The Quartier des Spectacles is a roughly 1 square kilometer area downtown of Montreal. This area of the city had historically been filled with theatres and cabarets, but in the last 40 years, it had fallen into blight and become an unfavorable, and sometimes dangerous, area of the city. The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership was formed in 2003 to revitalize this once vibrant cultural heart of Montreal. Now, it is the home of not only theatres and cabarets, but restaurants, shopping centers, and many outdoor music and art festivals every year.

Eight main sites and many more to come have transformed buildings into canvases for architectural projection artwork. One of the rules of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is that the artistic projects should only be used for public art, not for commercialism, so advertising and logos are not allowed as part of the building projections. Many businesses have joined in the fun and added architectural lighting elements of their own to really make the neighborhood lively.

The projection installations are not all simply playback of rendered content. In some cases, interactive elements allow the public to interact with the projections, using game technology and sensors of various types to make the projections truly unique.

Each architectural projection installation has custom made projector housings sitting on rooftops of adjacent buildings that contain not only the high powered projectors but also the media servers, networking gear, show controllers, IP cameras, temperature and humidity sensors, and climate control (for heating, air conditioning, dehumidifying, etc.) The projections run every night year round, so the equipment inside the projector housings must be in a climate-controlled environment for optimum performance. The local show controller (Medialon Showmaster ST) controls and supervises the equipment, schedules playback of shows, controls the temperature and humidity inside the projector housing, manages remote reboot of unresponsive devices, and sends e-mail alarms of any malfunctions , failures, or unusual humidity or temperature readings.

The larger buildings require multiple projector housings all linked together. These linked housings are managed by a single Showmaster ST, but each housing contains a local media server connected to the projectors in that housing.

The technical production team of Quartier des Spectacles has devised a standard set of equipment used in all of the projection installations. This allows for easier stocking of spare parts, easier maintenance, and faster installation of new sites or changes to shows at the permanent sites. Some of the installations are temporary and the equipment is only installed on a temporary basis, allowing flexibility to add new sites for special events.

The Showmasters at each site are connected to the main Quartier des Spectacles headquarters at the Place des Festivals by dedicated fiber optics, microwave radio transmission, or through a virtual private network on the Internet. The main system can control and monitor all the remote sites and even pull up camera views from each site’s IP cameras. The system can even be controlled and monitored remotely from system administrators’ iPhones.

The main installation at the heart of Quartier des Spectacles is the Place des Festivals. This square is where the many festivals take place in the Quartier. There are fountains and lights embedded into the sidewalk. In the summer, fountain and lighting shows accompany the adjacent building projections. The street lights can even be turned off by the show control system during the shows. Since all the systems are tied to the main control system, all sites can be coordinated and synchronized together.

Quartier des Spectacles is the world’s largest coordinated architectural projection installation, made possible by Show Control technology from Medialon.

Credits:
> Ivan Klein – Technical Director for Quartier des Spectacles
> Louis-Pierre Morin – Programmer – Proxee Solutions Inc.
> Dominic Regimbald – Consultant/System Designer for Control System, Network, and Headquarters – GO Multimedia Inc.

Watch videos of Quartier des Spectacles here:
Quartier des Spectacles – project
Quartier des Spectacles – AV projections

For further information, please visit: www.facebook.com/quartierdesspectacles; wWw.quartierdesspectacles.com. www.medialon.com

Woodland Park, NJ – FSR, manufacturer of audio and video switching, control products, and connectivity boxes, has added the HDMI Wall Plate Extender to its new Digital Video (DV) family of products, a line aimed at professional installations requiring HDMI support. The new extender consists of a single gang Decora style wall plate transmitter and a matching receiver capable of extending HDMI signals at 1080p up to 165 feet. The HDMI Wall Plate Extender joins dozens of new FSR products being offered at extremely attractive price points.

The HDMI Wall Plate Extender has an HDMI input on the front and 2 punch down blocks for CAT x cables on the back. Punching down the CAT x cable directly to the interface has several advantages, not the least of which is the cost savings of paying to have the cable terminated. In addition, this style of connection saves space in the electrical box and reduces the strain introduced by a tight cable radius when terminated cables are used.

