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27/09/2024
SeeSound calls on Wisycom for theater applications
Since 2004, SeeSound has offered professional solutions in the audiovisual market. The Barcelona-based provider often turns to a variety of RF solutions from Wisycom, including the MRK16 Ultra-wideband Wireless Receiver System, MCR54 Four-channel True Diversity Wireless Microphone Receivers, MPR50 Wideband IEM Receivers and MTP60 Multiband Bodypack Transmitters.
For the theatrical touring productions of “The Phantom of the Opera” and “The Producers”, SeeSound deployed the Wisycom solutions mentioned above, in combination with the brand’s SPL2208 Wideband Active Antenna Combiner/Splitter. Javier G. Isequilla, Sound Designer, SeeSound, deploys the system with DPA Microphones’ 6060 Subminiature Lavalier Microphones.
“Using the Wisycom gear, we are able to deliver all audio on a single data cable”, he says. “For ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ specifically, we deployed a total of sixteen receiver systems along with forty receivers. We chose Wisycom because we are able to deploy just one single rack unit for this large system.”
“The Phantom of the Opera” and “The Producers” had showings throughout Italy and Spain, in a variety of theaters averaging 1,200 spectators per show. “The Phantom of the Opera” was performed at Rossetti Theater in Triestre, Italy; Albeniz Theater in Madrid, Spain; Arcimboldi Theater in Milan, Italy; and Salle Garnier, a casino theater in Montecarlo, Monaco. Additionally, “The Producers” was shown at Tivoli Theater in Barcelona and Alcala Theater in Madrid.
“The system configuration does not change with Wisycom - you only have to do frequency calculations in each new place”, says Isequilla. “As the working band is 470 Mhz to 694 Mhz, which is quite wide, it is easy to integrate the number of frequencies required for each show.”
(Photos: SeeSound/Wisycom)
Allen & Heath bei „The Grand Jam“ in Frankfurt mit rund 1.000 Musikern und über 200 Kanälen als Mischzentrale im Einsatz
Beim Live-Projekt „The Grand Jam“ mit 232 Inputs von rund 1.000 Hobby- und semiprofessionellen Musikern verwenden die Tontechniker Mischpulte und Stageboxen von Allen & Heath. Insgesamt kommen vier Mischpulte zum Einsatz: drei dLive S5000 und ein dLive S7000, außerdem als Stageboxen drei MixRack DM48, ein MixRack DM64, fünf GX4816, zehn DX168 sowie ein DX012 Expander.
Alle dLive-Pulte und Stageboxen sind in ein Dante-Netzwerk eingebunden. Trotz der hohen Anzahl an Verbindungen und einem aufwendigen Routing verliefen die Events im Frankfurter Stadion Deutsche Bank Park sowie die Auftaktveranstaltung im Dresdener Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion laut Veranstalter reibungslos. Die gesamte Audio-Planung erstellte FOH-Techniker Richard Redl in Zusammenarbeit mit Jens Heuser, Inhaber von Music & Lights, dem technischen Generalausstatter der Veranstaltung. Um bei der Vielzahl an Mikrofonkanälen den Überblick zu behalten, teilen sich vier Tontechniker auf.
An einem dLive-S5000-Pult von Allen & Heath verwaltet FOH-Techniker Michael Tischler insgesamt 122 Instrumenten-Kanäle, darunter Schlagzeug, Bass, zwei Gitarrengruppen, Keyboards, Streicher und Bläser. Drei Drumsets werden für den Live-Mix komplett abgenommen. Ähnliches gilt für Bass, Gitarren und Keyboards, wobei vor jeder Instrumentengruppe vier bis sechs Kondensatormikrofone aufgebaut sind, über die die Instrumente zusätzlich als Chor abgenommen werden.
Diese Spuren spielen für das parallel laufende Recording eine essenzielle Rolle, um den charakteristischen Gesamtsound von hunderten Musikern einzufangen. Für den Live-Sound werden sie nicht benötigt, da bereits das akustische Signal der Musiker das Stadion mit einem kräftigen Grundsound füllt. Streicher und Bläser werden in größerer Zahl mit Clip-Mikrofonen abgenommen. Für jede Instrumentengruppe erstellt Tischler einen Stereomix - in Summe werden sieben Stereomixe an seinen Kollegen Richard Redl weitergeleitet.
Nikolaus Schweiger, ebenfalls FOH-Techniker, erstellt an einer dLive-S5000-Konsole aus 110 Mikrofonkanälen von rund 500 Sängerinnen und Sängern einen Vocal-Mix. Etwa dreißig Vokalisten performen dazu vor einem eigenen Mikrofon, während die übrigen in kleinen Gruppen in Mikrofone singen. Von diesen Mikrofonen werden mittels Y-Kabel jeweils zwei bis drei zu einem Kanal zusammengefasst.
Schweiger stellt während der Probe EQ und Kompressor für die einzelnen Kanäle. Die Kanalpegel korrigiert er über das gesamte Konzert hinweg, denn nicht allen Sängerinnen und Sängern ist es möglich, über zwei Stunden alle Songs gleichmäßig laut zu performen. Außerdem achtet Schweiger auf ein ausgewogenes Verhältnis von Frauen- und Männergesang. Den summierten Vocal-Mix schickt er an Richard Redl weiter. Zusätzlich sind vierzehn Kondensatormikrofone zu Aufnahmezwecken ins Publikum gerichtet, um die Stimmung im Stadion einzufangen.
Redl erstellt an einem dLive-S7000-Mischpult aus insgesamt 36 Kanälen - einem Stereokanal pro Live-Instrumentengruppe, die Live-Stereo-Vocals und als Backup acht vorproduzierte Stereo-Spuren aus einem Qlab-System - den finalen Mix. Das Prinzip, nach dem Redl und seine Kollegen verfahren, kann theoretisch beliebig skaliert werden und wird lediglich von den logistischen Kapazitäten des Stadions beschränkt.
An einer weiteren dLive-S5000-Mischkonsole von Allen & Heath ist Felix Zwerger für den Monitorsound zuständig, wobei die Musiker der verschiedenen Instrumentengruppen jeweils einen vorproduzierten Stem hören, nicht aber das Live-Signal. Diese kommen ebenfalls wie der Klick aus der Qlab-Session vom FOH. Lediglich die Streicher bekommen zur besseren Eigenresonanz zusätzlich ihr Live-Signal beigemischt. Die Signale werden den Musikern über ein Silent-Disco-Kopfhörersystem ausgespielt.
Etwas anders verhält es sich bei den Instrumenten-Coaches, die jeweils eine Instrumentengruppe betreuen: Sie hören den Live-Monitoring-Mix über ein In-Ear-Monitoring-System, um den Live-Sound ihrer Instrumentengruppe besser beurteilen zu können. Ein weiterer Monitorweg wird für eine Tanzgruppe genutzt, die ebenfalls im Stadion zur Musik performt. Für die 16-köpfige Vorband Joker, Popup Club aus Österreich kamen weitere zwölf Monitorkanäle hinzu, die über ein In-Ear-Monitoring-System ausgespielt wurden.
Bei „The Grand Jam“ kommen insgesamt fünf verschiedene Stageboxen von Allen & Heath zum Einsatz. Alle drei dLive-S5000-Konsolen sind mit GigaAce-Karten ausgestattet, über die Signale zu den MixRack-GX48-Stageboxen übertragen werden. Die Verbindung zwischen MixRack und den dLive-Pulten erfolgt aufgrund der weiten Strecken im Stadion über Glasfaserkabel und ist redundant aufgebaut.
Michael Tischler nutzt zum Mischen von 122 Instrumenten-Kanälen an seinem dLive S5000 ein MixRack DM48, das nicht nur als Stagebox dient, sondern auch die eigentliche Mixeinheit enthält, die über das dLive-S5000-Pult gesteuert wird. Erweitert werden die Eingänge um zwei GX4816 und vier DX168-Stageboxen, die als Stagesnake angeschlossen sind. Das dLive S5000, über das Nikolaus Schweiger 110 Vocal-Kanäle mischt, besteht aus einem ähnlichen Setup mit einem MixRack DM48, einem GX4816 und sechs DX168 als Stagesnake.
Weniger physische Eingänge benötigt Richard Redl am dLive-S7000-Pult: Er nutzt ein MixRack DM48 mit 48 Eingängen, an dem diverse Kommunikationsleitungen zu einem Ü-Wagen sowie Intercom-Kanäle zur internen Kommunikation im Team angeschlossen sind; die acht Live-Stereokanäle werden hingegen über Dante in das Pult eingespeist. Außerdem sind an seinem dLive-Pult die zwei Computer angeschlossen, über die alle vorproduzierten Stems ausgespielt werden. Diese werden über MIDI vom dLive getriggert. Über den verwendeten Audio-Expander DX012 von Allen & Heath wird über die AES-Digitalausgänge die Stadion-PA angesteuert.
