project news

Bonding at City Kirken with d&b

Clean lines, four square and solid. Look closely at the walls of City Kirken in Arhus, Denmark, and you'll notice the bricklayer has adopted a most unusual bond; one that when viewed from afar produces a striking herringbone pattern pointed toward the heavens.

For this modern Church, unusual bonds are a convenient metaphor for all that it does; one of the Church members Peter Rasch is typical of this - for Peter has an unexpected expertise that rendered good service to City Kirken's congregation.

"As you can see from the photos, the church completely renovated the building within which it lives. The main worship room was always intended to bring a fresh modern feel and the church members all agreed that we should employ the equally modern technologies of communication, sound, light and video, but with sensitivity. This is not the place for Iron Maiden, but it is a place where people should be excited by what they see and hear."

The Church Committee sought Rasch's advice. "My career has been in providing audio and communications systems. I worked with Informations Teknik in Copenhagen for some years, and now work with Get Visual, a specialist with particular expertise in video in my home town of Arhus. My primary recommendation was for a d&b audiotechnik PA system; speech is always the first consideration in communication and my professional experience had taught me that d&b is the best."

Rasch arranged for KC Productions, a local system integrator, to make a demonstration; KC's Casey Willie agreed Rasch's selection. "He too had worked with d&b equipment a lot and didn't hesitate." Willie called Lars Frederiksen from Alfa Audio, d&b's distributor for Denmark, and between them the two men designed the installation. "Of course the committee were concerned with coverage throughout the room," said Rasch, "but they also wanted to ensure that musically it was as pleasant down on the floor as it was to those people sitting in the balcony."

"This was a great room to work," said Frederiksen. "Eddy Bøgh Brixen, the acoustician Peter brought in, has done a fantastic job. That's always a welcome discovery when designing any system installation. The flexible characteristics of the d&b T-Series proved ideal for the main system. Casey installed a powerful stereo array of T10s to cover the main room, with a single T10P in point source configuration to cover the front centre area. Thus a single loudspeaker

replaces the need for front fills and keeps the stage edge much less cluttered. Again, in the interests of clear sightlines, Q subwoofers are positioned in the roof above the beams that support the T loudspeaker arrays."

Rasch was pleased with the outcome. "Lars, Casey, Eddy: they have all done a really good job. For the everyday use of our church hall this has fully met our expectations. Since the installation was completed in February we've had a lot of positive feedback from our church users, and from people visiting here from other churches. The fact it sounds so good has cemented bonds between us and other Christian communities."

MA Lighting grandMA2 at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires

Teatro Colón, the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and considered one of the best five opera houses in the world, was recently re-equipped with a grandMA2 full-size console and a grandMA2 replay unit as part of its major refurbishment programme.

The venue is renowned for the building's magnitude, its magnificent acoustics and shimmering opulence. It opened on the 25th of May 1908, with Verdi's Aida, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008, still closed due to the complete re-fit.

The city government’s original ‘master plan’ in 2006 involved structural restoration, but Mayor Mauricio Macri decided on a total facelift across the board costing US$ 100 million – the most expensive heritage restoration in Argentina’s history – in order to improve both the building’s structure and to bring it up to date technologically.

Ernesto Diz, internationally renowned consultant in lighting and stage machinery was in charge of the lighting system’s bid specification. Diz, founder of Estudio Diz, was a Professor of Lighting Design at the Buenos Aires University, and is the lighting and stage designer of several buildings in Argentina and around the world, including Teatro Argentino de la Plata, Teatro Municipal de Bahia Blanca, Centro de Convenciones de Mendoza and now the 'new' Teatro Colon, etc.

Diz decided on the grandMA2 system - a grandMA2 full size console and a grandMA2 replay unit - working in full tracking back up over an Ethernet network. These were installed by Maximiliano Moreno, technical manager of Stage Tech, the Argentinean MA Lighting distributor, and have replaced the old control system. The system fully complies with the theatre specification, allowing the technical crew to generate any show.

Jorge Perez, lighting manager of the theatre and the lighting crew are delighted with the grandMA2's performance. Perez said: "The main reasons of our decision for a grandMA2 system were that it is the most accepted worldwide control platform, with a large quantity of grandMA systems installed and running smoothly in Argentina during the last 11 years. Furthermore the grandMA2 is able to control video and digital lights and offers the perfect back up options. Additionally each programmer at the theatre can have their own layout allowing fast programming. And at least, the high level of the technical support offered by MA Lighting Latin America and MA´s local distributor, Stage Tech SRL, with whom the theatre has more than 20 years of relationship are the icing on the cake."

The new lighting equipment was mostly delivered by Stage Tech and Philips Entertainment, including more than 860 dimmers, 424 Selecon luminaires, 48 Vari*Lites, six Robert Juliat´s followspots, 142 Wybron colour changers and 20 ADB ALC4 cyc lights.

The original total area of the old Teatro Colón covered 37,884 square metres. Later extensions, especially in the late 1960s, brought this up to 58,000 square metres, and it now has a total capacity of 2,478 seats.

The stage is 35 metres wide by 35 metres deep, and 48 metres high. It has a 20 metre electrically operated revolve that can turn in both directions for quick scene changes. The orchestra pit can accommodate 120 musicians.

Stage Tech SRL is the local MA distributor in Argentina. Its CEO, Antonio Agra, with the support of Daniel Fernandez Ridano, MA Lighting’s regional manager, managed the project.

Agra reported: "Our company celebrates 25 years in the theatre business and 16 years of professional partnership with MA Lighting. We know how to live and work in theatre buildings, but most importantly, we love what we do. The Teatro Colón is for many opera lovers the most important opera house in the world. The fame of this theatre is based on the reputation of its unique acoustic."

Says Agra: "So for us, our intervention in the refurbishment was really more than another business. It was a labour of love and the culmination of years of hard work in our market. It has taken many hours of busy schedules, plus meetings with lighting designers, specifiers, producers and the construction team to show them what MA can do for them.

"I want to thank the involvement of all our team, and specially our chief technician Maximiliano Moreno and his technical crew who worked efficiently during the installation and setup."

In picture: Jorge Perez, Daniel Fernandez Ridano, Maximiliano Moreno and Carlos Randich set up the grandMA2 system.

www.malighting.com

Automation in Akureyri

Stage Technologies has been back in Iceland in the town of Akureyri, the second largest urban area after the Greater Reykjavík area, known as the Capital of North Iceland.

Due to open this month, the double-auditorium Hof Conference and Cultural Centre is designed for live music and other performing arts, with ancillary facilities for conferences and exhibitions.

Stage Technologies was contracted by Exton ehf to supply a low-noise automated rigging system including 21 BeamHoists and BigTow winches with variable speed drives for the main 500-seat raked auditorium. The system is controlled by an Illusionist console and motion control cabinets with local control touch panels. Training was recently provided for Hof's technical team.

www.stagetech.com

Danish Hospital Improves Lighting with ETC Unison Paradigm

Hospitals are renowned for poor lighting – cold, flat, white fluorescent strips illuminating soulless corridors and consulting rooms. But in central Denmark, Silkeborg hospital has recently decided it needed to improve conditions for staff and patients, and commissioned lighting designer Rune Tønnes to help – starting out in the radiology department.

"One of the challenges," says Tønnes, "was that, being south facing, the x-ray and MRI rooms were flooded with bright daylight. Clinicians had to pull the blinds down in order to work, but were then left with poor artificial lighting. I spoke to the operators about their needs and examined the machinery, to see how I can make their jobs easier."

In the control rooms, a certain level and temperature of lighting was necessary to ensure the monitors could be seen easily while also providing a comfortable working environment for the department, which is in use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Tønnes specified a mixture of primary red and blue for viewing the greyscale monitors used with the scanners and cool blues for the rooms’ ambient lighting, together with a bright spotlight pointed directly at the desk for reading paperwork.

In the x-ray rooms, staff were often frustrated by their inability to see the machine’s aiming light on the photographic plate. So, continues Tønnes, "when the x-ray aiming light is activated, the room lighting changes automatically to primary blue, enabling easy viewing of the machine’s warm white lamp. Turning the lamp off again restores the room to normal lighting.

