installation march 2014 digital edition

Installationwww.installation-international.com

INTERNATIONAL AUDIO, VIDEO AND LIGHTING INTEGRATION March 2014

Lighting control – LED is changing the rules p36

Houses of worship – makingthe most of audio? p24

Our next presentation Corporate AV goes broadcast p28

InstallAwards – your lastchance to enter p10

www.riedel.net

See us at prolight+sound Hall 8.0 / Stand K80

...and learn more about

MEDIORNET 2.0

ONCE AGAIN, Mike Blackman and his team at Integrated Systems Events areto be congratulated for another hugely successful ISE show. The eventsurpassed just about everyone’s expectations in terms of attendance,reaching a final figure of 51,003, continuing its steep growth trend. It’s easyto forget just how rapidly ISE’s visitor numbers have grown in recent years –it was only in 2011 that they passed 30,000. The aisles and escalators didn’tfeel any more crowded to me than last year; doubtless the opening of a thirdentrance to the show had the desired effect of spreading out the pedestriantraffic more evenly across the RAI.

A major part of my ISE experience is my role as editor of the ISE Daily –although fortunately, as in previous years, we had a very able team and so Iwas able to get out of the newspaper office and out on the showfloor withmy (metaphorical) Installation hat on. This was the first year that the Dailyexpanded into television – with a 15-minute programme each day of theshow, accessed online via the official ISE 2014 daily newsletter and alsobroadcast on screens around the showfloor. The number of clickthroughsthat The Daily TV received via the newsletter indicate that it was a welcomeaddition to the show. (Separately, we were also shooting videos forInstallation, which you can find on our website.)

The challenge for Mike and his colleagues now is to keep the attendancefigure growing while ensuring that the show doesn’t lose focus. A keystrategy for achieving this growth is partnering with external organisationsto bring in visitors who fall outside ISE’s primary demographic. So, forexample, sports content trade body SVG Europe organised the Sport FacilityIntegration Summit, and organisations such as digital signage consultancyInvidis, the Themed Entertainment Association (for operators of theme parksand other attractions) and SCHOMS (a purchasing consortium for highereducation) all provided tailored offerings to help their particular sectors toget the most value from their ISE visits. There will no doubt be more of theseendeavours over the coming years to keep delivering similar levels of growth.

Many people I spoke to remarked on the growing internationalisation ofthe show – attracting visitors not just from Europe but the Middle East, Asiaand the Americas. One could argue that ISE is now bigger than InfoComm (interms of visitor numbers if not in terms of exhibit space) – although, to makeit a like-for-like comparison, the European event would have to match the USInfoComm and CEDIA shows combined. In any case, given that both ISE andInfoComm will always attract the majority of their visitors from their hometerritories, the meaning of such comparisons is mostly symbolic. However,it’s clear that ISE is growing in importance on the world stage.

I’VE JUST got enough space left to remind you that the deadline for entriesfor the InstallAwards is approaching rapidly – you have until Friday 14 Marchto submit your projects. To find out more about how the awards work and whywe believe they bring something different to the industry, turn to page 10.

Paddy Baker, Editor, Installation – [email protected]

www.installation-international.com March 2014 3

WELCOME & CONTENTS

EDITOR’S COMMENT

ISE: remarkable, as ever

‘The challenge forMike Blackman and

his colleagues now isto keep the

attendance figuregrowing while

ensuring that ISEdoesn’t lose focus’

Cover image courtesy of BlackmagicDesign

NEWS & DATA4 News8 Appointments10 InstallAwards: Enter now!12 Expos and events14 Industry data: Smart building

market set to grow massively

SHOW REVIEWSISE 2014 p16

FEATURES24 Houses of worship: Are facilities

getting the most from audio?28 AV in broadcast: Change is afoot

thanks to technology convergence36 Lighting control: LED continues to

challenge traditional practices40 Regional voices: Spain

EVENT42 InstallMarket:

An exciting new conference and expo

SHOW PREVIEWSProlight + Sound p44InfoComm China p50

TECHNOLOGY52 Showcase: Large LCD displays

SOLUTIONS56 Astana Opera House, Kazakhstan:

The biggest names in opera enticed by leading-edge technology

60 Villa, Pistoia, Tuscany: Wide-ranging KNX-driven residential installation

62 Winter Olympics, Sochi: AV companies put on a show

63 Texas Spirit Theater, Austin: Portraying a colourful past

64 Federal Administrative Court, Leipzig: New conference system proves a welcome investment

NEWS

By David DaviesAFTER A rather low-profileperiod, the audio-video bridgingmovement announced the firstnetworking bridge certified bythe AVB-promoting AVnuAlliance as compliant withevery aspect of the relevantIEEE standards at ISE 2014.Simultaneously, however,revelations centring around thenew AES67 standardsuggested that the future ofnetworking could be morediffuse than many would havepredicted 18 months ago.

Extreme Networks’ SummitX440 switch series – whichsupports the large-scalerollout of converged networkdevices such as IP telephones,wireless access points andphysical security devices – hasbecome the first to attain AVBcertification through a schemeoperated by AVnu Alliance inconjunction with theUniversity of New HampshireInterOperability Lab.

“This is the first of manyAVnu-certified products tocome,” declared HarmanInternational’s Rick Kreifeldt,

AVnu Alliance president(pictured). “After wrapping upour biggest year of growthsince inception, we lookforward to making strides withmore AVnu-certified switchesand end-points in 2014.”

A programme for pro video isalso on the cards for this year,said Kreifeldt. On a relatednote, the AVnu Alliance standfeatured a demo from Barcoshowcasing the delivery ofAVB with H.264 compressionover networks ranging from 1to 10GbE and beyond.

Karel Buijsse, productmanager networking at Barco,said: “With this demo we’veshown that AVB, thoughintrinsically Layer 2, can beperfectly integrated into alarge network infrastructurethrough Layer 3 access forwider distribution andmanagement. This makes AVBapplicable through thecomplete AV world.”

It’s an interestingdevelopment given audioconsultant Roland Hemming’sobservation that AVB is “aLayer 2 protocol and this

creates a stumbling block forsome applications, especiallylarge projects where you needto route across subnets.Dante, Ravenna and AES67allow for Layer 3 and thus don’thave this restriction. Anotherissue is that the number ofAVB-enabled switches isextremely limited and they aresignificantly more expensivethan their equivalent non-AVBenabled counterparts.”

The recent cluster ofannouncements regarding theLayer 3-oriented AES67standard, which waspublished last September, cantherefore be seen assignificant. Audinate’s Dante

media networking technologywill incorporate AES67transport via a firmwareupdate to be released toOEMs within 12 months, whileALC NetworX stressed that itsRavenna solution is alreadyAES67-compliant.

Andreas Hildebrand, seniorproduct manager at ALCNetworX, said: “Ravenna is theonly IP audio distributiontechnology to offer […]complete AES67 compatibility‘out of the box’. Indeed, notonly is Ravenna AES67compatible, it largely exceedsAES67’s recommendations atevery level.”

Hemming observed that“while AVB may be modified toallow for Layer 3, this is likelyto be some way off”. Forintegrators understandablyconfused by the continuingpanoply of options, however,some form of convergencebetween the approachescannot arrive soon enough. www.aes.orgwww.avnu.orgwww.barco.comhttp://ravenna.alcnetworx.com

WORLDNEWPARTNERS

Williams Sound has appointedthree new distributors – PraseEngineering (Italy), ScandecSystemer (Norway) and BrullovConsulting (Russia). Each willoffer Williams Sound’s full line ofwireless communicationtechnology.www.brullov.com/enwww.prase.itwww.scandecasystemer.nowww.williamssound.com

CIE-Group has announced a UKdistribution partnership withPrague-based 2N. The dealmeans 2N becomes the latestaddition to the CIE-Groupproduct portfolio, providing arange of IP-addressable audio,intercom and door entrysystems for the professional AV,telecoms and security sectors.www.2n.czwww.cie-group.com

AED Distribution has taken onthe role of official distributor ofRobert Juliat products for theBenelux region covering allmarkets.www.aeddistribution.comwww.robertjuliat.com

Alcons Audio has appointedFACE as its Pro-Ribbon Partnerfor the Netherlands. This meanssales and support for the rentaland installation market will behandled by the Dutch branch ofFACE. To enable this, FACE hasextended its team with ReinierBruijns and Frank De Vos whowill represent the Professional& Integration division in theNetherlands.www.alconsaudio.comwww.face.be

Cenique has named Stampedeas a North American distributorof its IntelliSense digital signageproduct family.www.cenique.comwww.stampedeglobal.com

New AVB momentum, but AES67 shows promise

4 March 2014 www.installation-international.com

THE EMPLOYEES of integratorEclipse Audio Visual Scotland,based near Glasgow, havemoved across to AVM Impactwith effect from 1 February2014.

The five-strong company,which was founded in 2009 byits four directors, works mainlyin the corporate space, withrecent notable projects forwater company BusinessStream, pensions consultancyHymans Robertson andnational sport agencySportscotland.

Jim Coleman, director of

Eclipse (right of picture), said:“Everyone is delighted to bejoining AVM Impact. With theambitious growth plans thatAVM Impact has in Scotland, Ihave no doubt that the rangeof skills that we can bring tothe existing team will helpdeliver the very best AVdesign and installationsolutions for new and existingclients.” He added that keyskills of the Eclipse team areon the technical side,including documentation andprogramming.

Coleman told Installation

that the team would remain inits existing offices for thenext four months at least.AVM Impact already hasScottish offices in Edinburghand Perth.

Adrian Robertson (left ofpicture), AVM Impact’s directorfor Scotland, said: “I am

delighted that the directors ofEclipse and their team havechosen to join forces with us.They bring a wealth ofknowledge and experience toour ever-expanding Scottishbusiness.”www.eclipse-av.co.ukwww.avmimpact.com

UK

Eclipse joins AVM Impact

NEWS

THREE KEY APPOINTMENTSFOR CORE BRANDSCore Brands has appointedthree new executives: YannConnan as director ofproduct management forthe audio group; Brett Faulkas executive director,strategic products; andRandall Logan as thedirector of channelmarketing.

AWE BROADENS 4KPORTFOLIO WITH SAMSUNGCustom install distributorAWE has bolstered its ultra-high definition portfoliowith the addition ofSamsung’s UE55F9000 andUE65F9000 UHD displays.

CONTROL4 CATCHES SOCHIFEVERControl4 has highlightedthree high-tech ski homesworthy of the Sochitreatment with gold, silverand bronze merits. Goldwent to One Happo,Hakuba, Japan, which issaid to be a world-classsmart home.

CEDIA REVEALS RESEARCHFINDINGSCEDIA’s latest researchfindings include the factthat around 1,250companies are active in theUK residential CI sector; andthat 60% of business comesfrom retrofit projects.

To read these stories and the rest of our residential coverage, go to

www.installation-international.com

Recent highlights

VISUAL display solutionsdeveloper eyevis has acquiredIPTV and video networkingprovider Teracue. Theannouncement came after anISE 2014 show that saweyevis leaning towards a morenetwork-based product linewith the launch of eyeCONMetaWall 2.0 solution – aproduct that has since beenrevealed as a joint effortbetween the two companies.

Teracue is based inOdelzhausen near Munich,while eyevis is located 170kmwest in Reutlingen.

Teracue’s employees, as

well as trademark rights,names and patents, havebeen transferred to a newcompany, Teracue eyevis. “Bythat, Teracue’s customers canbe assured that thecompany’s expertise will bemaintained in the future andwill be further expanded,”explained Michael W Nagel,eyevis CEO.

“With the increasingdemand on high-qualitystreaming systems, togetherwith Teracue we are offeringunique solutions in the areasof control room, presentationand information, and

broadcast from one source,”underlined Nagel. “Teracuewill benefit from our largeinternational sales networkwhich will significantly expandtheir existing sales channels.”

eyevis hopes theacquisition will help thecompany expand its expertisein streaming as well as signaltransmission over standard IPsystems, adopting a two-pronged approach for itscustomers by offering bothnetworking and visualisationsolutions.www.eyevis.dewww.teracue.com

GERMANY

Acquisition creates Teracue eyevis

CLEARONE has been awardedthe 2014 Frost & SullivanGlobal Installed AudioConferencing Systems MarketLeadership Award, for itscontinued innovation in theinstalled audio conferencingmarket.

The award is presented tothe company that hascaptured the highest marketshare and leadership positionwithin its industry. “ClearOne

offers the mostcomprehensive, sophisticated,and feature-rich product lineson the market today,” saidAshwin Iyer, research directorat Frost & Sullivan. “Frost &Sullivan firmly believes thatClearOne’s complete productline of audio conferencingsystems, strategic focus oninnovation, and product lineexpansion, as well as largechannel partner network, will

help the company maintain itsleadership position in theinstalled audio conferencingmarket.”

Key factors cited by theresearch organisation includeClearOne’s completeprofessional audioconferencing systems productportfolio, its history of productinnovation, its well-developedpartner ecosystem, andexpanded use cases that

allow the company to developindustry-specific solutions.

“We remain focused ondelivering superior value forour customers and partnersworldwide,” said ZeeHakimoglu, chairman and CEOof ClearOne. “We are honouredto be selected by aprestigious global researchorganisation such as Frost &Sullivan for this award.”www.clearone.com/fsaward

US

ClearOne rewarded for conferencing success



NEWS

THE conference centre of engineeringcomponent manufacturer SchaefflerGroup has been awarded the Sinus –Systems Integration Award in the‘Corporate’ category, which will bepresented during Prolight + Sound2014.

The award honours the creative useof AV media technology and systemsintegration. The facility, at Schaeffler’shead office in Herzogenaurach,Bavaria, has 13 conference rooms andcan accommodate around 1,000participants. Used for meetings,conferences and exhibitions, thebuilding is flexible: even the maincorridor can be included within events.A highlight is the 330-seat auditorium(pictured). Designed like a cinema, it isfitted with an audio and lighting mixingconsole, as well as cameras andsupplementary stage technology. Allequipment in the building is linked via afibre network, which permits theindividual rooms to be configured andcontrolled via touchpanels.

Sinus Awards go to the variouscompanies involved in the project: inthis case the contractors, FrankenLehrmittel Medientechnik Krug &

Langer and Medientechnik Schindler, aswell as the Schaeffler Group ascustomer, each receive an award.

The ceremony will be held in Hall 5.0at 18:30 on 12 March, during Prolight +Sound.

The Sinus Award is presented everyyear in a different category. The AwardsCommittee and jury are composed ofrepresentatives of the ProfessionalLighting & Sound Association ofGermany (VPLT) and the EuropeanAssociation of Event Centres (EVVC), aswell as experts, representatives of thetrade press and Messe Frankfurt.www.prolight-sound.com

GERMANY

Conference centrewins Sinus Award

ELECTRONIC dance music star Eric Prydz’ EPIC 2.0 tour features ‘freeform’lighting design, 3D holograms, and giant, brighter LED-mapping surfacespowered by a mix of Avolites Sapphire consoles and Avolites Media Aiservers. Lighting designer Jaz Bhullar commented: “The main reason wewanted to use the Sapphires is because rather than being a timecodedshow where everything snaps completely to the music, we wanted it to befreeform with an organic feel. Avolites desks are perfect for this, and thelatest Titan v7 software allowed us to use all the new functions to do somereally cool things that we wouldn’t have been able to do on any other desk.”www.avolites.com

US

Recent highlightsARUP DEPLOYS PEXIP GLOBALLYBuilding design specialist Arup usesenterprise-wide videoconferencing toconnect professionals.

MULTITOUCH DELIVERS EUROPE'SBIGGEST INTERACTIVE RESEARCHWALLMultiTaction rolls out 12-screenturnkey interactive solution forTechnische Universität Dresden.

MUSEO DEL DUOMO OPENS WITH ASHLYSound solution from Ashly at

Cathedral Museum, a key touristattraction in Milan.

RTI RELEASES CX7 COUNTERTOPUSER INTERFACE Versatile solution delivers reliablecontrol designed for mounting on acounter or under a cabinet.

AMX AND LEWIS HELP THE CROFTTO GROWAward-winning automation solutionfrom AMX and Lewis BuildingTechnology helps The Croft standout in high-end property market.

To read these stories and the rest of our coverage for the architecturaland interior design community, go to

www.installation-international.com

ASHLY AUDIO has appointedBardy Hayes and AlexSchloesser of Global MarketingManagement (GMM) as itssales manager and salesengineer, respectively, in theAsia-Pacific region. Hayes willoversee the qualification andappointment of localdistributors, as well as monitorsales and marketing goals.Schloesser will train andsupport the distributionchannel.

Mark Wentling, CEO at Ashly,said: “Alex’s technical trainingand support capabilities areworld class, and Bardy’s ablehandling of regional planning

and management will allow usto focus our energies on themore strategic side of buildingAshly’s channels worldwide.”

“Ashly has a strong andstable brand reputation in theAsia-Pacific region,” saidHayes. “Ashly products soundgreat, fill real-world needs, andare some of the most reliablein the world. We will work hardto strengthen all of therelationships between thefactory and the channel in theAsia-Pacific region. We want tosee Ashly in projects of allsizes and across a wideswathe of applications.”www.ashly.com


APPOINTMENTSASHLY AUDIO

Asia-Pacific expansion for audio manufacturer

ATLONA

Atlona has named James Lopezsenior director of productmanagement. Reporting toMichael Khain, Atlona’s co-founder and vice president ofengineering and productdevelopment, Lopez will beresponsible for managing theongoing development of thecompany’s complete portfolio ofdistribution and connectivitysolutions. Prior to joining Atlona,Lopez held various productmarketing and managementpositions at Logitech, mostrecently serving as generalmanager of the company’sdigital video surveillancebusiness unit.www.atlona.com

COMMUNITYPROFESSIONAL

Max Lindsay-Johnson has joinedCommunity Professional asinternational sales manager.Prior to this he spent time withDuran Audio and Harman Pro. Inhis new role, Lindsay-Johnsonwill be charged with ensuring

the continued growth ofCommunity’s international sales.www.communitypro.com

LAWO

Felix Krückels has taken on thenewly created role of businessdevelopment director at Lawo.He will develop and implementnew business ideas, as well asoverseeing the advancement ofthe company. Prior to this hewas senior product manager forLawo’s mc2 mixing consoleseries, Nova routing systemsand V__line video solutions.www.lawo.com

MARTIN AUDIO

Martin Audio has confirmed theappointment of AndreasWeingaertner as its newinternational account manager.Based in Bremen, Germany,Weingaertner brings more than26 years of sales and marketingexperience in pro audio to therole – covering all aspects of MI,rental and fixed installations.www.martin-audio.com

NEW LOEWE

Former Apple and Hewlett-Packard executive Peter Orre(pictured) is now managingdirector at recently formed NewLoewe – Loewe’s newoperational HQ. MatthiasHarsch, who has already laid keyfoundations for the company’sstrategic turnaround as CEO ofLoewe, will become co-owner ofparent company Panthera withresponsibility for internationalexpansion and the developmentof strategic partnerships.www.loewe.tv/uk

PREMIER MOUNTS

The board of directors atPremier Mounts hasunanimously elected RichardPierro as co-chief executiveofficer. Pierro has been withPremier Mounts for eight years,most recently as generalmanager. In his new role Pierrowill oversee day-to-day globaloperations and will workalongside Len Dozier, founderand CEO, on growing the

company in new marketsworldwide.www.mounts.com

SCALA

Michael Schaffer has beennamed chief financial officerand chief operating officer atScala. Reporting to Scala CEOTom Nix, Schaffer will beresponsible for the company’sworldwide finance, technology,facilities and human resourcesfunctions. Schaffer succeedsJen Douglas who was brought inas Scala’s CFO in October 2013.She will remain with thecompany in an advisory rolethrough her consulting firm, JLD Advisors,www.scala.com

SIMULATION DISPLAYS

Simulation Displays, part of theParadigm Group of companies,has announced that Nigel Besthas joined the company’sbusiness development team tofocus on growth activities in the

UK. He has a broad backgroundin training and simulation as wellas being a Fellow of the RoyalAeronautical Society.www.simulationdisplays.com

SYMETRIX

Greg Suchomel has joined theSymetrix team as a fieldtechnical sales engineer. Basedin New Jersey, US, Suchomel willpromote Symetrix products inthe east and north-east regionsof North America by deliveringtechnical certification andspecialisation training toSymetrix partners.www.symetrix.co

WILLIAMS SOUND

Wireless communicationtechnology manufacturerWilliams Sound has named TonyBraun as vice president of USsales. He has more than 20years of sales and salesmanagement experience andhas previously spent time witheInstruction and PearsonEducation.www.williamssound.com

Bardy Hayes and Alex Schloesser are charged with expanding and training the distribution channel in the region

Pictured (L-R): John Sexton (VP sales), Bardy Hayes, Mark Wentling, Alex Schloesser, Kelly Trader (APAC order/sales admin)


INSTALLAWARDS

InstallAwards:don’t miss out!You’ve only got a few days left to submit your project entries for theinaugural InstallAwards – read on to find out how

TIME IS running out to get yourentries in for the firstInstallAwards, to be held inLondon on 12 June. Entriesclose on Friday 14 March.