(Fotos: Allen & Heath/Audio-Technica)
EAW Adaptive PA system installed at Great Park Live
Pacific Coast Entertainment (PCE), live event production company and AV equipment provider in Southern California, recently provided a sound system to the newly opened Great Park Live outdoor venue in Irvine, using Anya Adaptive loudspeakers from Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW). Tom Pappanduros, production manager at PCE, led the installation of the system.
Nestled within the park’s picturesque setting, Great Park Live offers an entertainment experience for guests of all ages. This venue has been so successful that the city of Irvine will continue to invest in a permanent amphitheater, set to open in 2027. Great Park Live offers a unique acoustic challenge, though. “The venue is situated in the middle of neighborhoods”, says Pappanduros. “We needed a sound system with enough control to ensure an excellent audience experience while minimizing sound bleed into the surrounding community. We chose EAW’s Anya rig, which proved crucial in meeting these demands.”
The custom EAW sound system consists of 24 Anya boxes, twelve per side, and 24 Otto subwoofers in a centralized cluster. “The combination of these speakers allowed PCE to modify the sound based on the needs of the variety of events held at Great Park Live”, adds Pappanduros. “We’ve worked through about seven different configurations for the low-end, focusing on energy control to maximize the venue’s space while minimizing disruption to nearby homes, and the end result offers the ideal balance.”
One of the Anya system’s features is Adaptive Technology. “During one event, city officials noticed higher-than-allowed noise levels in the surrounding neighborhoods. Thanks to the Anya’s advanced control features, we quickly reduced the area’s effective size from 300 feet to 180 feet, lowering the decibel levels without disturbing the concert experience”, reports Pappanduros.
(Photos: Eastern Acoustic Works/Pacific Coast Entertainment)
Brian Courchine colorizes Pink Talking Fish with Chauvet Professional
New Hampshire-based lighting designer Brian Courchine, the LD at the Northland Music and Arts Festival, recently designed the lightshow for a sold out Pink Talking Fish concert at Infinity Hall in Hartford. Pink Talking Fish combines the music of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish, each evoking a different aura - and each lending itself to a different palette. Adding a little extra spice to this particular evening was the healthy serving of Beatles songs thrown into the set.
Following the music with his color rendering skills, Courchine immersed each song in hues that fit the sounds. “I try make a distinction between the three musical acts in the Pink Talking Fish show”, he explains. “Talking Heads is usually a more straight forward vibe. Although this band does jam out these songs, the palette I choose will stick within boundaries. On the other hand, Pink Floyd tunes can be a roller coaster. Some of their more epic songs can range anywhere from a single solo spot to an explosive, fill-the-room-with-bright-beautiful-gobos types of looks.”
“Then again, they also have straight up rock’n’roll songs like ‘Young Lust’, where I stick with the same vibe throughout”, continued Courchine. “With the Phish tunes I pretty much go on auto pilot. I’ve seen Chris Kuroda do lights for Phish so many times, I just think, ‘What would Chris Kuroda do if he still only had sixteen movers?’. The night in question also included a good amount of Beatles songs which I tried to keep a unified palette. Also, I realize everything I just said can fly out the window in the moment.”
Courchine utilized 32 Chauvet Professional Rogue fixtures to create his multi-hued show. He had eight R1 Spots and eight R1 Washes in his floor package to complement the eight R2 Spot and eight R1 Wash units in the venue’s house rig. “All my spots and washes usually end up in a line upstage”, says Courchine. “I try to keep them away from the backdrop for situations when I want to project gobos back on it. It’s helpful that PTF sets up across the downstage area, so I am never fighting for space.”
Courchine used the lighting fixtures in his rig to create a richly textured background of colorful aerial gobo patterns. “I’m not a big fan of video. I don’t want to choose the distinct image or feeling that an audience member is going to associate with a specific song”, he explains. “That being said, I have seen it done very, very well.”
“I definitely use the backdrop sparingly. The song attached to the picture with the backdrop lit was ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ by The Beatles”, he concludes. “It’s one of the more psychedelic songs I know by them, so I was going for that old-school oil projection look by just swirling a few different gobos with a prism.”
(Photos: Chauvet Professional)
CTC Events realisiert Jubiläums-Veranstaltungen der GWW Wiesbaden
CTC Events hat für die Wiesbadener Wohnbaugesellschaft GWW zwei Veranstaltungen anlässlich des 75-jährigen Jubiläums der GWW realisiert. Das Jubiläumsjahr startete mit einer Auftaktveranstaltung vor der Hauptverwaltung, an der rund 200 Mitarbeiter teilnahmen.
Geschäftsführer Thomas Keller eröffnete die Veranstaltung mit einer chronologisch aufgebauten Ansprache, die die Geschichte der GWW in Form eines Comics lebendig werden ließ. Die Zeichnungen dazu fertigte ein regional ansässiger Künstler im Auftrag von CTC Events an. Unter Begleitung einer Marching Band und Trommelwirbeln wurden Fahnen mit dem Jubiläumslogo vor dem Unternehmenssitz gehisst.
Am 13. September 2024 folgte eine exklusive Feier im Schloss Biebrich. Rund 400 Gäste, darunter Mitarbeiter, Geschäftspartner der GWW und Vertreter der Stadt Wiesbaden, genossen in den Räumlichkeiten des Schlosses und der Parkanlage ein Programm aus Musik, Show und interaktiven Aktionen. Die WISAG bot an verschiedenen Food-Ständen eine kulinarische Zeitreise an: von 1950er-Jahre-Klassikern wie Wackelpudding bis hin zu einer Insektenverkostung als Blick in die Zukunft.
Auch die Inszenierung der Dekoration und des Bühnenprogramms stellte sich als Zeitreise durch die Jahrzehnte dar. Kammermusik, Swing der 1950er-Jahre und Tanzmusik aus unterschiedlichen Epochen boten emotionale Anknüpfungspunkte für das Publikum. Durch den Abend führten die Radiomoderatoren Daniel Franzen und Leni Eckstein. Die Comic-Zeichnungen zur GWW-Geschichte wurden während des Events zugunsten des DesWos-Projektes „El Salvador“ versteigert.
(Foto: GWW)
Ed Warren serves up dramatic looks for The Last Dinner Party with ChamSys
Ed Warren designed the lighting for British glam rock/art rock quintet The Last Dinner Party’s recent European tour. The show featured a backdrop adorned with a crescent moon and velvety clouds. It was hand painted by artists Beth Quinton, then scanned and digitally printed on to cloth with a definition so fine that it looks like a highly textured hand painted work.
Warren accented this backdrop with a variety of lighting effects that shaded the image it projected. At other times, he blocked it out altogether with outpourings of light. “Just because a backdrop is there doesn’t mean you need to light it the whole time”, he observes. “A blackout moment is good to change the dynamics and stage depth within the show. Then when the backdrop is lit again next time it pops even more.”
Warren programmed his design on various ChamSys setups, mostly at his studio on his MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console. “Sometimes, I programmed at other show venues where I had a desk in front of me with a bit of spare time, as well as on long haul flights on my laptop”, he shares.
Franki McDade was running Warren’s show live on tour using the ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console. She states that the Group Cues feature of her console were particularly important on the tour, as there were four variations of the rig for different sized venues.
Before this tour, McDade hadn’t worked with a ChamSys console in quite some time. “Everyone at ChamSys was really supportive in getting Franki back into the swing of things”, says Warren. “Early on, I sent her the show file and Visualiser in advance for her to get her head into things. Then a couple of days before the tour started, she spent two days at ChamSys in Southampton where they set everything up for her and walked her through all the new features such as Group Cues, FX Palettes and the Timeline.”
“Given the theatrical nature of the band, spotlighting played a big role in the show”, adds Warren. “The lead singer (Abigal Morris) rarely stays in one place, so it’s important to pick her out wherever she is.”
(Photos: Luke Dyson)
Datum Creative and Elation Pulse Bar pay tribute to NYC skyline at We Belong Here
We Belong Here has been uniting EDM lovers on Miami’s Virginia Key Beach for the past three years and has now hosted their first-ever festival experience in New York City amid Central Park’s greenery and panoramic skyline views. Held October 4-6 at historic Wollman Rink, design collective Datum Creative created an immersive 360-degree experience for festival-goers, including a visual tribute to the city’s skyline using Elation Pulse Bar strobe and effect lights.
The We Belong Here festival, known for its “no video” policy, provided Datum Creative the opportunity to design a stage that was as visually impactful as the panoramic views surrounding it. On the southern end of Central Park, the lighting and production team utilized a series of 26 staggered truss towers lined with Pulse Bars to mimic the verticality of New York’s skyline.