"Over in the CT rooms, the lighting serves a dual purpose: to assist staff, but also to help relax patients. If someone’s heart were being scanned, they would understandably be anxious. So rather than have clinically white wlls, the lighting provides warm, comforting, soft colours for the patient."

Lighting control is provided by an ETC Unison Paradigm system, which, he says, "is the only system capable of doing exactly what I wanted. The clinicians are all trained in how to use the lighting, and because each has their individual preference, they can select the colours which suit them best." All lighting is still T5 fluorescent tubes, but Tønnes specified a mixture of warm and cool blue tubes, which can then be set as required for the specific task and is also programmed in a 24 hour sequence. The wall

uplighters, meanwhile, are modified industrial RGBW fixtures.

"Children can get a colour change sequence," says Tønnes, "because the staff thought that changing colours would make it a more pleasant experience for them in particular – and, of course, distract them."

The next phase of the project includes improved lighting for the waiting room and medical secretaries, with the same functionality of colour temperature control, task dependent lighting and daylight harvesting.

Later this autumn a Paradigm system with lighting designed by Rune Lighting will be installed in the hospital’s new A&E department. The 1,000 sq m area has five emergency rooms, a blood laboratory and patient waiting areas, with colour temperature control for 24h use.

"This is the first of what we hope will be a number of regional hospitals in Denmark and across Scandinavia to be fitted with modern, contemporary lighting powered by ETC Paradigm," explains Søren Jørgensen, project manager for Bico, the dealer which supplied the equipment. "Hospital users traditionally have had cold, unpleasant lighting, in addition to the stress of whatever procedure they are undergoing. Now, at least we can make the whole experience a little more pleasing to the eye."

In picture: Silkeborg hospital’s improved lighting in the radiography department photo : Rune Tønnes

www.etcconnect.com

Bulgarian Capital’s Night Flight Club Takes Off with Tannoy

Night Flight is one of the latest additions to Bulgaria’s emerging and vibrant night scene, boasting one of the highest specification audio-visual systems yet seen in any club around the country’s bustling capital of Sofia. Located in the heart of the city, Night Flight opened in December 2009, with the remit of providing a top class venue for both club nights and special promotion events such as live performance shows, pop music record launches and cabaret shows. The ultra-modern design extended beyond just the decor to an impressive array of cutting edge AV technology including Tannoy VQ loudspeaker system, powered by Lab.gruppen’s world renowned amplifiers, as well as a host of lighting, special effects and giant LCD screen.

The huge 1000-capacity venue is split over two levels, with a VIP balcony overlooking the main floor and performance/stage area below, and a total of four bars between the levels, making it one of the largest dedicated club venues in the capital. It’s the unique scale of the sound and lighting system however that sets Night Flight aside from the rest, which is on a par with even the best venues around Europe’s better known clubbing meccas.

At the heart of the impressive audio system are two clusters of Tannoy’s VQ Series, hung left and right of the 15 metre stage and giant 30 sq. metre LED screen. Each cluster comprises of two pairs of VQ 60 with additional paired VS 15DR and VQ 64DF enclosures for LF and down-fill respectively. six VS 218DR dual 18" direct radiating subwoofers installed under the stage front provide all the bass extension even the most ardent clubber could wish for, and more. This permanent FOH system provides stunningly clear, high SPL stereo coverage of the main floor, more than capable of handling anything required of it, be it club DJ set or live band performance, and with very low power demands to boot.

Tannoy V-Series are installed throughout the venue including V300 as balcony delays, V15 and V12 providing stage side fill and monitoring respectively, while Di8 DC (Designer Install series) in the restaurant area completes the all Tannoy loudspeaker fit-out. The system is controlled via pairs of Tannoy SC1 and TDX-1 processors.

Of course, a system is only as good as its weakest component, and so the high-end loudspeaker complement has been perfectly matched with a rack of 6 Lab.gruppen C Series amplifiers, including a pair of their flagship C 88:4s. Renowned for their industry leading touring amplifier technology, the Swedish company’s install-dedicated C Series platform has steadily and justifiably become a preferred choice of integration professionals when it comes to first class sound quality and uncompromising reliability (backed up by a 6-year warranty). Boasting class-leading efficiency, high channel density and a feature set that includes individual adjustment of maximum voltage peak output and gain per channel and advanced NomadLink® networking with remote monitoring and control, C Series is built to cope effortlessly with the demands of a venue like Night Flight.

Elsewhere in the venue, the audio-visual experience is augmented by a host of other technology including a Digidesign Venue D-Show SC48 digital FOH mixer and a substantial DTS intelligent lighting system, controlled by Martin Light Jockey and Zero 88 Jester ML24. A host of DMX controlled smoke and snow machines as well as Laserworld Pro 1000G 1-Watt laser projector, 7 42" LCD screens and other multimedia gear provides all the party equipment a venue like this could ever need.

The AV installation was handled by experienced Bulgarian technology integrator Bulcomp, who have an office in Sofia itself, and are also responsible for other recent night club installations of note in Bulgaria featuring Tannoy VQ and Lab.gruppen sound systems, such as Club Deluxe in Asenovgrad.

www.tannoy.com

projectiondesign and Antycip Simulation at DMU Cube initiative Leicester

Three of projectiondesign’s F22 wuxga projectors have been incorporated by Antycip Simulation, a subsidiary of ST Electronics (Training & Simulation Systems) Pte Ltd, into a cylindrical, interactive digital canvas for up and coming visual artists, as part of the ground-breaking DMU Cube initiative in Leicester. The projectors were supplied to Antycip Simulation by UK distributor, RGB Communications.

Part of the city’s Phoenix Square cinema and entertainment complex, the DMU Cube is a purpose-built exhibition space designed to showcase the most progressive developments in art and technology. It is a joint venture between Leicester City Council, De Montfort University and the Phoenix Square organisation.

"The client wanted a system that was independent of the room environment, and which could be dismantled and reassembled within the show space when required," explains John Mould, commercial development manager, Antycip Simulation. "We met this challenge by proposing a custom-built solution using three projectiondesign projectors that are automatically calibrated onto a wide field-of-view display screen, enabling the creation of a seamless image within minutes."

At the heart of the system is a Mersive SOL server which allows a robot-mounted camera to automatically discover the display environment, and apply geometry and edge-blending calibrations directly to the Open GL-based software that ultimately delivers the visual scene once each artist has interacted with the digital canvas.

"The three projectiondesign projectors are installed on a custom truss suspended before the cylindrical screen," Mould continues. "The F22 wqxga was chosen with short-throw lenses, reduced-segment colour wheels, and optional factory colour-matching to ensure the most consistent image quality possible.’

And John Mould concludes: "We use projectiondesign for many of our projects because they offer a high level of performance and reliability, combined with the kind of simulation-specific features that we require to deliver a high-quality solution. For this particular project, we chose the F22 wuxga because it has a small form factor and a chassis that is easy to handle – ideal for a solution that may be created and dismantled several times a year by clients.

"No how matter how sophisticated your image-warping or edge-blending technology is, you won’t create a seamless image unless your projectors offer the proper foundation. By hand-picking components at the factory to aid the colour-matching process, projectiondesign gave us the perfect starting point, and we believe the results speak for themselves."

Arts Centre Gold Coast Halves Stage Power Consumption with New Selecon 80V 1200W Rama Fresnels

The Arts Centre is the Australian Gold Coast's premier cultural centre, offering unrivalled visual and performing arts facilities to residents of South East Queensland with its complex of a Performing Arts Theatre, Paradise Showroom, cinemas, restaurant, galleries and the Coast’s largest Costume Hire department.

During the selection process for a major theatrical lighting overhaul for the Performing Arts Theatre Peter McKenzie, sales manager for Philips Selecon, demonstrated the energy-saving 1200W 80V Rama High Performance Fresnel as an alternative to their larger, hungrier stage luminaires. This presentation, backed up by an independent assessment convinced the Council to specify and install 36 80V 1200W Rama High Performance Fresnels which have now completely replaced all the older 2000 / 2500W Fresnels in the 1139-seat Arts Theatre.