We’re looking to recognisethe best AV integrationprojects in the followingcategories:� Public display/retail� Education� Sports and performing arts� Corporate and industrial� Residential

To reflect the multifacetednature of installation projects,we will be making threeawards in each of thesecategories: Best ProjectAward, Teamwork Award andStar Product Award.

Any permanent or semi-permanent installation – fromanywhere in the world – maybe entered, provided it washanded over to the clientbetween 1 March 2013 and 28February 2014.

There is no fee to enter, andany company or individual cansubmit up to three entries –either in the same category oracross multiple categories.

To enter, download the entryform at www.installawards.com.To streamline the process, eachproject is entered for BestProject, plus Teamwork andStar Product Awards if desired;

you only need to complete asingle form. Email yourcompleted entry form, alongwith up to four JPEG images, [email protected].

The awards will be judgedby a large panel ofindependent experts fromacross the industry, drawnfrom a wide range ofbackgrounds. If you would liketo offer your services as ajudge, please send an emailto [email protected].

FIFTEEN-YEAR AWARDSThere will be two furtherawards, judged by theInstallation team. To coincidewith the brand’s 15thanniversary this year, we willpresent the 15 Years of

Excellence Award. This will bewon by a company ororganisation that has made amajor contribution to the AVinstallation world – whichcould be through technology,industry education orleadership.

In addition, we will beawarding the 15 Years ofAchievement Award. This willbe presented to an individualwho, during the lifetime ofInstallation, has built up amajor body of work that hasleft a lasting impression onthe industry.

There is no formalnomination process for thesetwo awards, but we welcomesuggestions for deservingcompanies or individuals viaemail or social media.www.installawards.com

THE EVENINGThe awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Hilton London Wembley on the evening of12 June 2014.

Tickets for the awards are now available, priced at £175 (or £1,495 for a table of 10). Theticket price includes:� Pre-dinner drinks reception� Entry to the awards� Three-course meal� Entry to after-partyand much more besides.Contact [email protected] for more details.

SPONSORSHIPA wide variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, including sponsorship of awardcategories and various branding opportunities at the InstallAwards and in the run-up to theevent. For details, please contact Ian Graham – [email protected], +44 (0)207354 6000.

INSTALLAWARDS


With fewer than two weeks before the entrydeadline for the InstallAwards, I want to share withyou some of the thinking behind them. After all,there are other awards events in the industry – sowhy has Installation thrown its hat into the ring?

Simply put, it’s because we think we can bringsomething new and different to the awardsprocess. When we set about devising thecategories for the InstallAwards, we were keen to

come up with a way of recognising all the factors that go into a successfulinstallation. Of course, the overall design of the installation is particularlyimportant – the way the different elements are selected and made to worktogether is at the heart of what integrators do. So recognising best projects inour various categories was an obvious starting point.

But system designs have to take physical shape, and that requires the inputof many different people: consultants, acousticians, product specialists,programmers and others. And then there are the unexpected problems thatcan crop up mid-project and require creative thinking and possibly calling inthe odd favour to solve. So we’re also recognising the best examples ofteamwork among the projects that are submitted.

We also wanted to involve manufacturers in the awards process. But how doyou compare, say, a 64 x 64 matrix switch against a 64-channel audioconsole? Well, one way to do it is to judge them in the context of the projectsin which they are used: why was this particular model selected? What are theunique characteristics that this installation shows off? Also, by looking atwhat’s being selected and installed currently, reliable workhorse products getconsidered as well as those that are being spotlighted by marketingdepartments at the moment. Plus, by looking at how well projects are servedby single products, we have a means whereby projects of different sizes canbe compared on a more equal footing.

And then there’s the voting procedure. Public votes are all well and good forcreating a buzz around an awards event, but they’re surely more of a measureof a company’s marketing clout and networking ability than about the qualityof its products, or their suitability for any given application. We prefer torecruit judges from all around the industry, and invite them to cast their votes.Apart from our 15th anniversary awards, the winners of which we selectourselves, we don’t get involved at all. We keep the judges’ names secret up tothe end of the judging process, to shield them from external influences.

So there you have it. We believe that the InstallAwards offer a different wayof recognising and rewarding excellence across a wide variety of installationprojects, job roles and technologies – using a process that is objective andtransparent. Don’t miss your opportunity to take part in the InstallAwards:entries close on Friday 14 March, and tickets to the awards event, which takesplace on Thursday 12 June, are on sale now.

Paddy BakerEditor, Installation

ISCE LENDS ITS SUPPORTWe’re pleased to announce that the Institute of Sound andCommunications Engineers has come on board as aSupporting Partner of the InstallAwards. ISCE is aprofessional society, committed to promoting technicalexcellence within the sound industry. Membership isavailable for technical and non-technical individuals, as wellas corporate members, who show their support for the Institute's aim to improve technicalstandards and practices. It offers extensive training, online technical advice and networkingopportunities at its organised events. The ISCEx2014 exhibition and seminar day is on 5March 2014 at Holiday inn, Birmingham, UK. www.isce.org.uk

WHY THE INSTALLAWARDSARE DIFFERENT

‘Public votes are all well and good for creating a buzz around an awards event, but they’re surely more of

a measure of a company's marketing clout and networking ability than about the quality of its products,

or their suitability for any given application’


EXPOS & EVENTS

EDITORIALPLANNERAPRILConcert venuesUnified communicationsTiled displaysShowcase:Cables & connectorsTechnology Guide:ProjectorsNews deadline: 27 MarchDistribution date: 11 April

MAYCommand & controlIntercoms & pagingRoom controlShowcase: Audio consolesFeatures submissiondeadline: 19 MarchNews deadline: 25 AprilDistribution date: 13 May

JUNEStadium audioTheatre solutionsHigh-resolution projectorsShowcase:VideoconferencingequipmentFeatures submissiondeadline: 16 AprilNews deadline: 19 MayDistribution date: 4 June

JULYConference venues4KScaling & switchingShowcase:Large venue speakersDeadlines/distribution:16 May; 19 June; 4 July

AUGUSTMuseums & visitorattractionsPA/VATechnology for architectsShowcase:Projection screensDeadlines/distribution:12 June; 17 July; 31 July

SPOTLIGHT30 April-1 MayPLASA Focus Leeds, UKwww.plasafocus.com

PLASA’s regional Focus eventscontinue in April with a return visit tothe Royal Armouries Museum inLeeds. Exhibitors already confirmedinclude Audio-Technica,Dynacord/Electro-Voice, Robe andStage Electrics. Many products willbe making their UK debut, fresh frominternational launches at Prolight +Sound in Frankfurt. In addition, a two-day programme of seminars, trainingsessions and workshops that arefree to attend for all visitors, runsalongside the exhibition.

EVENTS Your complete events calendar for the months ahead

MARCH30-4 AprilLight + BuildingFrankfurt, Germanywww.light-building.messefrankfurt.com

APRIL15-17PALME Middle East Dubai, UAE www.palme-middleeast.com

30-1 MayPLASA Focus Leeds, UKwww.plasafocus.com

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

13-14Streaming Media East New York, USwww.streamingmedia.com

18High End Munich, Germanywww.highendsociety.de

18-20The ARC Show London, UKwww.thearcshow.com

21-22Digital Signage Expo 2014 Berlin, Germanywww.digitalsignageeurope.com/ds-expo

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

26-29Palm Expo Beijing, Chinawww.palmexpo.net

JUNE11-12ABTT Theatre ShowLondon, UK www.abtttheatreshow.co.uk

16-19CineEuropeBarcelona, Spainwww.cinemaexpo.com

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

18-20InfoComm 2013Las Vegas, USwww.infocommshow.org

AUGUST26-28Integrate Expo 2014Sydney, Australiawww.cedia.com.au

SEPTEMBER

Installation

EXTRACIRCULATION

9-11 AprilInfoComm China Beijing, Chinawww.infocomm-china.com/en 12

InstallAwardsLondon, UKwww.installawards.com

4Install MarketLondon, UKwww.installation-international.com/events


INDUSTRY DATA

MORE TECHNOLOGY iscurrently being installed tomanage and control theinternal infrastructure ofbuildings than ever before andthat trend is set to risedramatically. A new report byMarkets and Marketsinvestigates and analysesemerging technologies acrossthe range of different systemsand sub-systems thatcontribute to the total smartbuilding concept.

Buildings today include anumber of separate systemsthat are often operatedindividually. To optimise thewhole building system andmaximise the advantage fromreal-time systems there is aneed for a single platform tomanage all these together. Thesmart building concept refersto the integration of all thesesystems to maximise theefficiency of all components ofthe building. Throughintegration, owners benefitfrom reduced maintenance andoperating costs, occupantsenjoy a more comfortable andefficient environment while the

environment itself benefitsfrom reduced CO2 emissionsand energy consumption.Smart building technologiesimprove the lifespan of abuilding by identifyingproblems immediately orbefore they occur, enablingcorrective measures to betaken.

GROWTH SEGMENTSThis report considers theestablished buildingautomation systems ofheating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), energymanagement, lighting andphysical security as well as theexpected growth segments ofparking management, watermanagement and elevatormanagement systems. Each ofthese systems is forecast torise individually in value withcompound annual growthrates (CAGR) of 34% to 45%over the five years to 2018.Collectively, the market is

expected to increasemassively from $2.6 billion in2013 to $13.6 billion in 2018.The demand for smart buildingis very high across the globe.Europe has the largest shareof revenue in the smartbuilding market, followed byNorth America but in the nearfuture the growth rate isexpected to be higher fromthe APAC region.

This enormous revenuepotential has attracted majorcompanies such as Siemens,IBM, Schneider Electric, Ciscoand Accenture to providesophisticated smart buildingsolutions. Currently, the mainchallenge to the industry isthe high initial capital cost,although this is offset by latersavings through energyefficiency and reducedoperational costs.

HVAC services have beenmanaged and controlled bysmart systems for severalyears as the primary elementof energy management ofbuildings. Smart buildings willfurther envelop otheressential areas such as

physical security, lightingcontrols and buildingcommunication and will evolveto take into consideration lesswell-established areas as wellsuch as parking managementsystems, escalators andelevator control.

The value of networkequipment within buildings isalso set to continueincreasing; rising at a rate ofaround 22% to 29% per yearacross the three transmissiontechnologies: bus, wirelessand Powerline.

Smart building technologyhas reached the next level andutilises Cloud networking,where automation and controldata is analysed remotely andsubsequent action is taken forbetter energy management.This is creating furtherpotential for the supply ofexternal management andconsultancy services. �

www.marketsandmarkets.com

Buildings are smartening upThe global smart building market is set to grow massively over the next few years, with parkingmanagement, water management and elevator management systems joining the moretraditional services. Steve Montgomery reports

$13.6 millionPredicted market value in 2018

SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY SEGMENT REVENUES, $M

SMART BUILDING-NETWORKINGTECHNOLOGIES MARKET, $M

$ million 2013 2014* 2015* 2016* 2017* 2018* CAGR (2013 - 18)

Physical Security 680 915 1,244 1,713 2,357 3,241 36.7%

Building Energy Management (BEMS) 911 1,244 1,695 2,286 3,012 3,953 34.1%

Building Communication 396 551 809 1,218 1,799 2,591 45.6%

Parking Management 249 355 508 729 1,054 1,530 43.8%

Plumbing and Water Management 264 381 552 801 1,165 1,694 45.0%

Elevators and Escalators Management 112 159 230 332 474 669 43.0%

Total 2,611 3,606 5,038 7,079 9,862 13,677 39.3%

SUB-SEGMENT 2013 2014* 2015* 2016* 2017* 2018* CAGR(2013 - 18)

Bus Technology 495 625 803 1,038 1,347 1,736 28.6%

Powerline Technology 533 638 777 956 1,167 1,420 21.7%

Wireless Technology 581 740 963 1,238 1,567 1,974 27.7%

Total 1,608 2,003 2,542 3,232 4,080 5,130 26.1%

Source: Markets and Markets ( * = forecast)

Source: Markets and Markets (* = forecast)

Brightsign launched its new 4Kdigital signage media player atISE 2014. The company claimsto be the first to deliver native4K (3840 x 2160) H.265 playbackat 60fps. “Our aim for ISE is tomake sure people understandwhat true 4K is,” explained JeffHastings, CEO. “There’s a lot oftalk about 4K, but what we’retalking about here is full frame-rate video 4K. It’s a verydifferent kind of thing.”

Hastings sees 1080p fadingquickly in the commercial sector.“By the end of 2015, everyonewill be buying 4K screens. In thisspace, everything is deliveredover the internet so you can getto a 4K workflow with no newinfrastructure.”

Crestron noted many of thechallenges faced when it comesto the correct distribution of UHDsignals in reference to itsDigitalMedia distribution system.The company announcedCrestron 4K Certification,whereby manufacturers of 4Ksources and displays can applyto have their equipment testedby Crestron at its new $250,000facility. If it meets the criteria,then the device goes onto anapproved list. This helpsCrestron DM customers to guardagainst common issues that canarise – such as mismatchedresolutions, different frame rateconsiderations and lack of signalintegrity – compromising thequality when distributing 4K overlong distances.

eyevis is addressing thegrowing demand for 4K byexpanding its portfolio of IPdecoder boards. The newIPD32HQ board can decode two4K signals, 16 HD signals or 32D1 (480i) signals simultaneously.Along with its little brother theIPD32, the IPD32HQ supportsflexible individual codecs as wellas customised systems – andboth support more than 2,500camera models from variousmanufacturers.

Smart-e launched a range ofmodular 4K transceivers at ISE2014, offering five-playconnectivity of UHD video, audio,control, Ethernet and inlinepower. Each 4K-compatiblemodule is capable oftransmission over 100m of Cat6 cable.

The new 4Konnect family allfeature configurations of thenew modules built on to a main

Smart-e board. Once connectedto a Smart-e product, themodules support UHD video, IR,RS-232, 100BaseT Ethernet andremote power (POH), whileinternal firmware provides forexternal monitoring of status ofmodule performance, signalintegrity and product connectionstatus.

The modules areinterchangeable, so the productscan easily be configured orrepurposed for differentcombinations and functionality.Multiple units can be daisy-chained via local HDMIconnections, providingversatility in system design.

Panasonic announced that it isdeveloping a high-brightness 4Kprojector with pixel-quadruplingtechnology – producing fourdifferent pixels from each pixel.The company will also bereleasing 4K LED displays in 84inand 98in sizes in the autumn.

DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIESA year on from Barco’sacquisition of projectiondesign,the two brands were exhibitingfrom a single booth at the show.The company’s senior VPentertainment, Wim Buyens, toldus that the plan had alwaysbeen to take things slowly after

the acquisition, to help Barcounderstand its new asset. ISE2014 marked the end of thattransitional period; Buyensrevealed that by the timeInfoComm rolls around in June,all projector models previouslybranded projectiondesign willcarry the red Barco logo. Thedevices will still keep theNorwegian technology inside,

and Buyens confirmed that theprojectiondesign HQ inFrederikstad will operate underthe name Barco Norway fromnow on.

Barco introduced its newcustomisable LCD indoor andoutdoor digital signage solutions– which comprise the LCD55ix,LCD55ox, LCD72ix and LCD72oxmodels. The company was also

showing its impressive OverViewSeamless Videowall (OSV). TheLED-lit rear-projection curveddisplay range incorporates threemodels and is designed for amultitude of applications,including crisis operation rooms,planning rooms and controlrooms, where ‘big data’ displayand collaboration facilities areessential.

Going up to elevenOver the next few pages, we present our highlights from last month’s ISE2014 – the eleventh since the show started in 2004. We begin with one ofthe hot topics of the show, 4K, followed by display technologies

SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014in InstallationInstallationInstallation

What’s the best thing about the ISE show?


‘It’s a really important show forthe whole industry. From aHarman point of view it’s nice tohave one show where high-endhome and pro come together. Andfor the AVnu Alliance, it brings ourmembers together too.’Rick Kreifeldt, VP research &innovation, corporate technologygroup, Harman

‘‘We still meet people here whowe don’t know.’Lars-Olof Janflod, marketing andPR director, Genelec

‘The geography that it covers –nearly everywhere outside the USand Asia. So we don’t have toexhibit all over Europe.’Guy Simmonds, UK sales director,Lutron

‘As well as being a brand-building exercise it also letscustomers come up andchallenge us. It means we findout what people on the street arereally up to.’Stuart Ashton, EMEA director,Blackmagic Design

‘It’s definitely a world show –people come from all over.’Jeff Hastings, CEO, Brightsign

‘The way it grows – it gets biggerevery year. It’s reflecting themarket.’Petra van Meeuwen, EMEA PRmanager, Crestron

‘We see a lot more end userscoming through the doors – andthat’s a way for ISE to grow, as

well as being a challenge.’Peter van Dijk, businessdevelopment manager, Mitsubishi Electric

‘The show is really important tous as it brings interestedcustomers with interestingquestions and thoughts. Also,unlike some other shows, thereisn’t loud music in the halls so youcan talk without straining yourvoice.’Peter Rieck, key account &distribution manager, Sommer Cable

‘It’s still taking the limelight. Yearon year people are choosingAmsterdam over Frankfurt.’Brett Downing, ssales andmarketing director, TOA Europe

Dr Holger Dahl of 2Signage, whosetechnology powered M2D – a newservice at ISE 2014 where exhibitorscould publicise the territories wherethey were seeking distribution

BenQ had on display a widerange of professional projectorsin three main categories:business, education and home.On the business side, the short-throw MW621ST is designed forsmall meetings, producing a55in image from a distance ofjust 1m. Using the new WirelessDisplay feature, the projector canconnect to a PC, Mac, iPhone oriPad through a WiFi dongle.

The MW853UST interactiveeducation model features multi-screen calibration. TwoMW853USTs can be combined todouble the projection area, withup to four PointWrite penssupported. With the LaserCurtain module mounted on topof the screen, up to four fingersor objects can be used to write.

The W1500 homeentertainment projector featuresTriple Flash 144Hz technologyfor 'flawless' 3D rendering,frame interpolation for ultra-smooth motion quality and theREC709 color gamut for true-to-life colours. It is also the world’sfirst home projector to featureWireless Display.

In addition to its projectors,BenQ was also showing flatpanels for digital signage andLCD workstation monitors.

ISE newcomer Corning usedthe show to highlight its GorillaGlass, which is now being usedin whiteboards andmarkerboards. On show was a65in and 70in interactivewhiteboard and an 18.5in displayfor medical applications allfeaturing the tough, thin glass.

Under the slogan “Smarter.Greener. Together” Deltademonstrated a range of newproducts. The Ultra Slim seriesvideowall, designed for controlrooms, has a depth of less than535mm, a lightweight design,highly efficient LED lightengines, redundant powersupplies, auto alignment and

auto colour calibration. DLP and LCD videowalls

powered by Delta’s DVCS(Distributive Vision Controlsystem) and MiNiCON(Embedded Vision ControlSystem) control systems werealso on show. The IP-basedDVCS supports over 10,000sources and displays, whileMiNiCON delivers up to 60fpsperformance and stability,regardless of the number ofinputs and outputs.

A shootout between a regularwhite screen and a dnp DenmarkSupernova screen had visitorsplaying their part in calibratingthe colour difference in the two.Also on display was an upgradedversion of the Supernova STSscreen. This is optimised forultra-short-throw projectors and,because contrast levels are saidto be almost identical, the screenis claimed to provide a cost-effective alternative to flatpanelsin the 80-100in range. The latestmodel features improvedviewing angles. Visitors werealso offered a chance to see theprototype Version 2.0 of the dnpInvisiBezel – dnp’s optical frontcover for LCD panels thatoptically conceals the bezel gapbetween neighbouring displays.

The versatility of LighthouseTechnologies’ FS25 flexible LEDwas demonstrated by an eye-catching customised Mini car.The flexible silicone-based strip,which is available in 6m lengthsthat can be cut, can be mountedon any shape of surface.

In addition to its 4K offering,Panasonic launched animpressive array of newproducts as it looked tostrengthen its LED and LCD line-up in 2014. New additions inthis field include the Full HD TH-65LFE7 65in LED displaydesigned for digital signageapplications and mid-sizedconference room installations,

and the high-brightness TH-47LFX60 Full HD outdoorLED display. Hartmut Kulessa,marketing manager for PSCEU(Panasonic SystemsCommunications CompanyEurope), explained: “Stoppingplasma manufacture left a fewgaps in our line-up in 2013. In2014 we’re going to eliminatethose gaps.”

A highlight on the projectorside of the business was thelaunch of the world’s first 6,000-lumen 1-chip DLP laserprojectors. The PT-RZ670 andPT-RW630 are additions to thecompany’s existing Solid Shineline of projectors, and feature20,000 hours of working lifewithout lamp replacement andflexible, all-angle installation.They boast 6,000 lumens ofbrightness, and resolutions areWUXGA and WXGA respectively.

