UK - It's been billed as an opera which has to be seen to be believed, and when you become aware of the plot, you'll understand why. Based on America's most lurid talk show, which brought worldwide television audiences programmes entitled 'Pregnant by a Transexual', 'Here Come the Hookers' and 'I Refuse to Wear Clothes', it is packed with swear words, tap-dancing Ku-Klux Klan members, a gay black Jesus and a God who resembles Elvis - the critics are having a field-day.
Also noteworthy, though attracting less press attention, is the fact that this is the first new opera for both creator/composer Richard Thomas and the National Theatre, chosen by incoming National Theatre director, Nicholas Hytner, to premiere as his first production in the Lyttelton Theatre.
Lighting designer Rick Fisher was first involved with the show when it premiered at Edinburgh last year. The production has expanded following its transfer and Fisher, together with programmer Vic Smerdon, are using the house Strand 500 desk to control the rig of High End Studio Spots, Martin MAC 600s and Vari-Lite VL5Bs.
Blitz Sound has supplied the sound equipment for the show. The company's links with the production also stretch back to the Edinburgh Festival last August, where they originally supplied a partial system consisting of a Cadac R-type mixer and 24 Sennheiser radio microphones.
For the show's run at the National, sound designer Mike Walker has selected a range of equipment including 37 Sennheiser radio microphones, a 64 input Cadac J-type mixer, processing from BSS, XTA and Lexicon and 30 Ya
USA - The Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) has announced that the draft American National Standard BSR E1.7, Entertainment Technology - Recommended Practice for the Design and Use of Manual Systems for Flying Performers, is available for public review until 29 July 2003.
The draft standard describes recommended practices for lifting and transporting performers to create the illusion of flying or levitation in theatrical performances. Anyone that has an interest in flying effects with live performers is invited to review it and offer comments. Public review and comment is being sought so that the draft standard may reflect the consensus of informed opinion in the industry.
The standard is a project of the Rigging Working Group, part of the ANSI-accredited standards committee E1, Safety and Compatibility of Entertainment Technical Equipment and Practices. ESTA is the secretariat for accredited standards committee E1, and provides administrative support to the committee. Membership in the working group is open to all who are affected by standards-making in the area of trusses and rigging in entertainment venues, and who are willing to actively participate in the group's projects.
A copy of BSR E1.7 can be obtained from the ESTA website at http://www.esta.org/tsp, or by writing to: Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1005, New York, NY 10001.
(Lee Baldock)
UK - Enlightenment has recently completed a further installation of ADB Eurorack 60 digital dimmers at the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham, Lancashire. The installation comprises of 192 3kW and 24 ways of 5kW all-digital dimmers, a comprehensive DMX Network and outlet facility panels. The production lighting is controlled by an ADB Phoenix 5 control desk, previously supplied by Enlightenment, with the remainder of the lighting systems (house lights, working lights and independents) being controlled by two ADB Netbuses.
In addition to providing control of the generic lighting the ADB Netbuses also provide real-time fault reporting, remote programming and system wide control of the entire dimmer installation. All dimmer functions including the recording and playback of 20 memories, patch, dimmer testing, and dimmer curve settings, etc, can all be accessed via the ADB Netbus.
The ADB Netbus also has the advantage that it utilises the second data pair of DMX cabling which enables it to be inserted anywhere within the DMX Network without any additional cabling being installed!
PaulSwansborough, sales and project manager, comments: "This order is our first job that fully utilizes ADN (Advanced Dimmer Network) from ADB. We're very impressed with the system and are looking forward to doing our next installation!"
(Lee Baldock)
UK - Highfield Church in Southampton has installed Allen & Heath's recently-released iDR system to manage its live sound reinforcement. The system has enabled the church to establish automated sound settings for the many and varied events that take place in the building.
iDR is a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) audio system for fixed installation into any type of venue. It comprises a range of hardware units, wall plates and remote controllers which build into integrated systems, all set up using iDR System Manager software. Control parameters are saved to patches, which may then be recalled by the operator using front panel keys, remote wall plates or virtual wall plates using PL Designer software.
Highfield Church's original installation was constructed around a DR66, which provided the core signal routing, room EQ and delay processing. The Church tailored its new system to build on these necessities, using an iDR-8 unit, an iDR-in 8-channel input expander with PL-Anet remote control over Cat 5 cable with a PL-4 wall plate, PL-5 infra-red hand-held controller and a PL-6 fader panel. The iDR system has significantly increased capacity and the integrated remote control capability of the PL units has allowed greater flexibility.
