Two days ago, Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music formally agreed to submit music videos to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) before posting them on YouTube and Vevo.

While presently only applicable to videos that are produced in the UK, the move sends a strong signal regarding the content of some of our music and the fears that surround the internet.

Breton events company Musical’Ré has invested in Allen & Heath’s new dLive digital mixing system.

‘Its specs are impressive and I was really blown away during a demonstration at the JTSE tradeshow,’ says Musical’Ré owner, Bruno Damiani. ‘I have a lot of experience of Allen & Heath digital mixers, and this system is magnificent. Previously, when I wanted to make the transition from analogue to digital, I immediately turned to Allen & Heath and purchased GLD and iLive systems. Today, it’s logical to continue this adventure by buying a dLive system. I really wanted to own the “new baby” and take advantage of new technology.’

The French company selected the S7000 control surface with DM48 MixRack, and used the system for the first time as the main stage FOH console at the Les Nuits Soniques and Les Hivernales Tinéniac festivals.

‘Adapting to the new system was almost instantaneous,’ Damiani says. ‘I appreciate the screen brightness. It’s a very intuitive console, which is a big advantage when you have to work with different FOH engineers each week. I don’t have to spend my time explaining all the functions – it has changed my life.’

When British DJ Pete Tong took his Ibiza Classics tour and the Heritage Orchestra to the Hollywood Bowl, 56 myMix Personal Monitor Mixer units graced the stage. Based England, the orchestra travels the globe supporting a variety of contemporary artists. Looking for a monitoring solution for every member of the orchestra, Fred den Dulk of Next Level Audio chose the myMix system to enable each performer to set their own preferences.

Despite the high-profile venue and complex stage production, den Dulk was assured there would be a perfect result from the outset: ‘The system is so easy to use and it always works,’ he observes. ‘We can always rely on myMix no matter how many musicians are playing.’

With quality and expertise as the fundamental principles of its business Sonopluss Canarias has served the Canary Islands’ sound production needs for more than 25 years. In the summer of 2016, the company took delivery of an L-Acoustics K2 system – the first in the Canary Islands.

The investment was one that the company had been working toward for some time: ‘We had been talking for a number of years and they knew they wanted to make the change to L-Acoustics from their existing system,’ says Marc Neuhaus, owner of distributor, Take Off. ‘It was simply a question of timing.’

Sonopluss’s new system comprises 28 K2, 28 SB28 subs (purchased to service the expanding Electronic Dance Music scene in the Islands) along with 12 Kara and eight ARCS II.

‘The first and main attraction of the L-Acoustics system for me is how it sounds,’ says Sonopluss Director Simone Higuera. ‘Marc did an A/B demo against our existing system and there was just no comparison. The L-Acoustics system was so much better that the decision was made there and then.

The decision went beyond audio quality, as the Canaries’ position as an island paradise come with a downside: ‘We’re in the middle of the Atlantic, three hours away from anywhere by plane,’ Higuera explains. ‘It can take ten days for shipments to arrive, and we also have a different customs and tax system from the mainland, which means we need to be self-sufficient. It’s not practical for us to rent anything in from anywhere else. The numerous touring artists not carrying their own PA require a rider-friendly system and L-Acoustics is exactly that. Any artist is happy to see K2 on a rider, so this addition to our inventory is a real asset.’

‘From a logistics point of view, K2 was the right box for Sonopluss, simply by virtue of its weight and dispersion pattern,’ Neuhaus adds. ‘With a roster of high-profile events both indoor and outdoor, it’s as if it was designed specifically for this market.’

Sonopluss works in close collaboration with its two sister companies, based on Las Palmas and Tenerife, both of which have invested in L-Acoustics Kara systems. The three companies work as a network, so Sonopluss’s K2 will also allow them to take advantage of a large-scale L-Acoustics system across the islands.

‘Since our K2 was delivered, we’ve used it for concerts by Ricky Martin, Manolo García and Arona Summers, as well as on Fiestas Farra World, 40 Principales and Carnaval Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2017,’ Higuera says. ‘It has been perfect every time and we couldn’t be more happy.’