The HDMI Wall Plate Extender is available in white, black and ivory to match existing décor.

For further details contact FSR at (800) 332-3771 or via e-mail at sales@fsrinc.com.

About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

FSR complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is a woman owned business. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information visit www.fsrinc.com.

FSR Contact: Jan Sandri
973-785-4347 • sales@fsrinc.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • harriet@desertmooncomm.com

Brea, CA – September 2012… Altinex, a leading manufacturer of Signal Management Solutions®, is pleased to announce the availability of the MX2106AV 2-In / 2-Out VGA Auto + Audio Switcher. Supporting automatic or manual switching, the MX2106AV is ideal for classrooms and other presentation spaces requiring the flexibility to alternate between two computer sources and simultaneously output to two displays or a single display plus local monitor. more

Valencia, California (September 25, 2012) – Leading audio production company, ATK Audiotek, is proud to welcome Michael MacDonald to take over the duties as President and leadership of the company’s business development, sales and marketing programs, coincident with the retirement of outgoing President Michael Stahl.

MacDonald joins ATK Audiotek with over three decades of experience in the professional audio industry, most recently having served for five years as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at HARMAN Professional. Prior to HARMAN, Michael operated a successful consulting business at Pilot Business Strategies, where he worked with over 30 professional audio clients and trade organizations on product and program development, business planning and marketing and sales, where he built strong relationships with a diverse array of industry stakeholders. MacDonald has held senior roles at other professional audio manufacturers, including as President of JBL Professional and 10-years in various executive positions with Yamaha International.

Michael MacDonald began his career in the audio business in the production industry working as lead audio engineer on a host of major tours and projects including Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the GRAMMY® Awards and Presidential debates.

“Having Michael MacDonald join the company is a natural extension of the relationships we have enjoyed for over 30 years,� commented Mikael Stewart, Partner and Vice President of Special Events, ATK Audiotek. “We’re very pleased to welcome him onboard and look forward to his ideas and his energy just as we are appreciative of Mike Stahl’s massive contribution to ATK since its foundation!�

Scott Harmala, Partner, CTO and Vice President of Engineering, ATK Audiotek, concurs “Michael not only brings decades of experience and industry contacts but a proven, high energy, creative approach to building new business. We share a considerable history together but also a strong vision for the future potential of the production industry and of ATK Audiotek!�

Michael MacDonald noted, “I am really excited to be moving to ATK Audiotek for the next phase of my career,� add Michael MacDonald on his new role. “ATK Audiotek is a great company that has been a pioneer in the live event industry and has built a solid business by focusing on superb customer service. I am really flattered that Mikael and Scott have given me the chance to join the team as an ATK partner and I also appreciate the support Michael Stahl has provided to make this possible.�

About ATK Audiotek
Founded in 1983, ATK Audiotek is the foremost sound reinforcement provider in the professional audio industry. ATK Audiotek provides unparalleled quality and reliable service to all of its clients. ATK Audiotek’s client roster includes hundreds of television productions, special events, industrial conventions, permanent installations and concert tours. ATK Audiotek has received many awards including four nominations and two wins of the prestigious TEC Award for outstanding technical achievement. For more information please visit http://www.atkcorp.com/about.html

Akron, Ohio, September 2012… Akron, Ohio has a long and storied history as the heart of the US tire business. In April of 2012 the city celebrated that proud heritage with the grand opening of Bridgestone Americas’ 260,000-square-foot worldwide technical center. The USD $100m research and development facility was designed by architects Harris/Day to exceed Gold LEED standards, and it shows. The building features wide, open spaces, a “living roof” with gardens and lounge areas, and plenty of natural light thanks to an abundance of glass throughout.

The showcase structure’s east and west wings intersect at a massive three-story atrium area that serves as building’s social nexus. The common space is outfitted with a large video wall, and serves as the hub of the technical center’s communications with the outside world, and with the company’s headquarters in Tennessee.

Of course, three stories of glass, while visually stunning, tends to create a less than optimal acoustical setting. As Gary Matthews of Middleburg Heights, OH-based Audio Video Interiors explains, even with a fair amount of acoustical treatment, the environment was a challenging one.

