PSNLive 2014 digital edition

Brought to you by the makers of PSNEUROPE Volume 9 UK £4/€7

www.psneurope.com

MARKET REPORT p6Key insights from the live sound business in Europe

BUSINESS IN GERMANY p18Crisis? What crisis? Pro audio in the economic powerhouse

OUTBOARD VS DIGITAL DESKS p30Do you want it in the console or in the rack? Engineers reveal all

PLUS: Adapting to parallel technologies, Rent-All’s Rene van der Linden, and Bob Kelly’s essential know-how

Great expectation

Behind the scenes at the dazzling 14–18 musical epic in Flanders

www.psneurope.com PSNLIVE 2014 l 03

PSNLIVE 2014 IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MAKERS OF PSNEUROPE

Contentsp6 SOUND ENGINEERS p12 RENTAL COMPANIES

p4EDITORIALWe’ve taken a different approach this year… here’s how

p6SOUND ENGINEERSThe guys and gals behind the desks tell us how it’s all going

p12RENTAL COMPANIESTouring and live sound operations across Europe share their thoughts

p18BUSINESS IN GERMANYWhile many territories have struggled, pro audio remains strong in the economic titan

p3614–18Marc Maes on the phenomenal musical commemorating WW1

p28RENE VAN DER LINDENThe Dutch live sound veteran looks back over his career – and a long relationship with L-Acoustics

p30OUTBOARD VS DESKSKevin Hilton sees if sound engineers are favouring in the box, or out of it

p42LIGGERS WITH ATTITUDE!The festivals you should be seen at, whether you’re on the list or not!

p40BOB KELLYTips on buying secondhand equipment from the great man himself

p24HYBRID TECHNOLOGIESHow some manufacturers are adapting as they shift into new channels

Welcome

Hello and welcome to PSNLive!A different approach for this, the ninth edition of our annual supplemental

report, PSNLive, you’ll fi nd. We decided to go straight to the people on the front line when it came to the surveys. So, while you’ll fi nd a couple of potted Q&As with a handful of manufacturers dotted around the next 12 pages, the makers of the kit have not been the primary focus of our research. No, for 2014, we contacted just the sound engineers and the PA companies – between 75 and 80 in total – to see how they were faring and what their expectations were. Among the key fi ndings, it pleased me that sound engineers are just as concerned about rising ticket prices as the rest of us. Meanwhile, PA companies are expressing discomfort at the pressure to reduce overheads. Plus ça change, there, I think. Richard Morgan, ex John Hornby Skewes, is a fi rst-time contributor for this PSNLive. We pounced on his relocation to Germany (and his very fi ne language skills), and asked him to assess the rock scene in the rock-solid country. And, yes, business is good. Find out more on p18.

David Davies – who, as previously – was responsible for analysing Zing Insights’ research in the earlier reports – looked at how companies such as Soundcraft and RCF have adapted to push into unfamiliar channels (p24). Plus, you get to discover what a grolar bear looks like…

While industry veteran Rene van der Linden looks back on a career embracing club beats and classical spectaculars (p28), Kevin Hilton talks to a cross-section of sound engineers to see how their use of digital consoles (and the plug-ins and effects therein) measures up to the traditional outboard rack approach. Big valves or binary values? Page 30 for the low-down.

Then we come to a very special feature for PSNLive: Marc Maes, our Belgian correspondent, was able to immerse himself in the huge technical undertaking that is 14–18, a musical, on a grand scale, written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War, or World War I. With exclusive photos from Carole Edrich, Marc’s piece captures the enormity of the show. In fact, it looks so good, we just had to put it on the cover. (And yes, the fact that WWI ripped Europe apart is not lost on me, as PSNLive looks at a very different landscape today.)

Some essential intel from second-hand svengali Bob Kelly, and then a somewhat tongue-in-cheek overview of the best VIP areas on the festival circuit, brings another PSNLive to a close. We hope you fi nd it as enlightening as ever.

Dave RobinsonTwitter: @psneurope

“Among our key fi ndings, it pleased me that sound engineers

are just as concerned about

rising ticket prices as the rest of us”

EDITOR’S COMMENT

04 l PSNLIVE 2014 www.psneurope.com

PSNLIVE 2014

EditorDave [email protected] EditorJon [email protected] WriterMurray [email protected] EditorJo [email protected] ManagerRyan O’[email protected] ExecutiveRian [email protected] of Design & ProductionAdam [email protected] Production ManagerDawn [email protected] ExecutiveEvan [email protected] Content ManagerTim [email protected] Offi ce ManagerLianne [email protected] [email protected] DirectorMark [email protected] Report ResearchZing Insights (www.zinginsights.com)WritersDavid Davies (all data analysis), Kevin Hilton, Marc Maes, Richard Morgan, Claire Evans, Bob KellyIntent Media London1st Floor, Suncourt House,18–26 Essex Road, London, UK, N1 8LN

© Intent Media 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Pensord Press, Wales

Contact:Editorial tel +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales tel +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Circulation & subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1580 883 848. Intent Media, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough, Leics LE16 9EF, UK

CONTRIBUTORS

Cover image: 14–18, Nekkerhal, Mechlin© Carole Edrich (www.dancetog.com)

NOW IN its fi fth year, the engineers’ survey has consistently monitored (pardon the pun) European engineers’ progress through a time of profound change. When it commenced in 2010, the survey refl ected a period of some uncertainty for engineers, and many of the trends initiated then – static pay rates and intense competition for work – have continued to exert an infl uence to the present day.

In one notable development, the 2013 report refl ected a marked diversifi cation in engineers’ workloads – with an increasing number taking on projects outside of live music/theatre, in fi xed installation, conference events and general

corporate work. This willingness to move into other areas has done much to maintain good overall activity levels for engineers.

The trend remains a defi ning feature of the 2014 survey, which again is dominated by responses from the UK, Denmark and Belgium (Graph E1). Many thanks to all for their time and patience in answering these questions.

CORE DATAIn an encouraging initial fi nding, the percentage of engineers who predicated that their workload would increase in this full calendar year rose slightly to 49%, with only 15% expecting a decline (Graph E2). There was also a very modest rise in the percentage of engineers anticipating a rise in average payment per project (18% in total), although, as in previous years, the largest single percentage (64%) expected it to remain unchanged (Graph E3).

The continued increase in importance of conference/summit work was refl ected in an enquiry about the key contributors to engineers’ income this year – although live music (in a combination of traditional concert halls and clubs/pubs) accounted for 48% of workloads (Graph E4). Theatrical

Market report: Sound engineers


Soldiers of soundOngoing diversifi cation of workload and an encouraging level of confi dence in the overall outlook for the live business characterise this year’s engineers survey. But as David Davies reports, the continuing client emphasis on cutting costs is having some negative effect on morale

E1: ORIGIN OF RESPONDENTS

UK 51%Denmark 10%Belgium 10%France 8%Netherlands 8%Germany 3%Norway 3%Croatia 3%Cyprus 2%Finland 2%

productions and houses of worship also remain pivotal sources of work.

In this year’s PA/rental company survey (commencing on page 16), there is evidence that the fears expressed in 2013 of a possible saturation point approaching for the live market have now receded somewhat. This fi nding was underlined, too, in the engineers’ report, with live music in concert halls

shown to be the event type demonstrating the greatest growth in terms of workload during 2013/14 (Graph E5).

Insuffi cient set-up/preparation time has consistently polled at the top or in second place of an enquiry about the factors that have the greatest (negative) impact on live sound projects. In a sector that becomes evermore cost-pressurised, it’s unsurprising to fi nd it in pole position yet

again in 2014. The next most important considerations were deemed to be inadequate equipment and defi ciencies in venue infrastructure/systems (Graph E6).

The migration from analogue to digital and the implementation of more sophisticated networking systems are the most salient examples of an intensifying pace of technological change. The engineers’ survey, then, has

consistently asked contributors to mull their overall awareness of new technology and how it can be incorporated into their workfl ows.