First-time exhibitor Robe,

alongside its architecturallighting brand Anolis, waspresenting its latest series ofsmall footprint, self-contained,DMX-controlled MiniMe lightingfixtures. The devices contain alittle media server in their basesfor holding things such as videoand pictures, which can bemodified by using effects. Thecompany was alsodemonstrating six newArcSource outdoor fixtures, withthree models in the line-upcertified to IP67.

Samsung’s updated SmartSignage Platform was integratedinto the company’s large-formatdisplays (LFDs) for ISE. On thestand was a huge ‘multi-visiontower’ combining 54 UD55DLFDs, which feature an ultra-slim 3.5mm bezel. The companywas also displaying its MagicIWB 3.0, which enables morethan two LFDs to operate as asingle unit, and allows users toco-operate efficiently by sharingcontent with laptops and PCs.

The company’s SecondGeneration Smart SignagePlatform is “more powerful,more capable and moreintegrated than the FirstGeneration”, said Graham Long,VP of Samsung’s enterprisebusiness team for UK andIreland. “It’s powerful enough tosupport touch overlay on itsown, without the need for a set-back box or PC.”

The company also debuted a110in ultra-high-definitionscreen and a curved high-definition large-format display.

Sharp had the latest prototypeof its collaboration surface, BigPad, on its stand at the show.The second-generationtouchscreen, which beginsshipping in April, incorporates awide range of new features

including simultaneous writingby up to four people and remotedata sharing. Elsewhere on thestand, visitors could see thecompany’s new 20in LL-P202VFull HD and 24in LL-S242Atouchscreen LCD monitors,which are designed forinformation display and in-storesignage in retail, leisure andexhibition environments.

Along with its new family ofultra-short-throw projectors, theVision Presenter PWA-VP100was drawing the crowds to theSony stand at ISE 2014. This 4Kvisual presentation solutionmakes it possible to display datafrom multiple source materialand create effectivepresentations simply. It can becontrolled through either aconventional wireless mouse ortablet devices. Interactiveoperation can be performedregardless of where the systemis located. Using Sony’sprofessional WUXGA projectors,Presenter allows images fromtwo projectors to be ‘tiled’seamlessly to create super-sizedimage displays up to 3552 x1200.

Toshiba Europe used ISE toannounce its entry into thebusiness display market. Thiswas the first time this part ofToshiba has attended the show.

On show were smart signagemanagement systems as well asa range of monitors, includinghospitality TVs, with integrated‘hotel mode’ and screen sizes upto 40in, signage TVs with built-insignage display features in sizesup to 50in, 24/7 operation pro-signage monitors up to 70in,UHDTVs with 4K displayresolution available in sizes upto 84in, and 6-point opticaltouchscreen bezels available insizes up to 70in.


Not many years ago you could goto ISE and feel you had seen thewhole show – now you feel luckyif you’ve covered a single hall. Ihad around a dozen in-depthmeetings – which is less than2% of the exhibitors – and Idwelled on the stands of maybeanother 10%. We took all our sixlead consultants, started earlyand finished late. Even thendividing the show up and makingappointments as we did, it’simpossible to cover everything.

The number of geographicalmarkets ISE now serves isamazing. We saw clients fromSaudi Arabia, Kuwait, SouthAfrica and Asia. Amsterdam iseasy to get to from anywhere.

On the display side, it was allabout solid-state illumination,bezel wars and 4K. If therewasn’t a large UHD (4K) displayon a manufacturer’s booth, it

was in their ‘whisper suite’.Samsung’s claim to have the“world’s thinnest ultra narrowbezel” certainly won the battleof the marketing hype.Panasonic is dealing withmassive corporate change headon and their booth waswelcoming and informative.Laser projectors and LEDprojectors were popping upeverywhere. Barco has comeback resurgent and Planar hasclearly decided to set up campin Europe – I liked how its standshowed you what you could useeach of its products for.

Large LED screens – fromcompanies such as Leyard,Silicon Core and a couple ofothers – demonstrated theyhave crossed the thresholdwhere you can use them forpresenting data rather than justadvertising or signage.

There’s a trend towardsbigger and bigger stands, oftenwith CXO-level people inattendance from the majorplayers – I’m not sure howuseful this is. The unifiedcommunications area did notseem a good fit and maybe willend up getting squeezed out asthe show expands.

Blair Parkin, Managing director, Visual Acuity

ISE 2014: a consultant’s view

Installation hosted a drinks reception on its stand on the second afternoon of ISE 2014. Many thanks to Barco for providing the eye-catching display – which featured a feed from thedaily TV


SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014 in InstallationInstallationInstallation

Bang & Olufsen marked its ISEdebut by introducing BeoLinkGateway connective technology.This seamlessly integrates homeautomation with quality audioand video. It allows one remote,tablet or screen to controleverything in the automatedhome – including Bang &Olufsen’s own TVs and audioequipment as well as hundreds ofthird-party devices. Up to fourdevices can be connected directlyto BeoSystem 4, a powerful videoengine offering an integratedsurround sound module. Thecompany also launched BeoSoundEssence, a sound system thatallows a one-touch remote todeliver premium, but concealed,sound quality. A hidden box thatconnects to the music device iscontrolled by the remote, offeringconnections to digital audio in theCloud, on a computer, NAS, mobilephone or tablet.

Basalte showed its Sentidoswitch, which is divided into twoor four squares by which two orfour functions can be controlled.The entire surface is touch-sensitive. This is complementedby the Deseo room controller,which boasts an integrated

temperature sensor. This‘innovative square’ – within thesize of a standard switch – allowsthe user to control, via theintegrated display, the variousfunctions of a home automationsystem within each room.

Control4 announced thatnearly 60 global brands inconsumer electronics, security,

lighting and HVAC have adoptedthe Control4 Simple DeviceDiscovery Protocol (SDDP). Thissimplifies the

connection and integration oftheir products with one anothervia Control4’s home automationplatform.

Making its European debut onthe CYP stand was the new homeautomation processor fromDemoPad – the CENTRO 8.Designed to run with DemoPad’sleading Android and iOS homeautomation apps, the CENTRO 8features all of the connectivityand control options necessary forany control and automationrequirement. It also allowsinstallers and integrators to offera cost-effective solution andopens up a whole new sub-£5,000 market and revenuestream.

Numerous devices offeringKNX connectivity wereshowcased by manufacturersclustered around the KNXAssociation hub.

The Corlo Touch KNX displayfeatures glass surfaces and

chromium-plated

frames. It controls roomtemperature, sunshade,ventilation and light via the KNXbus system. The touchscreenalso displays switches androtary controllers for manualoperation of a building system.

The ITP 1000 VOIP intercomfrom EMT Controls offersvandalism protection, glasstouchscreen technology and anembedded RFID reader. ITP1000delivers full-motion video overIP intercom, offers widebandaudio intercom for clearcommunication and videosecurity.

The KNX proServ controller,from iKNiX & BleuCommAzur,offers a new product databasethat enables the design of KNXuser interfaces on smartphones,using standard ETS software.

Savant added to its multi-room media distribution familywith two HDBaseT receivers.These are designed to connectthe full HDBaseT 5Play featureset in any room, including video,audio, control, power andEthernet over a single Cat5e/6cable. They are available as anin-wall solution or as a slenderstandalone module, designed to

Smart homes, commercial connectionsHere we highlight new residential technology at ISE 2014, followed by connectivity products

B&O categorymanager Brian BjørnHansen with theBeoLink Gateway

fit in the space between aflatpanel display and the wall ormounting surface behind it.

Also new was the SmartAudioSSA-3220 32 x 20 switch, whichis a distributed audio solutionhoused in a compact 2Urackmountable design. It includes16 analogue and 16 digitalselectable inputs, 20 outputs (16analogue plus four S/PDIF) forpassing analogue line-levelaudio to an external amplifier.

CONNECTIVITY, CONTROL,COLLABORATIONAnalog Way showed the twolatest additions to its Midra seriesof mid-range mixers/seamlessswitchers – Eikos² and Saphyr.These both feature 10 seamlessinputs and 16 input sockets,including four DVI-D, four HDMIand four 3G-SDI. The systems canswitch quickly and seamlesslybetween inputs without fadingthrough black or losing sync.

The company also showed thenew version 1.4 of its Ascender48 multiscreeen seamlessswitcher. This contains 48scalers, but as the companydemonstrated, two can be linkedtogether to form a single systemwith two live Mosaic Previews, 84inputs and 96 scalers.

eyevis launched its netPIX4900 graphic controller forcontrol and conference rooms. Itfeatures new input and output

cards, a new Switch-Fabric-Backplane and an optimisedhousing concept. It makespossible the input and outputprocessing of 4K/Ultra HDsignals and the transmission ofaudio via HDMI. Elsewhere onthe company’s stand, visitorscould see the new and improvedomniSHAPES which are nowcapable of displaying active-stereo 3D images thanks to120Hz image processing.

Dexon returned to Amsterdamhaving responded to customerrequests at ISE 2013 for asimpler, cheaper product: theDIMAX404 4 x 4 intelligentmatrix, a standalone unit thataccepts different input signalformats and switches and scalesthem to the required outputresolution. All current industrialsignal standards and formats aresupported on the four inputs.Other features include seamlessswitch, transition switch and PIPto ensure high picture quality on the outputs.

Gefen presented its range ofnew IP-based KVM extenders forHDMI, DVI and VGA. These allowdigital and analogue videosignals to be into a GigabitEthernet network and output atany point. They extend USB, RS-232, IR and bi-directionalanalogue audio signals, andsupport resolutions up to 1080pand WUXGA. A specifically

developed codec allows for alatency of approximately 20ms,using a visually losslesscompression scheme.

First-time ISE exhibitorHuawei was showing its TEseries of videoconferencingsystems, which are claimed to bethe first to offer 1080p60,wireless connections and voicedialling. The 1080p30 TE30 waslaunched in October, and hassince sold more than 5,000worldwide. ISE 2014 saw thelaunch of the 1080p60 TE40,TE50 and TE60, which add arising number of I/O ports,including 3G-SDI, as the modelnumber increases.

Jupiter Systems washighlighting its Canvas display

collaboration software, whichfeatures new mobileconnectivity. Canvas allows anysource viewable on a traditionaldisplay wall to be shared onother devices in real time,anywhere in the world. Thesoftware allows for live notationand chat between multipleusers whether in front of controlroom displays, or remotely onlaptops, phones and tablets.

NewTek, in conjunction withdistributor 3D Storm, wasexhibiting its TriCaster'TV studioin a box' package. This providesthe capability to create a virtualTV studio using a green screen,on to which any panoramicimage may be added as abackground. TriCaster can also

be integrated with Crestronsystems. With prices starting at£3,500, the package is findingapplications at sports grounds,concert halls, corporate facilitiesand elsewhere.

New from Vaddio wasHuddleSTATION, a completeunified communications solutionfor small meeting rooms, madeup of a table-based MicDock anda wall-mounted HuddleSTATIONsound bar and camera module.The HuddleSTATION camera has asuper-wide-angle lens providinggreater than 82º horizontal field ofview for even the smallest ofrooms. It has a manual pan/tiltmechanism and 3x varifocal zoomlens that further tailors the imagefor a small room.

‘I’m concerned that the powerand spend of visual technologycompanies is starting to pushaudio companies to one side.’Anthony Taylor, managingdirector, Martin Audio

‘The stress when you enter therebooking office!’Geert Polfliet, mmarketingmanager, Apart Audio

‘I worry a little bit that the showmight get too big. Is there an

argument for organising it in adifferent way?’Paul Dawes, director ofmarketing, Peerless-AV

‘It’s not long enough – it needsanother day.’Matt Browning, EMEA marketingmanager, Crestron

‘I haven’t seen enough of it!Providing free WiFi around thevenue would also be a challengeworth exploring.’Eran Sharon, VVP product

management, YCD Multimedia

‘It’s hard to get the balance rightbetween looking outward andlooking inward. It would be goodto have a non-customer day,where exhibitors could go roundand look at each other’s stands.’Simon Jackson, vvice president,NEC Display Solutions UK

‘Avoiding getting run over bybicycles!’Jed Deame, vice president ofmarketing, RGB Spectrum

WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT THE ISE SHOW?

SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014

Professional audio brand of PVS,Audac, unveiled its new range ofMERO in-wall speakers, alongwith its SMA and SMQ amplifierrange. MERO incorporates threemodels – 20W, 100W and 120Wversions. The high-end in-wallspeakers are designed to blendinto any interior. The rectangularshape of the speakers offers anunobtrusive design: the slimgrille has a border only 1mmthick, and the grille protrudes byonly 3.2 mm when installed.

AVnu Alliance unveiled its firstAVnu-certified AVB product, withchairman and president RickKreifeldt declaring “2014 is ouryear”. Extreme Networks earnedthe first certification for itsSummit 440 switches family,with 14 products gainingcertification in total. Kreifeldtadded that this is “a big thing forthe industry as it simplifies thespecifiers’ world”. Consultantscan simply specify ‘AVnucertification’ on a product and notworry about which part of theAVB protocol was implemented.More products are in the pipelinewith switches and endpoints inthe process of being given theAVnu seal of approval.

‘Safe and Sound’ was thetheme at the Bosch stand, whereproducts from Bosch SecuritySystems and BoschCommunication Systems wereonce again shown side by side.EN54 certification was animportant strand of this theme.“Bosch is the first companyworldwide to be offering aflexible and scalable, EN-certifiedsystem comprising pro-soundand life-safety components froma single source,” said OliverSahm, director application designwith Bosch CommunicationsSystems. The only notableexception to this is powersupplies, which the companydoes not manufacture.

Biamp launched Tesira 2.0, thelatest version of its family ofDSP-based systems. At its heartis TesiraFORTÉ, a series of audioprocessors that extend AVB toapplication-specific settings.Eight preconfigured models (fourAVB and four non-AVB) areavailable – designed forconferencing, telephony and VoIPenvironments. “WithTesiraFORTÉ, we’re extendingTesira technology to application-specific and value-consciousdesigns – bringing exceptionalAVB audio solutions to everydayapplications,” said JustinO’Connor, audio product

manager, Biamp Systems.Shipping with Tesira 2.0 is

Biamp’s new DAN-1 digitalserver networking card, whichfunctions as a gateway interfaceand supports 64 × 64 channelsof Dante audio. The DAN-1 canbe installed as a standalonesolution, alongside AVB orCobraNet; or can work with both.

Perhaps the most unexpectedproduct on the Christie standwas its home-grown cinemasound offering, called Vive Audio.Developed to enable thecompany to offer cinemas anaudio upgrade package tocomplement their move to digitalprojection technology, Vive Audiofeatures an articulated, singleenclosure line array speakerdesign and ribbon drivertechnology, combined with whatis claimed to be the first use ofhigh-powered Class Damplification in cinema.

DiGiCo introduced its D2-Rackat ISE 2014. Currently availablefor use with the SD8 and SD9consoles, the D2-Rack isdesigned to support and expandthe SD Range’s higher samplerate I/O solutions. It comes witheither BNC or Cat5 MADIconnections, allowing it to beused with a number of DiGiCoconsoles or as a standalone unit.By using the latest convertorsfound in DiGiCo’s SD Range, theD2-Rack offers a more compact,more efficient, more affordablerack solution for connection ateither 48kHz or 96kHz with no

I/O reduction.Martin Audio offered a sneak

preview of the multipurposeDD12 two-way loudspeaker,which will be launched later inthe year. The poweredloudspeaker combines onboardnetworking, DSP and Class Damplification with advancedtransducers and DifferentialDispersion horn technology. Thespeaker’s internal memoryallows factory plug-and-play oruser-generated DSP preset‘snapshots’ to be recalled bymeans of a button on the rearpanel, instead of using computercontrol.

ISE 2014 saw the trade showpremiere of the self-powered

LYON linear sound reinforcementsystem from Meyer Sound. Byincorporating the technology ofthe LEO family in a lighter andmore compact package, MeyerSound believes that the LYONline array loudspeaker systemextends the advantages of highlylinear self-powered systems to abroader range of venues andapplications. LYON is available intwo versions: the LYON-M mainloudspeaker and the LYON-Wwide-coverage loudspeaker.Complemented by the 1100-LFClow-frequency control elementand the Galileo Callistoloudspeaker managementsystem, the LYON-M mainloudspeaker is designed to

anchor a powerful system forinstallations in arenas and largeauditoriums, as well as toursand festivals. The LYON-W canserve as downfills.

Powersoft was sporting itsnew branding on a stand sharedwith its Dutch distributor TMAudio. The company marked itsfifth ISE by previewing DEVA – aself-contained multimedia devicedesigned for the installationmarket. The long-awaitedsystem, which is set for fulllaunch at this month’s Prolight +Sound show in Frankfurt,integrates multiple technologiessuch solar power, bidirectionalWiFi 802.11n AV communication,audio and camera. Thelightweight and weatherproofsolution also incorporates amicrophone, lighting and a ClassD amplifier with an 8in speaker.Also making an appearance onthe company’s stand was theOttocanali 124K eight-channelamplifier, which offers a widerange of system control andmonitoring functions.

QSC launched the TouchMix-8and TouchMix-16 portable digitalmixers at ISE 2014. The mixers,which have 12 and 20 inputchannels respectively, offer achoice of Advanced Modeoperation (total control over allparameters) or Simple Mode(most essential controls only).

Specifications for both includefour-band, fully parametric EQwith both variable hi-and lo-passfilters, as well as comprehensivedynamics processing on eachinput channel. Four mix bussesfeed four internal digital effectsprocessors. Comprehensivedynamics, graphic EQ, hi-pass,lo-pass and notch filters and

Audio technologyThere was no shortage of product introductions and upgrades on audio companies’ stands



Wienand Mensendiek and Sina Petzold of Sennheiser with the TeamConnect audio and web conferencing product

Biamp’s Justin O’Connor presenting the latest generation of Tesira products

delay are available on both themain and aux outputs, as well aseight DCA groups with mutesand eight mute groups.

Four (TouchMix-8) or 10(TouchMix-16) auxiliary outputchannels offer stage monitormixing capability, with bothmodels offering the ability todrive multiple, wired stereo in-ear monitors directly.

RCF presented its new V-MAXseries of fixed and portableloudspeaker solutions. Thecabinets, which will beginshipping in the middle of theyear, are made from birch withweather-resistant polyurea paintcoating for heavy-dutyapplications. The solutionfeatures various RCFtechnologies such as RCFPrecision Hyper-vented Woofers;high-power, low-distortion neocompression drivers; CMDCoverage Matching Designhorns, which provide consistenthorizontal and vertical patterncontrol through the usablefrequency range; and RCFexclusive LICC CrossoverSystems. Combined, these aresaid to fully optimise the highperformance and offer long-term reliability.

On its stand, Revolabs wasdebuting its Executive Elite four-and eight-channel wirelessmicrophone systems. Thesystems use a new distributedarchitecture to connect theremote antenna receiver andbase DSP unit via a Cat6 cable

with power over Ethernet. Thisenables the antenna to be placedin the same room as wirelessmicrophones, vastly improvingwireless connectivity. The newmics also feature improvedsignal-to-noise ratio, easyoperation, and enhanced digitalsignal communication overwireless links.

A major launch for Sennheiserwas TeamConnect – an end-to-end meeting-room solution thatis designed to make conferencecalls stress-free. The system,which caters for up to 16 on-siteusers, brings together speakers,mics, a central control unit andconnectivity management. “Wehave made it easy to use amobile device – your businesssmartphone, tablet or laptop – tocontrol meetings,” said WienandMensendiek, manager portfolioand channel development atSennheiser. “This level offlexibility, performance andsimplicity can only come from anintegrated system.” TeamConnectis available now.

Televic Conference wasshowing the third generation ofits Confidea Wireless Conferencesystem, which is available fromthis month. The systemincorporates a fully revisedwireless engine and mobile-friendly web control. Deemed tobe the most radical upgradesince the system was introducedin 2008, the new wirelessupgrade means the Confidea canoffer more wireless frequencies

in various countries. On the basic discussion-only

version, the number of buttonshas been reduced drastically tominimise clutter and to create amore intuitive user interface. Themore advanced units with votingfunctionality now come with abuilt-in RFID card reader foridentification and authenticationof the delegate.

Two main products from thenew PAX Pro AV Group brand,Xavtel, were demonstrated: theDialogo Series, which is abudget-priced high-end tabletopaudio/video conferencingsolution; and a fully digital andnetworked DSP solution forconferencing, voting andsimultaneous translation, theSenator System.

Based on Xavtel’s high-speedredundant network technology,Senator enables up to 504delegate units to be individuallyprocessed via a single DSP whilestill providing individualprocessing for each microphone.The patent-pending technologyalso incorporates a VoiceActivated Gate, which uses voicerecognition to activate adelegate’s microphone. Otherfeatures include on-board SIP3VoIP telephone module and anoptional wideband AEC card forteleconferencing.

The systems offer Full HDaudio and video over AVB orXAVNET on a single platform.

www.iseurope.org

SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014

ISE 2014 and the drive forproduct improvementThe number of people withdefective hearing is constantlyrising. Therefore it has becomemore important to comply to thedemands of the EC and thegovernments of variouscountries for overcomingbarriers – also regarding thefield of acoustics.

