journalist who has been covering professional AV and broadcast technology for 14 years. He is reelance managing editor of Sports Video Group (SVG) Europe and continues to contribute to a host of trade publications, including PSNEurope, PSNLive and Installation. He has also been a part of the team for The AES Daily, The IBC Daily and, since 2005, The ISE Daily, for which he served as an executive editor in 2013 and 2014. In addition, he is active as a copywriter and sub-editor.
Jimmy den-ouden | An entertainment technician based in Sydney, Australia. His qualifications and experience span a broad range of subjects and technologies. He writes and reviews equipment most of the week, and works freelance on various shows and installations on a weekly basis. Jimmy can be seen on most GEARBOX video reviews, available on YouTube.
CONTRIbuTORS
2
In thIS ISSue
Publisher| Simon Robinson | [email protected] editor | James Sey | [email protected] Managing editor & advertising sales | Claire Badenhorst | [email protected] in-house Journalist | Elaine Strauss | [email protected] sub-editor | Tina Heron design | Trevor Ou Tim | [email protected]
subscriPtions | Albertina Tserere | [email protected] accounts | Natasha Glavovic | [email protected]
Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd | Tel: +27 11 025-3180 | Epsom Downs Office Park, 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg | PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086, South Africa
www. pro-systems.co.zaPublishers & Projects
editorial disclaimerThe views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Pro-Systems Africa News or any employee thereof. Sun Circle Publishers makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.
Sun Circle Publishers reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable.
All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publisher.
Hello everyone, and
welcome to the new
edition of Prosystems Africa
News. Mediatech Africa
has come and gone, and it
has outdone most people’s expectations.
It is now firmly established as THE premier
media and entertainment technology
trade show in Africa, with appreciable
growth this year in exhibitors and visitor
numbers. Notable at this year’s event was
the increased number of international
exhibitors representing themselves directly
– a clear indication that Africa is being
seen as a growth market all over the world.
This edition carries a comprehensive
section focused on feedback from the
event. A particular highlight was the
Lighting Designer sessions, during which
well-known lighting company Clay Paky
sponsored the presence of two of the
world’s most decorated and highly
respected LDs, Paule Constable and
Durham Marenghi.
New to this edition is our first sectoral
focus, an editorial feature in which we will
investigate challenges, innovations, case
studies and products in a particular
end-user sector. We begin with an
in-depth look at the education sector,
running stories on cutting edge new
installations in the higher education sector
in particular.
Other things to look forward to in this
issue include reports on two innovative
new studio spaces – one in Johannesburg,
and one in Cape Town – that demonstrate
the South African market can still be at the
forefront of global sound technology and
expertise; a comprehensive profile on the
well-known Audiosure, as well as our usual
mix of insightful and witty product reviews,
industry people, news and views.
Don’t forget that we’re here for you – as
your resource for key industry information,
trends and product news. If you want to
talk about any of that, have suggestions, or
comments on anything you read here and
in our regularly updated website and
newsletter, don’t hesitate to let me know.
I’m on [email protected].
Enjoy the read!
James sey
3
newS
HARMAN International has announced that
it has acquired SVSi, the leading maker of
networked AV products.
Based in Huntsville, Alabama, SVSi
manufactures and sells an extensive portfolio
of products for delivering a complete AV
experience over an IP network. Included
among these is a full range of high
performance encoders and decoders,
windowing/wall processors, audio
transceiver, video recorder, and
management software. SVSi will join
HARMAN Professional’s Video and Control
Strategic Business Unit (SBU) led by Rashid
Skaf and marketed under the AMX by
HARMAN brand. Terms of the transaction
were not disclosed.
“HARMAN was early to recognise the
emergence and potential of AV over IP,”
comments Blake Augsburger, President
HARMAN Professional Division. “For more
than six years, we have been steadily
introducing new products to serve growing
customer demand for IP-based products.
With the acquisition of SVSi, we will
accelerate our development plan with the
addition of extraordinary expertise from the
SVSi team.”
“As an independent company, SVSi has
enjoyed tremendous success and
acceptance of our networked AV
solutions,” remarks Andy Whitehead, SVSi
President and Founder. “Our products have
been recognised with numerous industry
awards and, more importantly, been
adopted by a wide number and variety of
leading organisations in the entertainment,
government, education, and corporate
sectors. By joining forces with HARMAN, we
can deliver the benefits of our solutions to
more customers, faster than we could do
on our own.”
HARMAN acquires SVSi
Blake augsburger, president harMan professional division
Richard Nye has accepted an important
new position within Christie EMEA as
Regional Director for Africa. He takes the
helm with the departure of Phil Lord who
returns to the UK after nearly a decade as
Territory Manager to become Manager
Cinema Lamp Sales, EMEA. Nye’s move
coincides with a new facility in
Johannesburg.
Since joining Christie in 1996, Nye
managed key UK partners as Business
Development Manager for the UK markets
before moving to the cinema role and
progressed to Director of Digital Cinema:
Nye put Christie on the map as cinema
leader in EMEA and is known across the
industry for leading cinemas to switch from
film to digital technology. “In light of the
success he achieved, I am sure all of this
valuable experience in relationships, team
ethics, market understanding and product
knowledge will stand him in good stead for
the challenges ahead,” states Simon Smith,
VP of EMEA.
With this new opportunity, Christie will look
to Nye as Regional Director, Africa, to build
on the platform established by Lord to
enhance Christie’s considered position within
the African market, to develop new markets
in emerging countries like Nigeria and Kenya,
as well as grow existing channels in the more
traditional markets in South Africa. Nye will
continue to oversee the Cinema business in
the Middle East as well as Africa.
“I can’t wait to get to grips with the
challenge of looking after the African
Territory. For those who are not aware, we will
have state-of-the-art demo and training
suites where we offer local support for our
African partners and clients,” Nye says.
Simon Smith also pays tribute to Lord: “I
would like to say a big thank you to Phil
who has firmly put Christie on the African
map and I firmly believe that he will be
handing over to Richard a sound
platform of business as well as an
established team which is now in place
with Annalise, Chris and Tyron.”
Nye to lead Christie in Africa
richard nye, director of film sales for eMea at christie
4
newS
Innovatec Africa has acquired 100%
ownership of Meet.Inc, a division of
Teljoy Business Systems (Pty) Ltd, effective
1 May 2015.
Meet.Inc is an industry leader in video
conferencing and boardroom solutions in
South Africa, and the acquisition allows
Innovatec Africa to provide a dedicated
market offering.
According to Quinton van der Burgh, Chief
Executive Officer at Innovatec Africa: “This
acquisition provides us with the opportunity
to extend the value and service we offer to
our existing customers and increase our
capabilities within the market. We are now
able to effectively manage each project
confident that we will exceed customers’
expectations.”
Meet.Inc is a group of highly specialised
professionals boasting 12 years as a market
leader, and is known as a pioneer in the
corporate audio visual, meeting and
collaboration industries. “We have chosen
Meet.Inc because of its experience within
the industry,” states Van der Burgh, “we are
on the path of mergers and acquisitions and
having created a fantastic brand –
Innovatec Africa, we recognised Meet.Inc as
a sustainable business that will assist us to
achieve our growth.”
Marc Atkinson, Divisional Head of Meet.
Inc states: “When we were approached by
Innovatec Africa, we saw the synergy
between our companies and knew that it
would be a solid fit for us because its
aggressive acquisition and expansion
strategies would satisfy our
growth ambitions.”
Meet.inc have made it their mission to
streamline communication in corporate
meeting spaces with technology solutions
that are both affordable and maximise
business productivity using simple solutions
that are practical and innovative and built
on existing infrastructure to maximise
business productivity and growth.
“This acquisition not only improves the total
service offering from Innovatec Africa, it also
provides our collective customers with a
single point of contact for these services and
allows Innovatec Africa to enable value
added services and support,” ends Atkinson.
Innovatec Africa acquires Teljoy’s Meet.Inc.
Avid® announced it has completed its
acquisition of Orad Hi-Tec Systems, a leading
provider of state-of-the-art 3D real-time
graphics, video servers, and related
workflow management solutions.
The Orad product lines are highly
complementary to the Avid MediaCentral
Platform, and allow Avid to give media
organisations and creative professionals
more comprehensive workflows with greater
choice, flexibility and operational efficiency.
Avid plans to expand its portfolio and
distribution network with Orad’s line of news,
channel branding, sports production and
enhancement, elections and special events,
virtual studios, video walls, and virtual
advertisement products. With this expanded
capability, media organisations on the Avid
MediaCentral Platform should reduce the
burden of piecing together disparate
fragmented workflows in their production
environments, resulting in less complexity,
fewer interoperability challenges, and
greater efficiency and productivity.
The combination of Avid and Orad is
expected to deliver a number of significant
benefits for customers of both companies,
including enhanced integration, more
comprehensive workflows, improved
efficiency, complete choice with an open
ecosystem and more options for workflow
management.
Under the terms of the deal, Avid paid
€5.67 in cash for each share of Orad
common stock, which at today’s exchange
rate equals approximately $65 million USD,
net of estimated cash acquired. The
company funded the transaction with the
proceeds received from the recently
announced sale of its convertible senior
notes. Avid expects the transaction to
be accretive on an adjusted EBITDA
and cash flow basis. In addition, the
company expects to provide updated
annual guidance in connection with
the second quarter business update
call, which would include the impact
of the transaction.
Avid completes acquisition of Orad Hi-Tec Systems
louis hernandez Jnr, chairman, president, and ceo of avid
Johannesburg | +27 11 974 0633 | [email protected]
Cape Town | +27 21 787 9378 | [email protected]
Durban | +27 31 573 7400 | [email protected]
Imported and Distributed by
6
newS
Merging Technologies is proud to announce
the formation of a new company to support
its sales and technical support in Sweden.
Merging Sweden took over distribution of the
Merging professional products line at the
beginning of May. The force behind this new
operation is Kjetil Laukholm who has been
supporting sales in Sweden for some time
now. The move to become the full distributor
was a logical conclusion, given his
experience with the Merging brand.
Shortly after ISE 2015, the South Africa
distribution was switched to PENMAC; a
company with particular expertise in live
events and A/V installations. Headed up by
Malcolm Finlay, PENMAC’s South African
roots have led them across their country, but
they have also gained extensive
international experience supplying
compelling audiovisual solutions to
satisfied clients.
Established in 1998 and primarily supplying
multi-track audio recording and production
solutions, their expertise now also
incorporates multi-screen visual productions.
The close integration of Merging products
with PENMAC’s visual platforms ensures a
solid synergistic solution for projects requiring
very high definition visual content coupled
with very high definition audio delivery all
perfectly synchronised onto one control
platform. This strategy reflects the global
increase in sophisticated and immersive
spectaculars and events and perfectly
mirrors one of the main directions that
Merging has been following with its Ovation
Audio Events Sequencer.
Laukholm comments: “My focus is to
improve the responsiveness and technical
support for Merging customers in Sweden.
My colleagues and I have been customers
for many years so we know what is needed in
today’s competitive market.”
Finlay sums it up; “We started with Ovation
without really understanding what else
Merging could offer. Now we know, we feel
confident we can significantly expand the
user base for Merging in South Africa. They
have some great products at a variety of
price points that appeal to our client base.”
ProAudio recently acquired the rights to
distribute the Midas, Klark Teknik and
Turbosound brands of professional installed
and touring sound products.
The wholesale distribution business has a
long association with the highly successful
Behringer pro-audio range, and the holding
company of the Behringer brand, MUSIC
Group, also owns the distribution rights to the
specialised Midas, Klark Teknik and
Turbosound brands.
"MUSIC Group really believes in the value
to be gained from building a brand, and
really believes in wholesalers and distributors
of their product adding value in sales terms.
That’s in line with our own approach, which is
to actively market our full product range to
our dealer network and to drive sales," says
ProAudio Sales Director David Myers.
"Behringer has been a flagship brand
partner of ours since the beginning, so the
extension of the distribution rights for these
brands to ProAudio makes sense
commercially. And the new markets opening
up for these brands is also testimony to
MUSIC Group’s role in creating the
professional consumer – the 'prosumer' –
as a market segment and creating desirable
brands for it," concludes ProAudio MD
Joss Pack.
Meanwhile, having been the Midas
distributor for nearly 30 years, Prosound
recently regrettably announced that it has
been decided by the Music Group to
consolidate their brands under one
distributor for the region, the result being
that Prosound will no longer be the
distributor for Midas/Klark Teknik.
According to ProSound, it is difficult to
have to let go of such a great product in
which they pride themselves on their
technical expertise. They will continue to
service their clients with existing Pro-Series
mixers. Although they will have to assess
their involvement with the product as time
progresses, it should be realised that
changes do occur within the industry.
Prosound’s market offering remains the
same: providing experienced technical
service with high-quality product.
Merging teams with PENMAC
ProAudio acquires new brands
Joss pack
7
TID recently became the exclusive distributor for Adamson System
Engineering in South Africa and held a South African launch for the
Adamson S-series at the Barnyard theatre in Rivonia on Tuesday 21 July.
The S-Series was first launched at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt,
Germany earlier this year.
Jochen Sommer, director of European operations at Adamson, led the
presentation, discussing the history of Adamson, before focussing on the
S-Series.
“Adamson has one of the top three ranked products in the live sound
industry, in the world. Our products are specifically for live performances,
rather than public address or plain speeches.”
According to him, Adamson is among the top manufacturers in
the industry.
“The S10 is a 2-way, full range line source cabinet containing 2x
ND10-LM Neodymium Kevlar drivers (2x 16 Ω) and an NH4TA2 1.5” exit
compression driver (8 Ω). The critically optimised sound chamber
produces a slightly curved wavefront with a nominal dispersion pattern of
110° x 10° (H x V),” he said.
“Any theatre, rock concerts, churches and stadiums would benefit
greatly from Adamson and the S10 system is arguably one of the best
compact 2-way systems currently available on the market.”
Eugene Bester, Technical Manager at Liberty Church attended the
event, saying: “I liked the fact that the system is so neutral, it makes it easy
to do anything you want with it.”
Another attendee, Gary Botha, Systems Design Engineer at MMPA
Consultants said: “The system never got shrill or sounded like it was
working hard even when handling low frequencies below the systems
rated frequency response. Response was even both in terms of frequency
and sound level across the venue. Another key feature is the
compactness of the amplification and processing, low overall weight,
small size and ease of rigging.”
According to Tiaan Hoogstad, Marketing Manager at TID, TID is a
complete solutions company servicing the live eventing market and
acquiring Adamson will go a long way to allow them to provide even
more than they have to offer.
“We are very excited to add Adamson Systems Engineering to our line
card. Adamson has helped to fill a gap TID has had and so today we are
launching not only our new relationship with Adamson, but also the S10
system,” Hoogstad said.
“This is a big responsibility for us, to effectively be Adamson in South
Africa. But we are used to this responsibility, as we take this responsibility
very seriously with all our brands and we look forward to working
In celebration of the 90th birthday of French composer, Pierre Boulez,
Prosound recently partnered with violinist, Waldo Alexander and Dr
Cameron Harris from WITS School of Arts, in presenting the South African
premiere of Anthèmes 2 for solo violin and live electronics at the
Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg.
Mark Malherbe, Prosound technical director and sound designer for
this project, set up an array of Prosound’s own Maestro speakers in order
for the piece’s spatialisation to be performed.
The technological accompaniment of the violin, mic’d with a DPA
VO4099V, was achieved through specialised processing equipment and
software, and both violin and accompaniment was performed through
eight carefully rigged Maestro speakers, each transmitting sound at
different intervals, thereby immersing the audience in a unique sound
experience.
The lengthy applause at the end of this piece was evidence enough of
its effect on the spectators present; complete amazement at the
technical difficulty of the performance and the realisation
of the significance of this event in South African music.
TID launch Adamson
Prosound honours French composer
8
newS
TV Audio has recently added the
RocknRoller Multi-Cart 8-in1 Equipment
Transporter cart to their list of products – and
already the South African industry is sitting up
and taking notice.
The RocknRoller Multi-Cart is the perfect
transportation solution for broadcasters,
mobile audio technicians, audio and video
applications, photographers, videographers
and more. Ultimate versatility and the ability
to change configurations on the go to fit
virtually any combination of equipment
make Multi-Carts the go-to utility cart in
studios, TV sets, movie sets and sound rooms
around the world.
Among its top qualities are the
expandable frame, which adjusts to load
size and shape, its huge load capacity in
spite of its ability to fold small for storage, the
fact that it is lightweight, rugged and
ergonomically efficient and it ability to
reduce time and effort moving equipment
by up to 50%.
Stage Audio Works Southern Africa (based in
Windhoek, Namibia) with the assistance of
the South African branch recently executed
a complete conference venue installation in
Lusaka, Zambia.
Twangale (meaning 'Let’s Play' in the local
language) contracted Stage Audio Works,
who successfully installed a complete
conferencing system for Twangale’s recently
built venue.
For the main auditorium, which can be
divided into three smaller venues, ACME
entertainment lighting, controlled by a Hog
system was installed. LDR Fresnels were
installed for key lighting, powered by Leviton
dimmers. All the lights are suspended from
TFL trussing which is manufactured by Stage
Audio Works in Johannesburg according to
TFL certification.
For the sound re-enforcement, Audac
TCX12 tops and 18” subs were installed,
complemented by TCX8 loudspeakers for
delays further down the venue. The TCX’s
are powered by Audac SMQ750 amplifiers.
Mixing is done via Behringer’s
X32 digital mixer receiving
audio from the S16 stagebox.
Video projection is
accomplished via Christie’s
LHD700 Full HD projector with
a wide lens. The screen is a
Da-Lite 4m wide motorised
screen. In all conference
venues worldwide – the
BYOD (Bring Your Own
Device) method of
conferencing is growing
rapidly. Christie’s Brio Team
makes this possible and
allows for effortless wireless
projection from PC, IOS as well as
Android devices.
When the venue is divided into smaller
rooms, projection is done via Christie’s
LWU501i WXGA projector onto Da-Lite 3m
Motorised screens. On the audio side,
Audac’s Celo range of ceiling speakers,
powered by an Audac low impedance
amplifier is installed. Each of these rooms also
has their own Christie Brio Team devices for
presentations.
In all three venues, as well as the main
auditorium, seamless video switching is
achieved using Analog Way’s QuickVU
150-3G switcher. This also provides SDI inputs
distributed throughout the venue for 3G-HD
Camera feeds to the projectors.
Alpha LED DALI controlled downlights are
installed throughout the venue, being
controlled by a Leviton system. Each of the
smaller rooms has a dedicated keypad to
control lighting for the specific room. From
the Auditorium control, lighting for all three
rooms are controlled from a single keypad.
