A video of the project can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOax1CpVt-o

On entering the museum, a Poppy Bracelet is given to all visitors. As visitors move around the beautifully restored medieval cloth-hall building in the city’s main square, a micro-chip inside their ‘Poppy’, a globally recognised symbol of the First World War, provides them with video projections, interactive touchscreens and soundscapes used to re-create the pain and tragedy of the War.

The museum has always focused on the stories of individuals within the larger picture of the Great War. These personal stories are told through many and varied objects on display, interactive installations and life-like characters.

Piet Chielens, Coordinator In Flanders Fields Museum, explains: “To really embrace the whole public with the impact of landscape then I think the best way of doing it is with projection. That is what we’ve done here. People are really thrilled with the experience and that is largely due to the techniques we’ve chosen to present it.�

Nicolas Vanden Avenne, Managing Director at Ocular BVBA explains: “Every projection surface in this museum is either curved or has a rather unusual shape for projection, which made this a technical challenge. Along with projection, we use the blend and warp functionality of the WB processors throughout the museum.�

As visitors enter the museum, they walk through the Belle Epoque exhibit, which highlights the period of time leading up until the war. In this area two F32 projectors are used to project footage on to a curved structure that looks like a forest of wood panels.

In the First Battle exhibit, an F35 wqxga projector is used to project from the ceiling onto a 3D scale model map of the battlefields from the North Sea to the front line. Viewers can watch the deployment of allied troops in the city of Ypres and the first battle from an eagle’s point of view.

Ypres Saliant uses three projectiondesign F22 projectors and WB1920 processors onto a 170-degree curved screen to observe the progress of the war as if travelling in a balloon high in the sky. Footage includes a view over buildings and deployment of troops around Ypres. The content is a combination of historical footage and custom made film.
Perhaps the most harrowing exhibit the Third battle, uses four F22 projectors onto a curved screen and ceiling to provide symbolic visuals with narration by nurses, doctors, soldiers, priests about one of the bloodiest battles in the First World War.

“To achieve the exhibit areas, Vanden Avenne says, we had to look for a partner that could do the engineering of our projections and cooperate with us during the building of the museum. We turned to projectiondesign because of their high-performance projectors for each exhibit area and choice of lenses.�

“As the museum is open ten hours a day, we wanted to have reliability, longevity with no image degradation. projectiondesign guaranteed that their projectors would remain consistent during heavy use,� adds Vanden Avenne.

Anders Løkke, Marketing Director says: “We are consistently impressed with the integrated approach that Ocular has taken. The exhibit areas are pushing the boundaries of how projection can be used to engage, inform and tell the story of the First World War. The added touch is that visitors to In Flanders Fields Museum can take their poppy home to remember the video projections and the stories of the First World War.�

And the last word goes to Vanden Avenne who says: “Working for clients such as the In Flanders Fields Museum is a richly rewarding learning experience. Ocular loves creating experiences and will continue to bring people’s stories to life for academic and cultural institutions for a long time to come.�

About projectiondesign
projectiondesign is a Norwegian company that designs, manufactures and markets a range of high- performance projectors and supporting systems for professional, business and consumer applications. Among its core markets are high-resolution scientific visualization, visual training and simulation, medical imaging, broadcast and post production, public media and entertainment. Numerous industry milestones that distinguish projectiondesign’s award winning, innovative technology include the introduction of the world’s first single-chip SXGA DLP projector in 2002, the first commercially available 1080p DLP projector in 2006, the first WUXGA resolution DLP projector, and the first portable and high-resolution active 3D stereoscopic projector in 2008. In 2009, projectiondesign introduced its first 3-chip projector and debuted LED illumination. 2010 signified the company’s first image warp and blend product with the Multi Image Processors, as well as the world premiere of the WQXGA resolution (2,560 x 1,600) projector, and revolutionary patented Remote Light Source technology. The entire professional product range is warranted for 24/7 usage. projectiondesign is located in Fredrikstad, Norway, with representatives in more than 17 offices throughout the world and is majority owned by Barco, a global leader in digital visualization.

www.projectiondesign.com

The ability to move from venue to venue and achieve the same sound regardless of the acoustics or the PA system is the main reason why sound engineer Raul Mendez chooses DPA Microphones.

“I have been using DPA microphones for a long time now and they are always my first choice of microphone because they give me the sound I want without any feedback problems,� Mendez says. “Whether I am miking an acoustic instrument, voices for an event or a musical, I know these microphones will work perfectly every time and in all of these different areas of performance.�

Raul Mendez is currently using a selection of DPA microphones to capture the sound of legendary guitarist, composer, dramatist and producer Paco Peña. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Peña has expanded the possibilities of flamenco and changed perceptions of the art form by fusing the richness of its traditions with contemporary culture.

Peña, who is now touring in the USA, recently gave a series of concerts at London’s Sadlers Well’s where he presented his 2010 work Quimeras, a marriage of traditional Spanish and African music and dance. Directed by Jude Kelly, artistic director of London’s Southbank Centre, Quimeras tells the story of sub-Saharan African immigrants who move to Spain in search of a better life. The shift from hope to disillusion as reality confronts them is summed up by the title of the piece, which means chimeras or illusions.