Sound supervisor Adrian Pickering said: "Highfield caters for many events such as funerals, weddings, christenings and several Sunday services, all of which in audio terms are similar to live theatre performances. As sound supervisor, my top priority is to gain the best clarity and intelligibility for the participants of each event.
Germany - Labelled as an urban entertainment centre where shopping and leisure are combined under one roof, Space Park in Bremen, Germany, looks set to attract millions of visitors each year as it prepares to open in early 2004.
The theme of the park is, not surprisingly, Space - a choice that was not arbitrary, since Bremen is Germany’s second most important centre for aerospace technology after Munich. As well as a multiplex cinema with seating for 3,600, a space disco and Hotel Saturn, Space Park Bremen will also include Space Center, an attraction which informs visitors about current developments in space research and provides a taste of what it feels like to train as an astronaut. With such a high-tech futuristic theme for the park, the technology controlling it needs to match, which is why ETC equipment was chosen, even before the lighting designers were brought on board. ETC’s field project manager Ingo Bernert explains: "The lighting control of Space Park Bremen was actually initiated by American designer Ted Ferreira and so ETC’s equipment was chosen for two reasons. Firstly because of our reputation and experience within amusement and theme parks and secondly because of the level and quality of support we can provide from our Northern European base."
ETC equipment will be fitted throughout Space Park Bremen, from retail areas to walk-through experiences, rides and theatres. An ETC network, comprising more than 450 3kW and 5kW channels of dimming and relays, will link together all the lighting for the park. 18 x 4-port DMX no
UK - Based in Kirkmichael, Scotland, GAB Audio Engineers specialize in installing high quality sound and AV systems in places of worship, council chambers and concert venues. They also have a thriving hire division catering for small to medium PA requirements. Among the gamut of products they have specified from the Martin Audio catalogue, the C115 surface-mount architectural enclosure rules supreme for the style of installation in which they specialize.
In fact GAB have just installed six in a 100V line distributed system, discretely mounted in the Grade A-listed Garnethill Synagogue (the oldest in Scotland), for concerts and school festivals. A further four grace the ornate meeting room at the Merchants Hall in George Square, again in the centre of Glasgow and the listed Meeting Chambers of one of the city’s oldest institutions. "The aesthetic styling and performance of these Contractor-series speakers makes them absolutely ideal for installation in heritage buildings," comments installation manager, John McHenry.
Housed in a polypropylene injection moulded enclosure, the Martin Audio C115 is a versatile surface-mount loudspeaker designed specifically for distributed sound systems. It has been carefully styled to present a discrete, high quality appearance which will be unobtrusive yet complementary in most commercial architectural environments. Supplied with a unique wall bracket, which permits off-axis adjustment of 40° horizontally and 35°vertically, wide bandwidth and high output capability are achieved via a 5" (120mm) 2-way drive un
UK - Following the Sound Division Group’s recent sound and lighting installation at the American Community School in Egham, Surrey, the company continues to build upon its reputation in the educational market with the completion of another comprehensive sound and lighting installation at Islington Green school in North London.
Islington Green is a large county comprehensive facility that educates over 1,000 students in the heart of one of the most culturally diverse areas of London. Sound Division’s brief was to provide a system for the main hall that was capable of handling everything from speech reinforcement to live and pre-recorded music in a variety of situations, including awards ceremonies, assemblies and drama productions.
As a result, the company specified and installed a Crown-driven ElectroVoice sound system based on EV Sx300 loudspeakers supplemented by Sx100A powered monitors with a Behringer DSP 1124P feedback destroyer. A number of Sennheiser EW112/22 lavalier radio microphone systems were also supplied, together with a pair of E664 overhead ambience mics and a further K6-P and ME66 ambience mic, also from Sennheiser. Finally on the audio side, Sound Division supplied a Soundcraft FX8 16-channel mixing console - ideal for both stage and studio use, and particularly suitable for live recording. The lighting system was built around a range of Selecon fixtures, all controlled through a Zero 88 Alcora mixing desk.
According to Sound Division’s David Graham, the installation went very smoothly. "We’ve always made a point
UK - CIE-Audio and Armstrong World Industries have announced the launch of the ‘i-ceilings Sound Systems Approved Installer Network (iSSAIN) initiative - the latest development in the i-ceilings (intelligent ceilings) initiative.
