Installation April 2014 digital edition

Installationwww.installation-international.com

INTERNATIONAL AUDIO, VIDEO AND LIGHTING INTEGRATION April 2014

Concert venues – a quiet revolution in audio? p30

Unified communications – howto optimise the experience p26

All pictures great and smallEnter the kingdom of tiled displays p36

InstallAwards – we announcethe project finalists p10

01 IE165 April Cover_Final 04/04/2014 10:18

WHAT ARE we to make of last month’s news of the purchase of Oculus VR byFacebook? In case you missed the story, Mark Zuckerberg’s social networkhas paid $2 billion for the virtual reality gaming company, which makes theOculus Rift headset.

It’s a familiar enough story in the tech world: lowly start-up (Oculus hasonly been in existence a couple of years) gets bought by major industryplayer for eye-watering amounts of cash and shares, the founders are madefor life, and the major player gets another string to its bow.

Of course, a deal like this makes a lot of business sense – it catapults thecompany into a whole new league, and enables it to develop far faster thanit could have done otherwise. Oculus Rift was originally developed through aKickstarter crowdfunding programme – and although it raised far more thanits original target (nearly $2.5 million compared with $250,000), this is a dropin the ocean compared with what Facebook has injected.

The move has had its share of controversy, though. A number ofdevelopers who worked on Rift applications when it was a fledgling companydon’t approve of Facebook’s ways of doing business, have accused Oculus’founders of selling out, and say they want to have nothing more to do withit. Some people went as far as to suggest that development would be slowerunder Facebook’s ownership than before the acquisition.

What do Facebook’s plans for Oculus technology entail? The firstapplications are going to be in gaming, but Mark Zuckerberg said at the timeof the announcement that subsequently, “we're going to make Oculus aplatform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over theworld or consulting with a doctor face-to-face – just by putting on gogglesin your home.”

There’s clearly a huge amount of potential here. The worlds of virtualreality (and its cousin, augmented reality) have been slow to take off –hampered by things such as poorly performing hardware, ineffective motiontracking and, of course, motion sickness. Many people – includingZuckerberg – clearly believe that the company that gets the technologyright will have massive success.

They may be right – it could be that the underlying technology can nowdeliver what is required. But I’d also like to sound a cautionary note: I thinkthere’s a parallel with what happened to stereoscopic 3D in recent years.Yes, there were almost limitless applications for it, but to succeed in any ofthem, the benefits have to outweigh the downsides. That wasn’t always thecase, so the result was that its appeal turned out to be rather moreselective than many people initially thought.

If Oculus turns out only to have one or two niche applications, that doesn’tnecessarily matter to Facebook – one can imagine these being a goldmine ontheir own. But as an industry we should listen carefully to the voice of thecustomer before racing off in a given direction.

Paddy Baker, Editor, Installation – [email protected]

www.installation-international.com April 2014 3

WELCOME & CONTENTS

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Catch my d-Rift

‘Many people –including Zuckerberg –

clearly believe thatthe company that

gets VR technologyright will have massive

success’

Cover image courtesy of Planar Systems

NEWS & DATA4 News8 Appointments10 InstallAwards: Finalists revealed14 Expos and events16 Data: Winter Olympics provides

boost to digital signage market

PEOLPLE18 Virginia Cheng, managing director of

BenQ Europe, talks DLP domination

SHOW REVIEWProlight + Sound p20

FEATURES26 Unified communications: Evolution

continues as collaboration becomesthe norm

30 Concert venues: Specifying for different sized venues

36 Tiled displays: Despite competition from LCD displays the market remains strong

40 Regional voices: UK

EVENT42 InstallMarket:

Keynote speaker announced

SHOW PREVIEWPLASA Focus: Leeds p44

TECHNOLOGY46 New products50 Showcase: Cabling and connectors

SOLUTIONS55 Digital Humanities Hub, University

of Birmingham: Digital technology benefits visitors and organisers alike

58 Booom! Ibiza: Pioneer makes its club audio debut

60 Saphyre, Belfast: High-end restaurant invests in control

03 Install166 Contents_Final 04/04/2014 16:49 Page 1

NEWS

INFOCOMM INTERNATIONALhas announced a newdesignation for integratorsand design consultancies –Audiovisual Providers ofExcellence, or InfoCommAPEx. Replacing the CertifiedAudioVisual Service Provider(CAVSP) programme, whichwill conclude at the end ofthe year, InfoComm APEx isdesigned to be a morerigorous programme than itspredecessor.

“After 10 years of CAVSP, itwas time to re-evaluate thisinitiative, and considerwhether it continues to meetthe goals of the members andthe association. We reachedthe conclusion that today’sbusiness environmentdemands a more robustprogramme aimed atpromoting industry quality,”said David Labuskes,InfoComm's executive directorand CEO (pictured). “Forexample, it is important forthe AV customer to have arole in determining whether ornot client satisfaction isachieved, therefore positivecustomer evaluations are aprogramme requirement.”

InfoComm APEx will also

recognise a broader base ofindustry certifications beyondInfoComm’s CTS credential asa sign of commitment toquality. “CTS certification,while extremely valuable,should not be the lonedeterminant of a company’sachievement of industryexcellence,” said Labuskes.“Many InfoComm membersoffer product-specificcertifications and coursesthat are valuable. There areother renewable certificationsthat are highly regarded andthey should be consideredwhen evaluating a company’scommitment to quality.”

The new programme alsomandates the use of twoindustry standards to foster

better communicationbetween the AV provider andthe client: the ANSI/InfoComm Standard Guide forAudiovisual Systems Designand Coordination Processes,and the AV SystemPerformance VerificationStandard. “Because [thesestandards] were developed inan open, consensus-basedprocess, approved by anindependent outside body,and are aimed at providingproper communication anddocumentation between theAV industry and the client,using both on several projectsis a requirement. InfoCommmakes all of its standardsavailable to its members at nocharge to drive the adoption

of practices that will advancethe industry,” said Labuskes.

Requirements vary based onthe number of companyemployees. Additionally,InfoComm says it will invest ina substantial online campaignto promote APEx companiesto end-customers. A toolkitthat APEx companies can useto promote their designationwill be made available toparticipating companies.

While InfoComm APEx isaimed at integrators anddesign consultancies,InfoComm is in discussionswith the live events,technology manager andmanufacturing communities,and will reveal programmeslater this year.www.infocomm.org/apex

WORLDNEWPARTNERS

Audio-Technica has becomethe sole UK distributor forVicoustic. Audio-Technica willassume responsibility forsales and marketing of thePortugese brand’s acousticsolutions throughout thecountry.www.eu.audio-technica.comwww.vicoustic.com

Crestron has named SF Ses veIsik Sistemleri AS is itsexclusive distributor in Turkey.Istanbul-based SF will offer allCrestron products andsolutions.www.crestron.euwww.sf.com.tr

DPA Microphones hasannounced that GerrAudio isits new distributor in Canada.To ensure greater productavailability for customers inthe country, GerrAudio willcarry a full stock of DPAproducts at its head office inBrockville, Ontario. www.dpamicrophones.comwww.gerr.com

Martin Professional (a Harmancompany) has appointed PSTEATR as its new exclusivedistributor for Poland.Established over 40 years ago,TEATR specialises in some ofthe most complex projectinstallations throughoutPoland, while managingexclusive distribution for aportfolio of world-class brands. www.martin.comwww.teatr.com.pl

Sanel is now distributing thefull Vivitek range in Belgiumand Luxembourg. TheBenelux-oriented distributorfocuses on projectors of allsizes, monitors and digitalsignage solutions. Othercompanies in its portfolioinclude Panasonic and Sanyo.www.sanel.nlwww.vivitek.eu

Comm-Tec has added ArthurHolm to its sales portfolio inGermany. The companyalready markets Arthur Holmconferencing solutions inAustria and the Baltics as wellas in China, Taiwan, SouthKorea, Hong Kong and Macau.www.arthurholm.comwww.comm-tec.de

AlhenaCom has beenappointed to managedistribution of Cabletime’sMediaStar Evolution range ofIPTV solutions in Italy. Theagreement was reached at ISE 2014.www.alhenacom.it/enwww.cabletime.com

APEx to replace CAVSP, says InfoComm

4 April 2014 www.installation-international.com

YAMAHA HAS increased itspresence in the world ofenterprise audio equipmentwith its acquisition ofconference audiomanufacturer Revolabs. TheUS company continues tooperate as a wholly ownedsubsidiary of YamahaCorporation, implementing its

existing roadmap with thecurrent management team.

“Since we started thecompany in 2005, Revolabshas shown an ability toinnovate and bring excitingproducts to the market,” saidJean-Pierre Carney, CEO andfounder of Revolabs. “We’vegrown a strong team, have an

exciting roadmap withindustry-leading technology,and were already on track tomore than double ourrevenues this year. Takingadvantage of the strengths ofthe two companies will makeour solutions stronger andexpand our reach around theglobe.”

Yamaha said in a statementthat the sharing of productlines, technology, know-how,and sales networks will enablethe Yamaha Group to providehigh-quality solutions for thediversifying needs of themarket.www.revolabs.comwww.yamahaproaudio.com

JAPAN/US

Yamaha acquires Revolabs

MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTIONcompany m box created a3:40 minute sequence thatused a hybrid mix of liveaction and CG animation atthe recent launch of theMercedes Benz V-Classeight-seater MPV.

Four Full HD edge-blendedprojectors fired CG contentonto a 20m-wide rear-projection screen for thebackdrop, while a furtherfive Full HD projectors wereused to fire moving imagesonto the stage.

m box used the BlackTraxmotion-tracking solution totrack 10 dancers and 20movable elements aroundthe stage, to create aconstantly moving set ofprojection-mappedsurfaces.

Data from the BlackTraxwas fed to m box’s V4 mediaservers so that the projectedimagery followed people andprops automatically –regardless of how fast orhow far they moved. www.blacktrax.ca

GERMANY Picture: m box

04 IE166 News_Final 04/04/2014 16:54 Page 1

NEWS

ANNUAL WORLDWIDEshipments of front projectorsgrew 6% year-on-year to 2.12million units in Q4 2013,representing $2.63 billion(€1.9bn) value, according toresearch revealed byFuturesource Consulting.

In 2013, EMEA Q4performance posted a 4%year-on-year volume growthto reach 702,000 units –although this wasn’t enoughto offset the year-on-yeardecline of 6%.

Eastern Europe enjoyed the

greatest year-on-yearquarterly growth for EMEA,where 151,000 units wereshipped during Q4, amountingto a 12% increase from thesame period in 2012. Withinthose stats, and driven bythe 2014 Winter Olympics inSochi, Russia recorded a 10%increase in year-on-yearshipments. EU memberstates in Eastern Europe alsoenjoyed growth as a result ofusing up the remainder oftheir 2007-13 EU budget.

The Middle East and Africa,meanwhile, saw only modestgrowth in the quarter with139,000 units shipped, a 1%year-on-year growth.

With 412,000 units shipped

during Q4, Western Europeenjoyed an overall year-on-year growth of 3%, largelydue to strong retail sales inFrance and Germany, whosemarkets had year-on-yearincreases of 8% and 9%respectively. Spain had itsbest sell-in since 2011, with330,900 projectors beingshipped during the period. Areduced sell-in to the UK’sunder-represented retailmarket for projectors saw thecountry experience a 5%year-on-year decline in totalsales in the final quarter.

Elsewhere, the Asia-Pacificmarket enjoyed a 5% year-on-year increase in projectorshipments during Q4, where a

total of 835,000 units wereshipped. However annualtotals contracted by 0.2%with 3.17 million unitsshipped during 2013compared to 3.18 millionunits in 2012.

The Americas market grewby 8% year-on-year in Q42013, following a generallypoor sell-in to the regionduring 2013.The UnitedStates was the key driverbehind the regional growthwhere virtually all marketsegments had increasedsales – a year-on-year growthof 12% in Q4 2013 – afterweak sales in the first threequarters of 2013.www.futuresource-consulting.com

WORLD

Front projector shipments reach €1.9bn

LEISURETEC DISTRIBUTIONofficially launched the newTecZone facility at itsheadquarters in LeightonBuzzard to the press lastmonth. TheTecZone isdesigned to be amultipurpose space suitablefor holding a range of eventtypes, including meetings,training sessions, productdemos, videoconferencesand networking events.

There are three main videozones in the room: the MainZone is centred around an80in Sharp PN-L802B Big Padtouchscreen LED display,while an alcove-mounted 55inSamsung 55F6100 LEDdisplay is at the heart of both

the Secondary and TertiaryZones. (All three displays are1920 x 1080 resolution.) The80in display can be used as adigital whiteboard and isequipped with interactivetools. Source equipmentcomprises a Yamaha BD-S473networked Blu-ray player, aSky satellite TV receiver anda networked PC.

The main area of the roomcontains six floor boxes withanalogue and HDMI inputpoints – four in the Main Zoneand one each in theSecondary and TertiaryZones. Wireless connectivityis provided by a WePresentWiPG-1000 WirelessInteractive Presentation

Gateway, which allowspresenters to display theircontent up to a quad displayon the main 80in screen.

An AMX DVX-3155-SPpresentation switcher is usedto distribute, switch andscale the sources, and anAMX FG1010-310 multi-format transmitter can beconnected to any of the fourfloor boxes. An iPad runningAMX’s TP Control softwareprovides the user interface.

A Yahama 7.1 speakersystem – comprising sevenVXS8 wall-mounted speakersand two VXS10S floor-standing subwoofers –carries audio from the varioussources, as well as from a

Sennheiser wirelessmicrophone system.

Leisuretec managingdirector Cliff Dountingexplained that he expects thefacility to be used for themost part for events involvingthe company’s distributedbrands. For instance,Leisuretec and Allen & Heathheld a ‘Digital versusAnalogue’ event at TecZone

on 4 March, which consistedof presentations aboutanalogue and digital audio andthe first UK demonstrations ofthe manufacturer’s Qu-24compact digital mixer.Forthcoming events include anAvolites Master 7 FoundationMaster Class and a ‘scaled-down version’ of Sennheiser’sSound Academy.www.leisuretec.co.uk

UNITED KINGDOM

TecZone is go for Leisuretec


LIGHTING TECHNOLOGYspecialist Helvar hasannounced its entry into theLED module business. TheFinnish company hasteamed up with Samsung toprovide customers with “acomplete end-to end-lighting solution”.

Helvar’s LED productoffering already comprises arange of LED drivers andlighting controls. Samsungwill supply Helvar with theLED technology element ofits module solutions.

“This is an important stepforward for Helvar. The moveinto modules allows us to

fully support our customersin making a successfultransition across to LEDlighting,” said Peter van derKolk, business developmentdirector at Helvar. “Alongsidethe new additions to ourportfolio, Helvar will beproviding design andplanning tools as part of thelaunch. Additionally Helvar iscommitted to continuestrong investments into thefield of LED technology.Samsung’s LED technologycomplements our reputationfor quality and reliability.”www.helvar.comwww.samsung.com

Recent highlightsTECHNOLOGY TRENDS – LEDLIGHTING IN MUSEUMSOsram brings readers up tospeed on the considerationswhen looking to use LEDs inmuseums.

LEGRAND’S MINI ARTEORTOUCHSCREEN HAS MASSIVE APPEALRevamped 1.2in LCDtouchscreen offers simple-to-

operate control of up to fourfunctions and is compatiblewith 17 Arteor and sixSynergy surround platefinishes.

SAVILLE CREATES 3D CINEMAFOR COVENTRY CAMPUSA state-of-the-art 3D digitalcinema facility has beenadded to The Square Onevenue at Coventry University.

NEW IDENTITY FORPROJECTION ADVERTISING The rebranded projectionspecialist diversifies intoevent production andsoftware development.

LED IN THE SPOTLIGHT ATLIGHT + BUILDING 2014The growth of LED lightingproducts prompted a newexhibition hall at the trade fair.

To read these stories and the rest of our coverage for the architectural and interiordesign community, go to

www.installation-international.com

EUROPE

Helvar and Samsungagree LED tie-up

05 Install166 News_Final 04/04/2014 16:57 Page 1

NEWS

FOLLOWING A successfulevent in 2013, Installation isreprising its role as exclusiveCommercial Media Partner ofInvision UK’s Home TechnologyShowcase.

This year’s free-to-attendexpo will take place at the RAFMuseum in north London on13-14 May. The focus will beon integration betweenbrands with seminars runningthroughout the two dayspresented by manufacturers.

Peter Alloway, UK salesmanager, Invision UK,

commented: “This event ismore than just an opportunityfor us to showcase our brandsand to demonstrate the latesttechnologies. It’s also aboutcreating opportunities for us,our manufacturer partners,and our customers to meetface to face. Getting to knoweach other and formingstronger bonds helps us toprovide a more customer-specific service and buildlonger lasting relationships.”

Paddy Baker, editor ofInstallation, said: “After a

successful show last year,we’re very happy to be theexclusive Commercial Partnerof the Home TechnologyShowcase once again in 2014.This year’s event is set to beeven bigger than last year andwe look forward to meetingwith manufacturers andinstallers, and seeing thelatest new products.”

Brands expected to be inattendance includeAquavision, Wyrestorm, Elan,Niles, Peerless and Pro Control.www.hometechnologyshowcase.com

UNITED KINGDOM

Installation supports InvisionHome Technology Showcase


DISNEY RECENTLY launchedan interactive digital out ofhome campaign starringmembers of the public topromote its new musicalcomedy, Muppets MostWanted. Content ran on anOcean Outdoor screen atWestfield Shopping Centre,London.

The campaign used theEat Street screen’s WiFicapabilities together withits online #badfrogcampaign to directshoppers to the movie’sbadfrog.me promotional

website. Pictures of thepublic were taken andsuperimposed onto a liveMost Wanted posterfeatured on the digitalscreen.

“Every individual wasgiven a mole on their cheekto look like the evil jewelthief Constantine, theworld’s number onecriminal and Kermit theFrog’s doppelgänger in thefilm,” commented OceanOutdoor account directorCatherine Morgan.www.oceanoutdoor.com

UNITED KINGDOM

DOOH Muppets ‘Wanted’ posters

06 IE166 News_Final 04/04/2014 18:09 Page 1

Install 2 half ads_v1.indd 1 03/04/2014 16:36

CRESTRON ELECTRONICS hasstrengthened its executiveteam with the appointment ofRandy Klein as president andCEO, and Dan Feldstein as vicechairman and COO.

Klein has been in the AV andtechnology industry throughouthis professional career, and hasworked for Crestron for 25years. “Crestron is my life andmy passion,” he said. “Movingforward, I see nothing butopportunity for Crestron and Ilook forward to continuedgrowth and success.”

Dan Feldstein has been withCrestron for over 20 years.With a background in computerengineering, he spent the firsteight years of his Crestroncareer in R&D, playing a role in

designing a number of thetechnologies in use today.Since then, he has beenworking with Crestron founderGeorge Feldstein to managemany of the company’soperations.

Since George Feldsteinfounded Crestron over 40years ago, the company hasgrown to become a worldleader in automation, controland management systems. Aschairman of Crestron, heremains strongly involved inthe company, whileempowering his top executivesto drive Crestron’s growth forthe next 40 years of successand beyond.

“Since the day Crestron wasfounded, we have never

wavered from my father’svision,” Dan Feldstein said.“Randy has always shared thatvision and over the years hastruly become a member of thefamily. I can’t think of anyone I'drather work with as we driveCrestron towards the future.”

George Feldstein added: “I’venever been more excited aboutthe future. We are working onso many exciting technologiesand we have so many greatpeople to make it happen.”