Audiological systems are thecore of our AUDIOropa productrange: FM and infraredtransmission as well as loopsystems for direct inductiveinput to hearing aids, cochlearimplant systems and otherassistive devices for people withaffected sense of hearing. Thesesystems can be used asstandalone – but they can alsoserve to complement every audiosystem – stationary or mobile –for example when involved inconference- and event-technology, tour-guiding or alsobidirectional in team-teachingapplications.

It is our motivation to make itpossible for everybody in the

audience to understand thespoken word – no matter if theyare users of hearing aids or CIsystems or other hearing-impaired people not inpossession of such equipment. Itis not only a question of beingable to participate in cultural orsocial life, but also regardingaspects of safety, for examplewhen transmitting dangerwarnings in public spaces.

At ISE 2014, we found that weencountered top-class suppliers

and users of audio technologywho were looking exactly for that‘extra’ for their systems – notonly to be able to comply withthe ever-increasing demand forinclusion of the hearingimpaired. Therefore it is mostimportant for us to make surethat our AUDIOropa systems arecompatible with the equipmentof all international standards.

Gerhard Sicklinger, CEO,Humantechnik/AUDIOropa


THE ORNATE, imposingarchitecture of many housesof worship has generally beensufficient to endear them tothe public – even those whonow find little resonance withHoWs’ loftier spiritualpurposes. One only needconsult Church Going, anevocative poem by thedecidedly non-devout PhilipLarkin, to capture a flavour ofthe hold these spaces canexert on the secularly inclined.

There is, however, one‘denomination’ whosemembers have historicallyhad a little more reason to beresistant to the charms ofHoW design: audio installersand designers. Theunsympathetic materials andchallenging configuration ofmany older HoWs tend tospell unforgivingreverberation times andchallenging installs. Equallycritically, the budget-strapped

nature of many HoWs meansthat the dreaded ‘C’ word–‘compromise’ – can be aregrettably prominent part ofthe specification process.

The emergence of beamtechnologies able to deliverprecisely directed sound, aswell as better microphonesand more powerfulprocessors, have done muchto address some long-standing issues. But as thefollowing four new ‘gospels’

devised from recentconversations withmanufacturers who havesizeable interests in the HoWmarket confirm, it remains achallenging area of themarket with considerablescope for improvement.

1. STEERABLE SYSTEMSSteerable speaker systemsand better DSP have reallyboosted general intelligibility.

Thomas Giczy, business

development manager forinstalled sound at AKG, putsit succinctly: “Intelligibilityhas been a focus point forhouses of worship becausewithout clear and precisesound, the message is lost.”Fortunately – and by a fairlybroad consensus – there hasbeen much progress in thisregard over the past decade.

FEATURE: HOUSES OF WORSHIP

The new ‘gospels’ of worship audioAddressing general acoustical challenges associated with historic buildings has been the primaryagent of change for houses of worship audio for the last decade and more. But could it be that ashortfall in integrator and end-user skills means that HoWs aren’t always getting the most out oftheir increasingly powerful systems, asks David Davies?


Minimising the visualimpact of speakercabinets is anotherenduring challenge

Larger, new-build HoWs inWestern Europe andAmerica are increasinglysavvy to the benefits ofextensive networks

Accommodatingfrequently high RTsremains a priority forproject designers

[KEY POINTS]

Regrettably, the selectionof more complex systemsisn’t necessarily beingmatched by an uplift inend-user training

TOA’s SR-H2S line arrayspeakers were chosen for theParish of St Andrew & StMark in Surbiton, UK



“A milestone over the pastfew years has been thedevelopment of steerablespeaker systems and theclarity of sound that theybring to HoW,” remarks AndyBradshaw, who handles salesfor south England at TOA –whose SR-H line array seriesspeakers have provenparticularly popular for HoWprojects – and fellow TOAgroup company, microphone

maker Trantec. “It has helpedto solve the common problemof having awkward speakerplacements.”

Peter H Child, applicationsengineer at Martin Audio,points to the effort made by“a number of loudspeakermanufacturers” in addressingthe intelligibility issue. By wayof example, Child cites MartinAudio’s own OmniLine microline array, whose proprietarysoftware allows users “tofocus the sound coverage onto the audience and avoidsurfaces that could causereflections and therebyreduce the intelligibility ofthe system. The softwareprovides the inter-cabinetand array angles required toachieve optimum coverageover a predefined areawithout the need for costlyelectronics.”

In conjunction with moreversatile systems, powerfuldigital signal processing hasalso made a difference. “DSP-based sound managementsystems are helping toensure systems performbetter and are simpler tocontrol,” says Antonio Ferrari,marketing manager, audiocontractor at Italy-based pro-audio company RCF.

‘User-friendly,technologically

advancedwireless systemsare the new norm

in the HoWmarket’

Thomas Giczy, AKG

CASESTUDY

Delivering excellent speechclarity, consistent coverageand minimal aesthetic impactwere the chief prioritiesunderlying a recentinstallation of RCF audioequipment at the new SanGiuseppe Church in CassinaRizzardi, a small town situatednear the city of Como, Italy.

The church’s demandingacoustics led the RCF team topropose a design basedaround VSA (VerticalSteerable Array) technology,

with two multi-amplifiedVSA2050 arrays specified forthe main 25m nave.

The signal sent to each ofthe 20 neodymium full-rangetransducers featured insidethe VSA2050s is processed byinternal DSP for controllingthe array’s vertical dispersion.Consequently, the audio signalcan be addressed exactly tothe listening area rather thansending energy to the ceilingand empty floors that wouldresult in unwanted reflections,

affecting speech andintelligibility.

Installed beside the altar inSan Giuseppe Church, the pairof VSA2050s are intended tomaximise speech claritywithout intruding on the visualaesthetic of the HoW. Inaddition, four passive high-directivity MQ100L columns,driven by RCF amplifiers,enhance coverage on the rearraised choir and small sideareas shadowed by wallsegments.

RCF DELIVERS CONSISTENT COVERAGE FOR SAN GIUSEPPE CHURCH


Improving microphonetechnology has helped toboost overall quality, too.“User-friendly, technologicallyadvanced wireless systemsare the new norm in the HoWmarket,” says Giczy, who citesWMS and Perception Wirelessamong AKG’s focus productsfor houses of worship.

2. NEW CHALLENGESOn the other hand, changingworship styles can makespecifying effective systemsmore, not less, difficult.

Duncan Savage, systemsgroup manager at microphonespecialist Shure,acknowledges thecontribution made bydevelopments in DSP andloudspeaker technology, butflags up an emergingchallenge for manufacturersand integrators alike. “Thespectrum of differing stylesof worship now is broaderthan ever before, and thedemands on the audiosystems vary vastly betweenfaiths and groups,” he says.“The approach and equipmentneeded is different in eachcase; for example, the GreekOrthodox generally needsimply speech reinforcement;traditional Catholic and highChurch of England may uselarge organs and a choir; [thenyou might have] Pentecostalworship venues seating 800people with a full mic’d band.”

Consultants, therefore,have to be increasingly readyto specify a variety ofspeakers – including, notesSavage, “steerable columnsfor speech which minimisethe effects of a reverberantspace; smaller 3in and 5indiscreet cabinets for adistributed approach;traditional 8in and 12in-stylecabinets for musicians; andlarger line arrays for the moreup-tempo churches”. Suchcontrasting requirementsmean that a system designerneeds “an array of tools tosuit each style of worship,music, vocals and buildingtype”.

Meanwhile, there are someconcerns that in the journeyto accommodate greaterquantities of live performanceduring worship, theimportance of the spokenword is in danger of beingundervalued.

Graham Hendry, VP ofAETgroup, ApplicationsEngineering & Training at TCGroup, pinpoints the centralissue. “Today it’s common forthe customer to specify theloudspeaker type andplacement because they’veheard and seen a similarsystem that sounds good with

music and provides visualappeal,” he says. “It seemsthat music reproduction hashad too much influence overthe design of soundreinforcement systems forlarge spaces. Sometimesspeech reproduction has beenan afterthought, and theperception that ‘if the musicsounds good, so will thespeech’ has prevailed.”

3. NEW BUILDSNew-build HoWs might lookgreat… but audio-wise, theycan still be highly problematic.

There is no denying thatnew-build churches arefrequently dazzling in theirsize and visual impact. Butalthough one might expectaudio quality to be an integralcomponent of modern-daydesigns, the architect-lednature of some projects canleave it to be something of anafterthought.

“Many new venues lookbeautiful with stone floorsand vast glazed wallsproviding a light, spaciousfeel,” admits Savage. Butthere is a definite downside:“This combination of surfacesmakes it difficult to providean intelligible and versatilesound system. If the givenpurpose of a HoW building isto communicate the messageof the faith, then surely ahigher priority needs to begiven to acoustic design forspeech and music. Maybe weas an industry need to domore with the architectcommunity to help them tounderstand the day-to-dayusage and requirements inthese places.”

4. NETWORKINGHoWs might not always havebeen on the cutting-edge ofaudio… but networking willinform the next generation of installs.

Savage is among severalwho spoke to Installation whopredict networked audio tohave a far greater role in thenext era of HoW projects. Itpaves the way, he notes, “fora more flexible audio system,providing useable solutionsfor the HoW while minimisingthe need for multipleanalogue cables and theassociated losses, buzzes,hums and rats’ nest oftangled cables.” He hails therecently published AES67standard – which was a realtalking point at last month’sISE show – as “a major stepforward and will help simplifynetworked connectionsbetween differentmanufacturers’ pieces of kit”.

Apart from delivering asmuch interoperability aspossible, it will probably fallto manufacturers to do moreof the same – but evenbetter. “Keep improving thequality!” urges Hendry. Inparticular, he foresees

declining demand for lessconventional distributedsystems, but greater call forthe aforementioned steeringtechnologies, thanks in nosmall part to their “lowerinstallation costs, fewerinstallation/maintenancepoints, and architecturallyfriendly” nature.

Hendry returns repeatedlyto the issue of effective HoWaudio design beingdependent on “a goodgrounding in acousticmeasurement and computer-based room modelling”. Morebroadly, there is a feeling thatdue to a variability in installerdesign and end-user skills,HoWs may not always begetting the optimum return inperformance from theirinvestment.

As so often with theseissues, then, it is likely to beeducation that unlocks thenext level of progress. ShureDistribution UK recently hadits first HoW Sound

Operators’ Training Day forcompanies and soundoperators, with Savagehailing an “excellent”response and the intention torepeat the exercise in thefuture.

But beyond such individualinitiatives, there may be acase for integrators who haveput in the hard graft theory-wise to shout it a little bitlouder from the rooftops.Last thought to Hendry: “Ifyou’re a contractor orconsultant who has investedsignificant resources intolearning audio and acoustics,you should go one stepfurther and market speechintelligibility as a product.” �

www.akg.comwww.martin-audio.comwww.rcf.itwww.shure.co.ukwww.shuredistribution.co.ukwww.tcgroup.tcwww.toa-corp.co.ukwww.yamahaproaudio.com

‘DSP-basedsound

managementsystems are

helping to ensuresystems perform

better’Antonio Ferrari, RCF

CASESTUDY

A Martin Audio MLA Compactsystem has been specified aspart of a far-reaching audio,video and lighting install atRedemption Church in Gilbert,Arizona, US. The systemsatisfies the objective ofchurch member and audioengineer Jim Jorgensen forthe revamped multipurposeworship centre “to sound asgood as it could be”.

Ultimately given the go-ahead by lead pastor TimMaughan, with Jorgensenserving as consultant, theMLA Compact installation waspurchased from On StageAudio following a successfulyear-long fundraising effort.The actual configurationcomprises 12 MLA Compact

enclosures hung in left,centre, right hangs of fourboxes each, with two MLXsubwoofers mounted underthe platform stage at theouter corners.

The audio system – whichcomplements an acousticdesign by debartolo architects– also includes Martin AudioMerlin Controllers forloudspeaker and networkmanagement, with thecompany’s Display predictionsoftware being used todetermine the optimumcurvature of the arrays. AYamaha M7CL 48-channelmixer and custom Whirlwind64-channel splitter alsofeature as part of the newset-up.

Technical director TimSmith and rigger Mike ‘Milk’Arnold undertook theinstallation at the newlyexpanded centre, which holdsup to 1,000 members at eachof the three services held on a Sunday.

“Sound is always verychallenging. If it’s too loud ortoo harsh, we get a lot ofcomments,” says Smith. “Wehave hundreds of older peoplein the congregation, and this isthe first time we’ve done atechnical upgrade where wehaven’t heard one complaintabout the audio. It has workedfor everyone across the boardand helped them experiencethe service in a much moremeaningful and profound way.”

MARTIN AUDIO MLA COMPACT HANDLES SPEECH AND MUSIC


THE OLD adage has it thatthere is a tool for every job,implying that using somethingnot designed for the task willnot end up well. In creativetechnology there has longbeen a divide betweenequipment for corporateaudiovisual presentations andlive events, and what is usedfor television broadcastingand post production.

Soon, however, this dividecould be as technologicallyobsolete as quarter-inch tapeand Beta SP video. The twomarkets are now coming muchcloser through the use ofcommon technologies such asdigital processing and controland data-based networkingand distribution. This so-calledconvergence mirrors a similarsituation that began betweenbroadcasting and IT in the late1990s and early 2000s.

Australian manufacturer

Blackmagic Design (BMD) hasbeen at the forefront of newbroadcast technologies,building on components suchas HD processing cards to nowoffer digital cameras, visionmixers and the DaVinci colourcorrection system. StuartAshton, director of BMD inEurope, the Middle East andAfrica, says that in the lastthree to four years AV hasbecome “a key focus” for thecompany.

“Our production switchers,routers and converters wereoriginally aimed atbroadcasting and postproduction,” commentsAshton, “but we’ve starteddevelopment with AV in mind.They are now more applicablefor the AV space, which wesee as an opportunity for us.”

The convergence betweenthe two markets has, saysAshton, been increasing over

the past 12 to 18 months:“The AV sector, including thecorporate market, is nowdemanding cutting-edgetechnology that traditionallywould have been aimed atbroadcast. People arefocusing on new technologieswith higher resolution andbandwidth, in some casesover optical fibre.”

Ashton adds that whilebroadcasters are also testing4K resolution equipment forUltra High Definition (UHD)transmission, which has 2160lines in the progressive formatcompared to 1080 for HD, AVcompanies are finding it morefeasible to implement rightnow than their TVcounterparts.

“It comes down tobandwidth,” he says. “A lot isneeded to get 4K into livingrooms but the majority of AVprojects are live so there are

not usually the issues abouttransmitting the pictures tothe audience.”

ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTIONSmaller, more powerfulelectronics cards and fasterprocessors have allowedmanufacturers like BMD, Sony,Roland and NewTek toproduce all-in-one packagesoffering video production,audio mixing and transmissionthat are as applicable to AVpresentations as they are tolive TV.

Roland’s VR-50 HD is a HDSI,SDI and 3G video unit with anine-fader audio mixer thatcan produce linear PCM forSDI, HDMI and USB audio.Simon Kenning, sales managerfor Roland Systems Group UK,observes that broadcast andAV are converging for anumber of reasons: “Anincreasing number of clients in

FEATURE: AV IN BROADCAST

Come togetherDespite similar operational requirements, there were enough differencesbetween broadcast and live event production to warrant specific equipmentand techniques for each sector. But digital technology and data-basednetworking are changing that, as Kevin Hilton discovers


‘IP for audio andvideo is not just

used in broadcastbut for all markets

now, includingtheatre andinstallation’

Andreas Hilmer,Lawo

Denmark’s Chamber of Commerce has installedUltra HD 4K TV studio facilities to provide the170,000 businesses and 100 trade associationsit works with, with futureproofed, high-qualityvideo production and live broadcast capabilities,together with high-speed optical fibreconnections to leading news organisations

IP and other IT-basedtechnologies that wereperhaps seen first inbroadcasting are provinginvaluable in the AVmarket

Demand is high among AVcompanies for 4Kresolution equipment

Common technologiessuch as data-basednetworking anddistribution are aiding theconvergence of the AVand broadcast markets

[KEY POINTS]



the corporate, education andlive event markets aredemanding full productionservices using cameras, video,content from laptops. Theyalso want their event to bebroadcast live to the internet,so broadcast and AVcompanies are changing theirservice offering toaccommodate this.”

He adds that multi-cameraproduction and broadcast arebecoming more affordable,both in terms of products andthe delivery of content.“Companies can afford to useproducts with televisionbroadcast standards forwebcasting, producingcontent at a very high level.This means that AVcompanies are now able tooffer broadcast as part oftheir services.” On the otherside Kenning says broadcastcompanies are losing revenueand so need access toaffordable, integrated AVsolutions that deliver highquality in a turnkey package.

“The prevalence of theinternet has fuelled theconvergence of thesemarkets, changing theexpectations of the clients interms of quality, speed ofdelivery and audience reach,”

he continues. “Fully produced,high-quality content isrequired ‘now’, as thepopularity of live streaming ofevents shows. And budgetconstraints mean that onecompany that can deliver thewhole AV and broadcastsolution is preferable and lessexpensive. Affordablebroadcast-standardequipment means that theclient does not always have tohire a studio or post-production facility and insteadthis work can be done by theAV or broadcast company.”

Also in the live productionsector, NewTek specialises incompact, portable systemsfor broadcast, such as theTriCaster. This has been usedon live broadcasts includingthe MTV Awards and is nowbeing used by schools andcolleges in the US to coversports events online.

Among the installationcompanies using theTriCaster for projects is UK-based Feltech. Sales directorNevil Bounds describes theTriCaster as a “studio in abox” with H.264 codingcapability for streaming liveto the web. “Live videoproduction is now comingdown to a single process,

Sessions of Israel’s parliament,the Knesset, are amplifiedwithin the debating chamberas well as being broadcast ontwo radio channels, IBA (IsraelBroadcasting Authority) andGalatz (Army Radio), and by adedicated television station,Knesset TV. Each of the 120members speaks into twomicrophones, which aredoubled up for redundancypurposes. Signals from theserun into a recently installed 32-

fader Lawo mc256 MKII digitalmixing console as part of ageneral renovation of theKnesset’s sound system.

Andreas Hilmer, Lawo’sdirector of marketing, saysthat all elements of theinstallation had to be “fail-proof”. The microphone feedsare received by the mc256MKII’s standalone DALLIS I/Ounit. The console itself is in amaster control room and isable to continue operating

through its redundant systemcores in the unlikely event ofthe control surface failing. A16-fader extension module inthe hall below the controlroom completes the mixerinstallation.

As well as producing feedsfor the PA and broadcastchannels, the mc256 MKIIfeeds audio logging data andis used to route translatedlanguage channels for anyvisiting dignitaries.

BROADCAST AND PA AUDIO ROUTING AND MIXING IN THE KNESSET

CASESTUDY


when before it would havebeen several," he says.

Feltech also specifies BMDproducts, which feature inthe AV theatre the companyinstalled for industrial vehiclemanufacturer JCB (see casestudy, below). Bounds saysFeltech is now seeing “slightlymore” AV work thanbroadcast, which, 12 to 15years ago, would have beenthe dominant sector for thecompany. He adds that userson both sides of the marketdivide are able to “do a lot”for “significantly” less moneydue to systems produced bythe likes of NewTek and BMD.

DIFFERENCES REMAINThere are still majordifferences in the operationalneeds of AV and broadcast inboth video and audio. KeithWatson, marketing directorfor mixers at Harman UKcovering the Studer andSoundcraft brands, says theTV requirement for handlingmore than 1,500 channels ofaudio over optical fibre MADIwith embedding and de-embedding is not found in thepresentation and installationmarkets. So, he says, thenewly launched Infinity DSPengine and Vista X console,

would not necessarily be achoice for AV but there is stilla need for fully featureddesks.

“In the US houses of worshipmarket a church service mighttypically feature an orchestra,choir and a rock band, as wellas the pastor on a radio mic,”explains Watson. “They need aconsole to handle all that andfor the big congregations of10,000-plus the Vista 8 and 9are being used. Smallerchurches of 2,000-4,000people go for the SoundcraftVi series desk, while thosewith congregations of 200-

400 need something bothsmall and simple because thetechnical side is more likely tobe run by volunteers."

IT-based infrastructures,particularly those using IP asa carrier, have not onlycaused products to movebetween AV andbroadcasting but, in somecases, led manufacturersknown for one discipline toexpand into another. Digitalconsole specialist Lawo has

been heavily involved withaudio over IP (AoIP) throughthe Ravenna protocol,developed by its associatecompany ALC NetworX. Morerecently it has also producedvideo matrix and processing/encoding units based on theIP Layer 3 standard.

Lawo's director ofmarketing, Andreas Hilmer,observes that the “spill-over”of broadcast into AV is widelyseen now, with 4K and DSLRcameras. “In the past thetechnology used in theinstallation market was on adifferent level in terms ofresolution and not tobroadcast standards,” he says.“But now the quality is moreequal. IP for audio and video isnot just used in broadcast butfor all markets, includingtheatre and installation.”