In a result that is almost unchanged from 2013, the largest single share (46%) declared themselves to be “very much” up to date with audio developments, with only 13% saying they were “not really” keeping pace with new systems (Graph E7).

The fi rst half of the survey closed out with a couple of questions about networking. With the AVB project felt in some quarters to have lost its hold on the industry imagination, and AES67 progressing through the ranks to occupy much recent industry discussion, these remain confusing days for anyone looking to chart a reliable course through the world of protocols. The extent to which networking is expected



Amadeus provides sound reinforcement for the EDM stage at the free Fête de la Musique

festival in Paris last summer

E2: FORECASTS OF WORKLOAD IN FULL CALENDAR YEAR 2011, 2013, 2014

(% of respondents in each group)

IncreaseDecreaseStay the same

2011

2014

2013

50%

27%

23%

36%

15%

49%

44%

12%

44%

The willingness to move into other areas – conference events, houses of worship – has done much to maintain good overall activity levels for engineers

to affect engineers’ working lives has therefore been the subject of some variation over the years, and in 2014 it takes another slight dip, with 54% (vs 64% last year) forecasting a major impact for the next two to three years. Evidence, perhaps, that efforts to explain the benefits of various approaches more clearly

and concisely must continue (Graph E8).

Mirroring the result in our PA/rental company survey, Audinate’s increasingly ubiquitous Dante media networking technology was voted the individual networking solution most frequently encountered by engineers, followed by the stalwart



E3: FORECASTS OF AVERAGE PAYMENT PER PROJECT 2013, 2014



2011

2014

23%

65% 12%

18%

64% 18%

2013

72%12%

16%

E5: EVENT TYPE DEMONSTRATING GREATEST GROWTH DURING 2013/2014

Live music – concert hallsConference/summitLive music – clubs/pubsTheatrical productionHouses of WorshipOther

Shure, d&b and Sennheiser onstage at The O2 Arena in 2013. Oh, and some bird called Beyoncé

E4: MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTOR TO WORKLOAD 2014

Live music – concert hallsLive music – clubs/pubsTheatrical productionConference/summitHouses of WorshipOther

33%

16%

8%

13%

15%15%

26%

21%

18%

10%

10%

15%

What new equipment or technological development do you think is going to be most important to the market and why? And what role (if applicable) do you expect to play in this?

I think every company would have a different opinion on what has been the most significant for them. For DiGiCo it has to be the changes in processing and what we are now able to offer. The future-proofing and upgrades we have been able to squeeze out of the refinement in FPGA compiling software has meant real added value to our clients, years after their initial investment.

To what extent is the rise of standards-based networking having on your product development process? Please elaborate with reference to any specific developments that are “new for 2014”.

We were able to show full networking at PL+S with audio, video, control and comms all running down our optical system. This real world demonstration showed what is possible on a fibre network, and we will be repeating the demonstration at InfoComm.

What could be done – by the industry, by your peers or even

by government – to help grow European export markets?

Europe is improving this year and is certainly more positive than it has been in recent years. Some government schemes are in place but these are more focussed at new developing markets. Maybe re-evaluating these schemes and allowing them in Europe would help with exports.

Funding is still the major challenge in Europe for small companies wanting to invest in new equipment to grow their businesses. Again, there have been improvements, but it still needs to significantly improve to allow people to invest in the future.

James Gordon, managing director, DiGiCo (UK) Limitedwww.digico.biz

MANUFACTURER VIEWPOINT: DiGiCo

CobraNet and Harman HiQnet technologies (Graph E9). With Audinate sailing past the 100 licensees point some time ago, it is clear that the Australia-based developer has plenty of reason to congratulate itself.

ENGINEER REFLECTIONSThe second half of the survey found engineers considering some longer-form questions that aimed to probe the underlying trends affecting their daily lives, and the overall developments currently shaping their industry. In general, their observations made for upbeat reading, although in a highly competitive and margin-intensive market it is unsurprising that some residual concerns were expressed.

As an adjunct to E6, sound engineers were asked to consider the industry trend that has the most negative impact on their work. Given the slow nature of the economic recovery and attendant continuing focus, it is perhaps unsurprising that “pressure on margins” and “cost-cutting” emerged – by some distance – as the most popularly aired factors.

The reasons offered for these observations were similarly uniform. “Everyone is being squeezed to do more in less time for the same money,” observed one respondent, while another remarked that “regarding costs, we are being told this is the price [on offer] – take it or leave it”.

Economic difficulties on local, national and global levels were felt to have varying levels of impact on the situation.

Engineers were then asked to consider which item of equipment they would like to purchase if funds allowed. As in previous years, high-specification digital desks and new loudspeaker systems dominated, with in-ear monitoring systems, power amplifiers and video controllers also receiving multiple namechecks.

Anecdotal evidence encountered by PSNLive and PSNEurope has consistently suggested an enduring level of confusion about the pros and cons of various networking solutions. Organisations like the AES and the AVB-promoting AVnu Alliance have placed an increasing emphasis on education, but in the absence of one ‘all-conquering’ solution emerging there has lately been a sense of drift in the overall networking debate.

Consequently, and to no one’s great surprise, views on the overall level of information made available to the industry varied considerably – from “chaotic at best” to “very good”. Simplifying the information provided and ensuring that it is kept up to date were among the measures suggested for improving the situation.

The survey concluded with a couple of far-reaching questions



E6: GREATEST IMPACT ON LIVE SOUND PROJECTS

Insufficient set-up/preparation timeInadequate equipmentDeficiencies in venue infrastructure/systemsInsufficient back-up/supportNone

These remain confusing days for anyone looking to chart a reliable course through the world of networking protocols

WHAT NEW equipment or technological development do you think is going to be most important to the market and why? And what role (if applicable) do you expect to play in this?

We have noticed a definite increase in demand for body-worn microphones: high-quality audio capture mounted on the body combined with a need to reject the sound from the surroundings. People are also discovering that the sound quality of the wireless system is much less important than the quality of the mics.

To what extent is the rise of standards-based networking having on your product development process? Please elaborate with reference to any

specific developments that are “new for 2014”.

Networking in live audio is becoming still more important. However, the standards work has not yet come to an end when talking about microphones. There is still work to be done. Furthermore, the market is not pushing too hard for a solution. When the market is ready and the standards are right, the microphones will follow.

What is your greatest long-term concern with regard to the European live sound market?

Sometimes you get the feeling that people are so focussed on technology that they forget to listen to the sound: the sound of the technology becomes the reference, not the sound itself. You cannot process a bad microphone to

make it a good one. Also, what we have all learned from the loudness war should be transferred into other areas, like live sound – don’t squeeze it all because you can. Don’t process every signal that runs in your cables. Set the music free, set the voices free – and give us sound that lives, not dead sound.

Christian Poulson, CEO, DPA Microphoneswww.dpamicrophones.com

E7: EXTENT TO WHICH ENGINEERS CONSIDER THEMSELVES UP TO DATE WITH AUDIO DEVELOPMENTS, 2011, 2013, 2014


Very muchTo some degreeNot really

2011

2013

50%

46%

21%

18%

2%

13%

12%

38%

2014

13%

41%

46%

8%

48%

44%

MANUFACTURER VIEWPOINT: DPA MICROPHONES

that invited contributors to ponder likely changes over the next few years. Putting networking to one side for a moment, contributors nominated the technological changes expected to have the most signifi cant impact on working patterns. More lightweight and compact products, including next-generation power amplifi ers, were commonly cited, as were fi bre technologies and the greater harnessing of social media as a sales and promotional tool.

Finally, respondents were asked to pinpoint the main challenges now confronting the live sound sector – and to offer some possible solutions. Continuing the pattern of the last few years, rising ticket prices were cited by multiple contributors, with a general feeling that this could soon be having a negative effect on attendance. The ongoing disparity between pressure on margins and soaring

technological expectations was also highlighted on several occasions.