Datum Creative wanted to do more than simply mirror the surrounding high-rises. “We didn’t want to just copy the skyline, but rather give it a nod”, says David Singleton, Creative Director at Datum Creative. “We’re based in New York, so we often went on-site with pen and paper to sketch out designs - that’s how it was originally conceived.”
With performances by headliners Kaskade, Fisher, and Monolink, along with other acts, the event’s signature 360° stage allowed attendees to encircle the stage and immerse themselves in the festival’s atmosphere. “You’re not just looking at the stage all the time but moving through the space”, says Singleton. “We created a truss circle system with custom 40-ft diameter roof that organizers will now use on all We Belong Here shows.” Gracing the circle truss were Elation Proteus Maximus and Proteus Rayzor 760 fixtures.
“Our approach was all about creating something dynamic that could work both day and night”, adds Singleton. “You’re not going to see any beams until it is dark, so we thought of how we could do something interesting visually that would also work during the day. That’s where the Pulse Bars came into play. We ran effects pixel for pixel, using about 78 universes to create layers of effects that were visible throughout the day and into the night.”
The staggered heights of the truss towers (the tallest at 24 feet), filled with Pulse Bars, wrapped around the stage in a 180-degree array that followed the natural shape of the rink itself. “Their versatility - whether used as blinders, strobes, or simple background lighting - was key to maintaining the aesthetic of the show throughout the entire day.”
In collaboration with Technical Arts Group (TAG), the lighting vendor for the project, Datum Creative used 120 Pulse BarS, both long and short versions, to achieve their vision. The gear’s IP65 rating ensured that all lighting fixtures could withstand outdoor elements, a crucial factor given the event’s rain-or-shine policy. TAG provided all production materials for the show, including the sound, lighting, staging, and structure, along with all lead department staff.
“With only sixty hours from trucks unloading to the first guest entering the venue, we needed to make sure we had a 24-hour team of leadership there getting things built and completed quickly and efficiently”, states TAG owner Kevin Mignone. “Our team spent weeks leading up to the show in prep and pre-production, fine-tuning every detail of the schedule and gear to ensure the deployment could happen within the timeframe we had.”
The Proteus Maximus units served as workhorse beam fixtures with gobos and were placed in various locations around the site to create layered visuals. The Proteus Rayzor 760 fixtures were used primarily as keylights and to define the circle truss, all run in pixel mode to generate eye-candy looks throughout the event.
“We’re always thinking outside the box with multi-layered and multi-dimensional designs”, says Singleton. “The Maximus and Rayzor 760 gave us the flexibility to achieve both symmetrical and asymmetrical looks. It’s important to give lighting designers something different to work with, and the variety we created on this stage made it a really fun project.” Datum’s Brandon Jeffries served as the on-site lead, while Renzo Cubus took charge as the lead programmer, handling the majority of the show’s lighting operation.
(Photos: Datum Creative)
Rodger Pugh and Craig Richter light Halestorm shows with Chauvet
When lighting designer Rodger Pugh, his co-designer Craig Richter, and production manager Joey Dileo began working on the lighting for Halestorm’s current tour, they collectively developed a clear vision for the show’s final design, coming up with a concept that was “somewhere between an ‘80s rock show and a ‘90s high school prom”.
Marked by an intense flow of bold visual eruptions, the lightshow is a screaming testament to an era when hard rock and alt metal bands like Halestorm were rattling the music world to its core. However, at other times, there is a softer, more reflective quality to the lightshow, one with rich welcoming looks that would be right at home during romantic moments at a prom in the ‘90s.
“For a rock show, you naturally want those big, punchy, high-energy moments, but we also wanted to give the audience room to breathe during the softer, more introspective parts”, says Pugh. “For the high-energy, punchy parts, we leaned into bold, saturated colors - like deep reds, electric blues, and intense purples - to give the space a sense of urgency and power. At other points we went with more subtle tones. With this tour, we tried to balance the two elements.” Working with Dileo production design, Pugh and Richter achieved this with help from 48 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Bandit Lites.
“We used eight Nexus panels beneath the drummer, which gave us a powerful, rich saturation of light”, continues Pugh. “The drummer is a central part of the performance, so it was crucial that this area remains a focal point. These panels made that possible, allowing us to highlight the drummer in a bold, visually striking way.”
Pugh, Richter and the production team (Sam Morgan and Van Boer) also called upon forty Colordash Accent 3 LED washes to generate visual intensity and underscore a range of moods during the show. The team positioned these compact RGBA fixtures under each riser tier. “This setup under the risers creates a dynamic pixel grid that adds depth to the stage visuals”, says Pugh. “We are using them to play with a wide range of effects, from subtle shifts to more intricate patterns, giving us the flexibility to create visuals that complement the music in creative and unexpected ways. The combination of these fixtures gave us a layered, immersive design that enhanced the entire visual experience of the show.”
Also adding depth to the show were the design’s special light angles and the resultant long shadows. “For this show, I really wanted to explore dynamic shadows and highlights, which gave the performers more texture and presence on stage”, concludes Pugh. “It also helped build a sense of mystery and movement - sometimes the angles would highlight specific moments, almost like framing a scene in a movie, and other times they created more abstract visuals.”
(Photos: Alison Northway)
Flo Herkert chooses Klang:Vokal+ for Naomi Jon tour
Naomi Jon is a YouTuber with over eight million followers across her social media channels, and also an accomplished singer-songwriter. Her first major headline tour has sold out music halls and concert venues across Germany and there are more dates being added, with international venues promised.
Jon’s sound engineer is Flo Herkert, who has been working with her since her first ever gig. Herkert is responsible for the front of house mix and also oversees the on-stage monitor mix. He bought Germany’s first Klang:Konduktor immersive in-ear-monitoring system in 2017, followed by a Klang:Vokal system and is now using his Klang:Vokal+ system with a DiGiCo SD11i for the “Villain Of Your Dreams” tour.
“I’ve always been interested in new technologies and Klang immediately caught my attention”, he says. “I attended a presentation and training session where I met Phil Kamp. We quickly became firm friends and have even toured together, using Klang:Fabrik in our set-up. I recently upgraded to the Klang:Vokal+. It’s great to run 64 channels in a 1U package, and it’s the perfect fit for our production with Naomi Jon.”
“There is a lot of interaction between Naomi and the fans, so the ambient mics are important”, continues Herkert. “While the audience can be unbelievably loud, it is crucial not to allow the mics to overpower her mix. With Klang, I can lower the ambient mics in volume but place them up-front in the focus zone, raising them a slight touch upwards.”
Herkert has chosen to use his DiGiCo SD11i console with Klang:Vokal+ to simplify the workflow. With this setup he can concentrate on his FOH mix, while Klang directly integrates with the console. The IEM mixes are not limited to Naomi Jon - they can also be enjoyed by the support act, backline team, choreographers and the lighting designer. “I send all the channels, FX returns and talkback direct-out via MADI into the Klang:Vokal+”, explains Herkert. “I then have all the mixes returned via Merge Input on the corresponding AUX Master in the console. I use an iPad to remotely control the Klang:App and also use it as a ‘Klang:Meterbridge’.”
“All artists love the space and the transparency of Klang and my set-ups work for any situation”, he concludes. “My largest is a DiGiCo Quantum 225 console plus Klang:Konduktor (with 2 x MADI BNC DMI) for when I need more than 64 inputs.”
(Photos: Tom Gross/Markus Haner/Flo Herkert)
Peter Maffay mit Equipment von Sennheiser auf Abschiedstournee
Mit der „We love Rock’n‘Roll“-Farewell-Tour füllten Peter Maffay und Band im Sommer 2024 Deutschlands größte Open-Air-Arenen. Dabei kamen digitale und analoge Sennheiser-Drahtlossysteme zum Einsatz. Neben Digital-6000-Systemen und anderen Wireless-Lösungen wurden während der Shows auch Komponenten aus der neuen Serie EW-DX verwendet.
Premiere bei einer Tournee von Peter Maffay hatten zwei EW-DX-EM-4-Dante-Vierkanal-Empfänger. Mit EW-DX-SK-3-Pin-Taschensendern waren unter anderem die Holz- und Blechblasinstrumente, ein Akkordeon sowie Gitarren von Pascal Kravetz und Showgästen versehen.
Während bei früheren Maffay-Tourneen lediglich ein einzelner EM-6000-Doppelempfänger (Gesang Maffay und Spare) zum Einsatz kam, griffen während der Farewell-Tour auch Anastacia (Gesang und Spare) sowie wechselnde Gastsänger (Johannes Oerding, Joy Denalane, Rea Garvey, Wolfgang Niedecken, Bülent Ceylan, Hartmut Engler) auf Drahtlostechnik aus der Wedemark zurück. Insgesamt drei EM-6000-Receiver und damit sechs Kanäle waren verfügbar.