Change has also been afootat Crestron International, withRobin van Meeuwen becomingpresident and COO. Hesucceeds his father Frank vanMeeuwen, who is to becomehonorary chairman following25 years leading Crestron

International.Robin van Meeuwen has

worked within the Crestronorganisation for 17 years –firstly as managing director of

Crestron UK and more recentlyas vice president of sales andmarketing for CrestronInternational.www.crestron.com


APPOINTMENTSCRESTRON

Crestron plans for the future with senior appointments

APG

Scott Fraser has beenappointed by APG to spearheadits sales operation in the UK. Adirect operation in the UK isintended to offer customers inthe country the same supportas those in France and isindicative of APG’s broaderinternational strategythroughout the EMEA region.Fraser’s past experienceincludes time at a number ofaudio companies, includingmany years as installationmanager at Yamaha.www.apg.tm.fr

ASHLY AUDIO

Ashly Audio has appointedindustry veteran Mike van der

Logt to serve as its salesmanager EMEA. Van der Logthas over 25 years ofexperience in the industryproviding product andrelationship advice to pro-audiomanufacturers. He will work tostrengthen and expandbusiness with existingdistributors, and develop newrelationships to build salesmomentum.www.ashly.com

CADAC

Cadac used the recent Prolight+ Sound show to reveal RobHughes as UK sales manager.Hughes’ career began as afreelance FOH engineer, beforejoining SSE as a projectmanager. He also spent time atShuttlesound as Midas andKlark Teknik sales consultant.He joins Cadac from Midas KT,where he was latterly technicalsupport manager, havingrejoined the company after abrief stint with Studer. www.cadac-sound.com

CHRISTIE

Trond Solvold has joinedChristie as sales consultant forScandinavia. He brings with himalmost 20 years of experiencein the Nordic pro-AV market. Hewas previously businessdevelopment manager ateyevis Nordic and spent time asbusiness developmentmanager/sales manager forprojectiondesign. He is fluent inSwedish and Norwegian, andalso speaks English, Danish and German.www.christiedigital.com

KALEIDESCAPE

Kaleidescape has namedCheena Srinivasan as its newCEO. Srinivasan is a founder ofthe company and previouslyserved as COO and EVP. He has

more than 25 years of industryexperience – he previouslyspent time as the vicepresident of marketing andworldwide sales developmentat Mirapoint and was director ofenterprise marketing atNetApp.www.kaleidescape.com

LEISURETEC

Cliff Dounting has replacedMike Henden as managingdirector at LeisuretecDistribution. He joinedLeisuretec in 2007 asoperations manager beforebeing named commercialdirector the following year.www.leisuretec.co.uk

SILCONCORE

LED display manufacturerSiliconCore has appointedPhillip Reyes as vice presidentof government sales andchannel development tomanage the governmentdivision and strategic channelpartners globally. He joins fromThe Whitlock Group where hewas national managing directorfor the government division.www.silicon-core.com

VDC TRADING

VDC Trading has announced theappointment of Leif Friestad asits new managing director. Amulti-linguist originating fromthe south of Norway, Friestadhas held senior managementroles at United TechnologiesCorporation, Johnson Controls,Lapp Group, and spent time asCEO of Canford Audio. In hisnew role he is charged withoverseeing and assisting thecontinuing growth of VDC andthe Van Damme brand in anumber of markets as well asmaintaining its position as abrand leader in the audioindustry.www.vdctrading.com

Randy Klein is named president and CEO while Dan Feldstein becomes vice chairman and COO

Randy Klein Dan Feldstein

08 IE166 Appoint_Final 04/04/2014 17:03 Page 1

CDEC – The CoreNEC projection, Onelan digitalsignage and CTouch interactivedisplays are at the heart of theinstallation at this brand newexhibition space and nationaleducation facility in Stoke-on-Trent. The centre is designedto showcase the latestsustainable building solutions.

Holovis – Schindler HQHolovis has provided Schindler'sZurich HQ with a highlyimmersive 11m geodesic domewith 360º visuals and surroundsound. The virtual reality

environment enables thevisualisation of Schindler's visionfor the future of city design.

Lawo – NPRAn extensive console inventoryhas been installed at NationalPublic Radio’s new productioncentre in Washington, DC:three sapphire radio consoles,10 8-channel crystal consoles,10 4-channel crystal consolesand a large format mc266 MKIIproduction console.

Pixel Projects – Kelly HoppenLuxury Model Hotel SuitePixel Projects designed andinstalled a truly elegant

integrated technology system– incorporating TV, lighting andaudio control and more – toshowcase Kelly Hoppen MBE'sexclusive range of interiorproducts.

Visual Acuity – GSK Shopper Science LabEurope’s biggest and mostcomprehensive brand researchfacility uses technologiesincluding 3D virtualisation andmobile eye tracking tounderstand shopper behaviourand influence retailers,branding agencies, packagingdesigners and in-store productpositioning.

Biamp – Purdue UniversityBiamp AudiaFLEX has beenused to create a large DSPaudio network that spans theentire facility – with mastercontrol at reception, andlocalised room control in eachof the spaces within thefacility – from the Olympic-sized pool to the climbing wallto meeting rooms.

CDEC – Phoenix AcademyA new interactive screensystem throughout the Telfordschool connects wirelessly withteachers’ devices – enabling

the seamless use oftechnology in the classroomenvironment and facilitatingthe movement of teachersbetween classrooms.

Meyer Sound – LSUThe Louisiana Digital MediaCenter at Louisiana StateUniversity in Baton Rouge has anumber of advanced audio andvideo systems installed. Its200-seat auditorium is the firstvenue in the world with both afull SMPTE-standard, 7.1-surround Meyer Sound cinemasystem and a Constellationactive acoustic system.

MultiTouch – TU DresdenMultiTouch installed the largestinteractive display wall for

research purposes in Europe atTechnische Universität Dresden(TU Dresden). At approximately5m wide and 2.5m high, theturnkey 12 x 55in MultiTactioniWall recognises finger touches,complete hands, infrared pensand objects.

Stage Electrics – GuildhallSchool of Music & DramaMilton Court is a new, purpose-built facility comprising a 608-seat world-class concert hall, a227-seat theatre, a studiotheatre, a television studio andthree rehearsal rooms. StageElectrics’ expertise lay behindthe bespoke supply, installationand commissioning of thelighting, audio and videoinfrastructure venue-wide.

The shortlist has been drawn up: we can now reveal thefinalists for the first ever InstallAwards, including, over thepage, the winner of the 15 Years of Excellence accolade


INSTALLAWARDS

Finalists announced!

Corporate/IndustrialBest Project Award

Teamwork AwardStouenborg – Jyske Bank –dream boardroom

CDEC – The Core Pixel Projects – Kelly HoppenLuxury Model Hotel Suite

Scala – NPR Visual Acuity – GSK ShopperScience Lab

Star Product AwardStouenborg – Jyske Bank –dream boardroom (MeyerSound Constellation/VRAS)

Biamp – NREL (Biamp AudiaFLEX)

eyevis – Baden Wuerttenbergpolice (eyevis eS100eStreaming solution)

Holovis – Schindler HQ (Holovis In-Mo software)

CDEC – The Core Holovis – Schindler HQ

Scala – NPR (Sansi LED screens)

EducationBest Project Award

Teamwork AwardCDEC – Phoenix Academy Meyer Sound – Exploratorium MultiTouch – TU Dresden Stage Electrics – Guildhall

School of Music & Drama

Lawo – NPR

Visual Acuity – GSK ShopperScience Lab

Pixel Projects – Kelly HoppenLuxury Model Hotel Suite

CDEC – PhoenixAcademy

Meyer Sound – LSU

Stage Electrics – GuildhallSchool of Music & Drama

Biamp – Purdue University

Star Product AwardCDEC – Phoenix Academy(CleverTab touchscreens withWePresent software)

Meyer Sound – LSU (Meyer Sound Constellationsystem)

MultiTouch – TU Dresden(MultiTaction 55in Cell)

OM Interactive (BitWise Control)

TV One – The Creative Edge(TV One Coriomaster)

MultiTouch – TU DresdenStage Electrics

1 2 t h J u n e 2 0 1 4 • H i l t o n L o n d o n W e m b l e y

10 11 IE166 InstallAwards_Final 04/04/2014 14:20 Page 1

INSTALLAWARDS


AV Stumpfl – Stiegl BrauweltBrew CinemaThe walk-in cinema is a multi-dimensional projection spacefeaturing Panasonic and Hitachiprojectors. The live actionmovie with a total projectionarea of 180º with 3Danimations was produced atcinema standard 5.5 K (CameraRed Epic). This achieved aresolution (5120 x 2560 pixels)that is six times higher thanthat of HDTV. The entireinstallation is controlledcentrally using AV StumpflWings Touch and Avio.

Engage Production – VirtualStyle PodCommissioned for The Galleria,on Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi,VSP incorporates the world’sfirst ‘accurate cloth simulation’.Visitors can click through arange of clothing while a 3D‘virtual styling’ expert assistswith fit and colour.

NEC – Odeon Leicester SquareThe cinema now features oneof the largest LED displays in a public square on its facade – the 107sqm display replacesa paper poster board and is flanked by two 18sqmscreens.

Scala – DNB FlagshipsA large-scale LED installation infour new flagship DNBbranches across Norway. Thefour installations consist of atotal of 473 256 x 32 pixel LEDpanels – each of which is about1m wide.

Sennheiser – David Bowie IsThis popular V&A exhibitionused 550 guidePORTbodypacks with Sennheiserheadphones to immersevisitors in the music of Bowie. Inaddition, a 3D experience wasdelivered by hidden Neumannand Klein+Hummelloudspeakers.

Public Display/RetailBest Project Award

Teamwork AwardBrightSign – Western UnionInternational Bank

Engage Production – VirtualStyle Pod

NEC – Odeon Leicester Square Sennheiser – David Bowie Is

Engage Production – Virtual Style PodAV Stumpfl – Stiegl BrauweltBrew Cinema

Star Product AwardAV Stumpfl – Stiegl BrauweltBrew Cinema (Wings EngineMediaserver with Wings Vioso)

BrightSign - Western UnionInternational Bank (BrightSignmedia players)

Engage Production – VirtualStyle Pod (Space3D Fashion 3Dsoftware)

Matrox – Mall of the Emirates(Matrox Mura MPX Seriesvideowall controller boards)

Sennheiser – David Bowie Is(Aura 3D audio system)

NEC – OdeonLeicesterSquare

TDC – Royal Australian NavyInternational Fleet ReviewSpectacular

Sennheiser –David Bowie Is

Inspired Dwellings – LuxuryAlpine ChaletKey specifications were remoteaccess to heating/hot water andCCTV kit as well as low-keyfittings so the interior design wasunaffected by the AV systems.

Kensington AV – Queens CourtPenthouse

Full house control was integralfor this project at a Londonpenthouse. The client wantedindependent control of eachroom for lighting, shading, AVand HVAC systems, which wasmade possible by the use ofCrestron MTX-3 remotes andTSW-750 touchscreens.

Multizone – La Casa Del ArteThe main focus was to create a

James Bond themed cinemaroom as well as a living room AVsystem that matched thestriking interior design.

West London AV Solutions –LakeviewThe idea behind this loftconversion was to create amulti-functional home cinemaroom that showed little sign ofthe AV solutions in place.

ResidentialBest Project Award

Teamwork AwardCinema Rooms – GarageConversion Cinema Room

Inspired Dwellings – LuxuryAlpine Chalet

Kensington AV – Queens CourtPenthouse

Olive AV – ClerkenwellPenthouse

Star Product AwardKensington AV – Queens Court Penthouse(Crestron Sonnex Multiroom Audio System)

Multizone – La Casa Del Arte(Waterfall Niagara speakers)

West London AV Solutions –Lakeview (Audipack mirror kit)

Inspired Dwellings –Luxury Alpine Chalet

Kensington AV – QueensCourt Penthouse

Multizone – La Casa Del Arte

West London AVSolutions – Lakeview

AMX – Birmingham HippodromeA state-of-the-art digitalsignage system was installed toprovide an immediate visualimpact for the theatre as wellas acting as a medium fordelivering information aboutforthcoming shows.

eyevis – Digital advertisingboards for basketballThe Walter Tigers basketball teamrequired a digital signage systemto adhere to new regulations.

Meyer Sound – The Golden Hall,MusikvereinA new voice reinforcementsystem overcame issues with

reverberant room acoustics todeliver the necessary speechintelligibility.

Renkus-Heinz – De Grote PostThe former Oostende Post Officebecame the first venue inEurope to install the new VARIAmodular point source line arrayfrom Renkus-Heinz.

Sports/Performing ArtsBest Project Award

Star Product AwardAMX – Birmingham Hippodrome(AMX Inspired Signage)

Casio – Face to Face (Casio XJ-M145 projector)

eyevis – Digital advertising boards for basketball (eyevis 55in LCD video boards)

Renkus-Heinz – De Grote Post(Renkus-Heinz VARIA)

AMX – BirminghamHippodrome

eyevis – Digital advertisingboards for basketball

Meyer Sound – The GoldenHall, Musikverein

Renkus-Heinz – De Grote Post

Scala – DNB Flagships

Olive AV – Clerkenwell Penthouse (StealthAcoustics LR and SLR series loudspeakers)

10 11 IE166 InstallAwards_Final 04/04/2014 14:20 Page 2

Barco is to receive a special 15 Years of Excellence award at the InstallAwards.Paddy Baker talks to vice president strategic marketing programs Dirk Hendrickxabout how the company’s offering has developed during Installation’s lifetime


INSTALLAWARDS

Reinvention, renewal and entrepreneurship

In addition to the projectawards detailed overleaf,Installation is presenting twospecial InstallAwards to markour publication’s 15thanniversary: 15 Years ofExcellence and 15 Years ofAchievement. The 15 Years ofExcellence Award goes to acompany or organisation thathas made a major contributionto the AV installation world,through technology, industryeducation or leadership.Installation has decided topresent the award to Barco, onaccount of its continued andconsistent innovation in displayand other technologies,across numerous markets,throughout this period.

The award will be acceptedon the evening by DirkHendrickx, Barco’s vicepresident strategic marketingprograms, who has been withthe company since before ourfirst edition was published. Wespoke to him recently aboutthe past 15 years.

First, let me congratulateBarco on winning the 15Years of Excellence Award.Thank you very much. Barcoturns 80 this year, and it hasbeen a story of reinvention,renewal and entrepreneurshipall that time.

What for you have been thehighlights of Barco’stechnological achievementsover the past 15 years?The past 15 years have beenexciting. As a generichighlight, I think we were oneof the first companies thatcould call themselves an AVmanufacturer.

Since 1999, I think we’veseen the light about theimportance of networking. Forinstance, in our control roombusiness, in 2001 weanticipated that by 2015 themajority of control roomswould be network-centricrather than AV-centric – andthat has come true.

As a consequence of that,your abilities and yourcompetencies as a companychange drastically. Ten or 15

years ago we were talkingabout RGB and all thedifferent AV specifications forhow to carry a signal over anexpensive wire. Today we arethere – not only for controlrooms but also in corporateAV, in surgical rooms, inbedside terminals. So we’rehelping to move the industrytowards a network which,99% of the time, is already

there – which is the corporateIT network. I think that’s oneof the not so visible, but veryobvious, changes that thiscompany has made.

Moving forward, network-centric visualisation, if you cancall it that, is going to play notonly an eminent, but adominant role.

That, presumably, is behindthe strategy to move beyonddisplay products intonetworking products such asClickshare. Were there earliermanifestations of thatstrategy?There were earliermanifestations of Clickshare,in fact. We first thought it as aconcept in 2005 or 2006, andit went through manyiterations.

When we see issues insidemarkets that we work in, wetake a step back, look at theissue and try to find a solutionfor it. The forerunner ofClickshare was the XDS-100,which we launched in 2008.We mimicked Microsoft XP – aswell as My Pictures and MyDocuments you could add MySources – but it was a little too

complex for the averageperson to use. Not every brightsolution gets it right first time.

Does Barco ever go in theopposite direction, followingthe technology, without apractical application in mindto start with? If you were to challenge me tocome up with an examplewhere technology was the only

thing that brought a certainsolution, I think I would have todig deep. We have a hugenumber of very clever andknowledgeable engineers,which puts us in the position ofunderstanding a market needand relating it to a potentialtechnological solution. That’swhat I believe is beautifulabout Barco – there is only ashort line between marketing,what is happening out there,and what can be done on atechnological basis. One of ouradvantages, even without ourproducts, is that we have4,500 employees, and mostpeople stay for their wholecareer, so we generate a lot ofknowledge inside the companythat is hard to beat.

Barco has made a number ofacquisitions over the years –including projectiondesign lastyear and, most recently, X2OMedia. What is the company’sacquisition strategy?There are two things. We tryto find technology which fitsour strategy and increases ourcompetencies in that market.And we also look to buymarket share – for instance

when we acquired FIMI, Philips’medical display division, in2009. Last year,projectiondesign was anextension in our knowledge ofsingle-chip DLP and was alsoabout market share incorporate AV and simulation.

If you look at otheracquisitions such as IPVS[streaming high-density dataand recording], AWIND[wireless communication] andrecently X2O Media, these aretechnical acquisitions indomains where we seedemand to solve issues in thefuture – they are very specificcompetencies that we didn’thave previously. With X2O,we’ve bought ourselves to anextent into HTML5 and intosignage applications and – thisis the next big step, I think –grabbing data and makinggraphics out if it.

Do you have any predictionsfor the next few years?We believe that within 10years, AV equipment will beseen as IT equipment. Tenyears ago, hanging multipleprojectors on a ceiling requiredvery specific AV knowledge –throw distance, brightness,what kind of screen and so on.When you move to LCD or rear-projection cubes, thatcompetence becomes muchsmaller. The competence willlie in how you distribute thesignals, make them availableand make sure that, next tovideoconferencing, people canshare the data that they’rediscussing. There’s nothingmore frustrating than havingthe perfect HD

videoconference but not beingable to work with the data in alogical and easy way.

So what would your advice beto AV installers in the light ofthat?It’s great to have AVknowledge, but make sure allyour new hires are Cisco-approved engineers who havean in-depth knowledge of IT –because that’s the way to go.

An IP network will allow youto share anything, anywhere inan easy way. It’s out thereinside each corporation – andyou can make use of it byputting a transport layer of AVon top of it. If you comparethat with installing an in-campus network based on theold AV approach you’ll alwayslose the battle on cost. And ifyou then want to break out ofthat campus into otherdirections, doing that with anAV-centric solution will be abig hurdle.

IP networks are vulnerableto hackers, so once they havethe IP knowledge I wouldadvise them to find out howto deal with security levelswithin AV over IP networks.That’s going to be the next bigthing. We see it happeningnow: for instance withinhealthcare and aviation, theyhave very strict rules. Over thecoming years we may see thesame standards popping up inthe video over IP domain. Theinformation security battlehasn’t been fought, but it iscoming. �

www.barco.comwww.installawards.com

BARCO ACQUISITION TIMELINE 1999 TO DATE1999 Metheus – Graphics controllers2004 Voxar 3D – Medical imaging 2004 Folsom Research – Image processing 2008 High End Systems – Digital lighting and lighting controls 2010 FIMI – Medical imaging2010 Element Labs – LED equipment2010 dZine – Digital signage 2012 IP Video Systems – Networked visualisation2012 JAOtech – Hospital patient terminals2013 AWIND – Wireless presentation2013 projectiondesign – Projection technology2014 X2O Media – Enterprise visual communications

Dirk Hendrickx

Clickshare is part of Barco’s move into networking products

12 IE166 InstallAwards_Final 04/04/2014 16:52 Page 1


EXPOS & EVENTS

EDITORIALPLANNERMAYCommand & controlIntercoms & pagingRoom controlShowcase: Audio consolesNews deadline: 25 AprilDistribution date: 13 May

JUNEStadium audioTheatre solutionsTiled displaysShowcase:VideoconferencingequipmentFeatures submissiondeadline: 10 AprilNews deadline: 19 MayDistribution date: 4 June

JULYConference venues4KScaling & switchingShowcase: Large venuespeakersFeatures submissiondeadline: 16 MayNews deadline: 19 JuneDistribution date: 4 July

AUGUSTMuseums & visitorattractionsPA/VATechnology for architectsShowcase: ProjectionscreensFeatures submissiondeadline: 12 JuneNews deadline: 19 JuneDistribution date: 4 July

SPOTLIGHT26-29 MAYPalm ExpoBeijing, Chinawww.palmexpo.net

PALM EXPO is China’s largest and mostestablished technology event for the proaudio and lighting, music, entertainment,trussing and staging, installation and AVindustries. Running for more than 20 years,the event covers around 11,000sqm offloor space and hosts up to 1,100exhibitors from 37 different countries andregions. Palm Expo 2013 attracted morethan 50,000 visitors from 76 countries.

Exhibitors at the 2014 event includeElectro-Voice, ETC, Shenzhen SanecoreAudio Co, Philips and Shure.