SUMMARYAlthough activity levels are once again robust, the engineers’ survey confi rms that the live sound sector remains the subject of tremendous pressure on margins and an overriding desire by event operators to slash costs. Overwhelmingly, there is no real belief that this predicament is likely to change any time soon.

On the other hand, engineers’ engagement with new technology and desire to explore fresh sources of revenue in conferencing and houses of worship, among other markets, indicates a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances that will surely stand these soldiers of sound in good stead in a highly competitive business. Perhaps more than anything else, it is those qualities that will help to keep this show on the road in the mid- to long-term future. PSNLIVE 2014



E8: EXTENT TO WHICH NETWORKING EXPECTED TO AFFECT DAILY WORKING LIFE OVER THE NEXT 2-3 YEARS, 2011, 2013, 2014


Very muchTo some degreeVery little

2011

2014

2013

35%

7%

58%

31%

15%

54%

16%

20%64%

E9: NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED

Audinate DanteCobraNet Harman HiQnetQSC Q-SysAviom A-NetOther

33%

13%

10%8%

3%

33%

Above and Beyond’s 50th Group Therapy broadcast, live from the Alexandra Palace in London. That’s Martin Audio MLA fl own above the sweaty ravers

THE 2013 PA/rental company report evinced some concerns about a spate of major event cancellations and a general feeling that some kind of saturation point for the live sector might finally be hoving into view. Well, the headline news going into this 2014 follow-up would seem to be that most of these fears have – for now, at least – receded.

On the festival side, the arrival of some more finely nuanced events – for example, Festival No 6, taking place in September in the exquisite Welsh town of Portmeirion (of The Prisoner fame) – has brought fresh energy into a sector that was in danger of becoming overly corporatised and bland. Meanwhile, highly successful tours by huge acts that are both accustomed to the rigours of the road (Kings of Leon, Beyoncé, Elbow) and rather less so (who would have put money on Kate Bush ever returning to the live stage?) have helped prise open gig-goers’ wallets outside the crucial spring/summer months.

Once again, the breakdown of respondents to our PA/rental companies survey is dominated by UK and Netherlands-based contributors, with Belgium and Denmark following behind. The full breakdown can be seen in Graph H1. Thanks to all those who spared their time to answer questions that, in several cases, required more detailed responses than in previous years.

CORE DATAEstablishing the basics first, PSNLive asked its interviewees to mull over their current and expected forthcoming workloads. Demonstrating little change from 2013, the largest single share of respondents predicted that the overall value of their work will increase (49% vs 68% last year), with only 10% forecasting a decline. Full evidence of a sector that has clearly returned to consistency can be found in Graph H2.

Average rental rates were also expected to stay broadly the same, with 73% (vs 64%) forecasting relative parity for 2014 in comparison to the last calendar year (Graph H3). There

was, however, sign of a lowering of expectations in terms of number of days of paid rental, but once again the largest single share of companies expected to see a healthy 101–150 days of remunerated labour for each system this year (Graph H4).

This slight downgrading of forecasts continued with regard

to an enquiry about companies’ expectations for an increase/decrease in paid rental days. Whereas the largest single share (52%) expected to see an increase in 2013, that observation transfers to the ‘stay the same’ camp in 2014 (65%). But in a market that is getting more acutely competitive with every

passing year, perhaps that is to be expected (Graph H5).

The revival of live music at the grassroots level has been one of the most heartening developments of recent years, and that continuing trend is underlined by the fact that – for the second year running – small events constitute the most prolific area of activity

for our PA/rental companies. Notable, too, is an upswing in the contribution made by large events – borne out, no doubt, by the current number of successful big-name tours (Graph H6).

Loudspeakers/amplifiers and consoles have traditionally vied for top spot in the list of top priorities for new audio investment, fuelled by new developments in line array, power amplification and digital mixers. The trend continues in 2014 with loudspeakers/amplifiers edging into top place with 32% of first preferences (Graph H7).

The quickening cycle of technological renewal has led to a slight emphasis on equipment upgrading over expansion in

Market report: Rental companies


Road warriorsThe PA/rental market remains highly competitive – even “cut-throat”, in the words of one survey respondent – but overall activity levels are strong and industry morale remains high, writes David Davies

An Audio Konstruktor-supplied DiGiCo SD8 desk at at the Eastern Orthodox New Year celebrations in Novi Sad, Serbia

H1: ORIGIN OF RESPONDENTS

UK 51%Netherlands 14%Sweden 11%Belgium 5%Denmark 5%Germany 3%France 3%Croatia 3%India 3%Finland 3%

H2: COMPANIES’ EXPECTATIONS FOR AN INCREASE/DECREASE IN OVERALL VALUE OF WORK



2011

201346%

35%

19%

2014

41%

10%

49%

24%

8% 68%

Memories of the troubled 2009–11 period have now been double-flushed down the chemical toilet of history




As a microphone manufacturer, Audio-Technica has obviously been affected by the changes to wireless frequency allocation over the last few years and will continue to be so. The shrinking available bandwidth means that the need for smart technology to overcome these challenges becomes a high priority.

This has lead us to develop products like the new System 10 wireless system, which provides productions without a frequency specialist to use a wireless set-up in a crowded, hostile RF environment very simply. Providing flexible, straightforward solutions to these situations will be something that Audio-Technica will be particularly focussed on over the coming years.

At this time, what is your greatest long-term concern with regard to the European live sound market?

The loss of radio frequency spectrum is the biggest challenge.

Not only do we lose more and more spectrum, but we also don’t know to which frequency range we should migrate, as there are no clear plans available from regulation authorities. In addition, we face the situation that every country has its own idea on how to address the issue, which leads to the situation that every country basically needs its own dedicated product to meet with their regulations.

Alex Lepges, product manager, Europe, Audio-Technica www.audio-technica.com

MANUFACTURER VIEWPOINT: AUDIO-TECHNICA

H3: COMPANIES’ EXPECTATIONS FOR AN INCREASE/DECREASE IN AVERAGE RENTAL RATES



2011

2013

31%31%

38%

2014

16%

73%

11%

64%

8%

28%

recent years – and that, too, is ongoing in 2014 (Graph H8). Once again, permanent staff levels are remaining broadly consistent, with 73% forecasting stasis this year (Graph H9).

In a new area of enquiry, contributors were invited to nominate the networking technology encountered most frequently in their daily working lives. Not entirely surprising given its number of licensees (now well over 100) and general industry profile, Audinate’s Dante solution emerged as the most ubiquitous individual technology, followed by Harman’s HiQNet (Graph H10).

Rounding out the first half of the survey, respondents were invited to take an overview of their industry and

assess the overall level of morale in the industry. On a rising scale of 1 to 5, the largest single share (43%) opted for a 4 – a pretty encouraging result by anyone’s standards.

IDEAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASESIn time-honoured fashion, PSNLive concluded the PA/rental survey with some longer-form questions designed to elicit more considered responses about respondents’ own businesses – and the outlook for the industry they serve.

Specific makes of compact consoles and high-spec line arrays have traditionally dominated responses to an enquiry about the piece of equipment companies would add to their rental inventory if




As DSP gets evermore integrated into every professional audio product, it’s becoming difficult to decide where the technology should be best deployed. In your desk? In your speakers? In your tablet?! Integration and interoperability need not be at the expense of simplicity and ease of use, and I think that the added value of – and I hate to use this phrase (!) – plug-and-play audio networking will continue to improve and, hopefully, become as easy as plugging in a multicore (but without the threat of dead lines!).

Our new APA amplifier range will offer a better solution to the deployment of DSP, as well as being able to integrate with current systems and network both its audio and control simply and easily.

What could be done – by the industry, by your peers or even by government – to help grow European export markets?

I think that in these days of digital information exchange, there is the perception that digital media is the best way to reach people – and to a certain extent this is true. It’s certainly cheaper and can throw a wider net, but there is still no substitute for actually meeting people face to face, talking to them and letting them see or try out equipment.