For these performances, DPA’s UK distributor Sound Network supplied Mendez with a selection of DPA microphones, including DPA d:vote™ 4099 Instrument Microphones, which Mendez used to bring the sound of the guitars to life. Paco Peña’s guitar was miked using a DPA 4061 omni miniature microphone, while for the show’s vocalists Mendez chose DPA d:fine™ headset microphones.

“I prefer all my microphones to be wireless and with DPA technology this is really easy,� Mendez says. “I particularly like DPA’s wireless miniature microphones for vocals as they provide the perfect solution for the performer, while still giving me the sound I need.�

For Paco Peña’s US tour Mendez has also specified DPA and has switched Peña from a DPA 4061 omni miniature microphone to a DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphone because both preferred the sound.

Paco Peña says: “The two other guitarists in my company use DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones with an attachment that allows them to be suspended away from the instrument. At first I found the actual support used for attaching them to the guitar a little difficult to deal with. I play with the guitar quite close to my body, and I move while playing and tuning etc, so I tended to knock the support on occasions. For that reason I was initially using an equally excellent mike – the DPA 4061 omni miniature microphone – which was attached to the guitar instead of being suspended in the air. However, I have now experimented with the d:vote and have found a spot to attach it to the guitar where I can manage it pretty well. It is a really great microphone and I am very happy with the sound it is giving me.â€�

Both Mendez and Peña feel that, when it comes to the choice of microphone, the most important aspect is the sound.

“I am very happy with the sound we are achieving on this tour,� Peña says. “I have known for a long time that DPA microphones are held in very high regard in the industry, but using them on a regular basis really makes the run of the show a whole lot better; the quality is excellent, but also the actual physical design allows musicians to attach them to the guitar and to move the instrument without altering the amplification and the EQ, and move around the stage without hindrance. The vocals are also performing well with the DPA d:fine Headset Microphones.�

Mendez adds: “I have compared DPA microphones with others on the market and I definitely prefer them. I spend a lot of time in different venues with different PAs and consoles, but with DPA the one thing I know is that the sound won’t change. This is a good way to start the day, especially when you consider that during our current US tour we will be doing shows in 32 different venues.�

-ends-

Editors’ information:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com

For his recent 100-city Take a Back Road tour, Rodney Atkins used the industry’s leading lightweight and flexible LED Curtain video wall from PixelFLEX to maximize the concert audiences’ experience through visual images and effects.

PixelFLEX’s unparalleled flexibility enabled Atkins’ production team to incorporate video at any venue, no matter the layout. Whether at a corporate event, a small club or an arena, the team could bend and fly the LED Curtain to capitalize on the available space.

“We primarily used it as a broken wall with six strips – four double hung, two high panels and two single hung panels – to give the illusion of essentially a 40′ x 18′ wall,” said James “Mo” Butts, production manager and front of house engineer. “We ran all sorts of content on it…anything from video b-roll to IMAG to computer generated content.”

According to Butts, the 12 panel, 20mm resolution system, rented from Elite Multimedia, a professional sound, lighting and video company based in Nashville, offered multiple benefits to the Atkins tour beyond its flexibility.

“From a production manager’s perspective, there are four major reasons to go with the PixelFLEX solution,” Butts stated. “Weight, power draw, truck space and cost. There is nothing that even comes close to how much video you get relative to how little truck space is needed to pack the Curtain.”

Still, as Butts points out, the Curtain’s ultra light weight and flexibility is what truly separates it from other LED solutions.

“When you go and do a venue where you can fly video, but you can only fly 600 or 800 pounds a point, the PixelFLEX LED lets you put up your entire rig,” Butts remarked. “If you were working with a rigid wall that weighs four times as much, you’d either have to scale it down or not use it at all. With PixelFLEX I can even put the entire rig on Genie Towers because it is so light weight.”

Pleased with the system’s performance, in tandem with its ease of set-up, tear down and transport throughout the 2012 tour, Atkins’ team is planning to use the PixelFLEX LED Curtain for their 2013 dates starting in March.

“We’re going to use them again this year,” Butts continued, “probably very similar to how we used it last year. The Curtain is ideal for acts that travel in one or two trucks, because of how much you can fit into a small space in your pack. It allows even a one bus tour to do video in a club. There’s no other product out there that can do that with the kind of resolution PixelFLEX offers.”

For more information on PixelFLEX and its growing line of lightweight LED video screens, visit www.LEDCurtain.com. Follow PixelFLEX at www.Facebook.com/PixelFLEXUSA and @LEDCurtain.

The recent Killers U.S. tour presented a unique set of challenges for Delicate Productions.

Besides the need to provide consistent coverage in radically different venues ranging from mid-sized arenas to small theaters, casinos and ballrooms, the Camarillo, CA-based production company had to contend with cancellations of major arena shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre and New Jersey’s Susquehanna Bank Center due to lead singer Brandon Flowers’ laryngitis.