Although all the technical systems in such
a venue can be a handful, simplicity for the
operators was an important aspect for the
owner. A Neets Zulu controller, controlled
from an Android touch screen conveniently
located in each room, took care of this.
Controlled from the touch screen, by the
press of a button, the projectors and quick
VU are switched on, screen is dropped and
input selection is done on the video switcher.
The downlights and audio level is also
controlled from the touch screen.
Sennheiser microphones, antenna
distribution systems and Radial DI boxes were
supplied to accommodate the input
requirements to the auditorium’s main
PA system.
In the foyer area surrounding the
conference venue, Audac DW5066 wall
panels allows for local audio input and
volume control for the Audac CS660 ceiling
speakers. This provides relaxing background
music while taking a break outside the
venue. An Audac M2 audio matrix is used
for audio distribution in the foyer and allows
for control from the wall panels. A dedicated
Sennheiser wireless microphone with
Sennheiser antenna system is provided for
announcements in the foyer.
They also received a mobile PA system
consisting of Yamaha MGP mixer, DXR
powered speakers, DSR powered
subwoofers, Sennheiser antennas and
StagePlus cabling. K&M mic and speakers
stands were provided as quality equipment
needs to be supported by quality stands
which can handle the abuse they will
inevitably face within time. All of this
equipment is protected by StagePlus
protective bags, custom flight cases and
road trunks.
RocknRoller joins TV Audio family
Switching on in Lusaka
alpha
10
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
Crestron made quite an impact at
Mediatech, with their first direct
representation and their own stand at this
year’s show.
According to Vincent Philippo, Regional
Director, as a result, this year’s show was very
different for them.
“Mediatech has grown significantly over
the last few years and this year we saw a
great deal more Professional AV stands,
which is a very good indication of the
potential for the South African market,” he
said. “The market may double, or even triple,
in the next couple of years, which is
very promising.”
Philippo emphasised that Crestron wanted
to focus on establishing itself as an
independent brand. With their own official
office in South Africa, Crestron will not work
through any other distributors, and they will
be able to provide various extra services
directly to their customers, with their own
training centre and display area too.
“We are always launching new products,
but for now, we would like to let people know
that we are here.”
Rupert Denoon, Regional Manager, said
that Crestron also focussed on showcasing
the Pyng System for the first time in South
Africa.
“The Pyng System is a concept rather than
a product. It simplifies home automation,
tailored to anyone’s personal lifestyle. Pyng
provides the ability for system programming
in as little as two hours, eliminating
unnecessary expenses and time
consumption,” he said. “This system is
available on multiple platforms, including
iOS and Android and can be accessed from
any personal device. Once it is installed, you
can easily update and create lifestyle
scenes, schedule events, and set automated
actions right from the app on your tablet. It’s
quick and easy, and all settings are saved in
the cloud, so you can’t lose or break
anything.”
the crestron stand
DWR impressed with their stand at
Mediatech, setting the bar high and
allowing for a lot of interaction with visitors.
According to Duncan Riley, Director of DWR,
they always try to recreate an international
show experience in their stands.
“First impressions count and we wanted to
create a lasting first impression at Mediatech
2015. We wanted visitors to feel that they are
attending an international show and with all
the different manufacturer’s incredible
stands and the international visitors who
attended this year, I feel we succeeded in
that. The wonderful thing about Mediatech is
that it’s creating a platform where end users
can greet CEOs and owners of great,
national and international companies,
which is an amazing thing,” he said.
When asked about two of their brands,
Robe Lighting and Clay Paky, having their
own stands at the show this year,
Riley said that he did not see this as a
competitive scenario.
“It is great to see these brands doing their
own thing and because we are all situated in
roughly the same spot at the
show, I do not feel that any
one stand is taking away from
the others. DWR has got quite
a lot of brands and we are
focussing on DWR’s services,
rather than on specific
products. These brands
showcase some incredible
products and it gives us all the
opportunity to focus on
specific areas and products.”
As a separate attraction,
DWR, together with Michael Broderick
Lighting Design, also displayed a short
performance show, named ‘1 Man 1 Light’,
that featured four times a day throughout
the show’s duration. The performance was
done using just one single Robe BMFL Blade
luminaire with a ‘back-to-basics’ creative
starting point.
DWR stand impresses
Crestron shows independence
Mediatech africa 2015, the largest media and entertainment technology trade show in southern africa, recently showcased many of the world’s most impressive new technologies in the industry, placing emphasis on the global move to media over ip and many innovations in professional sound, lighting and display.
the show took place at the ticketpro dome in northgate, from 15 to 17 July and featured a variety of exhibitors in the broadcast, film, live event and aV system integration industries.
this year’s show was the largest and most successful to date, on all levels. in all there were a total of 145 exhibiting companies, representing over 700 local and international brands. a record number of 7 404 unique visitors visited the completely sold-out show, which also showed clear growth in the pro-aV and live event industries, since these dominated floor space in comparison to the broadcast and media production side of the show.
in addition to the success of the show indicated by its sold-out status, feedback from the industry players has been overwhelmingly positive. Many distributors attested to the professional standards of the event, remarking that it was in line with comparable events around the world.
11
REPORT medIAtech AfrIcA 2015
During Mediatech Africa 2015, Acer made
their appearance for the first time at this
biennial, media and entertainment
technology trade show, the largest of its kind
in southern Africa.
According to Product Manager
Charmaine van Niekerk, the show was
amazing and jam-packed with cutting edge
technology.
“This is the first year we are here and it is
definitely the place we need to be, as we
have been a predominantly IT brand until
now and we are currently breaking into the
AV market,” she said. “We experienced
Mediatech 2015 as very impressive, with very
high standards. Of the other manufacturers
exhibiting this year, everyone brought
their A-game.”
Van Niekerk said that the main focus for
Acer at this year’s Mediatech was their
projectors, since Acer wants people to know
that they produce everything from 1 inch to
100 inch products.
“We literally have a product to fill the need
in any production and not many people
know that we have the highest market share
in South Africa,” Van Niekerk said.
“According to our data we finished on 33%
market share in the last quarter.”
One of the Acer products on display, that
also proved to be the star of the show, was
the K137i. This portable DLP projector is
wireless, both Windows and Mac PC
compatible, 3D compatible and has two
internal speakers with a stereo output mode.
“We have had a lot of positive feedback
about the K137i, which is one of our smaller
projectors, but people seem to like the idea
that it is wireless. Due to its size, people seem
very impressed with its potential.”
Alpha Technologies was
one of the few
manufacturers who
attended Mediatech for
the first time this year.
Joseph Milan,
Director, said that the
focus for Alpha
Technologies this year
was establishing the
company within the
market.
“Rather than
presenting any specific
products or product
ranges, we are here to put a face to the
name and build relationships with our end
users and dealers,” Milan said.
“We want people to know that we provide
everything under one roof, also allowing
dealers to bring the end users to our office.
We also want people to be aware of the fact
that we are the sole distributor for Sony
Projector and Video Conference.”
According to Spencer Thomas, Smartbus
Technical and Sales, Mediatech Africa 2015
was everything Alpha Technologies
expected from a media and entertainment
technology trade show.
“We have been at Decorex and
Homemakers Expo before and for me, this
show is top notch. It is state of the art and the
organisation is brilliant.”
Though Alpha Technologies has been
formed very recently to service the
professional AV market, with brands
including Grandview, Powerlite, PTN, Evoko,
Sony and WePresent WIPG, they do offer
everything under one roof.
Portable Acer projector steals show
Getting to know Alpha Technologies
alpha technologies team
Mordecai Matomana and Marco de lemos
Christie this year celebrated their tenth year at
Mediatech, with a brilliant display of projector
technology. Phil Lord, former Territory Manager
Africa, said that the visible growth over the past two
shows has been amazing and that the professional
AV exhibitors have invested a lot more in Mediatech
Africa 2015.
“There has been a major shift from shell schemes
to whole stands and many of the other exhibitors
have used this to their advantage. I have also
noticed a lot more European manufacturers at the
show this time, which is a very good sign,” he said.
“This is a one-of-a-kind show in South Africa and
though we attend various trade shows globally,
Mediatech is the only South African trade show that
Christie attends.”
Lord noted that the foot traffic had been very well
regulated at this year’s show, making the general
experience less chaotic at the stand and allowing
for more time spent with visitors.
“There were also a lot more exhibitors at the show
this year, which made it well worthwhile for visitors
and gave it an international air.”
At the show this year, Christie focussed on their
mid-range LCD and DLP projectors, as well as flat
panels, which is a new market for them.
“Not many people are aware that we also
provide flat panels and we are currently working to
inform people,” Lord said. “We have recently
launched the Boxer 4K30, a powerhouse projector
with impressive, unrivalled brightness, which makes it
perfectly designed for high-impact rental staging
and large venue events. It’s the brightest, lightest
and smartest 30 000 lumen projector and the most
cost-effective professional projector on the market
today,” he said.
Boxer 4K30 projector main focus for Christie
helmut protte, chris grandin, Miles donovan, phil lord, harry gladow and Monsi cottrell
12
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
electrosonic held a lighting designer competition, in conjunction with Martin professional, lighthouse holland and Mediatech 2015, on thursday 16 July, during the Mediatech africa 2015 show.
As part of an innovative idea to promote up
and coming, as well as established
designers, Electrosonic presented
contestants with a competition pack with all
the needed software and information (at no
cost) months before the show. The top five
contestants’ show files were played at the
competition, with a song or compilation of
their choice.
According to Bruce Schwartz, Lighting
Division Manager of Electrosonic, they
decided to have entrants design their own
show to their own music and then to actually
play this in front of a live audience.
“A fixed rig of 4 x Martin MAC Quantum
Profiles, 6 x Martin MAC Quantum Washes, 6
x Martin MAC 101s, 3 x Martin Atomic Strobes,
6 x Martin Rush MH3 Beams all under a Milos
8x6 Arc Roof made for an exciting
competition night attended by around 200
industry spectators. The event was a huge
drawcard for both the spectators and the
contestants alike. The winners took home a
fantastic range of prizes,” he said. “Martin
Professional held a lighting contest to
showcase their lighting design software a
few years ago. The format was to take a
design with a pre-determined piece of
music and submit a video of your design
and then be judged.”
Electrosonic in South Africa decided to
take this to the next level and have entrants
design their own show to their own music
and then to play this in front of the
live audience.
“So a year ago we sat down with Simon
and Claire from Mediatech and pitched our
idea. This was well received and proved to
be a draw card for people to attend the
Mediatech show in 2015.”
A judging panel consisting of
independent lighting designers, Denis Hutch
and Christopher Bolton, Mediatech
Organiser Simon Robinson and Peter Dahlin
from Martin Professional Denmark judged
the entries on site.
Gary Sam won the first prize worth
R50 000, consisting of a Martin M2PC
Console and a 1 Year Martin Showdesigner
License.
“This all came as such a surprise. I would
like to give a big thanks for this opportunity
and for the support and help throughout this
year,” Sam said.
According to Martin
Professional, the Martin
M-Touch is a powerful,
yet simple control surface
for the Martin M-Series
controllers, the most
affordable professional
lighting solutions on the
market. Fully compatible
with all M-Series
consoles and M-PC
software, the Martin
M-Touch is a plug-and-
play solution with an
innovative control surface like no other
lighting console. 14 FSR faders allow control
of playbacks and fixture parameters while 20
velocity-controlled pads allow for new types
of effects. Additional programming buttons
such as record, edit, update, load and clear
are accessible directly from the control
panel. Martin M-Touch comes with one DMX
512 Universe for direct control of any
compatible DMX device.
Second prize winner, Kurt du Preez, won a
Martin M-Touch Console and a 1 Year
Subscription of a Martin Showdesigner Pro
License worth R14 000. The winner of the third
prize, a Martin M-Touch Console worth
R6 000 was Blessing Vilakazi. Fourth place
went to Matthew Mitchell and fifth place to
Victor Hatega. The prizes were presented by
Bruce Schwartz and
Peter Dahlin.
“We intend making this a bi-annual event
in conjunction with Mediatech and next time
we hope to grow it even bigger,”
said Schwartz.
Lighting Designer Competition raging success at MediatechBy Elaine Strauss
peter dahlin, winner gary sam and Bruce schwartz and the winning routine (above)
14
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
A member of The British Academy of Film
and Television Arts, The Society of British
Theatre Designers, The Society of Television
Lighting and Design, The Association of
Lighting Designers and Equity and is an
Honorary Fellow of Rose Bruford College,
Marenghi has designed the lighting for a
wide variety of theatre, opera, dance, trade,
concert, live event, heritage and television
productions worldwide and is the first British
lighting designer to have lit the Opening and
Closing Ceremonies of an Olympic Games.
The first stadium he had been invited to
light was at the World Student Games
opening ceremony at Sheffield Stadium in
1991, which he spoke about during his
presentation.
“The lighting budget for the event was
very small, so we hung some trosses full of
malfi flood lights with scrollers under the main
canopy, so that we could introduce some
colour for the point of view for the VIP
audience and the main cameras,” he said.
“We discovered if we put one colour in
four adjacent frames and rolled the scrollers
continuously back and forth we could make
the colour last for nearly ten minutes. We still
had to light the stadium with very little
budget and I decided to place colour filter
in front of the existing four stadium lighting
tours and we manufactured standoff frames,
which came to a total cost of around
R40 000 including rigging.”
According to him, they used one corner
tower in white, one in yellow, one in amber
and one in red and as the evening
progressed they proceeded to turn off one
by one, brightest first, until the fireworks finale
was lid with just the red light.
“A very basic approach to controlling
stadium lighting, but certainly cost effective
and the TV director was quite happy with the
results,” he said.
Marenghi also designed the lighting for
the Winter Olympics and Paralympics
Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Turin
2006 where he became the first British
Lighting Designer to illuminate an Olympic
event, where the ceremonies were
broadcast to two Billion viewers.
He also illuminated the London 2012
Handover at the Beijing Olympic and
Paralympic Games and the Winter
Paralympics Opening and Closing
Ceremonies in Sochi 2014.
He discussed most of these events, each
with their unique challenges and rewards,
during the presentation, focussing on how
the approach to stadium lighting has
become more theatrical over recent years.
“Today, with the development of LED
lighting replacement for stadium footlights,
we have the increasing ability to at least
control the houselights. There are several
television lighting directors already
introducing theatrical lighting to sport events
and pioneering this approach,” he said.
Quoting one of the leading experts of this
area, he said: “The business of lighting and
televising sporting events is moving on very
quickly and I predict that the standard white
light approach is now in decline, giving way
to more imaginative methods of lighting
events and a show-lighting philosophy will be
the way forward.”
Theatre lighting for stadium events
durham Marenghi
durham Marenghi, whose visit
was sponsored by clay paky,
gave a detailed presentation
about theatre lighting for
stadium events at the lighting
design sessions at Mediatech this
year. Marenghi drew on his
experiences in turin, Beijing and
sochi and explained the
techniques he uses to achieve
the apparently impossible in
bringing theatrical lighting to
stadium events such as
the olympics.
By Elaine Strauss
During Mediatech Africa 2015, Stage Audio Works celebrated 15
years of supplying the industry with complete technology solutions.
“Our stand this year was built by industry people for industry
people. It was a realisation of our maxim of supplying complete
solutions. The stand appealed to our customers from all of our key
market sectors – rental and staging, houses of worship and systems
integration,” said Technical Manager Nathan Ihlenfeldt. “Apart from
the products we showcased, the stand was also a reflection of our
inhouse design, installation and manufacturing capability. All of the
products we showcased were also live and working and our team
was available to demonstrate our complete feature set. ”
During Mediatech 2015, Stage Audio Works’ stand emphasised the
African launch of the Yamaha Rivage PM10 mixing consoles, the
African launch of the Sennheiser Digital 9000, AVX and Evolution D1
Digital Radio Microphone Systems, the trade show debut of TFL OV40
trussing, manufactured in South Africa by Stage Plus under license
from TFL UK and the debut of many local innovations from Stage Plus
including a new clamp, EasyClad stage decks, ProStep staircases,
Stage Plus cases and new adjustable legs for the Stage Plus
deck range.
Apart from these, Stage Audio Works also showcased the latest
products from d&b audiotechnik, as well as the complete software
workflow including ArrayCalc V8 with Array Processing. New
products from integration-targeted audio product manufacturer
Audac were also on display, alongside video equipment from
Analog Way, DVIGear and Blackmagic Design. The complete
technology solution offering was completed by a range of lighting
solutions from ACME, High End Systems, Visual Productions, LDR and
Wireless DMX and hoisted from Liftket.
This year, Stage Audio Works also emphasised its commitment to
the House of Worship market by hosting a dedicated pavilion for this
customer base. Located alongside their main booth, customers were
able to get hands on experience of relevant solutions such as Digital
Audio Labs’ Livemix, Renewed Vision ProPresenter 6 and
ProVideoPlayer 2 among others.
15
Stage Audio Works’ stand built by industry people, for industry people
stage audio Works stand at Mediatech
16
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
the tV audio stand
Electrosonic’s Lighting Division Manager,
Bruce Schwartz, has described this year’s
Mediatech as a world-class exhibition on par
with international exhibitions.
“The market is maturing and customers
are shopping, asking more educated
questions, and making decisions. It is good to
see the top manufacturers pushing the limit
and competing in a healthy way at this
year’s show,” he said. “We have placed our
focus on projection mapping this year and
displayed most of our brands, but picked
what is topical at the moment. Everyone is
focussing on what is current, which are
networks and they seem to be the future of
this industry.”
According to Abrie du Plooy, Electrosonic’s
NEC and Galaxy Product Manager, this
year’s show was mainly LED display focussed.
“It is fun to be a part of Electrosonic’s team
this year and the stand is incredible. It is just
unbelievable that we have not even
recovered from creating such a brilliant
stand, but we will already be taking it down
again soon,” he said.
Jason Johnstone, Kramer Product
Manager for Electrosonic, agreed, saying
that most of the stands in general were of
international standards.
“South Africa can be proud of what they
have achieved in Mediatech 2015. The show
is very impressive. All of the big players are
here and from what I can tell, not only are
the stands better, but in terms of space and
planning, the show has definitely improved
remarkably this year. The quality of the show
in general really stands out,” he said. “It is
amazing to see so much in such a relatively
small stage. All the genres are mixed here, so
visitors get to see so much. It offers a broad
spectrum of what is happening in all these
industries.”
Matrix Sound made history at Mediatech,
when they made sales at their stand – the first
time in all their years at the show. According to
Trevor Peters, the owner of Matrix Sound, their
stand had a tremendous amount of high
quality attendance at this year’s show.