A new concept in integrated acoustic ceiling systems, i-ceilings is the latest development from Armstrong, the world’s leading manufacturer of ceiling products. i-ceilings utilizes flat panel speaker technology to provide a unique loudspeaker system which exactly matches Armstrong’s market-leading range of suspended ceilings, to combine their existing aesthetic and passive acoustic qualities with the audio benefits provided by NXT.
Announcing the launch of the i-ceilings Approved Installer Network, CIE-Group marketing manager Chris Edwards explained: "The partnership between CIE-Group and Armstrong World Industries has brought together a wealth of knowledge and experience of both the architectural and audio industries. We have recognised the clear potential i-ceilings offers to the installation market, not only in the products’ aesthetic and acoustic features, but also the opportunity for an added-value loudspeaker product in a difficult, price driven market."
The extension of Armstrong’s brand promise of quality and service also plays a major role in the i-ceilings strategy, ensured by the development of the Approved Installer Network. "Identifying the products’ core target markets of retail, leisure, audio-visual and education and health, we have developed a close partnership with so
UK - Metropolis AV has completed a cutting-edge sound, effects lighting and AV installation in Manchester at Lucid - the first of a new genre of multimedia concept venues.The unusual concept was developed by the Canadian-owned MagicCorp Group, and is expected to be subject to a selective roll-out. Metropolis was asked onboard by Lucid’s technical director, Nick Meacham, to implement the technical infrastructure that he’d helped design.
Metropolis’s brief also included the design of an integrated operating system for all things technical in the venue. The Metropolis team was headed by Simon Harris, and included site manager Stuart Clowes, technical director Shane Winterbourne, design project manager Martin Geraghty and installation engineers Shane Stanley and Ian Benstead.
The open plan venue has three levels, including a 1200-capacity Function Room/Showroom; a central Media Bar; a large Media Dining area; a mezzanine area circumnavigating the entire basement space level and also overlooking the Function Room, a games room; a dance floor; breakout bars and several ‘Sky Box’ meeting rooms, each with its own in-room sound and AV system, consisting of Alchemist Nexus integrated amplifiers, Infinity Alpha 40 speakers, Alpha Sub bass units and Thomson VCR/DVD combination units. Each Box features control facilities to select viewing of any one of the eight satellite receivers, or to view their own media content via the VCR/DVD unit.
It’s also possible to route any sound or visuals being distributed throughout the club to the Sky Bo
USA - Turbosound's QLight products are making a difference to the sound quality at San Francisco's high profile W Hotel. Installed by local specialist Zebra Sound, the hotel's new loudspeaker systems were supplied through Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, Turbosound's US distributor.
The project involved the installation of various Turbosound components in several public areas of the W San Francisco, a hotel located close to the city's Moscone Centre and Museum of Modern Art, in the downtown South-of-Market neighbourhood. Part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts group, which also includes the Westin, Sheraton and Four Seasons chains, the W hosts entertainment events in the Atrium, XYZ Bar and Restaurant.
"We had an arrangement with the W to provide sound reinforcement rental services," Megerssa elaborates. "They handle major events attracting up to 1,500 people. Every Thursday night they present the Nu W, a dance party, for 500-plus of the more 'sophisticated' crowd. At these events, the W employs the best DJs in the world. And while Zebra Sound has always done great rental work for them, the hotel didn't realize we also design and install complete sound systems. One thing led to another and we won the bid for an upcoming permanent installation."
Megerssa initially planned to install a Turbosound TQ system capable of handling audio for the atrium area, the bar and the lobby areas. But what Zebra ended up doing was tying all the speakers into the hotel's DMX and AEI distributed systems, so that all the hotel staff have to do is hit a line swi
Switzerland - Geneva-based Skynight and Nexo's Swiss distributor Zap Audio have completed the installation of a Nexo GEO S sound reinforcement system at the Geneva Stadium in Switzerland.
Nexo's pedigree in sports stadia is well-established, with venues such as the Stade de France in Paris and the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, using different Nexo loudspeaker products. Drawing on the success of a stand-alone GEO S system in the commercial village outside the Stade de France, the 35,000-capacity Geneva Stadium has become the first to use Nexo's flagship GEO technology as the main SR system.