That said, the tour was still well received by enthusiastic fans and media, earning praise from Rolling Stone magazine for its “thunderous, meaty sound� at the tour opener in Denver’s 1stBank Center.

The successful six-man band that formed in 2001 and consists of front man Flowers who also doubles on keyboards, Dave Keuning (guitars), Mark Stoermer (bass), and Ronnie Vannucci (drums), was supplemented by two multi-instrumentalists for this critical tour to support their popular Battle Born release.

Delicate actually picked up the tour from Capital Sound in the UK, making a seamless transition in terms of coverage, audio quality and impact. Asked if the systems were similar, Killers Front of House Engineer James Gebhard said, “Absolutely identical. Capital and Delicate worked really well hand in hand. We did some fine-tuning of the system in the UK and Capital communicated directly with Delicate about the details so they could be set up exactly the same. It was a very quick transition from one to the other.�

A veteran engineer who worked his way up from university amateur shows through a variety of bands to the highest level of touring, the Manchester-born Gebhard has been with the Killers since 2004. He had been using other line arrays before the tour, but Delicate was instrumental in getting him onboard with the Martin Audio MLA system.

As described by Delicate’s Smoother Smyth, the process involved several steps. “Once we had teamed with our friends at Capital for MLA,� Smoother recounts, “we got James to see the system in action in the UK and at a Zac Brown Band show in Indianapolis. We then brought him in to our warehouse to discuss MLA theory and spend some hands-on time with the system before he signed off on MLA for the tour. Needless to say, it worked out really well in the end for everyone involved.�

The touring setup included 14 MLA cabinets and two MLD down fill cabinets per side for the main PA; 12 MLA cabinets per side for the side hangs; 20 MLX subwoofers ground-stacked in a cardioid broadside array in front of the stage along with four MLX flown per side to fill in those areas. I10 Martin Audio W8LC cabinets along the stage edge are used for in fill.

In addition to MLA, Gebhard relied on his “ever-trusted� DiGiCo SD7 console with two 56-channel DiGiCo SD racks stage running at 96 kHz along with Waves SoundGrid processing and plug-ins. A variety of microphones were used, starting with a Shure SM58A for lead singer Flowers to a mixture of Shure, Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and E-V, depending on what worked best for the job.

Asked about his maiden voyage with MLA during this critical tour, James was typically candid, “Smoother had to go out of his way to convince me to switch to MLA, but once I was able to work on it, I was amazed.

“One of the most impressive aspects is the phase coherence,� he explains. “Walk the room and everywhere you go it sounds exactly the same. It’s like an audio guy’s dream. You don’t have to start making compromises or second-guessing yourself, searching for holes in the coverage between PA points or the back and front of the room. You can’t believe it actually does what is says it does.�

MLA’s scalability also proved to be very useful for this tour, especially given the radical differences in sizes from venue to venue. As Gebhard points out, “With typical line arrays, you work an artificial X amount of boxes per side to do an arena, but because of what MLA does with all the steering, you can use less boxes for the venue. It all depends on how you predict the room, what you want to do and what the software comes up with. Whether it’s smaller or larger room, you could almost use the same amount of boxes, which definitely makes MLA a very scalable system. And the sound was literally identical everywhere we went, every day. It was fantastic. The pure consistency regardless of the type or size of the room.�

Another useful aspect for Gebhard was MLA’s Hard Avoid feature. “We played around with it a lot during rehearsals in Vegas,� he recalls. “We were in a sound room with very reflective back walls and ceilings so we set it up in there, put on the hard avoids and it made the room sound incredible.

“As far as I’m concerned, Martin Audio has reinvented the wheel in terms of PA design with MLA,� he concludes. “It’s just unbelievable.� The biggest problem Martin Audio has is marketing the product. They really need to get the word out because it’s unbelievable.�

Unfortunately, Delicate was never able to fly the full MLA/MLA Compact system due to the cancellation of the major arena shows. Smoother points out that “it was disappointing that we didn’t get to rig the full system, especially hearing it with the MLA Compacts rigged for rear coverage. But we’ll be using it for the makeup dates in May.�

Pressed for his feelings about MLA, Smyth is enthusiastic but judicious in his response. “I don’t claim to know it all, which is why I surround myself with people who know audio, video and lighting in depth and give in to their wishes. We look at what’s out there in the marketplace, evaluate it and the purchases come on the merits of the product. My guys said ‘MLA is a must-have.’ And even though it’s a challenge because of the cost and complexity of the onboard technology. But at the end of the day that’s what separates MLA from all of the competitive products.

“In the end, I always want to be with the leading edge on anything and everything, and MLA truly is in a class of its own. It’s not just being operational at the flick of a switch; it’s a whole other mindset that represents a new learning curve for engineers that go out with this system. Which means hard work on our part in terms of training courses, the software and hardware updates. We’re dealing with a whole new audio concept, which is very different from anything we’ve worked with before.

“When I worked the MusicCares event with Paul McCartney last February, we deployed MLA and it sounded like a Vegas showroom. And no one thanked us for a job well done because it was just accepted that the room must sound that good. It gives us great satisfaction to provide engineers with such a great place to start from.