Government subsidies to encourage attendance of far-flung foreign trade shows and exhibitions offer a great way for companies which believe this expenditure might be too risky in markets where they have little penetration. The AES show in Brazil is a worthy example of how British brands were able to reach a wider

audience without a hugely risky outlay upfront. It’s proved a great success for us, and in a very short space of time.

At this time, what is your greatest long-term concern with regard to the European live sound market?

I would say the convergence of technologies. Computer networking technology continues to converge with audio distribution technology, meaning that sound engineers need to be IT-savvy in a way they didn’t have to be even 10 years ago. The majority of computer-related breakthroughs that push the technology forward are not coming out of Europe these days – and European manufacturers need to stay on top of this side of the technology if they are to remain viable in live sound. With many musical artists (and so, by association, rental companies) now putting so much into their shows to justify the high ticket prices (to offset the falloff in hard sales of their music), top-quality sound has to go hand in hand with reliable, top-quality tech – the convergence itself need not be a concern, but not keeping up with it is!

Waring Hayes, technical brand manager, XTA/MC 2 www.audiocore.co.ukwww.mc2-audio.co.uk

MANUFACTURER VIEWPOINT: XTA ELECTRONICS/MC2 AUDIO

H4: ESTIMATED NUMBER OF DAYS OF PAID RENTAL PER SYSTEM


1-5051-100101-150151-200201-300300+Don’t know

2011

2013

12%

12%

23%

29%

12%

12%

2014

22%

14%

24%

16%

2%

22%

8%

28%

20%

16%

16%

4%

12%

H6: EVENT SIZE ACTIVITY

(% by group)

Large: audiences 2,001+Medium: 800-2000Small: under 800

2011

32%30%

38%

2014

41%

28%

31%

2013

47%

33%

20%

H5: COMPANIES EXPECTATIONS FOR AN INCREASE/DECREASE IN PAID RENTAL DAYS



2010

2013

44%48%

8%

2014

65%8%

27%

36%

12%

52%

cost were no barrier. This year, DiGiCo, Midas and Yamaha digital desks all received multiple namechecks, while several respondents expressed the desire for large-format and/or wireless speakers. Less obviously, there were allusions to mobile staging equipment and DJ gear, while one correspondent expressed a frank desire for “anything that we can make money out of!”

The steady creep of full networking, and the continued migration to digital, are the most obvious symptoms of a

live industry that has witnessed profound change since the days of the early noughties, when analogue reigned supreme. But with AVB, AES67 and other acronyms crowding for end-user attention, to what extent do rental companies truly regard themselves to be up-to-date with new technological developments?

The results were heartening, with 54% of respondents stating that they are ‘very much’ keeping pace with equipment-related evolution. Some 41%

classified themselves as being ‘to some extent’ up-to-date with new developments, while just 5% admitted that they were trailing behind the technological curve.

A CUT-THROAT BUSINESS?A series of high-level mergers and acquisitions have characterised the PA/rental sector over the last few years, while several small players have disappeared altogether. It seemed logical, then, to complete the survey with a couple of

questions about the present competitiveness of a sector that always seems to be on the move.

It was not particularly surprising to discover that the vast majority (over 70%) of respondents described the market as either very or extremely competitive. Tellingly, however, their analysis of this situation varied considerably. A couple of contributors bemoaned the atmosphere that this has bestowed to the industry. “It’s very cut-throat at the moment,” said one

respondent, while another lamented the fact that “there are a lot of people out there who will do something for nothing.” Another added, succinctly, that “everyone is looking for that extra edge”.

A focus on maintaining quality and reasonable economies of scale was commonly encountered across responses to a final enquiry about the steps companies are taking to ensure they maintain a competitive edge. “Ensuring equipment is in stock and giving sharp quotations,”

and “keeping prices reasonable and services/work quality high” were among the typical responses in this regard.

In a potentially cheering development for the ad staff of PSNLive/PSNEurope, there were also multiple references to boosting awareness through advertising and a general increment in marketing activities. Several respondents also alluded to an expansion of their online presences, both through their own sites and optimisation of assorted social media platforms.

Above all, however, there was an overriding emphasis on consistency as the best way to maintain market share, with one contributor observing (with a possible nod to Simon and Garfunkel) that their strategy was “to do the jobs well and keep the customer satisfied”.

SUMMARYAs last year’s report indicated, the difficult days of the 2009–11 period have now been firmly double-flushed down the chemical toilet of history. The number of tours and events is buoyant, and to date there have been relatively few notices of festival cancellations so far this year (Oxegen in Ireland being a rare exception).

But one hangover from that more troubled period is a prevailing concern about minimising overheads out on the road. Coupled with expectations that companies should be quick to offer the latest and greatest solutions, and it is clear that the bar has been raised high for PA/rental companies across Europe.

In a nutshell, it’s a sector that, perhaps more than ever these days, has absolutely no room for complacency. PSNLIVE 2014

Market report: PA Systems


H10: NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED

Audinate DanteHarman HiQnetCobraNetAviom A-NetQSC Q-SysOther

H8: EXPENDITURE FOR STOCK EXPANSION VS UPGRADE

ExpansionUpgrading

2012

2013

57%

43%

2014

51% 49%

57% 43%

H9: PERMANENET STAFF LEVELS INCREASED OR DECREASED


38%

11%5%5%

41%

JUNE 2011-JUNE 2012

48%40%

12%

JUNE 2013-JUNE 2014

73%

14%

13%

JUNE 2012-JUNE 2013

64%

36%

H7: FIRST PRIORITY FOR NEW AUDIO SPEND

Loudspeakers/amplifiersConsolesNetworking technology/controllersCabling/infrastructureOutboard processing/FXMicrophones

“[In the rental world] there are a lot of people out there who will do something for nothing”

27%

32%

19%

11%

8%3%

THE LAST few years have not been the best time to be involved in the live music industry. On a European, national and local level, fewer people have been attending fewer concerts and events, buying less music and generally having less associated fun. It’s not all bad, of course – in the UK, for example, the government’s Live Music Act is helping grassroots venues get fans back to gigs, while music formats like vinyl and downloads are experiencing somewhat of a surge in popularity – but overall, it’s safe to say that the industry really has felt the pinch of the economic downturn.

In Germany, things couldn’t be more different. Indeed, Europe’s largest economy barely seems to have been affected by the global fi nancial meltdown, as evidenced recently by everything from a stunning 2011 Eurovision Song Contest in Dusseldorf to a huge showing at March’s Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt. At PL+S, three quarters of exhibitors polled considered the economic situation to be ‘satisfactory to good’, while an enthusiastic 80% rated the current economic situation in the sector as better than a year ago.

These fi gures are promising – the rest of the continent could certainly use some of that optimism, at least – so we decided

to ask some of Germany’s key live music industry movers and shakers if things really are as good there as they appear to be from the outside.

A THRIVING MARKETPerhaps unsurprisingly, everyone we spoke to had good things to say about the current state of the market in Germany. “The live music industry in Germany is fl ourishing,” says Thomas Holz, key account manager for rental (artists and engineers) at Sennheiser. “I would even go as far as to say that this is currently the best market [globally] besides the US.”

International event agency POOLgroup’s head of touring and entertainment, Tim Humpe, also sees positivity across the board. “I don’t think there’s a big difference between the German industry and the rest of Europe,” he says. “Live entertainment

is still a growing market, and national – as well as international – artists are executing profi table tours in Germany’s smaller and bigger venues.”

Wolfgang Garçon, however, is slightly more cautious. “Oh, it depends on whom you ask,” says the managing director of united-b, a distributor Garçon formed in late 2013 after leaving his post at Atlantic Audio a year previously. “I know people who are very satisfi ed with the German market, but some others are not. In general, I think the German market is working well. Maybe it’s not as strong as Asia in the last few years, or North America today, but without any doubt it is the strongest in Europe.”