EVENTS Your complete events calendar for the months ahead

MAY8-9PLASA Focus Nashville, USwww.plasafocus.com/nashville

13-14Streaming Media EastNew York, USwww.streamingmedia.com

14-15NEC Solutions ShowcaseLondon, UKwww.showcase-nec.com

18High EndMunich, Germanywww.highendsociety.de

18-20May Design SeriesLondon, UKwww.maydesignseries.com

20-23European Sign ExpoMunich, Germanywww.fespa.com/eurosignexpo

26-29Palm ExpoBeijing, China www.palmexpo.net

JUNE 11-12ABTT Theatre ShowLondon, UK www.abtttheatreshow.co.uk

16-19CineEuropeBarcelona, Spainwww.cinemaexpo.com

17-19IFSECBirmingham, UKwww.ifsec.co.uk

18-20InfoComm 2014Las Vegas, USwww.infocommshow.org

JULY1-2PLASA Focus: BrusselsBrussels, Belgiumwww.plasafocus.com

AUGUST 26-28Integrate Expo 2014Sydney, Australiawww.cedia.com.au

SEPTEMBER

5-10IFABerlin, Germanyb2b.ifa-berlin.com/en/

11-14NAMM Musikmesse RussiaMoscow, Russiawww.musik.messefrankfurt.ru

11-13Prolight + Sound NAMMMoscow, Russiawww.namm.org

12-16IBCAmsterdam, Netherlandswww.ibc.org

17-19InfoComm IndiaMumbai, Indiawww.infocomm-india.com

OCTOBER 20145-8PLASA LondonLondon, UKwww.plasashow.com

8-11Prolight + Sound ShanghaiShanghai, Chinawww.prolightsound-shanghai.com

12InstallAwardsLondon, UK www.installawards.com

4InstallMarketLondon, UK www.install-market.com

The next InstallationTechnology Guide, thistime covering the world ofDigital Signage, will bepublished in June. To findout more, [email protected]

14 IE166 Expos & Events_Final 03/04/2014 16:51 Page 1


INDUSTRY DATA

INTEREST IN the Sochi WinterOlympics in Russia will helpthe digital signage market inEastern Europe recover froma slump last year,contributing to higher overallshipments in 2014 for theentire Europe, Middle Eastand Africa (EMEA) region. Thisis the finding of the newSignage and ProfessionalDisplays Market Tracker fromIHS Technology.

“Shipments of digitalsignage panels foradvertising and informationwill post a modest increasethis year in Eastern Europeafter declining 8% in 2013,”says Sanju Khatri, director fordigital signage and publicinformation displays at IHS.“The Eastern Europe territorywas the only area within theEMEA region to suffer a lossin shipment volume last year,compared to the large 18%growth in the Middle East-Africa territory, and the veryslight uptick of 0.5% inWestern Europe.”

With the boost expectedfrom Sochi this year, thedigital signage market willexperience growth in all threeterritories in 2014. EasternEurope will be up by 2%,Western Europe by 1%, andMEA 12%. Overall, the digitalsignage market in EMEA willgrow in 2014 and for the next

three years, with totalshipments reaching 4.06million units by 2017. The FIFAWorld Cup in 2018 will have asimilar influence that will befelt by the digital signageindustry as the much-anticipated date for theevent approaches.

BOOSTING GROWTHEastern Europe on the wholehas been more hesitant toinvest in new signagetechnologies, finding venture

costs in the region andoperation to be expensive.But the massive exposuregenerated by the WinterOlympics in Russia will havehelped propel growth in thesupply of hospitality services.

“Digital signage prospectsare generally more promisingin Western Europe, withuninterrupted growth from2012 to 2017 and especiallyvigorous in the retail andpublic space sectors,”according to HichamZoultaoui, digital signageanalyst at IHS. “In fact,Western Europe accounts forthe bulk of the digital signagemarket in EMEA, making upmore than 77% of total panelshipments in 2013. Thegradual financial recovery ofthe eurozone, which claims alarge number of WesternEuropean member countries,will help digital signage gainadditional traction this year.”

Meanwhile, the MiddleEast-Africa territory will enjoysignificantly greater growththan either Eastern orWestern Europe during thesame five-year period. At theend of 2017, digital signageshipments in MEA areforecast to be up 61% from2012 levels, compared to amere 3% uptick in EasternEurope and a 4% increase inWestern Europe.

The education sector is themain focus of digital signagein the Middle East and Africa,especially in the Arabian Gulfstates of Bahrain, Oman,Qatar, Saudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates.Hospitality and governmentand corporate applications ofdigital signage also showhealthy activity, contributingto the overall spread ofdisplays across the industry. �

www.ihs.com

Golden opportunityThe digital signage market in EasternEurope is expected to recover thisyear with the Winter Olympicsproviding a boost, writesSteve Montgomery

61%Expected growth in digital signage

shipments in MEA, 2012-17

Middle East-Africa Eastern Europe Western Europe

2012 401.6 420.2 2,876.7

2013 472.0 385.4 2,890.9

2014* 530.1 394.7 2,929.4

Eastern Europe saw a decline last year, while the MEA region recorded 18% growth ( * = forecast)Source: IHS Technology

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

Tho

usan

ds o

f un

its

DIGITAL SIGNAGE PANELS SHIPMENT FORECAST FORTHE EUROPE – MIDDLE EAST – AFRICA REGION

(THOUSANDS OF UNIT S)

Middle East-Africa Eastern Europe Western Europe

2012 2013 2014*

2013 EMEA BREAKDOWN OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE APPLICATIONS (%)

The education sector is themain focus of digital signage inthe Middle East and AfricaSource: IHS Technology

Signage application %

Education 39

Government/corporate 14

Healthcare 6

Public spaces 6

Retail 13

Transportation 4

Outdoor sports 0.3

Hospitality 18

Control room/simulation 0.1

Control room/simulation

Education

Government/corporate

Healthcare

Public spaces

Retail

Transportation

Outdoor sports

Hospitality

16 IE166 Industry Data_Final 03/04/2014 16:46 Page 1

How long did it take BenQ tobecome the worldwidenumber one DLP projectorbrand? How was thisachieved?We started co-operating withTexas Instruments in 1997 –although the company wasn’tcalled BenQ until 2001. Wewere one of the earliestcompanies in Taiwan to workwith TI – even then, its DLPtechnology was veryadvanced. Since then, wehave become a strategicpartner to implement thelatest technology that itreleases onto the market.

According to Futuresource,we’ve been number one in theDLP market since 2009, whenwe had a share of 7.7%. Thishas grown year on year: as ofQ4 2013, we had a 22.8%share of the global DLPprojector market. If you lookat the whole of the projectormarket, our share is 11.7%globally and 17.6% in Europeas of Q4.

What do you think is uniqueabout BenQ’s offering?Our product developmentphilosophy involvesdiscovering and fulfilling thecustomer’s needs and wants.At the same time, as astrategic partner of TI, we

look at leading technologytrends and how to implementthem into the total solution.So we’re not just chasingafter technical specs, we’relooking at what the customerreally wants – in every marketsegment that we address.

And do those customerwants and needs developover time?They do. For example, twoyears ago we started to put alot of resource and focus intostudying customers in thehome sector. From ourconsumer behaviour study, wefound that people want a big-screen experience, but theyhesitate over choosing aprojector because they areworried about installationhassles and ambient lightlevels. So to solve theseissues we came up with aprojector with a wirelessconnection that makesinstallation much less of anissue; and we found a goodbalance between picturequality and brightness, so thatambient light doesn’t affectthe quality of the picture.We’ve also introduced short-throw projectors into thehome market that don’t haveto be installed on the ceiling –they can sit on a tabletop.

The result of this was verysuccessful feedback from themarket last year – and wetook over 30% of theworldwide market for Full HDhome projectors.

Another point worthmaking is that our homevideo projectors havebecome much moreaccessible in terms of cost.They used to be expensiveand came with a high-endspec, but we now make themwith the most useful featuresat a lower price. This isbecause good-quality DLPtechnology has led thesolution to a more affordablecost.

What do you see as the mainadvantages of DLP?The first day we entered themarket, we adopted DLP –not only because of our co-operation with TI, butbecause of the uniqueness ofthe technology in meetingcustomer needs. For us, DLPis the technology that canreally deliver our promise tothe customer – it guaranteesa long-lasting, true-to-lifeimage without any hassle.

The long-lasting image ismainly because we use DLP’sDMD [digital micromirrordevice] chip. This is designed

for use in toughenvironments, so we canguarantee that it will notdeteriorate over time andcause colour decay.

Second, because of thedesign of the DMD engine,we’re not worried about dust– our projectors are filter-free, so there’s nothing thatneeds to be cleaned orreplaced. That could be avery big hassle for thecustomer, especially whenthe projector is mounted on

the ceiling.The third advantage is the

image quality that comesfrom the DMD engine and alsothe colour wheel, whichproduces accurate and true-to-life colour. We can optimisethe choice of the colourwheel for different scenarios.So, for example, for homeusage we can choose asaturated colour wheel thatproduces strong colour withefficient brightness; but formeeting room models we will


INTERVIEW: VIRGINIA CHENG, BENQ

A long-lasting proposition

‘We’re not just

chasing after

technical specs,

we’re looking at what

the customer really

wants’

Paddy Baker talks to the managing director of BenQ Europe about the company’s approach to theprojector market, and how it has managed to carve out such a dominant position in DLP

Virginia Cheng –a brief biographyVirginia Cheng is the managing director of BenQ Europe; she has led the Business Line Management department since January 2014

Prior to her current position, she spent the past five years leadingthe Business Management, Projector department of BenQCorporation in the company’s global headquarters in Taiwan

Between 2005 and 2008 Cheng spent time at BenQ Chinaheading up the Projector Business line. During her time working asprojector business line manager, BenQ’s market position in Chinagrew from sixth to third (Source: Futuresource) with 158%quantity growth.

Virginia Cheng holds a BA in Political Science from National TaiwanUniversity and a certificate equivalent to an MBA degree from theInternational Trade Institute of Taiwan

18 19 IE166 Interview_Final 04/04/2014 11:22 Page 1

INTERVIEW: VIRGINIA CHENG, BENQ


concentrate on brightnessand colour that is accuraterather than saturated. DLPtechnology allows this kindof flexibility in colour wheelselection.

DMD also produces a highcontrast-ratio image. For us,this isn’t just a specificationon paper – it’s a key factor inensuring readability for theend customer. This is critical,especially for students –better readability protectstheir eyesight – and for usersof meeting rooms. For thehome user, contrast ratio isalso very important – whenthey watch movies they’relooking for great detail andgreyscale in the image.

Regarding the lack of colourdecay – can you quantifythat?Simply stated, with DLPprojectors, there is much lesscolour decay than with othertechnologies. This is becauseany colour decay comes onlyfrom lamp deterioration overtime, not from the DMDengine or the colour wheel. Ifyou change the lamp, youcan enjoy an image as if theprojector was new. That’s notthe case with othertechnologies.

Our R&D department hasfound that even after 2,500lamp hours, you see thesame colours, more or less,as with a brand newprojector. The integrated-circuit design of the DMDengine means its operationisn’t affected by the highoperating temperature of thelamp. This is the keydifference when youcompare DLP with otherprojector technologies.

Within B2B, BenQ serves anumber of different verticalmarkets. Do you intend toenter any new markets, orjust develop existing ones?Right now, we see that ourcompleted line-up addressesmore than 95% of themarket. We are looking to domore within sectors that weare already focusing on,including education andcorporate.

One of the ways we’redoing that is by adoptingmore leading technology intoour projection solutions, sothat, for instance, more userscan enjoy the wirelessapplication that we havedeveloped. We’re also puttingshort-throw technology intomore projectors – in theresidential sector as well.

We’re also looking toextend the lifetime ofprojector lamps, because theneed to replace the lamp

used to be one of thereasons people hesitated tochoose a projection solution.So we’ve focused onimproving this to make lamplife as long as 10,000 hours –or even adopting a new lightsource so they don’t have toreplace a lamp at all.

So rather than enteringnew markets, we areconcentrating on themarkets that we alreadyoccupy, such as educationand corporate. Theenvironment here is changing– there are new demandsfrom these customers thatwe can meet.

What can be done to preventcounterfeit replacementprojector lamps fromentering the supply chain?We don’t put a lot of focuson this issue. Our projectorlamp life has become longenough for the customer.The longest is over 10,000hours which, if the projectoris run on average for sixhours a day, five days aweek, works out to morethan six years’ use. So we’reseeing fewer and fewerpeople looking to replacetheir lamps. We’re focusingon investing in projectorsrather than lamps.

What is your roadmap forsolid-state light sources?We were the first to launch alaser light-source educationprojector, and we also havean LED source projector. Inthe future we will keepdeveloping in both directions.

For laser, we are continuingto develop the technology,aiming for higher brightness.With LED, we will keepexploring more applicationsfor these projectors – forexample, we are consideringenhancing mobility by havingan embedded battery. Alsowe are looking into extendingLED into new applications,such as home theatreprojectors.

It’s difficult to put atimescale on thisdevelopment, as it’s tied inwith the cost structure ofthe core component. Rightnow laser and LED sourcesare not at a mainstream costlevel. So not only do we keepdeveloping and making surewe have the technologyavailable – we need to keeptalking with our key suppliersover the cost structure. Thesolution has to be based ontechnology availability andalso affordability; otherwiseit’s not a good solution forour customers. �

www.benq.eu

With 5,000 lumens brightness and a 7,500:1 contrast ratio,business meetings that use the SW916 projector can keepthe lights on, says BenQ

18 19 IE166 Interview_Final 04/04/2014 11:22 Page 2

Working togetherIf there was a dominant theme to this year’s Prolight + Sound, it was the increasing instances ofmanufacturers working together to provide a more complete, integrated solution. Paddy Bakerand James McGrath report from the Frankfurt show

SHOW REVIEW: PROLIGHT + SOUND


PLENTY OF people took theopportunity to visit Frankfurtlast month for Prolight +Sound – the show’sattendance was 42,267 (asimilar number to last year).Ninety-eight percent ofvisitors polled by theorganisers stated they hadachieved their goals in visiting.

So, what did they find? Oneof the strongest themes ofthe show was audio and videonetworking. Optocoreconnected its stand withthose of its technical partnercompanies Clear-Com andDiGiCo, via single-mode fibre– providing video, audio,intercom and dataconnectivity between thestands. “I believe this is thefirst time that anything onsuch a scale has beenimplemented,” said Optocoremanaging director MarcBrunke.

Video transmission was bymeans of a combination ofthe Route66 core router, fromsister company BroaMan, atthe Optocore booth, andBroaMan Mux22 satellites atOptocore, DiGiCo and Clear-Com. A duplex fibre betweeneach of the stands carriedmultichannel video, intercom,audio and data. Each video oraudio source could be routedto any output in the network.

Clear-Com, meanwhile,launched ProGrid, a fibre-based infrastructure systemfor the transport anddistribution of audio,intercom, video and controldata. Based on the openAES3 and AES10 (MADI)standards, it runs over theOptocore and SANEplatform – and, significantly,enables Clear-Com to offerend-to-end signal distributionsolutions for many types ofinstallation.

Clear-Com president BobBoster denied that thissignalled a move away fromAVB. “We’re no less interestedin AVB than we were,” he said.“We’ve been developingsolutions that don’t requirespecial switches – butbecause they run on standardnetworks, they will run onAVB networks as well.”

Focusrite’s stand had the

theme of integration withthird-party equipment. Todemonstrate the capabilitiesof its RedNet range of Dante-based networking modules, itemulated three different kindsof system on its network: arecording studio, a live stagesystem and a broadcast truck.

Bosch was in bullish moodfollowing the launch ofproducts at last year’s showbased on its OMNEOnetworking technology, whichcombines Dante transportwith OCA control. “We’ve seenthis technology roll out into avariety of markets through ourdifferent brands,” saidplatform strategist EthanWetzell. “This is simply the endof the beginning – many moretechnologies, products andapplications are yet to come.”

AUDIO CONSOLESManufacturers of audioconsoles made an impressiveshowing at Prolight + Sound.Yamaha chose the event tolaunch its smaller form-factorQL series (see Products, page48) and Stagetec debuted itsmodular IP-based Evolutionconsole (page 47).

Lawo presented themirroring of two mc2 consoles– a feature that is especiallyuseful in theatre applications.One console can be located inthe auditorium to prepare andfine-tune the mix duringrehearsals. Its settings aremirrored to a console in thecontrol room, where the showmix is handled withoutdisturbing the audience – andwith the first consoleremoved, the seats in theauditorium can be taken bypaying visitors.

Cadac introduced its newUK sales manager, RobHughes (see page 8), whoseappointment also marked thecompany’s move to take UKdistribution in-house.

The company debuted anumber of products, includingits new MegaCOMMS systemnetwork. Built on Cadac’sproprietary digital audioprotocol and based aroundthe MC CDC Router, thesolution has been developedin response to customerdemand for networked

The DiGiCo press conference featured MD James Gordon in person, andmarketing director David Webster on a link from the Optocore stand

Sarah Clausen, senior product manager atETC, with the Cobalt 10

Focusrite highlighted the cabailities of its RedNet range

20 22 23 24 IE166 Show Review_Final 07/04/2014 12:20 Page 1

SHOW REVIEW: PROLIGHT + SOUNDinfrastructure rather thanjust consoles.

LOUDSPEAKERSAmadeus launched its newPMX 4 miniature loudspeakerand ML 8 subwoofer. The PMX4 speakers made it into thecompany’s product line afternumerous customers –including the French NaturalHistory Museum, whereAmadeus speakers featureheavily in a recent install –requested mini speakers withthe same audio qualities asthe rest of the company’srange. The PMX 4 line includes5in-12in models as well asEtherSound-enabled versions.

Coda Audio showed its newTiRAY ultra-compact line arraymodule. This is designed foruse in small theatres, livemusic venues or houses ofworship, or for front or sidefillwithin larger systems. TheTiRAY module features two5in cone speakers and a 5inneodymium planar wavedriver and a built-in passivecrossover.

APG used Prolight + Soundto introduce Scott Fraser,who has been

appointed to head up thecompany’s UK sales operation(see page 8). Xavier Pion, wholooks after international salesand marketing for thecompany, explained that APGis rethinking its distributionmodel – working withdistributors in someterritories, selling direct inothers, and using a mixedmodel elsewhere. Its long-term strategy, he added, is tohave profit centres in Europe,America and Asia.

K-array showed the latestaddition to its Anakondaseries – the AnakondaKAN200+. This features 16incorporated transducers –double the amount of itspredecessor – and is said tobe particularly useful forfrontfill applications.

There was also a preview ofthe KH8 and KS8 subwoofer,primarily intended for largelive events and currently inbeta testing.

New from Sommer Cablewere installation speakersfrom its in-house CARDINALDVM brand. The three modelsavailable are: DVM-SP06C – a

6.5in flushmount ceilingspeaker in a low-impedanceand 100V version; DVM-SP0501 – a 5.25in/1in heavy-duty compact speaker in alow-impedance (16 ohms) and100V version; and the DVM-SP4601 sound column, whichhas four 6.5in low/mid driversplus an HF unit.

Other new speaker modelslaunched at the showincluded Martin Audio’s DD12and Nexo’s GEO M6, both ofwhich you can read about onpage 48.

AMPLIFIERSPowersoft described its newX Series (see page 44) as “thenext step in the evolution ofthe power amplifier” – onaccount of the large amountof extra functionality that itcontains. “The philosophybehind the X Series is topermit the audio system tooperate independently fromthe power mains available atthe venue and to allow evensmaller racks to be brought torun the show,” explained LucaGiorgi, Pro Audio Business Unitdirector at Powersoft. “Thisbrings us even closer tocomplete integration of thesystem and provides anunmatched level of controlover the behaviour of boththe audio and power source.”

Following on from their

Mathieu Pobeda (electroacousticengineer) and Rémi Vaucher (R&Dengineer) with Nexo’s GEO M6

Yamaha marketing director promusic and pro audioNils Peter Keller at the launch of the QL series



launch at ISE, the Audac SMAand SMQ amplifiers receivedanother public showing atProlight + Sound. (These arenow available. See page 47 formore details.)

LIGHTING CONTROLLERSVisual Productions launchedthe Cuety iOS lightingcontroller, which turns aniPad into a powerful lightingconsole. The Cuety appworks together with the newLPU-1 lighting engine, whichruns the show, calculatingfade times and renderingdynamic FX.

A large number of visitorsgathered at the PhilipsEntertainment Lighting stand

for a host of introductions –one of which was the newStrand Lighting Neo console(see page 46). Theexpandable solution is fullymotorised featuring a newprocessor and 100 universesof DMX. The system offersadvantages such as theability to patch in as manyPhilips fixtures as necessarywithout requiring thepurchase of more universes.

LIGHTING FIXTURESRobe is celebrating its 20thbirthday this year. Jiri Baros,marketing managing at Robe,revealed that the company isplanning a celebration-themed stand and presence

at this year’s PLASA Show inLondon. He also describedhow the company’s newLEDBeam 1000, which had itsglobal launch at Prolight, is aversatile fixture. It has a widerange of zoom options (4º-60º) and has a very parallelbeam; it can also be used aswash lighting. The 18kgdevice, although quite large,has the same speed inmovement as the company’ssmaller LEDBeam 100 andcan be controlled wirelessly.