Peter Maffay und die Chorsängerinnen hatten MM-435-Mikrofonmodule (Niere) auf ihren Handsendern, während die Stimmen von Anastacia und anderen musikalischen Gästen mit dynamischen MM-445-Kapseln (Superniere) abgenommen wurden. Die zu den SKM-6000-Handsendern gehörenden Akkus wurden in einer netzwerkfähigen L-6000-Ladestation mit Energie versorgt.
Ihre Monitorsignale erhielten die Akteure drahtlos über vierzehn SR-2050-IEM-Stereo-Transmitter. Auch die Backline-Techniker wurden mit acht Strecken versorgt, auf denen sie jeweils den Mix ihres „Schützlings“ hörten. Auf diesen Strecken wurde auch untereinander kommuniziert, ohne dass die jeweiligen Musiker dadurch gestört wurden. Als Antennen für die IEM-Systeme dienten zwei zirkular polarisierte Wendelantennen (A 5000-CP), die durch eine überdimensionale Karottenattrappe auffielen, welche Bühnenbildner Michael Haufe vor Jahren für eine „Tabaluga“-Tournee angefertigt hatte - im „Möhrenmikrofon“ versteckte sich damals ein SKM-2000-Handsender.
Die Gitarristen Peter Keller und Pascal Kravetz sowie Bassist Ken Taylor nutzten Funkstrecken aus der Serie Evolution Wireless. Multi-Instrumentalistin Charlie Klauser trug drei Beltpacks: neben dem In-Ear-Empfänger zwei Sender SK 500, die die Percussion-Signale von an ihren Händen befestigten MKE-2-Ansteckmikrofonen übertrugen. Auch der Klang einer von Charlie Klauser gespielten Violine wurde mit einer EW-500-Funkstrecke übertragen.
Den Einsatz der dynamischen Mikrofonkapsel MM 435 hatte FOH-Mischer Timo Hollmann schon lange vor Beginn der Farewell-Tour angeregt. Er hatte die MM 435 zuvor mit zahlreichen Newcomer-Bands in verschiedenen Clubs getestet. „Es handelt sich um eine dynamische Kapsel, die robust genug für den Touring-Einsatz ist, dennoch aber wie eine Kondensatorkapsel klingt“, so Hollmann.
Zu Kommunikationszwecken nutzte Hollmann auf der Farewell-Tour ein modifiziertes E-835-S-Mikrofon, dessen Rastschalter durch einen Non-Latching-Switch ersetzt wurde und nun nach dem Push-to-Talk-Prinzip funktioniert. Während der Show verwendete Hollmann einen geschlossenen Neumann-NDH-20-Kopfhörer. Bei den Proben legte er an seiner Digitalkonsole den gesamten Mix unter Verwendung des NDH 20 an.
An einem eher ungewöhnlichen Einsatzort kam bei der Farewell-Tour ein Neumann-Miniature-Clip-Mic-System, das an einem Sennheiser-EW-DX-SK-3-PIN-Taschensender betrieben wurde, zum Einsatz: Peter Maffay fuhr zum Auftakt der Show in Lederkluft mit einer schwarzen Harley-Davidson auf die Bühne. Um das Motorrad-Sondermodell akustisch in Szene zu setzen, hatte Wireless-Spezialist Florian Keinert eine Miniatur-Kondensatorkapsel MCM KK 14 mit Gummibändern oberhalb des Auspuffs befestigt.
Die Kapsel war zum Schutz gegen Regen von oben mit einem Stück Plastikfolie abgedeckt, das Keinert mit schwarzem Gaffa-Tape fixiert hatte. Der SK-Sender steckte in einer Schutztasche, die mit starken Gummibändern an der eigentlich für das Nummernschild vorgesehenen Platte befestigt wurde. Für Erheiterung sorgte der Kanalname „Moped“, der auf der permanenten Anzeige des Transmitters und auf dem OLED-Empfänger-Display zu lesen war. Mit KK-14-Kapseln wurden zudem die Holz- und Blechblasinstrumente sowie ein Akkordeon abgenommen.
Für Scans der HF-Umgebung nutzte Keinert Winradio-Hard- und Software. Darüber hinaus kam der Sennheiser Wireless Systems Manager für die permanente Echtzeitkontrolle aller relevanten Parameter zum Einsatz. Da die digitalen Sennheiser-Drahtlossysteme intermodulationsfrei arbeiten, habe Keinert sie „praktisch überall“ in einem freien Bereich des in Frage kommenden Frequenzspektrums unterbringen können.
„Ich nutze das äquidistante Raster - die digitalen Strecken passen allesamt in einen Fernsehkanal“, erläutert er. „Die analogen In-Ear-Drahtlosstrecken arbeiten in den Frequenzbereichen GW und BW, die Instrumentensender der EW-Funkstrecken habe ich im Bereich A und weit oben im Bereich E angeordnet. Insgesamt ist mein Arbeitsbereich für die drahtlose Übertragung von Audiosignalen also recht groß, weshalb ich problemlos ausweichen kann, sofern es die Situation am Auftrittsort erfordert. Mit zwei Sennheiser-A-2003-UHF und zwei A-5000 CP kann ich alle Aktionsbereiche der Künstler abdecken.“
Bertram Engel, auch bekannt als Schlagzeuger von Udo Lindenberg, setzte bei Peter Maffays Farewell-Tour erneut Mikrofone aus dem Portfolio von Sennheiser ein. Er spielte mit zwei Kickdrums, von denen das 28’’-Modell mit einem E 902, einem MD 421 und einer E-901-Grenzfläche mikrofoniert war, während das 24’’-Gegenstück mit einem E 902 und einem E 901 auskam.
Die Snaredrum wurde von oben und von unten mikrofoniert, um sowohl den Attack des Schlagfells wie auch das charakteristische Rascheln des Snare-Teppichs in allen Nuancen einfangen zu können. Diese Aufgabe übernahmen zwei dynamische Sennheiser E 905 (nierenförmige Richtcharakteristik). Die kleinen Tom-Toms wurden mit E 904, die Floortoms mit E 902 bestückt. Für die Overhead-Mikrofonierung setzte Drumtech Benjamin „Benji“ Johl zwei MK-8-Doppelmembran-Kondensatormikrofone ein. Dauerpolarisierte E-914-Kondensatormikrofone mit aufgesetzten Schaumstoff-Windschirmen kamen bei den Live-Konzerten für die beiden Hi-Hats zum Einsatz.
„Mit der ‘We love Rock’n’Roll’-Farewell-Tour konnte sich Peter Maffay von rund 250.000 Konzertgästen in ganz Deutschland persönlich verabschieden und hat ihnen mit seiner besonderen Song-Auswahl unvergessliche Momente beschert“, resümiert Sennheisers Relations Manager Thomas Holz. „Ich freue mich, dass er und seine Band bei ihrer großen Abschiedstournee wie schon in der Vergangenheit auf Lösungen von Sennheiser vertraut haben.“
„Die Karriere von Peter Maffay ist eine beispiellose Erfolgsgeschichte, und als Künstler ist er eine Ausnahmeerscheinung in der deutschen Musiklandschaft“, so Holz weiter. „Ob als Rockstar, ‘Tabaluga’-Drachenpapa oder soziales Vorbild: Wir wünschen Peter Maffay für seinen neuen Lebensabschnitt alles Gute und bedanken uns für die jahrzehntelange Live-Partnerschaft mit Sennheiser.“
Fotos: Peter Maffay; Florian Keinert; Thomas Holz, Benjamin Johl und Timo Hollmann. (Fotocredits: Sennheiser)
22live deploys new Martin Audio subwoofer system design at Creamfields North
Sound production company 22live returned to the Creamfields North site on Daresbury Estate, in the Cheshire countryside, where they made their debut last year on one of the stages. With ten stages set for the four-day dance music festival, the Martin Audio rental partner this year doubled its account.
22live were entrusted with delivering sound for a second stage in a large-scale Big Top. This was in addition to the 14,000-capacity Steel Yard stage which they also equipped last year. This industrial superstructure was described as the largest in Europe when originally designed by Acorn Events.
Boasting a large overhead video screen, Steel Yard comes into its own after 1 a.m. on the Saturday night, when it runs through to 4 a.m., and this year saw electronic music icon Eric Prydz headlining. 22live director Paul Timmins oversaw the sound system installation - both of this and the #3 stage, renewing his long acquaintance with event production company LarMac Live.
Noting the natural rake of around six metres over the 110 m distance to the downstage edge, Timmins’ concern was fitting a new sub design within the heavily populated tech built into the front of the structure. “Unlike conventional rock festivals, at Creamfields a high SPL is required all the time”, he says. “For this type of event you need high impact, so we changed what had been a broadside sub array to a spaced cardioid array to create greater impact, although I realised we would sacrifice a bit of controllability and risked a bit more low-end offsite. Whereas for certain other outdoor events, controllability and offsite noise is probably top priority you have to design to suit the event, and DJs at this level often ask about the subs. Although there are still noise propagation and offsite considerations, with ten stages working together it’s a collective responsibility.”