The original specification followed very conventional lines, calling for 120 x 15 degree loudspeakers spread under the roof, with 60 amps located in one position. Cabling runs were enormous, and the project called for two people to spend three weeks, just hanging the loudspeakers. There was no monitoring of amps and SPL consistency was unpredictable, due to strong interferences between conventional speakers.
Zap Audio tendered for the project with the newly-launched GEO S, amplified by Camco's digital Vortex 6. Not only did the price of the GEO S system come in at 20% less than the original specification, but its technology offered better dispersion, important for the asymmetrical stadium, and better directivity control, a critical factor given that the stadium is situated near a residential neighbourhood.
Performance specifications were superior, with even coverage available throughout the stadium +/- 2dB, and, with the NX241 digital loudspeaker management systems,
UK - Lightfactor Sales has supplied leading sound, lighting and AV installation company CGA with an new lighting rig to revamp the famous Pantiles nightclub in Camberley, Surrey.
Pantiles, owned by independent local entrepreneur Bob Archer, has maintained its popularity thanks to a flexible mainstream music and door policy. CGA’s Chris Gunton has been supplying equipment, service and technical support to Pantiles for some years. The club’s current manager, Matt Highton comes from an engineering background and therefore understands the importance of good technology and production values.
Last year, it was time to upgrade Pantiles’ moving light system, so Gunton suggested Highton take a good look at what was available at PLASA 2002. When he reached Lightfactor’s stand and saw the SGM fixtures, he knew he’d found the moving lights he wanted! "Small, robust, nicely designed and very bright," he comments. This was followed by a demo of the fixtures in situ at the club by Lightfactor’s field sales manager Peter Coles. CGA then developed Pantiles’ new lighting spec. When complete, Highton ordered both SGM Giotto 250 spots - which can also double as washes with their variable frost filter - and SGM Victory II scanners from Lightfactor. The washes are used for basic colouration and building blocks for the lightshows and the scanners for beam work. Lightfactor supplied the scanners with custom Pantiles gobos.
The lighting revamp was completed with an efficient new lighting control system also supplied by Lightfactor.
UK - Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout was recently appointed by London-based Production House PAV, to help realise the dramatic set for a sensational one-off club night - The King of Clubs - for brand giants Budweiser.
Staged at London’s famous Old Billingsgate market, the event concept was inspired by the Budweiser King of Beers’ commercial, and King of Clubs was the culmination of a point-of-sale campaign by the company. Re-igniting the spontaneous party spirit of the late 1980’s rave scene, over 3,000 invited guests met at a central London location, before being whisked away by boat to Billingsgate - the first time the venue has been used as a club.
Blackout’s Project Manager, Chris Brain collaborated with Paul-Ant Viollet of PAV Productions, to realise his design, which took references from the ad campaign. Blackout provided massive quantities of scarlet velour material to theme the two main rooms and chill-out zones in Budweiser’s red corporate colour. Blackout’s team ruched the fabric around the perimeters of the main dancefloor and chill-out areas on the upper level, enhancing the venue’s naturally splendid architectural backdrop. The entrance was framed with a stunning starcloth for additional ‘sparkle’ as guests arrived. The company also supplied and rigged huge quantities of black drape, used to mask off specific areas and to create the cloakrooms, as well as rigging eight giant acrylic Budweiser branded banners in the two main rooms.
In Room One, DJ’s included Richard Fearless, Unkle
UK - Arbiter Pro Audio has supplied installation company The Music Room with a large quantity of JBL speakers for an innovative project at a massive new Chinese restaurant/noodle bar - Hong Kong City - in new Cross, south east London.
Hong Kong City’s owner, Mr Su, acquired the site - formerly a dusty old pub - and had it completely gutted and transformed it into a lively, bustling new venue seating 300-plus people. Packed to the gunnels throughout the week, Hong Kong City is capitalizing on the current community-wide trend for Asian fast food and haute cuisine.
A high quality sound system was an essential element of the mix: Su turned to Gordon Gapper from the Music Room to produce a system appropriate for the environment, in which karaoke is also a key element of the evening’s entertainment. Music Room’s Dean Watkin then produced the sound design and specification.
Hong Kong City is split into three audio zones for background sound, which is supplied via a hard drive system. The main room features 27 JBL Micro Control series ceiling speakers dotted all over the place, plus two Control subs secreted in the corners of the room. "The Micros were definitely the best speaker for the job," says Gapper. "Not only do they fit nicely below the false ceiling, but they sound excellent." JBL Control 24s ensure the sound quality is maintained in the toilets.