Nexo has released the Geo-M10 mid-size line array, a high-output sound reinforcement system for long-throw theatre and live music applications, promising ‘an unprecedented ratio of LF response to cabinet size’ from a single 10-inch driver.

The Geo-M10 system is twice as powerful as its sister Geo-M6, launched two years ago. While the M10 design aesthetic is comparable to the elegant new-generation silhouette of the M6, the larger M10 cabinet draws on structural and acoustic innovations first released in Nexo’s STM Series modular line array, in particular the STM M28.

The M10 name refelects the single 10-inch neodymium LF driver, which is paired with a 1.4-inch titanium diaphragm HF driver. With a footprint of 531mm (W) x 288mm (H) x 355mm (D), this two-way passive module offers a frequency response of 59Hz-20kHz with nominal peak SPL of 131dB. There are two versions of the M10 cabinet, offering 12.5° and 25° of vertical dispersion. Both have 80°/120° horizontal dispersion which can be configured manually, without tools, by removing the magnetic grille and adjusting Nexo’s flange fixing system.

Nexo claims several advantages to the use of a single 10-inch driver, instead of the more common double-6-inch configuration. The principle benefit being a lower frequency response from a two-way cabinet. The box keeps a narrow profile, and its height provides for tighter inter-cabinet angles.

A single-driver design also offers better vertical control. Nexo’s proprietary Directivity/Phase Device (DPD) extends upper line source coupling frequency limits between the adjacent 10-inch drivers, so the adjacent loudspeakers couple as coherently as if there were twice as many 6-inch drivers, mounted at half the physical distance.

Cabinet size has been a critical consideration for Nexo’s R&D engineers, guiding their choice of components and enclosure materials, down to the lightweight neodymium driver. In all, the M10 weighs 21kg, and its compact dimensions mean minimal visual impact and improved sightlines, an important consideration for its target market of theatres, auditoria and conferencing venues.

The Geo-M10 is partnered by a dedicated subbass cabinet, the MSub15. Weighing 36kg, this is available in a robust touring package with steel grille or an installation version with cloth grille. It has large composite bumpers on each corner, and side handles. It flies with the M10 in a low-profile array, operable in omni or cardioid mode, thanks to front and back connection plates. The MSub15s are the same width as the M10 cabinets, but taller – two subs are equivalent in height to three M10s.

The M10 can be flown or groundstacked, with or without the MSub15. Up to 12 M10 or eight MSub15 modules can be combined in a single flown column, or, for instance, three MSub15s can be arrayed above nine M10 cabinets, using one of two dedicated bumper accessories. Alternatively, the M10 elements can be ground-stacked on top of the MSub15s, with between -12° to +12° of tilt.

The rigging system for the Geo-M10 evolves another step from the original designs in the Geo-M6 and the STM Series. The internal three-point rigging system now features automatic locking and no loose parts. Two different bumper options are available, both with optional expansion bar, as well as an extension accessory for groundstacking.

Highly cost-effective amplification is via Nexo’s NXAmp4x4 TDcontroller; with up to four M10 cabinets per channel, and up to three subs per channel, the system can be controlled over a network using a Dante, Ethersound or AES/EBU digital expansion card.

Available in black and white, touring and installation cabinet versions as standard, M10 can also be ordered in the full range of RAL colour options. It has full TUV certification.

More: www.nexo-sa.com

Nexo has updated its range of NXamp TDcontrollers with the NXamp4x2 Mk2 and NXamp4x1 Mk2 amplifier models, the result of collaboration between R&D engineers from Nexo and parent company Yamaha.

The NXamp4x1 Mk2 and NXamp4x2 Mk2 present Nexo’s expertise in DSP control in lighter, sleeker 2U-high packages with touchscreen control. Available in 4x 1kW and 4x 2kW, and weighing in at 16kg and 16.6kg, these ultra-low distortion class-D amplifiers combine 96kHz, 32-bit converters and 64-bit signal processing to deliver significant advances in sound quality over the already highly regarded MK1 NXamps.

