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Kerstcircus Ahoy lit with Chauvet
27/02/2024
UK panto shows lit with Robe
27/02/2024
GrandMA3 for Hypersonic Fest
23/02/2024
Martin Audio WP rigged in twelve minutes for UB40 show at St. Andrews Stadium
Within 15 minutes of completing victory over Preston North End on Easter Monday, Birmingham City’s St. Andrews stadium had been transformed into a rock concert venue. The production team behind the staging - enabling local legends UB40 to kick off their world tour and announce their new “UB45” album release - was Martin Audio partner 22live.
At the same time the football club was able to reveal its new branding. Henceforth known as St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, the stadium provided the setting for this post match entertainment. But first 22live, led by Paul Timmins, had many challenges to overcome - not least where to site the fifteen ground stacks of Martin Audio WPC and WPS line array, as well as the speed of deployment to get the show underway immediately after the final whistle.
Two days’ rehearsal in Digbeth helped new monitor engineer Harry Le Masurier settle in, while staging options were debated and the fact that 56 channels were required, choice of stage was paramount. Timmins also knew this was no mere playback event - the band were going to perform live.
After dismissing other options they decided to construct the staging in the “sterile” area - or empty block of seating - segregating the home and away fans in the Gil Merrick stand. “The seats were removed, and the staging company built a two tiered stage because of the raking - set high up to avoid obscuring sightlines”, says Timmins. “Although big LED screens and lighting were able to be flown from the roof, in view of weight loading, audio was always going to be a pitch side perimeter speaker system.”
From past experience Paul Timmins was aware of safety implications, cabling challenges and the fact the speakers would need to be located behind the LED wall or advertising hoardings without blocking the access. But because of distance variations each stand required its own unique treatment. “The Main Stand is quite shallow and didn’t need as much power as the Kop side, so I chose WPS, four stacks high”, he explains. “On the Kop stand I used WPCs, four high because I needed more power. At the Tilton End I used WPC, three high, because I knew I could get away with less, with just two stacks WPS four high required on the Gil Merrick stage end - because coverage was only required on either side of the large centre section.”
Each stack was supported by an SXH218 sub. Torus T1230 speakers filled dead spots in corners between the Gil Merrick and the Kop stands and further T1230s and an SX118 subwoofer provided reference sound at the FOH mix position, which was located underneath the stands. Critical to the success of the optimisation was tilt angles. 22live knew that since they would be raking the system back into the stands, rather than have it tip forwards as would be customary, they could dispense with the standard WP grids in favour of straps. After verifying this custom approach with Martin Audio deployed this solution, which would also ensure each stack could be deployed swiftly as a single self-contained unit.
Crew boss Glen Little worked closely with extra local crew, who were experienced in dealing with Martin Audio boxes. Unlike a typical average home gate of around 19,000 this event drew 25,000 (since there was no increase in ticket price). DJ Jenny Powell led into the band, who played a full hour long set.
Production had to remain nimble and responsive to 11th hour requests. “In addition to the live sound we discovered we had to provide a broadcast mixdown from stems to Birmingham FC TV, and at the last minute they also wanted to record it - so we brought in Phil Wright, who is such a safe pair of hands, with his own kit to do the streaming”, concludes Timmins. “On top of it all, Birmingham City, after a wretched run of form, won the game, the sun came out for the concert and UB40 played a blinding set. It was one of those days where everything worked.”
Other key personnel who contributed to the event’s success included tour manager Yaron Levy, with Russ Tite mixing at front of house. Jason McAvoy was control tech, Rylan Machin and Ryan Bass were the two system techs on duty, while other techs were Chris Wilcock and Jack Davis.
(Photos: Martin Audio/22live)
GLP-Scheinwerfer bei Senior-Bowl-Gala im Einsatz
Der 75. Reese’s Senior Bowl (mit dem 75. Anniversary Team) fand kürzlich in Zusammenarbeit mit der NFLPA im Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, statt. Anlässlich dieses Jubiläums wurde am Vorabend die 75th Anniversary Legends Gala veranstaltet, bei der einige Legenden des American Football auftraten.
Diese Football-Helden versammelten sich im Ballsaal des Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel, wo „Good Morning Football“-Moderator Peter Schrager (vom NFL Network) auf einem Podest Interviews führte. Bis zu 500 Gäste lauschten den Geschichten der Stars. Für die studioartige Beleuchtung wurde Mike Dorsett von Dorsett Productions Unlimited hinzugezogen, der für diese Produktion auf seinen Bestand an GLP-Scheinwerfern zurückgriff.
Dorsetts Design für die 75th Anniversary Legends Gala basierte auf zwanzig Fusion X-PAR 12Z, welche die Interviewsituation sowohl von oben als auch vom Boden aus beleuchteten. Hinzu kamen sechs Impression X4 Wash und vier Impression Spot One. „Im Battle House mussten wir die Beleuchtung an einem Ground Support anbringen, da die Hängepunkte bei der letzten Renovierung des Raums entfernt worden sind“, so Dorsett.
Mike Dorsett gründete sein Unternehmen 1986 und hat den GLP-Bestand seit seiner Einführung in das Portfolio durch Rick Fallon vor fünfzehn Jahren kontinuierlich auf über 100 Geräte ausgebaut. Zusätzlich zu den genannten Fusion X-PAR 12Z, Impression X4 Wash und Impression Spot One führt Dorsett Productions Unlimited auch Impression X4 S, JDC1, GT-1 FL und Fusion Exo Beam 10.
(Fotos: Travis Middleton/GLP)
Lightswitch evolves “Enchanted: Forest of Light” with expanded Elation lighting package
Visual design group Lightswitch has overseen lighting design and creative direction for “Enchanted: Forest of Light” at Descanso Gardens in Southern California since 2016. This year, the one-mile nighttime walk through colorful lighting displays featured an expanded IP-rated lighting package from Elation that included the company’s new Proteus Hybrid Max.
“Enchanted” is an immersive visual experience to highlight the historic botanical garden’s beauty and flora. Each year, Lightswitch reimagines portions of the experience, enhancing areas and repositioning luminaires. This season’s show ran from November 19 through January 7 and included a new area as a result of refurbishment elsewhere in the gardens.
Lightswitch creates and produces the entire “Enchanted: Forest of Light” experience, designing lighting, media, and interactives, as well as overseeing music selection, sound design, and technical and logistical production. Under the leadership of Lightswitch Principal Chris Medvitz, the visual design of “Enchanted: Forest of Light” has consistently relied on Elation lighting for the past seven years. This year, Elation IP65 lighting was expanded to all areas of the display.
Collaboration with outside artists is an integral part of the “Enchanted” experience. On the main lawn, a series of magical stained-glass-inspired houses by sculptor Tom Fruin are internally lit with SixBar 1000 IP LED battens while in the rose garden geometric sculptures by artists Hybycozo glow from within using Proteus Lucius LED profile moving heads as a stream of moving effects emanate through the pieces.
A special Hybycozo art piece that features in the installation is a large, rotating mirrored star previously lit using Proteus Hybrid but now illuminated using Proteus Hybrid Max. “Choosing Proteus Hybrid Max made a lot of sense here because it is a smaller fixture, lightweight and includes technical updates”, states Medvitz. “We needed a tight, collimated beam to minimize the overspill which the fixture’s narrow beam allows us to do.”