The karaoke system has two JBL MS28 speakers from the Marquis Series that kick out plenty of volume and punch, complete with one Control SB2 sub. With no available floor space
Australia - Spanish loudspeaker manufacturer D.A.S. Audio's systems have been used in the refurbishment of two famous hotels in South Australia. Built in the early 1800s, the Lion and Royal Hotels conserve the elegance of the period while integrating the latest in sound reinforcement systems.
D.A.S. distributor for Australia, Magna Systems & Engineering, provided the numerous D.A.S systems for BSS Light & Sound, responsible for the installation of the products in two of the most historic and well-known hotels in the city of Adelaide. The recently-renovated Lion Hotel has installed D.A.S. Factor and Dynamics series products throughout.
At The Lion, while a modern glass and chrome bar complements the bluestone facade which is a landmark in North Adelaide, the barn-like drinking hall of the early 80s and the gloomy eating areas of the past have gone - replaced with a stylish restaurant and modern function areas attracting new patrons.
The Lion Hotel conference rooms have been fitted with D.A.S Factor 5 and Factor 8 systems providing sound reinforcement for the varied events held at the hotel. Factor 8 systems were also used in the bar-restaurant area of the Royal Hotel, where they provide background and foreground music. The cabinets were chosen in the white colour option to integrate with the décor of the venue.(Lee Baldock)
UK - There is something quite poetic about a conservatoire dedicated to creativity and artistic excellence, being built on the site of a former rubbish dump. This is the case with the recently opened Laban Centre in Deptford Creekside, South East London.
Laban is the world’s largest purpose-built contemporary dance centre, standing amidst a bleak environment of industrial sites as a beacon of creativity for the local community. Comparisons here with the Phoenix rising from the ashes are obvious, but apt.
Designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the prize-winning Swiss architects behind the Tate Modern, the building project cost around £20 million, primarily provided by capital Lottery funding. At the recent launch it was obvious that the building is a highly visible focus for the ongoing social and physical regeneration of Deptford and the surrounding areas.
Rudolf Laban, a Hungarian visionary, is acknowledged as being the "father of modern dance". He settled in the UK in 1938 to escape Hitler’s oppressive regime and since his death in 1958, his work has been continued by the Laban Centre. Dedicated to "raising the status of dance as an art form", the Laban Centre will enable the continuing development of contemporary dance to take place in an environment which seamlessly melds technology with creativity.
Theatre consultants Carr Angier were brought in to craft the heart of the new building - the fantastic 300-seat Bonnie Bird Theatre. In collaboration with the extensive technical expertise of Laban staff, they have succeeded in cre
UK - As the exclusive UK distributor for Czech manufacturer - Cue, leaders in the design and manufacture of integrated multi-media remote control systems, beyerdynamic GB, has supplied Wentworth Golf Club with a sophisticated control system. Set in over 700 acres of beautiful rolling Surrey countryside, Wentworth is recognised as being much more than a Golf Club offering events and meetings facilities, a Health Club, Spa, and full banqueting for up to 280 guests.
As part of Wentworth’s first refurbishment phase, Legrand Electric Ltd specified the Cue lighting control system for its magnificent Ballroom, Hali-Burton room and The Masters room. Pivotal to the system design was the Assistant controller, specified by Legrand’s Mark Moody for its integrated control, aesthetics and competitive pricing.
Mark Moody explained: "We were introduced to CUE quite recently by beyerdynamic’s Product Manager Jon Stanley. We were very impressed with the product’s capabilities as well as its stylish looks and hope to specify Cue as part of our contemporary lighting control systems in the future."
Legrand Electric Ltd, using Switchplan lighting control systems, supplies state-of-the-art lighting control for corporate headquarters, working with clients such as Lloyds TSB, Scottish Widows and Sony. In the Ballroom at Wentworth the Cue system controls 10 chandeliers, three projector screens as well as all the sidelights and curtains. Its attractive Windows-based Touchscreen panel is very easy and intuitive to use even for the most non-technical opera
Russia - St Petersburg’s council chamber, situated within the city’s monumental Marrinsky Palace, has undergone a two-year renovation, including newly installed sound and video equipment. The ‘Grand Hall’, as the chamber is known, has the most problematic acoustics - a case in point being a reverberation time of around 3.5 seconds.