A large LCD colour touch-screen on the front panel enables faster and easier navigation, giving direct access to all essential parameters including: array EQ, mute and meters, EQ detail, User EQ, inputs, load monitoring, log, scene, set-up, system headroom, volume, and gain and delays.

A native dual Ethernet port offers seamless integration with Nexo’s proprietary NeMo system management software. Amplifiers can be remote-controlled and daisy-chained via a Remote Control card fitted as standard, with optional Dante, EtherSound and AES/EBU network cards also available. Four high-end analogue inputs use cascaded converters for low output noise, and four digital inputs are available through the rear panel expansion card slot offering optional AES/EBU, EtherSound, Dante or AES67 inputs, all with automatic analogue fall-back.

In addition to the expansion card slot, other rear panel connectivity includes RS232 serial and GPIO ports along with Speakon outputs for each of the four channels.

Aimed at touring and fixed installations, the amplifiers feature a universal power supply (100–240V) using PFC (Power Factor Correction) technology for maximum efficiency and smooth current draw.

The NXamp4x2 Mk2 is a new design in the NXamp range, ideal for Nexo’s Geo Series of compact line array systems, and for the ever-popular PS Series cabinets. The NXamp4x1 Mk2 replaces the NXamp4x1 model, which Nexo will continue to support as a legacy product.

More: www.nexo.fr

The Classic Open-Air Music Festival in Nuremberg saw German rental company In Phase Event put its Nexo’s STM Series modular line array system into action recently. Running alongside Nexo Geo-S and M6 systems, the STM extended coverage to the ‘enchanted’ event’s 280m audience area.

The Classic Open-Air Music Festival is one of the largest of its kind in Europe – a series of free outdoor concerts organised by the city that features the Nuremberg state orchestras performing live in the Luitpoldhain park. As a mark of respect to the tragic events in Munich this summer, two July dates were cancelled, but an enthusiastic crowd of 60,000 people gathered for the next scheduled concert, with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Shelley and featuring organ soloist Cameron Carpenter.

Among the primary rental suppliers of Nexo systems in Germany, In Phase Event CEO Ernst Sieber and his team chose STM for the main PA at the large Luitpoldhain park venue, augmenting the system with a variety of other Nexo loudspeaker types for the delay lines. On each side of the stage, the main hangs comprised 16 STM M28 compact ‘omni’ modules, flown underneath three STM M46 main modules. Eight RS18 subbass cabinets were ground-stacked centrally in cardioid mode.

Thirteen delay towers were required to cover the audience area – six carried ten Geo-S8 cabinets, five were equipped with nine Geo-M6 modules plus an RS15 sub running in cardioid mode, and two contained five STM M28 cabinets and an RS18 sub also in cardioid mode.

All of the PA was run on optical fibre over a Dante network, fully controlled by Nexo/Yamaha amplifiers and mixing consoles, alongside AuviTran’s AVS Monitor. Yamaha digital desks were used, with experienced classical engineer Florian Denzler on a CL5 at front-of-house, and system technician Sven Kallenbach handling audio distribution via a CL1.

System specialist David Hochstenbach from Nexo’s Engineering Support Team was on hand to help set up the system, and was himself impressed by the results from the HF coupling between STM M46 and M28 modules over the long throw: ‘By the end of our tuning day, the sound was clear and pure,’ he says. ‘It felt like a gigantic hi-fi. It was a great pleasure to work with such a positive crew as the In Phase team, who loved the phase coherence of our systems as much as the super-fast rigging of the hardware.’

Portuguese manufacturer Next Audiogroup has introduced an updated version of the LAm114xA stage monitor – the LAm114xA Plus uses a new DSP and amplifier module, Ethernet controlled via Software X-Net while retaining the same design and dimensions of the earlier model.