Audio engineer Jens “Bubbes” Steffan, who’s worked with the likes of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and Ray Wilson (Stiltskin), says: “I think the music industry

in Germany is really huge – one of the biggest markets in Europe – and very important for acts and singers. If you look at big live shows like the Eurovision Song Contest, most of the equipment and techs, engineers, etc, are from Germany.”

Meanwhile, Nico Ubenauf, CEO at multinational events fi rm satis&fy, has noticed changes in the industry’s scale and speed of working, although he does not think these developments are confi ned to Germany. “We are experiencing a very fast-moving business with the decision-making process happening on even shorter notice that we had ever imagined a few years ago,” he says.

“We are also seeing a stronger divide between small local business and the high-end large production side of the market. It is much more diffi cult for young and smaller companies to get into large-scale productions.

Speaking with my colleagues from around the globe, there seem to be far more similarities with these changes happening around the globe than there are regional differences.”

GOING GLOBALOn a positive front, Ubenauf believes that the global outlook of German fi rms – alongside strong training and education programmes and their willingness and ability to speak the universal industry language, English – has been key in helping them win international business. “Germany has been a very competitive market in the last 15 years, and it seems to get more competitive each year,” he says.

“We have seen a substantial defl ation in pricing for lighting, sound and AV services over the years. Due to the low pricing for labour and equipment, German suppliers are becoming increasingly more attractive

Business in Germany: Live sound resurgent


What recession? Live music thrives in Germany

Key fi gures from Germany’s thriving live music industry tell Richard Morgan how they’re beating the sluggish economic recovery

“German companies are becoming a real alternative to the ‘usual suspects’ in the international live music and touring business”

Nico Ubenauf, satis&fy

A German success story: Eurovision 2011 in Dusseldorf

united-b at PL+S 2014: go for the gear, stay for the nachos

Phot

o: R

alph

Lar

man

n



for the international touring business. Compared to some of our European neighbours, Germany has very few labour regulations – therefore more and more neighbours are using skilled German labour for their productions. Combined with our excellent three-year apprentice programmes for technicians and our fairly good language skills, German companies are becoming a real alternative to the ‘usual suspects’ in the international live music and touring business.”

BEERY TRENDSAnother noticeable development in Germany over the past few years is a move towards smaller live events on a local level. “In Germany and in other European countries, there is a trend towards small but high-quality gigs, for example with unplugged music or small combos in little pubs and restaurants,” says HK Audio marketing communications manager Andreas Marx.

Marx believes the German fondness for beer and heritage may also be behind this evolution. “In Germany, particularly, the ‘beer trend’ tradition is finding itself in something of a renaissance,” he says. “Nearly every small town has its own Oktoberfest, and open stages in marketplaces in cities and villages are getting more popular.”

On a national level, there’s still room for huge stadium acts – the likes of classic staples such as Peter Maffay and Herbert Grönemeyer. As in

the UK, live German comedy is also booming, as Thomas Adapoe, managing director of the eponymous adapoe event firm, confirms. “Take a look at German comedy artists,” he says. “10 years ago it was almost impossible to sell out a 500-capacity club. Today, you can fill a stadium with an audience of about 15,000 people with almost the same artistic content.”

And Adapoe is keen for his firm, which was founded in 1994 as a two-person venture, to move up to work on larger musical events in future. “As a medium-sized company, we have our main focus on medium-sized events,” he says. “But, of course, we always grow with challenges, and at the moment we are also extending our capabilities in the direction of bigger live music events.”

HEY, BIG SPENDERS!Of course, for events like this to continue, it’s imperative that the German public is out in force, spending their hard-earned cash on live musical entertainment. So, while the average gig may

have become smaller in terms of pure size, everyone involved in putting on a performance has had to up their game to keep the punters interested.

Satis&fy’s Nico Ubenauf agrees that standards have improved, and he believes that constant declines in physical music sales over the past 15 years have not had an effect on concertgoers. “The decline in the music market in general did not have a strong impact on

the live industry,” he says. “The touring business actually picked up over the years and became more professional, especially with the growing expectation among guests to be well entertained for their ticket price.”

Sennheiser’s Thomas Holz agrees, and puts the success largely down to the financial crisis being less severe than feared – and the devotion of German music fans. “Germany was not

hit as hard by the financial crisis as other countries, and while people may have saved money in this area, the live music business was not affected much,” he says. “The German live music industry has always been a solid source of revenue for artists, especially in times when album sales went down. German music fans are known to be incredibly true to their favourite artists, and this includes concert visits, too.”

The HK Audio LUCAS Nano – coming to an Oktoberfest near you

united-b’s Wolfgang Garçon is cautiously optimistic about the future: “I know people who are very satisfied with the German market, but some others are not. In general, [it] is … without doubt the strongest in Europe”

Sennheiser is “currently at the beginning of a technology switchover from analogue to digital, like ... with mixing desks and amplifiers before”

Pho

to: P

etra

Sch

ram

böhm

er

TO BE CONTINUED…Although the future of the live music industry, then, will be a collaborative effort, it will also require innovation from everyone if it wishes to remain in a strong position in the face of external competition. Wolfgang Garçon’s mission for united-b is “to implement a new form of distribution, working hand-in-hand and acting as an extension of the manufacturer… With united-b we feel confident that we are handling the most innovative pro audio products of our time. Our goal is to convince the German market to invest in forward-looking products today.”

Thomas Adapoe’s objectives are to consolidate, establish and grow adapoe’s business throughout Germany and Europe. “During the last 10 years, we have found [ourselves in] quite a successful position in, for example, the music festival and touring business,” he says. “In the future, we will [futher] establish this position on the German market, and also partly on the European market.”

POOLgroup and Tim Humpe are thinking

along similar lines. “We are working on controlled growth,”

Tim says, “but in every

market

segment. We serve the touring and entertainment business as well as corporate, public and a lot of political events. It is important for us to have solid ground to stand on – with more than one leg…”

Thomas Holz’s next big Sennheiser challenge is more technical. “In the area of wireless microphones, we are currently at the beginning of a technology switchover from analogue to digital, like we had with mixing desks and amplifiers before,” he says. “I assume that this changeover will take five to seven years, and I will be happy to accompany this changeover and help my customers during this transition phase.”

As a manufacturer, HK Audio is always looking to create the latest, greatest piece of new concert kit. “In all PA categories, the trend is increasingly for easy transportation and quick setup without degradation of the performance,” says Andreas Marx. “HK Audio is currently developing solutions to master that challenge [and] be on top of the game.”

Bosch also has many new developments on the horizon. “The research and development of new platform technologies will be very important for our coming products,” says Juergen Langhorst. “The next generation of speakers, amplifiers and system sound solutions will benefit from the large investments Bosch has already made and makes continuously.”

As well as becoming more environmentally conscious, Nico Ubenauf and satis&fy’s plans include developing their ‘One-Stop Solution’ business model, which supplies sound, lighting, AV, staging and set solutions all from one source – and the small matter of staying “one of Europe’s premium suppliers, and to become more well known internationally.” He adds: “We will continue to invest in innovative products. Beside our strong and successful connections with L-Acoustics and d&b, we have just signed an agreement with Nexo to cooperate stronger in the future.” (See April’s PSNEurope!)

Working together, the German live music industry seems to be steadily winning the war against the recession. We’ll see you at Oktoberfest! PSNLIVE 2014

www.adapoe.dewww.bosch.comwww.hkaudio.comfacebook.com/jensbubbessteffanen.pool.dewww.satis-fy.comwww.sennheiser.comwww.united-b.com

But while commercial gigs and tours were flourishing, Holz reveals that corporate events have suffered. “What was affected by the crisis, however, was the corporate market – that is, corporate events, product presentations, Christmas parties and the like. Rental companies across the board were hit by a decrease in business, whether small or big rental houses.”

Jens Steffan has actually had more engineering work since the crisis kicked in. “I think the financial crisis hasn’t affected the live music business at all!” he says. “For me, during that time, my personal business has increased by about 25 per cent. I think that in bad times, human beings want to have fun and get more quality for their money.”