The Proteus Hybrid Max, the IP66-rated upgrade of Elation’s Proteus Hybrid with new technology, provides versatility in areas like the newly created “Spectral Sanctuary”, where environmental impact is an issue. Concerned about disruption to the property’s lilac garden ecosystem, Lightswitch was asked to create an installation that minimized the amount of equipment incorporated around the plants.
“We moved the existing installation to an area of the garden that was less impactful on the specimens and created a new installation called Spectral Sanctuary”, explains Medvitz. “Here we placed Proteus Hybrid Max on towers along the edge of the garden to create a light show through the lilacs rather than lighting effects amongst the plants. We kept a safe distance and allowed them to have an impact without running a lot of cable and other equipment through the middle of the garden itself. It’s a different look than we have in the rest of the show.”
In past years, “Enchanted” leaned heavily on Elation’s Proteus Hybrid arc-source moving head, but over the last few years many of those fixtures were replaced by LED-based Proteus Maximus and Proteus Lucius luminaires, and now the Proteus Hybrid Max. Other IP-rated lights from Elation are used across multiple areas of the experience as workhorse luminaires such as the Seven Par 19IP/7IP so that Elation lighting now graces all twelve “Enchanted” environments. Creative Technology served as production partner for this year’s project, which included supply of the Elation lighting.
In “Fantasy Forest”, a large, dense area of trees and foliage where layers of lighting synchronize with an ambient soundtrack, Proteus Maximus deployed around the perimeter add a special layer of effect. Additionally, five to ten feet off the ground and hidden amongst camellia bushes are SixBar 1000 IP color-changing battens used as direct view eye-candy. RGB Pars lighting trees and plants provide a third layer of light.
Perhaps the most magical area of “Enchanted: Forest of Light” is the “Ancient Forest”, featuring ancient Redwoods and other species of plants that existed millions of years ago. Dramatically lit with accompanying soundtrack and fog atmosphere, “Ancient Forest” crafts an otherworldly ambiance. Here, Proteus Maximus lined the back of the location and projected gobo patterns and moving beams.
Prior to “Enchanted” opening in November, many of the show areas served as the backdrop to a separately branded event: “Carved” is a family-friendly Halloween experience with luminous jack-o’-lanterns, carved pumpkins and oversized sculptures. Much of the lighting and infrastructure used in that area is shared with “Enchanted”, about two thirds according to Medvitz, but with different theming.
For guests, “Enchanted” and “Carved” are two different experiences, but from Lightswitch’s perspective, as well as a logistical viewpoint, they are one big project that runs from mid-September until mid-January, which means the lighting is outside and exposed for all that time.
(Photos: Chris Medvitz/Kathryn Rapier)
Shure-Drahtlossysteme beim Super Bowl LVIII im Einsatz
Zum ersten Mal fand der Super Bowl, das größte Spiel im American Football, im Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas statt. Die Bewältigung der immensen Produktion des Super Bowl in der ohnehin schon überfüllten HF-Umgebung von Las Vegas stellte eine Herausforderung dar. Um die gewünschte Audioqualität sicherzustellen, nutzte das Produktionsteam Axient-Digital-Drahtlossysteme von Shure.
Das HF-Team nutzte zehn digitale AD4Q-4-Kanal-Empfänger, einem AD600-Axient-Digital-Spektrum-Manager und zwei AXT400-Axient-2-Kanal-Empfänger. ATK Audiotek und Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) kümmerten sich um alle drahtlosen Mikrofone und In-Ear-Monitoring-Systeme für die Unterhaltung vor dem Spiel, in der Halbzeit-Show sowie für die Schiedsrichter. Es ist bereits das 27. Jahr, in dem PWS als Drahtlospartner von ATK beim Super Bowl fungiert.
Zum Team gehörten unter anderem Broadcast Mixer Tom Holmes, Entertainment Front of House Mixer Alex Gussard, Entertainment Front of House Music Mixer Dave Natale, Monitor Mixer Tom Pesa, Lead RF Engineer Cameron Stuckey sowie die RF Techs Gary Trenda und Kasey Gchachu. Der HF-Teamleiter für CP Communications war Loren Sherman.
Michael Mason, Präsident von CP Communications, lieferte mit seinem Team 45 Kanäle Axient Digital und vierzehn Kanäle Shure-PSM-1000-In-Ear-Monitoring, die für die Studiosendungen vor und nach dem Spiel sowie für die Spielberichte vom Spielfeldrand verwendet wurden. Ebenso wurde Shure-Equipment für Studiosendungen in Las Vegas während der Vorwoche des Super Bowl sowie für die Eröffnungsnacht, den roten Teppich und die Ehrungen eingesetzt.
Einige Tage vor dem Spiel trafen die Football-Spieler auf Grammy-prämierte Musiker, gemeinsam gestalteten sie die Super Bowl Soulful Celebration mit Musik und inspirierenden Botschaften. Alle Interpreten waren bei dieser Veranstaltung mit Shure-KSM8-Mikrofonen ausgestattet.
Während des TikTok-Tailgate-Events betrat Sängerin Gwen Stefani die Bühne mit einem Axient Digital Sender, der mit einer neuen, patentierten Shure-Mikrofontechnologie ausgestattet war. Gesangskollegin Reba McEntire setzte bei ihrer Interpretation der US-amerikanischen Nationalhymne vor dem Anpfiff ebenfalls Shure Axient Digital ein: Sie nutzte einen Frequency-Diversity-Handsender, der mit einer vernickelten KSM11-Kapsel ausgestattet war. Die begleitende Drumline verließ sich ebenfalls auf Axient-Digital-Sender.
Auch Sängerin Andra Day verwendete für ihre Interpretation von „Lift Every Voice and Sing“ Shure-Axient-Digital-Frequency-Diversity-Handsender. Ebenso nahm Cameron Heyward von den Pittsburgh Steelers den Walter Payton Man of the Year Award mit einem Axient-Digital-Sender und einer KSM9-Mikrofonkapsel entgegen.
Während der Halbzeit-Show wurden ausschließlich Axient-Digital-Handsender (ADX2/ADX2FD) auf der Bühne eingesetzt, und fast alle Künstler nutzten neue Shure-Mikrofontechnologien. Für die Headsets verwendeten mehrere Künstler Axient-AXT100-Taschensender - darunter H.E.R., die das AXT100 für ihr Headset und ihre Gitarre nutze. Für ihren Auftritt verließ sie sich ebenfalls auf eine neue Shure-Mikrofontechnologie.
Die Schiedsrichter verwendeten zwei Axient-Digital-ADX1-Taschensender, die im Frequency-Diversity-Modus zusammenarbeiteten und mit Shures Subminiatur-Lavaliermikrofonen TwinPlex TL47 mit Kugelcharakteristik gepaart waren. Bei der CBS-Übertragung kamen ADX2-Handsender und Shure-Mic-Flag-Extender zum Einsatz.
Foto (v.l.): Cameron Stuckey, Kevin Lu, Gary Trenda, Jim Van Winkle, Kasey Gchachu. (Fotocredit: Shure)
Kreateur begleitet „Jugend forscht“ 2024 in Berlin
„Mach dir einen Kopf“ ist das Motto der 59. Runde des Nachwuchswettbewerbs „Jugend forscht“. Die Agentur Kreateur begleitet den Regionalwettbewerb „Jugend forscht“ und „Schüler experimentieren“ auch in diesem Jahr wieder in Berlin-Nord. Auftraggeber für Kreateur ist Bayer Pharma, das diesen Wettbewerb als Patenunternehmen unterstützt.