The LAm114xA Plus incorporates advanced coaxial 14-inch B&C Custom made speaker and a high performance amplifier module, capable of generating 1.65kW (1.15kW + 500W) for a very high acoustic pressure. The design claims to combine the voice clarity associated with 12-inch drivers with the bass extension typically of 15-inch speakers. The high-frequency reproduction is handled by a 2-inch exit, 3-inch voice coil, HF neodymium driver for the critical voice frequency range.

The cabinet’s small footprint and low weight, combined with the absolutely linear and extended response at very high-pressure levels, makes the LAm114xA Plus well suited to both small and large venue use. 

The onboard, 96kHz, 40-bit SHARC DSP engine, monitored by built-in LCD screen with a preset loading encoder, can be remotely monitored and controlled through Ethernet by a PC using X-Net Software. The software automatically identifies each device and allows simultaneous control of multiple devices through grouping facility.

The heart of the LAm114xA is two-Channel UMAC class-D full-bandwidth PWM modulator with ultra-low distortion, delivering 1.15kW to the LF section and 500W to the HF. Power is via an integrated universal mains power supply with PFC.

More: www.next-proaudio.com

Second screen viewing took another decisive step towards your living room with the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One games consoles last week.

Now lined up in direct competition with smart TVs to provide a domestic media hub, both Sony and Microsoft are looking to cover all bases… including making use of second screen working to expand their gaming. How is the next-gen console shaping up?

Next-proaudio’s Acoustical Simulation Tool (AST) software offers 2D modelling of the company’s single subwoofer sources and sub-arrays.

Through an intuitive and easy-to -use interface, the AST software has been designed to help Next-proaudio system users when setting up subwoofers in a venue. Based on a very fast and accurate algorithm, it is capable of predicting the acoustical performance of the subwoofers, helping to identify the optimum solution for a given venue with a multiple sound sources. The software supports simulation of 11 ISO 266 spacing frequencies (20Hz-200Hz).

AST includes a database of Next-proaudio subwoofer models, containing sensitivity, maximum power and cabinet dimensions. After adding, a sound source within project can be easily modified by clicking on the top and setting several different parameters – orientation and vertical stack (up to four units), and electronic parameters including polarity, delay and gain. The gain value can be calculated according to the feeding amplifier power. Taking into account humidity, temperature and altitude, the speed of sound is calculated in order to achieve the maximum phase coherence. The resultant coverage simulation is mapped using Jet-colour graphics with the SPL distribution throughout the venue.

With a listening point, as known as a probe or ‘virtual microphone’, users can predict the frequency and phase response in a desired location. AST provides up to four listening points simultaneously. A Polar plot function indicates how far the virtual measure will be taken, and Q, DI and -6dB angle displayed in a separate window.

Set-up times and calculation errors can present obstacles to inserting subwoofer arrays into a loudspeaker system. In response, AST provides a function called Insert Array that enables customisation of an array with only a few mouse clicks.

Setting up a subwoofer Virtual Arc can also be a difficult and time-consuming task – however, this is an easy job for AST users. Based on the acoustical beam aperture (0°-90°), a provided function called Virtual Arc does all the complex calculations and presents the needed data (sub location and delay) to include in DSP audio processor setting. Virtual Arc is an important and useful feature, as it automatically calculates the subwoofer delays to make a virtually arched array with the desired directivity.

More: www.next-proaudio.com

Next-proaudio has expanded its HFA Series of sound reinforcement/installation loudspeakers with the launch of the compact HFA106p.

Designed to complement larger products within the series, the quality and the power of the HFA106p make it well suited to permanent installations, small sound systems for live music, as well as front fill or side fill. It is a system with a ‘fantastic ratio between the size and its sound pressure,’ the company says.

The HFA106p is a 6.5-inch model with a 90° x 40° dispersion (user rotatable) entirely made in Portugal, using quality custom-made components and housed in birch plywood enclosures, coated with a scratch-resistant textured paint. Versatile enclosure design, combined with a wide range of mounting options and associated hardware, provide flexibility for both portable and installed applications. In this series there are several colour combinations available.