“Given the size of the MLA, what it puts out is remarkable and stunning,� Smyth concludes.� It’s a midsized box that can outperform all of the large format cabinets in the marketplace. The fact that I can use it in theaters, hotel ballrooms, casinos, arenas and up, speaks volumes.�

For more about Martin Audio, please click to www.martin-audio.com.

About Martin Audio®
Founded by audio engineer David Martin in 1971, Martin Audio pioneered the use of all-horn-loaded bass designs in world-class touring loudspeaker systems for groups such as Pink Floyd, ELP and Supertramp. Located outside of London, Martin Audio now embodies a sophisticated mix of acoustic design, research, mathematical modeling and software engineering for a wide range of products in the installation, cinema and touring sound markets.

The perennially touring Lady Gaga is at it again. The five-time Grammy winner is in the midst of the Born This Way Ball tour, a seemingly endless succession of dates that will hit virtually every corner of the globe for more than a year—or longer. The elaborately gothic-inspired production was birthed in Seoul, Korea, in April of 2012 and has received glowing reviews (“the best live show you will see this year,” per the UK Sun newspaper) and was honored as Major Tour of the Year at the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards.

Eighth Day Sound is again at the helm of the production, coordinating multiple universal stadium systems that at times are air-freighted with the stage set, leapfrogging across several continents to meet the tour.

“Each tour system is comprised of two DiGiCo SD7 Mach III systems at FOH outfitted with Waves and two Waves servers, with one running on a UPS for redundancy,” explains Eighth Day Chief Technology Officer Jason Kirschnick. “A 192kHz DiGiCo SD Rack at FOH is loaded with 32 analog ins/32 analog outs, as well as 24 AES ins/outs for local I/O. At the stage end for FOH are two more 192 SD racks loaded with 48 analog ins, eight AES ins, eight AES and eight analog outs. We are deploying an Optocore switcher so there are three fiber loops for FOH—one loop of all three racks for FOH is connected to a Route 66 Optocore fiber router device. The primary console is in a loop with the two respective engines to the Route 66 as well as the second SD7 at FOH in a loop with the Route 66. This enables us with a push of one button to move the entire rack loop between the two FOH consoles for support acts and dual redundancy. At the monitor end is another SD7 running two Waves 9 servers (with one running on a UPS). There are two more 192kHz SD Racks at monitors loaded with 48 analog, eight digital inputs, 40 analog and eight digital outputs each.”

The PA system is d&b audiotechnik, comprised of 96 d&B J Series made up of a combination of J8 and J12s (4 x hangs; 24 boxes deep), 32 d&B Flow J subs (4 x hangs of 8 deep), 48 d&B B2 subs on the ground (stacked on each side of the stage and along the front of the stage), 12 d&B Q7 front fills (spread across the front of the stage), with a stadium delay system consisting of 4 x hangs of 12 d&B V8 and V12s. [pictured: Chris Rabold FOH with Eighth Day Sound Chief Technology Officer/Project Manager, Jason Kirschnick]

“The system is all-digital at 96kHz,” adds Kirschnick, “with a complete analog backup comprised of Dolby Lakes and LM44s with wireless control of the complete system. The d&B amplifiers are all monitored and controlled remotely through the entire system as well.”

The five-piece band consists of bass, two guitars, a sizable drum kit and a lot of stereo bass and keyboard elements, plus a programmer who supplies various stems. There are 70-some inputs at FOH, including talkbacks and audience mics and Lady Gaga’s various headset and handheld mics.

“I came onboard between legs of the tour,” explains Chris Rabold, whose previous gigs include stints with Beyoncé, The Fray and Widespread Panic. “I knew I’d only have a couple days of rehearsal before the first show so I went ahead and put a plan into effect that would ensure that I’d be as close to show-ready as I could be once we hit Bulgaria, the site of the first show on the second leg of the tour. I spec’d an SD7 for me at FOH above all else for its sonic quality. It has a million and one great features but at the end of the day, it’s the sound of the desk and the sound of my mixes through the desk that matter the most. The DiGiCo consoles simply sound better than anything else out there. There are several strong platforms in the digital console realm, but this is the one. Period. [pictured: FOH Tech/Recording Engineer Wayne Bacon; FOH Engineer, Chris Rabold; Systems Engineer, Mike "Stacker" Hackman]

“I built the console offline on my computer and sent the file to the guys at Eighth Day, who prepped the desk. From there I was able to get on the console in Los Angeles for a few days, where I worked with the tour programmer on some tracks. The desk then bounced back to the Eighth Day shop in Cleveland where I worked some more on it, concentrating on some of the finer details with routing, system integration, etc. By the time we made it to load-in, I had a basic gain structure in hand, my EQs were at a decent starting point, I had a good idea of what dynamic processing I needed, snapshots written for each song, effects laid out… Basically every last detail was in place before I even saw the band—and this was on a show with a pretty sizable number of inputs. All of the work I was able to do beforehand was absolutely invaluable.”