Chris Dbais, venue operations manager, is delighted with the energy-savings that these luminaires represent to both fiscal and environmental savings, "The upgrade from 2000 and 2500 watt Fresnels to the new Philips Selecon 80 volt 1200 watt Rama High Performance Fresnels has more than halved our power consumption on stage."

On the technical side Alex Fox and Jesse Radatti, senior lighting technicians, are impressed with performance, light output and ease of use that these compact, hard-working luminaires deliver to both performers on stage and crew behind the curtain!

"The stage area is much cooler, yet we keep nearly the same luminosity as previously. Quite a few clients we’ve had onstage have been very surprised when we fly our lighting bars in, to find that we have the small 1200W Fresnels. Their expectation from the light-output was that they’d be 2000-2500watt lamps," said Alex.

While Jesse had this to say on the benefits that the direct DMX-controlled Power Supply: "The individual dimmers per lamp make patching much faster. We simply need to have a straight 240V power point and DMX on the lighting bar and we’re set. The fact that we’re dealing with 1200W Fresnels also means that we can have two Fresnels per 2400watt circuit, thus saving outlets. The control on the luminaire’s dimmer is very easy to use – providing manual intensity control and DMX address changing."

In picture: senior lighting technicians Alex Fox and Jesse Radatti on stage.

www.seleconlight.com

TiMax Tracker at Royal Command in Sweden

Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre, Sweden's national theatre, has recently updated the sound reinforcement system for its main auditorium to include a TiMax SoundHub-R16 delay-matrix processor with a TiMax Tracker (TT) performer tracking system. The project was orchestrated and overseen by the theatre’s sound designers and engineers Per Wennling, Jakob Wilhelmson. TiMax SoundHub controls zone level, EQ and matrixed delay for the L-Acoustics dV-Dosc / MTD115 main FOH system and four Fostex stagefront fills, plus some smaller MTD and Yamaha delay enclosures.

The system was sold by Brollan Soderstrom of TiMax distributor Electrosound and commissioned by his chief engineer Tommy Wistrand, with on-site support from Robin Whittaker of TiMax developers Out Board. Three TT Sensors, positioned proscenium left and right and up-stage centre, track 16 TT Tags to provide precision radar-based perfomer tracking, ensuring radio-mic audio follows performer-position on stage in real-time.

The TiMax SoundHub-R16 delay matrix was originally supplied with 16-in/16-out analogue I/O but subsequently received a simple field-upgrade on-site to the new AES MIO card, providing 16 AES digital in/out plus 16 analogue outputs. The AES MIO card allows different sample rates on any AES input or output pair, with independant output clocking selectable from a range of internal and external sources.

The TiMax system has already cut its teeth on two challenging Dramaten Theater shows. The first " Dr Ãmmen om HerrÃn ("The Dream of the Mans Island")" used the system to automatically track the actors’ head microphones so that the overlaid dialogue audio would be pinpointed to the respective performer by the audience. The system was also used for some placement of sound effects.

The second show, "Hantverkarna", (The Craftsmen) featured a large number of items which required sound effects localised around the stage, such as radios, fake violins and electric tools in the shape of saw machines, drills etc. Most significantly, a chainsaw that moves around the stage was given a ~voice" using the pinpoint dynamic localising abilities of the TiMax system.

Very pleased with the new installation, Jakob Wilhelmson, sound designer for the Royal Dramatic Theatre, says: "Once you’ve used a TiMax system you will never go back to mic’ing up an actor without. It’s such an effective yet simple system."

ETC in Award Winning Lighting Scheme for Ripon Cathedral

Eighty ETC Source Four PARs have been used in the award winning refurbishment of Ripon Cathedral in North Yorkshire. Lighting consultant Light & Design Associates (L&DA) won the Lighting Design Award 2010 in the Heritage Projects category for the installation, which consisted of a complete rewiring and new electrical installation. 

Jim Morse, then a director at L&DA and now a consultant with them, was the lighting designer on the project. He says: "The cathedral knew it needed new lighting both internally and externally, so took the opportunity to upgrade to the latest and best technology. We used two types of Source Four PARs: 575W with wide beam lenses for days when the cathedral is open for services and concerts; and Source Four PAR HID 150W for days when it is open for the general public. That way, they would have the quality they needed while keeping energy costs down."

The 575W lamps used in the tungsten Source Four PARs are the 2,000 hour long-life versions, while the HID version has a standard life of some 12,000 hours, helping the cathedral save money by reducing the frequency of lamp changes."I specified Source Fours because they are a truly robust product and come in a range of beam widths. I had previously used a similar lighting scheme for Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, where they had performed well. In both cases, we use them to highlight features of the cathedral, including the nave, the cross and the altar."While the tungsten 575w lamps obviously use more energy at full brightness, they have the advantage that they can be dimmed as required. The cathedral also has the option to have both the metal halide and tungsten luminaires on for very high light levels for filming and TV purposes."

The judges of the Lighting Design Award described the project as having "sophistication and precision". The project manager was Patrick Crawford of Caroe & Partners Architects.

In picture: ETC Source Four luminaires are being used in an award winning new lighting scheme for Ripon Cathedral in Yorkshire photo Whitfield Benson

www.etcconnect.com

RG Jones at Lords

RG Jones Sound Engineering has completed the latest phase of development of the PA / VA system at Lord's, the home of both Marylebone Cricket Club and of cricket itself.

The newly completed system, developed by an RG Jones project team headed by Roland Hemming, sees a fully integrated IP based PA/VA system that incorporates the latest safety standards including EN54. It also meets the much stricter security and environmental regulations that have developed in the 25 years since RG Jones began its longstanding relationship with MCC in the 1980s - matching the London based company's quarter-century relationship with the UK home of tennis at Wimbledon.

The new system scores a number of 'world firsts', being a fully IP based plug-and-play project that features the world's largest Dante network and allows users to treat all the equipment as a single system; it is also the first 'out of the box' system to combine life safety compliance with pro audio quality.

The historic ground, where the first official game was played in May 1787, is the best-known cricket ground in the world but has moved energetically with the times: its futuristic Media Centre saw groundbreaking architecture and technology join the site's other well-loved buildings, and the new phase brings its audio systems to a new level of quality and flexibility.

RG Jones's project team's task was to develop an all-in-one solution that would both enhance audio quality, reliability, noise spill control and aesthetics, provide full voice alarm compliance, improve outside broadcast facilities and be flexible enough to work with all cricket match formats from Test Matches to Twenty20 and a broad spectrum of other events.

Jon Berry, RG Jones' sales and installations director, comments: "Evolving health and safety legislation, environmental requirements and many other factors led Lord's to undertake a complete re-evaluation of the ground's overall audio concept. The challenge for our team was to develop a system that would that would meet those needs while being aesthetically in keeping with the site and consistent with other parties' requirements and its residential setting."

He adds: "We've worked with Roland Hemming for several years including the previous Lord's Ground installation, and asked him to head up this Phase Two of the audio improvements, covering the historic Pavilion and the access gates."

The team worked with a number of manufacturers including Lab.gruppen, Audinate and ASL Safety & Security to create a scalable and modular system that would fulfill the broad range of uses required. Brands specified for the project also include D.A.S., APart and Sennheiser.

Tannoy's VQ is Class Act at Dubai Theatre

Tannoy's class-leading VQ Series loudspeaker system has been putting in a leading performance at a theatre in Dubai, with a pair of VQNET 60 cabs at Dubai Community Theatre & Arts Centre (DUCTAC), located within the Mall of the Emirates.

DUCTAC is the first modern, non-profit, cross-community creative centre in the Gulf region, built to international specifications. The brainchild of local theatre-lovers and business people who recognised the need for an entertainment and educational centre for the community and future generations of Dubai, the facility opened in late 2006.