To further simplify creating active two-way systems, the companion HFA112, HFA115 and HFA118 subwoofers use an integrated two-channel digital amplifier to power external full-range passive speakers.

More: www.next-proaudio.com

Next-proaudio has released the LAs418 (2x4Ω) subwoofer, using two long-excursion and very high power 18-inch drivers to offer ultra-low frequencies at a very high SPLs.

The front-loaded, ported reflex cabinet claims extremely high peak-to-peak excursion, and operates down to 24Hz at -10dB, with a maximum SPL of 143.8dB. The multi-laminate birch plywood enclosure finished in textured black semi-matte coating, the LAs418 (2x4Ω) can be deployed in either standard or cardioid configuration using a parallel wired Neutrik NL4 connector. It is designed to be driven by Powersoft X series (X4 or X8), giving an increase of 4dB SPL when driven by Powersoft X Line amplifier over an MA6000 driving the standard LAs418.

Both X4 and X8 from Powersoft can provide 5.2kW/channel at 2Ω, in addition to a DSP-controlled Switch Mode with Power Factor Correction (PFC) reducing harmonics and improving the efficiency, driving 2Ω loads. The X Series natively supports AES3, analogue inputs and two optional Audinate Dante digital streams, providing up to four different selectable input sources per channel.

Next-proaudio has also developed an updated touring power rack with Powersoft X Line amplifiers, offering to the customers a worldwide standard, LA Rack, to use in both rental and install applications.

The new Las418 (2x4Ω) is available for order immediately.

More: next-proaudio.com/series/hfa

Next-proaudio has added the LAs418A to its subwoofer range – a 2x18-inch active reflex sub.

Housing two long-excursion and very high-power B&C 18-inch drivers, the LAs418A has been designed to offer ultra-low frequencies at a very high SPL, and combines optimised acoustic, electro-acoustic and electronic solutions to maximise efficiency. Its DPA4000 (power module with DSP) can deliver up to 4kW rms.

The heart of the new Next-proaudio powered speaker series, is a powerful, light-weight, class-D power amplifier module, with PFC switch mode power supply, that delivers sonic punch with balanced, sound at any level. The PC controlled networkable DSP (96kHz, 24-bit) with AD/DA low-noise converters, provides eight selectable presets (six factory-defined, two user-defined) that can be accessed by a selector on the front module panel or real-time edited by a PC, using the supplied Soundware II software, via RS485 or USB remote control.

An intelligent automatic standby mode is activated when the amplifier detects no input signal, saving energy and extending the expected work life. With the Soundware II software is possible to edit the six pre-loaded presets and store it in one of the two free memories. Editable parameters are: Input equalization, Input delay, Input High-pass/Low-pass filters and the Bass Enhancer function. A total of 255 units can be controlled simultaneously by the software.

LAs418A is versatile enough to address any fixed installation or rental application. Sound designers, engineers and integrators can choose from standard or cardioid configurations, creating a variety of symmetric and asymmetric directivity patterns adapted to each specific solution.

The cabinet volume with optimized port tuning featuring extremely high peak-to-peak excursion, is capable to deliver true sub performance down to 24Hz at -10dB. Providing low frequency resolution and a maximum Peak SPL of 143dB in a 89kg, front-loaded, bass reflex enclosure and measuring 1030mmx516mmx920mm (WxHxD), the new subwoofer version incorporates 8 handles, housed within a multi-laminate birch plywood enclosure and finished in textured black semi-matte coating.

The new products are available for order immediately and will ship in Q2 2018.

More: www.next-proaudio.com

Founded in 1985, the Rock in Rio music festival has set up in its original home six times, as well as visiting Madrid, Las Vegas and Lisbon. It’s most recent outing saw it return to Lisbon for a seventh time, using a Next-proaudio sound system for the first.

Rock in Rio is one of the largest music festivals in the world, with 1.5m people attending the first event, 700.000 attending the second and fourth, about 1.2m attending the third, and around 350.000 people at each of the Lisbon events.