Meanwhile, Juergen Langhorst, Bosch’s director of sales for MI, Germany, feels that medium-sized events have been hardest hit. “As in many business segments, the middle of the field is difficult to serve at the moment,” he says. “The big events have the budget to attract the needed attention, smaller events are [facing] less risks, but the medium events need almost the same amount of effort as the big events, but with higher risks and lower possible proceeds.”

United-b’s Wolfgang Garçon takes a pragmatic approach to the matter. “The Swiss writer Max Frisch rightly said: ‘A crisis is a productive state – you simply have to get rid of its aftertaste of catastrophe,’” states Garçon. “The financial crises obviously speeded up developments. I do not think that business disappeared in general or became less – in my opinion, it has simply transferred to someone else. Since 2007, I have observed that investments have been more

considered and diversified. The capital market does not accept every fixed idea and unlimited capital expenditure is not available for every market participant.”

These thoughts aside, Garçon succinctly sums up his view of the live industry’s overall progress with the following: “What I do know is that the quality of all events is getting better.”

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOXSince money became scarcer and times harder, firms in every industry and in every country have had to innovate, adapt and evolve to stay afloat. This is also true of the live music industry in Germany. As well as new ideas, products and ways of working, this has led to closer collaboration between various firms.

It seems obvious that a manufacturer would ask performing artists how their equipment is functioning in a genuine live setting, but these days everyone seems happy to impart their expert knowledge to other links in their business chain. The result, of course, should be that everybody benefits.

This is something HK Audio’s Andreas Marx is very familiar with. “During the engineering process for new products, we do field tests with selected artists,” he says, “and we also work closely together with our rental companies all over the world and include them in our development process, because they can help tell us what the market needs.”

As the boss of a rental company, Thomas Adapoe realises the benefits of cooperating with manufacturers. “Good business relationships correspond with our basic philosophy in business,” he says. “We also have a strong interest in getting closer to manufacturers,

so we can sometimes influence the development of equipment.”

It’s the same situation for POOLgroup’s Tim Humpe. “Being a reliable partner to artists, management and providing professional service and infrastructure for individual budgets is the most important thing,” he says. “Everybody can buy brand new gear, but then have to find out how to use it and how to provide frequent quality servicing. We know because we’ve owned almost every piece of gear in the last 36 years. Experience is still one thing you cannot buy!”

For their part, Sennheiser work closely with rental firms, engineers and artists. Thomas Holz says: “We are working very closely with them – it’s important to be an integral part of the music industry business. You need to be present in a production, for example; you need to listen to the engineers and artists, and solve problems if there are any. You need to be there so that people can talk to you.” He smiles. “When I started this job, I used to get a crew pass. Now I get a lot more VIP passes!”

One of satis&fy’s impending plans, meanwhile, is to connect directly with up-and-coming artists. “One of our commitments for the future is to help new bands with state-of-the-art equipment and service,” says Nico Ubenauf. “We are hoping to create a win-win situation by promoting and helping bands very early on their journey to – hopefully! – fame. By providing additional services to young and upcoming bands, we may play a small role in accelerating their success, and maybe that won’t be forgotten later.”

Powered by POOLgroup: The 2013 Deichbrand music festival in Cuxhaven. Head of touring and entertainment Tim Humpe says the company wants to see “controlled growth”



Thomas Adapoe on the German comedy club boom: “10 years ago it was almost impossible to sell out a 500-capacity club. Today, you can fill a stadium with an audience about 15,000 people…”

Photo: Guido Werner

FROM MIC pres to ribbon mics, pro audio has historically been a specialist’s business, pursued by small teams of people passionate – sometimes beyond reason – about one specifi c product area. As in any other sector, they have often found themselves the subject of acquisition or incorporation into more broadly based operations, but at ground-level their refi nement of single products or ranges continues to keep pro audio motoring along.

But times change, and in an evermore cost-sensitive age, customers frequently require products able to cater to multiple requirements and applications. In the live world, this impulse has proven particularly acute in small venues, where owners have to juggle varying levels of user expertise, rising overheads, diverse riders and the need to minimise equipment footprint. A trend in favour of hybrid systems – most obviously Soundcraft’s Si Performer audio console, which

integrates DMX lighting control – has been one approach towards addressing these issues.

Logically enough, a fast-changing market has also encouraged some fi rms to explore different areas of technology – in some cases, radically different. This can work both ways in terms of diversifi cation into, and out of, pro audio. For example, until recently, Christie was primarily synonymous with professional projection solutions, but is now making waves with its inaugural audio line, Vive.

This article will examine both tendencies, but fi rst, a passing word for another trend. The increasing infl uence of private equity in pro audio – epitomised in recent months by London-based Electra Partners’ acquisition of Calrec Audio to sit alongside Allen & Heath in its investment portfolio – is surely destined to enable more fi rms to explore diversifi cation with confi dence. Alas, the almost blanket reluctance of venture capitalist interests to discuss their operations means that, for now at least, it’s a development that will have to remain unexamined.

‘WE SAW A BIG CHANGE COMING…’“Digital cinema conversion is pretty much done worldwide, and so we saw a big change coming in terms of us not being able to enjoy the same kind of revenues from that market … as we had in previous years. We therefore started to think about diversifi cation into other areas, and that process has resulted in the development of our own audio range.”

So explains Richard Nye, cinema sales director for Christie EMEA, of the seasoned visual display specialist’s frankly unexpected diversifi cation into pro audio. For habitual readers of PSNEurope sister publication Installation, Christie will be immediately familiar for its high-profi le presence in the fi xed install market, with a product range that spans DLP projectors, video walls, simulation systems and more. Cinema chains’ requirement for digital projectors has been responsible for a signifi cant chunk of its business over the last decade, but with this migration nearing completion – “it’s something like 90%in the US,” says Nye – it’s evident that the sales mix will change markedly in the mid- to long-term future.

Projection will remain at the core of its business, confi rms Nye: “I see this more as the end of the fi rst phase [for digital projection]. 4K is clearly going to be a big trend and then the next thing after that will be laser.” But there has, nonetheless, been the feeling for some time that given its profi le in the cinema world, Christie could also have a credible crack at adding the other component hitherto missing from its portfolio: audio.

Diversifi cation: Hybrid systems and beyond

24 l PSNLIVE 2014 www.psnseurope.com

Adapt to thrive…or survive

Specialist outfi ts remain crucial drivers of innovation in pro audio, but an ever-quickening pace of change is leading some companies to explore the possibility of ‘hybrid’ systems – or even diversifi cation into another fi eld of technology altogether. David Davies looks at the challenges – and potential rewards – of striking out for new territory

Christie Vive Audio on display at ISE 2014

Soundcraft’s Sean Karpowicz says the Si Performer “continues to perform above expectations” (pun intended?)

Phot

o: S

tefa

n D

avid

Vive Audio is the result of a three-year effort drawing on the services of both existing personnel and select hires from some of the biggest names in the business, including Dolby. Operating as part of the Christie Entertainment Solutions division, Vive was unveiled in June last year with a range encompassing line array speakers – incorporating Christie’s own proprietary ribbon driver technology – and amplifi ers.

“As we see it, the range really has two core strengths,” explains Nye. “Firstly, in contrast to other ribbon systems, we’ve gone for a line array arrangement, so you have all the normal benefi ts of maximum directivity and audio placement. Then there is the Christie-designed ribbon driver technology, which is the core of the system and delivers several advantages over existing compression drivers in that it offers a very linear sound – as opposed to just an ‘explosion’

from the speaker where you risk experiencing interference from the diaphragm.”

With a range that also includes Class D amplifi ers of powers ranging from 2kW to 5kW, Christie insists that it has solutions fi t to service all sizes and shapes of cinema. But with EMEA only gaining full availability of the system in the last few months (it launched in the US last year), it’s still very early days, and there is no doubt that the company has much work to do in terms of convincing the market that it is also a credible audio player.