Der Regionalwettbewerb Berlin-Nord von „Jugend forscht“ fand am 13. und 14. Februar 2024 in den Räumen der Bayer AG statt. Für das Projekt baute Kreateur dreißig Präsentationsplattformen für die Teilnehmer sowie einen kleineren Bereich für „Schüler experimentieren“, die die Teilnehmer für ihre Wettbewerbsprojekte nutzen. Darüber hinaus verantwortete Kreateur die Infrastruktur für die jeweiligen Veranstaltungen und übernahm zusätzlich zur Umsetzung eine beratende Funktion.
Das Projekt „Jugend forscht“ hat inzwischen Tradition im Auftragsbuch von Kreateur: Seit ihrer Gründung 2014 begleitet die Berliner Agentur für Markenwelten, Live-Kommunikation und Marketing die Regionalwettbewerbe in Berlin und Brandenburg.
(Foto: Stiftung Jugend forscht e.V.)
Jeremy Roth turns to Robe for Nathaniel Rateliff’s homecoming holiday concert in Denver
Singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff and his band The Night Sweats played their sold-out annual homecoming holiday concert at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, in December 2023. It was the second time the annual event, which has been running for some years, was staged at this venue, after moving to the larger space in 2022.
The lighting was crafted by Jeremy Roth, who has been Rateliff’s production designer since 2017. He utilized over 100 Robe moving lights - Fortes, Spiiders and MegaPointes plus a RoboSpot system - and programmed and operated lights for this seasonal holiday performance himself, working alongside lighting director Adam Waguespack who often takes the show on the road for him. At Ball Arena, Waguespack took on the role of coordinating the follow spots and RoboSpot system.
Additional video came in for the hometown production in the form of three large upstage screens, with the department overseen by Mike Grant (Black Keys). The production design saw both lighting and video technologies share the stage, based on a scaled-up version of their current “The Future” tour which hit the road in April 2023, and an augmented package used for another set of sold-out local shows at Red Rocks last summer.
The video screens, which were framed by single LED blinders, were one of Roth’s creative starting points for the Ball Arena show, with the overhead lighting rig like the touring version populated across six trusses. Two mid stage trusses were flown one above the other, arranged in gentle U-shapes, with a straight front truss over the stage apron at the front and a reverse U-shaped advanced truss.
The back truss was rigged with twelve Fortes to project textures on the red velour drape behind the video wall, with another thirteen Fortes on the front truss, working with four more on the advance truss. These last four Fortes were all running on a 4-way RoboSpot system. On this tour, the Fortes are replacing the BMFL Spots used on the previous tours’ RoboSpots systems. Nathaniel Rateliff’s long-term lighting, video and audio vendor Brown Note Productions had invested in Fortes ahead of the tour in April 2023, enabling them to transition from the BMFLs used in previous years.
Initially, LEDBeam 350s were on the rig, but these were eventually swapped out for the 33 Spiiders boosting the output and the wash coverage. Robe’s effects luminaire MegaPointe has been omnipresent on Rateliff’s lighting schemes ever since Roth has been onboard with the singer in 2017, initially as part of the floor lighting package. They have featured in every design since. At Ball Arena, eleven MegaPointes were positioned on the deck, and ten on the advanced truss.
Roth, Waguespack, and Grant engaged in three days of pre-vizing at Brown Note’s Studio in Denver ahead of the Ball Arena show, then three days of technical rehearsal at Denver Coliseum before loading in on the morning of the actual gig. Lighting was programmed on a GrandMA3 console running in mode 2.
(Photos: Jeremy Roth/Tobin Voggesser/Nocoast LLC)
Elation and Best Audio & Lighting support CQLP lighting design competition in France
Elation and French distributor Best Audio & Lighting provided lighting for the final of this year’s CQLP (C’est Qui Le Patron) lighting design competition in France. This was the first time the competition, that showcases lighting designer talent, was held outdoors, at the Collégiale Notre-Dame de Mantes-la-Jolie outside of Paris.
Using the grandeur of the medieval church’s architecture as a centerpiece, lighting design teams produced light shows that combined quality, creativity and technique. Following an elimination tournament round of sixteen, quarter-finals and semi-finals, two teams advanced to the grand finale on January 20.
There, the two teams had forty Proteus Maximus LED profile moving heads, twenty-four Proteus Excalibur sky beam moving heads, and forty Paladin Panel floodlights at their disposal to awe judges as well as a crowd of onlookers. As CQLP is a non-profit organization, the Elation lighting fixtures were generously provided for the final by Best Audio & Lighting.
Frederik Afif, International Sales Manager at Elation, sat on the jury with other lighting professionals and was impressed with what he saw. “It was an unforgettable and historic evening and a real pleasure to witness firsthand the incredible talent and creativity showcased by the finalists using the Elation lights”, he says. “The displays were just mesmerizing, and I’m immensely impressed by the dedication and innovation demonstrated by all the teams involved.”
CQLP has taken place since 2018 with the primary aim of promoting lighting professionals and the lighting design profession. The competition also presents an opportunity for aspiring designers to access a network of established industry professionals. This year’s final was broadcast live on social networks and for rebroadcast and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rrThKsrBf0.
(Photos: Best Audio & Lighting/Collégiale Notre-Dame de Mantes-la-Jolie/Donatien d’Espinay/Elation/Sandrine Leclercq-Moreau)
GrandMA3 lighting control system selected for Crush shows in Seoul
Korean record producer and singer-songwriter Crush recently played several concerts - in support of his latest album, “Wonderego” - at Seoul’s Jamsil Arena, for which Soyoun Lee designed, programmed and operated the lighting. Lee is currently working for Lite Factory in Korea, designing and programming shows for K-Pop music artists in Singapore and Korea. For the first time, she chose to run the lighting control on a full GrandMA3 system.
Lee had used the GrandMA3 console/hardware many times already (running in mode 2) and felt that this was a great time to “make the switch”, for which she prepared herself via online training videos and in-person training arranged by MA Lighting’s Asia Pacific base in Singapore.
The GrandMA3 lighting set up at the “Wonderego” concerts comprised one GrandMA3 full-size, one GrandMA3 light, one GrandMA3 processing unit XL, one GrandMA3 processing unit L and three GrandMA3 8Port Nodes, controlling a total of 329 lighting fixtures - a mixture of moving and static lights and LED fixtures and panels, all adding up to 17,685 parameters.
Lee used three main GrandMA3 features - Recipes, Selection Grid and Phasers - as the backbone of her workflow. She also likes Swipeys which offer swift access to the menu eliminating the need to manually input commands, and she also appreciated the timecode’s minus offset function so it can be adjusted back and forth as needed.
Inspired by the “Wonderego” album artwork, the show creative director Eddie Oh designed some triangular set risers complete with a thrust stage so Crush could get out close to his fans. He added five square shaped lighting pods flown downstage on an automation system bringing further elements of surprise to the show, and the central pod was used to elevate the artist.
To accentuate his idea, Lee added a truss mimicking the angles of the riser design above the A stage, populated with lights that could be utilised as lines or for surfaces. “Lighting can really help the artist communicate their stories and narrative”, she states.
(Photos: P Nation)
Kerstcircus Ahoy lit with Chauvet
Kerstcircus Ahoy has pretty much everything fans expect to find in a circus, from trapeze artists and acrobats to jugglers and clowns, including the Austrian clown Don Christian. But this popular wintertime event, which has been captivating audiences for over a half-century, doesn’t stop there.