GLP also marked its 20thbirthday at the show bypresenting ‘a museum of thepast’ which was filled withthe company’s productsstretching over 20 years.

Lawo highlighted the opportunities ofmirroring of its mc² consoles

GLP celebrated its 20thanniversary in Frankfurt

Powersoft launched the X Series




As well as showcasing thenew Cobalt 10 controlconsole (see page 48), ETCalso launched its Source FourLED Series 2 and the SourceFour Mini LED. The Series 2builds on Source Four LEDtechnology launched in 2012,but offers enhancementssuch as a realigned array andthe addition of the colour limeto the colour spectrum. Thisincreases the device’s lightoutput and makes certaincolours look more natural,

according to Jim Uphoff,fixture product manager, ETC.He was also quick to add thatthis doesn’t mean the originalSource Four Series will goaway, and will instead comeat a lower price point.

IN CONCLUSION...If there was an overridingtheme to the show, it was theever-increasing level ofintegration between differentmanufacturers’ products. Thisis perhaps not surprising; if

you’re a manufacturer with amature product range,producing an interface toanother company’s product isprobably a faster way ofinnovating – and addingvalue – than coming up with awhole new product line. Andon the audio side, particularlywith the continuing rise ofDante adoption, this doesn’tlook like slowing down anytime soon. �

www.pls.messefrankfurt.com

Another lighting manufacturer celebrating20 years was Robe – with more festivitiesplanned for PLASA this autumn

Tom Van de Sande, Audac marketingmanager, with the company’s MPX pagingmicrophones, which feature no mechanicalpushbuttons on the paging table


VIDEOCONFERENCING, ANDmore latterly telepresencesystems, have been availableto – and in many casesunderused by – largeorganisations since the1990s. The first installationsgenerally required large, fixed‘suites’ in which participantswould engage with similarset-ups at a remote location.High capital cost, lack ofcompatible target systemsand low network bandwidthheld back their deploymentfor some time until, in the2000s, most of these limitingfactors were overcome andthe technology became more popular.

In recent years they haveevolved further through thegreater availability of highbandwidth networks, mobilecomputers, bettercompression technology andthe greater abundance of low-cost screens and cameras.Videoconferencing becamemore user-friendly andavailable, appearing on desksand in general-purposemeeting rooms.

As Andreas Wienold, vice

president for Europe andEMEA at LifeSize, observes:“More of the processing andmanagement is beingperformed in software ratherthan hardware, and

videoconferencing systemscan be installed easily inmultipurpose rooms alreadywith their own displays ratherthan in dedicated suites. Thecost of installing a high-qualityHD videoconferencing endpoint in a presentation roomcan be as low as €5,000,rather than the €50,000required a few years ago. Thismakes it available to a widerrange of smaller companies.We are on the cusp of a farmore extensive and immersivevideo communication strategyglobally.”

The latest stage in thisevolution is unifiedcommunications: a technologyenabled by the recentexplosive increase inprocessing power and networkbandwidth, coupled with themassive proliferation ofpersonal devices in thebusiness environment (oftenunder the corporate Bring YourOwn Device [BYOD] strategy).

Unified communications hasvarious meanings, but in itsbroadest form is generallyaccepted to cover the ‘triple-play’ of voice, video and data

communications betweensingle and multiple users onany device of their choosing.This may be provided as aproprietary hardware-basedsolution or an on-premisesoftware one and may evenbe provided as a Cloud-basedservice.

“Unified communicationsincorporates true datacollaboration,” explains MartinFinlayson, European productmarketing manager at ImagoGroup. “Participants usingunified communications areable to work together on adocument; annotate and addto it. Unified communicationsincorporates techniques thatare more familiar in the socialnetworking and instant accessworld, like instant messaging,presence detection, contactprofile display file sharing:tools that contribute to auser’s personal workflow andcreate a single profile acrossmultiple devices.”

One of the key attributes ofunified communications isthat it is platform, networkand device agnostic at theuser level and is extremely

simple to use. Users expectthe same sort of experience intheir business activities astheir social and personalinteractions – in many casesusing the same devices. Therange of devices is expandingrapidly, and with it theoverheads of manipulating thevideo and data so that it canbe seen on all these devicescorrectly. The need for scalingand the number and types ofcodecs have become an issuefor technology providers andIT departments. At the sametime there is the additionalcomplexity of the usersimultaneously operatingseveral devices and theirdesire to be able to answerand interface with the unifiedcommunications system onany one of them.

BUSINESS CRITICALThe issue here is that unifiedcommunications has thepotential to fundamentallyaffect an organisation’sbusiness processes. It issomething that lies at theheart of the way they operate,interact with clients and,

FEATURE: UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS

The right connectionsSteve Montgomery investigates the evolution of videoconferencing andtelepresence into unified communications – and the collaborative featuresthat are becoming available to enhance business activities


Polycom’s RealPresence Group Seriesoffers a simple user interface and lowtotal cost of ownership

UC incorporates the‘triple-play’ of voice, videoand data communicationsbetween single andmultiple users on anydevice of their choosing

Unified communicationshas been enabled by theincrease in processingpower and networkbandwidth, coupled withthe massive proliferationof personal devices in thebusiness environment

[KEY POINTS]

UC achieves true datacollaboration and has thepotential to fundamentallyenhance an organisation’sbusiness processes

Systems may behardware-, software- orCloud-based. Eachapproach has merit forspecific installations

Microsoft Lync providesthe core functionality forUC systems and requiresadditional services,supplied by vendors, toprovide true businesssystems

‘We are on thecusp of a far more

extensive andimmersive videocommunication

strategy globally’Andreas Wienold,

LifeSize

26 27 28 Feature 1 Unified communications_Final 03/04/2014 17:28 Page 1



ultimately, perform. Thedeployment of unifiedcommunications is notsomething that can be takenlightly, but needs to beaddressed at the highestlevels within an organisation –and this does not alwayshappen.

Finlayson adds: “Unifiedcommunications technologycan deliver an incredible levelof service and radicallyenhance the operation of anysize business. It is one ofthose applications that can bebuilt and enhanced, to flexand adapt to almost anybusiness requirement.However it is crucial thatstrategists plan the adoptionof unified communications inconsideration of the wholebusiness philosophy andworking methodology.”

The planning process is athree-stage one, although it isnot always followed, he says:“Firstly look at the enterprise,how it operates now and howthey would like it to operate inorder to define expectations;secondly implement and trainstaff on the benefits andtarget strategic processes;and thirdly measure, monitor,review and modify so that itreally meets the objectives.

Critical documents outliningthe user interface experiencearen’t produced; all too oftenthe decision is taken at boardlevel to adopt unifiedcommunications, the ITdepartment is tasked withdeploying it and that’s it. Therole of IT is not to set userstrategy but they are oftenblamed if a new technology isnot adopted asenthusiastically as expected.”

The three key operationalfeatures of any unifiedcommunications system thatneed to be considered bypotential purchasers arequality of service,interoperability and security. Itis these elements that setsystems apart anddifferentiate them from freeservices such as Skype.

In terms of quality ofservice, common sign-in,perceived image and sound,and availability of in-sessionfeatures directly affect theexperience of the user.

“Anyone who has usedvideoconferencing over thepast 10 years will be able totestify that the quality hasimproved drastically in thattime frame,” points out RayMcGroarty, director ofenterprise UC solutions, EMEA

CASESTUDY

Indiana University, a majorpublic research institution inthe US, is currently deployingPexip Infinity to deliverexpanded videoconferencingservices to its eight campusesand 135,000 students, facultyand staff.

Indiana already hosts one ofthe largest videoconferencinginstallations in the country,with approximately 100,000unique connections each yearand 176 videoconferencing-delivered courses eachsemester.

“Pexip Infinity expands withour needs. As we add capacity,we simply bring up more virtualservers and nodes,” saysJames McGookey, manager ofthe university’s collaborationtechnologies. “This lets usoffer distance educationcourses to even more studentsand make teaching easier. If,for example, a professor wantsto have a presenter speakremotely to a class fromoverseas, Infinity provides easyconnections for the user whileoutputting high-quality video.

It’s a win for everyone.”Pexip Infinity, with native

support of Microsoft Lync,takes advantage of the newWebRTC (Web Real TimeCommunication) two-wayvideoconferencing capabilitiesthat are native in GoogleChrome and Firefox browsers.IU students, faculty and staff– and their guests – will neednothing more than a webbrowser to join a conference:it’s as simple as going to aURL, typing your name, andclicking ‘join’.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY EXPANDS REMOTE LEARNING OFFERING



at Polycom. “Years ago, peopleon the other end of a videocall appeared as fuzzy images;now it is as if they are in thesame room. HD technologyhas made images clearer.Technology has enabled eyecontact with the person onthe other end of the call, andsoftware such as the PolycomEagleEye Director pans andzooms onto the speaker in ameeting revealing importantfacial expressions and a ‘just-like-being-there’ experience.”

Within an organisationwhere everybody uses thesame services, proprietaryequipment will offer the fullfunctionality throughout. Themajority of unifiedcommunications systems nowrun on Session InitiatedProtocol (SIP) which defineshow sessions should be setup, maintained and managed,but goes no further. Thismeans that calls can be set upbetween different vendorsystems, but does not coverthe features and services thatwill be available between twoendpoints. These are deployedindividually above the base SIPlayer. As a consequence thefunctions that users enjoywithin their corporateenvironment may not beavailable across networks/vendor systems.

Security within networks isobviously paramount. Normalnetwork and mobile devicemanagement measures,where BYOD strategies exist,are crucial whenvideoconferencing systemsare employed beyond theenterprise. However the datatransfers across SIP-based,inter-vendor systems will notnecessarily be encrypted andmay therefore be open toattack.

Microsoft Lync is commonlyused to provide the corefunctionality for unifiedcommunications systemsoffered by many vendors.However it does not include anenterprise-grade telephonycapability and requires

additional layers offunctionality. “Lync provides aconsistent, single-clientexperience for presence,instant messaging, voice,video and a great meetingexperience,” says DaveSilberstein, Crestron’s directorof marketing. “It is thesoftware that underliesCrestron RL to extend the Lyncexperience, bringing video,voice, interactive contentsharing, presence, and chat tothe conference room within anintegrated presentation andautomation system.”

IN THE CLOUD With the all-pervadinginfluence of the Cloud, it isinevitable that large-scalevideoconferencing and unifiedcommunications serviceswould be provided as aservice; an attractive optionfor small to medium-sizedbusinesses in particular.

“We offer a wide variety ofCloud-based communicationstechnologies in one easy-to-use system to create a virtualoffice with fully featured voicecapabilities with audioconferencing, hunt groups,auto attendants, point-to-point and multipoint videocalling, instant messaging andcollaboration/documentsharing,” says Kevin Scott-Cowell, CEO, 8x8 Solutions.“Cloud-based unifiedcommunications solutions aretightly integrated, have acommon sign-in, and the sameuser experience over anumber of devices.”

New manufacturer Pexiphas rapidly gained traction andsome large design-ins. “PexipInfinity offers nativeinteroperability with MicrosoftLync. It enables HD video,voice communication and datasharing between virtually anyenterprise endpoint and anyLync client, even in hybridenvironments where Office365 is combined with on-premise installations,” explainsAnders Løkke, Pexip’smarketing manager. “Pexip

Infinity extends Lync’scapabilities by adding VirtualMeeting Rooms for everyonein the organisation. PexipInfinity runs in standardVMware or Microsoft VirtualMachines on-prem, or can berun Cloud-based, and it isdesigned to be simple to use.For integration with MicrosoftLync, no on-premise Lyncserver is required, and internaland externalvideoconferencing endpointscan connect to the samePexip platform. In addition,external users can join viaWebRTC-enabled browsers ifthey do not currently have aunified communications orvideo platform.” An additionaloption for meetings is forattendees to simultaneouslyaccess shared data on aseparate, personal device.

Cloud-based solutions donot require on-premisehardware or software and arescalable. They are ideal forapplications such as remotelearning, where a lecture tothousands of students on anad hoc basis (massive onlineopen courses, or MOOC) isaccessed from a PIN-protectedclickable web address. This link

is, in effect, the lecturer’s ownvirtual lecture theatre or apersonal meeting room in abusiness environment,accessed from a browser orvideoconferencing endpoint.

FOCUS ON QUALITYVideo quality is an aspect ofunified communications thatis becoming more importantas greater amounts ofinformation and higher-resolution images areexpected by users. “Video andstill images are becomingmore prevalent in businessand these take ever greaterbandwidth to transmit,” saysJoan Vandermate, VP ofmarketing for Vidyo. “Whilethe capacity of networks isexpanding rapidly there is stilla requirement to deliver thehighest possible quality andresolution in the least amountof bandwidth, particularly inapplications that need to beable to view images in greatdetail, like healthcare andscientific research.

We are still in the early daysof unified communications andthe technology will improveand develop. As Weinold pointsout: “Radical simplification is

going to dramatically changethe way we use and think ofunified communications.Previously solutions ofexceptional quality have alsobeen complicated to use. Thishas provided a significantbarrier to user uptake.However we’re learning fromthe mobile industry assmartphones redefined thevalue of a mobile device.Unified communicationssystems will need to plug intoa wide variety of applications(such as scheduled meetings,streaming and recording, andHD content sharing) that canbe accessed with the push ofa button, without needing tounderstand how any of theunderlying technology works.It needs to do all this from onesimple user interface thatpromotes discovery andreduces the training andsupport burden onadministrators.” �

www.8x8.comwww.crestron.comwww.imagogroupplc.comwww.lifesize.comwww.polycom.comwww.pexip.comwww.vidyo.com

CASESTUDY

International Horizons Collegein Dubai has developed aunified communications modelto provide an extended rangeof Cloud-based interactiveservices and collaborativeteaching programmes withcolleges and universities inthe US.

The infrastructure, built onthe Polycom RealPresencePlatform, enables largenumbers of students andteachers to collaborate usingany type of device. Data,lecture notes andpresentation material is

shared between remoteparticipants; it is certified tothe Learning ToolsInteroperability standard fordistributed and collaborativelearning.

Students participate inlectures from otheruniversities, share teachers,and research projects. “Withvideo collaboration solutions inour global classrooms, thepossibilities are endless,” saysDr Dobe, president of thecollege. “Sessions are recordedand made available forstudents to watch and review

when convenient to them.”Faculty and board members

join staff meetings remotelyusing personal devices. Thecollege also usesvideoconferencing to recruitnew professors. “It makeseverything easier to securetop academic talent,” saysDobe. “We conduct videointerviews which eliminate thecost and travel of personalinterviews and provide a farricher interview experiencethan voice alone. We recordinterviews, for later review byother faculty members.”

DUBAI COLLEGE IMPLEMENTS COLLABORATION SOLUTION


Educational establishments are embracing UC as a way to reach a wider range of students at atime that is suitable to them


All Im

ages courtesy of the Business D

esign Centre

Only pro-AV event to be led by the main stakeholders within the key verticals

4th September 2014 Business Design Centre - London

Only dedicated UK event for systems integrators/ pro-AV installer /AV consultants and end users

Only UK pro-AV conference to be supported by a technical exhibition and training breakout sessions

A new one-day conference and expo brought to you by

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For further information and sponsorship opportunities contact: Ian Graham - Sales Manager - [email protected] or Tel: +44 (0)207 354 6000

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Install Market FPv2.indd 1 11/03/2014 10:59

IT WOULD be stretching thingsa little to say that audio forconcert venues has changedbeyond all recognition duringthe last half-decade.However, the impact on venueoperators and their audiencesof increasingly carefullytargeted speakertechnologies and morepowerful amplifier topologiesshould not beunderestimated.

The emergence of moreeasily configurableprocessors and compactconsoles has also helped toshape this quiet revolution.But the focus of this article ison speakers and amplifiers,and the obvious – andsometimes not-so-obvious –factors that inform thedesign and specification ofsystems in venues ofincreasingly large capacity.

A SYSTEM FOR ALL SEASONSRegardless of size, it’s clearthat expectations ofpermanently installedsystems in concert venuesare now greater than ever.

And there’s a good reason forthis, as Paul Bauman,associate director tour soundof JBL Professional, observes:“In order to maximise ROI,these days many productionsare choosing not to carry full‘racks and stacks’, and therehas definitely been a trendtowards installing technicalrider-friendly, concert-gradesystems in concert venues toservice the growing numberof tours that are only carryingcontrol and monitorpackages.”

Making life easier for visitingproductions necessarilyrequires specifying apermanent system thatcomplements the greatestpossible percentage ofmusical productions.Delivering sufficient audiencecoverage, SPL output capacityand low-frequency impact are,inevitably, pretty muchuniversal concerns.

“The system needs to beproperly specified to suit themajority of applications thatwill take place in the venue,”continues Bauman. “There’s

no sense installing a systemthat is capable of doingMetallica if this is not the typeof act that will be playing on aregular basis in the venue!Conversely, not having enoughsubwoofers is not a goodoption either and it’simportant that the system isthe right size.”

RIGHT SYSTEM, RIGHT SIZEMost audio suppliers offer avariety of systems toaccommodate concert venuesof different sizes. For thepurposes of this article, wehave identified three primarytiers: small (up to 2,000capacity), medium (2,000-4,000) and large (4,000+).

From TC Group, the TannoyVX and VXP smaller formatboxes can be suitable forsmall hall and even portable,unfixed applications. Thebeam-steering array

technology offered by QFlexlends itself to “some concerthalls, certainly spaces withproblematic acoustics,reflective surfaces oraesthetic concerns”, explainsMark Millar, communicationsmanager for TC Group’s Installand Tour Brands. Meanwhile,the large SPL VQ Series lendsitself to larger spaces, whilefellow TC brand Lab.gruppenoffers a variety of amplifierpowers to match differentspaces and audience sizes.

Neal Allen, concert soundsales consultant at BoschProSound UK, highlights the“reliability, intelligibility andacoustic performance” of itsElectro-Voice XVLC VeryCompact Line Arrays, whichare particularly suitable forhalls where limited size andweight are required. Like E-V,the QSC range also includes ahost of size-specific line array

options – ILA for smallervenues, and WideLine-8 andWideLine-10 for medium andlarge spaces, respectively –while Renkus-Heinz’ scalableIC Live system can beconfigured to match venuesof all scales.

Martin Audio also puts theemphasis on scalability, withits current charge into theconcert venue space led bythe Multicellular Line Array(MLA) system – with MLAMini, MLA Compact and MLAcatering to small, mediumand large venues,respectively. “With MLA, theuser is able to definecoverage areas along thelength of a venue and reachlevels of sound uniformitynever before achieved,” saysMartin Audio applicationsengineer Robin Dibble.

A combination of “clarity,bandwidth, high power and

FEATURE: CONCERT VENUES

Power and precisionLine arrays and more powerful amplifiers have effected something of a ‘quiet revolution’ in concertvenue audio over the past 10 years. But what are the primary factors that influence systemspecification in different sized venues? David Davies asks a selection of leading manufacturers


QSC Q-Series speakers have beeninstalled at concert venues includingthe Boston Symphony Hall

Total cost of ownershipcontinues to rise up thepriority list for newinstallations

Most manufacturers caterto concert halls of alltypes with scalable orsize-specific loudspeakersystems

[KEY POINTS]

Class D-based amplifiershave allowed venues todeliver increased powerfrom smaller numbers ofunits

30 31 34 Feature 2_Final 03/04/2014 15:04 Page 1



headroom capabilities” maked&b audiotechnik’s Q-Seriessuitable for small to medium-scale concert environments,while for Harman a “highdegree of technical rideracceptance” means that theJBL VTX and VerTec line arrayseries – combined with CrownAudio I-Tech HD poweramplifiers – provide a popularsolution for concert venues,says Bauman.

Amplifier specialistPowersoft, meanwhile,

singles out the Ottocanaliand K Series power amps asbeing “flexible, reliable andcost-effective solutions” forall manner of concert venue

installs. “They are very easyto manage, highlyconfigurable andcharacterised overall by verylow power consumption,” saysFrancesco Fanicchi, marketingand communicationsmanager, Powersoft.

ACCOMMODATING ACOUSTICSMaking a preliminary sectionfrom the many optionsavailable on grounds of sizeand output is one thing – butother considerations mustnecessarily come into play.Although many contemporaryarenas and larger concerthalls are often builtscrupulously to order with allthe necessary acousticalprecautions one wouldexpect, consultants andinstallers working on older(often smaller) venuesconstructed before theadvent of modern treatmentsmay be faced with a wholeother magnitude of challenge.