Held in Bela Vista Park in Lisbon, Next-proaudio set up a LA212x system on EDP Rock Street, as well as on Street Dance for the five-day event. The systems comprised six LA212x boxes along with six LAs418 double subwoofers groundstacked at each stage and complemented by a PX System as side fill on Street Dance, ten active stage monitors Lam114xA and two HFA108 as front fill on EDP Rock Street.

According Carlos Cruz, sound engineer for EDP Rock Street, ‘the system was providing consistent coverage and clarity response from front to back of the audience’.

More: www.next-proaudio.com

Providing the technical infrastructure and support for Belfast City Council’s Halloween Monster Mash concurrently with that for the Samhain LiveHalloween TV special provided an insight into the depth of the resources held by Production Services Ireland (PSI) – in terms of its stock, expertise and network.

With headquarters in both Belfast and Dublin, PSI specialises in lighting, rigging, audio and video for sale and hire. In the build-up to Halloween, the company also supplied riggers for the visiting U2 and ELO productions at Belfast’s SSE Arena, and full technical production for Harlem Gospel Choir at the Ulster Hall and a major public event in Lisburn.

Monster Mash afforded PSI an opportunity to deploy its Adamson Systems Engineering PA inventory, which the company acquired in April when it became a certified reseller and rental partner. It also supplied lighting, video, rigging and staging for the themed event that welcomed thousands of people to the Titanic Slipways. Sound reinforcement for Monster Mash featured 24 Adamson S10 full-range cabinets and 12 S119 subwoofers, powered by Lab.gruppen PLM20K44 amplification. PSI supplied a mix of Robe, CLF Lighting and Showtec fixtures with an Avolites Tiger Touch II for control, as well as four Litec Flyintower 13-2000 towers and a 10m by 7m stage.

In Derry/Londonderry, the brief for Samhain Livedemanded production support across a number of locations, as well as feeds for local TV channel TG4, BBC Two Northern Ireland and BBC Foyle live broadcasts. PSI provided sound, lighting, video, rigging and staging for two stages at the Craft Village (a reconstruction of an 18^th Century Street and 19^th Century Square), a stage at Echo Echo Dance Theatre and a popup stage at Guildhall Square.

The company designed and supplied lighting for the Craft Village, which transformed into a set for the outside broadcasts. It featured around 100 Robe, Philips, Martin by Harman and CLF Lighting fixtures, together with Avolites lighting consoles. L-Acoustics, d&b audiotechnik and Turbosound PA systems were deployed for the live audiences, along with Midas, Roland and Allen & Heath mixing desks. PSI also supplied 3m x 2.5m of 4.9mm LED screen for the Craft Village Black Stage.

Samhain Live is produced by Gifted Empire Productions. ‘It’s always a pleasure working with the PSI team,’ says company MD, Paul McKay. ‘Their professionalism is second to none and they always deliver to the highest standard. PSI have made a massive contribution to all our shows this year including FleadhTV and Samhain Live and we look forward to working with them again to great success in the near future.’

‘Having multiple full production shows on the same day presents certain challenges, but PSI has leaders with years of experience across the various departments of the business and very capable teams to back them up,’ adds PSI Director, Sean Pagel. ‘We’re very happy with what the Adamson system gives us in terms of performance, and it was pleasing to see the Samhain Sessions run so smoothly – especially with the added pressure of the live broadcasts.’

More: www.productionireland.com

Held in the Belgian town of Boom, Tomorrowland is presently among the largest of electronic music festivals, with the 2016 event attracting 60,000 people on each of three days. Serving up the sounds were almost 600 L-Acoustics loudspeakers specified for eight areas, including the huge main stage.

The system is owned by Phlippo Productions – an L-Acoustics partner for the past four years – who also supplied eight technicians for the build. Design for the audio systems was by Noizboyz, a group of freelance audio technicians specialising in live sound for EDM. They have specified L-Acoustics systems for Tomorrowland since first becoming involved with the festival in 2011.