Drawing acts from across the world, Kerstcircus Ahoy, which recently completed its 51st season of joy, served up performances that totally surprised anyone who entered the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, expecting to see typical circus fare. From “Space Elements”, the human pyramid builders from Ukraine, to RCC Aruba and their Caribbean-inspired springboard act, to the gravity-defying young Austrian Stefan Dvorak, this circus featured entertainment that went “above and beyond” (often quite literally) to exceed all expectations.
Supporting these performances and adding to the excitement of the circus was a colorful, and sometimes dramatic, lighting design by Ricky Bouckenhove of Live Systems that featured seventy Chauvet Professional fixtures. Bouckenhove, who has been lighting the circus for twenty-four years, relied on a mainly blue and white color palette to highlight its twelve different acts, which featured performers from sixteen different nations.
At the circus’ center ring, he hung twenty-four Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures on the 19-meter circular truss. Drawing on the 440 W light cannon’s 16-bit dimming, he was able to have smooth fades at the conclusion of acts. Bouckenhove also arranged fourteen Maverick MK2 Wash fixtures on the floor around the edges of the circular ring. These units lit aerial acts, while also colorizing the track itself. An additional twenty MK2 Wash fixtures enhanced the circus’ magical ambience by backlighting the area. At selected points during the circus, the wash fixtures were also used to create a dramatic effect by silhouetting the performers.
There were also twelve Color Strike M motorized strobe-washes in Bouckenhove’s rig. He used these fixtures to light the stands and to underscore high-impact moments with strobe effects. Speaking of his lighting system for the circus, Bouckenhove notes: “Since the acrobats regularly needed target points, it was important that these points were programmed in the correct position and that the moving lights maintained the correct pan and tilt values.”
(Photos: Charles Batenburg/Eva Ruiten/EvaCaptures)
Antonis Remos tours with equipment from DiGiCo and Klang
Monitor engineer George Panolaskos has been working with Greek singer Antonis Remos since 2017. He began using Klang gear in 2019 and chose the Klang:Konductor for Remos’ 2023 summer tour. Panolaskos had a long-standing interest in Klang before finally deploying two Klang:Fabrik units for Remos’ band four years ago, which also marked the first time a Klang system had been used in Greece.
“Having Klang in my signal chain provides me with a powerful FPGA, controlled via a DiGiCo console”, he says. This hybrid approach means Panolaskos enjoys freedom in his mixing, can utilize the consoles cueing, and can listen to the musician’s mix, adjusting it when needed. “By using Klang, I’ve achieved a personal mixer system without the need for any unecessary AD/DA conversion.”
One of the primary challenges Klang has helped overcome pertains to the large size of Remos’ band, requiring a considerable number of channels. “For years, I’ve recognised a persistent issue with other personal mixer systems, which is the limitation on channel count”, says Panolaskos. “When channels are limited, it becomes necessary to create AUX groups. This presents significant drawbacks. Not only does it impede a musician’s full control over the channels, it also mandates routing effects through busses.”
“As a result, you don’t have the detail to manipulate the effects according to individual mix”, he continues. “This is not the case with Klang. Our current setup incorporates a DiGiCo Quantum 338 console, a Klang:Konductor, featuring 64 inputs including all the FX returns, and the system accommodates all sixteen musicians at 96 kHz.”
(Photos: DiGiCo/Klang)
UK panto shows lit with Robe
Lighting designer Andy Webb specified Robe for two high-profile UK 2023-24 panto season shows - “Snow White & The Seven Dwarves” at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre in Buckinghamshire, directed by Chris Wilkins-Nelson, and “Cinderella”, directed by Benji Sperring, staged at the Malvern Festival Theatre in Wiltshire, both produced by Martin Dodds for UK Productions (UKP).
The 1200-capacity Waterside Theatre is the larger venue in terms of both stage and audience sizes, and here Webb utilised sixty Robe luminaires - a dynamic mix of T1 Profiles, Spiiders, MegaPointes, BMFL WashBeams, LEDBeam 150s, Cyc FX8s and ParFect 100s, together with elements of the in-house generic rig.
The 850-seat Festival Theatre - now known as Malvern Theatres - is a cozier space and has been a provincial arts centre since 1885, and here Webb specified 45 Robe fixtures which were a combination of MegaPointes, ParFect 100s and 150s, DL4S Spots, LEDWash 300s, plus some of the regular house conventionals.
Webb programmed the shows using Avolites Tiger Touch II consoles, each featuring approximately 300 cues. The additional production lighting equipment, including all the Robe products, was supplied by rental specialist CEG. Shaun Ellis was Webb’s LX1 on both productions, and he also drew up all the follow spot plots.
As always, time was the biggest challenge in lighting both shows. The lighting get-ins were on Sundays for show openings on the following Thursday. Webb received some set reference photos during construction and while the assorted drop cloths were being printed and painted, leaving three days onstage to make it all happen.
At cast rehearsals during the day, he concentrated on real-time key and face lighting also filming the action, then worked overnight adding all the layers, details and complexities. “Due to the number of scenes and the hectic pace of the shows and of panto in general, the workflow is always fast and furious”, he explains, so having familiar fixtures is a must. “I can’t get more time, but having the right tools enables me to work quickly, more efficiently and achieve more in a short timeframe”, he adds.
In Malvern, Webb used the MegaPointes as his general spots as no T1s were available for that show due to high demand. He programmed the MegaPointes like they were T1s, including plenty of shutter work. He was delighted to have T1s back at Aylesbury after a gap last year. “I’ll spec T1s every time for panto”, he notes.
The overhead fixtures for both shows were spread out over six LX bars with a spot-wash-spot-wash configuration to achieve maximum coverage, and a fan of MegaPointes for specials and pick-ups. In both venues, Spiiders (Aylesbury) or ParFects (Malvern) were rigged on the apron truss or in the side positions, utilised as front kickers and side fill. The LED chips in the Spiiders, LEDBeams and ParFects are identical which assists with continuity and programming.
Webb loves many things about lighting panto including the “no rules” relating how scenes and characters should or should not be lit. Both theatres had new LED pros arches installed this year as part of the lighting/scenic setup, which allowed Webb to get even more interactive with audiences and draw them into the stories with lighting effects.
Webb and Ellis stayed with each of the shows for the first three days of their runs, with Aylesbury clocking up 57 shows over four weeks, entertaining around 50,000 people, and Malvern delivering 38 performances to approximately 30,000 people across three weeks.
(Photos: Barry Rivett/Lisa Roberts)
Von Nüssli realisierte Achtfach-Turnhalle in Monheim feiert Richtfest
Im Frühjahr 2023 startete der Totalunternehmer Nüssli mit dem Bau der ersten Achtfach-Sporthalle Europas in Monheim am Rhein. Nach weniger als einem Jahr Bauzeit feierten die Beteiligten des Pionierprojekts am 26. Februar 2024 das Richtfest. Die Sporthalle ist Teil eines Maßnahmenplans zur Neugestaltung des Schulzentrums Berliner Ring. Nach den Sommerferien 2024 soll die Halle fertiggestellt sein und für den Sportbetrieb zur Verfügung stehen.
Noch im Jahr 2023 wurden die aufgehenden Wände sowie die Stützen in Stahlbetonbauweise fertiggestellt. Der Bau des Nebengebäudes konnte vor Weihnachten abgeschlossen und am 8. Januar 2024 mit der Errichtung der Grundkonstruktion für das Sporthallendach begonnen werden. Derzeit werden die letzten der bis zu dreißig Meter langen Binder der Dachkonstruktion montiert. Damit ist die Errichtung des knapp neunzehn Meter hohen Baukörpers abgeschlossen. Nun folgen der Innenausbau und die Fassadenarbeiten.