“It is challenging because obviously you have certain manufacturers who do nothing but loudspeakers,” admits Nye. “We have a good customer base and a great technology and I do think it will [take off], but at the moment it is diffi cult for customers to buy these products without hearing them. So the priority right now is to work on

reference sites across the region that will make it much easier to demonstrate the systems.”

Only time will tell whether Christie is able to join the likes of JBL, Meyer Sound and Dolby at

the top table of cinema audio. It’s clear, however, that the company isn’t taking this diversifi cation lark lightly: alongside cinema, Nye also recognises opportunities in the conference and auditoria markets, noting that “there are possibilities for taking our audio technology to other applications”.

GIVE ME STARLIGHTIf Christie has sought to combine audio and visual in one division, then several companies have been taken the philosophy one stage further with integrated

‘hybrid’ systems. Exhibit one for your consideration: the Starlight PA system from Studiomaster.

As R&D director Paul Belcher makes clear, the origin of the system was one of those lightbulb moments that thankfully continues to strike pro audio on a regular basis. For new bands starting out, selecting a speaker, monitor and lighting inventory able to cope with the varying requirements of the small-gig circuit can be a time-consuming – not to mention potentially costly – business. So, then, reasoned the R&D team at

Diversifi cation: Hybrid systems and beyond


A grizzly–polar hybrid, or grolar, bear: the ultimate hybrid system

Extron’s eminent position in the world of AV interfaces and switchers should require no introduction. But perhaps less well known to the casual observer is its long-running interest in high-performance ceiling speakers for 8Ω and 70/100V operation in classrooms, conference rooms, lecture halls and auditoria.

The INTEGRATOR SI Speaker Series and SpeedMount Ceiling Speaker System are among the results of continued labour in a product area that Extron presents as a logical extension of its desire to facilitate the creation of complete AV systems. “As a leading manufacturer of AV system integration products, we make it our aim to provide system integrators with what they need to design complete AV systems that meet the needs of their clients,” says Rainer Stiehl, vice-president of marketing, Europe, for Extron. “We are uniquely able to do that through our ongoing commitment to quality and innovation.”

Reaching for a specifi c example, Stiehl points to Extron’s ‘Flat Field’

technology, developed to address the problems associated with designing even, predictable room sound fi elds. And the pragmatic process of feeding customer input into new products is ongoing: “Our commitment to listening to customer needs for reduced installation costs resulted in the development of our SpeedMount ceiling and surface mount speakers that save time and installation costs for AV system contractors.”www.extron.com

PUTTING THE SEAL ON CEILING SPEAKER SUCCESS

The FF 220T, a ‘Flat Field’ ceiling speaker by US-based Extron

Extron Europe’s Rainer Stiehl: an “ongoing commitment to quality and innovation”

“It is challenging because obviously you have certain manufacturers who do nothing but loudspeakers”

Christie’s Richard Nye on the projection specialists’s venture into audio

RCF’s L-PAD 12CX. The company is hoping to bring a “fresh perspective” with its new dedicated mixer division

the Soundking Group, why not try to combine all aspects in one portable system?

Introduced at Prolight + Sound 2013, Starlight is the result of their deliberations. Audio-wise, the system features a 4-inch 50W monitor speaker positioned at ear height to provide directional monitoring to performers without need for excessive volume, while the PA section incorporates a 250W amp and two-channel mixer with three-band EQ.

Then, in a first for Studiomaster, there is a lighting section, recessed into the one side of the angled cabinet and containing six high-power LEDs with dispersion lenses. An inbuilt controller sports 13 programmes, including seven static colours, fade-to-colour change and sound-to-colour change. Brightness and speed are also adjustable.

“We have always been aware that people want more compact, dedicated products that are easy to use,” says Belcher. “This really seemed to be a logical extension of our existing speaker system, and once we had the moment of realisation it took shape very quickly. We began by looking at low-cost lighting systems, which are all LED-based these days, and quickly selected some 3W LEDs [from a China-based supplier]. Then there were a few technical challenges to be overcome to ensure that the high-frequency lighting did not result in any audio interference. But really, it was a very fast process – nine months and we were in production.”

Belcher professes to some trepidation about the launch of the system and admits that explaining its principles has proven slightly trickier than expected: “I had thought that it would be obvious straight away [but isn’t necessarily so] – although once explained it becomes a no-brainer.”

It has been well worth the effort, though: in addition to portable PA, the system is achieving traction in “schools and colleges, where drama studios want some sound and local lighting”. “It has definitely opened up some new avenues for us,” says Belcher. There has also been a more subtle but equally rewarding byproduct of their endeavours: “One you have a new idea it’s very easy for everyone in the company to get excited about it, [so moving into new areas] can definitely have a positive impact on your workforce.”

‘IT’S REALLY STRUCK A CHORD…’While Christie and Studiomaster are at a fairly early stage of their diversification, Soundcraft is already some way down the avenue of departure signalled by its groundbreaking hybrid audio and lighting desk, the Si Performer. Launched in 2012, the console features a DMX512 port to deliver core lighting control and is now available in three versions of varying capacities.

“The Si Performer continues to perform above expectations, with the newest addition to the range,

the Si Performer 1, becoming the fastest-selling Si Performer console,” says Sean Karpowicz, who joined Harman’s Soundcraft as product manager for the Si series last August. “It’s struck a chord for a host of applications, ranging from weddings and small corporate AV – the kind of projects where people are always looking cut costs – right up to quite large churches.”

Soundcraft, it is clear, always suspected it was on to a good thing with the Si Performer – hence its quick action to patent the consoles’ specific combination of audio and lighting control. Although understandably reluctant to reveal the details of the patent, it seems likely that it will preclude considerable activity by other manufacturers in this particular area of AV convergence. “Well, that’s certainly what we are banking on!” laughs Karpowicz.

Meanwhile, Harman’s acquisition of lighting giant Martin Professional is only likely to strengthen Soundcraft’s hand in this direction. Karpowicz isn’t giving anything away, but further hybrid products appear to be a fairly safe bet. As he notes, the Martin deal means that “we now have the knowledge and skills in-house to take the lighting side of our multimedia capabilities to a much more advanced stage.”

‘WE THINK WE CAN BRING A FRESH PERSPECTIVE…’65 years of producing speaker components and nearly two decades of manufacturing

The Si Performer hybrid desk with The Beatniks at

Soho Theatre, London

Diversification: Hybrid systems and beyond


complete speaker systems had resulted in RCF having “a pretty complete range with regard to loudspeakers,” observes RCF engineer Umberto Zanghieri, so it was a fairly simply explained motivation to “be able to launch a brand-new product line” that led to the Italian company’s recent creation of a dedicated mixer division, with nine compact analogue mixers already available and digital products expected to follow in 2015.

The compact mixer segment is nothing if not competitive – a point readily allowed by Zanghieri, who led the R&D effort for the new range – but the company believes it can offer something new. “We think we can bring a fresh perspective, backed up by our many years of optimising audio systems,” he says. But he’s aware that the company will need to make a concerted effort to educate the market about its new capabilities: “As a first step, we have moved

to acquire [the services] of people with external expertise which was perhaps not available inside our company before. So, for example, we have Sandro Chinellato, who is working as product manager for the mixer division and previously had great involvement with digital mixers at Yamaha. Beyond that, we will be looking to widen our distribution over the next year.”

RCF is clearly taking its new direction nice and steadily – and that, it seems, is the central trick to successful diversification. The process begins with methodical research into your new market, followed by appropriate recruitment as and when required. Beyond that, it can be the extent to which your marketing and education is accurately calibrated that determines whether or not a range takes flight – and that can require time and patience in equal measure. PSNLIVE 2014

www.christiedigital.co.ukwww.rcf.itwww.soundcraft.comwww.studiomaster.com

Starlight by Studiomaster incorporates a four-inch 50W monitor speaker, 250W amplifier, two-channel mixer with three-band EQ and a lighting section with six high-power LEDs

GRADUATING FROM playing guitar in a “strictly non-professional” rock band, to pioneering the then-nascent L-Acoustics brand at StagePro, to his current role as audio systems account manager at Sales-All and Rent-All, Rene van der Linden is synonymous with the Dutch live sound industry.