22live deployed twenty-four SXHF 218 subs in eight ground stacks of three, under a flown WPL line array, sixteen elements per side as the main hangs. A further four SXHF 218s (two a side) were flown at the top of the delay towers, each comprising eight Martin Audio WPL, set around 70 metres back. The system was designed by system tech Sam Millen - who operated in the same role last year - and 22live Technical Director Simon Gladstone.
Paul Timmins’ other concern was working within the parameters of the superstructure - particularly being able to accommodate an extra stratum of subwoofers (last year the broadside design was only two high). “The Acorn structure is like a hangar, containing a lot of production in terms of moving lights and video”, he explains. “Since there are weight restrictions, you have to work with a ground-based sub solution. And since the entire back of the stage is a video screen, effectively everything has to go out wide to avoid obscuring sightlines and detracting from the artistic element.”
Thus 22live made sure to be able to recess the spaced sub array under the stage, since the pit was already heavily populated with confetti cannons, pyro and CO2. LarMac Live and their technical production manager Alex Mackie had been accommodating in this regard. “As a result, we managed to squeeze an extra six or eight inches height which was just sufficient to get all the subs, three high under the stage.” Sam Millen worked with the Display software’s “Hard Avoid” feature inside. “The room is reflective, with a silvery stage covering, so we had to keep the sound off the side and especially off the back wall”, says Timmins.
Torus T1230s were designated for nearfield coverage. “But that also provided challenges; because of the increased height of the stage (the audience) was having to look upwards; therefore anything on the front edge of the stage would have obscured the video.” In the event they located the four Torus boxes in the pit on stands. Completing the soundscape, twelve WPS enclosures were used as in- and out-fills.
Set in a large Big Top, Stage #3 presented less of a challenge for 22live. Here they flew two hangs of twelve WPL, underpinned by a further spaced array of sixteen SXHF218 subs, in eight stacks of two - and this time no delays were required. All main passive PA systems on both stages were powered by Martin Audio iKon multi-channel DSP amplifiers in 1-box resolution, with the delays in Steel Yard run in 2-box res.
Crew boss for both stages was Nick Jackson, with Sam Millen system teching Steel Yard and Neil Winterbottom doing likewise on Stage #3.
(Photos: Geoffrey Hubbel/LarMac Live)
John Summit’s “Comfort in Chaos” show at Madison Square Garden taps Ayrton Rivale and Domino fixtures
Ayrton Rivale and Domino lighting fixtures and GrandMA3 full-size consoles played a key role in DJ John Summit’s sold-out, five-and-a-half hour show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Chicago-based LEC was the lighting vendor for the performance, the kickoff of Summit’s “Comfort in Chaos” tour. The show, which also was broadcast on YouTube, follows the release of Summit’s debut album.
Jason Baeri, who served as the show’s Lighting and Co-Production Designer with Creative Director James Klein of Aeon Point, has an almost ten-year history of using Ayrton fixtures and is believed to have been the first Ayrton MagicPanel user in the US. Manuel “Manny” Conde, the Associate Lighting Designer and Programmer, also has many years’ experience working with Ayrton products, with Diablos and Huracáns consistent performers at his gigs.
The overall look of Summit’s show was layered with a large array of looks presented throughout more than 100 songs in three acts. “The lighting rig had to be flexible enough to expand and contract over time to give different looks over the five-and-a-half hours of the show”, says Baeri. The 20-fixture Domino layer “was designed as an omnipresent guide light”, he furthers. “John performed on a floating platform, and Dominos were placed below his riser for an underglow and upstage for silhouette and aerial looks.”
Summit’s show marked the first time that Baeri used Ayrton Rivales. “They were the workhorse of the rig with 50 on the floor, 100 in the air and a few more scattered as key lights”, he says. Baeri and Conde jointly decided to use three active and one spare GrandMA3 full-size consoles running in MA3 software mode for lighting control. “They excel at the ability to deal with a large number of fixtures”, notes Baeri. “In addition to the Ayrtons, we had a couple of hundred pixel lines with hundreds of thousands of parameters, which were programmed on the system.” Conde has been using MA3 software exclusively for about two-and-a-half years.
Destin Klug was the additional Lighting Programmer for Summit’s show.
(Photos: Alive Coverage/Chris Lazzaro)
Flair Event Services chooses Robe
Flair Event Services, based in Dubai, designs and delivers full technical production for a range of projects - corporates, industrials, concerts, clubs, social events and more - throughout the UAE and across the Middle East region. Robe products are specified for around 85 percent of Flair’s designs.
The team - currently nearly 70 full-time - also engages in consultancy work and is headed by managing director Sameer “Sam” Rahman who has been in the industry since he was a teenager. He started working in a theatre in Dubai when at high school as well as DJ’ing and running his own lightshows.
Rahman is now an award-winning lighting designer who has worked worldwide on a diversity of shows. He is Flair’s head of lighting - and responsible for all investments - as well as MD of the company and is a big advocate for Robe. Flair has Robe MegaPointes, Spiider LED washbeams and LEDBeam 150s in its inventory plus access to large dry hire inventories of other Robe models which they are planning to replace with their own stock.
Flair’s head of Technical Marno Snyman joined in 2022. He oversees ninety percent of the shows, and in South Africa he worked on large projects like the SAMAs (South African Music Awards) and TV productions like “Strictly”, all with plenty of Robe.
Pictured: Elie Battah, MD of Robe Middle East, on the left with Flair’s MD Sameer “Sam” Rahman. (Photo: Louise Stickland/Paul Clarke)
David Guetta’s “Monolith” show in Valencia lit with Ayrton Cobra
On July 25, 2024, David Guetta combined his electronic sounds with visual effects during his four-hour show “The Monolith” at the Ciutat de València Stadium, captivating an audience of more than 18,000. “The Monolith” solidified its status as Guetta’s premier show in Spain, an exclusive production crafted specifically for this event.
The large-scale set design integrated the latest technology, with every detail being synchronized for a mix of immersive sounds and a visual display of laser lights and special effects. The show also included pyrotechnics. The event was produced by Global Live Entertainment SL. Fluge Audiovisuales was responsible for supplying the technical equipment.
The stage setup included a giant LED screen with a cube-shaped design that ruled the stage. Twenty-four Ayrton Cobra laser-sourced fixtures projected beams of light that danced in the air and sky, with the laser effects conjuring a futuristic ambiance. The lights’ rapid movement and direction changes aimed to create the illusion of the light itself dancing to Guetta’s rhythm.
(Photos: Globaly Live)
Coda Audio system chosen for Volkswagen event in Beijing
During the recent Beijing Autoshow, the Volkswagen Group presented product highlights at the city’s Phoenix Media Centre. Live-streamed around the world, with the unveiling of new models from Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Ducati, the Volkswagen Group Media Night celebrated forty years of Volkswagen presence in China in front of a large audience of Volkswagen Group executives, management representatives, and other business partners.
The live show, in which the cars were the stars, demanded audio for both music playback and speech presentation. Production specialist Tongbo was engaged by Creative Audio Visual Equipment Trading of Shanghai to supply the audio package. Tongbo installed and supported a Coda Audio system designed by Oliver Tschotow.
The main system comprised left, centre, and right clusters of N-Aps (twelve in total) complemented by two Hops8i as infills. A further thirteen Hops8i were ceiling-mounted as delays, with two more deployed as monitors alongside two Hops12. Four Hops5 were used as delays at the rear of the auditorium. The overall system was supported by twelve SCP subs and powered by Coda Audio DSP amplification using three Linus T-Racks and and a single Linus M-Rack.
(Photos: Coda Audio/Creative Audio Visual Equipment Trading, Shanghai/Tongbo/Volkswagen Group)
Adam Robinson and Cameron Manes optimize sonic performance for Jonas Brothers with Sound Devices A20-Nexus
In August of 2023, the Jonas Brothers launched an expansive world tour that has seen them playing hits from their entire discography at major venues across the globe. FOH Engineer Adam Robinson and Audio Systems Engineer Cameron Manes spearhead the audio elements of the shows.
Given that the tour would be visiting a very wide range of venues, Robinson and Manes were eager to develop an optimized methodology to getting the most consistent sonic performance in each venue. The pair adopted the Sound Devices A20-Nexus receiver and its new Test and Measurement Mode to streamline this approach.
Although the testing and measurement process - a careful check that ensures all audio systems are responding predictably in each venue - is an important part of any large audio production, its purpose is frequently misunderstood even by professionals in the field. Ensuring consistent performance from speaker systems can be the difference between a successful performance or a disastrous one.
“The key word in all of this is consistency”, explains Manes. “What many people don’t understand is that it takes a trained ear to recognize if the system is reacting differently in different parts of the room. It may ‘sound good’ somewhere, but if the entire system isn’t providing a similar sounding experience to every seat of the house, then the show can be a failure.”