Rabold cites the flexibility of the snapshot section as one of the main features of the desk that aids in his daily workflow. “With a big pop show like this that is scripted very carefully, the goal is consistency and more or less perfection every single night. I don’t think we’ll ever get the perfection part of that equation down, but we can sure get the consistency through the use of snapshots. The SD7 is so much more configurable than other platforms. You can tweak it snapshot by snapshot, not just globally across all snapshots because automation is and isn’t recall safe. This is tremendously helpful and keeps you from being tied to an all-or-nothing kind of mindset. For example, if I know I want to handle a bass guitar input in the traditional sense and just EQ on the fly for a few numbers, I can do that. But if I also know that by snapshot 17 I want it to have a very specific sort of treatment, I can have it where the recall safe feature comes off and suddenly that input is recalling precisely what had been written previously. It really allows you to be flexible when you need to be and by-the-book-exact when you want to go that route, all on a per-song basis.”

Asked about outboard gear, he says he’s using a combination of outboard and onboard plug-ins. “I basically use some of the same analog things I’ve used on and off for years on certain inputs just because I know they work for me. Lead vocal and drums see the outboard devices. I use the console’s onboard complements of EQ, effects and dynamics for the real nuts-and-bolts work. The overwhelming majority of the inputs see nothing but onboard processing. As far as plug-ins go, I try to use the Waves server more as an effects device. I pull a lot of delays and specialty things from there and it’s definitely a crucial part of the mix structure. I use C6s on the playback stems. A lot of times tracks can be overly bright or overly boomy for what really works live. These allow me to reshape certain frequency ranges yet keep the overall feel and intent of the tracks in place. These are my go-to problem solvers for playback stems in the live pop world. I use the Super Tap delays and H Delays as well. They sound great and can be synced to a song’s BPM. Both of these are very flexible with how you can color them and how you can manipulate individual left and right sides of a stereo delay. Very cool. I use an L2 limiter on the output of a two-track mix as well. This is very handy when I know a board mix might be taken from the night and then played back by the artist right next to fully mastered album mixes. I want my mixes to sound competitively loud with anything they might be referenced to. You never know. Little stuff like that can go a long way toward keeping everyone happy.”

Rabold says he multitracks nightly, mainly just for virtual soundchecking and to tweak his mixes during downtime. “When time permits, I can play back a show and tweak things in the mix. I do rely on this ability and have for several years now. Soundchecking in an empty room can be pointless. Listening to a mix with nearfields or headphones that have a response that you’re familiar with can be way more helpful when it comes to listening critically and judging what’s needed in a mix. We go standard MADI out of the desk and convert that to optical MADI via an RME MADI Bridge. From there the signal goes into SSL Delta-Links, where it is converted to HD so that we can record to Pro Tools. Pro Tools 9 is running on a MacPro with a ridiculous amount of memory due to the staggering track count. Because there are so many tracks and because we’re recording at 96kHz, we split the audio files across three SSD drives.”

Ramon Morales, who’s mixed monitors previously for Beyoncé as well as other A-list artists including Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige and Pitbull, handles monitors for the band members, all of whom are on Sennheiser 2000 series IEM systems (with JH Audio JH16 custom in-ears), as well as the audio techs. He oversees a total of 12 stereo mixes, flown side fills, bass and drum subs, two mono mixes (for drum subs and thumpers on bass and drums) and several stereo FX sends. [pictured: Monitor Engineer, Ramon Morales; Audio Crew, Lee-Fox-Furnel; Audio Crew Chief/Monitor, Tech Klocker]

“Everything about the console is great,” he enthuses. “Sonically, it’s one of the best consoles out there and definitely my favorite. I can have as many ins and outs as I need or want, and having the backup console mirrored—as well as all the other features it has—what else would you want? I’ve found the Macro feature to be very useful. We’ve set many of them up to do specific things for the show and no matter where I am on the console, I can access what I need on the macro section without having to scroll through aux sends or layers and banks. Our show intercom system is also routed through the monitor console, so the techs that need show comms in their mix can have it and plenty of talkback mics using the macros.

“I’m also using many of the built-in effects including Waves to add different colors to the mix. My favorite has to be the SSL channel and the C4, which I mainly use for my vocal inputs, since the console itself sounds great. I just use them to enhance what is already there. The only outboard gear we’re using is a TC Electronics 6000 reverb system for a vocal verb. It’s a Gold Plate and one of my favorites for vocals; it’s very smooth and cuts through just enough to hear it and not overpower anything else going on in the mix. I also use it for a drum verb.”

The console’s ability to receive a video feed aids both Morales and Rabold in managing the spontaneous stage antics of the mercurial artist. “This is crucial when mixing monitors from under the stage,” says Morales, “and having limited sightlines. Having a program feed straight into the console really helps.”

“I barely even look at the stage now,” adds Rabold. “This especially comes in handy when I have to watch for the moments where she yanks off her headset mic and goes for the handheld. There’s no cue for that and being able to see it on a screen two feet in front of my face sure beats trying to see what she’s doing 150 feet away across a sea of fans!”