The main auditorium within DUCTAC comprises of a tiered two level theatre with a capacity of 543, including four VIP boxes, and plays host to an outstanding array of international and local theatre, dance, comedy and music as well as TV shoots and exhibitions. The centre have been trying out Tannoy's new VQ Series, with very positive results - as DUCTAC's technical manager, Craig Burgess, was happy to explain:

"The Tannoy VQ system we have installed has really surprised me. I'm impressed with the system's response and compact design. Having VQ in our theatre gives us real flexibility and reliability to cope with the diverse range of shows we tend to have here. The VQ system proves itself in many applications such as dance, classical, large scale west end shows to conference. The VQNET active system gives us full control through the networked cabinets from which we can monitor the processers from our control room. The system gives great coverage and throw over the auditorium including the balcony and boxes. To sum up, Tannoy's VQ gives big impact, ease of use and controlled coverage with headroom to play with. Our clients love it..."

VQ's high sensitivity means high SPL levels can be achieved with a very modest amount of amplifier power and when coupled with the highly directional, controlled dispersion characteristics (courtesy of the unique patented design Point Source Waveguide), it's noted that just a pair of Tannoy VQNET 60 full-range devices are required to provide the necessary front of house coverage, with fills required only for the upper half of the balcony. Two Tannoy VNET 218DR direct radiating subwoofer enclosures provide more than adequate low frequency reinforcement.

The new system has been put through its paces already this summer with high profile shows including a local production of crowd-pleasing hits - Fame and Hairspray, the latter of which including cast members from the original West End production. Clearly Tannoy's VQ Series is making a big impression with the theatre engineers and audiences alike - proof if any were needed that there's more to this versatile high performance loudspeaker system than night clubs or sports arenas.

In picture: Ductac’s Craig Burgess (right) and Philip Fortaleza with their new VQ system; the auditorium; a scene from Hairspray.

www.tannoy.com

JM Rental and DBIS Select Lighthouse Screens at Shanghai World Expo

Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Expo 2010) is in full swing on the banks of the Huangpu River, where more than 190 countries and 50 international organisations have gathered to display their brands and cultures to the world. Open from May 1 until October 31, Expo 2010 is the largest (5.28km2) and most expensive world expo ever held, and organizers expect between 70 and 100 million Chinese and international guests, making it the most visited in history.

As part of this landmark moment, leading LED rental screen provider JM Rental has installed Lighthouse LED screens at the Macau pavilion, in the Expo's Urban Best Practice Area (UBPA). Located in Puxi District, the UBPA allows cities to independently participate in the World Expo to show explicitly innovative programs designed to improve the quality of urban life. JM Rental worked closely with Don't Believe in Style (DBIS), the creative agency responsible for the Macau pavilion's visual content.

"The Shanghai Expo is without a doubt a monumental event for China, a reflection of how much progress has been made in the past thirty years. Working closely with the creative geniuses at DBIS has been a wonderful experience, and it's great to see their designs come to life on the LED screens. We are extremely proud to be the LED screen provider for the Macau Urban Best Practice Area at Expo 2010 Shanghai China," said Kenneth Yip, operations director, JM Rental.

JM Rental supplied five screens in total, all comprising Lighthouse R4-S 4mm SMD LED panels. A huge 10.9m (w) x 1.92m (h) and 3.84m (w) x 1.92m (h) L-shaped screen was installed on the second floor. The screens display content in rich, bold color, and the excellent contrast ratio and resolution bring images to life even at the shortest viewing distances, a critical requirement for the pavilion.

The Macau pavilion is promoting the Macau Martial Arts Team with a creative exhibit based on the legendary Wuxia novels of Jin Yong, published throughout the 1950s and 60s. DBIS's art designer helped create five-minute clips that recreate famous scenes from the novels, bringing them to life on the LED screens. Ten of the novels' characters were cast, all played by members of the Macau Martial Arts Team.

"On the very first day of the Expo, we overheard many of the visitors remarking how amazing the LED screens at the Macau Urban Best Practice Area were. We selected the R4 screens because we needed the very best visual quality to ensure our work delivered full impact, and have fully lived up to our expectations." said Angus Chu, founder and managing director, DBIS.

With the DBIS team's talent, JM Rental's extensive experience and the world-class Lighthouse LED panels, it brings Macau martial arts to life with a magnificent, marvelous show.

"We are very pleased that JM Rental decided Lighthouse LED screens were the best choice for the project," said Peter Chan, general manager of Lighthouse. "We're especially proud to be supporting one of the most fascinating pavilions at the Shanghai World Expo and the ‘Better City, Better Life' theme. It really helps demonstrate the range of applications our screens are suited for."

Guangzhou Opera House Chooses L-Acoustics Systems

Located in the new city of Pearl River, the Guangzhou Opera House has become one of China's three biggest theatres. Constructed from 12,000 tons of steel on a 70,000 square metre site, the Opera House includes a 1,800-seat and a 400-seat theatre. Both have been installed with L-Acoustics sound reinforcement systems supplied by Chinese distributor Rightway Audio Consultants and installed by contractor Leifull Light and Sound Enterprises.

The Guangzhou Opera House was designed by London-based architect Zaha Hadid to represent two boulder-like structures of different sizes, with a theatre located in each. The Grand Theatre in the main structure has been installed with eight KUDO line source cabinets and two SB28 high-powered subwoofers per side, with a central channel of 10 flown dV-DOSC line source cabinets. A dV-SUB subwoofer is installed on each side of the dV-DOSC array. Both the KUDO and dV-DOSC array are concealed in the ceiling, in keeping with Chinese visual aesthetics.

On each side of the stage apron is a concealed installation of 10 ARCS medium format line source cabinets and two SB28 subs. A total of 28 8XT compact coaxial enclosures are used as fill speakers; eight for the stage apron, six for second floor down fill, nine for third floor down fill and five for third floor up fill. Additionally, there is a sound effects system of 33 12XTs and two SB28 subs, with 12 12XTs wall mounted on the first floor, nine on the second floor, six on the third floor and six installed into the ceiling, along with the two SB28s. Stage monitoring is provided by 12XT high performance coaxial enclosures, four 115XT HiQ active stage monitors and an SB28 subwoofer.

"The opera house's sound reinforcement system is incredible," says Mr Zhou, chief sound engineer of Guangzhou Opera House. "Not too dry and not too bright, it meets the needs of a wide range of performances, including large-scale operas, enabling residents of the city to enjoy the performing arts."

The smaller, multi-function theatre has a mobile system of eight 115XT HiQs and four SB118 compact subwoofers, which can be configured according to the performance There is also a stage monitor system of four 12XTs, and a sound effects system of twelve 12XTs and eight 8XTs. Additionally, a rehearsal space and a news room have been installed with 112P self-powered coaxials.

All systems throughout the Opera House are driven by L-Acoustics LA4 and LA8 amplified controllers.

"Having supplied equipment to such prestigious projects as the Beijing National Grand Theatre and Shanghai Oriental Art Centre, we are proud to have worked on such an amazing installation in our home town of Guangzhou," says Rightway Audio Consultants director Danny Lau. "The Guangzhou Opera House will be central to this newly-built district of the city, and the L-ACOUSTICS systems will ensure that visitors will benefit from hearing the very best sound from all performances."

In picture: The Grand Theatre, Guangzhou Opera House

Photo Competition - Show us What You See!

For Theatre Projects' 2011 calendar, we want to showcase the insider's perspective on our work - your perspective.

Enter our photo competition and be part of our calendar!

We're looking for interesting, artistic photos taken in any space we've ever worked on, anywhere in the world. See a cool architectural detail? An unusual angle on technical equipment? A performance shot taken from a non-audience perch? How about a support space in full pre-show flurry?

If something catches your eye, show us. And tell us why it struck you.

The competition is open to anyone - all entries must be of a performing arts building that Theatre Projects has worked on. Not sure if your building is a Theatre Projects project? Look on our website or ask us by email at photos@theatreprojects.com

First prize: US$500. Deadline for entry: August 30, 2010.

RG Jones Celebrates 25 Years as the Sound of Wimbledon

This summer's Wimbledon Championships saw one of the longest running relationships in pro audio mark its 25th anniversary.

London based RG Jones were first called in to revamp The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club's system in 1986, and following the basic installation, have been refining and adding to the sound facilities to make it one of the most comprehensive systems in a UK sports complex.