Nüssli plante die Sporthalle mit möglichst vielen vorgefertigten Bauteilen. Allein aus Holz wurden rund 600 Elemente für Wände, Decken, Dach und Fassade vorgefertigt. Besondere Maßnahmen erforderten Stützen und Konstruktionen aus Stahl und Beton im unteren Bereich der Halle. Die zum Teil sehr schweren Elemente, Fertigteilstützen mit 18 Tonnen und Spannbetonbinder mit 41 Tonnen pro Stück, mussten mit Schwertransportern angeliefert und vor Ort mit einem Autokran mit bis zu 700 Tonnen Tragkraft abgesetzt werden.
Der Berliner Ring, über den die Bauteile angeliefert wurden, konnte nach zweiwöchiger Sperrung wieder befahren werden. Um die Bauzeit zu verkürzen, erfolgten Prozesse wie die Produktion der Wand- und Deckenelemente parallel zu den Rohbauarbeiten vor Ort. Die Zeiteinsparung der Fertigteilbauweise gegenüber der Massivbauweise beträgt etwa ein halbes Jahr.
Als erste in Europa bietet die neue Monheimer Sportanlage rund 4.400 Quadratmeter reine Sportfläche mit zwei Vierfach-Turnhallen im Unter- und Erdgeschoss sowie Sport- und Gymnastikräumen in den Obergeschossen. Weitere 3.000 Quadratmeter Fläche werden für Umkleiden, Technik und Erschließung genutzt. Alle acht Felder können je nach Bedarf einzeln genutzt oder pro Ebene miteinander zu zwei großen Vierfachhallen verbunden werden. Zusätzlich ist eine ausfahrbare Tribüne mit 500 Sitzplätzen im Untergeschoss und weiteren 100 Sitzplätzen im Erdgeschoss vorgesehen. Das gesamte Gebäude ist abgesenkt, sodass die untere Sporthalle mit der Teleskoptribüne fünf Meter unter dem Boden liegt.
(Fotos: Nüssli/Tim Kögler)
Brompton Technology helps D&B Audiotechnik create immersive demo in Japan
D&B Audiotechnik’s Soundscape technology was showcased at Japan’s 2023 Inter BEE tradeshow, integrating not only the German loudspeaker and amplifier manufacturer’s audio solution, but also video processing from Brompton Technology to deliver an immersive experience for show visitors.
As part of the demo setup, the D&B team used a 14 m x 2.5 m LED vision wall, composed of 140 ROE Visual LED panels powered by Brompton’s 4K Tessera SX40 LED processor and Disguise media servers, supplied by Japanese AV rental company Audio Visual Communications (AVC).
“Since the acquisition of a number of Visual, Lighting, and Media (VLM) companies, the D&B Group has the knowledge and capability to demonstrate what is possible in a fully integrated AVLM solution”, states Hideaki Matsubara, Department Manager of AVC. “We regard the amalgamation of high-quality video and audio solutions as an important factor for us to succeed in the immersive experience industry.”
“True immersion involves engaging all the senses, with sight and sound being two key elements when re-constructing the ‘real’”, adds Elijah Ebo, Director of APAC Operations at Brompton Technology. “While sound activates a primal reaction within the brain, ‘What am I hearing?’, the next question the brain asks is, ‘What am I seeing?’. Being able to deliver an experience touching these two senses at a tradeshow was really exciting.”
(Photos: Brompton Technology/D&B Audiotechnik/Audio Visual Communications)
Axel Melchior chooses Chauvet for Circus Knie
Lighting design by Axel Melchior supported Circus Knie, one of Europe’s oldest circuses, during its 2023 season. The shows featured a broad range of acts, from dancing horses to motorcycles spinning around in a sphere at high speeds whilst parallel to the ground. Melchior chose fixtures from Chauvet Professional to illuminate the various performances.
The circus’s waterfall stage, made up of a circular pond with a waterfall at its center, used 7,000 liters of water each day. Acrobats performed stunning feats on the surface above the cylindrical waterfall. Accenting their performance, as well as the beauty of the pond and fall, was a collection of 33 Chauvet Professional Colorado PXL Bar 8 motorized RGBW tilting battens supplied by Dushow.
Initially, Melchior considered using another IP65-rated Colorado model, the PXL Bar 16, but switched to the PXL 8 for a more exact fit around the circular stage. “We wanted a color rendering LED batten with tilt, zoom and pixel mapping that was IP rated”, he says. “Our initial thought was the PXL Bar 16, but the layout around the 8 m diameter stage didn’t allow us to integrate that product, so we opted for the Colorado PXL Bar 8 instead.”
“We used the wash lights mainly to illuminate the water during the various effects”, he continues. “The PLX’s zoom allowed us to obtain the right aperture without over-lighting the rest of the tent. We also lit the performers when we didn’t have a water effect. Our water system used a high volume recycled water every show.”
Melchior, along with artistic director Géraldine Knie, co-designer Julien Lhomme, and technical advisor John Masson of Dushow were so happy with the performance of the Colorado PXL Bar 8 that they decided to use the fixture again for the 2024 Circus Knie tour.
(Photos: Axel Melchior)
Ben Green and Invoke create Emmys Red Carpet looks with Chauvet
On the Red Carpet at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards, the lighting design featured 124 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by 4Wall Entertainment. As one of the producers of the Red Carpet event, Barrett Hall of Invoke Entertainment collaborated with lighting director Ben Green and producers David Jacobi, Neal Roscoe, and Jamie Watana to create a design that worked well on camera.
Playing a key role were 96 OnAir Panel 2 IP65, full-spectrum LED soft lights. Lining the entire Red Carpet space, from the arrivals area on through the step and repeat, these 1x2 format white light units provided supportive light for the cameras. “The OnAir Panels stood out for us due to their clean black housing, onboard power supply, IP rating, and adjustable PWM settings”, says Green.
“For this project, having the PWM flexibility was notably important because of how many different cameras controlled by a wide range of different people needed to play well together. This was especially true for the high-speed E! ‘Glambot’ camera taping slow motion reels”, he adds.
Although the media walk and step and repeat lighting was impeccable, some of the more fun moments of the design took place in the arrivals area, a new space for the Emmy Awards this year, where nominees and A-list guests met with their teams before hitting the red carpet.
Creating a richly textured setting in the arrivals area were sixteen Rogue R2X Wash fixtures and eighteen Rogue R1 BeamWashes. “They were our primary workhorses in this area”, says Green. “While the R2X Washes provided static, warm ambient light, the R1 BW fixtures were spotted down to add a subtle roving spotlight feel that offered some excitement without being distracting.”
“This was a team effort”, he concludes. “So many people helped us, including John Cox (gaffer); Ron Murphy and Dennis Sisul (best boys); Ryan Tanker (programmer/lighting director); Drew DeCorleto and Matthew Johns (4Wall); Nick Vincenti (staging supervisor); our local 33 electricians; and Salt Productions, as the lead production company.”
(Photos: Chauvet Professional/Invoke Entertainment)
SWG returns to Mobos with Martin Audio WPL line array
In a repeat of their deployment at Ovo Arena Wembley for the 25th Mobo Awards, SWG Events this time headed north with their Martin Audio WPL Line Array to the 12,500-capacity Utilita Arena in Sheffield for this year’s event.
