Renkus-Heinz has announced its T Series of professional loudspeakers for installed and live sound applications.

The next generation of the company’s TRX Series incorporates redesigned HF and LF drivers, and is designed for a wide range of installed sound applications, including houses of worship, performing arts centres, transportation hubs, museums, and other public spaces. Available in both powered (TA Series) and passive (TX Series) models, T Series loudspeakers will be built to order with a variety of horn pattern for optimal coverage control, and will be fully customisable, with Renkus-Heinz custom colour matching and weather resistant options.

All T Series models incorporate the latest generation of Complex Conic Horns, with optimised drivers to provide clean, natural sound and tight pattern control. Unlike conventional loudspeaker designs, Complex Conic horns provide consistent beamwidth over a wider frequency range. And as with all Renkus-Heinz products, T Series loudspeakers are backed by worldwide customer support.

Renkus-Heinz T Series loudspeakers will be shipping in Spring 2017.

More: www.renkus-heinz.com

Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu has consistently featured among the world’s highest grossing touring artists, along with his Johann Strauss Orchestra. Their show combines exceptional musicianship and immersive performances, and an equal standard of audio support.

FOH engineer Wim Van Der Molen has been part of the entourage for about 24 years, and is regarded as much a part of the orchestra as its musicians. Rieu himself told Van Der Molen early in their partnership that the mixing console was to be his instrument – an instrument that has recently been upgraded to an SSL Live L500.

The console, supplied supported on tour by Solotech, now mixes up to 128 inputs from stage for both the PA and monitors, from the FOH position. Also touring with the show is Solotech Project Manager/Systems Tech, Alexandre Dugas.

Having been in service for 12 years, Van Der Molen felt that the tour’s previous digital console was ready for retirement. It was large, heavy, required a lot of flight case real estate, and the evolving show deserved a new generation of technology – a step up in flexibility, power, and quality. Solotech suggested the SSL L500…

‘I met with Roland Mattijsen of AEM in The Netherlands, and he introduced us to the SSL team,’ Dugas says. ‘Of course, we know SSL by name and by reputation, and we had long chat and a demo there. Later, we visited the SSL HQ in the UK with audio tracks from the show, and after that we moved on to running an L500 at some of our shows from an analogue split alongside our existing console.’

‘We had to put forward a good argument to the boss for replacing our existing console,’ says Van Der Molen. ‘And we had to be convinced as well, of course. The first time I mixed on the SSL I knew it was better; it was amazing. The result was even better than I had expected.’

‘It was great to be able to compare consoles in the same venue and at the same moment,’ adds Dugas. ‘What we found immediately was that the SSL was wide and open – it made a huge difference.’

At one show, the pair recall, they had to incorporate a six-man a capellagroup that sometimes joins Rieu on stage, along with their three Neumann U87 microphones. ‘We didn’t have time to EQ these microphones before the start of the show, so there was barely anything on them – just a touch of high cut and low cut,’ says Van Der Molen. ‘We were actually anticipating a problem. When it came to it, we were ready to get to work but it sounded fine. We used to use a graphic EQ and a lot of processing to get that group right – now we use almost nothing.’

‘And because of that, ‘we have much more gain before feedback on those microphones than we had before,’ notes Dugas. ‘The difference that the SSL preamps make is huge.’

The show travels with 128 preamps in a rack of SSL Stageboxes with SuperAnalogue inputs. The show does not always use all 128 inputs, but it does expand regularly for special events when the addition of a choir, various regular guests, and a larger orchestra bumps up the count. The console show file is set up and ready for those expansions, so the team doesn’t have to re-make anything.

While VCAs are available on the L500, the show does not use them. Instead it is organised with a Stem Group – a special audio group with flexible routing possibilities and the option of full processing. There are several string section stems, plus piano, keyboards, woodwind, brass, percussion, female choir and male choir stems. Those, in turn, are routed to a single orchestra stem which is not included in the snapshot automation – a fine tuning resource that allows Van Der Molen to balance the whole orchestra against the singers and soloists. ‘Sometimes the orchestra can overplay the soloists and this makes it very easy to correct that without having to make lots of adjustments,’ he explains.

‘We used VCAs on the old console,’ comments Dugas, ‘But the Stems are a much better way of doing it. You can EQ 16 violins by EQing the violin stem rather than going through them all individually.

Rieu himself has two lavalier mics for voice. The mutes and fader timing on these are an important performance aspect for Van Der Molen, as a heavy violin stroke into an active vocal microphone can be an alarming experience for the audience. ‘André can take the violin off his shoulder and say something even when the orchestra is still playing,’ he says.

‘The timing has to be precise. It’s probably because I’ve been working with him for so long that I can predict these movements and mix accordingly.’

Rieu’s vocals are not routed to the main mix, but are sent directly from the console as a separate input to the Meyer Sound Galileo system. ‘This means I can EQ it and send it to different fills and specific speakers,’ Dugas explains. ‘It’s just something that comes from experience in different venues and with varied systems. It seems to work best for us. They are omnidirectional lavaliers and they need a lot of control.’

The eight monitor mixes for the show are all managed from the FOH console. They are not complex mixes, but as Dugas explains: ‘For a standard show we have at least 80 microphones on the stage and with a choir that can be more than 100. With all those microphones, a lot of complex monitor mixes would make a big mess.’