The number of departments operating behind the scenes at the Wimbledon site is vast. RG Jones' engineers work closely with them to ensure that the Championships receives the audio service that this world class, leading tournament deserves. This includes liaising with the officials to ensure that the umpires can be heard on the courts, and their communication systems are functioning correctly, liaising with the broadcasters to provide the correct sends for their television/radio mix and to ensure correct cueing for live broadcasts, and liaising with the Club itself to ensure that the site-wide paging announcements are controlled and can be heard in all the right places.

Such a level of integration has led to the largest deployment of an integrated comms system (fully integrated with the broadcasters' comms system, leading to around 500 ports), the biggest Digital Signal Processor network installed on site with 35 BSS Soundweb London devices, 10 BSS Soundweb Original devices, and Yamaha DME4ioC and Bose ControlSpace DSPs. Every court had an integrated PA system for the first time, used for umpires' microphones and site-wide paging.

This year's Championships met with some moments in history too: the first day saw the latest finish with the match on Centre Court ending at 10:54pm, and three days later, on the Thursday, the longest match in history concluded with an epic 68-70 final set. HRH The Queen attended the Championships for the first time since 1977, which was a particularly proud moment for RG Jones as the only sound company in the UK to hold the Royal Warrant. This coincided with the newly upgraded BOSE MA12EX and MB4 PA system for the Junior Tennis Initiative display, which features a pop music backing track.

A familiar sight over the years is the Bandstand on the Tea Lawn, for which RG Jones provide a high quality PA system. It was achieved this year with Duran Audio AXYS T-2112G2 and UB-25G2 units providing crystal clear full range loudspeaker output, and a Roland RSS M-400 digital mixer with digital "snake" multicore relieving the strain for the engineer.

Owen Relfe noted: "We were impressed by how easy the M-400 was to understand and set up - the onboard 'Help' button was particularly useful. The patch bay was instantly obvious and we used, depending on the gig we were doing, a combination of the REAC stage box and the desk inputs, which was really useful. I look forward to using the M-400 again with more REAC boxes and possibly the optional multichannel recording capabilities."

The system at the All England Club ground is a mixture of permanently installed equipment and infrastructure, and temporary equipment installed for the period of the Championships. The ongoing installation programme is managed by RG Jones' Jon Berry and Tim Speight.

Aside from the playing areas and spectator facilities, there are sound systems covering everything from the car parks and queue lanes to the hospitality suites, administrative offices and hospitality areas.

The main distributed system for the iconic Centre Court bowl is based on 73 cross-firing Martin Audio AM10 two-way mid-high loudspeakers mounted in the stadium.

The bowl system is driven by 12 QSC ISA 800Ti 100V line amps and split into 24 four-wire speaker circuits, and controlled with the BSS Soundweb London system.

They form the high profile core of a site-wide system that includes public address announcements to the 16 addressable zones, which are split into numerous operational zones throughout the complex from seven control positions; priority emergency announcements, zoneable to each area; media feeds of umpires' announcements; and relay of a court mix to spectators on each court - which includes the umpire and various other feeds including radio mics.

Further integration allows localised systems to function such as competitors' calling systems, referees' office relay, ball boys' canteen, umpires' calling systems, queue lane control from the ticket manager's office, and local systems in the Debentures Holders facilities, suitable for functions. Each system is integrated with the emergency announcement priority override.

The efficiency of the system plays a major part in the smooth running of the Championships, which are broadcast worldwide. Close liaison with the various broadcast companies is a key part of the RG Jones team's role before and during the famous fortnight.

Jon Berry commented: "To work with a client for as long as 25 years is a great privilege, especially one as high profile as The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Matching their desire to host the world's number one tennis tournament, with the technical aspects required to achieve that, along with maintaining a solution that can meet the ever changing regulations and trends, is a challenge that we relish."

In picture: the RG Jones Wimbledon 2010 audio team - Tom Hartridge, Tim Speight, Ben Bennett, Jamie Short, David Bell; Jon Berry, Laurence Jarrett, Owen Relfe, Nick Clarke, Duncan Owen.

University of Hertfordshire's Auditorium Upgrade - with Christie HD10K-M's and Vista Spyder

Back at the start of the 2003-4 academic year, the University of Hertfordshire proudly unveiled its new £120m de Havilland Campus, including the 450-seat, state-of-the-art Weston Auditorium.

Ely-based QAV was entrusted with equipping the theatre with what at the time was an advanced multimedia infrastructure.

After five years continuous use, the venue's events & technical support manager, Adam Harvey, sensed that much of the original kit had reached end-of-life - including the projectors. His view was shared by Tony Bidgood, general manager of QAV, who had been retained to carry out ongoing service and maintenance.

So in February last year, Harvey presented a comprehensive business case and successfully secured funding that would enable the entire control room (including desking and four 37U 19in racks) to be replaced, and the auditorium future proofed for at least another five years.

An HD environment was required but, the technical manager was yet to decide how much headroom to build into the new system and whether to replace like for like or opt for top-of-the-range projectors.

Technology had long overtaken the University's three existing 5000 ANSI lumens LCD projectors, and the University's ten-strong technical team - including events & technical support consultant Lucy Bolton and, events & technical support officer James Scutt - were soon evaluating Christie's new award-winning HD10K-M 3-chip DLP projectors, first at InfoComm in June 2008, and more comprehensively at ISE in Amsterdam the following February.

While the HD10K-M's would provide the image quality necessary Tony Bidgood had to decide whether the projector had the necessary throw, and could fill the 12m x 5m perforated screen. "But thanks to the superb range of lens on offer, as soon as the HD10K-M was demonstrated in the venue we knew we had found the solution," he said.

As a result, the two projectors have been mounted on a rock-solid overhead ladder system in the control booth, custom designed by QAV, to withstand weight loading far in excess of the fixtures presently attached.

Yet both Harvey and Bidgood acknowledge that what had really sealed the deal was the versatility offered by the Christie Vista Spyder 344 processor, which is used in combination with the two 10,000 ANSI lumens projectors. This not only optimises the potential of the HD10K-M's but by controlling the vast Lightware 32 x 24 digital and Kramer 32 x 32 analogue matrixes, a large number of sources can now be mixed quickly and simply in multiple windows, replacing the cumbersome patch-fields previously used.

"At this point the decision-making became pretty straightforward," says Harvey, pointing to an intuitive drag-and-drop system which enables simple switching, whether from VTR devices or Blu-ray HD.

With 59 mapped inputs on the Spyder this high degree of flexibility and functionality also enables the University to support the vast range of events and clients that use the system. "For instance we can now present a screen background with, say, four PIPs dropped in front depending on the event; these are fully adjustable on the fly so we can change the size of the window in live mode."

With the two departments at the University, UH Arts and Conference Hertfordshire, respectively booking a vast programme of different events into the auditorium - from pure theatre and cinema presentations, to conference and seminars, product launches, comedy festivals and professional lectures - rapid reconfiguration became a key prerequisite. For example a recent top table panel discussion needed to make way rapidly for a feature length film. This can now be implemented.

Since Adam Harvey's team had registered concerns about processing HDMI/DVI, multiple resolution digital sources and other codes, QAV have also ensured that within the new switching environment, older signal formats can be patched straight in and recorded onto their existing systems. "We are using Kramer scalers and upconverters, and there isn't a format we can't cater for - even RGB and sync," he says.

The cabling too has been upgraded to CAT5 while digital links from the stage have been converted to fibre and floor boxes replaced with custom built solutions.

The entire installation - from the house lighting to the projection - is under the overall command of Crestron automated control.

This will change the mode of the Christie projectors, between presentation at the lecterns, to films (when the screen is fully lowered into position) - and when the screen is in store position the images will fire over the fixed raked seating onto the back wall cyclorama. The Crestron will then automatically move the Christie focal point and long-throw lens position for a 28-metre throw to the very back (rather than the 22m distance to the projection screen).

In addition to the playback devices, four fixed position pan and tilt HD cameras (and a fifth at the rear, which can double as a roving camera), can be mixed on the new Panasonic vision mixer (with option cards to facilitate VGA as well as SDI mixing), while almost every event that takes place can be recorded direct to hard drive.