Adding to the potential pressure on large productions is that oftentimes testing and measurement can be a rushed affair given how long it can take to set up the proper equipment. For Manes, this is something that drove him and Robinson to think differently about how to streamline the process for this tour. “We really only have about thirty minutes to conduct this process in each venue”, says Manes. “Finding ways of doing it more efficiently and getting better results was something we were always in search of as it’s very important for the final product. When Sound Devices added T+M mode to the A20-Nexus, we immediately signed up to be beta testers because we saw the opportunity to completely overhaul the process for the better.”
The basis of Robinson’s FOH rig for the tour is the DiGiCo Quantum 7 console and D&B KSL line arrays supplied by longtime partner Clair Global. The measurement system that he and Manes devised utilized four Sound Devices A20-TX wireless transmitters paired with Isemcon EMX-7150 microphones and an A20-Nexus receiver that ties in via Dante to a DirectOut Prodigy.MP system controller, providing system management and output routing as well as feeding the test signals to Rational Acoustics Smaart measurement software.
The ability to work wirelessly proved to be a game changer. “Most wireless measurement systems up until this point simply didn’t give accurate enough results as they would impart something incorrect on the measurements in terms of frequency and phase shift”, says Robinson. “With the Sound Devices T+M Modulation Algorithm, there is no frequency or phase shift, so we were getting the exact same measurements we’d get from a wired microphone but with much more flexibility in terms of speed and placement.”
“We have a habit of bringing new electronic toys on each tour that we do together”, adds Manes. “The A20-Nexus was one of them - but it totally changed how we work, and our hats are off to Sound Devices for creating something that’s become so essential to us so quickly.”
(Photos: Sound Devices)
DPA supplies sound for Conservatorium Maastricht’s graduation showcase
Conservatorium Maastricht, an international conservatory, is one of nine music academies in the Netherlands. With goals to set its musicians in motion, the school enables its students to achieve their ambitions in various musical fields through theoretical and practical approaches to artistic development and performance, along with cross-departmental activities, elective courses and professional development.
At the end of each year, Conservatorium Maastricht holds a graduation showcase, where students present their final projects. This event allows graduates to demonstrate what they have learned and their capabilities as musicians, composers and/or producers. This year, the event was held at Muziekgieterij, a local concert hall that was tasked with handling the technical aspects, which included providing sound for the show.
To achieve this, Muziekgieterij Technical Manager Ernst Jan Hölscher and the conservatory’s organizer Luke Mitchell turned to Amptec Professional Audio Solutions, which supplied the venue with nearly thirty different mics from DPA Microphones, with the help of DPA Specialist Steve Haesevoets.
Among the DPA solutions used for the academy’s final performances were seventeen 4099 Instrument Microphones, the Extreme SPL versions of which were deployed for four trumpets, four trombones, three toms and the bottom snare, while five Loud SPL versions were utilized for the saxophones. For the remainder of the drum kit, Amptec selected the DPA 4055 Kick Drum Microphone for the kick, 2012 Compact Cardioid on snare top and a pair of 2015 Wide Cardioids as overheads on the hi-hats, with an additional two for the remaining percussion.
To round out the stage, Amptec also deployed the D:facto Vocal Microphones for the singers, 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioids for the bass and guitar amps and a pair of 4011 Cardioid Condensers on piano, which were further supported by a pair of 4099 microphones.
(Photos: DPA Microphones/Watchkraft.com)
Concept K lights Solidays main stage with 100 Elation SOL I Blinders
Creative design practice Concept K employed 100 Elation SOL I Blinders at the Solidays Festival in Paris at the end of June 2024, one of the first uses in Europe of the creative blinder and effect light. Lighting supply was by Dushow, a festival provider for many years, with lighting design by Frédéric “Aldo” Fayard of Concept K.
Solidays is an annual music festival held at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. Organized by Solidarité sida, it brings together more than 150 artists and 170,000 festival-goers for three days with proceeds going to organizations fighting HIV/AIDS.
Fayard, founder and artistic director of Concept K, used the SOL I Blinders for the festival’s main stage. “Lighting designers have been looking for a source capable of replacing the FL650, and the SOL I from Elation is the answer to this request”, he says.
In addition to being used as a blinder, Concept K plans to use the SOL I for décor lighting purposes. “It will certainly find its place in many other uses”, concludes Fayard.
(Photos: Concept K/Elation/Your Wolf Agency)
LLeyendecker Eventsolutions setzt bei OMR Festival erstmalig iForte LTX von Robe ein
Das OMR Festival ist die größte Zusammenkunft von Führungskräften aus Digitalwirtschaft, Medien und Marketing in Europa. Gemessen an der Besucherzahl zählt es zu den größten Branchenevents weltweit: Im Jahr 2024 besuchten rund 67.000 Menschen das OMR Festival in Hamburg.
Das zweitägige Event bietet der Marketing- und Digitalszene ein Programm aus Konferenz, Masterclasses, Side Events und Expo. Auf sechs Bühnen diskutieren rund 800 Referenten über die aktuellen Trends und Entwicklungen - darunter Branchen-Experten, Digital-Entscheider, Gründer und Investoren. Beim OMR24 zählten dazu unter anderen Kim Kardashian, Kara Swisher, Tim Ferriss, Jeff Koons, Rick Rubin sowie die Bundesminister Robert Habeck und Christian Lindner.
Die Red Stage gehört zu den größten Bühnen auf dem OMR Festival. In diesem Jahr wurde sie erneut vom OMR Content Partner Vodafone präsentiert. Auf ihr finden tagsüber Keynotes und Panels mit nationalen und internationalen Experten statt; abends können die Besucher Live-Konzerten beiwohnen. Die Gestaltung der Bühne muss daher beiden Nutzungen gerecht werden. LLeyendecker Eventsolutions ist bereits seit einigen Jahren technischer Dienstleister für die Red Stage und die Masterclasses und setzt zahlreiche Robe-Produkte ein - neu in diesem Jahr unter anderem zwei iForte LTX als FollowSpot, neben 74 iFortes und 78 MegaPointes.
Als Lichtdesigner war, wie auch in den Vorjahren, Sebastian „Seba“ Jakob für die Gestaltung der Bühne zuständig. „Ich habe den iForte LTX das erste Mal auf dem Robe LD Summit im Januar dieses Jahres gesehen“, sagt er. „Das Konzept, einen Scheinwerfer auf den Markt zu bringen, der sowohl den Robe BMFL Washbeam als auch den Robe BMFL Follow LT auf Basis von LED-Technologie ersetzen kann, hat mich sofort angesprochen. Als mir dann die Firma LLeyendecker Eventsolutions erzählte, dass sie in iForte LTX investiert hat, wollte ich die Geräte unbedingt beim OMR Festival als Verfolger ausprobieren.“
(Fotos: Lleyendecker Eventsolutions/Hannah Wilde)
Inklusives Tanzprojekt „Babylon“ mit LD Systems und Cameo inszeniert
Im Großen Sendesaal des Hessischen Rundfunks (HR) standen in diesem Sommer beim inklusiven Tanzprojekt „Babylon - Miteinander reden ist Gold“ der Lorenz-Stiftung insgesamt 150 Personen - Profis und Amateure, Menschen mit und ohne Behinderung - auf der Bühne. Das Live-Event mit Bildern und Musik wurde vom Technik-Team der eCon GmbH und einem Ton- und Licht-Setup von LD Systems und Cameo unterstützt.
„Babylon - Miteinander reden ist Gold“ erzählt eine alte, biblische Geschichte, angepasst an die Herausforderungen der modernen Zeit: fehlendes Verständnis und schwindendes Miteinander in Zeiten von Digitalisierung, Algorithmen und Fake News. Auf diese Verständigungsprobleme reagierte das „Babylon“-Projekt unter der Leitung des Regisseurs und Tanzpädagogen Miguel-Angel Zermeño mit universellen „Sprachen“, die alle verstehen: Tanz, Musik und Bewegung.
Für die Beschallung nutzte eCon als Technischer Generaldienstleister ein LD-Systems-Maila-XXL-Line-Array-Groundstack-System, das im Sendesaal gleich mehrere Vorteile bot: „Der HR-Sendesaal ist wie ein Theater konzipiert, mit ebenerdiger Bühne und ansteigender Bestuhlung“, erläutert Moritz Stüve. „Im hinteren Bereich blicken die Zuschauer demnach von oben auf die Bühne herunter, so dass wir ein möglichst schlankes Beschallungssystem brauchten, um die Sicht so wenig wie möglich zu beeinträchtigen.“
Zudem musste das System in der Lage sein, den langgestreckten Raum gleichmäßig und ohne den Einsatz von Delay-Lines abzudecken. Für den Tieftonbereich konfigurierte eCon zwei Maila-Subs pro Seite als Cardiod-System. Für die Inszenierung und das dynamische Bühnengeschehen musste das Team darüber hinaus ein Lichtsetup finden, das bei begrenztem Platz die nötige gestalterische Freiheit bot.