Rik Kirby, VP sales andmarketing at Renkus-Heinz,comments: “Many venues,particularly older theatres andconcert halls, were originallydesigned withoutamplification, and presentchallenging acoustics onceamplified sound is introduced.”A beam technology solution,such as Renkus-Heinz’ ownIconyx system, “can deliverbeams so tightly focused thatthey deliver sound directly tothe listener, without reflectingor interacting with the room”.

PREDICTION MODELLINGThe ability to predictcoverage patterns and,therefore, specify the rightnumber of boxes for a given

Designed by legendaryViennese architects FerdinandFellner and Hermann Helmer,the Slovak National Theatre(SNT) in Bratislava completedconstruction in 1886. Since1920, the 1,000-seat buildinghas been home to the SNTopera and ballet ensembles, aswell as hosting performancesby some of the world’s leadingtouring ensembles.

As usage of the space hasdiversified, however, itsacoustics have faced ever-greater scrutiny. Whileacceptable for opera, theroom’s short RT is less suitablefor orchestral performances.The configuration of the spacehas also provided its fair shareof challenges; the narrowstage faces a long auditoriumwhere the rear seats are 75ft(22m) away, while unevensound coverage affected

multiple balconies.Deciding to take action to

address these issues, thetheatre approached MediaTech– Bratislava’s largest pro-audiospecialist – to select a subtle,high-quality and aestheticallydiscreet sound reinforcementsystem.

Extensive EASE analysis ledto MediaTech recommending asystem based around the ICLive digitally steerable linearray. A clear, uncolouredmusical sound and the abilityto steer multiple sound beamsinto specific areas of thevenue are said to have offeredthe solution required.Meanwhile, the IC Live’s slim,low-profile design – completewith a custom paint finish –complements the theatre’shighly distinctive aesthetic.

The newly installed audiosystem also includes a TC

Electronic M6000 processorfor additional reverb, and aYamaha PM5D console that islinked directly to the IC Livesystem via CobraNet.

MediaTech’s projectmanager, Miroslav Paciga,reflects: “The audience had tobe unaware of soundreinforcement. IC Live allowed

us toachievethat subtleeffect while beingvisually unnoticeable.”

LEADING OPERA VENUE UPGRADES TO RENKUS-HEINZ IC LIVE SYSTEM

CASESTUDY

‘Everyone wantsthe best possible

coverage andsound for theleast outlay’

Mark Millar, TC Group



room is crucial to successfulsystem deployment. It standsto reason that the larger theroom, the more boxes – andthe more complex the systemdesign will be. Fortunately,the majority of speakersuppliers now offersophisticated modelling toolsthat, as much as is possible,eliminate the associatedelement of risk.

QSC is one the companiesto have made great strides inthis area. Product manager(and FOH engineer of 30years’ standing) Brian Englishremarks: “All QSC WideLinemodels are articulating linearrays, so the size and shapeof the array are the biggestfactors in determining thedeployment. To assistdistributors, consultants andproduction professionals weoffer 2D and 3D predictionand modelling tools whichoffer suggestions onpotential array deploymentand configuration.”

AMPLIFICATION WITH POWER,EFFICIENCYThe ability of self-poweredspeakers (those featuringonboard amplification) to freeup valuable rack or equipmentroom space has lately madethem particularly attractive tomedium and large venueshosting large systems. But forthose adhering to a‘separates’ philosophy, theadvent of amplifiers basedaround highly efficient Class Dtopologies has allowed venuesto deliver greatly increasedpower from a much-reducednumber of boxes.

This trend has arguablybeen particularly beneficial tosmall and medium-sizedvenues that are thereforeable to assign valuable space

to cooling systems, other AVequipment or, better still,more audience seating.

Powersoft is among thosecompanies to haveenthusiastically embracedClass D technologies inproducts such as its K Seriesamps. “The K Series ispreferred among top-rankingsystem designers, soundreinforcement and systemtechs for making theirinstallation easier – givingthem reliable premier gradepower and headroom in thesmallest possible packagesize,” says Fanicchi.

NETWORKING CAPABILITYIt stands to reason that thelarger venues with greaterbudgets are the best placedto take the plunge and makethe most of the benefits thatfull networking can deliver.But, increasingly, there aresigns that the trickle-down isaffecting venues at the lowerto medium end of thespectrum.

Regular Installation readerswill be well aware, however,that a ‘winner’ in thenetworking debate has yet toemerge. So with many visitingproductions likely to bringconsoles operating withdifferent protocols, there is aneed for permanentlyinstalled audio systems toaccommodate as manyapproaches as possible.

“Most installed venuesexpect full networked controlover their systems, and thesedays most of your rental, hireand touring companies utilisesome sort of networkedsolution to run their systems,”says English. “As far as beingable to coexist on networksthat utilise different digitalprotocols, I think it’s extremelyimportant these days as thereis no one solution that you cansay is the industry standard.And, until there is, one mustoffer ‘bridges’ that can easilyconvert one protocol toanother.”

The earlier description of a‘quiet revolution’ in concertaudio this last half-decadeseems apt; after all, line arraysand digital mixers have been adefault choice forconsiderably longer than that.But driven in no small part bycost issues, the impulses thatinform them have arguablybecome more acute.

“The market is evolving, butin my opinion nothing in termsof what people want out ofthe system is changing,” saysMillar. “Everyone wants thebest possible coverage andsound for the least outlay.However, cost of ownershipand reliability have become

more and more of a concern,as well as back-up andsupport.”

Allen picks up the theme.“However the audio specscontinue to grow, better andfaster set-up is always atopic,” he says. “Integration isalso starting to become amajor factor with mostmanufacturers.”

And this will likely becomeeven more important asconcert venues “increasingly

become [host to]multipurpose applications,demanding flexible solutionsto adhere to variousrequirements,” says a d&bspokesperson.

While a further significantleap forward in sound qualityis difficult to envisage at thispoint, it is likely to be theability of venues – regardlessof their size – to be able todeploy systems with analmost plug-and-play-style

ease that will constitute thenext tangible ‘phase’ inconcert hall audio. �

www.crownaudio.comwww.dbaudio.comwww.dynacord.comwww.electrovoice.comwww.jblpro.comwww.martin-audio.comwww.powersoft-audio.comwww.qsc.comwww.renkus-heinz.comwww.tcgroup.tc

CASESTUDY

A combined concert venue,bar and restaurant inShoreditch, London, has beenequipped with a Tannoy VQSeries system for its principalPA. The site in question,Hoxton Square Bar andKitchen, hosts a wide varietyof live performances all yearround.

In the main venue, the PA isbased around a pair of TannoyVQ 100s, with low-endreinforcement provided by anaccompanying pair of TannoyVS 218DR bass enclosures.Monitoring comes courtesy of

seven Tannoy VX 15HPs(tuned for live use) and asingle VSX 15DR.

Amplification duties arehandled by Lab.gruppen’s PLMSeries, with a PLM 20000Qand PLM 10000Q poweringthe main rig. Each PLM Seriesamp comes integrated withDante networked audiodistribution and LakeProcessing technology, aswell as load verification withreal-time performancemonitoring.

Meanwhile, the stagemonitors are powered by IPD

Series products, also fromLab.gruppen. At the core ofthe IPD platform is a DSPengine equipped with up to 40real-time, multi-slopeparametric EQs, along withadjustable gain, input andoutput delay, and both high-and low-pass filtersadjustable to any frequency.The 1U amps also come withIPD LoadLibrary, a collection ofLab.gruppen-released presetsdesigned to deliver quickconfiguration andoptimisation of a wide rangeof loudspeaker systems.

HOXTON VENUE OPTS FOR TANNOY VQ FOR PRINCIPAL PA


‘Most installedvenues expectfull networked

control over theirsystems’

Brian English, QSC

World Changers Church International (WCCI) has upgraded theamplification system in its 8,500-seat World Dome in CollegePark, GA, with 22 Powersoft K3 power amplifiers


HOW WAS your holiday? Wasit nice? Pleasant? Agreeable?Enjoyable? Fine? And thatparcel you received? Was itlarge? Big? Bulky? Sizeable?Substantial?

According to the OxfordEnglish Dictionary, there aresome 170,000 distinct words(not including the 47,000 or soobsolete ones) in the Englishlanguage. As such, it’s nosurprise that many of themmean pretty much the samething. The joy of any language,of course, is its subtlety andnuance. Five words may seemto mean the same – and yet…

The term ‘videowall’ hasbeen with us since the 1980sto describe, in effect, a largeimage delivered via multiplescreens. The description ‘tileddisplay’, however, was coinedmuch more recently to denote– well, a large image deliveredvia multiple screens. Is onesynonymous with the other?

VIDEOWALL, TILED DISPLAY –OR…?“It’s purely a matter ofsemantics,” claims Guy Van

Wijmeersch, market director,utilities at Barco. “Google‘tiled displays’ and you getpictures of videowalls. In mymind, both claim to do thesame: providing the user witha larger pixel canvas that isbeyond the resolution of asingle display or projector andmust behave as a single largedesktop.”

“It’s just differentterminology,” agrees ThomasWalter, product manager –public display solutions, NECDisplay Solutions Europe.Videowalls and tiled displaysare the same thing. Avideowall, regardless of thesize of the screens,comprises tiled displays.”

“The two descriptions areoften used interchangeably inthe market, now that mostvideowalls are made up ofdisplays rather than blendedprojection systems,” addsJennifer Davis, vice presidentof marketing for PlanarSystems.

Miles Donovan, channeldevelopment manager,business products, EMEA at

Christie disagrees. “Avideowall would typically beused to display information –video and data,” he says. “Itwould be laid out in aconventional shape, such asyou’d find in a control room.Videowall has become the defacto name for an oversizedtechnology wall.”

“Tiled displays, on theother hand,” he continues,“can be any size or shape andare applicable across manymore markets.”

Both opinions have merit,of course. But they’re farfrom the only points of view.

“A large screen thatconsists of single displays, aso-called ‘tiled display’, canalso be called a videowall.Both terms are applicable,”claims Eric Hénique, directorof international sales ateyevis. “But a videowall canalso be a big projectionsurface consisting of one ormore projectors using edgeblending. This is a videowall –but not a tiled display. A tileddisplay always consists ofsingle displays.”

“But,” he smiles, “if a tileddisplay is characterised byvisible bezels, where doesthat leave large images madeup of LED panels? Theydeliver a single, contiguous,seamless image in whichthere are no visible bezels.Technically, that may be atiled display – but I’d say itwas a videowall.”

Whatever it might be, MikeTang, marketing manager atLeyard, is enthused by theopportunity. “Bezel-free LEDpanels are fantastic productsfor creating large, seamlessimages,” he says, “and we’re

FEATURE: TILED DISPLAYS

It’s not just size that’s importantWith LCD screens becoming ever larger – not to mention increasingly affordable – the prognosisfor what some call videowalls and others call tiled displays (a discussion in itself…) might notappear positive. Ian McMurray finds out why that’s not the case


SBB Serbia, the company's largestcable TV and broadband company,turned to Barco to equip its newnetwork operations centre andmaster control room

The multi-screen displaymarket is growing aspotential barriers toadoption are removed

Content, logistics, costand resolution are keyreasons for choosingmulti-screen over singlescreen

The terms ‘videowall’ and‘tiled display’ are, for many– but not all – synonymous

[KEY POINTS]

Increasingly narrow bezelsand in-built intelligenceare supporting growth inthe market served byvideowalls/tiled displays

‘Cost andapplication would

be the keydetermining

factors indeciding whether

to use a singlescreen or multiplesmaller displays’ Joe Graziano,

Christie




certainly seeing the marketfor them grow rapidly.”

… SOMETHING ELSE?At least, however, theindustry agrees that theterm for these multi-screenimages is either ‘tiled display’or ‘videowall’.Except Peter van Dijk,business manager, visualinformation systems atMitsubishi Electric.

“We regard the term‘videowall’ to be ratheroutdated, as it originatesfrom a time when multi-screen displays were onlycapable of showing video,” hesays. “Things are, of course,very different now. Within ourmain business of commandand control, it is data ratherthan video that is thedominant contentrequirement. Consequently,we prefer the term ‘displaywall’ as it is a much moreaccurate description of thegenre these days.”

What is perhaps a moreconstructive avenue toexplore is not so much the‘what?’ as the ‘why?’Regardless of definition, therecan be little doubt that themarket for large displaysconfigured using multiplescreens has become asignificant one.

“The market has beengrowing strongly and willcontinue to do so,” believesWalter. “Customers fromalmost all vertical marketslike the large displays theycan create, with the verysmall bezel the screensoffer.”

“We’ve seen dramaticgrowth during the past fewyears, and it’s continuing,”echoes Hénique. “Technologyhas advanced, screen bezelshave become smaller andmore and more customershave discovered the impactof videowalls and tileddisplays on viewers and theopportunity to promote theirbrand and company – or incontrol rooms, the possibility

to view the maximum ofimportant datasimultaneously.”

“The market is growingalmost exponentially,enabled by the number ofsuppliers of LCD panels withsmall or narrow bezels andthe fact that more and moreoff-the-shelf graphics cardscan drive multiple HDchannels,” adds vanWijmeersch. “This growth ismostly visible in retail and in-store advertising.”

It is also true thattechnologies like eyevis’somniSHAPES and Christie’sMicroTiles are provingincreasingly compelling inarchitectural applications –among others – where theyboth enable and stimulate ahigh degree of creativity.“With smaller modules, thereis more freedom to designconvex or concave, or non-rectangular configurations,”continues Hénique.

LARGER SCREENS: ATHREAT?But as single screens havebecome larger and moreaffordable, surely it must bethe case that there will besome erosion of the marketfor videowalls/tiled displays?NEC’s Thomas Walteracknowledges that theremay well be a decline of 2 x 2walls as larger UHD singledisplays become available,but believes that the marketwill continue to grow overall.

His confidence may bebased on the premise that,almost regardless of requiredoverall display size, there areapplications in which imagescomprising multiple screenswill provide a better solutionthan a single screen can.

“The big advantage of asingle screen is the lack ofmullions or bezels which canclutter the content,” notesDavis. “To make a similarlysized array, you may choose atiled system if you couldn’t fitthe 84in in the elevator orneeded a more modular

CASESTUDY

As its previous Barcoinstallation had delivered alifetime of 12 years – twiceits expected longevity – itwas inevitable that theoperators of the Mont Blanctunnel would turn again toBarco when it was time torefresh the control roomsystems.

The original control roomwas installed in 1999 after a

serious fire in the tunnelcaused 39 deaths.

The Barco installationtoday comprises two 5 x 2OLF-710 70in WXGA 16:9LED-lit cube walls, two 3 x 3NSL-4621 46in Full HD LED-litcube walls and two ECU-110controllers. All warning andimmediate responsefunctions are automated andsupervised at two command

and control posts, one oneach side of the tunnel. Thesystem processes andautomatically analyses datacoming from over 35,000control points, including 120video cameras. Thanks to theanalysis, any incident in thetunnel (such as an object onthe road, a tailback or astopped vehicle) is detectedwithin seconds.

BARCO KEEPS MONT BLANC TUNNEL UNDER SURVEILLANCE

“The invention of supernarrow bezel panels severalyears ago forever changedthe landscape ofvideowalls.” – Jennifer Davis,vice president of marketing,Planar Systems.

When NEC launched theMultiSync X461UN inFebruary 2009, its 7.3mmbezel-bezel gap – less than a quarter of that of thecompany’s previous 33.0mmMultiSync 20 Series – wasclaimed to have invented

the market for ultra-narrowbezel displays. Today,7.3mm seems positivelyintrusive: gaps of 5.3mm arecommonplace. AT CES inJanuary 2014, LG showedoff a 9 x 55in panelvideowall featuring whatthe company claimed was“the world’s smallest bezel”at 3.6mm. Two weeks later,that had been trumped – bya whole 0.1mm – by NECwith the announcement ofits X554UNS.

[THIN IS IN]



assembly; if your applicationdidn’t require a bezel-freelook (such as if you wererunning four different sourceson a 2 x 2 wall); or if youneeded more resolution. Asingle 84in Planar UltraReshas 3,840 x 2,160 pixels orfour times Full HD resolution.The larger 3 x 3 array of 46inClarity Matrix LCD videowallpanels has nine times Full HDresolution.”

Walter sees things similarly.“If cost is important, a 2 x 2arrangement could bepreferable to a single screen,”he says, “and would be even

more cost-effective for largersizes. And then, if you look ata 90in image size – whichcould be delivered using four46in screens – you also haveto consider the issue of pixelsize, because large singlescreens currently only offerFull HD resolution. A 2 x 2configuration offers Ultra HDresolution and might actuallylook better. And then there’sthe high degree ofinstallation flexibility thatvideowall displays provide.”

“Cost and applicationwould be the keydetermining factors in

deciding whether to use asingle screen or multiplesmaller displays,” believesJoe Graziano, marketdevelopment manager,MicroTiles, EMEA at Christie.“A single screen is good ifyou’re looking to displaylimited or specificinformation – but there arelimitations as to what can bedone on a single screen interms of size, shape andcontent arrangement.Multiple smaller screensprovide flexibility in contentdelivery and would be idealwhere multiple windowswere required to showdifferent information.”

MISSION-CRITICALAPPLICATIONSVan Dijk makes a compellingcase for choosing multipledisplays rather than singledisplays when it comes tohigh-uptime applications.

“If you were intending torun a simple single sourceand seamless display wasimportant to you, a singlescreen would probably makemore sense,” he says.“However these kinds ofapplications are rarelyencountered in the C3i[command, control,communications,intelligence] sector. Typicallywe are dealing with multiplesource displays where dataneeds to be presented indifferent configurationsdepending on the situation.

Tiled displays work muchbetter in this kind ofapplication – particularlywhere the displaysthemselves have the built-inintelligence to be able tomanage multiple windowswithout external processing.”

“One other factor might bethat if your single screenfails, your display is gone,” hecontinues. “That’s clearly nota comforting prospect in amission-critical application.With a multi-display system,you still have options suchas the emergency sourceswitching feature found inmany Mitsubishi displays.”

Certainly, the barriers towider-scale adoption ofmulti-screen displays arebeing removed. It’s not justabout narrower bezels,either. “Barco’s Sense6technology providesbrightness and colourstability over time across theentire display,” says VanWijmeersch. “That allowslarge multi-screeninstallations to, in effect,maintain themselves,creating a ‘set and forget’solution.”

NEC now offers what itdescribes as a fullyautomatic wall configuratorthat helps to set up a wallwithin seconds, and afeature it calls FrameCompthat reduces delays in fasthorizontal movement incontent.

“Products for videowall ortiled display applications aregetting thinner and lighter sothat they’re easier to install,”adds Graziano, “as well asbecoming more economicalin terms of power

consumption and brighterand more uniform.”

AND LET’S NOT FORGET…Of course, discussion ofmulti-screen displays shouldnot overlook the projectioncubes that are still favouredin the most demandingenvironments, such ascontrol centres. Here, LEDillumination is transformingbrightness and cost ofownership, with Mitsubishinow making available retrofitLED engines for its installedbase of mercury lampinstallations.

For non-traditionalapplications, eyevis offers itsomniSHAPES technology notonly in rectangular formats,but also five-sided and six-sided – as well as customgeometries. “Our eyeDesignsoftware allows simple andintuitive planning,configuration and servicing ofinstallations,” notes Hénique.“It is designed to help withthe placement – positioning,rotation and so on – ofomniSHAPES, and to do sowith millimetre accuracy. Italso allows simpleassignment of signal sourcesto videowall areas orindividual displays.”

Does any of the foregoinglead us to consensus onwhether or not videowallsand tiled displays – or evendisplay walls – are the samething? Probably not – but,equally probably, that’s notimportant. What’s importantis that users are looking todisplay more information inmore creative ways – andthere are limits to what canbe achieved with a singlescreen. Videowalls – or tileddisplays, or display walls – arerising to the challenge. Ifthere is a distinction betweenthe various terms used formulti-screen configurations,it’s a subtle one – but then,it’s the subtleties of apparentsynonyms that make them socompelling to students oflanguage. �

www.barco.comwww.christiedigital.com/emeawww.eyevis.comwww.leyard.comwww.vis.mitsubishielectric.co.ukwww.nec-display-solutions.comwww.planar.comwww.tvone.com

CASESTUDY

De Bijloke Music Centre is adynamic venue whereinternational artists from allover the world meet with thepublic.

Once a medieval infirmary,the building has beentransformed into a modernmusic centre comprising fourconcert halls, library, foyers,offices and hospitality

services. Located in the heartof Ghent, De Bijloke producesover 100 concerts, recitalsand performances, andstages or receives another80-plus shows andcollaborative works,attracting over 100,000visitors, classical musiclovers and aficionados eachyear.