Adam Harvey knows that thanks to the Christie 1080p and Spyder combination The Weston Auditorium now has the blueprint for expandability as content increasingly is shot in HD. "In fact, we only need expansion cards and software to give us full 3D capability," he notes.

Additionally, live events can be streamed to the web or recorded and uploaded to StudyNet (the University of Hertfordshire's sophisticated on-line learning environment). Using their Polycom facilities video conferencing has taken place between personnel at the University and their counterparts in Queensland, Australia, and this can also be used to relay signals to other lecture theatres or their external digital signage systems stationed around the campus.

Finally, the University of Hertfordshire can patch in third party equipment from incoming productions and send feeds to scanner trucks (for broadcasting) or to their own TV studio, based on the nearby College Lane campus.

Some redundancy has been built into the system with the matrices on dual power supply, and manual mixing is possible in the event of one of the systems failing.

Having provided full operator training QAV maintain the system with online support from their offices in Cambridgeshire.

The new HD capability has certainly created the expected impact. And within the academic sector, those who attend the digital animation courses can now see the effects of their colour grading in vivid cinematographic quality as they have never seen their rushes before.

As for Adam Harvey, he is not only delighted with the overall Christie package but is able to demonstrate to his superiors an energy-efficient system which ultimately will provide a low cost of ownership. "The green credential was a consideration and while Crestron controls the power-up cycle in an energy hungry room, we have options with the twin mercury lamp configuration of the HD10K-M.

"The projector also runs cooler and quieter [than what we had previously] with a lower power draw ... in fact these projectors have all the feature set we wanted and more, and will certainly see us through the next five years minimum.

"As for Spyder, with its control of the matrixes the headache of what is being patched to where has been removed entirely."

LTP Installs New Energy Saving Lighting Scheme for Cadw Monuments

Llanelli-based Lighting Technology Projects (LTP), was asked by Philips SSL to provide their specialist design, specification and installation services for a new carbon-conscious lighting scheme to replace old sodium lighting for 8 Cadw Monuments in South Wales. Cadw, a division of the Welsh Assembly Government, holds responsibility for preserving and promoting the history and heritage of Wales.

LTP was brought on board at the tender stage of the project by Philips' key account manager Richard Williams. The eight sites in which LTP are involved are Tintern Abbey, Chepstow Castle, Caerphilly Castle, Castell Coch, Coity Castle, Llansteffan Castle, Kidwelly Castle and Swansea Castle.

In addition to making significant savings to the amount of electricity needed to run the schemes, the new scheme dramatically reduces the long term maintenance needed and radically enhances the quality of light with a cleaner and more flattering source. Reeves comments. "It has been an amazing project - specially as we are based in South Wales. There's been great teamwork and synergy between us and Philips, and it's offered the chance to add value and aesthetic input to some of the most beautiful sites in the country."

The products utilised are primarily the Philips eW Reach Powercore - the white light version of Philips SSL's flagship exterior architectural floodlight. These are currently the only LED fixtures incorporating Powercore technology, that are powerful enough to illuminate large architectural façades with white light washes in colour temperatures ranging from a warm 2700 K to a 4000 K 'neutral white'.

Powercore technology is optimized to drive LED lighting systems. It integrates power and data management directly within the LED fixtures, eliminating the need for external low-voltage power supplies and special cabling that was historically required for LED lighting systems. Reducing the cost and complexity of the installation process, it also makes LEDs far easier to use in existing lighting environments such as this.

The site work was co-ordinated by LTP's Jonathan Adkins, working with two experienced installation engineers. With the first four locations complete, the challenges included having boat-only access to rig the fixtures skimming up the exterior walls of Caerphilly Castle via the substantial moat.

Caerphilly Castle is one of the great medieval castles of western Europe. It's size of 1.2 hectares makes it the largest in Britain after Windsor, it features complex water defences and was the first truly concentric castle in Britain. At the time of building in the late 13th century, it was a revolutionary masterpiece of military planning.

The interior Castle keep walls are now illuminated with 15 warm eW (essential white) Reaches. In contrast the exterior walls are lit with 12 neutral white eW Reaches, which add depth and dimension to the visual picture at night by differentiating between the two areas.

For infill lighting, six warm white eW Blast Powercores are dotted around, ensuring that the many intricacies of the Castle's superstructure are visible, adding a touch of magic to an already majestic scene.

A new addition to these elements of the scheme, 15 neutral white eW Graze Powercore fittings have been added, skimming up three sides of the Castle's front walls, just inside the moat. These were suggested by Terry Reeves to incorporate the external fascias of the castle into the overall design."It made complete sense," he says, "rather than having this great expanse sitting there in darkness." Once again, this adds a sharp definition to the after-dark experience, giving on-lookers a real sense of the vast scale of the Castle.

The eW Graze is a linear fixture optimised for this specific application, combining a low profile design with excellent beam quality. All the fixtures are fitted into housed in special self contained hides, custom built to LTP's spec to guard against the weather and potential vandalism.

For control - at all sites - the new units are hooked into the existing lighting control systems, and turned on/off either by time clock or photo cell.

The fascinating and atmospheric ruins of Tintern Abbey are situated on the Welsh bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire. It was founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow in 1131, and at the time was the second Cistercian foundation in Britain and the first in Wales. It is now one of the most spectacular ruins in the country and has been the source of inspiration to numerous artists, poets, writers and musicians over the centuries.

Here LTP fitted eight warm eW Reaches around the outside facades, which pick out the red stone in a striking soft ambient glow.

The interior is a complex juxtaposition of structural elements, with all those in the main space including the internal walls illuminated by eight carefully positioned neutral eW Blasts, sunken into the ground. The subtle differentiation in colour temperature between the inner and outer shells of the building enhances the magical aura that descends over Tintern Abbey at night.

Castell Coch ('red castle') is a 19th-century gothic revival castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th-century fortification. It is impressively situated on the side of a hill near the village of Tongwynlais just north of the Welsh capital of Cardiff.

The lighting requirements here were very simple, but precise, and achieved with the installation of five eW Reaches with wide angle lenses set to warm white, mounted on pivoting lamp-posts - which move up and down for access. The lenses were needed because of the close proximity of the fixtures to the steep walls. It was important in the new scheme to accentuate the red brick of the walls with a complimentary colour temperature, and the building can be seen clearly from the M4 and other locations across the valley. The LTP team completed the bulk installation work here in one day on site, with a further evening for fine tuning and focusing.

Chepstow Castle is Norman and perched high above the banks of the river Wye in the town of Chepstow, southeast Wales. Construction began in 1067, shortly after William the Conqueror was crowned King of England, and it became the key launching point for expeditions into Wales.

One of its most prominent features is the hillside running down along one side, and this view of the building is highlighted tastefully by the new lighting which is eight eW Reaches mounted in cages around the front of the wall, plus another two washing the side wall elevation and allowing the Castle to be seen from the river. This was a straight swap between old and new lighting fixtures, and once again, warm white was chosen to compliment the yellow tone of the stone.

This is Richard Williams' first project using LTP, although the company has completed many other works in conjunction with Philips in the context of being one of their value-added re-sellers. He comments that LTP has been "superb" as well as bringing extensive local knowledge, history and other invaluable bonuses to the table.

In picture: Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle

Soundfield Reaches the Next Dimension in New 3D Telegenic Truck

Telegenic, the independent UK outside broadcast services company, has installed a digital SoundField microphone and upmix processor in its new 3D OB vehicle, which entered service in the spring. The truck has been generating live coverage in 3D on a variety of sporting events for European satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

Sky has been one of the pioneers of high-definition broadcasting in Europe, offering HD visuals with 5.1 surround sound since early 2006. But now they've already moved to the next level, with regular broadcasts in 3D going out since earlier this year, including 3D coverage of the recent World Cup. A number of outside broadcast trucks have been commissioned from Sky's regular OB service partners in the UK to meet this need, and several have already been in service since mid-spring. One such is Telegenic's new 3D OB vehicle, which has been in use on transmissions for Sky since April, offering visuals in 3D and sound in full 5.1.