The main value of the monitor mixes is as direct feedback for the musicians from their own instruments. They are coping with big rock and roll venues without the solid foundation of coherent reflections that a more conventional classical venue or even an orchestra pit often provides. The front fills are mostly Rieu’s violin, along with the soloists. ‘André is the conductor, so when he is playing the violin, the orchestra must play off that lead,’ Van Der Molen observes.

This potentially complex show set-up is simplified considerably by the SSL approach of unrestricted, drag-and-drop bank and layer assignment to independent channel tiles, with simply managed colour-coding and the graphic Eyeconix labelling system. The Super-Query forward and reverse interrogation technology (the Q button) means that any input or output is always just a button push away.

Rieu remains directly involved with every aspect of the show, including the sound reinforcement. When it came to the final stamp of approval on the SSL, Van Der Molen recalls a playback of Ravel’s Bolero to Rieu after one of the ‘test’ shows. ‘It’s a piece of music big on dynamics,’ he says. ‘We played it back for Rieu and he was very impressed. All he said was, “okay, it’s all yours”.’

Taking on sound duties for Switzerland’s largest music festival, Swiss rental company Hyperson pressed Yamaha’s flagship Rivage PM10 digital mixing console into service alongside several other Yamaha digital mixers.

Paléo Festival Nyon features five main stages, hosting a spread of artists and styles of music, with a sixth area – La Ruche – home to street theatre, circus acts, comedy and visual poets.

Established in 1972, Hyperson has been supplying audio equipment to the Paléo Festival since 1978. For 2016, the company supplied CL5 consoles for FOH and monitors on Le Détour stage and a PM1D on monitors at The Dome. The Rivage PM10 mixed FOH sound at the 15,000-capacity Les Arches stage.

Chris Hauri, chief sound engineer at Les Arches, was impressed by its performance: ‘I spent time learning every aspect of the Rivage PM10, so I knew the answers in advance to any questions I might be asked by visiting engineers,’ he says. ‘Everybody knows Yamaha CL series mixers and they will easily be able to find their way on the Rivage PM10 – which is exactly what happened.

‘I mixed a couple of performances on the console myself, both with and without soundchecks. I found it very straightforward to use and really enjoyed it. There are not many live consoles that allow the sound to really breathe. But there is no harshness in the Rivage PM10’s EQ – when you push up the high frequencies, you just get clean high end. I loved that. There are very few other desks where I can feel that ‘breathing’ in the upper frequencies.’

The console supported a variety of performances throughout the festival, from one-man shows and DJs through to hip-hop, rock, pop and classical music. One challenging performance was that of the Sinfonietta de Lausanne, which involved the highest channel count of around 80, but the Sinfonietta’s FOH engineer Fabien Ayer found the Rivage PM10 a familiar, straightforward experience.

‘I used the offline editor software to prepare for the show and, although I was only able to spend three hours on the console, I quickly found that operating it was very similar to the CL5, which I know well,’ he says. ‘Mixing classical music needs to accurately reproduce the true sound of the instruments and keep the balance as natural as possible. The Rivage PM10 really helps to achieve this, because the preamps sound great and the EQ is very accurate. I was very happy to use it for this performance.’

‘It’s a great console – it sounds really good, it has beautiful preamps and processing, it’s easy to use and reliable,’ Hauri says. ‘I really enjoyed having it in my hands for a few days. I am also grateful to Yamaha’s Jean-Pierre Decollogny, Stefan Zeiger and Ruben van der Goor for their assistance and support.’

‘Yamaha consoles are suited to a very wide range of applications and everyone knows them,’ adds Jérôme Burri, in charge of Hyperson’s presence at the festival. ‘That’s incredibly useful for festivals, because a lot of bands have show files and it’s very easy to accommodate guest engineers. Many artists at Paléo came with CL show files or their own CL series console.’

The 25^th anniversary of Berlin’s prestigious Classic Open Air Festival featured five consecutive nights of live, open-air music in the heart of the city. Helping to mark the occasion were two Yamaha Rivage PM10 consoles, serving both front of house and monitors.

The Classic Open Air Festival (CoA) concerts take place in the city’s Gendarmenmarkt, in front of the Konzerthaus and between the historic Deutscher Dom und Französischer Dom buildings – lending an ‘amphitheatre feel’ to the music, lighting and fireworks. Over its lifetime, the festival’s concept has changed from a purely classical show to one that includes other styles. The 2016 event began with an anniversary gala and included performers ranging from the Deutsche Filmorchester Babelsberg, violinist Ray Chen and an array of sopranos and opera singers to jazz trumpeter Till Brönner and contemporary organist Cameron Carpenter. The festival culminated in a final night performance by singer Chris de Burgh, accompanied by his band and the Neues Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

It was an ideal situation for the Yamaha Rivage PM10s...

Manfred Bamberg, technical chief at Opernhaus Kiel, has been Tonmeister in charge of the CoA audio set-up for ten years. He initially planned to mix the show with three Yamaha CL5s but, after attending several Rivage PM10 demo sessions, he asked Yamaha Music Europe sales engineer Arthur Koll to provide the consoles for FOH and Monitors at this year’s event. Berlin-based rental company TSE arranged their supply of the desks with Koll supporting the CoA technical crew during the set-up and performances.

‘This year’s programme perfectly suited Rivage PM10 because it is designed to suit many genres of music,’ Koll says. ‘It has the cleanest sound reproduction and the ability to reproduce the beauty of analogue sound shaping, thanks to Yamaha’s long-term cooperation with Rupert Neve. The console is very easy to work with, especially if an engineer has mixed on a Yamaha digital console before. Once the concept and routing is understood and the surface customised for the desired workflow, the PM10 is a typical Yamaha mixer. The engineers immediately felt at home and safe with it. It was an easy job for me.’