“The show has always been well organised,
but this year it had a more international feel.
We are very pleased with what we got out of
the show, the interest and exposure. We have
also had a lot of queries from international
visitors,” he said.
According to Peters, the quality of the show
is on par with most international shows.
“We decided to have three separate stands
this year, in order to create a larger presence
at the show; therefore we had an individual
stand each for Galaxy Audio and Dynacord.”
All three stands were located in the same
area and all three did very well with regards to
visitors, said Peters.
Alcons Audio’s ground-breaking Sentinel
amplifier was recently launched by Matrix
Sound and according to Peters, drew a lot of
people to the stand.
“We have had a lot of visitors who were
specifically interested in the Sentinel. It is an
incredible amplifier with networking
capabilities, which gives the user the ability to
monitor the PA system from their location.”
According to Alcons Audio, the proprietary
designed and developed Sentinel Amplified
Loudspeaker Controllers are the 'engine'
behind every Alcons system and are designed
to get the absolute maximum performance
out of the pro-ribbon systems. The ALC Sentinel
features a powerful 4-channel DPS-based
controller with ClassD amplifier stages. The four
individually addressable inputs accept
analogue or up to 192kHz digital AES3 signals,
that are up/down sampled to 96sskHz.by the
custom high-end sample
rate converters.
A stage for projection mapping Show on par with international standards
Mario Bentley and trevor peters
Jason Johnstone, abrie du plooy, terry Bourquin and Bruce schwartz
TV Audio
celebrated their
return to Mediatech
with two stands
this year.
According to
owner Peter Berry,
he was pleasantly
surprised with the
quality of
Mediatech Africa
2015, remarking on
how much the
show had changed
since the last time they attended, roughly six
years ago.
“Mediatech was as good as any show in
the world and weeare thrilled with the
attendance,” he sayd. “All the exhibitors
went out of their way to make their stands
special, going the extra mile in making it
memorable.”
TV Audio has two stands at this year’s
show, namely one for their new brand
Alustage and one for their Beamz brand.
“Both stand were hugely successful, with
the one stand focussed on the staging and
trussing brand, Alustage, who we have had
on our name card for roughly a year, and
one for Beamz, a lighting brand from
Holland, who we have been representing for
about two years,” Berry sayd.
According to him, their suppliers from both
brands also attended the show and they
were very impressed.
“We would like to see actual musical
instrument manufacturers at future shows, as
this industry would fit into what we feel
Mediatech aims to provide to
manufacturers,” he added.
TV Audio returns with double stand
By any measure, the Mediatech Africa 2015 Advanced Technology Trade
Show was an outstanding success for Audiosure. With four stands and six
distinct areas, showcasing more than 18 brands, hosting seven
international suppliers and presenting their flagship and new products to
thousands of enthusiastic visitors, it was nothing short of a great success
for them.
Highlights included their Martin Audio demo room, which was custom
made to be especially sound proof to properly demo the stunning Martin
Audio CDD range as well as the Omniline, MLA Mini and DD series.
The South African company also drew large appreciative crowds to
see its extensive collection of audio and AV products as well as lighting
from CHAUVET Professional and CHAUVET DJ.
However, beyond being drawn by the opportunity to get their hands
on some of the latest gear, show visitors were stopped in their tracks by an
eye-popping lightshow Audiosure created using a collection of CHAUVET
Professional fixtures.
Designed by Sean Crawley with the assistance of Stefan Van Der Walt,
the show at the Audiosure stand drew on the intense output of
16 pixel-mapped Nexus 4x4 LED panels to display blinding breakout
patterns and stunningly bright text. Adding to the visual feast was the
sweeping light from 30 ultra-fast Rogue moving fixtures. The new Strike 4
blinder pumped up the intensity level even higher, as did four Next NXT-1
moving LED panels flown on the rig’s truss. A group of eight COLORado
2-Quad Zoom IP fixtures washed the booth in a rich array of colours
during the show.
“The lightshow at the Audiosure stand was really quite special,” said .
“It really showed how lighting can transform a space, especially when
in the hands of talents like Sean and Stefan. We’ve always believed that
the best way for anyone to appreciate what our lights can accomplish is
to see them in action. This enthusiastic response to the show at the
Audiosure stand certainly proved this point.”
PENMAC returned to Mediatech this year with a larger stand and two
feature products on display.
According to Malcolm Finlay, Director, this year’s show was, again, very
good and upheld the same (high) standard as the previous show.
“We had a bigger stand this year, so we were a bit busier than last
time, but we had a lot of interest and we made many new contacts,
which was great for us,” he said. “This year we focussed on two of our
leading products, namely Lightware and WATCHOUT.”
Dataton WATCHOUT is a production and playback system for
multi-display applications, from staging to digital signage, to events and
fixed installations. With Dataton WATCHOUT you orchestrate stills,
animations, graphics, video, sound and live feeds in a single impressive
show across multiple display areas.
Lightware Visual Engineering is a leading manufacturer of
DVI-, HDMI- and DP matrix switchers and accessories for professional AV
market. Their goal is to recognise industry needs and develop highest
quality and performance-rich products by continuously consulting with
integrators, rental technician, and design engineers. 17
Audiosure and CHAUVET Professional dazzle visitors
the audiosure stand
Bigger, better stand for PENMAC
18
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
Constable focussed her presentation on
explaining the way she decides to take on a
project, then emphasising what light does in
each story, what the light is like and how to
watch and edit the light in the most
effective way.
“I often feel alienated from the bold kit
based way of using light. To me, light is more
precious. It’s not about the amount, but it’s
about the quality; it’s not about beams in the
air, it’s about imperceptible shifts in the
space. It’s not about lighting so much as
darkness,” she said during her introduction.
“My real obsession is storytelling, how to bring
words and stories to life. I think that muscular,
taut drive is something common to all of my
best work. It’s informed, driven,
dramaturgical. It comes of a process and it’s
this I want to try to share a little of. To try to
explain how I make the decisions I make.”
According to her, the most important part
of taking on a project, is establishing what it
can offer her and vice versa.
“One of the biggest fears for us all in
lighting design is the sense of not knowing;
not being able to see if it will work before we
try it. So the very least I can do for myself is
know why I’m here, why I am making
something.”
It is always important to ask what the
nature of the light is in each individual piece,
explained Constable.
“Having read the thing, listened to it,
engaged with it and heard the brief, the
question becomes what is light doing in the
room. Why is it there? What is the landscape
for light in the piece?”
For this discussion, she used Die Entführung
aus dem Serail presented at the
Glyndebourne as example, explaining her
steps to define a place and time with the
front cloth, then moving on to the
architectural space. Sunlight needed to be
recreated for this particular piece. She
further emphasised that this particular
design was based on the idea of layers and
that the light and sight being allowed in and
being closed off, added to the idea of
seeing through to other layers and secret
hidden spaces.
“So the function of light is to be naturalistic,
alive, hot, directional, brutal and present in
every picture,” she said.
After this, Constable explained how she
established what the light for this piece
was like.
“The sunlight needed to be slightly
buttermilk warm to work with the stonework
and the quality of light that would be
bouncing around a space like this, with the
sky beyond, and the sea. Making them tend
slightly to the greener blues makes for a more
period feel. And that contrasts in a very alive
way with the warmth of the stone,” she said.
“From this I end up with light that comes into
the space; it knows why it’s there and what it
looks like. It has a sense of purpose and it
knows how to move. The final step of
preparation is to work this into a structure.”
In conclusion, Constable highlighted the
importance of working deftly and quickly,
but also to not trying to solve problems in
the moment.
“If in doubt, go to black and start again.
We so often get stuck with too much light –
go back to the essence of the idea. One
simple idea is so much better than 20
half-baked ones.”
The art of lighting design
paule constable
By Elaine Strauss
during the lighting design sessions at this year’s Mediatech, paule constable, whose visit was sponsored by clay paky, gave an in-depth presentation about the art in lighting design. the multiple award winning, British lighting designer and an associate director of the national theatre in london talked about her design process and how this is reflected in works such as Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Warhorse.
19
REPORT medIAtech AfrIcA 2015
+27 11 791 7009 [email protected] www.tadco.co.za
96kHz as standard 24 mic line inputs 12 analogue outs 2 AES I/O (mono) Word Clock I/O 1 GPI and 1 GPO DVI out (for an external monitor) 2 DMI Card slots (up to 64 I/O per slot) 2 Ethernet connections for Networking 2 x 24 segment master/solo meters Touch sensitive rotaries with integrated switch & HTL
2 x multi-touch screens 21 x touch sensitive moving faders 4 x layers of banks of 10 faders Customisable bank and channel layout Snapshots Integrated USB2 Audio I/O interface for recording and playback of up to 48 channels
40 x Input fl ex-channels Mono/Stereo (equivalent of 80 DSP channels)
46 busses: 16 x fl exi-busses Mono/Stereo (equivalent of 32 DSP busses), Stereo Master (2), Solo busses (2 stereo, 4 total), and 10 x 8 Matrix (8)
10 x Control Groups
1 x Compressor per channel and buss 1 x Gate per channel and buss (switch-able to ducker, or compressor with side chain access)
16 x assignable 32 band Graphic EQs 8 x FX engines (reverbs, delays, w/modulation and enhancer)
4 x assignable DiGiTuBes 4 x assignable Multiband Comps User defi nable Macros An extremely high power headphone amplifi er with 1/4 inch and mini jack socket
Specifi cations
DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL. Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600
www.digico.biz
Rewriting the rule book
Clay Paky had their own stand at Mediatech
this year, separate to local distributors DWR,
where they placed great focus on their
Mythos advanced hybrid light.
According to Area Sales Manager
Massimo Bolandrina, with regard to the
stand quality of other manufacturers at
Mediatech 2015, it has remained similar in
standard to the previous show in 2013.
“We are positively impressed with this
year’s show. There is so much to do and see,
and everything is well organised,” he said.
“We have also seen a lot of people from
outside South Africa visiting this year’s show,
especially movie directors and people from
large churches in Africa. We have also been
privileged to have some of our clients from
across South Africa make the trip to be here
and that has been great for us.”
Bolandrina said he was also impressed
with the quality of this year’s show, stating
that the quality over quantity approach,
seemingly taken by the organisers, has
ensured more visitors to Clay Paky’s stand.
Clay Paky’s stand was adjacent to DWR’s
at Mediatech this year, but according to
both, this did not take away from either
stand, but rather allowed each to highlight
different aspects of their products and
services individually.
“This year we are presenting some new
products which are all still under
development, mostly to get some client
feedback. However, our main focus for the
show has been our Mythos light We have
been running a very successful campaign for
the Mythos for about six months now.”
The Mythos is a highly advanced form of
hybrid light. It is an excellent 470 watt-lamp
spotlight, which produces an outstanding
large light beam and features a zoom that
ranges from 4° to 50°.
Clay Paky shows off Mythos
giovanni Zucchinali and Massimo Bolandrina
20
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
Robe was right at the centre of the buzz,
taking its own stand space for the first time
alongside that of distributor DWR, at this
year’s Mediatech.
Robe’s CEO Josef Valchar commented:
“We have enjoyed great success in South
Africa working closely with DWR, and this
year, we felt it was time to further endorse
the show and underline the importance of
the African market generally with our own
stand.”
Josef was joined by a full complement of
Robe’s International team including
International Sales Director Harry von den
Stemmen, Marketing Manager Jiri Baros,
Exhibition Co-Ordinator Ales Gill, Technical
Specialist Ondrej Hegar and LD and Lighting
& Media Designer Nathan Wan.
Product demos were running throughout
the show with the latest DL4 range fixtures
and the PARFect S1 (single chip), optimised
for theatre, concert and performance
environments and applications.
Robe’s architectural and LED sister
company, Anolis, had its own section of the
stand allowing Director John Saunders to
meet new and potential clients and discuss
upcoming projects.
“This exhibition is very much on the up,”
commented Harry, “We made the right
decision to have our own booth which had a
lot of impact and enabled us to interact with
a constant stream of interested high quality
people. I was very impressed with the
amount of visitors from across the African
continent and also much further afield.”
Adjacent to the DWR stand was a
separate ‘black box’ demonstration area for
'One Man One Light', where top SA theatre
LD Michael Broderick demonstrated the
immense range of very subtle, beautiful and
dramatic effects that can be produced
using just one single Robe BMFL Blade
luminaire with a ‘back-to-basics’ creative
starting point.
He created the show assisted by
performance artist Belinda Henwood (the
‘man’) and choreographer David Gouldie.
The concept was such a success that they
have already been booked for a slot at the
Hilton Arts Festival near Durban in
September.
BMFL Series centre stage at Robe stand
New product brands at Peripheral Vision
John saunders, ondrej hegar, Jiri Baroš, nathan Wan, harry von den stemmen and aleš gill
According to Wynand Langenhoven, CEO of
Peripheral Vision, this year’s Mediatech show
has been noticeably busier than the
previous show.
“The quality of the show has definitely
improved and besides the normal visitors, we
have also been seeing a lot of end users
attending the show this year. To me, this is
further evidence of the growth of Mediatech
through the years,” he said.
Langenhoven said that there has also
been a definite increase in the presence of
professional AV users, which he was very
happy about.
“It is very positive to see how many of the
manufacturers at this show, has shifted to
more professional AV, which again, just
shows how far Mediatech has come the last
few years and it will be very interesting to see
where the next show will take this market.”
At this year’s Mediatech, Peripheral Vision
focussed on some of their new product
agencies and brands, like Bosch, SVSi by
Harman, Da-Lite and Chief. They have also
recently welcomed a new member to the
Peripheral Vision team, which they are
delighted about.
“We are especially proud to have
welcomed Elaine O’Gorman to our team.
She has been synonymous with Bosch and is
very well-known in the industry. We look
forward to a future working closely with her,”
he said.
Harman International announced in June
this year that they had acquired SVSi, the
leading maker of networked AV products,
and Peripheral Vision showcased some of
their incredible products at this
year’s Mediatech.
peripheral Vision stand at Mediatech
SUPERHERO ID
MYTHOS
THE MOST ADVANCED FORMOF HYBRID LIGHT
Name
BORN
SPECIALFEATURES
LAMPOPTICS
SPOTBEAM
FOCUSWASH
COLORS GOBOSEFFECTSPRISMSDESIGN
470W, 7800K discharge lamp - 150,000 lux at 20m Large 160mm Ø front lens4°- 50° electronic zoom (Spotlight mode)2.5° aperture and “pipe” effect (Beam mode)Perfectly sharp focusing along the entire beam lengthFrost filter for soft-edge projection (Wash mode)CMY color mixing + 14 colors on 3 wheels6 HQ dichroic rotating gobos and 18 fixed metal gobosAdvanced visual effect disc (animation disc)2 indexable rotating prisms (8-facet and linear 4-facet)Patented Italian Design
is ALREADY LEGEND
ww
w.t
heprojectors.it
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA:
DWR DISTRIBUTIONIt’s all about the People
Block C, Unit 1Kimbult Industrial Park, 9Zeiss Road, Laser ParkHoneydew, 2170, Johannesburg
Tel: +27117935066Fax:[email protected]
ProSystem_A4_EN.indd 1 18/03/15 12:04
22
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
Marketing Manager at TID, Tiaan Hoogstad,
said that the first day of this year’s show was
the busiest that TID has ever experienced at
Mediatech, and he commented on the role,
he believed, social marketing played in the
show’s success.
“All in all, the quality of this year’s show has
remained on the standard we have come to
expect form media and entertainment
technology shows across the globe. But the
show has definitely improved from previous
years, with the amount of African visitors
continuing to build every time. Though South
Africa remains a big part in this show, the
African part continues to grow, which means
that the show is becoming more important
to the continent, not just to South Africa,” he
said. “We have also seen a lot of
international visitors this year and I believe a
lot of people are seeing the value of
Mediatech Africa, seeing the growth and
potential for further growth, for the show
in future.”
According to him, TID’s focus for
Mediatech Africa 2015 was Adamson
Systems Engineering, which they launched in
South Africa this year. TID was announced as
the exclusive South African distributor of
Adamson Systems Engineering products, at
the Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt,
Germany, earlier this year.
“Adamson Systems Engineering and its
products are well-known and respected
throughout the world, and we are honoured
to be bringing the brand to South Africa for
the first time,” Hoogstad said.
Besides Adamson Systems Engineering, TID
focussed on their other new brand, LD
Systems, during Mediatech Africa 2015.
Along with Adamson Systems and LD
Systems, the TID stand also placed emphasis
on Beyerdynamic, BARIX and BIAMP Systems
at this year’s show.
TID showcases new brands
tid stand at Mediatech
23
REPORT medIAtech AfrIcA 2015
GOLDENSEAFor more information and appointment with our sales, please emails us at [email protected] www.terbly.com
CREATE THE BEAUTY AND ART OF LIGHTGOLDEN SEA
Beam, Spot, Wash 3 in 1 Moving Head
G9 HYBRID
LED Moving Head OK370Z-RⅡ
Beam Head PT189B
Mediatech 2015 was yet another
successful trade show for Tadco. The
company not only showcased a variety
of new products but also used the event
as the African debut for their Digico S21
Digital Console with Stealth Digital
Processing.
There was a lot of buzz around the S21
digital console because it promises the
quality that’s synonymous with Digico’s
range, but for a lower price point. Prior to
the launch of the S21, DiGiCo’s belief in
audio quality and road worthy
mechanical design had limited their
ability to release an affordable
introductory product. These values have
required the same pioneering approach
to design, not to follow the trend but to
deliver the flagship for a price point
– and change expectations.
DiGiCo’s S21 does exactly that. By using
new, lower cost FPGA components
programmed with the same audio
algorithms, and combined with a new form
of control processor, DiGiCo is able to deliver
the S21 with the fundamental technological
values at its core. Running in harmony with
the FPGA core is a new ARM QuadCore RISC
processor. Delivering faster processing with
lower power consumption, this efficient tool,
combined with the audio core, has allowed
the development of a cost effective console
worthy of carrying the DiGiCo brand to
existing and new owners and users.
Tadco debuts Digico S21 at Mediatech
24
medIAtech AfrIcA 2015 REPORT
For Viva Afrika, Mediatech Africa 2015 was
yet another successful exhibition. The
tradeshow saw the company showcasing a
variety of innovative audio products on their
indoor stand and their outside sound
demo area.
“We had a full range of products,
showcasing all of the brands that we offer,
some in a small way and others more
elaborately. We had our 'NUMARK corridor'
again between our two stands, which was
once again a huge hit with the DJ
enthusiasts,” says Nelson Mendes, Marketing
Manager. “On the one side of the 'NUMARK
corridor', we designated totally for our brand
Audiocenter, which had a whole lot of brand
new product ranges to hit the South African
market including the TS Series, PL Series and
the band new KLA210 DSP and KLA28 DSP
active line array systems.”