A great deal of time and planning was invested prior to launching the multiple systems in the field, to ensure the production ran as smoothly as possible with no margin of error. “I personally spent weeks researching and testing the fiber loops and to failsafe the redundancy on as many things as possible,” Kirschnick reflects. “I did this research and testing at our shop in Cleveland, and a great deal of time was spent making sure everything was running smoothly weeks before the tour embarked on its first show last spring. And now, with over six months of time logged with the systems in the field, the band and crew think the console and sound system sound incredible and unmatched.”

Eighth Day tour crew:
Chris Rabold: Foh Engineer
Ramon Morales: Monitor Engineer
Dan Klocker: Audio Crew Chief / Monitor Tech
Wayne Bacon: Audio Crew
Christopher Bellamy: Audio Crew
Bill Flugan: RF Tech
Lee Fox-Furnell: Audio Crew
Mike “Stacker” Hackman: Systems Engineer
James La Marca: Show Coms / Audio Tech
Matt Strakis: Audio Crew

The world’s favorite celebrity baker, Buddy Valastro, is expanding his baking empire with the recent grand opening of the second Carlo’s Bakery location in Ridgewood, NJ, and he’s using the ELAN® g! system to provide simple and efficient A/V control. Working with custom integrator 360 Media Innovations, Valastro now has three ELAN g! Entertainment and Control systems — one at his New Jersey home, one at the Carlo’s Bakery Lackawanna Cake Factory in Jersey City, NJ and one at the brand new Carlo’s Bakery location in Ridgewood, NJ.

“I use ELAN g! every day at home and at the Cake Factory,� Valastro said, “so I knew it was the perfect choice to give my employees and managers total control of the audio and video at the new Carlo’s Bakery in Ridgewood. Technology is changing the way retail businesses operate, from the new ShopKeep app that allowed us to replace traditional POS systems with two iPads to the instant audio and video control the ELAN g! provides. As Carlo’s Bakery continues to grow I’ll need technologies that make it easier for me to manage operations at multiple locations, and one of the reasons I love the g! system is I can expand it later to provide remote access to security and surveillance.�

With plans to open several additional Carlo’s Bakery locations by the end of 2014, Valastro will benefit from the remote capabilities of the advanced ELAN g! system and be able to quickly check in on multiple locations right from his iPhone. With the move to two iPads as POSes in the Ridgewood location, it’s clear that technology will play an increasingly important role in the bakery’s continued success. It’s now possible for employees to take the cash register with them to take orders from anywhere in the store, and a simple four-finger swipe takes them right to the ELAN g!Mobile app where they can adjust settings for the store’s TVs and audio zones. That means they can take an order, swipe to the A/V controls and swipe back to take another order in under 15 seconds.

According to 360 Media Innovations co-owner Abiose Gale, the technology at the new Carlo’s Bakery isn’t just the wave of the future, but the reality of the present that can make managing retail locations easier and even provide financial savings over the long term. “The ELAN g! system is a perfect solution for retail stores because its so easy to use there’s no learning curve and it can integrate everything from TVs to lighting to electronic door locks. And as businesses continue to use apps for business purposes like the ShopKeep POS app, the ability to instantly switch to the ELAN g! app means they can avoid having all sorts of different remotes to control everything. It’s pretty incredible that the whole store can be operated from a single iPad.�

Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood has two main areas — the storefront that features a Cake Building Station where customers can watch the baking artisans decorate their cakes and a Party Room for hosting birthday parties and special events. Each area has its own audio zone and video zone, and the Party Room has HDMI presentation capabilities so guests can use their own media devices to display content on the two 47� LG TVs during their parties.

360 Media Innovations installed a total of six 47â€� LG LCD TV’s and 13 in-ceiling speakers throughout the store which play content from an iPort IW20 in-wall iPod dock, a Fusion media server, two Cablevision cableboxes and a BrightSign XD230 digital signage player. An ELAN HC6 is the brains of the control system, with an ELAN S86, SnapAV B300 4×4 matrix and Crown CDi 1000 amplifier providing distribution and power for the store’s speakers. The store uses two WAPs to provide uniterrupted Wi-Fi which is vital for consistent operation of the iPads as POSes.

Photo 1 — Buddy Valastro cuts the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony at Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood.

Photo 2 — Abiose Gale, co-owner of 360 Media Innovations, and Buddy Valastro at the grand opening of Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood.

Photo 3 — Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood uses two iPads as POS terminals and to run the ELAN g!Mobile app, allowing for quick and simple control of the store’s AV system.

Photo credit: Joe Polillio

About ELAN Home Systems:
Founded in 1990, ELAN® Home Systems is an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning whole-house entertainment and control systems that are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select dealers and distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

ELAN is part of the CORE® Brands division of Nortek, Inc. CORE Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands.

ELAN is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. Please visit www.nortekinc.com for more information.

Having already used PixelFLEX’s unique flexible and lightweight LED Curtain video wall system on tour since 2011, Luke Bryan is featuring a 60′ x 40′ 100mm Curtain with another 40′ x 30′ 18mm Curtain during his headlining tour in 2013 to provide an enhanced video experience for concert-goers. Both Curtain systems are custom-made by PixelFLEX.