As well as seven NEC VSeries 46in and 55in displaysthroughout the facility, thereis a videowall, constructedusing nine NEC X551UN 55inultra narrow bezel videowalldisplays in a 3 x 3configuration. This is locatedin the centre of the main hallto inform visitors of theseason’s concert programme.

NEC VIDEOWALL HELPS VISITORS GET WITH THE PROGRAMME


‘The market isgrowing almostexponentially’

Guy vanWijmeersch,

Barco

TV One's CORIOmaster processoris behind an unusual multi-screeninstallation at Edge Hill Universityin the north-west of England

ONLINE EXTRA:CASE STUDYStation Square: Burnaby, Canada: The salescentre for a new residential and commercialcommunity in the Metrotown area of Burnabyhas installed two large videowalls from Planar.

www.installation-international.com


6.9%Budget deficit, 2013(as share of GDP)Source: OECD

UnitedKingdom

FEATURE: REGIONAL VOICES

There’s a general mood of cautious optimism aboutthe UK economy – but has that carried across tothe installation sector? Our latest survey finds out

EXTERNAL FACTORS

HOW INFLUENTIAL (EITHER POSITIVELYOR NEGATIVELY) ARE THE FOLLOWING

FACTORS ON YOUR BUSINESS?

1.7%GDP growth, 2013


MOSTINFLUENTIAL

National economic situation

More affordable technology

Competitor activity

Legislation/regulations

Energy efficiency/green issues

LEASTINFLUENTIAL

Source: Office for National Statistics

Higher – 86%

Lower – 14%

Consolidation in the UKmarketplace means we willcontinue to see fewerintegration companies, but withmore employees

There are no significant skillgaps in the UK installation sector

In general, UK installers arecomfortable with the increasingamount of IT networking in AVinstallations

DO YOU AGREE WITH THESE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?

STATE OF THEMARKETDo you think general

levels of confidence in theUK installation sector arehigher or lower than six

months ago?

DESIRED CHANGES

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THINGABOUT THE WAY THE UK INSTALLATIONMARKET WORKS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

‘I would want to ensure that anyone distributing products isdedicated to do so and that anyone buying the kit to install isa custom installer rather than another trade looking to makemore money from a project that they are unable to complete

to a high custom installation standard’

‘Less corruption in the construction industry’

‘Having to deal with M&E idiots doing specifications ratherthan the correct specification for the client’

Strongly Agree Neither Disagree

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

ENTERING THE MARKET

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO AMANUFACTURER LOOKING TO ENTER THE

UK AV INSTALLATION MARKET?

‘Consider your route to market: broad distributors often can’tfocus on or support this market and this can cause bad feelingthroughout the supply chain. Don’t have too many installers or

online retailers – consider regional outlets, not one in everytown. If you want volume, allow online sales. Market your

product, don’t just rely on dealers’

‘Make sure that your product offering has a place in the UKmarket first, then make sure that you understand the

differences in the UK market to your own home market.Finally, understand what levels of support you will need to

build into your budget to enter the UK market’

‘AV should feel like IT, be built for remote maintenance, andmust be novel and/or very competitive’

…AND TO AN INTEGRATOR LOOKING TOENTER THE MARKET?

‘Ensure that you have spotted a gap in the current offering ofcurrent UK integrators’

‘Come and work for us!’

Agree Strongly Disagree

40 IE166 Snapshot Regional Voices_Final 04/04/2014 10:58 Page 1

Install FP 13/12/2013 10:49 Page 1

PROJECTION MAPPING guruRoss Ashton will present thekeynote address atInstallMarket on 4 September.Ashton will make a 30-minutepresentation of some of hiswork, and will discuss thetechnology and the businessissues that support these eye-catching projects.

Together with his companyThe Projection Studio,Ashton’s back catalogueincludes the Face Britainproject, celebrating theQueen’s Diamond Jubilee, forwhich he projected a videomontage of 32 portraits of HerMajesty, created from around

200,000 self-portraits ofchildren, onto BuckinghamPalace. He also mastermindeda London 2012 Olympicsprojection onto the Houses ofParliament.

“I’m very happy that wehave Ross Ashton to share hisinsights at InstallMarket,” saidPaddy Baker, editor ofInstallation. “He is arguablythe biggest name in projectionmapping, and will prove a bigdraw for the event. I can’t waitto see and hear his keynoteaddress!”

In addition to the keynote,panel discussions will also beheld covering a range of

verticals. The day will beginwith a debate focused on howto enhance the customerexperience in ‘Forces ThatDrive Retail Tech’. This isfollowed, after the keynote, by‘AV & Broadcast Convergence:A Marriage in IP’, which willexplore how IP technologiesare bringing togetherbroadcast integrators and AVintegrators.

The education market willbe under the spotlight afterlunch in a panel entitled ‘NotYour Father’s Classroom; NotYour Mother’s Campus’. Nextup, Charlie Henderson of PAConsulting will moderate a

panel asking ‘What MovesTransport Technology? Theday will end with a wide-ranging debate entitled‘Whose Network is ITanyway?’.

Away from the extensiveseminar programme,InstallMarket will alsowelcome exhibitors fromacross the worlds of audio,

video, connectivity andcontrol as well as providingthe opportunity for visitors toget hands-on with the latestkit during a series of break-outtraining sessions and demosfrom key manufacturers. �

To register for this free-to-attendevent visit www.install-market.com/registration.

EVENT: INSTALLMARKET

Ross Ashton to present keynoteThe projection artist, who has been responsible for many iconic 3D projection mapping projects inthe UK and elsewhere, will discuss his work, technology and business issues surrounding the sector

The InstallMarket conferenceprogramme continues to takeshape, with more high-profilepanel leaders joining the line-up.

The hospitality track, whichwill look at how venues suchas hotels, cruise ships andrestaurants can utilisetechnology to improve thecustomer experience, will beled by panel moderator JohnGrew. The managing director –principal hospitalitytechnology consultant atSpartan Comms has workedwithin the telecommunicationsindustry for over 25 years andhas specialised in providingsolutions to the hospitalitychannel for the last 18 years.

He started Spartan Commsin 1985 initially offering projectmanagement services for PBXinstallations. As his expertisewithin the hospitality channelincreased, he expanded hisservices to include cabledesign and in-room technologyapplications, audiovisual andsecurity systems. Recognisingthe need to move cable andnetwork design on to the nextlevel, he qualified as a BICSIRCDD (RegisteredCommunications DistributionDesigner) in 2008 and throughcontinuous professionaldevelopment retains thequalification.

Spartan Comms is working

on a range of projects withseveral prestigious five starhotel, resort and retail mixeduse projects in London,Moscow, Megève, Casablanca,Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh,Kuwait City, Bahrain, New York,Puerto Rico, Cartagena(Columbia) and São Paulo.

The final session of the day,‘Whose Network is IT, Anyway?’will be moderated by KeithHumphreys, managingconsultant at euroLANResearch. This session will bringtogether a panel of experts toexamine the future of AV/ITnetworking and discuss how AVand IT will share the network.

Humphreys has been activein distribution channels forlocal area networks since theirinception in Europe, after initialexperience gained in SouthAfrica. Other experience inmid-range computing andconnectivity issues comesfrom sales channelmanagement roles.

As a consultant witheuroLAN Research he hasworked with several majornetworking vendors instreamlining their Europeanchannels and analysing theirmarkets and competitors. Heholds a degree in engineeringfrom the University ofWestminster.

For sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities contact Ian Grahamon [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7354 6000


PLAN YOUR DAY4 SEPTEMBER

9.30 Registration, coffee

10:00 Forces That DriveRetail Tech

11:00 Keynote: RossAshton, The ProjectionStudio

12:00 AV & BroadcastConvergence: A Marriage in IP

14:00 Not Your Father’sClassroom; Not YourMother’s Campus

15:00 What HospitalityVenues Really Want

16:00 What MovesTransport Technology

17:00 Whose Network is IT,Anyway?

MORE PANEL LEADERS ANNOUNCED

John Grew Keith Humphreys

42 IE166 Install166 Market_v2JRPB 04/04/2014 11:05 Page 1

Install FP_Layout 1 21/01/2014 10:45 Page 1

WITH A fully sold out floorplanand an extensive ProfessionalDevelopment Programme,PLASA Focus: Leeds 2014 islooking to expand on the2,500 people who visited the2013 event. A host of familiarnames are set to return to theRoyal Armouries Museum,including Bose, Chauvet, ClayPaky, d&b audiotechnik,Martin Audio, Midas, Robe,Sennheiser and Yamaha. Newexhibitors include ActusIndustries, Citronic, CodaAudio, ELC, Line 6, SoundDirections, SourceDistribution, Universal Starsand Warehouse Sound.

The show will see manyproducts making their UKdebut, following theirinternational launches atProlight + Sound and ISE. Intotal 130 brands will exhibitacross two halls.

Highlights on the ETC standwill include the Source FourLED Series 2, a powerfulspotlight with an expansivecolour spectrum; and theSource Four Mini LED, an ultra-energy-efficient variation ofETC’s tiniest fixture. Also onshow will be Nomad, a donglethat allows the user’scomputer to work as alighting control desk – so thatpeople can program fromhome or while out and about.

Cadac is showing the CDCeight production console

running V2 software and SAMshow automation. V2 OSinnovations include moreadvanced automationfeatures, new FX processingand Waves plug-insintegration. Also showing arethe CDC MC Router and CDCMC MADI Bridge, integral tothe MegaCOMMS SystemNetwork; an ‘end-to-end’audio comms network withsuperior performance overgreater distance than currentnetwork protocols.

The CDC four compactdigital console appears in anew CDC four:m variant,featuring 6 x 4 output matrix,31-band EQ on all outputs andenhanced DSP processing,making it more suitable forsmall theatre, AV and eventapplications.

A UK debut will come fromRCF, which will focus on thecompact HDL10-A line arraymodule. With purpose-designed transducers, thesystem is powered from a1,400W (peak power) two-waydigital amplifier, while thesound is processed from apowerful DSP. Also new is theART 745-A active two-wayspeaker. Housing a new 15inactive speaker and a 4in voicecoil, the integral amplifierdelivers 1,400W and iscontrolled by a DSP that takescare of crossover,equalisation, phase

alignment, soft limiting andspeaker protections.

Nexo’s GEO M6 compactloudspeaker series will also bemaking its UK debut. For moredetails of this versatilearrayable family, see page 48.

Traction Sound will onceagain be running its demoroom at the Holiday Inn,adjacent to PLASA Focus’Main Hall 2 entrance. Thecompany will also beshowcasing its BP18 Atlassub alongside its newportable front of house stack.

IN DEVELOPMENTIn addition, visitors will be ableto take advantage of the freeProfessional DevelopmentProgramme running alongsidethe show.

More than 20 seminars anddemonstrations will bedelivered by industry experts,providing an opportunity tolearn new skills and havequestions answered.

Director of events ChrisToulmin comments: “This yearwill see the expansion of theProfessional DevelopmentProgramme in Leeds, providingvisitors with more sessions tochoose from than ever before,all delivered by respectedindustry figures.”

Kicking off at 11:30 onTuesday 29 April, WayneHowell, managing director atArtistic Licence, will examine

the crossover betweenDMX512 and DALI in ‘WhenDMX Gets Surreal – BringingDALI into the Picture’. He willcover issues including thediffering speeds, cabletopology and functionalities ofthe two protocols.

Isac Alkstrand of WirelessSolution will discuss how toget the best experience withwireless lighting controls in‘Wireless Lighting Control withDMX and RDM’. With moreproducts having RDM addedas a standard feature, this isan opportunity to find outabout the advantages of using

DMX for controlling fixturesand RDM for fast configurationand diagnosis.

On Wednesday 30 April, aday of audio talks and demoswill take place in the BuryTheatre. Sponsored bySoulsound, these sessions areaimed at sound engineers andwill provide expert advice onhow to progress in theindustry, as well asdemonstrations and questionand answer sessions withsome of the most influentialthinkers in pro audio.

Highlights include ‘WhatDoes Good Sound Sound Like?’in which a trio of audio expertswill examine what we perceiveas “good sound”. TonyAndrews and John Newshamof Funktion-One and live soundengineer Roger Lindsay willdemonstrate the influence ofindividual links in the audiochain. An interactivediscussion of individualperception will also take place.

In ‘An Insight into the Worldof RF – Is it a Dark Art?’ TuomoTolonen of Shure DistributionUK will unravel the mysteriesof RF, enabling engineers tobe confident in their dealingswith radio mics and IEMs –now an integral, yet oftenmisunderstood, part of thepro-audio skill base. �

www.plasafocus.com/leeds

SHOW PREVIEW: PLASA FOCUS: LEEDS

WHAT?PLASA Focus: Leeds

WHERE?Royal Armouries Museum,Leeds, UK

WHEN?29 April 10:00-17:0030 April 10:00-16:00


Maintaining focusTwo days of seminars and a two-hall exhibition – there’s certainly plenty tokeep visitors entertained as PLASA Focus returns to west Yorkshire

More than 20 education events will be held

Cadac is showing the CDC eight production console running V2 software and SAM show automation

Pict

ure:

Chr

is T

oulm

in

44 IE166 Show Preview PLASA_Final 04/04/2014 09:17 Page 1

TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTSOur selection of the latest productsfor the installation market, many ofwhich debuted at Prolight + SoundWhat’s new


IT’S… Two new poweramplifiers, the X8 and X4.

DETAILS: The X Series is saidto offer versatility, flexibilityand power withoutcompromising on size,efficiency and audio quality. Akey feature of X Series is thatit integrates a large amount offunctionality, generally onlyfound in separate outboardunits. This includes aninnovative system of channelrouting, a universal mono, bi

and three-phase balancingpower supply, and a fullyfeatured DSP.

The X8 is the largestamplifier in the range, boastingeight channels in a 2U chassis,while the X4 features fourchannels in a single rack unit.Both models share the samepower density, being capableof delivering up to 5,200W @ 2ohms per channel.

The modular construction ofboth units permits the rearinput/output connections to

feature either XLR/speakON orPhoenix connectors,depending on the requirementof the specific application.Signal management andprocessing architecture iscomposed of six separatesections: input sourceselection; input processing;matrix; pre-output processing;speaker routing; and outputprocessing.

AND ALSO: The X Seriesnatively supports AES3, two

redundant Dante digitalstreams and analogue inputs,providing up to four differentselectable input sources perchannel.

AVAILABLE: May

www.powersoft-audio.com

POWERSOFTX SERIES InstallationPRODUCTOF THE MONTH

IT’S… Barco’s firstcommercially available 6Plaser-illuminated projector.

DETAILS: Featuring thecompany’s Laser3D technology,the unit is said to be the mostcompact 60,000-lumenprojector available, and thefirst DCI-compliant laserprojector that is capable ofshowing 4K content at 60fpsand 3D movies in full 4Kresolution.

The projector is able to

minimise speckle – even onsilver screens – eliminating theneed for a mechanical screen-vibrating system to achieve thedesired image quality.Additionally, the laser projectorcomes with Barco’s brand-newgeneration of projectorelectronics and is enhancedwith Barco Alchemytechnology. It can replace adual-stacked setup of xenon-based digital cinema projectorsand still offer double 3Dbrightness in Color3D, while

reducing energy levels by 40%and eliminating the need toalign and maintain twoprojectors.

AND ALSO: Barco will beinstalling its first 4Kcommercial laser projectors inthe US and China during Q2 andthroughout the rest of theworld in Q4 2014.

AVAILABLE: Now

www.barco.com

BARCO6P

IT’S… The latest addition toSoundcraft’s Vi range ofdigital live consoles.

DETAILS: The Vi3000 featuresthe company’s SpiderCoretechnology – a powerfulintegrated DSP and I/O enginebased on Harman’s Studertechnology. It is also the firstfrom Soundcraft toincorporate a built-in 64 x 64Dante interface, opening upoptions for directrecording/playback viaEthernet connection to PC- or

Mac-based recordingsoftware. It also enables easyintegration into an existingDante network.

The console offers full on-board mic and line I/O, and isconfigurable up to 48 mic lineinputs and 16 line outputsusing combinations of 16channel XLR modules in fourrear-mounted slots. Inaddition, the console includestwo 64-channel expansionslots for the addition of MADI-based stageboxes. Theseslots can also provide access

to the extensive range ofD21m i/o option cards.

AND ALSO: The consoleincorporates the Vistonicsuser interface technologypreviously seen onSoundcraft’s Vi4 and Vi6consoles, albeit modernisedso that the 3D rotary controlsand buttons have enhancedtouchscreen graphics.

AVAILABLE: Now

www.soundcraft.com

SOUNDCRAFTVI3000

IT’S… Arescaledversion of theK1 large-formatline source,which will replaceV-DOSC.

DETAILS: The main systemcomponents are the K2 full-range element with Panflexhorizontal steering, operatingfrom 35Hz to 20kHz; the K1-SB low-frequency element,reinforcing LF contour downto 30Hz or LF throw down to35Hz; the SB28 low-frequency element,extending the operatingbandwidth down to 25Hz; andthe LA4X/LA8 amplifiedcontrollers or LA-RAK, touringrack fitted with three LA8.

The K2 line source featuresL-Acoustics’ WavefrontSculpture Technology. Inter-element angles can be

accurately set up to 10˚,allowing optimisation of thevertical coverage with SPLsmoothly spread across theaudience.

AND ALSO: Panflexhorizontal steeringtechnology combinesmechanically adjustable finswith DSP algorithms effectivefrom 300Hz. Four differentsettings are possible: twosymmetric (70° or 110°) andtwo asymmetric (90°, aseither 35°/55° or 55°/35°).

AVAILABLE: Now

www.l-acoustics.com

L-ACOUSTICSK2

46 47 48 IE166 Technology New Products_Final 04/04/2014 16:41 Page 1

TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS

IT’S… A pair of Class D poweramplifiers featuring Audac’sWaveDynamics audioprocessing technology.

DETAILS: Currently consistingof six models, the SMA andSMQ Series come in differentoutput configurations with twoor four channels and areavailable in output powers of350W, 500W and 750W.

The WaveDynamics DSPprocessor in combination withthe 2.5in LCD display on eachunit offers intuitive functionsoverview for easy configuration.

Acoustics can be optimisedusing the filters selectablebetween Low/High and BandPass and the seven-bandequaliser which both have

adjustable frequencies and Q-factor. Other functionsprovided are delay and dynamicbass boost. These settings canbe custom configured using thefront panel of the amplifier,whereby access can be given intwo different levels (User andAdministrator) using passwordor USB-key protection.Loudspeaker protection isprovided by an output powerlimiter whereby the maximumoutput wattage for everychannel can be configured.

AND ALSO: Input flexibilityand source compatibility isprovided by the input selectionmatrix in combination with theXLR and terminal block signalconnections. The outputs areperformed using speaker andterminal block connections.System integration issimplified using the RS-232control port.

AVAILABLE: Now

www.audac.eu

AUDACSMA, SMQ SERIES

IT’S… A new addition to theRobin LED series.

DETAILS: The LEDBeam 1000can be used as a beam or awash light. It is based on anarray of powerful 15W RGBWLED multichips with opticsdeveloped for a high output.Its moving head is fitted withfast-spin motors which usethe same software drivingtechnique as Robe’s Pointeand Robin 100 LEDBeam.

Flexibility is central to theunit, which features aproprietary optical system

enabling a zoom of 4-60º withfull beam control, giving anextremely tight and intensebeam for long throws or asmooth even wash.

AND ALSO: Also new fromRobe are the CycFX 4moving linear strip, thePARFect 100 LED PAR andActor 3, 6 and 12, staticversions of Robe’s LEDWashmoving heads.

AVAILABLE: Now

www.robe.cz

ROBELEDBEAM 1000

IT’S… A fully personalisednetwork mixing console.

DETAILS: Polaris evolutionconsists of three maincomponents: Polaris access,the control surface; the multi-user capable audio processor,Polaris scala; and thetouchscreen upgrade, Polarisview. Almost any number ofthese modules can becombined within an IP network,irrespective of physicallocation, and can also be usedin parallel simultaneously fordifferent mixing projects. Thisenables users to select theappropriate audio processingpower for each application withthe required number of faderstrips and controls.

A single Polaris access has16 faders and the samenumber of dual rotaryencoders, 48 buttons and adisplay screen strip across thewidth of the console. The

Polaris view touchscreenupgrade can be docked at anangle onto Polaris evolutionand provides a convenient userinterface.