On the opposite side of the NUMARK
corridor, the company showcased their
in-house brands – Hybrid and Hybrid+. Here,
visitors could experience the brand new
Hybrid+ A Series active range speaker and
subwoofer range as well as the Hybrid+
A10LA active line array system. Speaking
about the most popular products on their
stand Mendes says: “The Hybrid+ A10LA
active line array was one of the best
received products showcased at Mediatech
Africa 2015. It was displayed at the outdoor
demos to some amazing feedback.”
“The Audiocenter KLA210 DSP active line
array system also got great responses from
the outdoor demos, as well as the Numark
Mixtrack Pro 3 controller, displayed in the
NUMARK corridor.”
The company is confident that these
products will make a strong and positive
impact on the South African and wider
African markets.
Viva Afrika’s sound presence at Mediatech
Wild & Marr focussed on redesigning their
stand at this year’s Mediatech show.
According to Andrew Sorrill, Sales and
Marketing Manager, Wild & Marr’s stand was
very busy this year, with a lot of traffic and
interested visitors.
“All the exhibitors at Mediatech have
been going from strength to strength, which
has made this another successful Mediatech.
This year, for our own area we have focussed
on redesigning our stand, to make it a bit
more clear what we have to offer,” he says.
“We divided the stand up into four
sections, in order to highlight the company
and the solutions we offer, rather than the
products. Our first section was Broadcast
which has generated a lot of interest from
visitors. The second section was our Retail
corner and the third section was our Systems
Integration wall focussed on AV integration,
which had a flowchart to highlight our
product solutions. Lastly we had our Pro
corner, which focussed on high-end
professional equipment.”
Some of the products Wild & Marr
showcased during Mediatech included the
Shure Microflex Wireless, the Soundcraft
Vi5000, the Studer Vista X, the Soundcraft Ui
and the Soundcraft Impact, which was
launched in July.
“The new Soundcraft Impact features an
impressive 40 inputs, a 32-in/32-out USB
Interface, iPad Control, 26 motorised fader
and FaderGlow technology,” Sorrill says.
“Designed to be an affordable all-in-one
console, the Si Impact can be used on the
road, in the recording studio, in the rehearsal
space and everywhere in between, which
translates to significant savings in cost
and time.”
A new look for Wild & Marr
gustav teitge, dave Budge (harman), cecilia van der Vent, andrew sorrill and chicco hiranandani (shure)
the Viva afrika stand
Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd45 Lake Road, Longmeadow
Longmeadow North Business ParkPO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa
Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 [email protected], www.vivaafrika.co.za
viva afrika
K-LA28 DSP Dual 8” 3 Way Active Line Array
Frequency Response (+/- 6dB anechoic chamber): 60 – 20 000Hz
Drivers: Beyma customised drivers
Signal Input/Output Connector: Female XRL Input, Male XLR Output
Power Input/Output Connector: Powercon NAC3MPA / NAC3MPB
Power Rating (AES): 1600W
Amplifi er: Class D
Weight: 24Kg
Dimensions mm: 590(W) x 236(H) x 436(D)
K-LA 218 DSP Dual 18” Active Bass Bin
Frequency Response (+/- 6dB anechoic chamber): 32 – 300Hz
Drivers: Customised Audiocenter drivers, Ferrite, 4” voice coil
Signal Input/Output Connector: Female XRL Input, Male XLR Output
Power Input/Output Connector: Powercon NAC3MPA / NAC3MPB
Power Rating (AES): 2800W
Amplifi er: Class D
Weight: 95Kg
Dimensions mm: 984(W) x 650(H) x 760(D)
K-LA Series – powerfully ACTIVE
DSP Features
• K-LA Line Array Systems features maximum
simplicity in Set up and Operation.
• A compact portable touring, rental and installation
system that brings Line-Array technology to an
accessible ease of use and price point
• A dynamic sound well packed in a compact size,
for the right price , this is KLA Series
NEW
PRODUCT
Weight: 24Kg
Dimensions mm: 590(W) x 236(H) x 436(D)
K-LA 218 DSP Active Bass Bin
Frequency Response (+/- 6dB anechoic chamber):
Drivers:
Signal Input/Output Connector:
Power Input/Output Connector:
Power Rating (AES):
Amplifi er:
Weight:
Dimensions mm:
2 x K-LA 218 DSP
K-LA 28 DSP Frame
4 x K-LA 28 DSP
10000 Watts
±1500 people outdoor > 25m
±2000 people indoor > 25m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R281 500.00
2 x K-LA 218 DSP
K-LA 28 DSP Frame
4 x K-LA 28 DSP
Demos available countrywide
26
Infocomm SHOW REPORT
Held from 13 to 19 June in Orlando Florida, the annual InfoComm
conference and exhibition provided AV professionals with the
ultimate show experience that features the latest technology and
engaging education sessions.
The trade show attracted 950 exhibitors this year and occupied a
record 515 000 square feet of exhibition and special events space. On
the attendance front, this year was another remarkable year for
InfoComm, which saw 39 105 professionals walk through its trade
show gates and representing 108 countries. This represents a 5.6
percent increase in attendance over last year’s event that was held in
Las Vegas.
Commenting on this year’s show, David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD,
Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International, says –
“InfoComm is the ideal place to make AV purchasing decisions,
AV pros flock to InfoComm 2015
orlando may be known as the theme park capital of the world, but in June the city was transformed into a mecca for professional audiovisual buyers and sellers alike that is better known as infocomm.
27
SHOW REPORT InFOCOMM
connect with contacts and learn principles that will boost your
effectiveness.”
“The marketplace strongly supports the InfoComm show, and we
are grateful for the attendee support and for the innovative exhibitors
who are committed to making InfoComm a can’t-miss event on the
industry calendar.”
Surge in certification
InfoComm is world renowned for its diverse courses on topics ranging
from acoustics to videoconferencing, and stepped the course
offerings up a notch this year. There were more than 5 600
attendees that joined the InfoComm University sessions, which
provided practical training and attracted the industry’s
brightest instructors and students, while over 200 professionals
sought out the new advanced class series.
This year’s popular courses included Future Trends, Large
Scale Projection Mapping, How to Build an App and Designing
Classrooms that Deliver Exceptional Experiences. For
technology managers, InfoComm’s Solutions Summits on UCC
and Digital Signage was a hot ticket that attracted more than
1 300 delegates.
28
Infocomm SHOW REPORT
harMan’s JBl professional introduced its new PD500 Series loudspeakers. An
extension of the highly successful, world-class PD Series loudspeakers, which are found
in the most prestigious stadiums and arenas around the world, the PD500 Series will
feature five new models and will offer the high power, excellent pattern control and
smooth coverage found in all PD Series loudspeakers. The PD500 Series can be used in
a variety of applications including sports facilities, performance spaces, auditoriums,
or houses of worship. The full-range PD500 systems utilise the same high-frequency
drivers as the hugely popular PD6000 Series, making them ideal for use together in
large systems where multiple loudspeakers are required for even coverage and like
voicing throughout the space.
Distributed by: www.wildandmarr.co.za
harMan’s Martin professional showcased the RUSH FiberSource 1, a powerful
automated colour-changing luminaire that can illuminate up to 300 1 mm fiber optic
cables. With a new 78 W LED engine, the RUSH FiberSource boasts improved efficiency
and reliability while retaining all the key features of its predecessor. It comes backed by
a colour wheel with nine interchangeable colours and a twinkle wheel for variable-
speed sparkling effects. The luminaire also features smooth, full-range (0-100 percent)
electronic dimming.
Distributed by: www.electrosonic.co.za
The new neXo id series was on display at Yamaha’s stand. A new Space A category of
products, the ID Series is intended for use as problem solvers in toolkits of system
designers and installers within the professional audio industry. The NEXO ID Series
loudspeaker cabinet is a very compact, low profile, small format, yet high output single
speaker for use under balcony, for front fill and side fill applications, and is the perfect
accompaniment to NEXO line arrays in acoustically challenging spaces. Using a variety
of mounting options, the ID24 compact cabinet can fit into almost any environment,
offering high SPL output with variable directivities enabling it to ‘beam’ sound into
difficult spaces.
Distributed by: www.tadco.co.za
Biamp systems announced the release of Vocia 1.7, the newest
addition to its award-winning public address and evacuation system.
With its decentralised architecture, Vocia is designed with no single
point of system failure for reliable public address and paging
applications in healthcare, corporate office, convention space and
high-volume transportation environments. Vocia 1.7 is equipped with
new 2RU amplifiers, passive end-of-line monitoring devices (PLDs)
supporting a wide range of speakers, as well as enhancements such
as live inter-world paging, increased recorded message times of up to
30 minutes, and the flexibility to have multiple Life Safety Interface
(LSI-16) devices.
Distributed by: www.tidistribution.co.za
Product showcase par excellencethe real meat of every infocomm show is the huge range of cutting edge products and brands on offer. the showcase runs the gamut of the professional aV industry, incorporating high-tech controllers and it integration equipment, to speakers, mixing consoles, lighting and everything in between. here are some highlights:
Com
plet
e Te
chno
logy
Solu
tions
www.
stage
audio
work
s.com
elation professional launched EMOTION™, a ground breaking new
digital moving head luminaire. A joint project between Elation
Professional and High End Systems, the EMOTION™ is a compact yet
powerful moving head digital luminaire that brings to the market the
latest in next generation digital lighting technology, pioneered and
proven by High End Systems. This ground-breaking new product is an
exclusive offering from Elation Professional and features the
patented, high quality software and hardware technology that High
End Systems is known for while bringing the ultimate creative lighting
tool to the market at a price to performance ratio never seen before.
The highlight at the alcons booth was the LR28 larger format
pro-ribbon line array for concert touring and large-scale installation.
The LR28 larger-format line-array is the result of five years’
development, with the last two years dedicated to beta testing for
the proof of concept. Together with continued extensive R&D, which
has led to another two patents pending in addition to the existing
four, user-input from the world’s top engineers has produced the
LR28’s final design. This flagship system marks an important advance
for the company within the concert touring and large-scale
installation market, featuring the unique 14” extreme-power
pro-ribbon transducer.
Distributed by: www.matrixsound.co.za
29
30
Infocomm SHOW REPORT
yamaha also unleashed its Rivage PM10 Digital Mixing Console.
The new flagship console significantly increases the quality and
versatility necessary in a live sound environment, and inherits
features from the renowned PM Series Consoles. Evolved
features and performance define yet another milestone for
Yamaha sound reinforcement consoles. The PM10 system is
comprised of the CS-R10 control surface, DSP-R10 DSP engine,
RPio622 I/O rack, three types of RY cards, and two types of HY
cards which provide the flexibility to configure and ideally
match the scale and functional requirements
of any application.
Distributed by: www.stageaudioworks.com
harMan’s lexicon introduced its QLI-32 Quantum Logic Immersion cinema processor, designed to deliver up to 32 channels of surround sound
in professional cinema applications. The new QLI-32 interfaces with a theatre’s media source and existing cinema processor to provide a
multi-dimensional listening experience with left, centre, right, surround, rear and height channels, all via HARMAN’s proprietary Quantum Logic
Immersion surround-processing technology. In doing so, the QLI-32 provides theatres with a cost-efficient and easily deployed upgrade path to
significantly-improved immersive cinematic sound.
Distributed by: www.wildandmarr.co.za
Martin audio flaunted their new major dedicated installation
loudspeaker range – the CDD™ Series Combining distinctive curved
enclosures with unique Coaxial Differential Dispersion™ technology.
The series is designed to deliver class-leading performance, fidelity
and coverage consistency to venues that demand the ultimate in
cutting-edge technology and style. Whether it’s a bar, house of
worship or a prestige nightclub, the CDD Series has it covered for any
type of AV installation. CDD has been conceived as a one stop
solution; six two-way full-range coaxial systems—from the micro CDD5
to the powerful CDD15, complemented by high-performance
subwoofers – cover the majority of installation applications.
Distributed by: www.audiosure.co.za
harMan’s JBl commercial demonstrated the
Commercial Series Amplifiers (CSA) and Commercial Series
Mixers (CSM). The CSA and CSM line-up combines
outstanding value and performance and fills the need for
small, affordable, easy to use sound reinforcement for
applications such as restaurants, coffee ships, fitness
facilities, bars and other spaces where an elaborate A/V
installation isn’t required. All CSA products are ENERGY
STAR certified.
Distributed by: www.wildandmarr.co.za
harMan’s aMX previewed the release of a control panel like no other, the AMX 10” Modero X
Series G5 Retractable. Majestically rising out of the table, it stands tall, ready to command the
room as only a Modero X G5 can. Featuring unique and unmatched AMX functionality, this
head turner saves space while freeing meetings of distractions. The Modero X Series G5
Retractable is the latest example in this long line of ingenuity. Its precision-glide motorised
mount raises and retracts with the press of a button. It’s just as easily activated via NetLinx
control – triggered directly, through macros or via room occupancy.
Distributed by: www.peripheralvision.co.za
32
InFOCOMM SHOW REPORT
Dataton showcased the new version of its award-winning WATCHOUT
multi-display software. Just released, WATCHOUT version 6 adds an
unrivalled feature-set for advanced projection mapping, multiple-
source video playback, 3D media, modelling and pre-visualisation – all
with a re-designed user interface. WATCHOUT 6 is the most significant
upgrade in the 15-year history of the software and bursts at the seams
with powerful new features for show creators. WATCHOUT version 6 offers
new creative tools and smoother workflow for 3D projection and
complicated mapping.
Distributed by: www.penmac.co.za
Kramer unveiled its newest ProScale™ Presentation Digital
Scaler/Switcher at InfoComm 2015. The Kramer VP-444 features
12 inputs with fast and clean fade-thru-black switching. The
cost-effective VP-444 is designed for large classrooms,
conference rooms and hotel event spaces and includes 10 HDMI
and two computer graphics video inputs. The VP-444 offers
unbalanced stereo inputs for each video input and embedded
audio for its HDMI inputs. Level control is available for the outputs
as well as for each individual input. It scales the video, embeds
the audio, and outputs the signal to two HDMI outputs (up to
1080p). The product includes 22 output resolutions.
Distributed by: www.electrosonic.co.za
Amongst the top innovations showcased by AV Stumpfl were the VarioClip Duplex projection screens. VarioClip
Duplex projection screens maximise projection canvas
by using both back and front as projection screens.
VarioClip is the world’s first mobile projection screen
featuring a clean white profile without studs or press
snaps. Screen surface tension can be adjusted to suit
with maximum flexibility and accuracy.
Arthur Holm used Infocomm to launch DynamicShare – a high
definition signal selection and distribution system, integrating
control of Arthur Holm products. It consists of a set of Arthur Holm
monitors connected in a HDMI closed daisy chain loop, so that
any user can send a HDMI signal to all other participants, and to
other large displays or projectors which might be in the meeting
room, or display their own local sources in the monitor without
interfering with the shared signal in other monitors. Signals for
controlling the monitors are embedded into the HDMI signal, so
there is no need to have additional control cabling.
Distributed by: www.peripheralvision.co.za
www.rocknrollercart.com
THE FASTEST, EASIEST, CHEAPESTWAY TO MOVE EQUIPMENT
Bose professional expanded its
portable P.A. offerings with the
introduction of the F1 Model 812
Flexible Array Loudspeaker and F1
Subwoofer. Designed to serve an
even broader set of applications than
L1 systems, F1 Model 812 is the first
powered portable loudspeaker that
lets users optimise sound by creating
up to four different vertical coverage
patterns. Offering exceptional power
and clarity, the F1 system provides
versatility for a wide range of
applications and venues, easy setup,
aesthetically pleasing design, and
rugged durability. The F1 system is an
ideal choice for live music, DJ,
corporate AV, house-of-worship, AV
rental and general PA applications.
audio-technica exhibited its ATND8677 Microphone Desk Stand with
Dante™ Network Output alongside the ground-breaking ATND971
Cardioid Condenser Boundary Network Microphone. The ATND8677
Microphone Desk Stand fits gooseneck microphones with standard
XLRM-type outputs, offering installers previously unavailable simplicity
in adding gooseneck microphones to Dante audio networks. The
ATND971 Cardioid Condenser Boundary Network Microphone was
the first to bridge the gap between audio and IT as the first wired
microphone that transmits audio and control data together over
Audinate’s Dante network protocol. A simple Ethernet connection
allows the ATND971 Network Microphone to communicate across an
existing network of Dante-enabled devices and, with the
microphone’s programmable user switch, control any of those
devices at the push of a button.
Distributed by: www.prosound.co.za
33
34
Infocomm SHOW REPORT
panasonic showed off the PT-RQ13KU, the company’s first beyond 4K
screen resolution projector. With 4K+ screen resolution (5,120 X 3,200)
and Quad Pixel Drive technology, the PT-RQ13KU is the most compact
and lightweight 4K+ 3-chip DLP laser projector in the world. The
projector boasts an impressive 10,000 lm of brightness and a contrast
ratio of 20,000:1 using laser light, delivering extremely detailed, film-like,
4K+ image quality. The projector’s pixel is shifted both horizontally and
vertically at a high frame rate of 240 Hz, physically creating four
different pixels from a single pixel, effectively quadrupling the pixel
density of the image and creating an extraordinary picture quality. To
optimise for fluid, detailed, high-contrast images, the PT-RQ13KU
leverages a next-generation Detail Clarity Processor that analyses
pixel information.
Distributed by: www.pansolutions.co.za
Merging technologies announced that Ovation 6 now brings the power
of an integrated 3D rendering engine, for use with both replayed sounds
and an almost limitless number of live inputs. This addition is now matched
with the feature set that has made it famous and seen it used on some of
the world’s most important events, and that has created an unbeatable
combination. The 3D engine now in Ovation is set to completely change
the way AV installers and live events production staff will plan their coming
projects. Flexible, enormously powerful and incredibly affordable is a
combination never seen before in 3D and immersive sound for the
AV industries.
Distributed by: www.penmac.co.za
The patent-pending Meyer sound LEOPARD line
array loudspeaker and its accompanying 900-LFC
low-frequency control element made their US
debut at InfoComm. The smallest and most
versatile members of the flagship LEO Family, the
new system was demonstrated live during the
show, along with a range of other high-
performance loudspeakers for installations and
touring. Boasting tremendous power-to-size ratio
with ultra-low distortion, LEOPARD and the
900-LFC element offer an unprecedented level of
clarity, power, precision and ease of use.