Bamberg was happy with the console at FOH: ‘Working with it was a super experience,’ he reports. ‘Having 144 input DSP channels, 72 mixes and 36 matrices, along with 24 DCAs, was ideal for a complex week of shows. I found the routing, allocating mixes and matrixes were all superb. Combined with all the inserts per channel, four sets of internal EQ algorithms and A/B functionality, Rivage PM10 supported my work enormously well.’

Bamberg was also impressed with the Silk function, which he says added a ‘sheen’ to the voices of the opera singers: ‘Combining Silk along with TC6000 reverbs is a killer feature,’ he says. ‘I used a total of six TC engines for mixing Cameron Carpenter’s performance – a different one for each PA zone to provide concert hall acoustics for his bespoke organ.’

The Silk processing was also highlighted by monitor engineer Steffen Klimt: ‘It’s an extraordinary tool, it really adds to the Rivage PM10’s warm, analogue-sounding audio quality. You can make a signal really jump to the front,’ he says. ‘The new classic compressors are also some of the best there are for vocals and the four-band parametric EQ on each input channel is outstanding, I used the ‘Precise EQ’ algorithm on all channels throughout the week.’

The console’s 36 matrix buses were also very beneficial to Klimt, which he used for combining and setting up eight stereo in-ear (IEM) and 20 mono mixes: ‘I arranged the orchestra’s instrument groups by using ten stereo auxes to feed the matrices,’ he says. ‘This saved me handling 100 microphones per mix. From the beginning I was surprised how silent the console is – there is no noise, just sound, which is perfect for IEMs.’

Klimt’s job was made easier by splitting the console’s surface into two segments – a 24-channel bay and a separate 12-channel assignable section for the outputs. This was also appreciated by Bamberg: ‘Being able to virtually split the Rivage PM10 surface – which allowed two engineers to work in parallel – helped me and my co-engineers create a smooth workflow.’

The first night’s gala was televised by broadcaster RBB, a process made easier by the use of two Yamaha RMio64-D Dante-Madi converters: ‘It made my day to be able to simply transmit all microphone signals in parallel to the RBB OB Van, with no analogue split needed. Being able to combine the console easily with multitrack recordings for virtual soundchecking was another really important feature for staging five complex performances on consecutive nights,’ says Klimt.

‘It was very rewarding that the CoA promoter came to FOH and congratulated us on delivering great sounding performances every day, saying that the shows sounded better than ever before. Compared to previous years, the only difference in the setup was Rivage PM10.’

More: www.yamahaproaudio.com

Martin Audio has appointed RM Audio, specialist provider of sound, lighting, video and staging equipment for the live events industry, as its new distributor in Greece.

RM Audio/Ressou Bros Co was founded by Marinos and Michalis Ressos, who run the business from Moschato, Athens, with Giannikos Pavlos and Giorgos Kapolas.

‘It is well known that Martin Audio is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of speakers, with a history of innovation that has changed the history of the live concert industry and music in general,’ Kapolas says. ‘Unfortunately, in recent times, the brand has been missing from the Greek market and so we contacted them, setting out our vision of Martin Audio to [EMEA Sales Manager] Brad Watson, and the opportunities that exist in Greece to get Martin Audio back as first choice of sound professionals again.

‘Whether we are dealing with concert coverage via MLA or installing CDD5s, as we have recently in one of the most famous cocktail bars in Paros, there is something for all applications. Thanks to these series and others, we can meet the needs of professionals and at the same time strengthen our network of dealers, rental partners and installers.’

RM Audio wasted no time backing up its faith by deploying a variety of systems across multiple stages at the inaugural edition of ADD 2018, Athens’ contemporary dance music festival. They also placed a large order for a system that includes WPC, monitors, iKon amps, CDD – both for their own rental stock and as a demo system. The iKon amplifier racks have been designed to drive Martin Audio’s new SXH218 subwoofers in bridged mode.

RM Audio has also supported Martin Audio webinars, and in person at exhibitions and will attend the manufacturer’s forthcoming open day. ‘Any help we need, we know Martin Audio’s specialists are always on hand to share their knowledge with us,’ says Kapolas.

‘We’re delighted to welcome RM Audio to the Martin Audio family,’ Watson says. ‘Their passion and knowledge for the sector is well respected in Greece and we believe they will be able to maximise the portfolio as they have already demonstrated with this stunning opening event.’

‘Although it is still early, the results are already clear, which makes us highly optimistic about strengthening Martin Audio’s position in the PA industry,’ Giorgos Kapolas.

Pumping bass, infectious synth hooks, and lead singer Lauren Mayberry’s voice and stage presence have made Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches a live attraction worldwide. Given the massive stage volumes often at play, FOH engineer Paul Gallagher has adopted a Rupert Neve Designs 5045 Primary Source Enhancer on Mayberry’s lead vocal mics.

Gallagher has worked with the group since their beginnings: ‘Glasgow is a small town with a great music scene,’ he says. ‘I worked with Iain [Cook] and Martin [Doherty] in different bands before Chvrches. I think the first gig I worked for them was a small show in Edinburgh in front of 100 people. It’s been a journey watching them progress to the venues they are now playing.

‘I had been using the [Rupert Neve Designs] Master Buss Processor in the studio and then used it live. Then a band called Shura were on tour with Chvrches, and their engineer highly recommended [the 5045]. He gave me a shot and I was very impressed.