The live performances ranged from UK rap to Afrobeats, Dancehall to Pop/R&B and Garage, with back-to-back performances from Soul II Soul, Ghetts, Sugababes, Cristale, Byron Messia, King Promise and Camidoh, plus a Garage set from DJ Spoony. The event was hosted by Babtunde Aleshe, Indiyah Polack and Zeze Mills.
It required SWG Events to increase the WPL box count from sixteen to eighteen elements for each of the main L/R hangs, compared with last time; but more significantly was the increased number of outhangs, comprising twelve-a-side WPC - all driven in 2-box resolution from iKon iK42s.
As with the previous Mobo Awards, which took place in November 2022, they chose an 18-box SXH218 sub array in end fire configuration, with three rows of six subwoofers delayed to a central point. “That works well in these arenas because you can achieve the broadside array coverage without intruding on the set design”, says Simon Purse, SWG Events’ Head of Audio. “It can sometimes be quite challenging with such a visually oriented set.”
To avoid interference with the LED screen the PA was trimmed at little higher than normal. Below, there was just a single stage but with a catwalk thrust on stage left, while on stage right there was a smaller thrust for the guest presenters. SWG Events turned their attention to the stage, providing a number of Martin Audio’s XE500 monitors for foldback and adding stage sidefills on each flank in the shape of Torus T1215 stacked on a pair of SXC118 cardioid subwoofers on each side.
Purse formed a tag team with freelance engineer Matt Pope, who handled system tech and alternated FOH duties. “Matt focused on the musical performance elements while I handled presenter mics and guests”, says Purse, adding “there were a lot of different intricacies, and the infrastructure behind the show was complex compared with a standard headline arena show.”
“We had our stage system, which was split to FOH and monitors, and another split to an OB truck, which was handling the live broadcast mix”, he continues. “Finally, there were further split heads to a TV truck that was dealing with the presenter microphones and presenter IEM units as well as a separate broadcast mix for presentation later in the week.”
Having received the CAD files from the venue, the SWG Head of Audio was able to plan ahead, arriving on site with all presets stored and ready to go. “For due diligence I then always take additional measurements”, says Purse. “You never know exactly what you will find so I was able to fine tune it and utilise the array snapshot feature to update my array optimisations.”
Crew included Will Fisher (monitors); Ian Williams (playback/comms); Phil Hughes (RF tech); Fraser Wilks, Sam Jones, Laura Evans (stage patch and general audio engineering); Mark Bott (SWG Operations Manager); and Henry Roper (SWG Production assistant. All worked under overall production manager Rob Smalldon of Marvellous Incorporated Ltd, as last year.
(Photos: Martin Audio/SWG Events)
Thomas Cassetta chooses DPA Microphones for stand-up shows, documentaries and podcasts
Production sound and re-recording mixer Thomas Cassetta says he’s always loved live theater and events, so when presented with the opportunity to work on comedy specials back in 2014, he jumped at the chance. Cassetta has worked on projects around the globe for platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Tubi, Peacock, HBO and ShowTime.
His most recent stand-up production work includes recording and mixing comedian Akaash Singh’s first hour-long comedy special, as well as Pete Davidson’s new Netflix special entitled “Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli”.
On his many projects, Cassetta uses solutions from Danish professional audio manufacturer DPA Microphones, such as the D:facto 4018VL Vocal, 4017B Shotgun, 4018C Supercardioid and 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones, as well as the 4080 Cardioid Condenser Lavalier Microphone and the brand’s newest 2012 Compact Cardioid and 2017 Shotgun Microphones. A selection of DPA’s in-line preamps and accessories also allow him to adapt to a variety of venues and locations.
(Photos: DPA Microphones/Thomas Cassetta/Nathan Lindstrom/Lindstrom Photography LLC)
Version 2 supplies lighting for EE BAFTA Film Awards
Hosted for the first time by David Tennant, the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards took place on February 18 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, and was broadcast internationally on BBC One, iPlayer and BritBox International. Attended by the President of BAFTA, HRH the Prince of Wales, twenty-five Awards were presented, voted for by over 7,500 BAFTA creatives and film industry practitioners.
TV, broadcast and event lighting specialist Version 2 was, for the first time, the official lighting supplier for the EE BAFTA Film Awards. Version 2 supplied lighting and manpower for the live Awards ceremony, artists performances and the traditional obituary tribute, as well as the audience lighting and the live event broadcast. Also involved in designing for the Awards for the first time were lighting director Tim Routledge of Tim Routledge Lighting Design, and set designer Julio Himede from Yellow Studio New York, in a partnership first formed for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
“It’s a tricky show as you are only in the venue for a short time with a very short load in and load out”, explains Routledge. “The live show starts at 6 p.m. and is broadcast as live on television around 8 p.m., so there is a super-quick turnaround to get it out that night with editing happening on the fly.”
The centrepiece of Himede’s set design was a series of outlines of the BAFTA Award mask, arranged in a circular fashion and backed by a large, semi-circular gauze around the back of the stage. The show was lit using a mix of the Royal Festival Hall’s house rig and lighting from Version 2. “We used 310 x 1 m long Martin VDO Sceptron 10s rigged vertically behind the sculptural set piece, back-lighting the semi-circular gauze to add a load of sparkle and give the appearance of a giant zoetrope”, says Routledge. “This involved a lot of work in the framework and the rigging of all those Sceptrons overnight.”
Version 2 chose gaffer Sam Healey, who has a track record working on the BAFTAs and with Routledge, to keep everything on track. “We were able to collect the truss for the Sceptron in advance and spent a good couple of days pre-rigging them onto the framework, labelling and patching them so we were able to install it all within the short timeframe”, says Healey.
With the central set piece predominantly washed in reds, blues and golds, the Sceptrons provided a twinkly backdrop behind the presenters. This changed to more vibrant, dynamic effects and content for Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s performance of “Murder on the Dancefloor”, with more sparkles added for comedian Nick Mohammed’s appearance. The mood was later transformed to a serene, ethereal monochrome during Hannah Waddingham’s rendition of “Time After Time” as BAFTA paid tribute to artists who had passed away this year.
Version 2 supplied Robe Forte fixtures for Routledge’s key lighting on the performers and presenters, with more Robe Forte units, in conjunction with a Robe Robospot system, as follow spots. Martin Mac Aura XBs were rigged on the front truss and bridges, and more Mac Auras on the floor upstage by the drape. A half circle of Robe Megapointes were rigged around the curved onstage truss completed the onstage lighting inventory, while Astera Pixelbricks were rigged on stage facing outwards to light the audience. Version 2 drafted in freelancers Tom Young as operator for the moving lights and Seb Williams for the key lights.
“The Royal Festival Hall is a tricky place to light because, not being a particularly modern venue, there’s not many rigging positions”, says Routledge. “It’s a modern-looking show however so, for the first time this year, we added in more lighting features around the room, on the balcony fronts and down the walls to make it pop more on camera than in the past.” To add definition and interest to the room, Routledge mounted 2 m Astera Hyperion tubes horizontally on the front of the auditorium boxes. He also added Robe LED Beam 150 fixtures to the back wall of the stalls and dress circle for eye candy effects during the walk downs.
Also on Version 2’s kit list for the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 were Astera HydraPanel, Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Soft Panel, Fomex FL-1200 2x1, Fomex FL-600 1x1, and Prolights Smart BatPlus. V2 Project Manager was Nick Edwards.