Hier erwies sich der Cameo-Azor-S2-Spot-Moving-Head als kompakte und gleichzeitig lichtstarke Lampe für Gobo-Projektionen und Gegenlichter. Als klassisches Frontlicht kam der Azor-SP2-Spot-Profile-Moving-Head zum Einsatz, um mit seinen integrierten Blendenschiebern für mehr Tiefe auf der Bühne zu sorgen. „Mit der Kombination aus Azor S2 und Azor SP2 brauchten wir uns keine Gedanken um die Farbabstimmung der einzelnen Fixtures zu machen“, sagt Stüve.
Auch die Zenit-Serie kam bei „Babylon - Miteinander reden ist Gold“ zum Einsatz. Während die Zenit-W600-SMD-LED-Wash-Lights sowohl als Flächenleuchten und Gassenlichter wie auch als Strobes und Effektlichter mit individueller Pixelansteuerung verwendet wurden, dienten die Zenit B200 als Spezialisten für die besonderen Anforderungen der Produktion: „Da bei ‘Babylon’ auch Rollstuhlfahrer mitwirkten, durften wir auf der Bühne keine Strom- und Signalkabel und auch keine Kabelbrücken verlegen“, erklärt Stüve. „Aus diesem Grund setzten wir die akku- und W-DMX-fähigen Zenit B200 immer dann ein, wenn in Szenen einzelne, mobile Lichtakzente erforderlich waren.“
„Hier kommt so viel zusammen, was unser Herz berührt: Junge Menschen, Menschen mit Beeinträchtigungen, die mit viel Kreativität und Leidenschaft etwas Großartiges schaffen“, sagt Alexander Pietschmann, CEO der Adam Hall Group. „Als ich bei den Proben dabei sein durfte, hat man diese positive Energie direkt gespürt. Wir freuen uns sehr, dies mit Eventtechnik zu bereichern und unseren kleinen Beitrag zu diesem außergewöhnlichen Projekt zu leisten.“
(Fotos: Adam Hall Group)
Lukas Graham opts for Solid State Logic System T flypack
When Frank Grønbæk, front-of-house engineer with Danish pop band Lukas Graham, visited Solid State Logic’s U.K. headquarters and had a demonstration of the System T Tempest Control App, paired with a TE1 processing engine and a 16-channel Fader Tile, he realized he had found a system meeting his needs.
Grønbæk, who is also a live and studio product specialist at Nordic Pro Audio, one of SSL’s partners in Denmark, has worked with Lukas Graham since 2012. The band’s monitor engineer, Rasmus Valentin, also works for Alfa Audio, SSL’s live sound products distribution partner for Denmark. “We’re both involved with the same band, but we’re also involved with the same brand”, says Grønbæk.
In Grønbæk’s custom-configured FOH mixing package, a System T 16-channel Furniture Fader Tile and a dedicated touchscreen are housed in a custom case to protect the rig in transit. A single-rack-space SSL TE1 Tempest Engine, which supports up to 256 paths, is paired with a custom-configured Windows-based computer running SSL’s Tempest Control App.
The TCA Flypack is interfaced to an outboard hardware interface managing routing and matrixing in and out of the setup, as well as a hardware processor providing multi-zone P.A. management. A Mac Mini computer also acts as a server, hosting plug-ins and presets that Grønbæk has developed during more than a decade with Lukas Graham, and additionally runs sound level measurement and metering apps.
Grønbæk’s idea, beginning in 2016 with Lukas Graham’s busy touring schedule, was to find a lightweight mixing console that took up minimal rack space and occupied a small footprint at FOH. “We travel a lot and do as many as ninety gigs a year, all over the world”, he says. “We need to be able to travel light when we fly, so the weight can never exceed 32 kilos for the whole rack. But we also want to maintain a high level of audio consistency. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing a festival for 30,000 people, a showcase for 500 people or a morning TV show, it has to sound exactly the same all the time.”
About the time before 2016, when the touring production switched to portable consoles, Grønbæk says: “We did some festival gigs with a combination of SSL Live consoles at front-of-house and monitors, so we were familiar with the sound of SSL equipment. But you cannot easily fly with an L550.”
Despite the high channel count supported by the TE1 Tempest Engine, Lukas Graham’s stage setup demands relatively few inputs, says Grønbæk. “We have a drum kit and a bunch of microphones for vocals, so about sixteen of the 40 or 45 channels coming from the stage are mic-level.” The wireless bass passes via Dante to the console while the wireless guitar is fed over AES/EBU. The outputs from the computers driving the MIDI keyboards are routed to FOH via MADI. The support tracks playback rig is also networked over Dante to FOH.
When mixing, Grønbæk typically has the system configured with VCAs on the top fader layer. The link between the physical faders and the touchscreen can be disengaged, allowing him to direct his creative focus onto the faders yet still adjust other channels on the touchscreen. It’s also a simple matter to take control of an onscreen channel from an encoder on the Fader Tile, he notes.
Lukas Graham’s live show is timecode-based. “I have snapshot automation”, says Grønbæk. “The incoming timecode is triggering different snapshots.” When playing festivals or fly-dates where there may not be enough time to optimize the P.A. rig before the band take the stage, Grønbæk has the timecode triggering a variety of snapshots - adjusting channel mutes, controlling auxiliary sends or making delay and reverb changes - during the first few songs so that he can make fader moves with one hand while trimming the speaker system with his other hand on a separate touchscreen.
System T has two faders per channel, he also points out: “So whenever there’s a new song, there’s a new level on fader two, but fader one stays at unity gain. All my faders are flat at 0 dB, but the other fader is doing all the automation underneath.”
Grønbæk first took his new TCA console out on a U.S. tour with Lukas Graham in January 2024, followed by a string of dates in the U.K. in March, then eight nights at the same venue in Denmark around Easter. The band is playing festivals across Europe this summer.
(Photos: Solid State Logic)
Britannia Row supports The Offspring’s summer tour
American punk band The Offspring are playing worldwide summer dates including a 30th anniversary concert in Anaheim, California, in celebration of the album “Smash”, and performances at festivals around the globe, including Download, Hell Fest and BottleRock. Britannia Row Productions continues to provide audio rental services for the band, from bespoke control packages to full audio reinforcement.
At the 30th anniversary show in Anaheim, an L-Acoustics K1/K2 system was deployed at the Honda Center. The concert was mixed by FOH Engineer Greg Bess utilising a Cadac J-Type analogue console and a Cadac CDC Four compact digital mixer, while Monitor Engineer Jesse Cantrell chose an SSL 550 Plus to handle the band’s monitoring needs.
“Anaheim was very special”, says Cantrell. “I’ve listened to this band since I was a kid, and probably played some of these songs in my own bands in high school, so to get to be there when ‘Smash’ turned 30 was an experience I can honestly say I never thought I’d be a part of. I feel so lucky to have been there.”
Not afraid to mix things up, The Offspring’s engineers are no strangers to jumping between riders. “One of my favourite parts of the gig is getting to work on the Midas Heritage 3000”, continues Cantrell. “But this year, we swapped it out on some shows for an SSL L550. Their show is growing, Dexter (Holland, frontman) and the band have some cool ideas to take this show to a new level and we needed more flexibility at monitor world to allow that to happen.”
Cantrell, who is supported by Monitor Tech Emily Adams, credits her expertise with helping to enable a stress-free show: “With Emily on stage I can trust that everything is patched and mic’d up correctly. She takes care of everything so I can focus on mixing.” He chose the SSL for his digital desk as it sounds “as close to analogue as it can get”, as he puts it. He also implements a Rupert Neve Shelford Channel for Dexter Holland’s vocal, in line with the analogue rig. For all wireless needs, Cantrell, who is managing fifteen mixes, opts for Shure PSM1000s and Shure Axient.
“On top of everyone using Ultimate Ears IEMs, we use D&B Audiotechnik M2 wedges and two L-Acoustics A15 over one KS28 sub for side fills. Everyone except Dexter has a stereo band mix in their ears with themselves on top as standard. Dexter only wears one ear and has his vocal and guitar through it. His wedge is mostly his vocal and some guitar, while the rest of the wedges are vocals and drums. The side fill mixes are mostly drums, bass and vocals.”
Out front is long-serving FOH Engineer Greg Bess, who reflects on the system design at the Anaheim show: “We did slight modifications from our standard K1 over K2 configuration. We carefully matched the angles of the hangs to keep phase alignment as close as possible. For side coverage we had K1SB over K2 and kept our two centre hangs of Kara to fill the elusive centre coverage, which can be missed by stacked front fills.”