As with all OB units destined for use on Sky broadcasts, the main surround microphone in the Telegenic 3D truck is SoundField's digital DSF-2, together with the UK mic company's digital 5.1 surround processor, the DSF-3. This combination produces a completely phase-coherent, all-digital 5.1 soundscape that can be downmixed for stereo transmissions to older receivers without creating phase problems. "The new 3D truck is our fourth to feature SoundField's equipment," comments Dave Rowley, Telegenic's head of sound. "It made perfect sense to Sky, and to us, to use the DSF-2 and DSF-3 to generate the 5.1 sound in the new 3D truck, as that combination has been working so well in our HD trucks. Since the 3D truck entered service, we've been using the SoundFields mainly for 3D coverage of live soccer and Rugby Union. Shortly, though, we'll be starting on the cricket and Rugby League, as well as darts."

Also on board the new Telegenic 3D truck are two SoundField UPM-1 upmix processors, which are capable of producing downmix-compatible, phase-coherent surround from a two-channel stereo. "These are relatively new," explains Dave Rowley. "We bought them for situations where our truck is acting as the master broadcast hub for an evening's sport, where we might have to accept transmissions from another broadcaster and relay them back to Sky's transmission center. When we're accepting broadcasts in this way from other parts of Europe (our coverage of the Heineken Rugby Cup is a good example of this) quite often the audio is still coming to us in stereo, and of course we don't really want to be outputting part of an evening's programming in stereo now if we can avoid it, especially now that the visuals are in 3D. The UPM-1 allows us to create a natural-sounding 5.1 from this kind of stereo input. Since the truck entered service, we've also been using the UPM-1s on VT output - archive material that only had audio in stereo - with great success."

The only limiting factor for Telegenic over the summer has been that they have only had the one 3D truck; however, a second 3D unit, which will share the workload, is currently undergoing integration at Sony's Basingstoke headquarters. Not surprising, it too will feature the SoundField DSF-2/DSF-3 combination, together with a pair of UPM-1 upmixers. "It's a proven combination," explains Dave Rowley, "and we've found the SoundFields a delight to use. We're very happy to continue with them."

In picture: the sound control room in Telegenic's new 3D OB vehicle with the DSF-3 visible above the front right speaker.

DiGiCo Consoles at Helm of Full Sail University's Stunning New "Full Sail Live" Multi-Purpose Performance Venue

Four years ago, principles at Full Sail University commenced planning to create a multi-purpose, live performance venue. The award-winning school located in Winter Park Florida was created more than 30 years ago as a private learning hub catering to arts design and entertainment media. Over the past three decades, Full Sail has flourished to offer a broad spectrum of accredited, degree programs encompassing music and sound, as well as film, design, show production, games, animation, web design, and music business.

After a year-plus of construction, "Full Sail Live" is finalized and slated to be one of the largest, dedicated sound stages for live concert training at an educational facility. Full Sail Live will serve numerous campus-wide events including live musical performances, monthly graduations, open house events, multi-visual presentations, guest lecture appearances, 16-speaker surround movie screenings and live concert student training sessions. The building is flanked by a new audio recording facility and linked by fiber for audio and video interfacing. DiGiCo SD7 and SD8 consoles were selected for installation to serve at FOH and Monitor engineering positions respectively, and round out an impressive arsenal of 50 dedicated live production audio consoles currently used on campus.

21st Century Meets Prehistory As Pixels Supplies Media Players For Dinosaurs Unleashed

The early part of 2010 saw part of one of London's busiest thoroughfares, Oxford Street, transformed into the age when dinosaurs ruled the earth, as Dinosaurs Unleashed delighted young and old alike. A key part of the exhibition is a prehistoric aquarium, which has come to life thanks to Adtec media players supplied by UK distributor Pixels.

So successful were the Dinosaurs' appearance in the Capital that the exhibition has now headed for the South West and Bournemouth which is, appropriately, the gateway to Britain's only natural World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast.

Dinosaurs Unleashed features life-size animatronic versions of the land-living Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, Triceratops and many others. One of the key features is, however, a virtual prehistoric aquarium, where marine reptiles like plesiosaurs and cephalopods such as ammonites can be seen in their own environment.

Created along with the rest of the exhibition by Banbury-based Tour-Ex, the prehistoric aquarium had to be as lifelike as possible. To achieve this, Tour-Ex director Gavin Howard conceived a walk through tunnel with groups of ‘port-holes', through which the public would enjoy the illusion of looking into the prehistoric underwater environment. Making it as life-like as possible, specially commissioned high definition CGI footage was created, which was fed to nine LED backlit LCD screens via Adtec SignEdje HD media players.

Supplied by Pixels via Digiverse Ltd, the nine SignEdje players allow for the footage to run single frame-accurate synchronisation on a continuous loop, ensuring the illusion of looking beneath the sea millions of years ago is maintained.

"Our main criterion was that the footage had to loop and synchronise perfectly between all nine ‘port-holes' as people walk through, so they get the appropriate view of the aquarium as they travel through a 20m tunnel," says Gavin.

"The screens are in three bays of three each. In each bay one screen is flat, with the other two angled at 30º outwards. This stops unwanted overlap when creating camera views in the CGI world. We were dealing with creatures up to 27m long, so if exactly the same angle of view was on two screens, it would destroy the illusion. This meant that, not only did each of the nine screens need its own media player, but they all had to be very precisely synchronised."

Pixels Norman Garland and James Mortimer of Digiverse worked closely with Gavin to ensure that the footage was not only accurately synchronised, but there was no visible indication of when the HD video loops finished and began again.

"That was another very important part of the brief and one we all worked closely to make happen," says Gavin. "It was worth it, the media players have stayed perfectly synchronised for the entire three month period and have looped seamlessly."

With an accompanying voiceover guiding people through, the underwater aquarium has been a highly successful part of Dinosaurs Unleashed, drawing visitors' attention to the many creatures that tend to get overshadowed - both figuratively and literally - by their land-dwelling prehistoric contemporaries.

"We've been really pleased with the aquarium," says Gavin. "It looks great and the SignEdje players have worked flawlessly."

Void First for Thailand's Shock39

Void Acoustics reports a major installation first in Thailand, supplying the newly-opened Shock39 nightclub with a high-end sound system, including the recently-launched Trinity X subwoofer. Shock39 has just re-opened after a complete refurbishment project, with the main sound system designed and installed by Thai-based systems integration company, TechWorX Projects. The Void system is the first ever to be imported into Thailand, giving Shock39 an edge in its bid to fill the gap left by The Ministry of Sound - as well as being the first club in the world to specify Void's new Trinity X subs.

Shock39's grand opening took place on at the end of July, drawing in the great and the good from Bangkok's high life. Shock39 is a 1000+ capacity club, with a mission to combine great-sounding music with a relaxed ambience. TechWorX worked closely with consultants, Club Flavour, to create a unique combination of high quality audio and a top class club ambience, designed to cater for local and international clubbers looking for a great night out.

Club Flavour's Abby Ahzan defined the opening as a true blow-out: "Shock39 is one of Bangkok's largest clubs, and we believe we have something very special to offer! We have done everything to the highest standards, overcoming the usual local problems of unreliable and unstable power supplies, and applying a European design philosophy to the sound system to ensure that we deliver a consistently high quality result. It was a real coup to get the Void system into Shock39 - working with Tim Margetts at TechWorX, we identified the Axys and Trinity X combination as a perfect fit for our vision of what Shock39 would deliver soundwise. It has translated perfectly from our initial concept to reality, and the club sounds fantastic! Void's Rog Mogale was with us for the opening, putting the finishing touches to the system and making the sound even more dynamic. Shock39 had a great opening, and is the talk of the town - we are attracting good audiences and more and more international DJs as well. We have got off to a great start!"

The Shock39 system comprises eight of Void's new Trinity X subs for the main dance floor, positioned in a 2 x 4 array below the DJ booth - built on a double layer of concrete to ensure sufficient low-end separation. Six of Void's Axsys 15 cabinets deliver the dance floor sound, custom-finished in black and red, with a further six Basys 12s positioned around the peripheral seating areas and VIP lounges. The whole system is powered by Void Infinite amplifiers, complemented by the DigiDrive Plus loudspeaker management processors.