‘Lauren, who handles the majority of lead vocals, swaps between a wired microphone and an RF microphone. I’m using both channels [of the 5045] on these. It’s great for shutting the mic down when it’s not in use, while leaving the envelope of the source sounding natural. We are using [Sennheiser] 965 capsules – they can be sensitive, so it’s great for getting more gain without building up feedback. I’ve found since using the 5045, reverbs and delays sound tighter.’

More: www.rupertneve.com

In May 2015, a small band of Foo Fighters fans from Cesena had tired of waiting for their heroes to add the central Italian state of Romagna to their tour itinerary – they hadn’t vitied since 1997, and had no plans to return.

Led by Fabio Zaffagnini, the friends decided to stage a live performance of the Foo Fighters’ ‘Learn To Fly’ with 1,000 musicians playing simultaneously – and to film the performance, and send the video to the band. ‘If you really want something, you have to be ready to beg,’ Zaffagnini  says. ‘It’s better if there are 1,000 people behind you.’

Roland has announced the SR-20HD Direct Streaming A/V Mixer, a powerful and portable audio/video switcher.

Promising to make it simple to operate livestreaming in a business or organisation with minimal training, the SR-20HD combines a video switcher, audio mixer, preview screen, recorder/player and streaming encoder in a single unit. Presenters can stream directly to YouTube Live, Facebook, Twitch, or by RTMP to a CDN without the need for a computer, removing the risk of malware and other issues arising with computer-based streaming on enterprise networks.

With advanced Roland A/V technologies incorporated in its design, the SR-20HD has automatic functions that run in the background to eliminate dropped streams and help protect organisations from broadcasting inappropriate content. The Adaptive Bitrate function monitors the network connection and automatically adjusts the streaming rate to reduce interruptions due to bandwidth issues.

A mobile phone with a 4G or 5G data plan can be tethered and used as the primary streaming connection or a redundant backup, while the Safety Delay function buffers up to 60s of video and audio, allowing users to switch to a still image or mute the sound if anything goes wrong.

The Roland SR-20HD Direct Streaming A/V Mixer will be available in the US in Q3 2022 at US$2,095.

More: https://proav.roland.com/global

Roland’s Professional A/V Division has released the XI-WSG Waves SoundGrid Expansion Card, expanding the system possibilities of its M-5000 Series consoles.

Taking advantage of Waves’ SoundGrid networking, the XI-WSG has three ports for connection to Waves SoundGrid Servers, allowing low-latency, redundant audio connection and direct connection to a PC for MultiRack SoundGrid control without the need for an external network hub. The XI-WSG accommodates 64 inputs and 64 outputs for integrating Waves’ high-precision plug-in processing, multitrack recording and playback with an M-5000 Series Console.

‘The XI-WSG Waves SoundGrid Expansion Card gives M-5000 users the ability to use the incredible collection of Waves plug-ins that many audio professionals find indispensable and further builds the M-5000’s reputation as the most complete integrated live audio system available,’ says Roland VP of Professional A/V, Christian Delfino. ‘The M-5000’s OHRCA platform takes the guesswork out of live audio system integration, seamlessly integrating 128 channels of configurable audio mixing with a wide range of digital snake options, 40-channel customisable M-48 Personal Mixers, stand-alone multichannel hardware recording with virtual rehearsal, and now our fourth XI Series Expansion Card, which adds direct Waves SoundGrid integration alongside the Dante, Madi and REAC options already available.’

‘We are excited to join forces with Roland, enabling the use of Waves compressors, EQs, reverbs, delays and other audio plug-ins directly from a Roland M-5000 live sound console,’ says Mick Olesh, Waves EVP of Sales & Marketing. ‘Used in leading recording studios, mixing rooms and mastering houses the world over, Waves’ industry-standard plug-ins are now at your fingertips behind your Roland FOH or monitor desk.’

More: http://proav.roland.com

From its 1959 origins as a small basement club where local musicians could jam with others of shared passion, Ronnie Scott’s has become one of the world’s best-known jazz clubs, hosting big names and nursing emerging stars. The club also offers a diverse programme of live music including Latin, jive, blues, flamenco, tap dancing and DJ sets, which has helped make it the place to be for both the new hipster generation and music fans seeking the very best in live jazz.

A recent upgrade of the club’s technical facilities has seen the installation of a bespoke digital audio network plus two DiGiCo mixing consoles, with the system design, supply and installation all carried out by Autograph Sales & Installations.

The club’s Technical Manager Miles Ashton had been considering replacing the venue’s mixing console and following conversations with DiGiCo he contacted Autograph to discuss his options including supply and installation. In addition to the requirement for new FOH mixing capabilities, the club wanted to make permanent provision for a dedicated monitor console, and also to upgrade broadcast connectivity.

Autograph’s Euan Mackenzie and Ben Wiffen devised a solution to meet all operational requirements using a permanent fibre optic network using DiGiCo’s Optocore system – which has the additional benefit of redundancy backup via an optical loop which takes over in the event of a link failure. A dedicated fibre-optic patch panel now resides at stage left, allowing simple integration of a visiting monitor console (whether Optocore-equipped or not) to the house audio infrastructure without sacrificing the backup system.

Additionally, every custom connector panel is designed such that it can handle any combination of connectivity and be reconfigured according to the demands of a specific show, while the previous analogue broadcast feed is now accompanied by a permanent digital link to the broadcast position, to which a fibre patch is also available from stage left, front of house or the patch room. Three fibre connector panels are located at stage left, FOH and the broadcast position respectively, while the latter also features a dedicated BNC Madi link to FOH. A fibre patch in the upstairs rack room allows each fibre link to be re-patched to suit a given application.