Hilmer comments that IPand other IT-basedtechnologies that wereperhaps seen first inbroadcasting are provinginvaluable in the AV market.“Take cruise ships,” he says.“At one time the cablinginfrastructure would beinstalled and could never betouched again without greateffort. But with IP and othertechnologies it iscomparatively easy toupgrade a ship’s theatre.”

A sign of just how far theconvergence has come wasseen at last month’s ISE,where ALC NetworX made itsfirst ever appearance. Thecompany behind a major rivalto Ravenna, Audinate, camefrom the live sector asopposed to broadcasting.Chief executive Lee Ellisonsays Audinate's Dante IP-based media transport systemhas its roots in theperformance sector, whichhas exacting standards fortechnology.

“We wanted something

that would solve challengingproblems and decided that ifit could meet the strictrequirements of live AV andconcert systems then it couldbe used in other areas aswell,” he explains. “So thesystem architecture wasdesigned to be so scalablethat it could be used in anymarket.”

While Dante has beenestablished in live sound andinstallations, it is now movinginto broadcast withcompanies such as Solid StateLogic and Stagetec licensingthe technology, alongside thelikes of Harman, Yamaha,Shure, BSS, Cadac and Nexo. A significant new licensee isCalrec Audio, which suppliesdigital consoles for both TVstudio and outside broadcasttruck work.

Ellison says Audinate hasseen the convergence of AVinto broadcasting over the lastsix to 12 months, particularlywith the growth of file-basedoperations in TV centres andpost-production facilities:“There is the need for ITinfrastructures now because ithas flexible benefits for endusers implementingtechnologies like 4K, with costsavings to be had by carryingeverything – audio, video,telephony – on IT/IPconnections.”

The twain may never fullymeet but, at least on atechnological level,broadcasters and AVprofessionals are a lot closerthan they’ve been before.And they’ll probably continuegetting closer. �

www.audinate.comwww.blackmagicdesign.comwww.feltech.co.ukwww.lawo.comwww.rolandsystemsgroup.co.ukwww.soundcraft.comwww.studer.ch

CASESTUDY

Many companies have a visitorcentre to provide the publicand trade with background ontheir history and products.Very few have a fully equipped250-seat theatre that is usedfor dealer conferences,product launches, press eventsand presentations to visitorstaking the factory tour.

One that does is JC BamfordExcavators, better known asJCB. The Staffordshire, UK-based company’s bright yellowdiggers, forklift trucks andutility vehicles are familiarsights on roads and farmsaround the world but few know

the family story behind thefirm. Founded in 1945 byJoseph Cyril Bamford, JCB isnow run by his son Anthony,Lord Bamford.

This story is told in thetheatre, which was recentlyupgraded with the installationof a new audiovisual system.JCB’s AV team worked withsystems integrator Feltech; itssales director, Nevil Bounds,says a priority was to ensurethat whatever was installedcould work with JCB’s existingpost-production workflow.

An HD-SDI infrastructure wasdecided on, based around a

Blackmagic Design BroadcastVideohub. Bounds says thisenabled the upgrade to takeplace “without having a seriousimpact on the budget”. Headds: “The configuration andset-up was extremelystraightforward, allowing ourengineering team a great dealof flexibility when performingthe off-site rack builds and on-site commissioning.”

Productions shot in thetheatre can be sent to postproduction for editing andrepackaging and then madeavailable, all over a 10Gb fibre link.

SOUND AND VISION FOR THE JCB THEATRE, STAFFORDSHIRE


‘We’ve starteddevelopment

with AV in mind’Stuart Ashton,

Blackmagic Design

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FROM BOARDROOMS to bars,from audito riums to visitorattractions and TV studios,and from homes to offices,lighting is a central elementof many AV installations.Controlling it impacts moodand atmosphere – as well asfunctionality and cost.Historically, lighting – in manyof its guises – has been basedon incandescent bulbs, butgrowing government focus onenergy saving and greenpolicies has seen legislationenacted over the past fewyears to remove them fromthe market. For a while, CFL –compact fluorescent lamps –were the preferredreplacement, but now, LED-based lighting seems to besweeping all before it.

A TIME OF CHANGE“Lighting control is a growingand multi-faceted market,and most areas of lightingcontrol have seen growth inthe last 12 months,” believesPeter Coles, businessmanager at Eaton CooperControls. “There’s a big trendtowards the phasing-in of LEDlighting schemes, and wehave produced a range ofdimmers to deal with thisspecific job. This is definitelya growth area.”

“This is a time of greatgrowth and change, especially

in regards to LED lighting,”echoes Paul Nagel, VP oflighting and comfort atControl4. “LED bulb technologyis evolving. Early in itsadoption, the bulbs did not dimwell or at all, causing manydealers/customers to not ‘dim’them but just switch themon/off. This has improvedsignificantly in the last year.”

Scott Stephenson, seniorproduct manager for lightingand comfort at Control4,confirms that LED lightingbrought its own challenges interms of dimming – perhapsthe most fundamental, otherthan power on/off, of lightingcontrol operations. “Weembraced Adaptive Phasetechnology and 0-10Vdimming technologies toaddress these changes in bulbtypes,” he notes. “This allowsfor one product to be able tocontrol incandescent, halogen,MLV, ELV, CFL and LED bulbs.”

Inevitably, there are AVmarkets where LEDtechnology is not yet fullyentrenched. “From anentertainment point of view,LED lighting instruments aresupplementing, or evenreplacing, our belovedtungsten light source,” saysErik Larsen, market managerat Electronic Theatre Controls(ETC). “While LED is rapidlytaking over the industrial/

home segment, it’s cominginto entertainment at a muchslower pace due to thecomplexity and light colourquality (CRI) needed – not foreffects lighting so much as forlighting the set and lightingpeople. Last, but not least, LEDsources are only just beginningto provide the same output astraditional tungsten sources.”

But lighting control extendsfar beyond the ability tomanage the brightness of alight source (and there are

those who claim that, inenergy-saving terms at least,there’s no point in dimmingLEDs as their powerconsumption is minimal tostart with: dimming LEDs isabout lifestyle andatmosphere). The advent ofLED lighting has added adifferent dimension to analready somewhat complexsubject.

“Within the lighting domain,the DMX512 protocol is stillthe main workhorse,” explainsMaarten Engels, a director atVisual Productions. “However,as lighting applications growlarger, they can easily spawn10 or 50 different DMX512networks – known as‘universes’. This requires a‘data highway’ between themain controller and variousDMX512 universes that areoften spread out over differentparts of the venue. The datahighway is implemented by

using the Art-Net or sACNprotocol, both being Ethernet-based protocols designed forcontrolling large quantities offixtures.”

INTEROPERABILITY IS A MUST“Interoperability with other AVdisciplines is a must in amodern lighting project,” hecontinues. “This requires thelighting controller to be fluentin protocols like UDP, RS-232,MIDI, SMPTE and GPIO.Especially worth mentioning isa relatively new protocolcalled OSC. It’s an Ethernet-based open source protocolfor sending control triggersthat you could think of as MIDIover Ethernet – but I think it’smuch more powerful. I can'twait for the OSC eco-systemof apps and devices to evolveover the next few years.”

But there’s more…“The three main protocols

are those between the control

FEATURE: LIGHTING CONTROL

Everything’s under controlWhether it’s automotive lighting or torches/flashlights, LED technology is making the simpleincandescent bulb a thing of history – and it’s also contributing to a changing landscape in the world oflighting control, as Ian McMurray finds out


Now a key element insmart buildings: “daylightharvesting”

The industry supportsmany protocols – old, newand emerging – and eachis seen to have a place

LED lighting has added tothe range of challengeslighting control has to face

[KEY POINTS]

‘This is a time ofgreat growth and

change,especially in

regards to LEDlighting’

Paul Nagel,Control4

CAST Software's wysiwyg R32lighting visualisation suite was usedby director of photography PatrickNeufond for a recent production bybroadcaster France 2

Energy conservation andcreativity will continue todrive the market

IP is assuming ever-increasing importance –but it is not yet widelyimplemented

DALI – which stands forDigital Addressable LightingInterface – was designed as asuccessor to the 0-10Vlighting control systems thatpreceded it, and was primarilydirected at buildingautomation/architecturalapplications. DMX is ananalogue control system thathas historically been favoured

in theatrical applications.DALI is generally consideredslower, and thusinappropriate for mountingspectacles where fastresponses are required.Where DMX is centrallycontrolled, DALI invokes adecentralised paradigm. It isclaimed that DMX is easier toinstall.

DALI VS DMX: A BRIEF COMPARISON



and fixture – and DALI is thebest known standard withinthis area – those betweensystems, such as theintelligent building protocolBACnet, and those thatprovide RF communication inthe building,” adds GuySimmonds, UK sales directorat Lutron. “When choosing alight control solution, it is vitalto ensure that it is robust onall three levels. The area thatis most vulnerable is the RFprotocol, which is why Lutrondeveloped its bespoke RFtechnology, Clear Connect.”

“The most popular protocolsfor white light/single colourLED dimmers that aregenerally trailing edge orleading edge are 1-10V orDALI,” claims Coles. “For RGBand colour mixing units, it’stypically DMX and we areseeing DMX being used forsituations where low dimmingcurves in both directions arerequired on high-poweredwhite light for applicationssuch as cinemas and offices.DALI isn’t suitable for colour-changing products as it’s notfast enough, although it canbe used for fixed colour.”

“From an entertainmentlighting perspective, theevolution has moved from

analogue control in the pastvia DMX512 to IP-basedprotocols,” adds Larsen. “For acouple of years, Art-Net keptthe lead due to the lack of aglobal standard, but we nowhave a global standard in ACN(Architecture for ControlNetworks) taking over. ACN ismostly seen so far as the sub-part sACN (streaming) whichincludes the core controlparts. DMX512 will still bewidely used, as the protocol ismuch simpler and verysuitable for smallerapplications. It is still beingimproved, most recently withthe addition of RDM (RemoteDevice Management) allowingusers to configure/addressdevices remotely as well asreceiving feedback.”

IT’S ABOUT THE APPLICATIONIt seems there are two keytakeaways here. One is thatthere is no single, dominant-lighting control technology –there are many, and each istypically preferred for a givenapplication. There areimportant differencesbetween domestic/consumer, commercial andentertainment. The second isthat the world of lightingcontrol is a dynamic one, as

CASESTUDY

Visual Productions' Dutchdistributor Full AVL recentlycompleted an 18-piece (36-universe) CueCore installationat the Jaarbeurs conferencecentre in Utrecht.

Full AVL's customer,Controllux, requested helpfrom the distributor withfinding a complete controlsolution for the newSupernova meeting hub at theJaarbeurs, which comprisesfour conference rooms. FullAVL specified two Linux-basedCueluxPro lighting controlservers; 18 CueCores; two

IoCores; and seven B-Stations.All items are spread out

over the conference suites inorder to be close to the DMXcontrolled lighting, and areconnected and powered bycentralised PoE switches. Alllight fixtures are controlled byDMX via the CueluxProsoftware suite. CueluxProrenders the two-dimensionalpixel mapping effects for thelarge matrix wall in the foyer,which is made up of 240 x 8RGB pixels. Other real-timematrix effects are generatedfor an array of 1,500 RGB

pixels inside one of the rooms.The LED lines, downlights,fluorescents and otherfixtures in the venue arecontrolled by CueluxPro aswell, bringing the total numberof DMX channels to 6,270.

The installation alsofacilitates DMX override forlive events. There are threeareas with the option to plugin a DMX desk. CueluxPromanages the scenes andgrouping of the fixtures andthe DMX desk can control thelevels of these groups orscenes.

FULL AVL INSTALLS 18-PIECE CUECORE SYSTEM AT JAARBEURS


witnessed by the emergenceof protocols such as OSC and CAN.

“All protocols have theirstrengths and weaknessesbased on the application forwhich they are being used,”summarises Nagel. “Cost,size, RF channel bandwidthand range all contribute tothe trade-offs. For example, in2003, Control4 chose ZigBeeas the wireless protocol forlighting control products. Theadvantages that ZigBee hadover WiFi were its support fora large number of devices; itoperates in an RF spectrumavailable worldwide; and thedata bandwidth support thatit provides for sending meta-data from lighting and non-lighting devices.

“If Control4 only needed tosupport 10 devices and onlyshipped in the US, forexample, Z-Wave or WiFimight be a better choice. WiFisupport for lighting control isgaining interest now, buthistorically it was problematicdue to the limited number ofnodes per access point,power consumption, size andrange.”

IP: NOT YET PREVALENT, BUT GROWINGBut what about IP? Does ithave a role to play? Again, itseems that the answer is: “itdepends”.

“Today, all systems aren’t IP-based, but we have seengrowth in this area over thepast three years,” notes NeillNixon, business developmentmanager, lighting for CrestronUK, “driven not only by theintroduction of newlegislation, but also becausetechnology has changed andadapted and now offers themarket really functionalsystems. However, this shiftgoes beyond lighting control.It’s a move to BEMS (buildingenergy management systems)and other services, such asscheduling and room booking– the market addressed byCrestron’s Fusion EM.”

“IP technology has theinherent benefits of broadinteroperability, flexibility,

large scalability, security anda good choice of debug andmanagement tools from alarge supplier community,”says Stephenson. “It alsoprovides the flexibility ofdistributed networks andmany remote accesssolutions. Control4 embracedan IP-based panellised lightingsolution to leverage thebenefits of IP. A huge benefitof the Control4 panellisedlighting is the ease ofinstallation and flexibility ofdistributing load panelsaround the home/business,saving money in wiring costs.”

“There are a number of IP-based wireless protocolsused in lighting controlsystems in the market now,”he continues. “They include6LoWPAN [IPv6 over low-power wireless personal areanetworks], ZigBee SEP 2 andWiFi. There are many non-IPcommunication protocolsalso being used. Some ofthese are emergingstandards, while some areestablished non-IP standardssuch as ZigBee HA, Z-Wave,KNX, KNX-RF and Homeplug.”

“Currently,” says Coles,“control over IP is lessimportant in the commercialmarket than in the domestic

sector, where users arestarting to look at controllinga number of processesthrough smart devices likephones and tablets. In thecommercial world, some arelooking to control lightingthrough networkedcomputers, but there is still alot of integration using RS-232 rather than IP right now.”

IP looks as if it will have anincreasingly central role – aswith almost every other areaof the AV market. But whatare the other technologiesthat can transform thelighting control business?Again: it all depends on theapplication.

For Maarten Engels, thedevelopment of small, solid-state lighting controllersoffers great opportunities forlighting projects.“Traditionally,” he notes,“lighting systems had toutilise large control desksdesigned for on-the-roadtouring or PC-based systemsrun on computers that werenot designed for 24-hour non-stop use. Now, you can applysmall inexpensive solid-statecontrollers like the CueCorethat take up little space,consume hardly any energyand at the same timesignificantly increase theeveryday reliability of thecontrol package.”

WIRELESS AND RFUsage of wireless and RFtechnologies looks set toincrease substantially.“Wireless technology is wherethe industry is moving,”claims Nixon. “Customersnow understand the dramaticsavings concerning energycost and consumption thatefficient light sources offer –but business demands havegone one step further bywanting to manage theirbuildings or premises moreeffectively, not just managinglighting usage, but alsomonitoring power, usingoccupancy to drive

consumption, harvestingdaylight and heating room byroom, building by building.”

“Lighting control hasbecome part and parcel ofany automated buildingdesign,” echoes Simmonds,“and is crucial because itgives the tenant or owner ofthe building the ability tomake significant energysavings. The evolution of lightsources and the adoption ofRF controls are going to betwo of the majordevelopments that I seehaving a very strong influenceon the world of lightingcontrol in the near future.”

Energy saving and eco-

awareness is just one set offactors that is driving thelighting control industry. It’seasy to forget that lightingcontrol is also about creatingmood and spectacle – atOlympics ceremonies, at theEurovision Song Contest, atrock shows around the world– that, as Engels points out,will have no less influence incontinuing to drive healthygrowth in the marketplace. �

www.control4.comwww.coopercontrols.co.ukwww.crestron.comwww.etcconnect.comwww.lutron.comwww.visualproductions.nl

Increasingly, as with this keypadfrom Control4, lighting control isbeing integrated with other smarthome functionality

Casa Grande recently installed a range of Crestron technologies at the Vlaemynck Business Centre in Belgium, reducing electricity costs by 80%

CASESTUDY

A 16th century residentialproperty in the UK hasdeployed Lutron’sHomeworks QS whole-homelighting control system. Givenits age, disruption to its fabricneeded to be minimised, andthis was achieved by using RFtechnology to connect all ofthe interior and exterior lightsources, keypads, blindscontrols and occupancysensors. The system can beoperated remotely, or on-sitevia Apple iPad and iPhoneapps.

Integrator VBK Lightingchose to use one of Lutron’sHomeWorks QS processors onthe ground floor of thecottage and another on thesecond. The ground floorprocessor was wired to onerepeater and the other three

Lutron repeaters wereconnected wirelesslythroughout the cottage andthe adjoining barn conversion.By linking the processorswirelessly on the homenetwork and using wirelessaccess points, there was noneed for Cat5 cabling runs.

Eleven Lutron GRAFIK EyeQS wireless keypads werethen connected throughoutthe cottage and barn, creating11 different control pointsfrom which to wirelesslymanage the 66 circuits. Inaddition, a range of Lutron’sSeeTouch and SeeTouchInternational wired keypadsand Lutron's wireless Picoremote controls were usedthroughout, to enable a widerange of pre-programmedscenes to be accessed.

RESIDENTIAL LIGHTING CONTROLSYSTEM MINIMISES WIRING


‘Currently, controlover

IP is less important in

the commercialmarket than inthe domestic

sector’Peter Coles, EatonCooper Controls

5.8%Budget deficit target, 2014(as share of GDP)Source: Bank for International Settlements

SpainFEATURE: REGIONAL VOICES

Spain’s economy has recently startedimproving broadly in line with theEurozone as a whole. But our surveyfinds that times are still tough in thecountry’s installation industry

EXTERNAL FACTORS

HOW INFLUENTIAL (EITHER POSITIVELYOR NEGATIVELY) ARE THE FOLLOWING

FACTORS ON YOUR BUSINESS?

-1.2%GDP growth, 2013


MOSTINFLUENTIAL

National economic situation

More affordable technology

Competitor activity

Legislation/regulations

Energy efficiency/green issues

LEASTINFLUENTIAL

Source: tradingeconomics.com

Higher – 32%

The same – 54%

Lower – 12%

The majority of Spanishintegrators specialise in a singlesector, such as corporate,education or sport facilities

There are no significant skillgaps in the Spanish installationsector

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

DO YOU AGREE WITH THESE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?

STATE OF THEMARKET

Do you think general levelsof confidence in the

Spanish installation sectorare higher or lower than six

months ago?

DESIRED CHANGES

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUTTHE WAY THE SPANISH INSTALLATIONMARKET WORKS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

‘There must be a way for a customer to distinguish betweenskilled firms and companies who just offer solutions without

any expertise to support them. It would be nice to have acertification, or to implement regulations about the

knowledge an installer or integrator should have’

‘Some Spanish people need to start realising that their so-called “countrymen” are ripping them off when it comes to

pricing and installation costs – in most cases these are about50-75% more than what us Brits would charge. But sayingthat, the Brits in the same business (sound, lights, PA) thatare serving British clients are piling on the costs to make up

for having very little income from hardly any work’

Strongly Agree Neither Disagree

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

ENTERING THE MARKET

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO AMANUFACTURER LOOKING TO ENTER THE

SPANISH AV INSTALLATION MARKET?

‘It is impossible at this moment to forecast any business inSpain. My advice would be to enter without a fixed plan for

how the results are going to be, and create brand awarenessand structure to be ready when the economical situation

gets better’

‘Keep your pricing keen and the quality high. The big practisedrule here is “Spanish jobs for Spanish people only” – no-one

else gets a look-in from outside of Spain’

‘The marketing effort is important. There is a tendency to keepusing the same systems when it comes to integration, since

technicians know them and are comfortable with them’

…AND TO AN INTEGRATOR LOOKING TOENTER THE MARKET?

‘Offer skill as a main asset, with a proper and extensive use ofdocumentation’

‘Be careful. There are many well-established integrators notenjoying a nice economic situation because of long payment

terms or non-payments’

Agree

‘The market is stalled’

‘Banks are not giving credit tosmall and medium-sizecompanies so many installers,retailers, integrators aredisappearing or in bigdifficulties’

‘There are too many peopledoing the same thing. Mosthave not got the work, henceprices are cut-throat’

Strongly Disagree

INSTALLATION is pleased toannounce that CharlieHenderson (pictured), aperformance improvementconsultant with PA Consulting,will moderate thetransportation panel sessionat InstallMarket on 4September.

Henderson will lead anexpert panel in a sessionentitled ‘What MovesTransport Technology’. This willexplore the technology trendsaffecting the customerexperience for transportincluding road, rail, air andunderground. Displays, control-room technologies andcustomer-facing digitalsignage are all relevanttechnologies here.