“For ground subs we used KS28, one high across the entire width of the stage in a sub-arc set-up”, furthers Bess. “This prevents annihilating the first few rows of the audience with inordinate amounts of low end.” Complementing the Cadac hub, Bess has outboard units including a Lexicon 960L, Gentner Audio Prism, Universal Audio Little Labs IBP, SPL Stereo Vitalizer Mk2-T 9739, and a Valley People PR-10 Rack with Kepex II, to name but a few.
A new addition to his FOH camp this year is Audio Tech Jess Loma who was enlisted to be Bess’ “extra ears”, checking coverage and balance in every venue. “When I first joined this team, I was very excited to see that they were using analogue desks at both FOH and monitors”, states Loma. “We’ve been playing a lot of festivals and old amphitheatres around Europe and South America this year, where we’re often not able to do a full sound check. I’ve started to work on the multitracking/streaming feeds, which allows Greg to focus on getting his mix levels for the show while I get the levels for any streams and multitracking.”
“For outboard feeds, we work on the same desk and so at the same time during soundcheck, we need to make sure that we tell each other if any adjustments are needed that could affect each other’s feed”, she adds. For the festival control package, Bess has an ATI Paragon II P2P desk modified with a reduced frame size, and custom-built API group/matrix outputs.
“The channel direct outputs are fed to 2-24 channel BBR1-B recorders for tracking as well as a Sennheiser Ambeo VR mic for audience pickup through a Black Lion Auteur Quad Mic pre”, concludes Loma. “For streaming and media feeds we use multiple matrix mixes to change the balance of the signal to suit the difference between the main mix and a more appropriate balance sent to two track feeds. Additionally, we have another mix sent to a Tascam Portacapture X8 for quick transfer to social media shots.”
(Photos: Ashley Osborn/Goldenvoice Just Like Heaven 2024)
Claypaky Arolla Aqua lights up Max Pezzali’s stadium tour
Max Pezzali’s first real stadium tour in over thirty years of career, “Max Forever”, sold out across all venues. The 10-date tour was a nostalgic journey through time, uniting different generations with the taste and icons of the 1990s. The former 883 frontman performed over thirty songs, including hits, rarities and his new single, released a few months ago after a four-year hiatus.
The tour’s stage design was nothing short of spectacular. All the visual elements created a nostalgic, celebratory atmosphere, highlighting the milestones of Pezzali’s career. Agora Rental, the supplier, suggested to use the Claypaky Arolla Aqua for these shows.
“For us, it was a great opportunity, which we seized immediately”, says Jordan Babev from Blearred Milano, the studio which dealt with the show’s lighting design. “We worked smoothly with Agora, allowing us to integrate these lights seamlessly into our design. The Arolla Aqua enabled us to create a show we are extremely satisfied with.”
“We used 158 Arolla Aqua units as the central part of our lighting design for Max Pezzali’s tour”, specifies Babev. “Our goal was to use a versatile light that could transform the stage design during the performance, creating different visual configurations. Spotlights highlighted key moments, adding dynamism and depth to the stage.”
“To complement the 158 Arolla Aqua fixtures, we also used 57 HY B-Eye K25 units”, he adds. “This choice successfully met all our design and performance requirements. Limiting the variety of lights allowed us to optimize programming and management while maintaining high-quality and visual consistency throughout the show.”
Working alongside Lighting Designer Jordan Babev on the “Max Forever” tour were Creative Director Sergio Papalettera and Operator Gianni Porcaro. The Agora lighting crew comprised Marco Carancini, Damiano Gasparini, Pablo Consoli, Jacopo Germiniasi, Devis Laurino, Giuliano De Lauro, and Simone Ronconi.
(Photos: Alessandro Bremec)
Ayrton Cobra illuminates the sky for Golden Bee Awards at Malta’s Mediterrane Film Festival
The Mediterrane Film Festival, hosted for the second consecutive year in Malta from June 22-30, 2024, culminated with the Golden Bee Award Ceremony hosted by David Walliams at Fort Manoel, Gzira. Over a dozen awards were presented to international actors, directors and cinematographers across a variety of categories.
The Awards were interspersed with performances from artists including Heather Small, Calum Scott, Joseph Calleja and the Golden Bee Awards Orchestra. Writer-director Mike Leigh was awarded the Career Achievement Award, and Maltese production coordinator Rita Galea was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The evening was rounded off with a speech from the President of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono.
Raphaël Demonthy, lighting designer and managing director at Sunrise Studios GmbH of Berlin, was responsible for the complete lighting design and realisation of the Ceremony on site, from the moment the VIP guests arrived on the red carpet, through the reception area to the show itself, and also the backdrop of the Valletta skyline.
Signature to his visual design was a row of thirty Ayrton Cobra laser-sourced fixtures which he positioned upstage at floor level to form a long line behind the 50 m x 10 m semi-transparent LED backdrop. “This gave the wall both frame and depth”, explains Demonthy. “We were able to extend the stage looks by creating a wall of beams that could keep up with the different ‘colour worlds’ created on stage.”
At specific moments, as the Valletta skyline took centre stage as a backdrop on the other side of the harbour, Demonthy used the Cobra fixtures at their widest zoom setting, adding frost and prism effects to create camera flares for an underline below the vignette.
Demonthy’s team for the Golden Bee Awards consisted of spot caller Didi Timmer, keylight operator Fabian Schmidt, showlight operator Marc Marlo Schelesnow, media server operator Sebastian Huwig, media server farmer Christian van Deenen, and picture engineer David Kulla.
The Ayrton Cobra fixtures were supplied for the event by Motion Rental of Germany through the lighting and technical provider, Nexos Lighting & Video, Malta. Production/logistics coordination was by 7Twentyeight Ltd together with Mad About Video Ltd, both from Malta. Production and set design was by Florian Wieder. The production company was Lodge of Levity.
(Photos: Sunrise Studios GmbH)
Cameo-Scheinwerfer im Einsatz auf „Nature One“-Main-Stage
Auch in diesem Jahr feierten wieder zehntausende EDM-Fans beim „Nature One“-Festival auf der Raketenbasis Pydna Kastellaun drei Tage lang mit den besten DJs der Szene. Zur besonderen Atmosphäre des Festivals trägt unter anderem die Main Stage bei: Hier tanzen die Besucher nicht nur vor der Bühne, sondern inmitten einer aufwendigen Traversenkonstruktion mit zahlreichen Licht- und Videoelementen.
Verantwortlich für das Stage-, Licht- und Contentdesign der Main Stage zeichnet seit Jahren Marek Papke von Gerdon Design, der auch in diesem Jahr wieder IP65-Scheinwerfer von Cameo verwendete. Einhundert Otos H5 verteilte das Team in der Gerüststruktur der Main Stage und den Traversen über dem Open Floor.
„Mein Ansatz war es, mit den Scheinwerfern die Linien der Bühne nachzuziehen“, erklärt Papke. „So fanden sich unter anderem mehrere lange, gerade Anordnungen aus Otos H5, mit denen ich die Geometrie und Formgebung der Bühne unterstrich.“ Weitere Otos H5 wurden von Papke als 4er-Pakete auf der Gerüstkonstruktion angeordnet, um einen klassischen „Sky Beam“-Look zu erzeugen. Im Center-Grid über dem Floor kam zudem eine Matrix aus 8 x 4 Otos H5 zum Einsatz.
Mit dem diesjährigen Bühnendesign etablierte Gerdon Design einen neuen Look. Die Bühne folgte einer an Architektur angelehnten Kontur, die durch Deko-Elemente wie Banner und Single-Pixel-LED-Streifen aufgefüllt wurde. Auf dem Floor ergänzten parallele Traversen über den Köpfen der tanzenden Masse die Grundform der bereits bekannten Pyramide. „Unser diesjähriges Motto lautete ‘organic industrial’“, sagt Papke. „Das haben wir vor allem im Videocontent umgesetzt, indem wir einen Look mit Pflanzen erstellten, der die industriell anmutende Grundstruktur der Layher-Bühne mit ‘organischen’ Elementen zum Leben erweckte.“
Schon vor Jahren hat sich Marek Papke dafür entschieden, beim „Nature One“ ausschließlich mit IP-zertifizierten Scheinwerfern zu arbeiten: „Wir wollen in dieser Hinsicht einfach auf Nummer sicher gehen“, sagt er. Mit ihrer IP65-Zertifizierung fügten sich die Zenit-W600-Outdoor-LED-Wash-Lights und die Zenit-P130-LSD-PAR-Scheinwerfer in das Anforderungsprofil des Teams ein.
Während die Zenit P130 vor allem als Gegenlicht-Lampe und Truss-Toner eingesetzt wurden, sorgten die Zenit W600 für die farbige Bannerbeleuchtung. Geliefert wurden die Cameo-Scheinwerfer für die Main Stage vom zuständigen Technik-Dienstleister Schoko Pro.
(Fotos: Julian Huke Photography)