At the heart of the system is a new SD10 digital mixing console, customised by DiGiCo, who fitted specially-designed sidecheeks for the control surface so that it fitted into the available space in the FOH booth. The club additionally purchased a DiGiCo SD11i for when performances require a dedicated monitor mix engineer. This desk is also ideal for use in the upstairs club (Upstairs@Ronnie’s, a 140-capacity bar and live music venue which is separate to the main club) if required.

To complete the project and make life as easy as possible for visiting engineers, Autograph also spent a day with Matthew Gush, one of the house audio team, programming dedicated templates for both consoles so that show files for specific events or artists can be created very quickly from scratch where necessary. This includes a custom macro, allowing the SD11i to assume control of the monitor mixes at the press of a button.

‘It wasn’t a quick decision,’ reflects Ronnie Scott’s Technical Manager, Miles Ashton. ‘I looked at almost everything available and we trialled a couple of options for a few weeks. Flexibility was the key, plus we also needed consoles that were familiar to visiting engineers. We decided on DiGiCo for several reasons, including the ease of use, fantastic sound quality, the flexibility of the Optocore system and that it’s an industry standard for live sound. The fact that the consoles are British – so it’s very easy to speak directly with the manufacturer – was another benefit. It became clear to me that DiGiCo’s Optocore system was going to be key to getting exactly what I wanted with the least amount of fuss.

‘We can do monitors from FOH (with iPad control) for an opening act and in the same gig, offer an on-stage mixer to a main act touring with their own monitor engineer, all using the same wedges with no re-patching. The audio quality is a noticeable upgrade for us, too. DiGiCo also did a great job customising the SD10’s side cheeks to be 30mm narrower for us – DiGiCo and Autograph have both provided great service, while both house and visiting engineers really like the consoles. We definitely chose the right solution.’

RTW has released the MM3 MusicMeter, allowing loudness metering to be incorporated into music-based applications with flexibility and ease.

The MM3 MusicMeter features vectorscope, PPM/TruePeak or vu, real-time analysers, Loudness vs Time charts, along with numerical and graphical loudness display and zoom modes – all accessible with a simple swipe of the screen. With the ability to view the display in both vertical and horizontal modes, the MM3 MusicMeter can fit into any workflow. In addition to the available features, the MM3 supports audio inputs including analogue, SPDIF and USB, while an SPDIF output delivers a buffered stereo signal or downmix from a 5.1-channel stream.

The MM3 MusicMeter is compatible with the company’s well-known USB Connect software package, which is available at no cost from the company’s website. The USB Connect software equips its user with a direct audio signal transfer and additional control from within a DAW environment, further expanding the capabilities of the MM3.

‘RTW has typically been reserved for the broadcast and production market, but we are now breaking that tradition with this introduction to the music market,’ says, RTW CEO, Andreas Tweitmann. ‘This new audio solution is available at an affordable price for everyone in the industry, and gives the opportunity for sound engineers and mixers to implement loudness metering into their music-based workflows and applications.’

The RTW MM3 MusicMeter is currently shipping through a limited number of exclusive partners and online at RTW’s worldwide webshop.

More: www.rtw.com

British comedian Russell Howard’s ‘in-the-round’ tour saw Adlib supply audio and lighting for the UK arena leg – the largest to date for the highly-acclaimed stand-up.

Adlib’s audio team was led by George Puttock who worked with Howard’s FOH engineer, Simon Lawson. Puttock specified a Coda Audio AiRay loudspeaker system for a number of different reasons; its unrivalled light weight, its excellent sound quality and projection, as well as the precise horizontal control. The fact it is quick and easy to rig was an added bonus for the crew. The core system comprised of eight hangs of eight AiRay, boxes with eight ViRay boxes for each down fill. These were flown either side of four LED screens rigged at cardinal points about the stage.

Each day a completely bespoke variation of this system was rigged and optimised to suit the conditions and nuances of the room, to deliver the punch lines to every seat in the house.

Coda Audio’s Linus 10 amplifiers were suspended from an inner truss placed in a square behind the eight hangs, to facilitate neat cable management and short speaker cable runs. In addition to Coda Audio’s Linus Live control software, Adlib designed a bespoke power control and monitoring solution providing individual control and monitoring of each amplifier from the ground. ‘We couldn’t risk having any circuit breakers in the air, with the inability to reset them mid-show,’ Puttock explains.

Audio was transported using Coda’s LiNet signal distribution system, primarily for its absolute zero latency and high resilience. LiNet was also perfect due to the long cable runs often encountered in getting to the centre of the arena from the control position.

All the processing and control was managed in the flown amplifiers; the signal being sent there from the DiGiCo SD9 FOH console. An SD11 was provided as a backup console, with a Spirit Folio for a completely discreet analogue backup.

Howard doesn’t use IEMs, so six Coda TiRay boxes were flown on the ‘east’ and ‘west’ sides of the stage for monitoring. Twelve further TiRay boxes positioned around the lip of stage provided front-fill, their tiny form factor being ideal for sight-lines and the cameras.  The artist specified his own mic, which was a wireless Shure Beta SM58.

Puttock worked alongside a solid Adlib team of Tony Szabo, Simon Lawson, Billy Bryson, Steph Fleming and Antonio Calvi. He engaged in a serious amount of advance work beforehand, knowing that all the venues were very different and the PA would have to change to suit day-to-day.