“It’s a big, open, reverberant space,” he says. “They did a great job in treating the back wall, which helps a lot, but it’s still a large, glassed-in space, with a high level of ambient noise, and intelligibility inevitably suffers.”

The architect’s vision included a desire for low-profile audio and video components, but the design was at odds with that goal. “Their original proposal was for 34 individual loudspeakers hung on walls and on ceilings throughout the area,” says Matthews. “They came to us and asked if there was anything they could do differently, because they didn’t want to see so many speakers.”

AVI’s  recommendation was for three Renkus-Heinz Iconyx steered steered arrays to cover the entire area. “So we got it down from 34 speakers, to three Iconyx ICX7 units built into the video wall, with zero visibility. And the sound coverage is far superior, with no distribution issues and no dead spots.”

With an Ashly Pêma 8×8 amplifier and signal processor already in place, AVI opted for the ICX7 passive system instead of the powered version. “We built pockets for them in the walls, and you can’t even see that they’re there,” says Matthews. A Listen Technologies assistive listening system and a pair of Shure SLX wireless mic systems completes the audio system.

“The Iconyx system was perfect for aiming the sound only at the areas we wanted to cover, and away from the walls and windows,” Matthews concludes.

###

Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Renkus-Heinz, Inc. is the worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of audio operations networks, digitally steerable arrays, powered and non-powered loudspeakers, system specific electronics and fully integrated Reference Point Array systems.

 

 

 

 

BUENA PARK, Calif.—On September 17, 2012 the Rachael Ray Show will officially move to beautiful new digs for the Season 7 opener, and broadcast mixer Bob Aldridge and front of house mixer John Bates, are taking along their trusty Yamaha M7CL-48 and DM2000 Digital Consoles. Produced by CBS Television Distribution and KWP Studios, in association with Harpo Studios, Scripps Networks and Watch Entertainment, the hugely successful syndicated daytime program originally launched in the fall of 2006.

“An M7CL-48 and DM2000 are both used for the audience mix,� states Bates. “The DM2000 is the production mix desk while the M7CL is used for the music mix.� Aldridge and Bates are also using the new Dugan-MY16 card with the DM2000 to tighten up the show’s sound, and Aldridge said ‘it works great.’

“Season 1 of the Rachael Ray Show had the M7CL as the audience console and it worked quite well as both the production and music console,� says Bates. “We had 16 RF mics, some production inputs, and support for 24 channels of music inputs. Then the show decided that we should be ready to support 32 channels of music inputs and the M7CL was no longer big enough so we moved it to the monitor position. Shows rarely get smaller as they develop, and it was at that point that we brought in a Yamaha DM2000, some outboard mics preamps fed through a bunch of Yamaha MY16-AT ADAT cards, bringing us up to 56 mic inputs, and mixed both production and music on the DM2000 through the end of Season 6.�

The Rachael Ray Show set has several different locations that Rachael could be in at any point in time,� notes Bates. “We took advantage of the Yamaha DM2000 to recall different scenes depending on where in the studio we were working. The four remote layers enable us to customize the surface layout for the scene at hand. The built-in channel and bus delays allow us to really dial in the mix without the need for any outboard processing.

The number of music inputs the mixers have been asked to support has increased to 48 so the decision was made to add an additional M7CL-48 to the house position to mix music and the DM2000 becomes a production only console. “We now can split 48 mic channels between broadcast mix, FOH mix and monitor mix, a far cry from where we started,� adds Bob Aldridge.
All of the features that made the DM2000 a great fit for the show before are still in play in the new studio and Bates said it’s been fun stripping back the show and building it up again.

For more information on the Rachael Ray Show, visit http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/.

For more information on Yamaha products, visit www.yamahaca.com.

-END-

PHOTO ID: L to R: John Bates and Bob Aldridge

About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.

Woodland Park, NJ • FSR, manufacturer of audio and video switching, control products, and connectivity boxes, has introduced the perfect accessories for the popular iPad® tablet; a secure wall holder and a PoE to USB charger.

Engineered for strength, but designed for elegance, the holder mounts to a standard 2-gang wall box and provides an attractive, safe and secure method to mount an iPad to a wall in either landscape or portrait mode. The tasteful housing features curved edges, no visible hardware and is available in white, silver and black.