Henderson is anaccomplished performanceimprovement consultant withover 20 years’ experience,primarily in transport. He hassuccessfully supportedorganisations in exploiting newtechnologies and processes

that deliver real businessbenefit. This includessupporting the HighwaysAgency to design a futureservice blueprint and thenprocure their National TrafficInformation Service, includingcontrol room. Most recently hehas been supporting theHighways Agency and theRijkswaterstaat specifyrequirements for their regionalcontrol centres. His work hasbeen critically acclaimed – heled the assignment that wonthe Management ConsultancyAssociation award for bestoperational performanceproject in the public sector(2006) and led the assignmentthat was shortlisted for bestpublic sector procurementproject (2012).

Transportation is just one ofthe key vertical marketsectors that will be explored inthe conference programme –the others are entertainmentand hospitality, AV/broadcastconvergence, education and

retail. The final session will beof wide interest to a largesection of the event audience:examining the future of AVnetworking.

With a brief to exploreemerging trends in its vertical,each conference panel willconsist of presentations by amoderator and threespecialists. Time will beallowed for panel discussionand audience questions.

MORE REASONS TO ATTENDHowever, the conference –which is free to attend – isonly part of the offering atInstallMarket. Designed toeducate and inform visitors inequal measure, the one-dayevent will also feature a livelyexpo, where exhibitors fromacross the worlds of audio,video, connectivity and controlwill be exhibiting their latestproducts. There will also bebreak-out training sessionsfrom key manufacturers.

Held on 4 September 2014,Install Market is the onlyindependent, dedicated UKevent for AV systemsintegrators, installers andconsultants. In-house AV staff,facilities managers, AV end-user company staff andarchitects will also find it a

rewarding visit. The venue for the event is

the Business Design Centre inIslington, north London – just acouple of miles from KingsCross St Pancras train andtube station (Angel tubestation is just one stop away).On-site car parking is alsoavailable.

“I’m sure that CharlieHenderson will be an excellentmoderator at the InstallMarketconference,” said Paddy Baker,editor of Installation. “It’s greatto have a company of thestatus of PA Consultingrepresented at the event. Weare continuing to recruit morehigh-calibre names for theconference panels, and will beannouncing more details in thenear future.”

Registration, conferenceattendance, expo attendanceand even lunch are all free atInstallMarket.

For information onregistering for the event,contact [email protected].

Watch out for updatesabout InstallMarket inInstallation magazine, on ourwebsite and our Twitter andFacebook pages. �

www.install-market.com

EVENT: INSTALLMARKET

Transport expertjoins panel

We’re happy to be able to reveal the name of the first moderator of the panelsat the InstallMarket conference – which is just one element of our new one-day event later this year

INSTALLMARKETCONFERENCEPROGRAMME

Not Your Father’sClassroom; Not YourMother’s Campus What's the state of UKeducation today, after theonslaught of iPads, mobile,video and audio-over-IP? OurInstallMarket panel willexplore how technologies arechanging education,especially the intersectionbetween video and mobileand Cloud. Panel memberswill address lecture capture,BYOD, and campus digitalsignage.

What Hotels Really WantThe hotel market is movingfrom hotel TV systemstowards BYOD, usingdisplays, wireless, internetand apps to increase guestsatisfaction. Let's not forgetthe outside of the building,as projection mapping offersa new opportunity to some.

AV & BroadcastConvergence: A Marriage inIP This panel will explore how IPtechnologies are bringingtogether broadcastintegrators and AVintegrators. Ubiquitous videoof the YouTube era is pullingfor affordable broadcastingtechnology to supply thenew needs of corporates,institutions and individuals.

What Moves TransportTechnology In this panel, moderated byCharlie Henderson of PAConsulting, we'll explore thenew customer experience fortransport including road, rail,air and underground.

Forces That Drive RetailTechRetailers want to enhancetheir in-store customerexperience while boostingdata gathering processes forcustomer buying patterns.This panel will discuss howretailers are harnessingmobile technology, digitalsignage, projection anddisplay to build the retailstores of the future.

Whose Network is IT,Anyway? IP has proven to be the GreatUnifier, bringing togethermany diverse industries ontothe network. Given the ramp-up of video usage and mobiledelivery, this panel bringstogether experts to discusshow AV and IT will share thenetwork.For sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities contact Ian Graham on

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


LIKE EASTER, Prolight + Soundmoves around the calendar:this year the Frankfurt showtakes place on 12-15 March.This is a month earlier thanthe 2013 event, and only fiveweeks after ISE, which thisyear was a week later thanpreviously (and will move tomid-February in 2015).

Although its prime focusremains live events, Prolight +Sound has for some yearslooked to capitalise on thegrowth of the fixedinstallation market with itsMedia Systems ‘productsegment’, although this hastended to be more evident inpre-show publicity than onthe showfloor itself. It wouldbe ironic if some attendeesfelt that not enough time hadpassed since ISE to make avisit to Prolight + Soundworthwhile; but conversely,with ISE attendees frequentlyremarking that there is toomuch to see there, maybe the

Frankfurt show will provide achance to catch up on whatpeople missed in Amsterdam.

The Prolight + SoundConference, to be held in Hall9.1 and the CosmopolitanLounge of Hall 9.T, falls intothree main sections:� Media technology, in

which speakers will pass onknowledge gained frompractical experience andpresent product solutions andservices from the fields of AVmedia technology andsystems integration;� Event technology, which

will include topics such assecurity in the event sector,legal issues, regulations andtraining options; and � The VDT Academy, which

is an information eventorganised by the Associationof German Sound Engineers.

LIGHTING AND VIDEOMeanwhile, on the showfloor,Analog Way will be

showcasing its latest mixersand seamless switchers. Ahighlight is the Ascender 32,a powerful multi-screenseamless switcher with 32 scalers.

The system offers 12seamless inputs with 42input plugs: six HDMI, nineDVI-I, three DisplayPort, 123G/HD/SD-SDI and 12Universal Analog. It canhandle any source fromcomposite video, up to 2560x 1600, and outputs a varietyof formats, including HDTVand Computer format up to2560 x 1600 and 4K. It alsoincludes an independentDual-Link output formonitoring purposes, with aLive Source Mosaic layout.Other products on show arethe Saphyr and Pulse2 mixernative matrix switchers.

Ayrton will launch threenew products: NandoBeamS6, WildBeam R and IntelliPixR. NandoBeam S6 is a

compact, ultra-fast movinghead. Equipped with 37 RGBWLED emitters, arranged in four‘crowns’ of independentlycontrolled semi-ring sections,it shares the same

lightweight optical systemand ultra-fast 5:1 zoom asthe smaller S3. WildBeam Rcouples seven individuallycontrolled 15W RGBW LEDs

Marching onThis year’s trip to Frankfurt falls a month earlier than 2013’s but organisersare still hoping for another record-breaking event

SHOW PREVIEW: PROLIGHT + SOUND

WHAT?Prolight + Sound 2014

WHERE?Messe Frankfurt

WHEN?12-15 March 09:00-18:00

Almost 43,000 tradevisitors from 114 nationsvisited the 2013 show(Picture: Messe FrankfurtExhibition GmbH 2013,Pietro Sutra)

eyevis’ EYE-LCD-9000-LD 90in screenboasts 1920 x 1080 pixels and Direct-LEDbacklight


with new 67mm collimators –a world-premierecombination – to create anastonishingly powerful,compact luminaire with asharp 4.5° beam. Ayrton’sIntelliPix R is a modular beamprojection panel of 25independently controllable4.5° LED emitters, arranged ina 5 x 5 array, which aredesigned to project graphicsand media far into the air.

US manufacturer Chauvetis launching SlimPAR HEX 3IRC, a low-profile LED Par with6-in-1 LED technology(RGBAW+UV) and built-ininfrared remote-controlcapability. The included IRC-6remote enables wirelessoperation and control forpoint-and-shoot operation ofstatic colours and automatedprogrammes.

eyevis will present a rangeof high-res LED modules andLCD display solutions atProlight + Sound. The EYE-

LCD-9000-LD 90in screenboasts 1920 x 1080 pixelsand Direct-LED backlight. Dueto its connections for DVI,HDMI, VGA, S-Video and C-Video signals, the display canbe used in control andconference rooms, for digitalsignage or at televisionstudios for stills, videotransmission or live connections.

squareTILES, meanwhile,consist of quadrilateral 21.6inscreens which can beinstalled in a row, a columncombined to a videowall area,or in an unusual configuration– an internal scaler withmatrix functionality ensuresalmost any setting can berealised without additionaldisplay controllers.squareTILES can also berotated whereby the internalimage processing guaranteesthe correct display of therequired image.

Griven will be debuting itsMAXI WATERLEDRGBW andPARADE X-24.The MAXIWATERLED is amore powerfulversion of theWATERLED MK2and is said toprovide ahigher-performing lightoutput that willenhancewidescaleunderwaterapplications.PARADE X-RGBW-24 is thehigh-luminanceflagship of

Griven’s linear LED modules.Uniform colour coverage evenon close-up installations,especially on large-scalearchitectural elements, andthe newly conceived opticsgroups provide for powerfulgrazing lightingenhancement.

Robe’s MiniMe, Pointe andRobin Cyclone will all be onshow in Frankfurt. MiniMe is asmall, fast-moving LED drivenfixture with 20,000-hourlifetime source. Customartwork, still photographsand video can be simplyuploaded for projection, whilelive video can be streamedthrough the HDMI input. ThePointe can project a static orrotating glass gobo toproduce precision in-air andsurface images with an evenfocal plane. Finally, theCyclone effects moving headhas an integrated fan in thecentre of the headsurrounded by a ring of 24high-powered RGBW multichipLEDs. It features a zoom of 8ºto 63º on the LEDs and astrong central airflow thatcan be combined with fogand haze to assist withcreating atmospheric effects.

Robert Juliat will exhibit itsrange of lighting fixtures,including the Lancelot,Cyrano and Victorfollowspots on its stand.Lancelot is designed for liveconcert tours and stadiumshows while Cyrano’sfeatures (accurate dimming,easy operation of pan, tilt andiris, progressive frost, dichroicfilters) continue to rank it asa desirable followspot fortheatre and opera.

Robert Juliat’s Tibo and ZepLED profile and fresnellanterns will also be on showalong with, for the first timein mainland Europe, the newmotorised yoke accessorydesigned specifically for RJfresnels.

AUDIOThe EVAC 5EN 6W ceilingspeaker is just one of theproducts making its debut onthe AMC Baltic stand. TheEN54-24-certified unitfeatures a built-in 100Vtransformer with power taps,metal grille, steel fire housingand 5in full-range speaker. Itwill be joined by the VIVA 5wallmount plastic speakerdesigned for backgroundmusic purposes. The 30Wloudspeakers have afrequency response of 8Hz-20kHz and a design thatenables them to fit into avariety of contemporaryinteriors.

New from Audac is the SMAand SMQ series of Class Dpower amplifiers featuringWaveDynamics audioprocessing technology. Theycome in different outputconfigurations with two orfour channels and areavailable in output powers of

350W, 500W and 750W. Alsoon show are the latestadditions to the company’sloudspeaker range.

The Resolution 3 SH Evoand EH Evo are the mostrecent editions to Funktion-One’s Resolution Series. Theyare the next generation ofthe segmented products thatare derived from the full-bodied Resolution 3. Bothnew products have anenhanced vocal presence dueto the substitution of a 1.4incompression driver for theprevious 1in in the earlier Res3 models.

The R3SH Evo and R3EH Evoboth use the mid-high sectionof the Resolution 3. While theRS3SH Evo is a skeletalloudspeaker, the R3EH Evo isenclosed in a birch ply cabinet.Both offer high output andcontrolled directivity and canbe used in a wide range ofapplications, includingproviding additional coverageto a Resolution 3 system,supplying the high-power mid-high section of a multi-way PAsystem or in demandingspeech-based applications,such as theatrical voicereinforcement.

Nexo will preview its GEOM6 compact loudspeakerseries in Frankfurt. The unit



The Cyrano followspot from Robert Juliat isparticularly popular for theatre and opera use

The NandoBeam S6from Ayrton

extends beyond thecompany’s traditionalheartland of live musicapplications, towards thecorporate AV sector and awide range of fixedinstallation opportunitieswhere speech reinforcementis the primary requirement.The series consists of theGEO M620 full-range unit forstandalone, curved array orline array application, and theGEO M6B, a low- and mid-frequency extension box, forapplications which demandmore powerful reinforcement,such as live music.

The HAL ProgrammableMulti-Processor DSP will takecentre stage on the Ranestand. According to thecompany HAL has“revolutionised system designand installation”. The easy-to-use architecture does not

require any intricate matrixmixing or presets and novirtual wiring is required todistribute pages andbackground music tomultiple, even hundreds, ofzones. In addition, the HALMultiprocessor and Halogensoftware check the status,location, Cat5 wiring integrity,and that audio is flowing in allperipheral devices, so usersknow a system is properlyconnected and ready to go.

Peavey will be in Frankfurtwith its Elements Cweatherproof loudspeakerenclosures. The IP45-ratedseries is available in threetwo-way, full-rangeconfigurations and as aflyable subwoofer. TheElements 115C and Elements112C debut new 15in and12in weatherproof BlackWidow woofers and an RX 22

2in titanium diaphragmcompression driver tweetercoupled to a Quadratic-Throat Waveguide rotatablehorn. The Elements 108Ccombines a 75º x 75º hornwith an 8in weatherproofwoofer in a compact anddurable enclosure. TheElements 212 subwoofer is aflyable subwoofer enclosurefeaturing a pair of 12inweatherproof woofers.

New for ProCab is theClassic cable series,consisting of an assortmentof connection cables andadaptors for audio, video,power, digital and data. Thiscomplete range of pre-madecables includes those withgold-plated connections anda modern design wrapped inenvironmentally friendlypackaging.

Exhibiting on the stand ofGerman distributor Trius,Symetrix will highlight itslatest DSP solutions and anupgraded version of SymNetComposer software.Composer 2.0 will beavailable for demonstrationby Mark Ullrich (internationalsales manager) and CraigRichardson (vice president ofglobal sales), complete withadditions necessary to

enable interoperabilitybetween Symetrix DSPs,network amplifiers and Danteinterface products from twoother manufacturers.

TOA will be showing the SR-D8 active line arrayspeaker, which has alreadyhad a good reception fromtradeshow attendees. Alsoon display will be new digitalmixers, the M-864D and M-8633D. These will bedemonstrated in conjunction

with a trio of EN54-certifiedvoice alarm systems, forsmall to large-scale buildings,to show off the former’sautomatic resonance controlfeature. Finally, the stand willalso host a range of Trantecwireless systems, includingthe S4.16 RX2 system, whichhas double the performanceof the S4.16 in the same sizeof unit. �

pls.messefrankfurt.com



The HAL Programmable Multi-Processor DSP from Rane

New from Audac is the SMA and SMQ series of Class D power amplifiers

AFTER RECORD-BREAKINGattendance in 2013, thisyear’s InfoComm China (IFC)will occupy the entire ChinaNational Convention Center inBeijing for the first time. Totalattendance at the three-dayshow hit a new high last year,ushering in a total of 19,431visitors from across theindustry, up 20% from theprevious year. This growth isexpected to continue in 2014when all six halls of thevenue will be filled with thelatest products for the pro-AVmarket, and more than23,000 professionals areexpected to attend the show.

IFC is the only event in thewhole of the country thatcaters to such a broadspectrum of market sectors,including corporate IT,government, military,education, transportation,healthcare, hospitality, retailand entertainment; over one-third of attendees aretechnology managers andintegrators.

SHOWFLOORMany leading audio brandshave already confirmed theirparticipation in InfoCommChina 2014. “We have seenhow IFC has grown over theyears,” says Zhang Tao, vicepresident of exhibitorSanecore Group. “Havingparticipated in IFC 2013 andachieved great results, wehave decided to increase ourparticipation in the 2014 showwith the aim of forging aneven better platform for ourbrand. InfoComm China hasbecome widely acclaimed inChina and we now consider itto be a critical window ofopportunity for our companyand our products.”

Phoenix Audio and LightingTechnology Co Ltd has beenparticipating in IFC for manyyears. Melody Zhao, marketingmanager, says: “Focusing onglobal solutions and top-classtechnology, InfoComm Chinahas clearly established itselfin the richly multi-faceted andflourishing China market,

providing professionalexpertise for industry playersand manufacturers alike.”

Leyard will be showing its4K Ultra HD LED display with1.6mm small pixel pitch LEDdisplay technology, as seen atISE 2014. The seamless, zero

bezel design is said to haveunlimited super large screensplicing, offering multi-imagevideos. It also boasts a wideviewing angle, uniformcolours, higher brightness andimproved contrast ratio.

Mipro will reveal its latestwireless PA system, theportable MA-505. The 145WClass D device allows up tofour diversity receivers and isthe industry’s only wirelessinterlinking transmitter option.

Other big names takingstands include Audio-Technica, Bosch, BXB, Colink,Crestron, d&b, Harman,Hitachi, Lutron, Panasonic,Sennheiser, Smart Target,Sony, Taiden, Wincomn, Xilicaand more.

Richard Tan, generalmanager of show organiserInfoCommAsia Pte, concludes:“We are very happy to witnesssuch strong support fromespecially the audioexhibitors, who through theyears have come to recogniseIFC as the best platform forthem to reach out to China’sAV market, both for theinstalled as well as live eventssectors. It also points to thefact that companies in Chinaare raising their stakes on themarkets. This is not surprisingas China's AV market isprojected to grow at 20% ayear to be worth some $15.3billion by 2015, two-thirds thesize of the entire Europeanmarket.”

SEMINARSThe InfoComm China 2014Summit runs alongside theexhibition and is divided intotracks covering topics such asEntertainment Industry,Hospitality Industry andBuilding Industry. Organisedwith the support of InfoCommInternational and global andlocal user group associations,in collaboration with leadingindustry media, the summit

will offer market insight andtechnology updates.Highlights on the first dayinclude ‘10 best practices fordigital signage systems’, anInfoComm University sessionrunning from 11:00-11:50 inThe Arena @ Hall P, and ‘4K iscoming, are you ready’ withJohn McMahon of MeyerSound in the same location at 14:00.

The second day of the showopens at 9:00 with ‘A new erafor AV’ in Room 403, which willtake a close look at AVBtechnology and theadvantages it promises to AVintegrators. At 10:30 KaneZhang of Biamp advisesattendees on ‘Future-proofinginvestments in 4K’, while theafternoon kicks of with‘Reliable AV system, theguarantee of luxury’ in Room402. This Hospitality Tracksession will look at the designchallenges of hotel AVsystems and how to makecomponents work togetherreliably.

The final day of the showwill see a host of InfoCommUniversity sessions, including‘Are we REALLY OK with 4K?’,‘Ready? Digital audionetworking’, and ‘Thedevelopment and applicationof the small-pitch indoor LEDdisplay technology’. �

www.infocomm.org

SHOW PREVIEW: INFOCOMM CHINA

WHAT?InfoComm China

WHERE?China National ConventionCenter, Beijing

WHEN?9 April 10:00-17:0010 April 9:00-17:0011 April 9:00-16:00


Breakingdown wallsFollowing unprecedented growth in recent years,InfoComm China 2014 will now fill the entire ChinaNational Convention Center, and visitor numbers areexpected to keep on growing

Around 23,000 people areexpected to visit this year’s show

An extensive seminar and education programme will also take place in Beijing

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Large LCD displaysIncreasingly, LCD displays are being selected for applications where projectors had previouslydominated the market. Add to that the availability of versatile videowall configuration possibilitiesand we see the technology more in demand than ever. James McGrath takes us through some ofthe devices currently on the market


TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

User-friendly contentcreation and reduction inenergy usage were both keyconsiderations for NECDisplays when designing theflagship model in its new PSeries digital signage range.

The NEC MultiSync P801 isan 80in LED backlit screencapable of handling heavy-duty applications in publicdisplay areas for 24/7operation – such as in retailand transport environments.It’s also suitable forcorporate boardrooms thatfunction with high ambientlight, and control rooms.

NEC adopted acustomisable approach tohow the display’s contentappears on-screen, withsome innovative technologythat allows the screen toreact to its environment.Firstly, the energy-consciousProgrammable Ambient Lightsensor increases ordecreases the backlightdepending on the amount ofambient light within the roomto make viewing morecomfortable on the eye: adim display will correspondwith a dim room while highambient light will increasethe display’s brightnesslevels. There are also anumber of pre-programmable

options to override thisfeature if it isn’t necessary.

Secondly, technologycalled ‘Human Sensor’manages the screen’s powerand brightness depending onviewer proximity; exertingmore power the further awaythe viewer is from the screenand steadily decreasingpower as they approach thedisplay.

Combined, thesetechnologies create areduction in overall runningcosts as the screen is alwayspowered appropriately. Thisefficiency also reducesmaintenance costs.

The display can be pre-configured before it isinstalled via NEC’s newAndroid App and anembedded NFC sensor tosave time and cost. What’smore, with the addition ofNEC’s DisplayNote PresenterLicence, users can present,share and collaborate withmultiple participants acrossmultiple devices.