(Photo: Richard Murgatroyd Photography/BAFTA)
GrandMA3 for Hypersonic Fest
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Hypersonic Fest was a one-day experimental event organized by Hypersonic Lab in Hong Kong, aimed at inviting people to enjoy the talents of 37 diverse Christian artists and music bands from Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia. The festival was staged at Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre and featured four stages of live music performance.
Production equipment for the Main Stage including lighting was supplied by the MPHK Group and project managed by Raymond Wong, working closely with LD Kei Lui who utilized a GrandMA3 full-size console, a decision taken jointly between the LD and Wong. Lui is based in Macau and is technical manager of the Para Club, as well as running his own company in Hong Kong/Macau for freelance lighting design projects like this. He has been a GrandMA user for many years including in the club, having recently switched to GrandMA3.
His task at Hypersonic Fest was to light all the bands on the Main Stage, many of whom he was seeing live for the first time, and make each one look different. This had to be achieved in a compressed timescale of four hours for get in, set up, prep and programming. Lui had 43 moving lights in the space on overhead trusses with around 1200 parameters of control.
(Photos: Hypersonic Fest)
Eighth Day Sound delivers audio solutions for Dizzee Rascal’s “Boy in da Corner” 20th anniversary tour
Eighth Day Sound was the vendor for British grime MC and rapper Dizzee Rascal’s recent UK tour which hit several arenas following a major comeback at London’s O2. Choosing Eighth Day Sound and mixing Rascal’s hard-hitting yet melodic blend of London hip hop, is FOH Engineer Wayne “Rabbit” Sargeant, who has navigated the artist’s live work on and off the road.
“Over the years, I’ve mastered some of Dizzee’s earlier album live tracks. So, my aim here was to bring consistency to the overall range of tracks spanning the 20th anniversary”, he explains. Sargeant has a Solid State Logic Live 100 for the main mix, while the DJ setup is processed through a Solid State Logic Fusion to add some weight and tame the high frequency, allowing the D&B Audiotechnik KSL PA system to sound vast at a lower level.
Rascal’s vocals are processed with an Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor. “I also add a very short reverb from a Bricasti M7 to soften and help sit the vocal”, says Sargeant. “The vocals are also sent to a stem, which is used as a side chain into the master bus multi-band compressor. It dips the mid-range pocket for the vocals to sit in the master mix, with the final mix going to the SSL Bus+.”
The team were met with some acoustically challenging venues, and with that in mind, asked Eighth Day Sound to supply a D&B KSL rig. “From tailoring the PA system and making it work for our needs and our budget, Eighth Day provided a truly great service”, says Sargeant who credits Systems Engineer Eddie O’Brien with developing a “perfect outcome”.
Monitor Engineer Edd Slaney was charged with both monitor duties and the DJ set-up, inadvertently assuming the role of show caller. “For that reason, I’ve always asked for great techs to come with my kit”, he explains. “I need a second set of eyes with me while I’ve got my head in one system or another. Liam Halpin looked after me for this run and was awesome as always.”
Rascals’s monitoring preference is the Shure PSM1000 IEMs with D&B M2 wedges, alongside Sennheiser 6000 Series RF mics, and Slaney’s desk of choice is a DiGiCo SD5. “This show requires much more than our normal festival set-up in terms of comms and matrix requirements”, he says. “The mixes for the performers on stage aren’t overly complex, so I’m able to use Dizzee’s tours to try out combinations of kit to establish what I do and don’t like.”
Tommy Sheals-Barrett of Back On Your Heads was the Production Manager on this tour.
(Photos: @lili_takesflickis)
Jonathan Wales immerses horror film audiences with Nugen technology
Re-recording mixer Jonathan Wales, who works both as a freelancer and for Warner Brothers Studios, didn’t set out to specialize in horror, but a thirty-year-long career path brought him there. “I tend to work on a lot of horror movies”, he says. “It wasn’t supposed to be that way, but when you start doing something well, people notice, and you end up doing more of it. It was an accidental career path, but it’s a fun genre to work in. Right now, there’s probably an even amount of time spent between original series content and horror films and shows.”
Among Wales’ most notable mixing projects are Netflix projects like “Haunting of Hill House”, “Midnight Mass” and “Fall of the House of Usher”. His feature-length film credits include “Insidious”, “The Red Door” and “The Black Phone.” When he’s not working on re-recording projects, Wales is also a scoring mixer and is credited with mixing the score for every Mike Flanagan project, from the first episode of “Haunting of Hill House” in 2018 forward.
Wales says he has also seen a change in the way directors and producers attack horror projects. “Over the past five to ten years, there has been an increasing trend towards mixing in Atmos as the primary format”, he explains. “That requires us to have solutions that handle a lot of detailed format conversions like upmixing and downmixing, while simultaneously managing level specs. That’s how I’ve come to grow my relationship with Nugen Audio.”
Wales credits the brand’s Halo Upmix as being one of his go-to tools. “It played a huge role on the ‘Fall of the House of Usher’”, he shares. “I use it on all sorts of audio elements, including things you wouldn’t expect - like individual stereo background files. Sometimes I like to deploy it just to see what happens. With music especially, there are always songs we try to make sound bigger. Nugen was also one of the first companies that provided a way to fully upmix beyond 5.1, into Atmos, in a way that makes sense.”
As many of Wales’ latest projects are for Netflix, keeping his projects to spec has become especially critical. “We use Nugen’s VisLM loudness meter as a sort of bible on level specs”, he says. “That plug-in is very important because it maintains a history of what you’ve been doing over the length of the program. So, if something isn’t quite in spec, you can find the exact placement of the problem and go directly to that section to make corrections. The results are reflected in real-time, so you can decipher if you’re making something better.”
Wales says Nugen Audio’s Halo Downmix is another of his go-to solutions. “Halo Upmix, Halo Downmix and VisLM - those three plug-ins are in every template I have. There is no scenario where I’m not using them”, he concludes.
(Photo: Nugen Audio)
Michael Fitz-Gerald chooses Tascam Portacapture X8 and X6 portable audio field recorders
Michael Fitz-Gerald, founder of Fitzaey LLC, uses Tascam Portacapture X8 and Portacapture X6 portable audio field recorders to help his clients create podcasts and related social media endeavors. In addition to his social media activities, Fitz-Gerald also captures audio for a variety of live events such as weddings and various performances.
He discusses one of his favorite Portacapture features: “Each line can be captured as a separate 32-bit audio file. This makes it easy to quickly grab a file and make whatever adjustments to it that I deem necessary. Depending upon the nature of the project, I can use the AUX inputs with an XLR cable and add wireless mics to the feed.”
“When I run livestreams”, he adds, “I can connect either the X8 or the X6 via USB-C to my MacBook and run OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). Doing so will provide me with a perfect audio signal with all the limiters and effects already applied to avoid clipping. I can run the Portacapture via USB power, so I needn’t worry about loss of battery power.”
“The Portacapture X8 has a wide range of ports that makes it easy to interconnect the recorder with other gear”, he continues. “This, coupled with the fact that it records each line separately and still provides a mix makes the Portacapture really flexible in terms of any editing that may be required. The fact that both the Portacapture X8 and X6 record using 96 kHz, 32-bit float recording is another benefit.”
Giving more details, he says: “This feature provides high quality audio that can be a complement to video and other aspects of any broadcast-type project. Coupled with XLR inputs and dual built-in mics with switchable AB/true-XY patterns plus USB and AUX inputs, the recorder can handle most any type of input you encounter. The Portacapture is one compact, highly portable device that enables me to be prepared for just about anything.”