Ruton S, the Russian Electro-Voice distributor, was the firm entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the venerable 19th century hall into line with the high standards of modern communication, and one of the first tasks was to install a conference and voting system - of which the sound reinforcement system was a major part. After conducting simulations (using EV’s EAMS software), Ruton S decided on a set-up which not only offered excellent sound quality as well as compact dimensions and an elegant appearance. The system utilized 16 Electro-Voice EVID 4.2T speakers, two Sx-300 front speakers and two Electro-Voice CPS-2T amplifiers.
For the city councillors, meeting for the first time in the newly-refurbished city hall, the new sound system was a revelation: in all areas of the chamber, they could hear loudly and clearly what was being said. As Ruton’s Gregory Ronin relates: "Our customers were full of enthusiasm and even somewhat surprised, having previously tried out several rival systems none of which even came close to EV’s in terms of sound quality."
(Lee Baldock)
Japan - The 1,300-capacity Anzu Hall Cultural Centre in Koshoku City has undergone a dynamic sound system refurbishment based around a QSC network and monitoring system. The multi-purpose Anzu Hall - situated inside the City Hall complex - hosts a wide variety of cultural events. Ueda JRC carried out the installation, supported by ComodoMattina Inc, QSC’s Japanese distributor. The company’s Takafumi Asahina says: "Originally, the client didn’t have a clear idea of what they wanted, and so we recommended QSC’s QSControl (pronounced Q’s Control) network audio control solution as being the most progressive way forward."
The QSControl remote management system, a RAVE Ethernet-based signal transport design, and CX Series amplifiers form the hub of the project. With four of QSC’s new ISIS 102W loudspeakers also commissioned for the task of surround sound chores, the audio revamp has been dominated by the California company’s equipment.
QSC’s ISIS loudspeaker product line is a series of full-range, portable, multipurpose enclosures. The 102W features a 10" LF driver, a 1.4" exit, 3" titanium diaphragm compression driver, and a high-power ferrite woofer for maximum output. The 102W also features an advanced rotatable 150° x 50° waveguide to achieve the widest possible coverage area.
The control building blocks for ComodoMattina’s design comprised 21 CX702 and four CX302 two-channel amplifiers, as well as a CX404 four-channel amp - all incorporating QSC's PowerWave technology. The venue us
UK - Scream Studios, the rehearsal and recording facility group, is taking an all-EV approach for its prime showcase studios in south-east England. Scream, which began in 1991, expanded from its original site in Carshalton to a second operation in Croydon, and its latest location is in Brighton.
The recently-opened Brighton complex, which houses seven rehearsal rooms, also has a 100-capacity showcase room, linked to a recording studio and video editing suite. This has been equipped with an Electro-Voice RX sound reinforcement system "that can take the loudest of the loud" according to owner Aide Aires.
The new room has already been used by a wide variety of artists, from the 40-piece Carnival Collective, to Status Quo and Gary Moore. Apart from a highly individual design scheme, which features an 8ft tank with floating droids and cyborgs, the room uses two EV RX112/75 full-range enclosures flown above the stage, with two EV RX118S subs below, driven by a Dynacord PM2600 powered mixer. All the floor monitors are EV SX250, powered by Q66 amps.
Scream is currently expanding the Croydon site to include 14 rehearsal rooms, a live recording studio, MIDI studio, cafeteria, hire shop, repairs shop and another showcase room. These will also be equipped with EV sound systems. Specification of the systems has been carried out by engineers from Shuttlesound, which has supplied all the Electro-Voice and Dynacord equipment.
(Lee Baldock)
USA - The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is currently undergoing a $250 million expansion project that will soon add over a thousand new suites and 150,000sq.ft of supplementary meeting space to the already palatial complex.
The new meeting facilities, in particular, are comprised of three large boardrooms, 19 meeting rooms and three 14,000sq.ft. ballrooms, each of which may be split into 14 individual meeting rooms. To accommodate the demanding audio DSP and routing requirements for a project of this magnitude, Michael Naylor, systems design engineer for The Venetian, created a system primarily based around BSS Audio's PS-8810C Prosys processor. "The CobraNet-equipped Prosys units are really the heart of our audio system," says Naylor. "By using The Venetian's Ethernet and fibre backbone, we're able to send audio from any of these new meeting rooms - as well as 14 available channels of DMX and Music Choice background music - to any room on the property, be it additional meeting rooms, suites, or other hotel spaces."