‘Using this Coda AiRay system was the best solution for this scenario because it’s so predictable,’ he says. ‘It does exactly what the software tells you it’s going to do and that makes for a very easy day on site.’

With this reassurance, he could concentrate on his first essential job each day; thoroughly checking the position of the rigging points and adjusting the ‘plan’ to take into account any unforeseen eventualities accordingly.

‘Splendid and tremendous,’ Puttock reprts, ‘It was a great tour, extremely well organised with harmony from all departments. The crew and the system delivered and there was lots of laughter throughout, both from the audience and from the crew.’

A wireless multicore was run to stage using a pair of Ubiquiti Bullets to create a 5GHz WIFI network – one located on the cable bridge with the Luminex nodes and one under the stage with another node. The data comfortably travelled this height every day and the system proved very reliable as well as saving at least 30 minutes a day on cabling. A GreenGo wireless comms system was run out to the four follow spot positions, with the GreenGo antenna also sitting at the end of the cable bridge, which saved having to run out more than 400m of XLR cabling daily.

A standard analogue TechPro comms system was also used for the show, as the distances made it more efficient to run cables for this element of the production.

‘We’ve had a really busy 2017 so far, with lots of comedy projects on tour,’ says Adlib Client Manager, Phil Kielty. ‘It’s always good to push boundaries and we’ve also been thrilled with the results of the Coda PA in-the-round on this one.

‘We’re fortunate enough to have been involved with Russell for nearly ten years now, I first saw him performing at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool around 2007 and I am still a massive fan. Adlib thrives in a comedy environment and Russell and the team at Avalon all strive to be the best at what they do – so it’s a great match. Our thanks to James Taylor and Bjorn Wentlandt at Avalon and Tour Manager Kumar Kamalagharan for another excellent arena tour.’

Rapper Баста’s recent performance in front of a 35,000-strong crowd at Moscow’s Olympic Stadium set a new record for an in-the-round performance by a Russian artist. At FOH, Ruslan Dmitriev mixed the show on a Yamaha Rivage PM10.

The console has established a reputation as a stable, reliable system in the Russian touring market but Dmitriev also needed a console that was able to manage a complex, 360° format show and be absolutely certain that he wouldn’t have any problems. Alongside the console, he specified a PC with AIC128-D Dante interface for a 66-channel, 96kHz recording to Steinberg Nuendo Live.

‘This was the second time I had mixed a show on Rivage PM10 and both times I found it very easy to use,’ Dmitriev says. ‘I had used the Yamaha PM5D for many years, as well as the CL series. The Rivage PM10 user interface is very familiar if you know those consoles, so it took very little time to get used to it.

‘I loaded the show file from the previous time I used the PM10 and, although this was a 360° format show, it did not take long to update the settings and add the extra things needed.’

The greatest challenges facing Dmitriev were the acoustic reflections from around the venue and making sure that the whole audience enjoyed a big bass presence, without the SPLs from the 14 arrays of floor-mounted subs circling the stage being too high for the audience close to them.

‘The whole production was a really interesting experience,’ he says. ‘Rivage PM10 delivers incredible sound quality – the dynamic compressor with Rupert Neve Silk sounds really cool. I also love the big faders, screens, controls and the wood strip. The console both sounds and feels really high quality and it has enough “analogue” familiarity for veteran engineers. For every future big show I will be choosing Rivage PM10.’

‘We are pleased that Ruslan chose to mix such an important show on Rivage PM10 and were happy to support him throughout the production,’ says Yamaha Music Russia Senior Professional Audio Specialist, Andrey Popov.

More: www.yamahaproaudio.com

Just a few days after the events in Brussels and in the wake of the killings at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris, an incident at a London venue went largely unreported.

A recent gig at London’s Roundhouse Theatre was interrupted by what was later to be reported as a ‘false fire alarm’. A first-hand report of the crowd management offers an insight into the practical considerations now surrounding security at entertainment venues.

Italy’s Bazzano Beach bar and restaurant, in the tourist resort of Sperlonga, between Roma and Napoli, has solved the problem of sound spill using a Yamaha audio system.

With fixed loudspeakers for the venue’s restaurant, terrace and the beach in front of the building, a movable dance system to cover a larger area of the beach for the weekend Spiaggia Italiana, which features DJ sets and live performances on Saturdays, and Session Sunday guest DJ sets. Previous audio systems failed to achieve the balance needed to keep all patrons happy, but the installation of a Yamaha Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) series audio system has done just that.

‘With previous systems, Bazzano Beach suffered with an inability to control the sound tightly enough and had dance system subwoofers which devastated the restaurant when they were at the right volume for the beach,’ says Wouter ‘Tony’ Verkuijl of Yamaha Music Europe’s Italy branch.

The solution was a complete CIS audio system, supplied and installed by Sperlonga-based Remix Sound. Eight VXS8 and two VXS10S loudspeakers cover the restaurant, terrace and beach immediately in front of the building, driven by a pair of XMV4280 multi-channel power amplifiers. The dance system comprises four active DSR215 full-range loudspeakers and six DXS18 subs. Uniquely for subs at this price point, the DSX18 features a cardioid mode which, when a pair is used, effectively decreases sound pressure at the sides and back, while increasing the output towards the front, where it is needed. An MGP12X mixer serves DJ sets and live performance.