Distributed by: www.prosound.co.za
powersoft announced the expansion of the successful
Ottocanali Series, with the addition of three new high-
performance 8-channel power amplifiers – under the series
Ottocanali DSP+D. The Ottocanali Series DSP+D offers a wide
range of system control and monitoring functions as well as
sound shaping options, a total of up to 12 000W output power
at 4ohms over 8 channels for lo-Z or distributed line systems – all
neatly packed into a double rack unit. As with former versions
of Ottocanali, the new DSP+D versions feature switchable main
and aux signal inputs per channel, adequate GPIO, alarms,
Lo-Z and Hi-Z output connections as well as mono-bridgeable
channel pairs.
Distributed by: www.surgesound.co.za
36
comPAny ProfIle
Audiosure – professional brands in good hands
Brendan Venteralison tamangreg payne
audiosure are one of the largest and most recognisable professional audio and lighting distributors in the south african market. owned by the first technology group, they exemplify the market-leading approach to excellence for which the niched and focused technology companies within the group are recognised.
By James Sey
37
comPAny ProfIle
Operating on a strictly wholesale basis they supply a diverse offering
of class-leading brands to a network of specialist dealers around the
country. At heart Audiosure are passionate about the industry, proud
of their reputation, and committed to constructive and proactive
growth for all of their brands.
Home to many of the industry’s market-leading brands, the team
have worked hard to reposition the Audiosure brand and focus the
business for growth. ProSystems News spoke to the management
team to get further insight into this prominent South African company.
the team
alison taman (at), the company’s General Manager, has been
with the First Technology Group for 20 years. The past 15 years of those
have been at Audiosure, initially as the Operations Manager and for
the past three years in her current role. She has focused strongly on
the development of the team and on driving the changes necessary
to steer the company to its current position and gear it for growth.
greg payne (gp), Johannesburg Branch Manager & Sales Manager
has been with the company for 14 years. He joined the team in
Johannesburg as a salesperson in 2001 and later moved into a
marketing role. In 2007 Greg opened Audiosure’s Durban branch and
took up the position of Branch Manager in that territory. He moved
back to Johannesburg in 2012 where he was appointed as Sales
Manager, and also joined the executive management team. He has
since taken on the responsibility for the Johannesburg Branch as a
whole and continues to lead the sales team.
Brendan Venter (BV), Audiosure’s Technical Manager joined the
team five years ago, at first as a member of the then commercial
solutions team responsible for project management as well as the
design and commissioning of systems. He later took on the role of
Brand Manager responsible for the company’s premium brands and,
in early 2015, joined the executive team in his current role. Brendan
started out in the live sound industry doing FOH mixing, later changing
focus to system design and system technician duties. He is well-versed
in design, measurement and optimisation procedures and is EASE
Level 2 certified through two measurement platforms.
Brendan Venter
Wharfedale pro line array
samson rsXM12
Martin audio cdd series
38
comPAny ProfIle
at: Audiosure, as you know, is part of the First Technology Group, the
backing of which has enabled us to develop a national footprint with
warehousing and sales capabilities in the major centres. We distribute
our brands into the professional touring, production and install
markets, as well as an extensive retail market. We focus on category-
leading brands and take pride in providing excellent service to our
customers. Vendor relationships are key to our business and all three
of us, together with our team of brand managers, focus very strongly
on maintaining great relationships with our suppliers.
gp: Audiosure historically focused on mid-level products for retail
markets. In recent years we’ve diversified and now also focus quite
extensively on premium products such as Martin Audio, Allen & Heath,
AKG, MC2, XTA and Vivitek. This means our back-up and service
needed to be at the highest level, which in turn requires a focus on
advancing our technical skill. We’ve had to restructure the business to
achieve this, to actively grow and support our premium product set.
at: Amongst other things, this required the addition of a technically
driven individual to our management team to complement Greg’s
sales focus and my operations background. Brendan was the obvious
choice for us and joined the management team earlier this year to
focus on ensuring that we are technically able to provide and
exceed the service levels that our customers expect of us.
dlive s5000
apa amp
chauvet rh1 hybrid
39
BV: I am responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of the
business both in relation to our vendors and our customers. I assist in
vetting new products and ensuring that they meet our requirements
technically and engage with our vendors in this regard. I also ensure
that our sales team are equipped with the necessary skills to
recommend the correct product for the required application. In
addition, I oversee our service team ensuring that our customers
receive efficient and high-quality after-sales service.
at: As GM, I co-ordinate the global strategy for the business, guide
and support the senior managers, and ensure that operations and
logistics are efficient, effective and well supported. We have a strong
corporate backbone, including a solid ERP system, and we control
and manage our own warehousing and distribution operations. As a
result, the desirability of our brands is backed by the reliability of our
supply chain. The heart of our business though, is our people, many of
whom have been with the company for ten years and longer. Our
pride and passion for our products ensures that we are providers of a
quality distribution service, and emphatically not box droppers.
gp: As Johannesburg branch manager and sales manager I have to
focus on our key differentiators. There’s a lot of competitive product
out there at similar prices, so I have to make sure we differentiate
through our sales support, our technical skills and expertise, and
ensure that our stock is competitively priced and always readily
available. Our marketing also needs to be effective. We focus on
digital and social media marketing, building profile and reputation for
each of our brands. We have many aspects to the operation that are
compelling to our customers – we have reputable account managers
with a high-level skill set. These individuals are our face to our markets,
so they have to be the best out there. The Audiosure brand is
well-liked and respected for its comprehensive product portfolio and
longevity, and for the ease of doing business with us, especially when
it comes to delivery and support.
at: That’s right – our goal is to be our customers’ first-choice supplier
because of our unique combination of products, people, skills,
support, and consistent, reliable stock-holding.
BV: We operate in a market where many of the customers we deal
with are skilled professionals. If they invest in our brands they need to
know that we have the necessary skill and expertise to support them.
To that end we have a strong focus on training. We have a dedicated
training facility on site at our Johannesburg Head Office where we
carry out training both internally, to ensure the skill level of our own
team, as well as externally to provide our customers with a
comprehensive understanding of the functionality of our products.
at: The disciplines that we foster and develop in Johannesburg are
mirrored across the country where our three branch managers drive
the same ethos within their branches. In Cape Town, long-time
branch manager Clinton Fabian leads the team. In addition to his
responsibilities as branch manager, Clinton also actively participates
at a management team level in brand and product decisions and
strategy development. The Durban branch is headed up by Roland
Naicker and the Bloemfontein branch by Francois du Plessis.
Distributed system with separate MixRack and SurfaceDEEP processing embedded plugins
Redundant hot swappable power supply standard across the rangeRedundant connections throughout
814 system inputs and 824 outputs maxUp to 5 audio networking cards - Dante, Waves SG, ACE, MADI
DLIVE.ALLEN-HEATH.COMALLEN&HEATH
www.audiosure.co.za011 790 4600 | [email protected]
The phenomenally powerful XCVI Core puts dLive at the heart of tomorrow’s sophisticated live audio systems, while its class-leadinguser interface keeps the engineer focused on mixing in the moment.
Design for Live
audiosure
40
comPAny ProfIle
at: We have worked really hard over the past few years to focus our
business and attract and retain the best possible players for our team.
We are a tightly knit team who have worked together for many years
and we understand and respect one another and work to each of
our strengths. Although we take our business very seriously we also
have a lot of fun together and are fortunate enough to work in an
industry that excites us.
What stands out in talking to the executive team at Audiosure is that
they are young, passionate and geared for growth. The company is
successfully combining a corporate business approach with the
passion and obsessive enthusiasm that characterises the industry and
its brands. More success beckons.
Brand portfolio
Audiosure is home to a wide range of respected brands
addressing both the premium end of the professional
touring, rental and install markets as well as the broader
mid-tier market.
As of the 1st of July 2015 Audiosure are proud to add AKG
Professional, Akai Professional and Alesis to their portfolio.
The brand portfolio now includes: Allen & Heath, Martin
Audio, AKG Professional, Vivitek, MC2, XTA, Chauvet Pro,
Chauvet DJ, Wharfedale Pro, Samson Audio, Denon DJ,
Gemini, Allen & Heath Xone, Akai Professional, Alesis, Stagg,
TrussT, EWI, SFAT, DSPPA, JD Media, Taiden, Senrun, Quad
Industrial, and QBit.
PAVIRO is the first of a new breed of Public Address and Evacuation Systems. Not only does it provide Professional Quality Sound, it makes specification and installation faster, simpler and more efficient than ever before. Consultants will save time and define a complete system with just a few parameters. Installers will avoid unexpected costs thanks to the system’s extreme flexibility. Building owners will benefit from the low power consumption resulting in lower energy costs and fewer and less expensive batteries. Find out how you can take advantage, contact your nearest Bosch representative today or visit: www.boschsecurity.com
PAVIRO Public Address and Voice Evacuation System with Professional Sound QualityFlexibility right from the start
130616_Bosch_Paviro_Advert_210x297mm_DEF_KEYVISUAL_NEW_01-06-2015.indd 1 01-06-15 10:48
audiosure hQ, Johannesburg
PAVIRO is the first of a new breed of Public Address and Evacuation Systems. Not only does it provide Professional Quality Sound, it makes specification and installation faster, simpler and more efficient than ever before. Consultants will save time and define a complete system with just a few parameters. Installers will avoid unexpected costs thanks to the system’s extreme flexibility. Building owners will benefit from the low power consumption resulting in lower energy costs and fewer and less expensive batteries. Find out how you can take advantage, contact your nearest Bosch representative today or visit: www.boschsecurity.com
PAVIRO Public Address and Voice Evacuation System with Professional Sound QualityFlexibility right from the start
130616_Bosch_Paviro_Advert_210x297mm_DEF_KEYVISUAL_NEW_01-06-2015.indd 1 01-06-15 10:48
42
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon REPORT
AV solutions and the education experience
Interactive and visualisation audio visual systems are stimulating
students’ minds in new ways, and allowing new concepts to be
discovered. AV makes reaching new students anywhere in the world
possible with distance learning technologies. Professors, teachers,
and students can now connect and collaborate anywhere anytime.
Audience response systems are increasing knowledge retention, and
ensuring concepts are understood.
At school level, communicating messages clearly across the
campus or in the school hall can make dramatic differences to a
student’s career. With education budgets the world over growing
smaller, institutions are under increased pressure to extend the life of
existing AV investments already made, and to adapt new
technologies within the current infrastructure. Technologies for video
conferencing, digital signage, breakaway rooms, intelligible sound
across the campus, can all make serious differences to the quality of
learning and the lives of students and learners. These and other
technologies are playing a leading role in the classroom, with all
institutions embracing them as a means of improving academic
achievement. Sadly, too many educational institutions are forced to
the education sector is undergoing rapid change and growth under the influence of the new wave of aV technologies. educational institutions have complex needs for their aV systems, but these technologies are undoubtedly changing the way people learn and teach; shifting traditional passive learning environments into rich media connected classrooms. there is no question that aV is changing the way we learn.
43
REPORT IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
rely on outdated audiovisual (AV) equipment because of a lack of
budget; while others are using equipment that is poorly configured or
that is not a good fit for their needs.
Provided an educational institution chooses a solution that is
rugged, easy to install, and simple to maintain, it can drive great
academic results from AV products.
Here are five ways that an AV installation, paired with interactive
technologies such as electronic whiteboards, can pay for itself in a
school or university.
reach students with rich, interactive content
Today’s learners and students are growing up with technology—
something that is increasingly true even of those from poorer
backgrounds. Rich, interactive content is an important way of
engaging children and students who use smartphones, tablets, and
gaming consoles at home. They expect content in the classroom to
be visual and interactive, just like the content they explore when
they’re not at school.
Make use of video and distance learning resources
There are many schools, especially in South Africa, that lack teachers
in key subjects such as maths and science. A good AV system, paired
with videoconferencing, can help bring a remote teacher into the
classroom to teach children and take their questions. There is no
substitute for a flesh-and-blood teacher, but the technology can help
plug the gap where teachers are unavailable.
It’s also great for students and schoolchildren to be able to interact
with peers and teachers from other parts of the world. The
technology can expose them to new possibilities by bringing the
world into the classroom. Videos and electronic materials,
meanwhile, can help supplement the teacher’s efforts by reinforcing
and complementing what children learn in formal class sessions.
accommodate different teaching and learning styles
A good AV setup and interactive electronic whiteboards provide
flexibility in the classroom. They’re excellent for demonstrations and
adaptable to a range of teaching methods and materials. They’re
also able to accommodate different types of learning – from the
child that likes to learn in a tactile, practical way by scribbling on a
board to those that are good at absorbing auditory or
visual information.
a cleaner classroom environment
When using electronic whiteboards or screens, teachers and lecturers
no longer need to clean up messy chalk dust or distribute paper
handouts. This helps to keep classrooms and lecture halls tidy, and
can also help to save money on stationery and sundries.
More harmonious and integrated use of classroom technology
Technology has started to creep into classrooms, but it’s often not
used in a coordinated manner that promotes collaboration and
sharing. Many classrooms have students using a range of devices,
many of them old. An AV solution or a corporate whiteboard has the
advantage that everyone is looking at the same screen and the
same materials at the same time. This promotes group interaction and
group learning. A whiteboard can also be handy for schools with a
limited budget. With just one computer, teachers can still use IT as a
teaching aid that serves multiple children.
In the following special section of Prosystems Africa News, we take
an overview of the secor and delve into some case studies and
initiatives in what is a particularly important use of AV technology for
the benefit of the future of the country. Despite being a growth
market, the use and application of AV in the sector still needs to be
effective for its benefits to be apparent. Our spotight on solutions and
case studies in education that follows demonstrates the possibilities
and the potential.
By James Sey and Stefan Mayer, managing director of Corporate AV Integration
44
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon REPORT
The University of Pretoria (UP) has recently unveiled a unique new
installation in their state of the art Kumba Virtual Reality Centre for
Mine Design. The VR Centre is the jewel in the crown of new
developments in the University’s Department of Mining Engineering,
which will make it highly competitive both in the education sphere
and in the private sector as a training and simulation facility.
A brainchild of the mining industry, and in particular Anglo-
Platinum, the project was planned for some years and part-funded
by Anglo-Plat. While the VR Centre is the central focus, it is part of a
larger Mining Industry Study Centre which features seating for 600
students, and smart-enabled breakaway rooms with facilities to
screen models and simulations on dedicated monitors. The VR Centre
itself is built around the unique screening and projection facilities.
There are two of these. The first is a VR Room for mining engineering
planning teams, where simulations and mine designs are projected
through two Panasonic DZ 870 projectors, with short thread lenses,
onto a flat screen 8m wide X 2.5m high. These can project in
full-screen 3D or 2D, and can also project on a normal 4X3m
screen in the middle of the full surface. Here, in full 3D
stereoscopic vision, mining companies and students alike can,
through separate computers linked to the projection system,
update mine designs and simulations in real time, including
linking simulation designs with spreadsheets in order to update
operational impacts on the financial outlook of mine
development.
The real jewel in the crown, however, is the immersive VR
environment built in the round with a curved screen around its
perimeter. This is a full 3D stereoscopic theatre which can
accommodate almost 50 people. Its screen is the largest of its
kind in Africa at over 30m in circumference, 4m high and 10m in
diameter. The simulations are projected onto this monster screen
through five suspended Panasonic projectors, also DZ 870s.
Virtual Reality Centre revolutionises mine design By James Sey
the university of pretoria recently launched the Kumba Virtual reality centre for Mine design, a unique installation illustrating the power of aV technology for education purposes.
45
REPORT IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
the future of mine design
‘The VR Centre,’ comments Johann Louw, manager of the entire
facility at UP, ‘is pitched at various different levels and can be used for
many different audiences and customers. Firstly, of course, it’s aimed
for use by students, especially those in their final year of studies for the
B.Sc in Mining Engineering. These students have a mine design
project as part of their studies, for which the VR theatre will be
invaluable as a teaching and learning environment.’
But UP’s vision for the Centre is wider than a teaching aid. As Louw
points out, there are many applications for this innovative new
technology environment: ‘Apart from the educational benefits to the
University’s students, the environment will be very useful for short
refresher courses to industry, and as a demonstration tool for private
companies. One of the key aspects of the technology environment is
that we can simulate the entire life of a mine over 30 years, all without
drilling one physical hole in the ground, and all at a fraction of
the cost.’
An interesting new possibility that the VR Centre provides is the
ability to plan impact scenarios far beyond the design of the mine
itself. In the contemporary South African economic and political
landscape, meeting environmental and job-creation requirements
has become almost as important as ensuring mine operations are
planned profitably. Louw elaborates: ‘we can also go beyond mine
design and scenario planning simulations to forecast how mine
operations will impact on any residential settlements around the
mine. This means there is a far more holistic planning process, for
example on acid mine drainage and waste disposal planning for
residential areas in the vicinity.’
‘Making vision visible’
The building and installation of this unique environment, including the
hardware and software systems, was achieved by John Petrie and his
company Sonic Factory. ‘The project was a very interesting and
rewarding one,’ says Petrie, whose company was responsible for the
entire design and installation of the environment. ‘The screen design
in the immersive projection room was a very demanding set of
specifications. The dry-walling for the projection surface has the
system’s speakers built into it, and covered – the system is controlled
by an Extron controller, and power monitoring for the critical systems
by a UPS. We chose the Panasonic DZ870 projectors for their cost
effectiveness for the active 3D projections, as well as their
adaptability and the brightness of the short-thread lens in projecting
on both the curved screen and the flat screen in the adjacent room.
The trickiest part of the installation was the custom-built trussing frame
which suspends the five projectors in the 360 degree space. The
design of this structure relative to the screen height and
circumference had to be very precise. Luckily we had no problems at
all with the installation,’ concludes Petrie.
Johann Louw looks forward to the VR Centre becoming a
benchmark institution not only in South Africa, but for the regional and
global mining industry. ‘It’s a truly visionary facility on many different
levels,’ he concludes. ‘It catapults mine design in South Africa into
the future.’
+27 11 840 0860 [email protected] www.peripheralvision.co.zaComplete range of AMX boardroom products available from Peripheral Vision
Think BIG with AMX by thinking SMALL! AMX Digital Switching and Control in a small / medium boardroom
AMX Massio ControlPad Unbelievable POWER,
unbelievable PRICE!
AMX SDX 5x1 Digital / Analogue Switcher Unbelievable POWER, unbelievable PRICE!