The BSS units are being used in tandem with a large quantity of new Crown CTs Series multi-channel amplifiers, all equipped with CobraNet-ready DSP modules, and Tannoy CMS12 TDC ceiling speakers. Crestron Isys TPS-2000L touchpanels are also used throughout each of the meeting rooms to facilitate simple selection of discrete audio channels off of the CobraNet network.
"We have a huge property here and I have limited resources in terms of manpower," he adds, "however, we want to keep things func
UK - Silverdown Studio has installed a complete 5.1 Genelec monitoring system featuring 1034B, 1031 and the new LSE 7073 sub-woofers, to cope with the heavy demand it has been experiencing for 5.1 work. The Hertfordshire studio is owned by Jeff Calvert, who has had a string of hits over the years, starting with a massive number one hit Barbados which he wrote, followed quickly by Starship Trooper. Calvert, who started at Morgan Studios in the 70s, left to set up Silverdown, which was originally located in London. After many successful years, he decided get out of ‘the smoke’ and re-locate to the gently rolling countryside of Hertfordshire.
Calvert’s production partner Chaz (Dabat) Kkoshi says: "We have just completed the intro music for a new PlayStation game in 5.1 called Dance Flight, a new album by Mona for the record company TLC, and we are in negotiations to start re-mixing Bob Marley’s greatest hits in DVDa. All this work was and will be in 5.1, so there was no choice we had to have the best, and as far as we could see the best is Genelec."
Says Calvert: "Genelec are used in most of the major studios in the world, so there was a sense of commonality in my choice, but the major reason for going with the Finnish solution was the incredible clarity and having a system which could be worked on for hours without tiring."
Completing the re-fit, Calvert found a unique Neve VR with flying faders which came from Sony Music in Tokyo. This desk had already been modified by adding quad outputs, so it was almost 5.1 ready. F
Russia - Spanish manufacturer D.A.S. Audio reports that its systems have been fundamental in installations ranging from houses of worship to theatres in both Korea and Russia recently. Kusan,the company’s distributor in Korea has installed D.A.S. systems in a number of venues requiring precise and natural coverage. Reference series R-212s and Dynamics series DS-12s have been incorporated in the audio/video systems of the the Bu-Kwang Methodist Church, the San-sung Church and the Pyung-Tack City Youth Center.
Another example of the international scope of D.A.S. installations is the Norilsk Zapoliarny Theatre in Russia. BossMan, D.A.S.’s Russian distributor has installed a large number of different D.A.S. systems. The venue was built in 1941 and remodeled in 1985. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the theatre, a series of upgrades were undertaken, including new audio/visual systems which would provide both general sound reinforcement and surround sound for cinema applications. 24 Dynamics series DS-8s where installed in the theater for AV use. On stage, four DS-12s and four DS-15s provide stage monitoring for live events. The ultra-compact Factor-5s have been installed throughout the venue for general paging and emergency announcements.
(Lee Baldock)
The Netherlands - The Dutch town of Kerkrade has become something of a magnet for Dutch, Belgian and German ravers of late. The draw is the recently opened 5,000 capacity Vizion club - a massive, multi-layered venue, situated near the German and Belgian borders, which features no less than 15 bars, several restaurants, a VIP lounge and a studio for the local radio station.
Pierre Vijgen, who owns Vizion, has invested more than 10 million in the venue, which sits tucked beneath the stands of Kerkrade’s Parkstad Limburg stadium. And get this for luxury - visitors arriving by car can choose from one of 1,500 parking spaces, with entry to the club costing only 10 euros.
Despite the scale of the venue, its split-level layout ensures that even when the building is not entirely full, its feel remains intimate and busy. Numerous internal galleries, like stork’s nests, offer a bird’s eye view of what’s going on below.
The club is only open at weekends, but pulls out all the stops to attract a large audience, employing several DJs to cater to the wide variety of musical tastes. Rather than get tied down to one particular musical trend, Vizion has set its sights on a broad target audience, by offering a blend of club and trance. As Rob Cuypers of Vizion explains: "With a club this size, specialization would make no sense. For this reason, we’ve positioned ourselves in the mainstream. The programme of music is complemented by a variety of shows and events - including joint promotions - designed to advertise particular products."