To provide maximum control, the system is divided into 11 zones and is controlled by an MTX5-D matrix processor. The MTX5-D fulfils a number of roles – these include managing the remote control of the system via Yamaha’s Wireless DCP app, limiting the maximum volume of all loudspeakers and managing inputs from an RX-V577 A/V receiver and an announcement microphone. Used for avising customers that their table is ready, an onboard ducker reduces the volume of the music in all zones except the restaurant when this microphone is used.

The MTX5-D is also used to precisely control the onboard DSP of the DXS18s, complementing the loudspeakers cardioid mode and keeping unwanted bass frequencies to an absolute minimum behind and to the sides of the subs. DCP1V4S and DCP4V4S wall-mounted controllers also provide local volume control and mute .

‘The sound quality is very high in the restaurant, terrace and on the beach, with plenty of headroom,’ says Remix Sound’s Riccardo de Simone. ‘The DSR-based dance system is very powerful, but the control provided by the MTX5-D and cardioid placement of the subs means that the sound of the entire system is very well contained. Bazzano Beach’s owners are very happy with the significant improvement that Yamaha CIS has provided over its previous audio systems.’

More: www.yamahaproaudio.com

Founded by Rick and Lori Taylor in 2000, the Healing Rooms Apostolic Center (HRAC) in Santa Maria, California has installed an Allen & Heath S7000 Digital Mixing System in its main 500-seat sanctuary.

Used for live events and video and audio streaming, the console plays a central role within the 22,000 square-foot facility’s production capabilities, serving followers in both the US and abroad. ‘HRAC is a global resource where people receive healing, pray, and grow spiritually,’ explains Jason Allen of A-Town AV, the integration firm responsible for the dLive S7000. ‘As one of the most heavily used stages on campus, the main room hosts services four days each week that are contemporary in style. The technology was chosen to foster creativity while providing a feast for the senses via audio, lighting, projectors, and LED video walls.’

With its dedicated audio and video streaming rooms, the HRAC relies upon a fibre-optic hub that networks the entire facility. Equipped with a Dante card, the S7000 system is constantly expanding its role under the direction of chief audio engineer Brian Williams, who oversees a staff of operators with varying degrees of experience.

‘The console has been up and running since September of last year,’ Allen notes of the S7000. ‘And throughout this time the staff has steadily added more layers of functionality to it. It’s super-powerful, sensitive, and the latency is incredibly low. The 26 assignable softkeys have been used to trigger scenes for live applications, and everyone enjoys the ability to create side-chains for compression, limiting, gating, and dynamics processing.’

A dLive DM48 MixRack with 48 mic/line inputs and 24 line outputs resides onstage in the main room, providing the real estate necessary to mic every instrument and voice. ‘Obtaining the highest quality sound is a priority at the centre,’ Allen says.

‘Before the DM48 was installed most of the drum kit had to be captured with nothing more than a couple of overheads. Now there’s room to mic everything individually, and the sound is much more accurate. Guitarists onstage play directly into the S7000 using one of the insert channels as well. Patching is seamless everywhere, and dLive has made it simpler too.’

‘Jazz audiences are totally unforgiving,’ says Audio Incorporated VP Mike Sinclair. ‘With jazz, it’s especially important that the PA sound transparent, as if you were listening to the band without a PA.’

His comments are referenced specifically to the Freifhofers Saratoga Jazz Festival – one of the longest-running jazz events in the world, which takes place at the at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, with Sinclair mixing front-of-house for many of the acts.

The home of the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as the Saratoga Jazz Festival, the Arts Centre is a curved bowl that rises 100 feet high. ‘Basically, it’s a concert hall without walls,’ Sinclair says.

The New Jersey-based firm run by Sinclaie and partner Stephen Tolve has provided the sound for the event for past ten years.

‘It’s a difficult space to mix in because it has a balcony, which is unique for a shed,’ muses Sinclair. ‘The old system we used for seven or eight years wasn’t entirely getting the job done, so we decided to move on from that rig and update to a Renkus-Heinz VL3 self-powered line arrays for that clear, transparent sound.’

The system Sinclair selected for the 2015 Saratoga Jazz Festival comprises 12-cabinet VL3 hangs on each side of the stage. ‘The J-array has constant curvature; none of the cabinets are at zero to each other,’ explains Sinclair. ‘We rig it as high up as we possibly can so that we have the top box pointing up at the balcony and the bottom box pointing down at the third or fourth row, so it’s almost overhead. That way, we get complete coverage, other than a few front fills.’

Renkus-Heinz’ VerSys VL3 is an integrated, self-powered, three-way line array system with dual 1kW, 12-inch neodymium woofers. It can deliver more than 133dB SPL and requires minimum set-up time. Smaller than comparable large-format line arrays, the VL3 works with Renkus-Heinz’ Rhaon system-manager software and is designed for applications like the Saratoga Jazz Festival, where sonic performance is key, and sound level and coverage needs can’t be satisfied with a conventional horizontal array.

‘We got the vertical coverage that we wanted and the ability to manipulate it,’ recalls Sinclair. ‘With the VL3s, it seemed we could actually make the top half of the system louder and the bottom half of the system quieter so that we got even coverage from the front to the back of the house, including the balcony.’

Sinclair likes to mix most of the Jazz Festival acts at around 103-105dB SPL. ‘That’s a good sweet spot for this kind of music,’ he says. ‘Now, at the end of the day, with the headliner, you have to be able to go to 105dB, peaking at 110dB, and the Renkus-Heinz system is amazingly flexible in that respect. It retains its musicality through a very wide range of levels.’