46
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon REPORT
Academy of Sound Engineering launches a higher state of learning
the new ase campus exterior is designed to resemble the profile of a sound frequency wavelength
the academy of sound engineering (ase) is south africa’s best known sound engineering school, established in 1997 by revered sound fundi george hattingh snr. it has recently moved into an impressive custom-built studio and lecturing space in close proximity to its existing studio/learning spaces at the saBc. Pro-Systems got a sneak preview of the almost-completed facility.
47
REPORT IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
For a long time housed in teaching studios at the SABC, South Africa’s broadcast hub, and the centre of Africa’s technical audio industry, ASE is well-known in the industry as the local flagship for the training of potential audio professionals. ASE students are directly exposed to the entertainment industry from their first day on campus. Daily interaction with industry professionals through their presence at the national broadcaster is almost unavoidable, and students are immediately exposed to the professional broadcast environment.
It is no coincidence that ASE is owned and run by the team of individuals that pioneered sound engineering education in South Africa. The ASE team launched and ran the first (and largest) national network of sound engineering schools in the country and is directly responsible for the qualification of thousands of qualified sound engineers. Many of the graduates taught by ASE’s management hold premier sound engineering posts all over the world, including Australia, the USA and the United Kingdom. This talented team, through the establishment of ASE, has now brought South Africa into a new era of audio training: an era in which sound engineering training is made more focused, more professional and more practical for the serious student of the field.
The new ASE flagship campus, in Richmond Avenue in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, is a custom made building that is the expression of the ASE’s development and progress. Connected to its SABC studios through a Dante-enabled audio router system, the design of the exterior of the building, its infrastructure and interiors, and the recording equipment are all state of the art. The exterior design, down to the laser-profiled steel gates, resembles the oscillating bars of a frequency spectrum output. Built into the steep slope of the road, the chill out space on the roof offers magnificent views of the Johannesburg skyline for further student inspiration after a hard day’s studio mixing and recording.
The campus offers a self-contained set of four recording studio rooms, which double as teaching environments, and include a foley room for soundtrack recording. Each tiny component of the infrastructure of the building is geared towards the highest possible quality sound recording environment; from decisions on wooden vs foam-filled sub-structures for the floors, to specially designed multi-layered wooden doors between the studio rooms which offer unique sound occlusion properties.
Each lecture theatre/recording environment is filled with top-line professional audio equipment, and each is a carefully modulated space that has bass-trap acoustical properties. The kit-list for the institution is similarly impressive, with the 96-seat main lecture area dominated by Harman, with Crown amps, JBL M2 reference speakers and an Avid S6 console among the equipment installed throughout the space to connect on the Dante-enabled network.
The students in the new facility will soon be able to work towards a full BSc in Sound Engineering as the ASE expands the range and quality of its programmes and accreditation. They will remember their campus fondly as they work all over the world as professional sound engineers.
the ase builds its state of the art studio lecture hall
48
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon REPORT
Prosound in the education sector
The Prosound business model is being followed in that the AV division
is solutions or end-user sector based. So the division offers services
across all relevant client markets: houses of worship, hospitality,
corporate, education as well as design and sub-consultation services
to the consulting community. To back up the consulting and solutions
offerings in the space, Prosound offers in-house AV products, namely
Key Digital and Cuanbo. Both of these address video distribution,
switching and control, but also leverage off the local importers to
strengthen the offering and give the client the best solution at their
available budget.
The education sector is one in which Prosound has a long history,
installing systems and solutions in colleges, schools and universities all
over Southern Africa. With a dedicated AV business offering, this
growing and important market can be properly catered for, and
solutions provided for institutions that may not have large budgets,
but can put modern AV technology to good use for their students
and learners.
These case studies in the sector indicates the broad range of
solutions available for educational institutions, and the results that
cleverly installed AV can achieve.
At UNISA’s Florida campus, Prosound was responsible for
connecting 30 teaching venues to a single point of ‘broadcast’ for
teaching materials to be communicated and lectures to be
disseminated. A ‘plug and play’ solution was set up in
each classroom enabling a lecture environment with a
single motorised screen and pop up A/V point for
projections. Optoma ultra-short throw projector and
100-inch motorised screen from Grand View were used
while larger learning labs have 55-inch LG LCD screens
and Electro-Voice and SoundTube audio reinforcement.
Kramer distribution amps, Extron switchers and TV One
converters make up the A/V control. In the medical labs
on the campus, Barco HD surgical LCDs and Panasonic
medical cameras and recorders are combined to create
a customised mobile teaching-aid that can show what
the lecturer is dissecting on multiple screens around the lab. In a
distributed teaching environment such as this one, AV makes all the
difference to the quality of the learning that can be achieved.
At the University of Botswana in Gaborone, Prosound fitted the
multipurpose Recreation Hall in the University with a Barco C11
scoreboard, driven by TV One processing, which is used in sports
games as well as for general video applications. Three classrooms at
the university were also given standard audio and video facilities.
Also in Botswana, Botho College in Gaborone, an independent
university, required AV upgrades for four 200-seater lecture rooms.
Through a partnership with Six Dots Media, a solution including EV
ceiling speakers, Rane processors, Electro-Voice amplifiers and
Audio-Technica microphones was installed by Prosound. Panasonic
projectors and TV One processing and video distribution completed
the system, using Question controllers. A second portion of Botho
College that needed AV development was the 1,000-seater
multi-purpose hall, for which 7 Panasonic projectors and TV One
switching and distribution controls were used.
Prosound’s experience in the sector is crucial in making the right
equipment and product choices to enable the education institution’s
goals to be met – reaching more students with more efficient and
cost-effective AV solutions.
prosound has a long track record of installations in the education sector. the prosound business model has been to integrate aV on specific projects, where and as required by the project. now the business has moved to create a division specifically focused on aV.
prosound's installation of a Barco c11 scoreboard in the recreation hall of the university of Botswana
49
REPORT IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
Education first for the LETPC
The two-and-a-half-day conference was a South
African Roadies Association (SARA) initiative, and
was supported by the Department of Arts and
Culture as anchor sponsor. The Minister of Arts and
Culture, The Honourable Mr Nathi Mthethwa,
delivered the keynote address at the event.
The main purpose of the conference was to
bring transformation to the live events technical
and production sector, focusing on the need for a
critical upgrade of skills development, sector
training and skills interventions in the field. SARA,
along with conference organisers, gathered
relevant stakeholders, professionals, practitioners
and international market leaders in the events,
technical, production and education sectors to
discuss the way forward, brainstorming how to
bring about a change in the sector. Currently, the
sector’s skill qualification is only at matriculation
level, and urgently needs to increase to at least NQF
5 in order to match international standards.
“The event has had a long gestation,”
comments Freddie Nyathela, SARA President and
the prime mover behind the initiative. “but I
believe it’s of crucial importance to the industry.
Not just in terms of developing skills to make the
sector more competitive, but to do so in a way
that transforms the sector at the same time. What
we really wanted to debate and try to achieve
from the conference was the following:
• To increase skills qualifications to NQF level 5
• To organise a live event technical and
production sector skills-need analysis forecast.
• To increase integration and transformation in
the Industry.
• To establish a South African Live Event Technical
and Production Backstage Academy.
“The academy model was presented at the
conference by Dr. Adrian Brooks, who runs the
Backstage Academy in the UK. This is crucial for us
because there is no accredited on-the-job training
in SA, and we need to be able to benchmark our own industry
technical training standards against the rest of the world.”
Brooks himself was impressed by the inaugural event: “I was both
delighted and honoured to be a part of the first LETPC,” he said. “The
mood at this conference was very upbeat with all the delegates keen
and excited about the prospect of a structured professional training
programme being established in South Africa.”
Nyathela is quick to praise the support received from the
organisations which helped put the event together, especially
Minister Mthethwa and his department. “While the initiative would not
have been possible without the support of all these stakeholders – for
example – all the speakers gave of their time and knowledge at no
cost – it’s key that we sensitise the industry players to the importance
of the process of professionalising our approach to skills development.
South Africa is a major regional destination for all sorts of events, and
that market is growing. We really need the right skills and the right kind
of technical support for the new technologies in the sector.”
After the success of this inaugural event, Nyathela is already
looking forward: “If we can meet international benchmarks through
accredited training programmes, we can upgrade the entire sector,
and feed into bilateral political and trade agreements – things like the
SA-UK and SA-France sessions. The skills interventions and exchanges
that can happen through this, as well as internship programmes,
would be invaluable for young trainees in our industry. In the short
term, however, we will have an LETPC next year, and we all remain
optimistic that transformation is coming to our sector.”
honourable Minister nathi Mthethwa delivers the keynote address
dignitaries at letpc l r John Botham oBe, honourable Minister nathi Mthethwa, freddie nyathela and dr adrian Brooks.
By James Sey
the first ever south african live event technical and production conference (letpc) was held at the sunnyside park hotel in Johannesburg in May.
50
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon REPORT
Wild & Marr brings new voice to Newlands
Peter Schnetler of Sound Sure, who has managed the AV aspects of
the stadium for many years, brought respected sound designer
Stephen Hoy from Wild & Marr into the mix to advise on design and to
supply the stadium with a complete set of JBL PD6322 speakers as
part of the total refurbishment of the stadium’s sound system.
“The installation was scheduled between December last year and
February this year, during which time we had to remove six kilometres
of cabling and hundreds of speakers from the stands,” says Schnetler.
“We also had to make guesstimates on sound levels by and large,
because we debuted the new system in front of 45 000 people at a
live game – the Bulls vs the Stormers on 25 April! Definitely not the
same as testing levels in an empty stadium!”
Hoy explains the choice of the JBLs as the front end of the system:
“The banked seating and different structure of the stands around the
stadium means that even sound coverage is challenging – but the JBL
PD6322s were excellent in giving an even sound field across the
seating. We took SPL readings at random seating points when
we tested the system, and there was never more than a 3dB
variance anywhere.”
“Another big win for us,” continues Schnetler, “was the intelligent
bracket design for the speaker installation. This meant we could
adapt to the lack of uniformity in the stadium roof trusses, and do
away with the extra cabling and hoisting.”
designed for sport
“Our goal for the overall sound design,” says Hoy, “was not to be able
to distinguish the source of the sound – to have a uniform sound
source on each of the four stands, as well as to have a uniform
sound intelligibility.”
Schnetler expands on the point: “the stadium is an old one, and the
stands are not uniformly built – one is open to the elements, another
newlands is one of the cathedrals of south african rugby. an iconic venue for the sport around the world, it remains a ‘traditional’ stadium in design terms, despite being the first major professional rugby stadium in the country to boast private suites inside the ground. the sound system for the stadium was in need of an upgrade, however. enter Wild & Marr…
51
REPORT IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
roofed, and so on. Our challenge was to get sound
intelligibility as uniform as possible, by sticking to the
design diagrams for throw patterns. It’s worked out
incredibly well.”
The sound system is now so good, in fact, that the
entire match-day set-up is of broadcast quality. The
control room features a fully digital Studer control
desk with dynamic switching, and the microphones
used for all stadium announcements are Shure
broadcast mics. All of the sound requirements
around big televised matches not directly covered
by the broadcast feed – such as the referee’s mic, or
the amplification of the national anthems – is now
handled so professionally that it can input into the
Outside Broadcast feed.
The system allows for a degree of flexibility also,
and private suites can still have their own control over
levels, except in the case of emergency
announcements. Power for the entire system has now
been centralised to one generator on the Jan
Pickard stand, which offers better control over the
whole system in the event of outages or emergency.
Schnetler concludes, “I’m very proud to have
been part of the installation team on this system. I
really believe it has the best audio intelligence and
quality of any stadium in the country, and it’s been a
pleasure to work with Stephen and the rest of the
Wild & Marr team on the project.”
52
IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon REPORTph
oto
by a
brie
du
ploo
y
53
REPORT IntegrAtIon & InStAllAtIon
Media 24 installs giant screen
The plan to install digital signage on the wall of the media giant’s flagship
headquarters goes back many years. Avicom, the videoconferencing
and AV specialist, had been consulted on the project’s possibility,
having had a longstanding relationship with Media 24’s holding
company Naspers.
The plan to refurbish the building coincided with the recent installing
of Cape Town as the World Design Capital. Naspers ran a competition to
invite designs to modernise the exterior of the Media 24 building with a
giant advertising video screen, while retaining the unique character of
Cape Town’s historic foreshore district in the CBD. Ultimately, five designs
were shortlisted, with the final design for the building, including the
cladding on which the screen would be mounted, was split across the
different designs. Michael Scholtz, MD of Avicom, takes up the story. “We
were called in by Naspers to advise on available technology for the
installation of the screen, and finding out about local distribution. After
we had made the decision to go with an LED screen we were able to
look at viable options from manufacturers. In parallel to the sourcing
process we were involved in the sanctioning process with the City
authorities – there was some sensitivity about traffic safety if there was
live video on the screen during peak hours, and also concern about
spoiling the city’s nature beauty, with tourism being such an important
industry in Cape Town. Once we had decided to go with LED screens,
NEC became the natural choice. A big factor in the decision to go with
NEC LED was their industry-standard energy efficiency – in the event the
screen required no additional energy sources from the building
to function.”
Abrie du Plooy, who takes care of NEC products at their South African
distributor Electrosonic, comments, “we’ve dealt very productively with
Michael and Avicom for some time, so we were very pleased that
they asked us to supply NEC for the Media 24 screen.
The tricky part for us was awaiting final
approval from the city
before we
could co-ordinate supply from overseas. After about a five month
waiting period, we got the go-ahead, and the entire order was
transported in one shipment! This equated to 1000 crates of sensitive LED
equipment in three 40 foot and one 20 foot equivalent container units.
At Electrosonic we are known for the technical support we offer our
customers for all our products, and this was no different. In this case we
worked closely with installers Eyecom, and are still on standby for any
technical or warranty support needed for this impressive installation”
screen dreams
Avicom brought in specialised screen installers Eyecom, who could boast
a famous reference site in the landmark Odeon outdoor screen in
Leicester Square in London. MD of Eyecom Paul Bowling provides the
technical perspective. “The wall comprises 20 frames, each populated
by LED cubes, with a total of 896 cubes comprising the entire screen. The
screen is the highest resolution video display of its size in the world, and
the largest in the Cape. That also makes it one of the biggest LED walls in
Africa! The installation was an incredibly delicate operation, with the
Eyecom team undertaking onsite fabrication of the entire structure,
which took four weeks. We put the screen up in sections from the bottom
up, reaching its highest point at 30m off the ground. The trickiest part of
the installation was the very small standoff distance from the wall – only a
few millimetres for cabling and so on. This meant we had to ensure the
screen system could be serviced from the front, and that the installation
accommodated the undulations in the wall structure itself. Add to that
the notorious Cape Town weather blowing our riggers and cranes
around while they were hoisting some delicate LED panelling, and we
had an interesting time!”
Despite the challenges, Paul’s team installed the entirety of the wall in
just seven days. The team are all very happy with the result. “It’s a new
landmark for the Cape Town CBD,” says du Plooy. “And a really effective
way, along with the redesign of the building façade, to transform the
Media 24 HQ completely!”
By James Sey
naspers officially turned 100 years old on the 22nd of July this year, and in order to celebrate appropriately the company decided to refurbish their Media 24 headquarters on cape town’s foreshore. at the centre of the renovation is a giant video screen on the side of the building, the largest such screen in the province.
54
lIVe eVentS REPORT
Not many sound engineers manage to work successfully in both the
studio and live domains, but only 15 years into his professional career
Jason Thomas seems to have achieved this feat with aplomb. After
spending a large part of his teenage years playing guitar in a
sequence of ill-fated bands, Thomas decided that a life on the other
side of the console might constitute a more productive career-path.
For the next decade he worked mainly in the studio, establishing his
own facility and label along the way, before opting to change tack
to concentrate on live sound.
The beneficiary of a one-year contract with London-based touring
giant Britannia Row Productions in 2013, Thomas has toured with Noel
Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Florence & the Machine, Andrea Bocelli,
and five-piece harmony group The Overtones, to name just a few. But
in conversation with Pro Systems News, Thomas first turned his mind
back to those formative early days treading the boards at various
venues in the south-east of England…
how did you begin working in live sound?Jason thomas: I started out as a musician at a really young age,
primarily playing guitar, and was involved in a long line of bands up
until I was 17 or 18. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyone else who was
as diligent about rehearsals, and who wanted to make a real career
out of it. So eventually I started to think about other options in the
music industry and went to study sound engineering and production
at Reading University.
Over the next ten years, I worked primarily in studios, which led to
the start of my own studio and label. Getting to work with some
up-and-coming acts did result in some touring work at this point,
and I had some great times working with acts such as I Dream In
Colour, The View and Jarvis Cocker. I also struck up a friendship with
Chris Kimsey [celebrated producer/engineer probably best-known
for his work on several 1980s’ Rolling Stones albums], whose
enthusiasm for some live recordings I made of a band called
Deadwax helped give me the confidence to push on with what I
was doing and trust my ears.
What prompted the more concerted move into the live world?Jt: I was getting more and more fed up with studio life. Money was a
bit more limited, and I found myself recording less music that I actually
liked! It started to feel like a cage, so I began to seek out more live
work. It was at this point that I fully discovered that the skills required
aren’t necessarily the same – for example, I didn’t know enough
about room acoustics and some of the equipment was unfamiliar.
Classic guitar bands should get in touch…!
after ten years spent primarily as a studio-based engineer, Jason thomas hit the road in earnest in 2013 and hasn’t looked back since; with noel gallagher’s high flying Birds, Warpaint, andrea Bocelli and florence & the Machine among his big-name clients. david davies spoke to him about career-changes, classic outboard, and the allure of iconic guitar bands.
Jason thomas
Let’s turn SOUTH AFRICA
upside down
MAC Quantum™ Profile
Share your #Lensview
SA_ad_profile.indd 1 01/07/15 14:44
so how did you go about filling those gaps in your knowledge?Jt: I went to Brit Row’s training school in Twickenham, London, and
ended up coming top of the course – resulting in a one-year contract
with the company. That was the beginning of this whole phase of my
career as they got me out on the road very quickly with Florence &
the Machine and Belle & Sebastian. In fact, one of my first proper gigs
for Brit Row was at the Warsaw Arena with 65,000 people… a bit of a
reality shock and quite daunting, but a great start for me.