Australian progressive rock band Northlane are currently touring the European festival circuit with an Allen & Heath dLive system managing both FOH and monitor sound.

‘I’ve come straight over from two years on a dLive S Class S5000/DM64 system on monitors with Bring me the Horizon, and wanted to keep the same workflow with Northlane,’ explains engineer, Jared Daly. ‘As the band are from Australia, their gear is nearly always in a fly-in configuration – everything is in custom wooden racks that slot into fly-able pelican cases that all weigh 32kg. For this reason, the band decided to purchase the C1500 Surface and DM48 MixRack to manage both FOH and monitors.’

‘The dLive surface is small enough to fly anywhere we need, and we had a custom Scott Dixon case built for it so it can be wheeled anywhere with ease,’ Daly explains.

The C1500 is equipped with a Waves network card to allow virtual soundchecking and live recordings of performances. A DM48 rack placed on stage adds input channels when needed, and also provides dual power redundancy. The band pair a Macbook Air with the rack on stage and use Director control software to run their own monitor mixes, gain sharing but with separate FOH and monitor channels.

‘With the use of softkeys, the band have found navigating the software during the show very easy, and if something requires my attention, I have a scene set up to load the monitor input faders to the C1500 and I can manage their mixes directly from FOH,’ Daly reports.

More: www.allen-heath.com

Norwegian pro audio dealer and rental supplier Kultur Support has chosen Allen & Heath’s dLive as its leading rental system.

Based in Sandefjord, the company purchased the flagship dLive S7000 Surface and DM64 MixRack system: ‘Having many years’ experience with iLive and GLD as reliable big players in their portfolio, choosing dLive was a natural step forward,’ says Kultur Support CEO, Lars Petter Kristiansen.

‘Stability and reliability are extremely important factors for our business. After seven years with iLive never once letting me down, it wasn’t a difficult choice. I love the uncomplicated layout, and the fast access to all important features, combined with the great flexibility and also probably the best onboard FX suite on the market.’

The new dLive system has already seen service as the monitor system for the two-day GIT KAM festival, featuring some of Norway’s most popular artists of the past 30 years, and is going to be touring extensively with Øystein Sunde, one of Norway’s best-known folk artists.

Australia-based Norwest Productions reports the successful completion of soud duties at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the 79,000-capacity Maracanã Stadium for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Norwest Director, and founder, Chris Kennedy was on hand at the opening ceremony as he has been for more than 35 major ceremonies events since Sydney Olympics 2016: ‘When we did the Sydney Olympic ceremonies in 2000, I had no idea that this would be an ongoing business that has now become part of the company’s DNA,’ he says. ‘We have now done every summer Olympic opening and closing ceremony this millennium, other than Beijing – a total of four. I am sure that is a record that will be very difficult to surpass.’

The Norwest team for Rio started also worked the Sydney 2000 event – including FOH engineer, and head of audio at NWG, Ian Shapcott and Steve Caldwell the Norwest spectrum guru who designed and managed the implementation of radio devices with 3,500-plus individual frequencies.

Part of the NW Group of sound, lighting, staging, projection, LED and comms companies, Norwest designed the complex system in-house, and partnered with local firm Loudness to provide the audio requirements. Norwest has partnered with local companies at every international event they have done. ‘We believe that we should be sharing the experience and the economic benefits with local suppliers and crew,’ says Kennedy. ‘We hope that this leaves a lasting legacy after we leave the country – and we make a lot of great friends over the world.’

Over the 16 years since the Sydney games Norwest has developed custom specialist equipment and systems that ensure each ceremony goes perfectly. There is no room for anything to go wrong. ‘It’s all about backup,’ Kennedy  says. ‘With few exceptions the only things that don’t have a backup are the things that have two backups – such as the protocol lectern which feeds into the digital audio system, the analogue backup system and has a third RF transmission system. Combined with multiple capsules in the Røde designed and manufactured custom microphone a great many things would have to go wrong before we lost the IOC president Thomas Bach’s important words.’