In the first year with a new system, one might expect the festival’s artists and engineers to be sceptical, but that was not the case. ‘We got no pushback from the engineers or artists. In the jazz world, Renkus-Heinz is a name that has some “juice”. All day long, I had engineers coming in while I was mixing the show, and their reaction was just fantastic, exactly what we wanted: It sounds natural and transparent.’

The Saratoga Jazz Festival wasn’t Sinclair’s first experience with VL3s: ‘I originally bought the VL3s to mix the opening ceremonies of US Open Tennis,’ he recalls. ‘US Open Tennis is held in a stadium of 22,000 people, and we use four arrays of four VL3s to cover it. I made carts for them so the arrays roll through the doors upright, and we tilt them back at the audience. I crossfire them so that no speaker is close to the audience; everybody is in the mid to far field, which allows us to get enough level to fill the place. Lenny Kravitz and Josh Groban both loved the system-two very different artists. The VL3s made it all sound fabulous.’

Sinclair notes that Audio Incorporated currently enjoys an advantage over their competition because of their Renkus-Heinz VL3s. ‘I don’t know of any other companies with VL3s around here, so you have to come to us to get them,’ he says.

The Schertler Group has announced Arthur (Format48) high quality modular mixer, which can be built and configured by its users.

Designed for studio and live applications, the mixer is created from a choice of different class-A input and output modules – Mic Input, Mic Input Ultra Low Noise and Mic Input x4 units, Yellow instrument input unit, Stereo Input unit, LR Master, Aux Master and external Power-In units. These can be combined in any order and quantity to form both compact and large-scale mixer configurations. The number of units that can be included depends on the power supply used. For simpler combinations of 12 or 25 units, there is a choice of two compact power supplies. A further high-end power supply is also available: This can be used with any combination of units, from just a few to 70V or greater. (Power-In units are also required for larger configurations.)

Modules can be added, removed or re-ordered at any time, making Arthur one of the most flexible mixers on the market. Further modules are planned for release in coming months.

Arthur’s electronic design is remarkable for its complete absence of negative feedback (NFB) from input to output. All filters and summing amps are free from restricting back loops in the mixer’s straightforward high-speed design, resulting in an ultra-fast response and natural attack. All circuits are built using discrete class-A components and pure high-voltage DC amps (without any capacitors in the signal path), offering 30dB headroom and low noise, as well as unparalleled stability, warmth and transparency.

Configuring and ordering an Arthur mixer can be done through the Schertler website (Mixer area). Alongside the technical information and specs for all available modules and accessories, a Configurator enables the various units to be selected in their required quantities. The mixer’s ‘virtual build’ can be previewed along the way as different components are added or removed. External components such as power supplies, side panels and accessories are not supplied as standard and must be ordered separately.

Once delivered, physical assembly of modules is stated to be ‘a straightforward process’, involving a series of connecting rods and hexagonal screws. Users are free to design personal channel sequences, as there are no mechanical or electrical restrictions, with the exception of ensuring that the appropriate power supplies have been purchased to support the number of units being used.

Arthur is available for pre-order from the Schertler online store (Europe, US and Canada only) and can also be purchased via Schertler showrooms and distributors worldwide.

More: www.schertler.com

Community Professional Loudspeakers has chosen Schneider Audio Concept Vertriebs GmbH (SAC) as its distributor for Austria.

Based in St Leonhard am Forst in central Austria, SAC was founded in 2001 by its current management team who each have more than 25 years’ experience in the professional audio industry. With a portfolio of premium brands, the company is strongly focused on delivering the highest level of service and technical support for its customers in the installation market.

‘SAC has a well-established network of installers and integrators in the installation sector and will provide Community with great distribution,’ says Community EMEA Sales Manager, Jamie Ward. ‘Equally important is their first-class technical backup and support for customers. We’re pleased to welcome them as our partner and look forward to working together.’

‘Community has a proven track record for performance and reliability and it has substantially developed and refined its product offering in recent years. Its outdoor, distributed and engineered systems approach provides a comprehensive range of outstanding loudspeakers,’ says SAC’s Christian Muhm. ‘It is complementary to the brands we distribute and enhances the solutions we can provide to cover a wider range of applications.’

sE Electronics has announced the X1 A, a new entry point to its X1 Series for project studio/home recordists. On the live sound front, sE has also announced a pair of dynamic microphones. The V7 supercardioid dynamic and V3 cardioid dynamic claim ‘exceptionally low handling noise, a more natural sound, and higher gain before feedback than other mics in their class’.

The X1 A uses a newly-developed acoustic design with a selected condenser capsule, low-noise electronics, an integrated windscreen and a gold-plated XLR connector. Lke the X1 condenser, it also includes a switchable attenuation pad and low-cut filter, and a robust all-metal chassis.

‘This completely new acoustic design delivers an impressively pristine sound that one would expect from a much more expensive product,’ says sE Product Manager Thomas Stubics. ‘The X1 A delivers not only best-in-class sound quality at its price point, but also convinces with its useful features, high dynamic range, and impressive workmanship.’

Both the V7 and V3 have all-metal housings and beveled spring steel grilles, internal windscreens and patented integrated capsule mounts. The V7 is a supercardioid model with an aluminium voice coil developed for a ’crisp, open vocal sound’, while the V3 is a cardioid model intended for general use on any voice or instrument.

The V7 has an MSRP of US$129/€129 and the V3 an MSRP of US$89/€89. Both will begin shipping in Q4 2016, and come with carrying pouch, mic stand clip & thread adapter.

More: www.seelectronics.com