The iPad holder is compatible with the iPad® 2 and the new iPad®, and is available with or without access to the home button and camera to fit any application requirements.

Charge the iPad with the new USB to PoE module. The module meets the Apple iPad charging standards and can be used stand alone, with a table box or with the iPad holder. It can easily fit inside the 2-gang box behind the iPad mount for a clean installation.

For further Information visit www.fsrinc.com , or contact FSR at (800) 332-3771 or sales@fsrinc.com.

About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

FSR complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is a woman owned business. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information visit www.fsrinc.com.

###

FSR Contact: Jan Sandri
973-785-4347 • sales@fsrinc.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • harriet@desertmooncomm.com

BUENA PARK, Calif.—Westbury National Show Systems in Toronto, Canada is the largest Yamaha console rental company in all of Canada. The company recently provided audio production for several high profile events including Fashion Cares featuring a performance by Elton John at the Sony Centre in Toronto. Three Yamaha PM5D-RH consoles were used for the front of house mix along with a DSP5D Expander and an LS9-16. A Yamaha PM5D, PM1D and 02R were used for monitors.

“We have always found Yamaha consoles to be dependable, world-class touring consoles that are requested by many of the world’s top touring acts,� states Bob Groza, audio department manager. “They are intuitive and ergonomically designed; the control surface layout provides ease of operational use.�

Westbury also provided two Yamaha PM5D-RH consoles, a PM5D and DSP5D Expander for the recent Jump For Jamaica event, celebrating Jamaica’s 50 Years of Independence, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in mid August with approximately 1,500 guests, including Premier Dalton McGuinty, Senator Don Meredith and Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sheila Sealy.

And, earlier in August, the company supported audio for the Hillside Festival with performances by Kathleen Edwards, The Arkells, and others. With several thousands in attendance, Westbury provided three Yamaha PM5D-RH digital consoles, a DSP5D expander and a Yamaha LS9-32 digital console.

“We stand by our use of Yamaha consoles because they are proven and dependable, and we never have to worry about performance and durability,� says Groza.

Westbury’s Yamaha digital console arsenal consists of a PM1D, a PM5D-RH, PM5D, DSP5D Expander, three M7CLs, three LS9-32s, six LS9-16s, and a DM2000. For those requiring analog, the company has a PM4000 for FOH and a PM4000M available for monitors.

For more information on Westbury National Show Systems, visit www.westbury.com.

For more information on Yamaha consoles, visit www.yamahaca.com.

-END-

PHOTO ID: Photo 1: Hillside Festival Photo 2: Jump for Jamaica

About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.

Dataton and WATCHOUTâ„¢ Premium Partner for North America, Show Sage, return to LDI 2012

On booth 442, the latest features of WATCHOUT multi-image display and presentation software will be demonstrated. The new features include interactivity, video streaming, live presentation, 3D stereo display and multiple output display. Dataton and Show Sage will also sponsor the Projection Master Classes taking place during the show on 17 and 18 October.

Jim Testa, President of Show Sage explains: “LDI continues to be the meeting point for projection designers, creative designers and users of WATCHOUT and is a great location to share ideas and knowledge.�

WATCHOUT is a fully scalable system that’s software-based and does not require proprietary hardware. It orchestrates still images, animations, graphics, video, sound and live feeds into a single show across multiple display areas, either soft-edge blended or scattered.

Fredrik Svahnberg, Marketing Director at Dataton adds, “This year has been a tremendous success for the latest version of WATCHOUT. We’ve seen it deployed in several installations such as the Alexandria Center for Life Sciences, Minnesota State University Ballroom as well as a HBO and Shark Week events and Cold Play concerts, all backed up by the best technical support, through our trusted WATCHOUT Premium Partner, Show Sage.�

Key features of WATCHOUT are:

Video streaming and interactivity
WATCHOUT integrates video streaming and devices such as network cameras to allow video to be accessed over a standard network solution. It also offers the ability to interact with live components and assets of interactive media. Users can position, rotate and move all media objects in 3D and interactively. WATCHOUT integrates with various devices and external systems so users can connect sensors and control sources, such as iPads, to on-screen elements like images, video and live feeds.

Live presentation
A built-in text editor allows last minute changes, or additions, in presentation text without the need for graphics software such as Adobe Photoshop®.