Polaris access providesremote control of the Polarisscala audio processor in thenew mixer concept. Polarisscala is a 19in unit for 256audio inputs and 256 busses.Units can be cascaded toachieve larger numbers ofaudio channels when required.

AND ALSO: Polaris evolution isscalable and user friendly: ifanother Polaris module isplugged into the network, it isregistered automatically. Theuser decides which mixingprocess it will be used for andwhether to integrate it inparallel mode or as asupplementary device, allwithout any major changes tothe configuration.

AVAILABLE: End of 2014

www.stagetec.com

STAGETECPOLARIS EVOLUTION



TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS

IT’S… A new compactloudspeaker series.

DETAILS: The GEO M6 Seriescomprises the GEO M620arrayable cabinet and the GEOM6B bass extension.

The GEO M620 is a full-rangeunit for standalone, curvedarray or line array application.Compact in size (191 x 373 x

260mm) and lightweight (lessthan 10kg), the GEO M620uses a Nexo-designed long-excursion high-efficiency 6.5inLF driver and a 1in throat driveron a BEA/FEA optimised HRWavesource, to deliver afrequency response of 80Hz-19kHz ±3dB, with nominalpeak SPL of 127dB. HFdispersion is 80° or 120°horizontal, with 20° vertical

coverage, 0° to 20° splay whenarrayed.

The GEO M6B is a low andmid-frequency extension box,for applications that demandmore powerful reinforcement,such as live music. With one6.5in 8-ohm long-excursiondriver, the M6B weighs just7.6kg and shares the samephysical footprint as the M620,allowing the cabinets to be

arrayed together in the samecolumn.

AND ALSO: Made out of alightweight polyurethanecomposite, the GEO M6cabinets are available to orderin any RAL colour designation.

AVAILABLE: Now

www.nexo.fr

NEXOGEO M6

IT’S… A new lighting controlconsole designed to makeprogramming faster and moreaccurate.

DETAILS: Neo features up to100 universes of DMX perconsole, 10 motorisedsubmasters and five motorisedmulti-function faders.

Icons and Shutter controlsare represented graphically onthe display, saving time andpresenting meaningful data tothe operator. Floating windowsallow the operator to configuretheir views their way, making iteasier to find information.Effects are enhanced with‘Time Line’ features, allowing

drag and drop to createperfectly timed sequences.

The show is even secured ona mission critical-grade SQLserver, ensuring no data loss.Boot time is massively reducedwith high-speed solid-statedisk drives, making Neo robustfor everyday and touring use.

AND ALSO: Other featuresinclude dual motorised grandmasters, individually controlledbacklit keys and colour LCDscreens for encoderassignment.

AVAILABLE: May

www.strandlighting.com

STRAND LIGHTINGNEO

IT’S… A multipurpose two-wayloudspeaker system.

DETAILS: The DD12 combinesonboard networking, DSP andClass D amplification withstate-of-the-art transducersand Differential Dispersionhorn technology to achievehigh performance in terms offidelity, output capability andcoverage consistency acrossthe audience.

The system is designed tomeet a multitude of premiumstandalone and distributedsound reinforcementrequirements, includingconcert hall and house ofworship installations. As wellas acting as the main PA insmall to medium-sized rooms,

it can also be used as an infillloudspeaker in large-scalesystems.

Whether configured as anelement in a standalone DD12system or part of a largerMLA/MLA Compact system,individual DD12s can becontrolled and monitored froma laptop or wireless tablet PCvia VU-NET proprietarysoftware. PC connectioncan be made directly viaUSB, or via MartinAudio’s U-NET networkand Merlin loudspeakerand networkmanagement system.

AND ALSO: The DD12’sinternal memory allowsfactory ‘plug-and-play’ or

user-generated DSP preset‘snapshots’ to be recalled bymeans of a preset selectorbutton on the rear panel,instead of using computercontrol.

AVAILABLE: Now

www.martin-audio.com

MARTIN AUDIODD12

IT’S… A more compact versionof the Cobalt 20 lighting desk.

DETAILS: Cobalt 10 has high-resolution, 12in multi-touchdisplays that articulate, forease of adjustment in smallspaces. It also has a smallermaster playback area thanCobalt 20, with 10 motorisedfaders and 10 backlit, colourcoded endless pots. It has5,000 channels to controldimmers, LEDs, moving lights,media servers and more, on upto 32 universes of output,without the need for additionalprocessing hardware.

AND ALSO: Direct access toolssuch as Device Encoders and atouch-based Device Controls

dock enable hands-on controland fast programming.

AVAILABLE: Summer 2014

www.etc.com

ETCCOBALT 10

IT’S… A new range of digitalmixing consoles.

DETAILS: The QL seriescomprises two models, theQL1 and QL5. The QL1features 16 inputs and eightoutputs in a 468mm-widechassis, while the QL5 has 32ins/16 outs and measures828.4mm wide. The QL1 has32 mono and eight stereoinput channels; the QL5 has64 mono and eight stereo.

QL consoles are suitable forsmall to medium-sized

productions on their own;however, onboard Dantenetworking allows them to beintegrated into biggersystems with Yamaha’s R-series i/o units and CLseries consoles. Up to eight R-series units can besimultaneously controlled by aQL console, offering as manyas 256 input sources.

A brand new Port-to-Portfacility gives CL seriesconsoles access to theonboard connections of QLconsoles, allowing them to

be used as external i/o. Thisallows precisely scalable audiosolutions to be created.

AND ALSO: Yamaha is alsolaunching a QL version of theStageMix iPad remote controlapp and a fully fledgedonline/offline editor forWindows and Mac, QL Editor.

AVAILABLE: Now

www.yamahaproaudio.com

YAMAHAQL SERIES



Cabling and connectorsCabling is the lifeblood of any installation, but it can sometimes be overlookedas a minor consideration. But without the proper cabling system in place,including the necessary connectors, there could be a dramatic reduction inthe quality of the delivered signal. James McGrath reports


TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

The Aqua Marinex Watertightcable series from Sommer Cablewas designed in response toincreasing requests from theinstallation and professional PAsector for a cable for use in andaround water.

A polyurethane jacket, whichis resistant to both salt waterand microbes, enables thecable to be installed at depthsbetween 50m and 100m.Deployments at such depthsare made possible by a

protection sleeve, whichprevents moisture getting inthe cable and also issufficiently strong tocompensate for the pressure at low depths.

The cable also features a UV-resistant and sand-repellentjacket surface that makes thecable suitable for use outdoors– for instance on boats oroffshore sites.

In addition, the jacket ishalogen-free and flame-

retardant and is certified toprotection class IEC 332-1.

There are currently severalaudio, video and network cablesavailable within the series.These include: AES/EBUmicrophone cable; 2.5sqmm and4sqmm speaker cables; RG59video (75 ohms) and phonocable; HD-SDI video (75 ohms)and phono cable; 3 x 2.5sqmmelectrical cable; and Cat6network cable. Sommer Cablealso makes custom derivatives

at certain minimum orderquantities.

Applications for this high-quality cable series includewater oases, fountains andsediment technology, as well asship and boat building, andadventure and amusementparks. The range is also suitablefor winter and outdoor sportsgrounds, sea events, andunderwater film and videotechnology installations.www.sommercable.com

{ }Sommer saves cables from a watery grave

VDC’s offering for this featureisn’t a single cable or connectorproduct, but an easy way forinstallations to benefit from afibre cable termination service.

The company highlights theever-advancing convergence ofnetworked audio, video andbroadcast as a key factor in theneed for installation with higherbandwidth – something thatcopper-based solutions canprovide (in 10G networks) butonly up to certain lengths.

Fibre optic cabling can deliverthe necessary data speedsover longer distances. Fibre isalso immune to radio frequencyand electromagneticinterference, so proximity toelectrical cables is not an issue.

Cable routing can be simplifiedand chasing/plastering/redecorating kept to anabsolute minimum.

It was previously morecommon for installers to pull afibre cable during a project andthen leave it unterminated forfuture use. But now the trend ismoving more towardsinstallations specified with fullyterminated fibre cables.

Enter VDC’s fibre lab.The fibre lab is the only

facility of its type to be locatedin central London, and thecompany says its 26 years ofexperience in copper-basedsolutions gives it a specialinsight into the needs of the AVinstallation market.

There are several factorsthat make pre-terminatedcable assemblies moreattractive to installers. One isthe common issues that areencountered when terminatingonsite, such as the requirementfor an onsite contractor withspecialist skills and equipment.With offsite terminating theseare removed, meaning areduction in costs. Anotherfactor is that workingconditions on site are usuallydirtier and dustier than thosefound off site; using an offsitepre-terminated cable ensuresthat system attenuationcaused by contaminatedconnectivity is not an issue.www.vdctrading.com

{ }VDC e-lab-orates on fibre termination

The growing use of Ethernetin harsh, demandingenvironments led Neutrik todevelop its etherCON seriesof rugged RJ45 connectors.Such application areas arepossible thanks to a chassisthat features a universallyaccepted size D rugged metalhousing, which protects the connector againstmechanical loads. Also made

of metal is the cableconnector carrier, whosechuck type strain reliefmechanism holds the cablesecurely, while its lockingmechanism preventsaccidental unplugging. Boththe strain relief mechanismand a separate approved latchlock system are patentedNeutrik technologies thataren’t found on any other

RJ45 connector. The cable connector carrier

accepts the most commonRJ45 plugs. It is designed toprotect Ethernet connectionsin a variety of commercial-type applications and toprevent breakage of thefragile components ofstandard RJ45 connectors.

The RJ45 cable connectorcarrier can be mounted on

preassembled RJ45 plugs. Itcan also be used to upgrade aconventional RJ45 connectorto an extremely robustlockable solution.

Furthermore, coloured‘boots’ are available as anaccessory – these make itpossible to colourcode theEthernet connections in aprofessional manner.www.neutrik.com

Neutrik toughens up RJ45 connections{ }

50 52 IE166 Showcase Technology_Final 04/04/2014 14:25 Page 1


TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

Pre-made HDMI cables are available in manydifferent varieties for the vast needs of digitalhigh-resolutions video, multichannel audio anddata connections. But pre-made cables aren’tsuitable for every application, such as projectswhere a cable needs to be integrated within awall and cabling tubes are already provided. Inthis situation, when the connectors are too widefor the tube, it can be difficult or evenimpossible to pull the cable through therestricted space without damaging it .

For these instances and others, Procabdesigned the HDMI Contractor Series.According to the company, this is

the world’s first system thatallows integrators and installers to assembletheir own HDMI cable according to therequirements of the specific applicationwithout any soldering, heat-shrinking tubes orother complex operations.

Procab makes available two types of bulkcable: one has a thickness of 24AWG, theother 26AWG. These can be cut to thedesired length, and then a 19-pin HDMIconnector can be mounted. For on-sitetesting and assembly of the cable, acontractor toolbox is available which

contains everything the integrator needs toeasily create an appropriate HDMI cable: acrimping tool, a cable tester and 20 connectorsfor assembly.

According to Procab, assembly of theconnectors on the cable only takes a few

minutes. The integratorsimply needs to unwrap

the cable jacket, insert thecables in the right order into

the two cable holders, andmarry them to the HDMI

connector. A single squeeze ofthe crimping tool will then

ensure the cable is ready to beused. The cable tester can be used

to determine that the connectionshave been made properly.

www.procab.be

Field-terminatedHDMI from Procab Canford’s D’n’A series (digital

and analogue) FST and FST-LFH cables have beendesigned for audioapplications requiring bothdigital and analogue datastreams. The cable has animpedance of 100 ohms,which has been proven to besuitable for AES/EBU digitalaudio as well as analoguemicrophone and line levelsignals.

The cables are only 4mm indiameter, so more of themcan be fitted into a cable tray.

Canford makes thestandard version of the cable,the FST, available in Box-paksfor easy installation. The Box-pak system utilises a uniquemethod of winding the cableinto a ‘ball’ which is thenenclosed within a sturdycorrugated box with feed-out‘nozzle’ and carrying handles.The cable can be withdrawnfrom the box without effortas a one-man operation, andwill not snag or twist. The‘ball’ retains its shape withinthe box so it feeds out easily,right to the last metre. Thisformat of cable dispensinghas particular advantages forinstallers working on site.

The other version of the

cable is thelow firehazardvariety, theFST-LFH.

Canfordpoints out thatwiringspecifications formany publicbuildings now callfor LFH cables tobe used incertain areas,notably incorridors. Whenexposed to fire,the FST-LFHcables have asignificantlyreduced smokeemission, andthe gaseousproducts containno toxichalogens.

The D'n'A seriesusespolypropyleneinsulation, whichshrinks backminimally duringsoldering –considerably lessthan PVC orpolyethylene.www.canford.co.uk

Canford doubles up

Klotz describes its range ofSMPTE camera cables andLEMO connector solutions asthe ultimate standard forprofessional broadcastcameras that use fibre optics.The Sochi Olympics as well asthe Galatasaray footballstadium in Istanbul bothinstalled this particular Klotzcable solution.

The company is one of justa few certified LEMOassemblers – somethingwhich the company putsdown to 30 years of expertiseand proven knowledge of themarket.

Klotz is able to provide aone-stop shop bymanufacturing the cable to aninstaller’s exact specificationbecause it has its own SMPTE311M bulk cable (CAM311,which features apolyurethane [PUR] flame-retardant, non-corrosivejacket). This is beneficialbecause customers generally

can’t assemble cables of thistype on site, so they need tobe delivered to the project atthe required length along withall termination panels andaccessories to meet thebroadcaster’s ownregulations.

All SMPTE cables come witha measurement sheetcontaining 2D and 3Danalysis. The CAM311 cameracable complies with theSMPTE 311M

standard for HDTV cameras,with LEMO connectors inaccordance with SMPTE 304M.The SMPTE 311M connectingcable, for example, is a pre-made cable for directconnection of a camera to aCCU or wall box/panel in acamera system.

The hybrid cable transmitsthe camera signal, connectsthe camera to a power supplyand includes signalconductors for

remote control signals. Otherfeatures of the cable include:quality LEMO connectors witha protective elastomerconnector sleeve; HD CameraCable CAM311 (PUR outerjacket); two E9/125μm single-mode optical fibre conductors;

six copper conductors (fourpower, two remote control);central stranded steelstrength member for strainrelief; and a PUR jacket toequip the cable for mobileoutdoor applications.www.klotz-ais.com

Klotz broadcasts its LEMO certification{ }

{ }{ }

50 52 IE166 Showcase Technology_Final 04/04/2014 14:26 Page 2

SOLUTIONS: DIGITAL HUMANITIES HUB, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

All screens are tightly networked, enabling avisitor to move the content they are looking atfrom wall to tabletop to handheld device

Digging deep

CREATING NEW andinnovative ways of presentingcontent is key to operationsat the University ofBirmingham’s DigitalHumanities Hub. The researchfacility is dedicated todeveloping digitaltechnologies that enrichlearning experiences in thespheres of heritage andculture.

At the heart of the facilityis the Chowen and GarfieldWeston Foundation DigitalPrototyping Hall. The hall hasbeen transformed into anelaborate fusion ofinteractive research andexhibition space thanks tothe use of digital technology– a result made possible byan intricate collaborationbetween the university and

AV visualisation specialistMechdyne Corporation.

INTERACTIVE EXCAVATION The large-scale state-of-the-art 3D visualisation lab workson two levels. The first isessentially as a museumexhibition space, deliveringcontent and engagingeducational experiences tovisitors.

The Hub’s staff arecontinually assembling andadding to the facility’scollectable materials andarchives, using ultra-highresolution scanning tosample and catalogue itemsin 2D and 3D formats. Theseinclude items ranging fromancient artifacts and fossilsto medieval maps, historicalpostcards and documents –

most of which are far toofragile to be moved ordisplayed in a traditionalgallery setting.

To present the vastquantities of subject matterto visitors, Mechdyneinstalled multipletouchscreens to create acomprehensive interactiveexperience. The exhibitionspace includes a mix of multi-touch displays, including fourPanasonic 65in plasmadisplays, used as bothtouchtables and wallmounted, a single SamsungSUR40 touchtable runningthe Microsoft Surfaceoperating system, and anIdeum MT55 touchtable (ProTable International edition).Numerous 3D-enabled SonyBravia 65in LCDs were also

fitted to ensure objects couldbe fully manipulated andevery detail explored.

To immerse visitors fully inthe space, Mechdyneinstalled a 3m x 2m 4K 3Dmulti-touch wall constructedfrom Barco OLS 70in HDdisplay cubes.

On entering the space,visitors are provided with avariety of tablets andhandheld devices to take tothe exhibition. “A visitor tothe museum can walk up to acollection of assets displayedon a screen, touch a virtualfolder to open it, and spreadits assets out on a virtualdesktop,” explains Dr RichardClay, senior lecturer at theuniversity and co-director ofthe Hub. “They can usefamiliar touchscreen gestures

[ABOUT THEINSTALLER]

� Founded in 1996, Mechdyne is a leading provider of visual information technologies,with offices located around the world. It provides customised solutions that include consulting, software, technical services and hardware integration

� Its array of services is designed to transform complex data into insights and ideas

� Customers of the company include government laboratories, energy companies, universities, manufacturing and design firms

� Mechdyne’s founders developed the first commercial CAVE to be driven with off-the-shelf PCs, the first rear-projected curved screen immersive visualisation system, and the first reconfigurable immersive room, the FLEX

Installation

OF THE MONTH

UNITED KINGDOM

An evolving exhibition uses digital technology both to enhance the visitorexperience and to help organisers build up a profile of who their visitors are and what’s grabbing their attention, reports James McGrath


55 56 IE166 Solutions 1_Final 04/04/2014 16:34 Page 1

SOLUTIONS: DIGITAL HUMANITIES HUB, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM


to select a particular asset,rotate and manipulate it, andzoom in on it toextraordinarily fine detail.”

All screens – large andsmall, stationary and mobile –are tightly networked,enabling a visitor to move thecontent they are looking atfrom wall to tabletop tohandheld device. “They candrag an item to their device,and share it using handgestures to ‘flick’ it to thedevice of the person next tothem,” says Clay.

The Hub’s virtualtechnology enables visitorsto manipulate and examineobjects in far more intricatedetail than a static glassdisplay case could everprovide.

DIGGING DEEPERBut beyond the visitorexperience, Mechdyne hastaken the technology toanother level – far beyond astandard interactive museumexhibit. One thing that wasclear from the integrator’sconversations with theuniversity was the latter’sdesire to gain insight intowhat people were looking atand what they liked, to createbetter and more interestingmuseums.

“Ideally, we want to getpeople to approach theprocess without focusing ontechnology at all,” commentsJulien Berta, Mechdyne’s VPof technology and innovation.“That’s not easy to do,particularly with people whoare all, themselves, very techsavvy. But we try to get themto focus on the largerquestion: what are theytrying to achieve, and howwill they measure success?”

A range of technologiesdelivers the valuableanalytics and research datathat are essential to theoperations and work of thefacility.

Gathering that data begins

when visitors enter thespace, where they agree tobe outfitted with specialheadwear designed tointricately track eachindividual’s head movementsand gaze. As they movearound the gallery,information is compiled onwhich exhibits they select,how they display them, andwhich items they focus on.The result is a wealth of datathat can be analysed to gaindeep insight andunderstanding into userpatterns and preferences.

“What we have created isessentially a 3D model of theroom,” explains Clay. “Ourresearchers can see peoplemoving around in real time[via 22 Bonita cameras] andget information on what theylook at and what they do. Atany point during the day, wecan query and get a view ofthe whole room, withthumbnails of what’s playingwhere. We can compile thatinformation, analyse it, andextract certain data from it.”

It’s that information whichoffers a unique insight intopeople’s choices and viewinghabits, as well as aninvaluable perspective formuseum curators and otherswho put together exhibitions.“We can measure responsesof a given population todifferent materials, and fine-tune things accordingly,” saysClay. “It helps contentproviders put together betterexhibits, which ultimatelybenefits visitors.”

Berta compares thesolution to a website, asmuch of the experience is anonline experience. “We candelineate by age ordemographic, and tell youhow many times someonehas looked at a particularpiece of art that day, thatweek, that month, how longthey lingered, where theycame from before that andwhere they went next,” he

says. “We’re using theanalytical power of the weband applying it to a physicalspace, with digital content.”

NATURAL EVOLUTION The Hub’s technology hasalready exceeded theuniversity’s initialexpectations. PhD studentsare using the system with anarray of fossils and sabretooth tiger skulls; onestudent is running anexperiment in whichsomeone walks up to thetiger skull, touches thedisplay with theirsmartphone and the skullappears on their phone. Theycan then rotate the image,go over to the wall-mountedscreen and, thanks togesture programming, flickthe image from their phoneonto the large screen tozoom in on it; or they cansend it to the tables wherethey can then look at maps

to see the tigers’geographical habitats. Thiswasn’t in the system’s initialplans, but it gives an idea ofits expansion potential.