Who have you most enjoyed working with so far?Jt: I would probably nominate Noel Gallagher. He has always been a
hero of mine; Oasis was very much my era as I loved Britpop music. It
was just terrific to listen to him and his band play through the PA every
evening. Noel is also a really lovely guy and everyone was so well
looked-after on that tour.
do you have a favourite console? and what about must-have outboard?Jt: I still love analogue desks, but the new generation of digital Midas
consoles, such as the PRO6 and PRO9, sound great. I’ve also been
very impressed by my experiences with the new SSL console [the SSL
Live, the manufacturer’s first major foray into live sound]. More and
more I am finding that onboard effects are sufficient for live work,
perhaps in part because you don’t require the range of effects you
need for studio work. But there is some great outboard that I continue
to utilise, for example Avalon compressors, the Empirical Labs
Distressor that I used as FOH tech with Florence, TC M6000 FX units,
and some really nice Line 6 delay units.
to what extent do you think that conditions for live sound engineers have become more challenging in recent times?Jt: Difficult to say as I have been fortunate to work with a lot of larger
bands for whom budgets aren’t so limited. But there is no doubt that it
remains very hard work – on this current tour [with The Overtones] I
am averaging about 16.5-hour days and getting by on 5 hours’ sleep,
with a day off every 4 days or so. It’s not for everyone!
finally… what of your forthcoming plans, and who is on your wish-list for the future?Jt: I still have my studio, in Hampton [south-west London], and at
some point I would like to create one in the garden of my house,
having just moved. But although I do tend to do some studio work in
the quieter winter months of January to March, the main emphasis
will be on getting more FOH engineer jobs; recently I have been
doing a lot of work as monitor engineer or system tech.
Level 42 is among the acts booked for next year. In terms of future
projects, I would love to work with The National and The Maccabees
– both brilliant bands – and Radiohead would be a dream come
true. So my message is that classic guitar bands are very welcome to
get in touch…!
55
“One of my first proper gigs for Brit
Row was at the Warsaw Arena
with 65,000 people… a bit of a
reality shock and quite daunting,
but a great start for me.” – Jason thomas
56
lIVe eVentS INTERVIEW
Tim Dunn – the ethics of designtim dunn is one of south africa’s best-known and most respected concept and production designers.
phot
o by
lou
ise
stic
kla
nd
57
INTERVIEW lIVe eVentS
Tim Dunn – the ethics of design
Much-travelled, but originally from Sheffield in the UK, Tim has worked
his way up from the bottom of the live events ladder to become a
world authority in designing and staging beautiful and innovative
events – ranging from designing visual environments for a diversity of
shows and events such as opening and closing ceremonies, live
performances of all types, worldwide live telecasts, visual
spectaculars, TV and fashion shows, beauty pageants (including five
Miss Worlds), awards shows, exhibition stands and corporate
presentations. One of the highlights of his lighting design work is the
acclaimed Closing Ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Soccer
City Stadium in Soweto.
He has designed lighting, set and video for South Africa’s largest
corporate events, for a host of major sporting and music events and
concerts, and counts as one of his own personal highlights being
asked to design the memorial service for the late great Nelson
Mandela. Over much of the last two decades he has been
instrumental in helping Gearhouse South Africa become a major
player in the Southern Hemisphere, and he has worked throughout
Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
His early career still marks his personality and professional attitude.
He toured Europe and the US extensively, with a number of bands,
and rates working on live music as the best formative experience he
could have as a designer, after working his way through the ranks as
a projectionist, rigger, lighting technician and finally a
Lighting Designer.
Tim is well known for an innovative, imaginative and lateral
approach to his creative work, and for the integration of video,
projection and scenic elements into his design concepts. His wealth of
experience at all levels of the event industry makes it worthwhile to
listen to and learn from his design philosophy. ProSystems News
recently did just that.
“Concept and design work is all about defining the event itself,”
says Dunn. "The designer has to have the experience to ask the right
questions, to build a feeling for the event. You can’t pluck designs and
concepts out of the air, and it’s not about one size fitting all. The
design process is about longevity, going beyond the event itself –
there has to be a focus on the downstream value of it, the value for
the client. There isn’t enough focus on generating that value in
my opinion.”
With his background in staging music events and designing for
bands and musicians, Dunn uses music as his golden design thread.
capturing the emotion
“I always wanted the feeling I got from music to be the lead-in for my
design concepts. For me, a good design and concept is about the
audience experiencing that emotion, and about lighting and
designing what’s on stage instead of depending on technology to
visualise it. With that kind of approach the client always wins, and the
event is usually successful.”
Dunn has a similar sense of responsibility in his approach when it
comes to cutting edge technology in the design process. “There’s a
time to stop developing technology and use it,” he says. “My
approach to a lighting desk, for example, has to be asking questions
like ‘how can I create what I need for the design concept using this
desk?’ So there’s a defining distinction between technology and the
design – the technology is there to enable, and the designer has to
be able to use the kit. The advances in technology in our industry are
amazing, but ultimately the client is paying us for the concept and its
successful execution, not for the technical potential of the kit.”
Responsibility first
Dunn speaks passionately about the responsibilities of his role in the
industry. “I really want to foster a mentoring environment, help people
through in the industry in a way that I didn’t have the benefit of. And a
huge part of that mentoring process is about respect and
responsibility – both for the craft and vision of the design process, and
for the client’s needs. For me the fundamental approach to the
concept and design work I do is to have that respect for the client
and the audience – it’s about enhancing their experience and
making the event a pleasure and profitable for them.
“Concept and design work is all about defining the event itself. ‘The
designer has to have the experience to ask the right questions, to build a
feeling for the event. You can’t pluck designs and concepts out of the air,
and it’s not about one size fitting all. The design process is about longevity,
going beyond the event itself." – tim dunn
58
lIVe eVentS REVIEW
SGM G-Spot – IP rated moving fixture
The G-Spot is an LED powered moving head fixture designed
specifically for use in humid and wet conditions, so next time you
want to throw a rave in a tropical jungle it’s probably the new go-to
fixture. The LED source is RGBY and rated to an expected life of 50,000
hours. Photometric bragging rights include 17,000 lumen output, and
an efficacy rating of 15.5lm/W. CRI ranges sits at or above 80-85
depending on colour temperature. That’s not real high, but then as
I’ve mentioned in previous issues it’s possible for a great LED fixture to
yield lousy CRI scores due to the way in which CRI is measured. I’m
disregarding the CRI score on the basis that I don’t care if the fixture
does or doesn’t satisfy a largely irrelevant spec. If you’re really worried
don’t put it in a TV studio – not that you probably would anyway.
The G-Spot weighs in at a staggering 52kg and took two of us to
move. Not only is it heavy, but physically quite big – still at least that
makes it easy to find. But here’s the kicker – G-Spot is IP65 rated. It’s
dust tight, and protected against ingress of water jets from any angle.
Read up on IP ratings for further details, or just watch the video we
made to see this in action. Amazingly, you can mount it in any
orientation and the rating is maintained. For a thing full of electronics,
heat and moving parts that’s nothing short of impressive. All the
cooling, motors, and cabling needs to be up to task to achieve this, so
you can understand why quite a bit more weight might be necessary.
Not only is it good in the wet, SGM has thought about sunshine too
and built the enclosure to be UV resistant. Power input is Neutrik
powerCON TRUE1 connector, and DMX is via 5 pin Neutrik HD XLR.
Mounting is dual Omega clamps.
Added to the IP rating is a long list of beam features similar to what
you could reasonably expect from any modern moving head. Pan
– 540 degrees. Tilt – 270 degrees. 2 rotating gobo wheels (5 positions
+ open). 1-50Hz strobe. Active cooling. Operating temperature from
-10 to +40 degrees C (not such a common feature, but definitely a
good one). 8 to 43 degree zoom, 4 facet prism, and variable frost
from 0 to 100%. Obviously with an RGBY engine you can pick any
colour you like too. Add in to this LumenRadio wireless DMX with RDM
By Jimmy Den-Ouden
“not for household use”, “suitable for wet locations”, and “risk of fire”. three warning labels that instantly tell you this is going to be an interesting review…
59
REVIEW lIVe eVentS
support. DMX control requires 24 or 36 channels.
So that’s the tech side of things, now onto the opinions. Once we
got the G-Spot into the studio and wrangled it onto a bench I took the
time to have a long hard look at it. I’ve got to hand it to SGM, they
really do have a high level of build quality. The rubberized buttons,
OLED menu display and general level of finish are all excellent. The
little touches haven’t been forgotten either – the dual handles on the
base and yoke, as well as the handle recesses into which the DMX
cables slot for storage. It just feels nice. I played with the fixture
before I discovered the price – I was expecting north of $20K and
pleasingly I was wrong.
I fired up the fixture in test mode to start with and was taken aback
by the output and optic quality of the beam. Test mode seems to use
all the LED engine colours which produces a pinkish white, but using
an actual lighting controller this is not a problem. My fixture profile
defaulted to the pink white, but dialing the colour temp channel up
and down gave me a wide range of believable white – I put the
pinkish hue down to a slightly incorrect library file. Beam edges are
generally sharp, with a very slight colour fringing noted when a gobo
was combined with the prism. Focus is responsive as is pan/tilt
movement, while gobo rotation is a little “steppy” at extremely low
speed. Putting my hand into the beam provided a rapid explanation
of the “>0.3m minimum distance to combustible materials” spec.
There’s quite a bit of beam heat at close range for an LED fixture, but
then there’s quite a lot of light there too.
All the features worked exactly the way I expected, and all that
remained was to check what happened when it got wet. I took the
G-Spot out to our loading dock, turned it on, then sprayed it with a
hose for a while. I made sure to get plenty of water into the cooling
ports too. The fixture ignored the water pounding at it from all angles
and just kept doing its thing. Honestly I reckon I probably pushed the
limits of the IP rating friendship and I just couldn’t fault the G-Spot.
Perhaps the only comment I would make is to dry off the area around
the power connector before disconnecting it – powerCON TRUE1 is
IP65 rated when mated.
Short of perhaps the “House of the dancing waters” show, I don’t
think we’re likely to see the G-Spot on stages much simply because
there are cheaper ways to light an indoor stage (even if the price
difference is pretty marginal). As I see it, the G-Spot is designed to
safely and reliably deliver kick arse lighting in wet, and on that note it
sure hits the spot. With festivals such as Sydney’s Vivid and the
Brisbane Santos City of Lights gaining momentum every year, the
future for the G-Spot certainly looks pretty bright.
Brand: SGM
Model: G-Spot
RRP: R 171 192 ex Vat
Price correct at time of print and subject to change
Product Info: www.sgmlight.com
Distributor: www.setafrica.co.za
60
lIVe eVentS REVIEW
Powersoft X8 – Brawn & brains
the X series from italian company powersoft includes two models – the X4 and the one we tested, the X8. X8 is effectively double an X4. in a time when everything is switchmode and lightweight, the X8 seems heavy by comparison to every other amp around. not as heavy as an aM1600, but next to anything contemporary it’s quite, er, meaty. you’d expect it to do something amazing for all the weight, and the good news is that it does.
By Jimmy Den-Ouden
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
南非 92mmx277mm(改).pdf 1 2015-6-29 14:28:10
Let’s start by talking output power. The X8 is specified to produce
1600W into 8 ohms, or 3000W into 4 ohms, or a staggering 5200W into
2 ohms. Per channel. That’s 41kW all up, which is just ever so slightly
unhinged. It’s the highest output rating I can ever remember seeing
on an amp. By a lot.
Astoundingly I didn’t manage to test the X8 to its full capacity.
I didn’t have 16x dual 18” subs floating around the office, nor a
swimming pool filled with dummy loads. I’ll give Powersoft the
benefit of my trust here, and choose to believe the spec.
I guess the brutish power output explains the unique power supply
options. The X8 can be run directly from 3 phase power. Or bi-phase.
Or single phase. At anything from 85 to 440 Volts. The amp knows
exactly what kind of supply is connected, and just works accordingly.
The X8 doesn’t require a neutral when operating on 3 phase. Single
and bi-phase operation require linking of various pins on the power
supply connector, and presumably the amp identifies this. When
running from three phase, the amp automatically balances the
power load across the three phases. I love that because it’s so
damn clever.
The back panel of the X8 is crowded as could reasonably be
expected. There’s an NL4 for each output pair, XLR for each of the 8
analogue and 4 AES inputs, and a pair of EtherCon sockets for
network connectivity. Our test unit also included Dante support.
There are two fan grilles and a power connector stuffed in there as
well, but even so the layout is tidy.
The X8 has a crazy powerful DSP inside which supports dual Dante
streams, full channel routing from anything to anything, 4 sec input
delay and 200mS output delay. Input & output EQ choices include
raised cosine, custom FIR, parametric IIR, peaking, hi/lo shelving,
all-pass, band pass, and band stop. Yay for choice!
The front panel of the X8 features 11 buttons and that’s it. No
labels, no words, just buttons. The big one in the middle controls
power, the next four either side of it activate channel mute and
indicate input signal. To the left of these is the WiFi on/off button.
Push this and the X8 generates its own wireless network, which you
can then join using your iPhone or iPad. The amp has an internal
webserver which generates an interface from which you can monitor
audio levels, impedance and temperatures, as well as make basic
control adjustments such as channel mute and matrix mixing.
For more advanced control, use the Armonia PC software from the
Powersoft website. Install the software then plug the amp and your
PC into a network router. Run Armonia and use the auto-discover
function to find then add the X8 to your workspace. Once this is
done, you’ve got control over every aspect of the amp including the
plethora of filters, delays, and four different types of output limiter too.
Armonia has a “damping” tab which lets you calculate cable
attenuation too – it’s very clever.
Really, “very clever” is probably quite a good summary of the X8 in
general. Its flexible powering and configuration options mean it can
be deployed into most applications with ease. The exhaustive
feature-set and “dollars per watt” factor make the X8 a very
attractive value proposition indeed.
Brand: Powersoft
Model: X8
RRP: Retail Price EXCL VAT is as follows:
• Powersoft X8 + ETH is R 190 000.00
• Powersoft X8 + Dante is R 210 000.00
• Powersoft X4 + ETH is R 120 000.00
• Powersoft X4 + Dante is R 140 000.00
Price correct at time of print and subject to change
Product Info: www.powersoft-audio.com
Distributor: www.surgesound.co.za 61
62
lIVe eVentS REPORT
Topping the technicals for Madame Zingara
The unique Madame Zingara travelling theatrical experience is
reinventing itself in bigger, better and more opulent surroundings than
ever before. The installation of the custom built, triple storey
speigelpaleis, or mirror theatre, known as the “Queen of Flanders” on
Cape Town’s Grand Parade offers the creative energies of the
Madame Zingara team even more scope to dazzle and astound their
audiences. The new show, entitled “The Celebration” is the
culmination of 15 years of the dinner cirque’s fantastical journey and is
living up to every bit of hype around it.
The theatre itself is crucial to the ambience and the experience of
the Madame Zingara event. Deriving from a long European tradition
of travelling, tented entertainment venues, the Queen of Flanders is
part conventional circus, part opulent nightclub, part luxury
restaurant, and part entertainment citadel, spreading out over the
Grand Parade with several bars, chill rooms, red carpet entrance, and
the central entertainment dinner theatre itself, a spectacle of glitter,
decadent crimson hangings, mirrors and state of the art AV systems
throughout.
Taking the Madame Zingara experience to new heights has meant
enhancing the AV technological theatrics of the production in line
with its attention to design, entertainment and culinary detail. Who
better to accomplish the stringent installation requirements than
theatre rental specialist Gearhouse Splitbeam. Griffin brought
Splitbeam and lighting designer Mannie Manim, legendary for his role
Madame Zingara is one of the most recognisable entertainment brands in south africa. Built from an original cape town restaurant by food fanatic and flamboyant entertainment entrepreneur richard griffin, it has run the gamut of major success and liquidation, rising from the ashes of the latter to become the premier local food entertainment experience.
www.alustage.euwww.alustage.eu
63
64
lIVe eVentS REPORT
as one of the driving forces of the Market Theatre complex for many
years, together with the Zingara team to add the requisite zing to the
production…and then some!
Splitbeam, part of the Gearhouse Group of companies, provides
equipment-rental packages specifically priced for longer term hire on
theatrical productions and is, as a result, the perfect fit to supply both
Lighting and Audio for this production.
With the dual objectives of raising the roof on the sensory
experience whilst keeping the technical elements themselves
inconspicuous, the choice of equipment was carefully considered.
Splitbeam supplied a compact PA system comprising of 12 Meyer
Sound M1D loudspeakers along with Meyer Sound UPM’s, UPJ’s and
UP Juniors to create even coverage with professional audio quality.
Making use of a combination of Sennheiser radio mic systems, DPA
d:fine 66 Headset microphones and a Pioneer Nexus DJ system
guaranteed quality sound in keeping with Madame Zingara’s style.
Splitbeam is using a Midas Pro1 Mixing console to control the system.
The stage design has the dining audience in the round, with
performers working both on the stage and above it. This presents the
challenge of lighting the performers for maximum effect without
blinding the audience or performers. The lighting was rigged as high
as possible over the stage in sections to help meet this requirement
and the use of profile fixtures with variable beam size like the VL 2500
spots and Robe Pointes, supported by VL2500 washes and Robe 600s,
overcame the challenge along with the clever lighting design.
Manim requested Martin MH4 beam lights and Rush LED Zoom
pars as under-stage uplighters. Both were essential to the feel
required and the Splitbeam team purchased the fixtures
specifically to fill these requirements. The lighting was
programmed on a MA2 Lite by Glen Duncan and JP Willson and
the show is run by a MA on PC with command wing.
Moving a technical installation into a brand new venue meant
that the technical team were discovering the space they would
be working in as it was built. “The process involved many different
elements coming together at the same time with a certain degree
of fluidity. We needed mutual co-operation and a ‘big picture’
approach to the delivery” says Helen Surgeson, Splitbeam’s Key
Account Manager. “We have worked closely with the Madame
Zingara team and our Cape Town-based lighting distributor to
bring everything together. It has been a magical journey and the
results are simply breathtaking.”
The Celebration opened in Cape Town on the 7th of July 2015 on
the Grand Parade. Cape Town audiences have been
experiencing a thrilling sensory experience to top anything they
have seen from the Madame before. The production opens at
Montecasino in Johannesburg on 4 November, in time for the
festive season. All booking is via 0861623263. Age restriction is 16+.
Americas n Europe n Asia
www.etcconnect.comwww.prosound.co.za
FIX ZOOM
CYC FRESNEL
ETC Source Four LED Series 2 system One light engine, unlimited possibilities
You can transform your Source Four® LED Series 2 into the right tool for any application, simply by attaching a Source Four LED CYC or Fresnel adapter,
a zoom or fixed-focus lens tube, or an accessory.
See the possibilities at www.etcconnect.com/S4LEDSystemand live at MediaTech, 15-17 July, Johannesburg, Stand K22
66
StudIo Pro AudIo INDuSTRY EXPERT
Sound and Motion Studios – the Director’s Cut!sound and Motion studios, under head audio engineer simon ratcliffe, recently opened a world-class dolby approved final mix and cinema dubbing facility in a converted church in cape town. James sey spoke to simon about the project.