Easy to operate and set up – videos and images can be sent to the screen using any computer with a DVI-D connection – PixelFLEX LED Curtains are available from low resolution to high resolution, allowing users to demonstrate simple effects or elaborate videos. Given the high-quality video and visual effects the solution has produced for Bryan’s production team during previous tours, the artist’s production manager is confident that expanding the use of the Curtain for the 2013 tour will offer fans an even better live show experience with minimal impact on the road crew.

“The PixelFLEX solution is a great product for a number of reasons,” said Pete Healey, production manager and front-of-house mixer. “It’s durable, flexible and lightweight, which makes it easy to set up, tear down and pack on the truck in a compact fashion. At the end of the night, we bring the truss in and the Curtain folds right into a case, which then gets stacked three high in the truck.”

Flexible in all directions, PixelFLEX LED Curtains are able to bend and shape around structures for a more creative display.

“The flexibility of the Curtain gives us creative freedom in how we use it in different venues,” Healey continued. “As a support act last year, we didn’t have access to all of the headliner’s video product. So, we wrapped the PixelFLEX system around cylinders to make sure that fans sitting side of stage or upstage had a view of the show’s visual elements. We couldn’t have done that with a hard product.”

An industry veteran, Healey believes that production should be invisible – the main focus needs to be on the performer. Still, he understands that production plays a vital role in the concert experience for fans.

“With our headline tour this year, we are using the PixelFLEX Curtain in a way that provides a big ‘WOW’ factor for our audience,” Healey remarked. “Whereas most acts use a 60′ x 40′ stardrop on tour, we’ve decided to use PixelFLEX’s 100mm Curtain with a lo-res backdrop and hi-res big screen in front. At first, it might look like another stardrop, but once we start mapping our content through it the difference will be drastic.”

For more information on PixelFLEX and its growing line of lightweight LED video screens, visit www.LEDCurtain.com. Follow PixelFLEX at www.Facebook.com/PixelFLEXUSA and @LEDCurtain.

Broadcast audio specialist Red TX has recorded the audio for a new DVD of Jeff Wayne’s iconic musical version of The War of The Worlds.

Based on the book by HG Wells, Wayne’s classic 1978 musical work has sold over 3.6 million copies in the UK alone and over 15 million worldwide, and has been performed as a musical on some of the largest stages in the world.

For this version, Wayne incorporated new interpretations of the original tracks and a new cast starring internationally renowned Irish actor Liam Neeson as George Herbet, the journalist – a role originally performed by Richard Burton.

Other stars included Jason Donovan, Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson, Marti Pellow, West End’s Kerri Ellis and Jettblack’s lead singer Will Stapleton. The show was performed by the Black Smoke Band and 36-piece ULLAdubULLA strings, conducted by Jeff Wayne.

Red TX was commissioned to handle the audio recording during a performance at London’s O2 Arena by Universal Visual Programming.

Producer Dione Orrom says: “We chose Red TX because we have worked with them many times in the past and they have always delivered great results. Also, Red TX understood the history of this project, having recorded Jeff Wayne’s Musical version of The War of The Worlds before in 2006, so Tim Summerhayes and his team were fully aware of the complexities of the show. There were a large number of tracks involved and complex time code issues that required the skills of an experienced audio team.�

Red TX Director Tim Summerhayes, who manned the controls on the company’s main Red II truck, says: “The secret to getting this project right was close collaboration between ourselves, Visions OBs, which was handling the video recording, and the artists’ sound crew, which was headed by Front of House sound engineer Simon Honywill and systems technician James Breward (Brew). We knew we didn’t have much time to rehearse or sound check in the O2 Arena as we had to be in and out in a day and could not interface with the show until about 1.30 pm, so a lot of preparation was done in advance.�

Some weeks prior to the O2 show, Summerhayes went to see rehearsals at LH2 Studios and the show at the NIA in Birmingham and held lengthy discussions with producer Dione Orrom, director Nick Morris, Visions unit manager Dave O’Carroll and Simon Honywill to devise a secure plan for the recording.

“We agreed to interface with Simon’s PA and took his gain structure via three MADI feeds, which we combined with analogue click tracks, time codes and the audio from the 14 ambient microphones that were covering the Arena,� Summerhayes explains. “We used three different Pryamix recording systems to distribute the tracks evenly and we also had back-up systems as a failsafe. As with any project of this scale, Red TX’s Ian Dyckhoff and Ollie Nesham were key to ensuring that all the right red lights were on.