Networking the ceremonies

‘As system designer we tried to keep the design as straightforward as possible, however the venue posed a few challenges, in particular the unfriendly cable paths,’ says Norwest Project Coordinator and Designer, Andy Marsh .

The main audio transport used an Optocore redundant ring network of decentralised devices in the form of a 24-node, 2Gb system, with the audio LAN using the second fibre pair in a 24-node 1Gb system. ‘We used all 24 nodes possible, and also handled delivery of feeds to the broadcaster.’

The Optocore set-up was designed in such a way that six nodes were stationed on the field of play, two of which handled the I/O from the different stages; the signals were converted to AES digital at every individual node, with Dolby Lake processors feeding the amplifiers.

Many of the signal runs approached distances of 350m – the maximum for a 2Gb network using multimode fiber. And this is where Optocore’s new R-series interfaces came into their own.

Norwest maintains a substantial investment in Optocore equipment and upgraded to the new super-efficient R series devices, with 2Gb capability, as soon as they became available. R series devices offer increased features and energy efficiency, reduced carbon footprint and a substantial decrease in cost and power consumption – as well as twice the bandwidth of their predecessors. The devices provide for 1,024 input channels per ring plus unlimited number of output channels – necessary for events on this scale.

In total, Norwest supplied 54 interfaces, including DD4MR-FX, DD32R-FX, X6R-FX-8AE/8MI, X6R-TP-8AE/8MI, X6P-16IN for the main PA system and further DD4MR-FX and DD2FR-FX for broadcast splits. ‘Norwest already owned enough R-series devices to run the entire network – with ample spares,’ Marsh says. ‘We even did another couple of point to point networks using spare devices we had there.’

Despite having a significantly lower budget than those of other recent Olympics, the main Opening Ceremony was praised by the international media for its vivid, diverse performances, emphasis on multiculturalism and its appeal to the issue of climate change.

To ensure rock solid delivery of the event, Norwest’s fully redundant system contained secondary consoles connected to an analogue backup system with Dolby Lake processors switching the system outputs. Signals were transmitted to up to 380 various L-Acoustics FOH loudspeakers for the main Opening Ceremony, powered by up to 164 amplifiers, for the FOH system alone.

Marsh knows that Optocore is unique in being able to deliver an event of this nature, and it continues to be their go-to solution: ‘We absolutely love it,’ he said. ‘It offers reliability, redundancy and extremely high quality signal transportation.’

The ceremonies, under the direction of executive producer Marco Balich, exceeded all expectations.

Nugen Audio has made further updates to its Loudness Toolkit, including an additional alert and flexible gating options for VisLM to fully support forthcoming guidance and internal recommendations from major content producers.

LM-Correct is updated to handle 7.1 and 7.1.2 de-interleaved files offline (in addition to the existing stereo and 5.1 support) and natively handle 7.1 and 7.1.2 tracks in the Avid and Adobe timelines, when applicable.

Loudness Toolkit now includes the DynApt extension for LM-Correct. DynApt is a standard for all new customers and upgrade options are available for existing users in their online account areas on the Nugen Audio website. LM-Correct works in concert alongside VisLM and ISL to deliver unsurpassed quality and workflow efficiency.

A new toolset Surround Suite includes Halo Upmix, Halo Downmix, ISL surround limiter and SEQ-S surround match-and-morph corrective spline EQ. From stereo to 5.1, 7.1, Dolby Atmos 7.1.2, Auro 3D and Ambisonic output, the new surround suite is a perfect complement to any multi-channel workflow.

‘Following the introduction of updated ITU guidance for the measurement of multichannel audio beyond 5.1, the Loudness Toolkit family of products has been updated in order to enhance the workflow for engineers in the industry,’ says Creative Director, Jon Schorah. ‘We will also be showing our post-production bundles for the first time at IBC. The bundles were designed to deliver our intuitive algorithms in unique combinations tailored to specific projects and workflow needs. IBC is a great place for us to showcase these new bundles and we look forward to hearing the feedback from industry professionals.’

More: www.nugenaudio.com