The latest version also has a DMX recording function that lets you record a complete lighting show and play it back from a single cue in WATCHOUT. This new feature makes WATCHOUT even more attractive in live events and staging applications.

Stereo playback and management of multiple outputs

WATCHOUT offers 3D effects and stage preview to position and rotate all media objects, including motion paths and video fly-through. Seamless stereoscopic playback and support is offered for multi-head output cards so up to six displays can be driven off one display computer using a single cost-effective WATCHOUT license.

www.showsage.com
www.dataton.com

HUDIKSVALL, SWEDEN – SEPTEMBER 2012: Hudiksvall is a medium-sized city of 15,000 on the Gulf of Bothnia, and one of its major attractions is Hagmyren, a horse racing track situated north of the city’s center. The main track at Hagmyren is 1,000 meters, and the sprawling area that the public uses to watch the races, and to enjoy the facility’s other events, covers seven acres and can comfortably accommodate the city’s entire population. In addition to races, Hagmyren hosts fun events, like car bingo (where participants sit in their cars and play bingo) and horse exhibitions. Because of its multiple uses and because quality sound reinforcement was deemed an important component of the track’s continued success, the track sought to renovate its aging system. A new system centers on a pair of Symetrix’ newly-released SymNet Radius 12×8 processors, which feature open-architecture programming, fixed I/O, Dante networking, and a competitive price.

“These days, a modern horse racing track depends on excellent sound reinforcement that is flexible and easy to use,” said Börje Jälmefors, sales manager with Visono Media AB, the company that sold the SymNet Radius 12x8s. “There are many other amusements vying for people’s attention and money, and horse racing is competing with them. Moreover, the races are broadcast around the region and around the globe, so the sound quality must be superb.” The requirements set forth by the track owners were that the new system must be future-proof, scalable, flexible, and intuitive to operate, even for a non-expert. The track owners hired sound installation company DAT AB to develop and install an appropriate solution. “After investigating the options available on the market, DAT AB recognized the advantage of going with the SymNet Radius 12×8,” said Jälmefors. “A pair of SymNet Radius 12x8s could handle all of the processing, sharing signals via the Dante bus, at a very competitive price point.”

Inputs to the system include the referee’s wireless microphone, the commentators’ microphones, a paging system, various pre-recorded music feeds, audio from various pre-recorded video feeds, and output from a live mixing console. Both of the Symetrix SymNet Radius 12x8s accept either mic-level or line-level inputs. Because they are networked together via the Dante bus, signals input to one unit can be sent to the output of the other unit with truly negligible latency. Their combined sixteen outputs feed a rack of QSC amplifiers, which power loudspeakers by TOA, RCF, and Phillips throughout the facility in appropriate zones.

“Robert Nilsson of DAT AB told me that the two SymNet Radius 12x8s, with their built-in Dante bus, made it easy to meet all of the complicated requirements of this installation,” reported Jälmefors. “For my part, I have been working with Symetrix equipment for twenty years – including an installation I did a few years ago on another horse racing track that used Symetrix open-architecture DSP – and so I feel very confident recommending Symetrix. The Dante bus used by the new SymNet Edge and SymNet Radius system is easy to set up and represents an excellent standard for installed, live, and broadcast audio.”

Currently, users control the system via Symetrix modular wall panel remotes – the ARC-SW4e and ARC-K1e. “We are very satisfied with the solution Robert Nilsson came up with,” said Mats Österberg, the manager of Hagmyren. “The most crucial aspect for us was a control interface that is user-friendly and easy to understand. The wall panels Robert gave us meet that requirement.” Jälmefors added, “There are so many user control options available for the SymNet Radius 12×8 system. They range from a simple contact closure to the range of ARC panels and from the customized SymVue computer interface to many third-party solutions. But the staff at Hagmyren is most excited about Symetrix’ ARC-WEB, which places user control of the system on any smartphone! DAT AB will give them ARC-WEB in the coming months.”

ABOUT SYMETRIX Sound professionals rely upon the performance, value and reliability of audio mixing, routing and processing products from Symetrix. For more information on Symetrix professional audio products, please visit www.symetrix.co or call +1 (425) 778-7728.