“Timecode was the main issue we had to overcome. Normally we would lock to the video truck’s timecode, but because we were using Honywill’s MADI feeds we had to lock to his sync and show code as this was also being used to trigger the lights, live screen and special effects. There was always the possibility of a timecode drift between the two systems, which could have created serious problems in post-production, but we resolved this by very careful monitoring during the day and by recording both the show and time of day timecodes so that they could easily be tracked in post-production.�

Summerhayes adds that collaboration between the audio truck, the video truck and the Front of House sound crew is becoming increasingly common on large productions because of their complexity.
“Had we just ‘turned up’ on the day, I really don’t think that the job could have been done,� he says. “We’ve been doing this long enough and fortunately we know most of the main players, so it’s now easy for us to work alongside people like Simon Honywill and to liaise with confidence with the production company. It is with shows like this that experience really counts and we were delighted that Universal Visual Programming recognised our expertise and trusted us to do the job properly.�

The new version of Jeff Wayne’s Music Version of The War of The Worlds is an extraordinary stage production that unites conventional settings with modern technology. Highlights of the multimedia show include a three-legged, ten meter high Mars robot, a 95 minute animated movie shown on a 240 square meter screen and the use of 3D holography that allows the absent Liam Neeson to interact with the live actors on stage.

The audio recorded by Red TX is now being mixed by Jeff Wayne at his OllieWood Recording Studios. The DVD of the show will be available later this year and it will also be screened at digital cinemas around the world, starting in approximately 100 cinemas in the UK from April 11, 2013.

-ends-

About Red TX:
Red TX provides a comprehensive concert recording and broadcast service to the music and television industries. The company has state-of-the-art mobile recording facilities and can handle projects of any size or complexity. As well as recording audio for broadcast, the company also records live music events for subsequent release on CD or DVD. It is headed by Ian Dyckhoff and Tim Summerhayes, both of whom have extensive experience in delivering high-quality audio for broadcast. www.red-tx.com

Pink Floyd tribute act The Machine performing on Seminole Casino Coconut Creek's new L-ACOUSTICS system (photo credit: Ralph Notaro)

COCONUT CREEK, Florida — Miami Gardens-based Beachsound & Lighting, Inc. — now an official L-ACOUSTICS Certified Provider — reports that it has installed a KARA system at Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek, Florida.

The new system went into The Pavilion, a Sprung structure that was converted into an intimate 1,200-seat performance venue during the casino’s recent $150M expansion project. more

CENTURION, South Africa — Award-winning South African front of house engineer, Marius Marais, has long been a fan of HARMAN’s Studer and Soundcraft mixing consoles. Recently, he has increased his inventory considerably, adding a Studer Vista 5 SR, a Soundcraft Vi1 and Si Compact (with optical card)—all supplied by HARMAN Professional’s South African distributor, Wild & Marr.

Marais’ CV boasts many accolades for which precision audio engineering excellence was a prerequisite, including “SA Idols�—and he has also been associated with the South African Music Awards (SAMA), the 2010 FIFA World Cup and other high-profile events. The Vista 5 SR solution had been proposed by Wild & Marr and debuted on a “Starlight Classics� show.

“When the Vista 5 SR first arrived in South Africa Wild & Marr immediately contacted me, knowing that the console would fit right in with the jobs I needed to do,� Marais said. “It was a no-brainer. After that I added the Vi1 and Si Compact 32 to my inventory.�

Soundcraft and Studer flagship consoles have supercharged Marius’ evolving large-scale productions. “An orchestra plays as one unit, so if you have a good microphone, preamp and PA system, you should not have to change the sound with lots of EQ. That’s what the Soundcraft and Studer consoles give me—warm uncoloured sound. The Vistonics™ on the Vista and the preamps are, in my opinion, what makes the console so unique.�

The sound engineer’s induction to the Soundcraft family took place way back, with the launch of the Spirit Live 4, when the Freestate Performing Arts Council bought one to use on a township outreach arts programme. When Marais joined audio rental company Sound Stylists in 1997, he worked on a Soundcraft SM12 (“still one of my favourite analogue consoles�) and later a Soundcraft Series 5 and Series 5M. “They were groundbreaking consoles, especially the 5M,� Marais remembered. “The one thing that has always stood out about the Soundcraft products for me was how easy they are to operate. They are quick, functional and very well laid out.�

Marius joined Matrix Sound in 2004, which became the first South African company to invest in a Soundcraft Vi6. “I fell in love with the Vi6 on the first gig,� he said. “The smooth, warm sounding preamps were what first drew my attention—the features are unparalleled. From there it was my desk of choice for all the shows that required a large format console.�

By 2009, Marais had formed his own company, Audio Logic, with Wild & Marr providing an Si3 which he used as a sidecar (alongside the Vi6) for big orchestra shows involving the giant Afrikaans music production, “Skouspel� (which translates to “Spectacular�). This included a 64-piece orchestra, a 6-piece rhythm section, a guest band of various sizes and huge numbers of vocalists.

“That was the main reason for acquiring the new Vista 5 SR,� said Marais. “With a correctly set-up PA, the desks sound just amazing. With a Vi6 as a sub mix for the orchestra, I used a total of 184 channels on the Studer. With the snapshot and cue function, even a large-scale production like this was not as difficult as it used to be. The open platform provides the perfect environment to design and execute any size production.�

Summing up, the Audio Logic man said he is delighted with the investments made in the Soundcraft and Studer platforms. “With the brilliant service I receive from Wild & Marr, I can only see a growing relationship. As far as my clients are concerned, they just want good audio, and with the right tools, half the job is done.�

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.