The addition of Multi-Display ManagementSoftware, NaViSetAdministrator 2, allows usersto manage all connecteddisplay devices from acentralised location.www.nec-display-solutions.co.uk

{ }NEC P Series hashuman awareness A retail and advertising

market consolidating towardssingle-point providers – be itmanufacturers or integrators– has resulted in Barcorounding off its currentrepertoire of visualisationproducts with a range ofindoor and outdoor LCD-based advertisement kiosks.

The company can nowprovide a complete mediarange of LED, LCD, projection,image processing andcontent managementsystems for public DOOHapplications, such as in malls,stations, airports, venues andstreet furniture, which areincreasingly looking forsingle-point providers.

The new range will growfrom the initial 55in and 72inmodels – both of which willbe available from this monthin indoor (LCD55ix) andoutdoor (LCD72ox) models.

Each of the displays ismodular in make-up, meaningit can be customised to suitits application; the upperhousing has optionalsideboard finishes so that itcan incorporate differentcolours and materials. The

range is also wall-mountableor can be supplied with acustomised base unit. On thelarger models, there is alsothe option of having LEDsfitted on the underside of thebase unit to illuminate thebase.

Each modelcontains anintegrated displaypanel, playerhardware andcontentmanagementsoftware togetherwith displaymanagementsoftware featuresto improvereliability and todetectmalfunctionsquickly.

A whole host ofother technologiesensure the displayworks as it should.These include anintegrated heatmanagementsystem with optionalair conditioning shouldthe display be located in highambient-temperature areas;

and optional I-Guardtechnology – a monitoringtool that continually analysesimages to detect and correctinstabilities for maximum

display uptime. In addition,

the screenoffers thespace andability tointegrateinteractivetechnologiesto suitadvertisers’needs andprovide a callto action forviewers. Thisinvolveshardware suchas touch,camera, LAN,WiFi, Bluetooth,NFC andiBeacon as wellas softwareapps likemoderatedsocial mediaintegration andcampaignmanagement.www.barco.com

{ }Barco completes retail roster

In late 2013, questions wereraised when Mitsubishi Electricwithdrew from the frontprojection market. But thecompany didn’t make thedecision lightly, and theannouncement was just thebeginning of a new, completefocus on control room and high-end display aspects to its pro-AV business.

To that end, the latter part oflast year also saw the launch ofthe L55P1 and L55S1 high-end55in LED-backlit displays. Theformer is designed forapplications such as control

room tileddisplays,while thelatter issuited more towards signage ormonitoring applications.

Both models incorporate thesame basic functionality andfeatures, such as a 50,000-hourlifespan, Intel OPS slot andcompatibility with AMX DeviceDiscovery and CrestronRoomView systems. But the P1comes with more input options,making it more versatile incommand and controlapplications.

The displays are built as LED-backlit, super-narrow-bezel LCDmonitors for long-termoperation and low cost ofownership. Mitsubishi maintainsthe view that quality andreliability are both keyadvantages when choosing itssolutions for applications –such as control rooms – thatnecessitate reliability. displays.mitsubishielectric.eu

Mitsubishi delivers high-endLCD displays { }


TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

DynaScan touts its new 84inlarge-format LCD display asthe ‘world’s brightest’.Shown off for the first timeat ISE 2014, the newproduct brings thecompany’s display portfolioup to 10.

The DS841LR4, as it iscalled, measures 84indiagonally. It incorporates a4K Ultra HD 84in IPS LCDwith an ultra-high brightnessLED backlight, whichculminates in a sunlightviewable 2,500-nit image.

This makes the solutionsuitable for large-scaledisplay applications in highambient light environments– for example in storefrontwindows, outdoor kiosks andother locations with directsunlight. It’s targeted atcustomers who no longerwant to use static postersor low-resolution LCD panels.

To combat issues arisingwith solar heat gain – whichcould be a problem becausethe panel is located behindglass – the system includes

an ultra-quiet, high-efficiency cooling system,and a high-temperatureresistant panel that canhandle temperatures up to110ºC (240ºF) before thedevice experiences anyblackening defect.

The LED backlightincorporates local dimmingso that darker areas of animage receive lessbacklighting than lighterareas, producing a high-contrast image with deepblack levels.

The solution also utilisesIPS display technology,which the company saysproduces accurate colourfrom all viewing angles.Moreover, each screen isindividually colour calibratedto the D65 colour standardto ensure quality anduniformity when usingmultiple displays, althoughthis can be customised to arequired specification.

The device is availablefrom this quarter.www.dynascanusa.com

DynaScan tots up 10 with‘world’s brightest’ display

The 60in PN-602 LCDmonitor from Sharp is partof the company’s MultiDisplay slim bezel range –which also incorporates thePN-V601 and PN-V600.

Ultra-thin bezels alongwith what the companydescribes as exceptionalimage quality make thescreen highly configurablefor creating high-impactvideowalls and digitalsignage applications. Toease this process thesystem offers easyassembly and control viathe RS-232C interface or anetwork.

The monitor incorporatesSharp’s LCD technology,which enables highly

efficient use of light fromthe backlight and preventslight leakage. This,according to the company,results in outstandingimage reproduction.

With high brightness of1,500cd/sqm, the system issuitable for indoor locationsbut also areas that areawash with sunlight. Sharpspecifically points towardsindoor sports facilities,transportation hubs,shopping centres and eventvenues as areas that wouldbenefit most from thedisplay.

The product integratesSharp’s local dimmingtechnology to provideenhanced contrast

compared to conventionalLCD monitors. An LEDbacklight adds to the imagequality by ensuring uniformbrightness across the entirepanel.

As well as excellentimage quality, the LCDmonitor is said to haveextremely low powerconsumption and longscreen life, making it idealfor demanding 24/7 usage.These features, accordingto Sharp, will also decreasethe load on heating,ventilation and airconditioning systems,translating into lowerrunning costs and savingsfor businesses. www.sharp.eu

Sharp’s virtually seamless videowalls

VTRON’s LCD Display Narrow-Bezel series incorporatesnumerous technologies tomake it a cost-effectivesolution for small to medium-sized control roomapplications such asmonitoring centres, traffic andsecurity centres, utilities,shopping malls and trade fairs.

Within the range is the 55inLCD 5503 display, which hasembedded signal processingtechnologies. Firstly, a built-inprocessor removes the needfor external devices –negating the need for

additional space, time andbudget that would otherwisebe required for external units.

Secondly, an embeddedQuad Image Splitter enables asingle screen to split into fourfor the display of differentsources.

Thirdly, VTRON’s unlimitedsignal looping offersintelligent signalcompensation: the input signalis converted to DVI-D format,and looped out to the nextLCD, decreasing the chance ofsignal degradation.

Rounding off the signal

capabilities is VTRON’sadvanced signal processingwhich ensures the videowallhas high levels ofsynchronisation to avoiddropping frames.

Further technologiesinclude intelligenttemperature adjustment,which ensures the screenmaintains a workablecondition.

On to aesthetics – and anarrow 5.7mm bezel makesvideowall configurationsvirtually seamless. www.vtron.com

VTRON signals processing as priority

{ }

{ }

{ }

SOLUTIONS: ASTANA OPERA HOUSE


Romeo and Juliet was one of the first productions to be staged at the theatre

As the third-largest theatre in the world opens its doors, Mike Clark looks at the leading-edgetechnology that’s helping to attract the biggest names in opera to the Kazakh capital

Curtains up

BASED ON sketches byKazakhstan PresidentNursultan Nazarbayev andbuilt in the country’s capitalby German, Italian, Swedishand Czech architects at acost of over €220 million,Astana Opera House is theworld’s third-largest theatre.

At its October 2013 officialworld premiere, the venuehosted critics and key playersfrom the international operaworld, who were able toappreciate the state-of-the-art digital AV, lighting andbroadcast facilities as well asthe impressive architecture.

The building, which has atotal area of 64,163sqm,features a main theatreseating 1,250, a three-level

pit able to host a 120-strongorchestra and a chambermusic hall able toaccommodate 250spectators.

Public areas include themajestic foyer with itssplendid Italian marble, amuseum (which has alreadyhosted exhibitions by theBolshoi, La Fenice and aphotography exhibitionillustrating the birth of theopera house), a restaurantand a press room.

An impressive range offacilities is at performers’ andproductions’ disposal: 26rehearsal rooms of varioussizes (the main 550sqmorchestra rehearsal room canalso host a full chorus), 68

dressing rooms (includingeight for VIPs) and technicalrooms.

Numerous specialisedworkshops (carpenters,metalworkers, sculptors,painters, plasterers,decorators) with storagespace, costume workshops,countless makeup rooms, asewing shop and a laundry/ironing room are alsocontained in the building.

The stage’s dimensions areon a par with key internationaltheatres, with four mainelevators and large wingsalong with a backstage areathat can hold three acts’scenery as well as thatalready on stage.

The Swiss Mabetex Group,founded and owned byBehgjet Pacolli, worked with agroup of professionalarchitects invited from aroundthe world to create the newarts venue. (Mabetex builtmany of the buildings in theKazakhstan capital).

The façade and entrance tothe theatre may be based ona combination of Greco-Roman and traditionalKazakhstan architecturalstyles, but the venue has ahigh-tech ‘heart’.

The theatre’s chief lightingtechnician Igor Davlesupov isrightly proud of the AstanaOpera House’s leading-edgetechnology: “Thanks to the in-house stock of about 1,000lighting fixtures [acombination of Clay Paky,Spotlight and ETC movinghead, moving yoke andconventional models], thetheatre can meet the lightingrequirements of classical,opera and contemporaryproductions.”

Lighting is controlled viatwo WholeHog III lightconsoles. The design of thecontrol system was carefullystudied, and the Art-Netcontrol network installedaround the perimeter of thestage enables fixtures to beconnected virtually anywhereon stage and the lightingconsole to be switched onanywhere.

He adds: “There are over1,200 (ETC ThruPower)dimmer channels, and 16DMX universes. There is aportal bridge located over theapron stage, five mainlighting trusses and anadditional truss flownbackstage, each with 24 16Aand 12 32A sockets, which

can be controlled asdimmable or direct, plus twoDMX lines switched asrequired. Each of the fivetowers on either side of thestage has four 16A and two32A sockets plus a DMX line.”

In the event of a consolecrash, control automaticallyswitches over to the(identical) WholeHog III back-up desk and a standby powergenerator ensures operationin the event of a mains powerfailure.

MODERN MUSICEvgeniy Shpakov, head of thesound department at AstanaOpera House, enthuses: “Theaudio set-up here is designedfor modern digitaltransmission systems andaudio signal routing. TheAstana Opera House has aright to be called one of themost technically advancedtheatres in the world as the

[ABOUT THE MAINCONTRACTOR]

� Founded in 1991 by itsformer president, BehgjetPacolli, and a group ofengineers with wideexperience in civil andindustrial construction, theMabetex Group isheadquartered in Lugano,Switzerland

� Projects include therenovation of the formerRussian Parliamentbuilding, construction ofthe Russian FederationHouses of Parliament,reconstruction of La Fenicetheatre in Venice, andprojects for the German,Saudi Arabian, Kuwait andTurkish governments. In1996 it won the tender forthe construction of the newKazakhstan capital

� The company also carriesout humanitarian workthrough its Foundation forthe Reconstruction ofKosovo project

Installation

OF THE MONTH

The Bosch simultaneous translation systems consists of an Integrus system with eight interpreter desks

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KAZAKHSTAN

SOLUTIONS: ASTANA OPERA HOUSE


use of multiple Midas PRO Seriesconsoles located in various areas andconnected to the network via Dantegives access to modern technology.”

Mixes can be received from theopera, chamber halls and largerehearsal rooms at the same time.During performances, one of thevenue’s engineers handles FOH soundfor the audience (with a Midas PRO6,an Electro-Voice EVA-2082S line arrayand EVF-1181SB subs); a second isresponsible for the online broadcastmix and a third monitors the balancefor multi-track recording. OB TVproduction teams can be providedwith any of the mixes, plus separatechannels as required.

Shpakov continues: “We can recordsmall orchestral groups, ensembles,duets, etc, in the numerousacoustically treated rooms and smallstudios throughout the building,thanks to the Electro-Voice NetMaxDante audio network system, whichenables us to satisfy virtually anyrequirement.”

HD coverage of productions can bewebcast or transmitted via satelliteusing in-house facilities such as SonyHSC-300 and Panasonic AWHE 120WEremote controlled motorised cameras,Sony RCP1000U remote controlpanels and HSCU 300U CCU, plusPanasonic AW-RP50 remote cameracontrol. Video mixers/switchers arePanasonic AV-HS410 multi-format(chamber hall) and FOR-A HVS300HS-OU in the main theatre. There are OBconnection facilities for 25 camerasthroughout the theatre.

Both simultaneous translation andevacuation systems are by Bosch (anIntegrus system with eight interpreterdesks and 300 LC1-WM06E8 ceiling-mounted speakers respectively).

ON TOURVisiting productions have alreadygiven Astana the thumbs-up for itscutting-edge technical facilities.

Paris SoundWays Studio engineerJean Chatauret, at the theatre for thebroadcast of the opera Attila for

France’s Mezzo channel, describedthe audio system at Astana OperaHouse as “unique, complex andinteresting, and ahead of its time”.

Italian lighting designer VinicioCheli, who designed the lighting forSleeping Beauty and Romeo andJuliet, two of the first productions tobe staged at Astana, opined: “TheAstana Opera theatre and its stageare well equipped and its team of veryefficient electricians is expandedwhen required for specificproductions. I used practically thecomplete range of fixtures available –Clay Paky Alpha washes and profiles,ETC Revolutions, Spotlight units withmotorised yokes, etc.

“The two WholeHog consoles wereprogrammed by the theatre’s headelectrician, who, as well as beingextremely fast and efficient, alsospeaks perfect English. Romeo andJuliet was transmitted in streaming (byTengri News TV), but since almost allshows of this type are covered for TVbroadcast nowadays, I design all myplots taking this into consideration toensure that the stage lighting is alsosuitable for OB productions’ needs.”

The Romeo and Juliet productionteam included other famous Italians,such as Academy Award-winningcostume designer Franca Squarciapino,her scenographer husband Ezio Frigerioand video designer Sergio Metalli, whoused the theatre’s two Christie RoadieHD+35K digital video projectors toproject reproductions of paintingsanimated with computer graphics.Describing the Christie 35K as the“Rolls-Royce” of his profession, headded: “They do a fantastic job – thequality of the images is marvellous andthe contrast is great!”

Regarding the theatre, to which heis returning in April with Frigerio andCheli for a production of Swan Lake,Metalli added: “Everything is extremelymodern – the theatre has excellentequipment as far as live audio andvideo are concerned and the set-upwas conceived as if it was a televisionstudio, with a central server room for

the two control rooms – the operatheatre and the chamber. The lightingcontrol system is also very powerfuland I found the chamber music hallbeautiful and functional.” �

www.astanaopera.kzwww.audinate.comwww.boschsecuritysystems.comwww.christiedigital.comwww.claypaky.it

www.electrovoice.comwww.etcconnect.comwww.for-a.comwww.highend.comwww.mabetex.euwww.midasconsoles.comwww.neumann.comwww.panasonic.comwww.sony.co.ukwww.spotlight.it

[INSTALLED]

AUDIO� Electro-Voice EVA-2082S line array

modules� Electro-Voice EVF-1181SB subs� Electro-Voice EVU-2082/95

monitors� Electro-Voice ZX1I-90 monitors� Electro-Voice CPS 4.10 and CPS 8.5

amps� Electro-Voice NetMax matrix

system� Dante network card � Midas PRO6 console� Electro-Voice RE and PL Series mics � Neumann KM 184, KM 185 and U 87

Ai microphones � Bosch Integrus simultaneous

translation system � Bosch LC1-WM06E8 speakers

VIDEO� Christie Roadie HD+35K projectors� Christie CP2230 projectors� Christie DS+6K projectors

� Sony HSC-300 cameras� Panasonic AWHE 120WE cameras� Sony RCP1000U remote control

panels� Sony HSCU 300U CCU� Panasonic AW-RP50 remote cameracontroller� Panasonic AV-HS410 multi-formatvideo switcher� FOR-A HVS300HS-OU video switcher

LIGHTING� Clay Paky Alpha washes� Clay Paky Alpha profiles� ETC Source Four Revolution� Spotlight Beam Lights with

motorised yoke� Spotlight Rinascimento fresnels � Spotlight Sintesi Area fresnels 1kW� Spotlight Evolution profiles� Spotlight Sintesi Vario PCs� Spotlight Domino floodlights� Spotlight Vedette 25 followspots

CONTROL� High End WholeHog III consoles

Evgeniy Shpakov at the Midas PRO6

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IN JUNE 2011, integratorGiovanni Aiello of Italiancompany Triotech met acouple in their 60s who wereplanning to knock down theirexisting home and build anew three-storey villa in itsplace. They wanted ‘thehouse of a lifetime’, althoughthey had limited experienceof home technology, or evenof using computers. Throughmeeting Aiello and visiting hishouse, they becameinterested in the idea ofautomating their new home.

One important idea that hehad to communicate to theclient was the sheer scope ofwhat was possible. “Forexample, an intelligent switchisn’t connected to theelectrical system like atraditional light switch is – itcan do whatever you want itto do,” he explains. “Putting ina home automation systemwould allow them toreconfigure the entiretechnological system in anyway they wanted.”

The scope of the projectwas wide-ranging, taking innot only entertainment andlighting, but also security,energy management, HVACcontrol, calling the lift, andeven systems for wateringthe garden and pumpinggroundwater from the cellar.

It was immediately clear toAiello that the project requiredthe integration of differentsystems at different levels,and that it was important thatthe core management systemwas flexible. He decided tobase the core solution on KNX.“The amount of software andhardware available from many

manufacturers makes thisstandard very interesting, andthere are always new productsavailable to approach andsolve a specific request,” headds.

The next step was to selectthe management solution thatwould be the ‘brains’ of thesystem. Although the term ismore frequently encounteredin industrial automation, whatis required is a SCADA(supervisory control and dataacquisition) system. There areseveral SCADA products onthe market; Aiello shortlistedthree products and finallychose a solution from NetXAutomation. “I chose NetXAutomation because I foundthat the cost is veryreasonable for what theproduct can do – it isextremely powerful,” heexplains. “And despite the factthat it can handle very bigprojects, such as BeijingAirport, the company hasbeen very flexible with me,very supportive.”

The KNX bus has anEthernet interface that allowsit to connect to an OPC (openplatform communications)server. The server is where allthe KNX functionality comestogether, and 11 touchscreen‘clients’ communicate over IPwith the OPC server. All theKNX programming scripts tohandle specific custom tasksare centralised on the OPCserver – the touchscreens canbe switched off if desiredwithout affecting thefunctioning of the system.

Let’s run through thedifferent system functions. Onthe security side, there arefour external Mobotix CCTVcameras on the exterior of theproperty, and a Mobotix T24entryphone – and IP camerawith VoIP phone, which isintegrated with the housetelephone system. An El.moalarm system is interfaced toKNX for visualisation, but notfor management.

There is a total of 150lighting points – internal andexternal – in the property.These are all controlled from

the various touchscreensaround the house – along withthe window blinds. There is a15in TCI touchscreen on eachfloor, which manages“everything you can possiblymanage in the house,”according to Aiello. In addition,there are numerous 10in TCItouchscreens around thehouse, mostly for managingaspects of the rooms in whichthey are located. The 15inscreens are running WindowsXP Embedded, while the 10inmodels are on Windows CE.Aiellos says that if he wasdesigning a similar projecttoday he would probably usean Android system.

The customer specificallyrequested that thetouchscreen graphics weresimple to understand. “Otherpeople – such as relatives –may visit the house, so youhave to do things in such away that even somebody whohas never been there beforeknows at a glance how toswitch a light on or watch TV,”he observes.

The home theatre system isbased around an Integra Blu-

ray Disc player and a Sky TVbox. The outputs go throughan Integra receiver-amplifierand are distributed aroundthe house on Cat6 cabling viaa 4 x 4 HDMI matrix switchand four HDMI extenders.There are four Panasonic TVsin the house, the main onebeing a 60in plasma. Thevideo source is selected via a10in touchscreen, and there isalso an iPad to manage theoverall system.

The infrastructure is in placefor a six-zone multi-room audiosystem. However, the chosenmanufacturer (WHD) does nothave representation in Italy,and “in the end the cost of theequipment was too high,” saysAiello. “We would have spent€10,000 – and the customerwasn’t willing to pay that justto listen to the radio in thebedroom.”

Fortunately he was able tosuggest a compromise.Because the Integra receiverhas a two-zone output, it isbeing used to distribute audiofrom an iPad, iPhone and otherdevices over WiFi. “Integra hasapps for Apple. Through the

iPad I can mix the KNX system,the TV (with Panasonic apps)and the Integra.”