A social media aspect tothe technology has alsogrown from the exhibition.Visitors can check in at themuseum on theirsmartphone, walk up to adisplay and use their deviceto discover more aboutparticular artifacts on display.They can then click ‘like’ andthe item will then appear ontheir social network page,along with a picture of whatthey were looking at.

In addition, the university isalready offering ideas as tohow the system can beimplemented to facilitatecommerce. “There’s amplepotential for integrating thisexperience with themuseum’s store, as well,”says Berta. “You could havean option to click ‘buy’ and be

presented with items fromthe store that feature thatarticle – prints, postcards,coffee mugs, whatever –choose what you want, andplace it in your shopping cart.When you get to the exitarea, your device will ask ifyou want to complete yourtransaction, and when youleave the museum yourpurchase is waiting for you.” �

www.barco.comwww.denon.co.ukwww.digikey.co.ukwww.extron.comwww.gefen.comwww.ideum.comwww.jblpro.comwww.mechdyne.combusiness.panasonic.co.ukwww.samsung.compro.sony.euwww.tannoy.comwww.tb-speaker.comwww.vicon.comwww.volfoni.comwww.yamahaproaudio.com

[INSTALLED]

VIDEO� Barco OLS-721 70in Full HD

LED display cubes� Samsung SUR40

touchtable� Ideum MT55 touchtable� Sony Bravia XBR-65HX950

65in 3D LCDs� Panasonic TH-65PF30ER

65in 1080p plasmas� Vicon Bonita B3 and B10

cameras� Volfoni Edge 1.3 RF 3D

glasses� Volfoni Activehub 3D sync

signal converters� Sony DLDR816

rechargeable 3D glasses

� Extron DTP DVI 301 TX/RX extender transmitters/receivers

� Extron DA4 RGBHV distribution amplifier

� Digi-Key Wavestation 2012-ND function generator

AUDIO� Gefen EXT-DIGAUD-141

digital audio extenders� Yamaha YAS-101 5.1

soundbar� Denon AVR-1713 5.1

channel receiver� Tannoy TS2.10 10in sub� JBL Control 23 two-way

mid/high speakers� Tang Band W3-1053SC 3in

drivers� Extron XPA 1002 amplifiers

Special headwear is designed to intricately trackeach individual’s head movements and gaze

Objects can be manipulated andexamined in close detail

55 56 IE166 Solutions 1_Final 04/04/2014 16:34 Page 2

IT DOESN’T often happen onan installation visit that weget a complete technical run-down and also manage to seethe facility in use. Our visit toBooom!, Ibiza’s newest club, isa happy exception: we enjoy afull walk-through tour withAlex Barrand of Pioneer, andlater we return to see thevenue in full swing – or, atleast, as full as the swing getsin out-of-season March.

On the back of its majorpresence in the world of DJequipment, Pioneer movedinto the club loudspeakermarket last year with thelaunch of the GS-WAVE stackand the XY series, developedin association with GaryStewart Audio. Something of alegend in the field of nightclubspeaker design andmanufacture, Gary Stewartsadly died midway through thePioneer project, but his widowwas keen to see the workcontinue as a legacy to him.And after Barranddemonstrated the newspeakers to Giuseppe Cipriani,who was looking to open aclub on the island for thesummer 2013 season, he soonhad an order for their firstmajor installation.

An experienced soundengineer, Barrand’s credentialsinclude helping to design theMartin Audio installation atLondon’s Ministry of Sound. Hisrole at Pioneer – professionalaudio manager – encompassessales, product development,

system design, tuning andeven programming. He puttogether a graphical interfacefor the Soundweb London BLUunits that control the systemat Booom. This resides on hislaptop; as we walk around, heuses it to bring up the levels ineach area of the club in turn.There’s chest-pumping bass,and good definition in the midand high ranges.

CORNER STACKSThe heart of the installation isthe four GS-WAVE speakerstacks positioned at thecorners of the dancefloor.Three metres high, each stackcomprises a WAV-SUB multi-

fold hyperbolic horn subwooferwith two 18in rear-loadeddrivers, with a large hornextension; two high-powerWAV-LOW speakers for the lowto mid range; and on top, theWAV-LENS, loaded with twocoaxial compression driversand fitted with a PioneerAcoustic Lens (a set ofdownward-angled slats) for110º horizontal dispersion.Additional top-end coverage isprovided by WAV-TWPODomnidirectional tweeter arrayssuspended from the ceiling.

Developed alongside theGS-WAVE is the XY series,which consists of an 8in and a12in full-range enclosure, andan 18in and a dual-15in sub.These have been deployed inthe various zones throughoutthe club, such as VIP areas,paid seating and the spacebehind the DJ’s decks, which isgenerally reserved for the DJ’sfriends. Barrand has designedthe system to produce evencoverage in each of theseareas, without any sonic ‘hotspots’. By time-aligning thesystem, he has also ensuredthat there is sonic cohesion asyou move through the club.

PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPBoth speaker ranges weredeveloped in conjunction withPowersoft. While Pioneer hasits own range of consumeramplifiers, for the professionalrange it wanted to work withone of the big names inamplification. Powersoft

proved to be an excellent fit:partnering with Pioneer suitedthe Italian company’s wish tomove more into theinstallation market, saysBarrand, and the ampifiermaker gave quick, detailedfeedback following theirmeetings. Barrand observes:“I’ve used Powersoft before,prior to working for Pioneer,and I’ve always been verypleased with the results –power handling, the smallphysical size, and thesoftware – it’s great to havethat inbuilt DSP.”

He continues: “When wewere designing the speakers,we wanted to build them fromthe ground up with anamplifier that we canrecommend. You can use anyamplifier, but it’s better tomatch the performance of theamplifier to the speaker. Itenables you to haveconsistency in your design.”

While Barrand wanted VIPvisitors to be able to adjustthe levels in their areas, hefelt that a volume controlbutton would not be robustenough. Instead, they pass arequest to club staff, who usehis control interface to makethe adjustment. The interfacecan also be used for to adjustthe EQ – usually to make thedancefloor less ‘boomy’ at thestart of the night when fewerpeople are there.

The installation was carriedout by local company TheShop Ibiza, run by Simeon

Friend. “They really enjoyedworking directly with Pioneer –this was a whole new businessfor them,” says Barrand.“Simeon’s gained a lot ofexposure from the project –and we’re planning anotherinstallation with them.”

Our tour of the club finished,we head off for a late dinner(the main Ibiza clubs don’topen till midnight) and thenback to the club, where we getthe chance to hear the systemin full flow. The sound is just asimpressive as during our demo,and we make use of the laptopto turn up the levels in our VIParea. Fortunately we resist thetemptation to do the same forother parts of the club.

Some time later, we look inat Pacha on the way back toour hotel – but to our ears, thesystem doesn’t sound as goodas the one we’ve just left. �

www.bssaudio.comwww.gsany.comwww.pioneerproaudio.comwww.powersoftaudio.comwww.theshopibiza.com

SOLUTIONS: BOOOM!, IBIZA


If you’re a manufacturer moving into club audio, you couldn’t wish for a bettershowcase than Ibiza’s newest nightspot. Paddy Baker gives it large

[ABOUT THEINSTALLER]

� The Shop Ibiza has 13 years’ experience in party planning, event design, production and management

� It is based in Ibiza and Barcelona, and has clients that span Europe

� It is the only company authorised to sell and support Pioneer speakers in Ibiza

SPAIN

[INSTALLED]

AUDIO� Pioneer GS-WAVE

speaker stacks� Pioneer XY-122 12in

monitor speakers� Pioneer XY-215S 15in

quasi-bandpass subwoofers

� Pioneer XY-81 8in ultracompact speakers

� Pioneer XY-118S 18in bass reflex speakers

� Pioneer WAV-TWPOD omnidirectional tweeterarrays

� Powersoft K-2, K-3 and K-6 amplifiers

� BSS Soundweb London BLU-160 and BLU-100 signal processors

Alex Barrand at the DJ booth, which features four 12in monitors and two 15inquasi bandpass subwoofers from Pioneer’s XY range

A GS-WAVE stack stands 3m high ateach corner of the dancefloor. Theseare complemented by speakers fromthe XY series

Business is boooming

58 IE166 Solutions 2_Final 04/04/2014 11:11 Page 1

WHO SHOULD ATTENDDirectors of Technology, Heads of Production at independent production companies, Directors of equipment rental or hire, Heads of Outside Broadcasts, Production Managers, Senior Directors, Heads of Cameras, Chief Engineers, Programme Operations Managers, Stereographers, Producers, Directors of Broadcasting, Studio Directors, Technical Consultants, Research Engineers

WHY ATTEND?Discover the media eco-chain for ultra-HD Hear from the world standardisation leaders Case studies from high-profile production trials Find out the future for 3D TV in Europe Tech insights into frame rates, codecs, formats Meet the key market influencers and vendors Network with technology & production colleagues Know what the Beyond HD roadmap looks like

PREVIOUS ATTENDEES INCLUDEOrange, ITV, Sony Pictures, Arqiva, 20th Century Fox, Telenor, Panavision Europe, BBC, S4C, Discovery Networks Europe, Sky, Pro TV, Siemens, MTV International, Dolby, EDU, Digital TV Group, Deluxe, Cambridge Research Systems Ltd, BKSTS, Bath University, Atlantic Productions, Finnish Broadcasting Co.,Fountain Studios, France Telecom/Orange Labs

To book your tickets visit: www.beyondhdmasters.comor call Debbie Opeyokun +44 (0) 20 7354 6001

For details on sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Date: Tuesday, June 3rd 2014 Venue: BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London

A TVBEurope event

Follow us on Twitter @BeyondHDMasters

Gold Sponsors

John IveDirector of business

development and technology for the

IABM

Stephan HeimbecherHead of innovations

and standards at Sky Deutschland

David WoodChairman of the World Broadcasting Unions Technical Committ ee,

Consultant, Technology and

Innovation at European Broadcasting Union

Simon Gauntlett Technology Director

of the DTG

Richard MillsChief Technical Officer

at ONSIGHT

Andy QuestedHead of Technology for

HD and UHD, BBC

Formidable line-up of speakers will include:

Ben Ewles on +44 (0)207 354 6000 or

[email protected]

Steve Connolly on +44 (0)207 354 6000 or

[email protected]

Richard Carr on +44 (0)207 354 6000 or

[email protected]

PROGRAMME & FIRST SPEAKERS ANNOUNCEDFor details visit www.beyondhdmasters.com

SAVE £100!by booking the

incredible early bird rate

£149plus VAT

Offer ends 30th April

Beyond HD Masters 2014 House Ad_Fpv4.indd 1 07/04/2014 12:07

FOLLOWING A wholesalereworking of one of Belfast’smost prominent out-of-usechurches, high-end eaterySaphyre has now opened tothe public.

Attached to the restaurantis the studio of Irish interiordesigner Kris Turnbull, whoinstalled an ELAN g! systemto automate music and TVs inhis design facility last year.When he was approached todesign the restaurant theimportance of streamliningprocesses, so the venue runslike clockwork, wasparamount. This being thecase, he installed the g!system to make the lightingand music stress-free andeasy to control.

“I’m blown away by thepopularity of Saphyre justthree months after opening,”Turnbull says. “We’ve hadgreat reviews so far, andwe’re booked three weeks inadvance so it’s been a hugesuccess. One thing that madethe launch a bit easier washaving the lights and musicrun through ELAN g! so wecan adjust all the lights andspeaker volumes from aniPhone as we walk around therestaurant. It saves us timewhen setting up or closingthe restaurant because wecan turn every function on oroff with a single button, andset all the lighting andvolume levels from an iPhone

while walking through therestaurant. What the g!system really does is allow usto focus on our guests andtheir experience, andimmediately respond ifanyone wants more light orquieter music at their table.”

Working with MatthewBooth of Indigo Distribution,Turnbull helped design thelighting and audio systems tomaximise the upscaleambience of the restaurant.The Belfast Telegraphdescribed the dining room atSaphyre as ”part Faberge eggand part Fifth Avenueapartment as might havebeen occupied by JackieOnassis”. In addition to theaudio and lighting, everythingfrom the flooring to thetables to the server uniformswas carefully considered tocreate a stark contrast to

Belfast’s flourishing hyper-casual dining scene.

ATTENTION GRABBINGAccording to Booth, anyrestaurant, from a sports barto fine dining establishment,can benefit from automatedsystem control. “Whether it’sthe ability to dim all the lightsat once, manage 15 TVs with15 different channels, orsimply lower the music a bit,having full control ofeverything on yoursmartphone is a huge timesaver and is impressive toguests as well. People lovegetting special attention, sowhen a manager walks overand makes adjustments rightin front of their eyes it bringscustomer service to a wholenew level.”

Using 24 of Niles’ nearlyinvisible in-ceiling speakers,

Booth was able to providepremium audio whilemaintaining the design of therestaurant. In fact, onesection with a step ceilinghad such little space thatBooth had to get creative: hetook one of Niles’ newCynema Soundfieldsoundbars, removed thethree small individualspeakers, and put all three inthe ceiling – an inventive usethat even Niles hadn’tconsidered. Using an ELANS1616A multi-zoneamplifier/controller, thespeakers can be individuallyadjusted so that music in thebar area can be louder whilethe dining area is quieter.

According to Booth: “Thespeakers are so well placedand calibrated that we canrun the system at a very loudvolume, and people can still

carry on conversations. Thismeans the guests can besurrounded by sound, but notfeel drowned by it. Thiscontinues into the bathrooms,the attached boutique thatsells high-end housewares,and even outside the buildingwith Niles OS6.5 outdoorspeakers.”

The KNX lighting systemhelped eliminate wall clutter,as there is no need for lightswitches in each area orroom. The lighting controls,which handle 14 lightingloads, are consolidated in anequipment room and can bequickly controlled throughthe ELAN g! Mobile app.

“Technologies for homesand businesses are advancingat an incredible pace, and Ifeel it’s absolutely necessaryto keep up with newdevelopments as an interiordesigner,” Turnbull concludes.“What ELAN has done is makethe technology seamless, soyou don’t even notice it’sthere. The in-walltouchscreens are minimal andeasy to use, and using the g!system allows homeownersand business owners tosimplify all their systems. Ifsomeone doesn’t want lightswitches, thermostats, cableboxes and other technologycomponents cluttering uptheir rooms, a control systemallows them to puteverything in a centrallocation and control it froman iPhone or tablet. I thinkdesigners who resist learningabout these systems willhave trouble in the comingyears as more and moreclients request high-valueadded technologies whendesigning their homes orbusinesses.” �

www.elanhomesystems.comwww.indigodistribution.iewww.nilesaudio.com

SOLUTIONS: SAPHYRE, BELFAST

A new high-end restaurant’s decision to invest in lighting and audio control isleaving more time to focus on customer service, writes Tom Bradbury

A shining exampleUNITED KINGDOM

[INSTALLED]

AUDIOAll Niles Audio� DS7MP in-ceiling

speakers� Cynema Soundfield

soundbar� OS6.5 outdoor speakers

CONTROL� ELAN S1616A multi-

zone amplifier/controller


Every function in the restaurant can beturned on or off with a single button

A KNX lighting system means there isno need for switches in each area

60 IE166 Solutions 3_Final 04/04/2014 09:19 Page 1

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available now.

For more details, please contact Ian Graham

For tickets & table reservation:contact Sara Mather –

[email protected] +44 (0)20 7354 6001

For sponsorship opportunities:contact Ian Graham –

[email protected] +44 (0)20 7354 6000

W e y

www.installawards.com

Buy your EARLY BIRDtickets NOW! Offer ends 17th April

www.installawards.comEach ticket includes pre-dinner drinks reception, entry to the awards, a three-course meal, entry to after-party and more.

InstallAwards Fp v8.indd 1 04/04/2014 12:38

Intent Mediais a member

of the PeriodicalPublishersAssociation

Editor: Paddy Baker [email protected] Managing editor: Joanne [email protected] Deputy editor: James [email protected] Head of design & production: Adam [email protected]: Tom [email protected]

Sales manager: Ian [email protected] executive: Kylee [email protected] sales – Executive VP: Adam [email protected] manager: Evan [email protected] Digital content manager: Tim [email protected]

Publisher: Steve ConnollyManaging director: Mark BurtonContributors: David Davies, Ian McMurray, Steve MontgomerySpecial thanks: Stephanie Dell, Daniel Keller, Tania Lee, Bob Snyder

Subscriptions to Installation are free to qualified readers. Register online at www.installation-international.com/subscribe


BACK PAGE

Adder Technology.................... 7

Analog Way..............................19

ASL................................................3

Ateis...........................................57

Atlas Sound.............................39

Audio-Technica....................... 14

Barco..........................................15

BenQ....................................32-33

BeyondHD.................................59

Blackmagic Design...................9

Chief...........................................54

d&b audiotechnik...................17

Datapath...................................21

Dexon........................................... 7

Gefen......................................... 27

InOut............................................. 6

InstallAwards...........................45

InstallMarket............................29

InterBee.................................... 53

Kramer.......................................25

Lectrosonics............................ 31

Leyard........................................37

Lightware.... Inside front cover

Martin Audio............................ 49

Meyer Sound.................................

....................Outside back cover

Neutrik.......................................24

Peavey.......................................51

Pioneer...................................... 13

Rane...........................................45

Ricoh..........................................35

Riedel........................Front cover

Shure...................................22-23

Sommer Cable.........................47

StudioKing................................41

Taiden........... Inside back cover

Vaddio........................................43

Installation is published 12 times a year by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LR, EnglandEditorial Tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales Tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Production Tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6001

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© Intent Media 2014. No part of this publication may bereproduced in any form or by any means without priorpermission of the copyright owners.

Printed by Pensord Press, WalesISSN: 2050-6104 (print),

2052-2401 (online)

WE USUALLY go to presstowards the end of eachmonth, but this issue is a littlelater, for some obscure reason.It does mean, though, that thisyear we are able to bring youan April Fools report. Alongsidethe more mainstream fakestories that hit the media –such as square eggs, Scottishpound coins bearing the

likeness of Alex Salmond, and the Queen allowing fracking in the groundsof Buckingham Palace – there were a couple of more specific interest tothis industry that came to us.

The first was one from Australian publication CX, which claimed that,following on from the RF spectrum sell-off, the visible light spectrum wassimilarly going to be broken up and auctioned. It’s just another form ofelectromagnetic wave, after all.

Then there was a press release from the online discussion forum SoundForums Network, saying it had been bought for $1.1 billion by MusicGroup, the owner of brands such as Behringer, Midas and Turbosound. Theco-founded of the site was ‘quoted’ as saying that as discussion of thecompany occupied all its forum traffic, being acquired by it was a logicalstep. As well as the usual corporate buzzwords, including “leverage thebrand’s synergy on the global marketplace of the internet” and “increasevelocity for all product lines”, there was a nice made-up quote from MusicGroup CEO Uli Behringer too: “Recently I have seen other online brandswith no physical product, like Oculus and WhatsApp, sell for enormoussums. I wanted to make sure we could be part of that kind of wantondisregard for actual market value as well.”

Those that were still taken in had their illusions finally shattered by thename of the press contact at the end of the release – U.R. Gullible.

WE COULDN’T help noticing therather eye-catching Alex Audiostand at Prolight + Sound.These giant speakers didactually function, but they’renot quite as they seem. If theywere the scaled-up versions ofconventional speakers thatthey appear to be, they wouldgenerate extremely low-frequency sound. In fact thereare numerous much smallerdrivers around thecircumference of the cone. Fullmarks for ingenuity, though.

IF IT WASN’T enough for him to befeaturing in the Twitter column trying onvirtual clothes, here’s deputy editorJames striking another sartorial note. Onthis occasion he’s modelling Robe-branded gear, inspired by the lightingmanufacturer’s sponsorship of the 2014Moto GP season – and the appearance of

Three fashionable looks from the Twitterati

ADVERTISERS

INDEX

A sister title to SCN

Bits and pieces from the editorial cutting-room floorRants and ramblings

Czech rider Karel Abraham and his bike on theRobe stand at Prolight + Sound.

If you have any branded clothing you would liketo send us for possible future inclusion on thispage, our address is below. We can’t guaranteethat we’ll be able to feature it, but please don’t letthat stop you trying. The same applies to cakes,chocolates, alcoholic beverages...

62 Install166 Back Page_Final 07/04/2014 13:04 Page 1

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