“I should also point out that I routinely run into multiple scenarios where I need to make sure the environmental noise will not ruin the recording”, Fitz-Gerald concludes. “For such situations, the noise gate has helped me a lot.”
(Photo: Fitzaey/Tascam)
Over 100 Focusrite RedNet components employed by ATK Audiotek for Super Bowl LVIII coverage
At this year’s Super Bowl LVIII - held on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas - ATK Audiotek, the live-sound provider for the Super Bowl for the past twenty-seven consecutive years, had an all-digital audio signal path thanks to an extensive Dante networked audio infrastructure featuring components from Focusrite’s RedNet range of Dante-networked audio converters and interfaces.
“This is our ninth year using Focusrite RedNet with our Dante Audio-over IP network at the Super Bowl”, states Kirk Powell, engineer-in-charge for ATK/Clair Global at Super Bowl LVIII. “This year we were employing over 100 RedNet units, which is the largest Focusrite setup used on a Super Bowl to date.”
ATK was responsible for all the audio in the stadium, including the pre-game performances that featured Reba McEntire (who performed the national anthem), Post Malone and Andra Day; the halftime show with Usher and special guests Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Will.i.am; and announcements throughout the game to the fans at Allegiant Stadium.
“Each year the Super Bowl presents an immense logistical hurdle which involves handling a multitude of diverse audio sources and routing them to various destinations”, says Powell. “Utilising Focusrite RedNet components is indispensable for our operations, as they provide the connectivity and versatility necessary for us to execute our tasks effectively.”
ATK Audiotek’s Focusrite gear setup for Super Bowl LVIII included twenty-five RedNet D16R MkII 16-channel AES3 I/Os; thirty-five RedNet A16R MkII 16-channel analogue I/O interfaces; twenty-five RedNet D64R 64-channel MADI bridges; twelve RedNet MP8R 8-channel remote-controlled mic pre with dual PSUs; and eight RedNet AM2 stereo audio monitoring units, for a grand total of 105 RedNet units.
During Super Bowl LVIII, A16R units facilitated connectivity across diverse interfaces managed by the venue and other parties, while D16R units linked with amplifiers. RedNet D64R MADI bridges were utilised to connect with consoles and broadcast trucks. The RedNet D64R combines a generous channel capacity with the capability to convert sample rates across different audio systems at a multitrack level, ensuring seamless inter-system audio transfer and sharing without relying on a common master reference clock.
According to Powell, while the FOH and stage monitors could synchronise to the same clock, there was a distinction with the production truck. “The production truck operates on a separate clock since they’re not in use all day”, he elaborates. “The D64R enables me to separate the clock between my system and the production truck, especially as they wrap up after halftime. As they begin to dismantle, I prefer not to be synchronised to their clock to avoid any premature shutdowns. We are also using the D16Rs and A16Rs because we’re doing analogue backup as the interface for the system’s amplifiers.”
When asked what the most challenging aspect was of designing and installing the audio system for Super Bowl LVIII, Powell doesn’t have to think twice: “Flying the P.A.”, he says. “Allegiant Stadium’s ceiling structure is cable-based, just like SoFi Stadium, which restricts options for placing clusters and similar components due to weight restrictions and rigging points.”
He further notes, “Managing rigging and cables presented challenges, as did determining optimal amplifier placement. We had to compromise on a few positions, but the system worked out really well. Also, with renowned mixers Dave Natale and Alex Guessard handling FOH duties, the audio for the performances sounded great.”
(Photos: ATK Audiotek/Clair Global/Focusrite)
Elation Proteus chosen for light art piece at Valkea Light and Art Festival
In December 2023, Särkänniemi Theme Park in Tampere, Finland, hosted the inaugural Valkea Light and Art Festival, filling the park with a myriad of visual spectacles, one of which featured lighting effects from Elation’s Proteus Hybrid IP65 moving head. The event transformed the park into an immersive art realm, engaging the senses with visual art installations, incorporating light, art, music, and live performances.
Leading the creative direction and production of the festival was Finnish artist Kari Kola. He was particularly drawn to “Step Into the Light”, a light art piece by artist/designer Michel Suk from 2017, and sought to reimagine it for Valkea. Suk, a Dutch light technician and artist with a background in lighting for theater, television, and musical performances, draws inspiration from architecture and music in his work. Describing “Step Into the Light” as a ballet of light visible from a distance, Suk’s creation is characterized by patterns of beams, reminiscent of a spirograph, with influences from Pink Floyd’s iconic vertical circle truss.
For the Valkea Festival, Suk adapted “Step Into the Light”, utilizing 24 Proteus Hybrid moving heads from Elation mounted atop vertical towers in a circular arrangement. The lights were mounted at an even distance from each other and had to be exactly perpendicular to the ground, otherwise there were offsets.
“It’s a simple concept in a way but if it’s not calibrated correctly, it doesn’t work and just looks like lights moving”, says Suk. “If it’s calibrated correctly the result is beautiful patterns that look like the old spirograph game. You have all the lights pointing directly at a point in the center, then you can aim at a point slightly higher to get floors of crosspoints. There are lots of possibilities.”
Suk collaborated with designer and international event producer Bas Kemper on the project, who executed the setup and calibration, working in -20°C weather. “Step Into the Light” invited visitors to immerse themselves in an interplay of living spotlights, offering a visual experience that captivated both up close and from a distance.
(Photos: Rami Saarikorpi)
DiGiCo Quantum 225 upgrades “one man touring solution”
Sound engineer Karel Marynissen’s touring company Klaar Voor Opname - based in Ghent, Belgium - was established in 2004. The DiGiCo SD8-24 had always been the console of choice for Marynissen, but when the time came to replace it, he chose the DiGiCo Quantum 225. Belgian audio systems provider Amptec ensured that the entire system was up to high specification of his mixing console.
Predominately working alone this “one man touring solution”, Marynissen specialises in amplifying acoustic instruments for jazz and classical music. “We knew that Karel’s next logical step from the SD8-24 would be the Quantum 225”, says Amptec’s David Liebens. The upgrade also brought access to the DiGiCo Quantum Spice Rack and Nodal Processing.
Marynissen mixes FOH and monitors from his console, as well as managing the performers’ IEMs. The Nodal Processing makes this more streamlined, and the Spice Rack reduces his reliance on additional outboard effects units. “We had to figure out how to reduce the amount and size of the set up so that one man could load in and out from a small van”, recalls Liebens. “The real challenge was cabling - how could we reduce the multiple signal lines into a manageable package?” The answer came in the form of the Festival Box from Optocore.
Using the Festival Box meant that the FOH cabling could be reduced to a single rugged fibre cable running between two purpose built flight cases. The ruggedized Fibreco 4ch expanded beam connection enabled six MADI lines (3 in/3 out) and three 1G network lines to be patchable via the custom panels from Amptec Connx, enabling the system to be fully adaptable to any performance. Amptec Connex designed two cases, one for the SD rack and one FOH. Both of these have been built so that the Festival Box connections are patchable and integrated with the rest of the system.
“The new setup brings significant time savings during setup and teardown, and I have the flexibility to adjust the setup according to the needs of the day, thanks to the patching capabilities”, says Marynissen. “Having a computer and screen integrated into the console flight case means I no longer need to build and dismantle it separately.”
(Photos: Peter Fizgal/Watchkraft)