Over the last year we have been focused on setting up a new Dolby
approved final mix and dubbing facility in Cape Town. This is
something we wanted to do for quite some time but with the
introduction of Atmos technology and the move away from 35mm
film, the time was finally right. A while ago we purchased a small
church near Cape Town, built in 1933, with the aim of moving our
studios from the CBD into the new building. After various trips, work
shadows and internships in the UK and Hollywood I decided to follow
a life-long dream of having a proper cinema.
The result has been a dub stage built with constant consultation with
the wonderful people at Dolby Labs in Soho, including multiple trips to
visit James Seddon and Robert Karlsson in London. These two
geniuses have a whole raft of major cinema credits to their names,
and they were there to make sure we’re not only getting it right but
paving the way for the new technologies as they develop. This was a
key element as we quite literally would build walls where they advised
us to! Their help has been invaluable and I completely geeked out at
the new Atmos standard!
As well as the dubbing theatre, we have a dedicated Foley stage.
This was designed and operated by Hollywood legend Michael
Broomberg, whose own cinema resume is hugely impressive as a
foley artist, and we have a modest but beautiful scoring stage. We
are able to mix in 5.1, 7.1 and currently Atmos premix. We will soon be
one of the few Dolby approved Theatrical Dub Rooms on the African
continent, which is very exciting indeed!
the design team
The studio build was managed by Toni Van Vuuren of SMF Designs,
who also implemented our build in the CBD. We’ve been working
with them since the beginning of the company, which was in 2002.
The cinema was designed mostly by James Olivier from our
Johannesburg branch, although I had some input. James worked
under the expert step by step guidance of James Seddon. I then
designed the live room and Michael Broomberg the Foley room.
The whole cinema system, both A-chain and B-chain, was
designed by Maldwyn Greenwood of Wild & Marr, in conjunction with
Gustav Triege and his colleagues. We wanted the system to be really
modern and, as far as one can plan such an approach, “future
proof.” Because we are not only dubbing but recording with the
cinema as well, sometimes with quite high channel counts with the
scoring room being the home to our South African Film Orchestra, the
system was actually a lot more complicated that one would expect.
Maldwyn managed to put together a really slick system based
completely on network-based audio. It’s really cutting edge and on
the brink of what the tech is able to deliver, and has ruled out a lot of
unnecessary cabling and difficulty in terms of installing cabling and
so on. I am absolutely thrilled with the design! It’s really super slick.
the technology lowdown
In terms of sound equipment for the studios, for us running JBL
speakers and Crown amps was a total no-brainer. I›m pretty sure if
one was to take an inventory of sound systems for the world›s screens,
JBL would likely have the lion’s share of the market place on the
consumer end. The driving purpose of setting up a world-class
cinema is quite literally that: to make it world class. I wanted to be
sure that whatever system we went with, that it would equate to the
real world of cinema and pretty much remove the guess work. When
I discovered through Stephen Hoy at Wild & Marr that the JBL rig was
the reference version, and that the drivers were matched for the
higher end demands of post-production, I was even more thrilled.
Added to this, the fact that Dolby Labs use JBL in their own Atmos
demo cinema while being adamantly brand-neutral helped! It›s
actually quite funny, but my mindset at first was that while the JBL
system was going to be a really great cinema dubbing rig, it wasn›t
going to be on the same scale of fidelity that I›ve come to expect
simon ratcliffe
the live room soundproofing at sound and Motion studios
67
INDuSTRY EXPERT StudIo Pro AudIo
from my lovely studio monitors. In fact we were all expecting a really
great representation of a cinema with loads of grunt, but a rather
flattened depth of field. I›ve been proven quite wrong. I›m not sure if
it›s because the speakers are so well referenced or the crazy
headroom we›re running or a combination of quality components,
but it sounds just fantastic. Orchestral film score mixes that I›d mixed
on our studio reference monitoring system in 5.1 translated incredibly
well, with an astounding amount of detail.
So we never really considered another option seriously. Regarding
choosing the Crown amps, I›ve been a huge fan of the brand for
years, they are brilliant. I actually thought they would be just insanely
expensive and out of our league, and let’s face it, they›re not exactly
cheap, but when Maldwyn put me onto the new developments on
the digital processing side I was absolutely amazed. In fact, the DSP is
so powerful that the way we›ve implemented the system would
simply not be possible without them.
Coming up with a sound equipment design that was easily
switchable to the various formats was hard. Since we need to run the
cinema in 5.1, 7.1 and Atmos, a matrix and switching system needed
to be designed that could incorporate the speakers into, for
example, either single discrete speaker channels for Atmos, or a
group for the other formats. We played around with various
analogue and digital options, including incorporating a CP750,
converter units for the various formats, different audio i/o...it was a
tricky one. Once I had a pretty good handle on the requirements
through my meetings with Dolby, Maldwyn and I bounced around
ideas for a while before he came up with the really slick all-digital
system that allows us to set everything up on DSP and then flip
through them using an audio architect program, also developed by
Wild & Marr. So we›re in really good shape.
"The sheer flexibility of the Crown DSP is
formidable. The ability of the B-chain to talk to
the rest of the rig, and for the control system to
be available on an iPad right on the mixing
console, is a life saver. Our design hinges on
those babies."
The whole Wild & Marr team has just been absolutely fantastic in
getting us set up. I›ve been a fan and long-time user of a lot of brands
in the Harman stable, but as great as that gear is, when it comes to a
complex setup like this it’s actually about the people. Gustav,
Maldwyn and of course cinema sound genius Stephen Hoy have
really gone out of their way to make this happen – and the fact that
they’re round the corner doesn’t hurt!
the equipment that makes up sound & Motion studio’s dolby 5.1, 7.1 and atmos premix is:
B chain
• LCR Main speakers: 3731 JBL 3 ways
• SUB/LFE: 4642A Dual 18”
• Surround Speakers: 8340A
• AMPS: Crown DCI-8X600ND’s
a chain (all digigrid)
• Digico|Digigrid DLI (Converts from Avid HDX)
• 2 IOX Network i/o
• 1 IOC Control Room unit
console and control surfaces:
• 24 channel Digidesign -Command
• JL Cooper Panner
• Avid Artist Mix (For Nuendo)
• Avid Artist Transport (For Nuendo)
daW
• Pro Tools HDX
• Nuendo
• + Dolby Media Meter & Source Connect
simon ratcliffe at the cinema mixing desk at sound and Motion studios
68
StudIo Pro AudIo
Howard Audio goes state of the art
Having operated as a smaller studio for a long time, Howard Music
(now Howard Audio) decided to build a much bigger and highly
professional studio facility to cater for its ever-growing portfolio and
clientele. The studio, now located at 4 Anslow Lane in Bryanston, is not
only a stroke of genius but an inspiringly beautiful space for
any creative.
Owner of the studio Adam Howard, an award-winning music
stalwart with over two decades’ experience in music production,
contracted top pro audio company Benjamin Pro Audio to drive the
upgrade, from project management to design and construction, as
well as gear supply. An important aspect of the brief was to create a
spacious, multifunctional studio that would allow musicians, engineers
and clients to work effectively while enjoying unprecedented
acoustic superiority and comfortability.
The studio occupies a total of 250 m2. It is divided into three control
rooms (which can work concurrently), one live room and two vocal
booths. The main control room occupies 36m2 of the studio space. To
increase efficiency, the vocal booths can be linked to the live room
and main control room or to either of the two smaller control rooms.
This provides a flexible design that enables engineers to effortlessly
tackle multiple projects at the same time and to streamline the
studio’s resources for large tracking sessions. The studio has the
capacity to accommodate big album projects of up to 20 musicians
at the same time.
Special emphasis was put on the acoustics. The walls of the studio
account for 10% of the entire studio space, providing a highly
effective soundproofed environment. The structure of the wall
comprises massive layers of a complex combination of SoundBloc
Plus, steel and cavity insulation. Steel structures were used for all of the
outer and inner frames and the drywall applied to that. To
complement the heavy weight of the walls the doors are made of
multiple MFD layers and they weigh 95 kgs each. The architecture of
the interior spaces is designed to deflect all audio to the back of a
room and then diffuse it before returning to be further absorbed by
the room. The result is a very balanced and neutral space with even
decay times across the spectrum, even in the smaller rooms.
According to Jacob van der Westhuizen, head of Benjamin Pro
Audio, “The rooms don’t experience any first reflection points. The
initial image you receive of the audio is very tight and controlled with
a great stereo image.”
The ceiling clouds in the main rooms are strategically mounted not
only to be acoustically correct but also to contribute to the overall
sleek look of the studio, particularly in the main control room. To
ensure easy visual communication throughout the studio, van der
Westhuizen created glass spaces in each room. Clients are able to
see artists in all rooms at all times and the artists in the various
recording booths can also see each other as well as the digital visuals
during the recording process. Adam Howard wanted a sleek main
desk so they designed a desk for his needs using laminated MDF,
ensuring a desirable acoustic transparency level of the desk.
the newly-revamped howard audio studio, located in the northern part of Johannesburg,
might easily be the best studio of its kind in south africa, writes eddie hatitye.
the control room of the new howard audio studio
69
StudIo Pro AudIo
top equipment
Thanks to a powerful combination of good design and high-end
equipment the studio offers the ability to mix in Dolby 5.1. As part of
the upgrade, Benjamin Pro Audio installed a wide array of world-class
equipment including recording, processing, metering and analysis
gear. One notable improvement is in the soundcard/converter
department where new Metric Halo LIO-8’s AD and DA converters
are used. The delicate sound monitoring system comprises top Unity
Audio monitors, namely the Boulder MKI, and Rock MK2, which are
supported by a heavy Unity Audio Avalanche Sealed 12” Subwoofer.
The mics used are a mix of Neumann U87’s, AKG C414 ULB’s, Sure
SM57’s and Rode NT5’s. A stunning white Yamaha GC2 Grand Piano is
available in the main live room. In terms of software the studio
employs a combination of Logic 9, Logix X, Pro Tools 10 and a wide
array of plugins, including the likes of Waves, Izotope, Native
Instruments and Spectrasonics. The main control room uses a 12 Core
Mac Pro machine with 12GB Ram. All systems are networked and
centrally backed up nightly to ensure all data is secure. Additionally
each control rooms runs off its own UPS system that feeds its own DB
board to ensure reliable power to each room seperately.
not an easy task
The stunning look of the studio completely belies the challenges that
van der Westhuizen and his team faced in the design and building
process. One notable challenge was that the main building had two
structural pillars that could not be removed. The teams had to find an
innovative way to incorporate them in their design withought
compromising the real needs of the studio. One pillar was carefully
incorporated in the structure of the live room and the other in one of
the small vocal booths. Time was also a major obstacle because they
only had a few months to finish the whole build. What made it even
more challenging was that the client needed to be able to use a
control room within one month of the project. To overcome this van
der Westhuizen set up small teams to work on various aspects of the
build concurrently. There was a drywall team, a team for the doors, a
flooring team and an offsite bamboo contractor, responsible for
manufacturing the frames, skirtings, panels and diffusers. Finally, van
der Westhuizen’s core team of five technicians focused mainly on
technical installations.
The whole project took a period of nine months to complete,
although the whole facility was fully functional after only 5 months.
The studio was officially opened on 1 August 2014. As part of the new
look the Studio also introduced a brand new corporate identity that is
deeply rooted in cymatics, a method of visualising sound through
everyday materials. In the process Howard hired a team of experts to
experiment with sound’s effect on various granular materials. The
results were then incorporated on the new logo design, which visually
reflects the company’s serious focus on everything audio.
Since the re-launch Howard Audio has completed numerous
projects for a range of top artists and brands in South Africa, including
South African Tourism, 1 Life Insurance, Vodacom and Castle Milk
Stout. The world-renowned Soweto Gospel Choir is on a long list of top
acts that are set to use the studio in the next few months, and
advertising agencies constantly use Howard for everything audio –
including final mix, original music, musical direction and library
music clearance.
“The rooms don’t experience any first reflection points. The initial image you receive of the audio is very tight and controlled with a great stereo image.” – Jacob van der Westhuizen
adam howard and studio sound engineer lebo Maboa relax in the new studio space
Bose: dave tudor, chris liebenberg, Bhans sheomangal, shaun phillpott and simon robinson
inala technologies: hanli reinecke, Zak shaikh, anton van staden, leander serrao, antony Bijsters, colin Wainer and simon robinson
sony: the sony team
70
SocIAl
stephan preuss from glux Visual effect tech, philipp reitinger from aV stumpfl gmbh and Jennifer Jeffrey from system solutions
dylan finlay from penmac, with ronald pillay from picture Mafia, Malcolm finlay from penmac, david Jones and Jozsef szvetnyik from lightware and penny finlay and iain alexander from penmac
raymond goodwin from Bc el;ectronics with Brendon Murphy, aidan Wolhuter, rishaad hoosen and preshaun Khiali from tV audio
Bruce riley, nick Britz, Koy neminathan, duncan riley, Keith pugin and schalk Botha from dWr
natalie delport, itumeleng swartz and phaki fokane from sabido eacademy
duncan riley from dWr and greg Bester from pro-direct
devon swart and tammy pretorius from cape audio college with Matt hill from sae institutre south africa
dWr: Bruce riley, nick Britz, duncan riley, simon robinson and robert izzett
steve schafer from concilium technologies, with nino herr and dirk harding from Malapati productions
christie digital: richard nye, simon robinson and phil lord
claire Badenhorst from Mediatech africa, with george van gils and andrew King from Questek
Wael yasi from createctrl ag, with Wolfgang peters from aVt, alex Mathaba from soundfusion and Wilfried hecht from audio Video technology
Mediatech Africa 2015 – The Dome, Northgate, JhbST
AND
WIN
NERS
71
SocIAl
Benoit Brismontier from angenieux, with petros Motha from Movie Mart, thomas Binsert from arri and colin Benade from Movie Mart
helmut protte, chris grandin, Miles donovan, phil lord, harry gladow, Monsi cottrell from christie
Meshack Motlhabedi, Karabo Moshane, Mpho Manne and Moabi tagane from glory computers
Jochen sommer from adamson systems engineering, elmira Moraveji from Beyerdynamic, tiaan hoogstad from tid, domenico gambino from BariX and dave nazir from BiaMp systems
Mediatech's simon robinson, shevaun Mccready, claire Badenhorst and nicola du plooy with pro-systems' James sey
fred van der Merwe, abesh dhevalall, Wynand langenhoven, piet strydom, elaine o’gorman, hugh Barker and dudley fourie from peripheral Vision
Jason Johnstone, abrie du plooy, terry Bourquin and Bruce schwartz from electrosonic
John saunders, ondrej hegar, Jiri Baroš, nathan Wan, harry von den stemmen and aleš gill from robe
Margu esterhuizen, Bronwyn Mathias, Mike theunissen, gregg Mccaffrey and danelle strydom from pixel displays
rodwann van rensburg, Michael pienaar, spencer thomas, Joseph Milan, donovan Badenhorst and dwain Jones from aplha technologies
Victor hatega, Matthew Mitchell, gary sam, Kurt du preez and Blessing Vilikazi, finalists for the electrosonic ld competition
Mediatech Africa 2015 – The Dome, Northgate, Jhb
gustav teitge from Wild & Marr, with dave Budge from harman, cecilia van der Vent and andrew sorrill from Wild & Marr and chicco hiranandani from shure
72
SocIAl
the electrosonic team, after the electrosonic ld competition
Bruce genricks from electrosonic, peter dahlin from Martin professional and Bruce schwartz from electrosonic
greg payne, alison taman and Brendan Venter from audiosure
Josef Valchar from robe, with Belinda henwood and Michael Broderick from the one Man one light show
denis hutchinson from dhc, simon robinson from Mediatech africa, peter dahlin from Martin professional and chris Bolton fron Keystone productions judged the electrosonic ld competition
Mediatech Africa 2015 – The Dome, Northgate, Jhb
sarah cox from d3 technologies, george van gils from Questek and Martin Wood from Barco
Mario Bentley and trevor peters from Matrix sound
giovanni Zucchinali and Massimo Bolandrina from clay paky
rakesh gupta, rakhi gupta and Manish Misra from Mac africa
Mordecai Matomana and Marco de lemos from acer
shaun Xavier, craig harvey and nathan ilhenfeldt from stage audio Works
Vincent philippo and rupert denoon from crestron
Weilang Wu from laikesi, lena ting from unilumin and huiyun Wu from laikesi
stephan guldenpfenning, langa Mbili and andrew Bartlett from silvercam
Mairi pringle and Justin nel from proaudio
Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd45 Lake Road, Longmeadow
Longmeadow North Business ParkPO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa
Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 [email protected], www.vivaafrika.co.za
viva afrika
K-LA210 DSP Dual 10” 2 Way Active Line Array
Frequency Response (+/- 6dB anechoic chamber):
57Hz – 20 000Hz
Drivers: HF Driver: BEYMA, 1.4” exit, 1.75” voice coil
LF/MF Driver: BEYMA, 2.5” voice coil
Signal Input/Output Connector: Female XRL Input,
Male XLR Output
Power Input/Output Connector:
Powercon NAC3MPA / NAC3MPB
Power Rating (AES): 1600W
Maximum calculated SPL/M
(Continuous/Program/Peak): 125dB/128dB/131dB
Amplifi er: Class D
Processor: 48KHz signal sampling, 56bit
Weight: 38.5Kg
Dimensions mm: 742(W) x 302(H) x 695(D)
K-LA Series – powerfully ACTIVE
NEW
PRODUCT
Series – powerfully ACTIVE
DSP Features
• K-LA Line Array Systems
features maximum simplicity in
Set up and Operation.
• A compact portable touring,
rental and installation system
that brings Line-Array
technology to an accessible
ease of use and price point
• A dynamic sound well packed
in a compact size, for the right
price , this is KLA Series
3 x K-LA 218 DSP
K-LA 210 DSP Frame
6 x K-LA 210 DSP
18900 Watts
±4000 people outdoor > 40m
±5000 people indoor > 40m
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE: R465 000.00
3 x K-LA 218 DSP
K-LA 210 DSP Frame
6 x K-LA 210 DSP
Demos available countrywide
ExclusivE Distributor for south AfricA:DWr DistributioN block c, unit 1, Kimbult industrial Park, 9 Zeiss road, laserpark, honeydew, 2170, JohannesburgIt’s all about the people tel: +27 11 794 5023 | fax: + 27 11 794 5702 | [email protected] | www.dwrdistribution.co.za