When it comes tointerfacing with the KNXsystem, the home

SOLUTIONS: VILLA, PISTOIA,TUSCANY

A couple in their 60s wanted theirfirst automated home, and they got it– thanks to a flexible KNX-basedsystem that encompasses far morethan just entertainment and lighting.Paddy Baker reports


ITALY

[INSTALLED]

VIDEOn Panasonic Viera VT60

55in, 60in plasma TVsn Panasonic Viera E6 32in

LED TVn Integra DTR-30.3 Blu-ray

playern Sky TV boxn HDAnyware HKM44 4x4

HDMI matrix switchn KeyDigital KD-HDDA1X2

distribution amplifiersn PTN TPHD402 HDMI over

Cat6 extendersn Mobotix DualDome D15

and MonoDome D25 CCTV cameras

n Mobotix T24 entryphone

AUDIOn Integra DTR-30.4

receiver-amplifier

CONTROLn KNX busn NetX Automation SCADA

systemn TCI 10in and 15in

touchscreensn Crestron QM-RMC room

media controllern b+b EIB-MT-Gateway IP

PROJECT COSTS

Alarm system ...................€12KHome theatre, TVs, matrix,touchscreens, iPad .........€25KCameras, entryphone.......€8KNetworking – router,switches, cabling................€6KSoftware and licences......€5KUPS .........................................€3KServer.................................€2.5KTotal ...........................€61.5K

House of a lifetimeThe 60in Panasonic TV that is at the heart of the home theatre system. The Integra Blu-ray playerand receiver, and the Sky box, are housed in the cupboard to the left of the fireplace

entertainment system wasthe hardest part, Aielloremarks. “The only part of theproject that could not beeasily handled by KNX is theaudio/video devices. Oneapproach here is to use adedicated managementsolution, with the onlyrequirement that it has to beinterfaced and managed viaKNX. For the management ofthe video, HDMI matrix andthe home theatre system, Ichose a Crestron QM-RMCand a b+b EIB-MT-Gateway IP.”

The Integra receiver, Blu-ray player and matrix switchare managed via their RS-232serial interfaces. “However,there’s no easy way toautomate a Sky box – it’s thetrickiest part. The only way isto use infrared but it’s one-

way only, so you can’t ask thedevice which channel it’s on.”

There are 30 zones forheating and air-conditioning,each managed individually bythe KNX system. The heatingand A/C systems areinterfaced with ameteorological station:exterior wind speed, lightlevels, rainfall andtemperature are all monitored.KNX thermostats andactuators, both from industrialcontrol giant ABB, are used toregulate heating and lighting.(Weather station data is alsoused to manage theautomatic watering systemfor the garden.) StandardDaikin air-conditioning unitshave been fitted with a KNXinterface from Intesis.

The KNX system has also

been set up to manageelectricity consumption: itcan switch devices on and offthat handle critical loads –such as the oven, washingmachine or aircon units – in apreset sequence so thehouse does not exceed thetotal load agreed with thepower company.

With so much riding on theKNX system, it’s importantthat it is properly protected.The server is a small Acer box– it doesn’t need a largeamount of computing power,but it has built-in redundancywith disc mirroring (via a RAIDcontroller) and a doublepower supply. Power to thehouse is protected by a 5kWuninterruptible power supply,configured for full load forone hour.

Remote monitoring isanother key feature. “I monitorthe alarm system, cameras,server, UPS and touchscreensfor vital signs and for majorwarnings and alarms that maybe significant for me – so I canintervene and not wait for thecustomer to phone me up.”

A major benefit of the waythis system has beendesigned is that it is very easyto change – either toaccommodate additionaltechnology or to adapt tonew requests from theowners. Aiello comments:“What I’ve explained to thecustomer is that you canchange the graphic anywhereyou want. For instance, if theywant to manage the Blu-rayplayer from a different room,it’s just a matter of changingthe graphics. It’s a layerbetween the hardware andthe customer that iscompletely flexible – you canmix and match in any way youwant. That is what makes themoney you spend on thesystems worthwhile.”

Overall, Aiello says he is

“extremely happy” with hischoice of KNX for this project.“The more I’ve used it, themore I’m convinced that it isthe way to go,” he says. “Thebeauty of a home automationsystem is that you should beable to integrate as much asyou can. This way thecustomer also gets the mostout of it – he can see resultsthat otherwise wouldn’t havebeen possible.

“Because you have KNX, andmore than 500 companiesthat develop KNX devices,there is really no limit on whatyou can integrate – and I thinkit’s a pity not to do it.” �

www.bb-steuerungstechnik.dewww.cisco.comwww.crestron.comwww.elmospa.comwww.integrahometheater.comwww.intesis.comwww.knx.orgwww.mikrotik.comwww.mobotix.comwww.netxautomation.comwww.panasonic.netwww.tci.dewww.triotech.it

SOLUTIONS: VILLA, PISTOIA,TUSCANY


ONLINE EXTRAFor a more detailed version of this article, go to

www.installation-international.com/triotech-tuscany-villa

One of the three smaller Panasonic TVs with a 16intouchscreen nearby A screengrab from one of the touchscreens, including weather data from outside

WITH A budget of more than$50 billion, the 2014 WinterOlympics were the mostexpensive in the event’shistory. Hosted in the BlackSea resort of Sochi, a record88 nations competed andmany events sold out. Newvenues built for the occasioninside the Olympic Parkinclude the Fisht Stadium, theBolshoy Ice Dome and theInternational BroadcastCenter and Main MediaCenter. In the KrasnayaPolyana, or Mountain Cluster,a new ski complex, alpineresort and sliding centre werealso constructed.

All of this work providedhuge opportunities for the AVindustry, with Panasonic,Polycom, Merging and EAWjust some of the companiesgetting involved.

Following its huge input tothe London Olympics in thesummer of 2012, Panasonichas maintained its position asthe main sponsor in the AVequipment category. Themanufacturer supplied thelargest amount of LED large-screen displays by area everfor the Olympic WinterGames, as well as the largestquantity of security camerasin the history of the event. Intotal, 1,727sqm of LED large-screen displays were featured

in Olympic-related facilitiesalong with 4,993 TVmonitors, 207 DLP projectorsand 6,903 security camerasystems.

Equipment from Riedel wasalso utilised in high volumes,particularly during theOpening and ClosingCeremonies. A Riedel MassCast deployment including 14transmitters and thousandsof receivers and earpiecesprovided support during theCeremonies.

GAMES ONDuring the Games, Riedel’smodular MediorNet andMediorNet Compact systemswere deployed in double-redundant rings to serve as afibre backbone for audio andHD video (with timecode),data and intercom signaltransport within the stadiumand several other venuesthat feed back to theInternational BroadcastCenter. Eighteen Riedel Artistdigital matrix intercommainframes and an array ofheadsets and beltpacks alsoprovided support atcompetition sites.

Within the Fisht OlympicStadium, the MediorNetinfrastructure, includingmultiple interfaces andrepeater sites, supported

wired and wireless Ethernetdistribution to enable a localWiFi network and facilitateprogramming, co-ordinationand execution of programmeelements during theCeremonies, such as lightingeffects and the movement ofscenic and flying objects.Supplied and co-ordinated byRiedel, the installationfeatured 90 discreet radiochannels and more than1,300 radios and 1,000headsets. The massive MassCast deployment at thestadium also made audioavailable to artistsperforming in the Openingand Closing Ceremonies.

Merging Technologies alsofeatured in the OpeningCeremony, with Avallon, thecompany’s reseller for Russia,supplying Horus units tohandle additional inputsignals and routing betweenthe different systems in thearena. In this case, Horus wasconnected to a StagetecNexus via MADI and the audiowas controlled by a StagetecAuratus-24 located high up inthe stadium to give operatorsan excellent view of thearena. This was the firstHorus installation made byAvallon engineers, althoughseveral have now beenspecified for football

stadiums involved in the 2018World Cup, also to be held inRussia.

MEDIA MATTERSBesides a huge workroom formembers of the media thatwas in operation 24 hours aday, the Main Media Centeralso featured four pressconference halls. Theseranged in size from Pushkin,which holds 465 mediarepresentatives, to Chekovfor 50 guests.

Each hall was equippedwith a whole set ofintegrated systems, includingconference systems,videoconferencing systems,sound systems andsimultaneous translationsystems. There were eightsynchronous languagesavailable during pressconferences, which in thepeak period could number upto 18 per day. Polymedia alsoinstalled its own software,PolyWall, in the centre as anoptimal visualisation controlsolution. PolyWall is a datavisualisation managementsoftware that lets userscontrol several displays andvideowalls from a singlecross-platform user interface,working with pre-loaded oronline-created scenarios forcomplex events. Twovideowalls and backup LCDdisplays were installed in thePushkin press hall. In thesmaller Tolstoy andDostoevsky rooms,videowalls in a smaller 2 x 2configuration were used.

Over in Medal Plaza, in thecentre of the Olympic Park,The Waters of Olympic Parkfountain and sculptureinstallation by SouthernCalifornia’s WET featured aspectacular water, fog andlight show that integrated anEAW QX Series sound system.

Surrounding the fountain’s75m diameter, 2.7 million litretank, a white metal sculptureenveloped the pool with itswings and held the burningOlympic Cauldron at its zenith.Inside the sculpture’s ‘neck’, anEAW QX Series and SBsubwoofer sound systemreproduced the classicorchestrations of Russiancomposers such asTchaikovsky and Shostakovich.

Some 270º coverage wasachieved around the fountainwith eight QX seriesenclosures: four QX544i-WPas a centre cluster andanother four QX564i-WPalong the left and right sides,all powered by 12 PowersoftK10 DSP+AESOP two-channelhigh-performance poweramplifiers; six SB2001subwoofers were placed atthe base of the structure.

Finally, ROE, a member ofUnilumin Group, designed 216pieces of cylindrical LEDdisplay specifically for theSochi event. �

www.eaw.comwww.merging.comwww.panasonic.comwww.polymedia.ru/enwww.riedel.netwww.unilumin.com

SOLUTIONS: WINTER OLYMPICS, SOCHI


RUSSIA

The 22nd Winter Olympics Games, held last month, not only provided a platform for the world’sbest snow and ice athletes, but it also offered an opportunity for AV companies to showcase theirwares across the numerous venues. James Christopher finds out more

Record breakers

Some 1,727sqm of PanasonicLED large-screen displays werefeatured in Olympic-relatedfacilities

Polymedia integrated conference systems, videoconferencing systems, sound andsimultaneous translation systems throughout the Main Media Center

TELLING THE story of Texashistory is not a task to betaken lightly; the huge USstate has witnessed manynotable disasters andtriumphs over the years. But4D Texas Spirit Theater,located inside the BullockTexas State History Museumin downtown Austin, takes onthat challenge on a daily basisusing a multimediaexperience.

US integrator Electrosonicswas recently enlisted toupgrade the 190-seat theatrewith an AV overhaul. The newsystem was required as partof preparation for a short filmpremiere, Shipwrecked, whichwould air in November 2013and form the basis of a newexhibit at the museum.

In addition to smallproduction companiesscreening their films, theauditorium-style multimediatheatre regularly holds twoshows for viewers: one, Starof Destiny, depicts stories ofperseverance, such as thedevasting GalvestonHurricane of 1900; while theother, Wild Texas Weather,enables the audience to feelthe wrath of Mother Nature in22 minutes of footageshowing wicked weatherconditions.

“The theatre is very busy. Infact, that made it difficult todo the systems upgrades –we had to sneak in afterhours and work as quickly aspossible,” says Dan Lauf,Electrosonic project engineer.

The theatre is laid out witha standard proscenium stageplus two flanking openings.Three flat projection screensprovide an immersiveexperience for audienceswhen a single image fills allthe screens simultaneously;the side screens can alsodisplay different images tosupport the narrative.Moreover, a complement of4D effects enhancesproductions withatmospherics and movement.

Having worked on thetheatre before, Electrosonichad prior knowledge of theAV systems. “TheShipwrecked film offered agood opportunity to upgradethe equipment and provide aclean slate for programmingthe new show,” explains Lauf.

Shipwrecked is centred on

the ship La Belle, one ofRobert de La Salle’s four shipsthat set out to explore theGulf of Mexico in 1685.Electrosonic needed toprovide a way for audiences tofeel the power of the storm(that resulted in the sinking ofthe ship) using 4D effects.

THAT SINKING FEELINGThe integrator opted toreplace the existing showcontrol system with an AlcornMcBride V16 Pro showcontroller and swapped outHD-MPEG video players infavour of a DatatonWATCHOUT video playbacksystem. Electrosonic alsoensured that theprogramming for Star ofDestiny and Wild TexasWeather translated smoothlyto the new gear and thatprogramming for Shipwreckedgot underway efficiently.

“The new WATCHOUTsystem gives the theatretechnicians a greater abilityto run shows easily every dayand play alternate contenteasily when the venue is usedfor other events,” Lauf says.“We didn’t just install the newequipment – we providedtraining for it, including a two-day session with visitingAlcorn McBride personnel. Alot of our focus for thisproject was getting thetheatre techs ready to fullyservice and operate the spacein all ways.”

On the audio side,Electrosonic upgraded theaudio systems with a QSC Q-Sys DSP engine featuring SSDmulti-track audio playback.“The Texas Spirit Theater is afull surround theatre. The new

system allows full 5.1surround playback for regularfilm presentations andexpandability to the 15separate audio tracksrequired for the 4D shows,”Lauf adds.

The Museum’s director oftheatres, John Lewis,concludes: “The recentlyupgraded theatre system hasbreathed new life into theTexas Spirit Theater byincreasing programmingcapabilities, streamliningoperations, and preservingthe theatre's tradition ofproviding a superior immersivetheatre experience to

generations of Texans andvisitors to Texas for years tocome.” �

www.alcorn.comwww.dataton.comwww.electrosonic.comwww.qsc.com

SOLUTIONS: TEXAS SPIRIT THEATER, AUSTIN


UNITED STATES

An AV upgrade is helping a small Texan theatre portray the state’s colourful past. Tom Bradbury reports

That’s the spiritThe busy show schedule in the190-seat auditorium meant thatafter-hours work was necessary

[INSTALLED]

VIDEO� Alcorn McBride V16 Pro

show controller� Dataton WATCHOUT video

playback system

AUDIO� QSC Q-Sys DSP

SOLUTIONS: FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIVE COURT, LEIPZIG

THE FEDERAL AdministrativeCourt (BVerwG) is thesupreme authority for non-constitutional public lawmatters in Germany. Thecourt is located on theoutskirts of Leipzig citycentre in the former ImperialCourt of Justice building.

Alongside the Federal LabourCourt, the Federal Court ofJustice, the Federal FiscalCourt and the Federal SocialCourt, the BVerwG is one ofthe five federal supremecourts of Germany. At the endof 2013, two courtrooms ofthe BVerwG were equippedwith a digital Audio DistributionNetwork (ADN) conferencesystem from Sennheiser.

Studio-Elektroakustik wasgiven the job of installing thesystem, as the FederalAdministrative Court is along-standing customer ofthe Leipzig-based company.

The existing conferencesystem, which had been in usefor many years in the courtbuilding, was no longer able tomeet today's high demandswith regard to audio quality.

“The court contacted usand expressed an interest ina new conference system,”says project manager AndreScholze. “As a result, we setup a demonstration with theADN systems. Even after theinitial listening tests, theSennheiser discussionsystem was able to proveitself beyond doubt. As far asaudio quality and speechintelligibility are concerned,the old components and thenew solution were worldsapart!”

GRAND SETTINGSennheiser ADN conferencesystems were installed in twocourtrooms. Courtroom IV andthe magnificently ornateGrand Historic Courtroom areeach equipped with 10 digitaldiscussion units (one ADN C1and nine ADN D1) permanentlyinstalled in the judges’ desks.In addition, there are 15 morediscussion units that can beflexibly used when requiredand which are connected by

the court’s own technicalstaff. The gooseneckmicrophones are fitted with asuper-cardioid capsuledeveloped by Sennheiser toeffectively suppress ambientnoise interference.

The discussion units areconnected by Cat5 cables,with plugs that go intoconcealed connectionsockets. As the cables of thebuilt-in units are laid inside thedesks, the optionally availablestrain relief system (ADN TR1)was not required. A cabledsolution was provided inaccordance with the explicitwishes of the customer – awireless system, which wouldbe susceptible to tapping, wasruled out for security reasons.“Wireless communication ofany kind, including wirelessLAN, is not permitted in thecourtrooms,” explains Scholze.

As the Sennheiser ADNdiscussion units were to bebuilt into the desks, Studio-Elektroakustik commissionedits own team of fitters tocarry out the work. “Providingcustom-made solutions is akey part of our service,” saysScholze. “For aestheticreasons alone, the FederalAdministrative Court would

not have been happy withdiscussion units placed ontop of the desks.”

The discussion unitscommunicate in a networkwith the digital ADN CU1central unit, which isconnected to an ADN PSpower supply unit. Theexternal power supplyincreases the system’sreliability against failure, asthe two double conferenceports provide the opportunity

for redundant ring cabling.The BVerwG uses two centralunits and two power suppliestogether with a total of 35discussion units.

Audio signals are notelectronically recorded inLeipzig due to unresolvedlegal issues. For the timebeing, two court reportersrecord the spoken word in awritten form in theconventional manner.However, Sennheiser ADNConference Manager softwareoffers the possibility ofconvenient digital minute-taking at any time. A free appcalled Sennheiser EasyControl is available for theADN system, which makes itpossible to control andmonitor up to 15 discussionunits via an iPhone or iPad.

The new Sennheiser ADNconference system wasofficially put into operationon 5 December 2013, and, inspite of the acousticallychallenging environment, hassince being guaranteeingoptimum speech intelligibilitywhenever judgements anddecisions are delivered. �

www.sea-leipzig.dewww.sennheiser.com

[ABOUT THEINSTALLER]

� Studio-Elektroakustik hasbeen in operation since1958

� It offers services in thefields of media andconference technology,audio and video equipment,and PA technology

� The company isexperienced in integratingproducts from brandsincluding Extron,Dynacord/EV, AKG andWolfvision

GERMANY

[INSTALLED]

AUDIOAll Sennheiser� ADN C1 and ADN D1digital discussion units� ADN CU1 central unit� ADN PS power supply unit

The discussion units communicate in a network with the digital ADN CU1 central unit


With audio quality of the upmost importance during judicial proceedings, anew conference system proved a welcome investment, writes Tom Bradbury

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WE SPECULATED last month thatGoogle Glass would continue toprovoke media coverage in the periodup to its launch, and we weren't wrong– yes, we’re writing about it again here.It turns out that, based on theexperiences of the ‘Explorers’ who have

been using its high-tech specs in recent months, Google has drawn upsome do’s and don’ts, some of which relate to etiquette in public places.

This strikes us as a sensible thing to do. Wearing glasses that combinevideo and audio recorders with an online head-up display takes us intouncharted waters socially, and there’s already enough uncertainty aboutthe right thing to do with the technology we have now. For instance, is itacceptable to stick a phone in someone’s face and take their picture on atrain, without an excuse-me or other acknowledgement? BBC TVnewsreader Huw Edwards has said it isn’t, and he has our sympathies. Butsurely that is more honest than taking such pics surreptitiously?Anonymous pictures and videos of bad behaviour on public transport –from covert videos of foul-mouthed racist rants at one extreme topictures of people taking up two seats posted for passive-aggressiverevenge – are increasingly becoming a part of public discourse. It’s all asocial minefield, it really is.

Anyway, back to Google Glass: here are some things that the onlinebehemoth suggests you should and shouldn’t do once you start using thedevice. Do explore the world around you; do use the voice commands; anddo ask for permission before filming people. On the other side of the coin:don’t use Glass for extended periods; don’t use it during high-impactsports; and don’t “be creepy or rude (aka, a ‘Glasshole’)”. Now, isn’tincorporating the name of your brand into an anatomically based insultfrowned upon in the world of marketing? It’s just one more example ofhow Google is rewriting the rulebook.

ARE YOU fed up with the same oldAmsterdam hotels during ISE?Blair Parkin of consultancy VisualAcuity was, so he and hiscolleagues did some out-of-the-box thinking and hired ahouseboat. It was moored at Java-eisland, which is near the ends ofbus and tram lines – so the teamall got seats on the tram to theRAI every morning. The vessel has 12 berths, so there was plenty of room,not only to accommodate Blair and his six colleagues, but also for them toentertain guests one evening. Overall the experiment was a great success,and the boat has been booked again for next year – although a mooring alittle nearer to the RAI is being investigated.

HERE’S SOMETHING illuminating that wecame across the other day: analternative to public lighting in the formof a luminescent path surface. Starpath,as it’s called, contains small particlesthat absorb UV rays during the day andemit visible light at night. It requires nomaintenance and can be installed in afew hours – it can be sprayed on to

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virtually any hard paving surface. The brainchild ofSurrey-based Pro-teq Surfacing (UK), Starpath hasbeen installed in Cambridge with Fulham, south-westLondon, soon to follow. One can see why localauthorities would prefer it to installed lighting, as itincurs no running costs and presumably nomaintenance costs either. And we think it looks rathernice as well. The only question we have is – does itsperformance tail off over time?

installation march 2014 digital edition

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