Avitech Provides Advanced Turnkey Monitoring & Control Room for Romtelecom

AV and security integrators Avitech, who are also the Romanian distributors for Christie, are slowly introducing sophisticated command and control room monitor environments to the nation's telecommunications industry.

Having successfully completed a complex two-phase integration at Ericsson's new Global Service Delivery Center, based around Christie components, they have now provided a turnkey solution for Romtelecom, one of the country's largest communications companies .

Avitech received last year the go-ahead for the implementation of another important project, this time for Romtelecom. The project had to offer severely improved monitoring and control possibilities for the client's national network. They replaced the existing system used to check feeds with specified 27 x 67" Christie SXGA+ cubes (configured 9 x 3), with RPMSP-D132 single chip DLP projection, featuring dual long life high pressure UHP Mercury lamps.

This is fed from a 10-inDVI-4-inVGA-8 in MPEG/27-out Jupiter Fusion 964 wall controller, which can control multiple MPEG streams. Feeds include 10 x DVI inputs, 8 x MPEG streams and 16 x component inputs.

The 21 computer stations at Romtelecom's HQ are connected to an RGB Spectrum Linx 3216 DVI matrix switcher (with ten chosen for connection direct to the controller via the input node. "Why have 21 inputs going direct when you have a matrix?" rationalizes Avitech's presales manager, Iuliu Cristian.

The purpose of the integrated systems is to fix in time and with maximum efficiency possible failure, to monitor specific parameters, but also to synchronise with related networks.

Mr. Cristian added that Avitech had offered a turnkey solution to the client, consisting of interior design, space renovations, execution of electrical installation, structured cabling, configuration and installation of HVAC systems, lighting control, sound and video wall, installing furniture, workstations and LCD displays and commissioning of all systems. So the newly created monitoring and control room in the famous and historic Telephones Palace building meets all the requirements of the client regarding functionality and comfort.

One of the largest communication companies in Romania and market leader in fixed communications, Romtelecom offers reliable services, innovative and easy to use, from traditional fixed telephony, broadband Internet and digital television to the most secure data center in Romania and service packets of voice and data.

"We are very proud about this project, as it underlines the competencies gained by our company in more than 10 years of hard work. The Christie cubes helped us a lot in offering to the client the reliable monitoring solution he asked for" summarised Mr. Cristian.

Electro-Voice in the Byscenen in Trondheim

First opened in 1878, the Byscenen in Trondheim is as much a part of the cultural landscape of Norway as the fjords are of its coastline. Of course, given its antiquity, extensive rebuilding and renovation work has been necessary from time to time to allow it to compete successfully against newer venues. The latest round of refurbishments saw the standing room capacity of the theatre actually reduced from 1,500 to 600. Small but exquisite, that's the watchword, as exemplified also by the sound reinforcement system newly installed there by avon a|s: an XLD compact line-array system from Electro-Voice.

The sound system in the Byscenen now includes six EV XLD281, ten EV XLD291 and four EV XCS312 (subs) as well as four Xsubs, driven by ten EV TG7 amplifiers and controlled using IRISNet software.

"I love the versatility of the XLD," comments Thomas Denstad, the Byscenen's technical director. "We have, for example, two flown subs per side. This means that for shows that do not require an immense amount of low-end pressure, I can dispense altogether with the Xsubs." A system which is "flexible in terms of configuration and versatile in performance," said Denstad and he continued: "Here we pesent virtually all musical genres, from the classics to punk and even mainstream rock. The XLD masters absolutely everything."

This assessment is corroborated by the feedback Denstad has been receiving in the last few weeks from guest acts: "Jace Everett, Hanne Bol and most recently the Savage Rose are miles apart musically, yet all were singing from the same song sheet where the XLD was concerned: unanimous in their enthusiasm for the new system."

But the baptism of fire isn't quite over yet: on September 8, an apparition of the legendary Misfits, "the progenitors of the horror punk subgenre" (as Wiki calls them), is expected in the venerable surroundings of the Byscenen Theatre; though by now Denstad has every cause to be confident that their verdict will be no different from that of the other acts

Medway Council Gets Clear Sound with Polar Audio's Iconyx Install

St Georges Centre, sited within Chatham's Historic Dockyard, has recently seen a substantial digital audio system installation designed to transform its usability, following a new licence agreement for shared use between Canterbury Christ Church University and Medway Council.

The venue is a listed building that serves as a Victorian Maritime Museum and church, can now be used for conference, teaching, examinations and music, with Medway Council in particular employing its conferencing facilities for presentations and their larger congress meetings.

The building was originally dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Rochester, as St George's Church on 19 December 1906, serving the needs of the Royal Navy Pembroke Barracks until the Navy's departure in 1984. Its name was then changed to St George's Centre and its doors opened to the public for the first time, revealing its historical naval memorials, plaques and ornate stained glass windows, some unveiled by HRH Princess Elizabeth in 1950.

The new audio system, supplied by Polar Audio, combines Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC8 digitally steerable array cabinets, a Biamp Nexus and a beyerdynamic MCWD wireless conference system.

Matthew Buck of Polar Audio commented: "The project was originally specified as a distributed delayed system, but because of constraints imposed by the fact that the building is listed, we proposed to the client that they should look at a more advanced solution, in particular Iconyx. Being a very long narrow room with hard, reflective surfaces everywhere, it's a tough room acoustically, but by taking advantage of Renkus-Heinz's BeamWare software we were able to direct the acoustic energy where it's required and deliver high intelligibility, despite the fact that the system is so unobtrusive as to be almost invisible. The client is very pleased with the results, which completely surpassed their expectations."

To cater for the varying needs of the church's new users while minimising cabling requirements and set-up times, Polar Audio recommended a wireless conferencing system, deploying a 61-way beyerdynamic MCWD wireless system including 60 delegate units and one chairman's unit with flightcased mobile chargers and PC-based control software. A Biamp Nexia CS DSP controller handles routing and signal processing.

Sound Division Makes its Mark in Luc's Grand New Café

A new all-day, brasserie-style restaurant in the traditions of the grand French cafés has been opened in London's Marylebone district by Belgian restaurateur Luc Van Oostende and his daughter, Julie.

The two, who operate the Café Theatre restaurant in Ghent (in Belgium), brought in a top contracting team, including architects Stiff +Trevillion, main fit out contractors Tekne and sound system specialists the Sound Division Group, to create an environment in which chef David Collard could create an imaginative modern European menu.

To create his eponymous restaurant, Luc took over the former Eat and Two Veg, situated at the chic Victorian building at 50 Marylebone High Street and he and his daughter spent £1.5m creating the new infrastructure, with soft jade interior.

Stiff + Trevillion have matched a dark hardwood floor with waxed Celadon coloured walls, leather banquettes and replica chairs of the classic originals from Lido in Paris. This is offset by a patinated copper bar with a backlit screen of hand blown glass globes.

Café Luc's all-day trading pattern begins at 7am, and so they need a vast range of music, supplied by 8 Track Music Solutions, to suit the different cycles running through until 11.30pm.

This spacious, long rectangular room accommodates 20 at the bar and provides 100 restaurant covers. This requires the music - which ranges from soft jazz to a more rhythmic, vibrant soundscape - to be played out through eight evenly distributed JBL Control 24CM flush-mounted 2-way ceiling speakers. These are powered by Crown XLS-202 amplification, processed through a dbx 215 graphic equaliser and distributed via the new Cloud CX-261 zoner, which features a front panel iPod Dock connection point; a Cloud RSL-6 remote panel also facilitates local source and volume selection.

For Luc van Oostende, who has run his Ghent restaurant for the past 15 years, and was recently associated with the nearby bakery, Le Pain Quotidien in the Marylebone High Street, this is the fulfillment of a dream.

Julie van Oostende says that the music easily matches the high environmental standard set throughout the restaurant and contributes significantly to the atmosphere.

Sound Division MD, David Graham, adds: "The quality of background music in Café Luc shows what can be achieved on a small budget using a minimal amount of top grade equipment. This has been a very straightforward job to carry out and forms a very welcome addition to the growing portfolio of upmarket West End restaurant and bars that have benefited from Sound Division's experience and technical expertise."

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