But it is for his long association with L-Acoustics’ groundbreaking V-DOSC line array system that he is perhaps most highly fêted. Introduced in 1993, the V-DOSC’s reliability and highly targeted coverage capabilities have led to it earning an enduring profi le in dance, rock, classical… indeed, pretty much any genre you care to mention.

For the 2014 edition of PSNLive, Rene agreed to look back on his 40-year career in live sound – one that he is happy to admit has been blessed with its fair share of happy accidents…

How did you come to be working in live sound?I had been playing guitar in a band called Warlock in the late ’70s – on a strictly amateur basis, I might add! – and had been looking to purchase a larger, more professional PA

for our gigs. A conversation in my local music store in Utrecht led to a recommendation that I seek out a then-new rental and sales company called Ampco, from whom I purchased my fi rst Martin Audio PA system. I really struck up a rapport with the Ampco team and that ultimately led to my fi rst role at a PA company, working mainly in the fl ightcase department, from 1978.

Having been in my own band, it was fascinating to ‘cross the fence’, as it were, go into the real world and start working with some famous names. But by the mid-1980s, I was ready to see if I could do other things in pro audio. Around 1987, I happened to have an enlightening conversation with Ed Wijnker, founder of a loudspeaker company based in Hoorn called Stage Accompany, which was really starting to produce some very high-end systems. Wijnker was in the process of establishing a network of companies to support the Stage Accompany brand, and that led to my company, [sales/rental operation] StageShop (part of the Stage Accompany Franchise group), fulfi lling this function in the Netherlands. Over the next few years, we involved the Stage

Accompany products in a number of great projects – including an installation at [legendary concert and cultural venue] the Melkweg in Amsterdam and a tour with [German power metal band] Helloween.

Although this was an exciting period, it was arguably only a warm-up for your all-important 1991 encounter with a certain French loudspeaker brand…The boss of Chevin Research, Martin Clinch, with whom we had been working as a distributor, recommended that we go and listen to the loudspeakers developed by a new company based out of Paris… and that turned out to be L-Acoustics.

In the meantime, you had founded pro-audio company StagePro with partner Ben Brouwers, with whom you had already worked with Stage Accompany…As luck would have it, StagePro was in a period of transition at that point. We didn’t want to carry on with Stage Accompany for various reasons, and were considering working with the d&b brand instead. So we went to Paris for a demo, where we encountered a system comprising four boxes, hung underneath each other, which was very unusual at that time. We were invited to walk back about 50m from the boxes, they turned on the sound… and wow! We were astonished. It was the V-DOSC system in its earliest incarnation

and we knew right away that it was going to be a revolution in pro audio.

What was it about the system that so impressed you, and how quickly did StagePro start to serve as a network partner?Dispersion, coverage, quality and overall impact of sound… it was just so clearly steps ahead of what we had heard up until then. But there were a couple of factors that prevented us working with the brand right away: fi rstly, the system wasn’t completely fi nished; and secondly, [L-Acoustics founder] Christian Heil had not at that point decided whether to rent it himself or supply via a European network. In the end, he decided upon the latter, and we started to work as a network partner about two years later.

These were still early days for L-Acoustics, but was there a specifi c event when you thought, ‘Ah, this system is really starting to break through’?Yes – the Escape dance event in Amsterdam, which was really one of the Netherlands’ fi rst dance music shows, in about 1993 or ’94. We had agreed to trial the system in the main hall

Rene van der Linden: PA legend


Hardstyle dance event Qlimax 2013: powered by L-Acoustics (and our satanic skeleton overlords)

Say you want a (sound)

revolutionAn integral spoke in the Dutch PA wheel since the mid-‘70s, Rene van der Linden has done much to make the L-Acoustics V-DOSC line array an industry staple. Now account manager, audio systems, for Sales-All and Rent-All, he spoke to David Davies about his 40 years spent at the cutting edge of live sound

Rene van der Linden: StagePro founder, Rent-All/Sales-All account manager and debauched frontman of Warlock

Pho

to: D

ave

Rob

inso

n

Rene van der Linden: PA legend


so went along, set up the PA and went out for dinner. A short while later, we received a call from the organisers asking when we were going to build up the PA. On telling them it was fully in place, they couldn’t believe it! They were used to a wall of speakers and found it hard to accept that we could get the necessary sound with just four or five boxes per side. But we assured them, the show went ahead with that configuration, and everyone was just knocked out! So many people told us they had never heard sound like it before.

Dance event systems at the time were mainly conventional stacked PAs, and while they were OK for their time it was obvious the L-Acoustics system was light years ahead. So, with our first investment in two V- systems, we rapidly started securing work at major pop and dance events. Nowadays, the L-Acoustics V-DOSC and K1 systems [are] the worldwide dance standard.

As we expected, the system quickly started to be regarded as an industry standard. And when Westfalen Sound [now part of the POOL Group] bought a V-DOSC rig and took it out on the road with Supertramp, it really started to cross over on a global level.

The system consistency guaranteed by the L-Acoustics Rental Network, which allowed easy cross-rental, clearly played a decisive role in building the brand’s reputation. What are your definitive tour/event memories from this period?There were so many great tours and one-off shows from that time: David Bowie, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tïesto… What I recall in particular, though, was how quickly [V-DOSC] also achieved traction for classical music and opera. The reliability and consistency of the system were the key factors, and La Traviata at Ahoy Rotterdam and Aida and Carmen at Amsterdam Arena were among the great productions that spring to mind.

2007 turned out to be a landmark year for StagePro, when it was merged into Rent-All. What prompted the move?There was already very close cooperation between the two companies, which were both clearly working at a high-end level. I think that, as StagePro, we also realised that a new generation of systems was on the way and that it would be almost impossible for us to make the necessary investment on our own. Christmas 2007 wasn’t much fun, as we basically spent most of it deciding whether to go ahead and [consequently] lose our own brand name, but we had a good feeling about the merger and that has turned out to be correct. Seven years later, business is great and there is no doubt that we simply could not have got as far on our own.

With operations in Germany and Focus Amsterdam, Rent-All and sister company Sales-All have an increasingly strong profile across Europe. But what do you make of the overall health of the PA market?I’d say there are several key trends at work. For sure, the market is becoming more competitive and budgets are more important, but the industry as a whole

is also more professional. With Sales-All as a certified sales provider and systems integrator for L-Acoustics in the Netherlands, and Rent-All for the rental part of the business, our focus [with regards to maintaining competitiveness] is on ensuring even better quality. The fact that we were right in our thinking was recently confirmed by a prestigious contract for a whole new PA system for the Eindhoven-based Frits Philips Music Center. But whatever progress is made, experience tells me that there is always more that can be done! PSNLIVE 2014

www.l-acoustics.comwww.rentall.euwww.salesall.eu

“People were used to a wall of speakers and found it hard to accept that we could get the necessary sound with just four or five boxes per side” Rene van der Linden

L-Acoustics’ V-DOSC and K1 systems are now “the worldwide dance standard”… but it was a long time coming

Outboard gear: Desks vs hardware


FOR ANY gig-goers with a technical bent, the front of house console is immediately dominating and impressive. But older tech fans are likely to have been more taken with the racks of boxes that at one time were the constant companion of the desk. Often black, sometimes silver, occasionally exotically blue or red, these were much more mysterious and compelling and provided extra excitement, warmth, depth and sometimes a little strangeness to the live performance.

These days, the now-almost complete move to digital consoles and the growth of onboard and/or plug-in technology has reduced the former reliance on outboard equipment. But there is the thought that because modern loudspeaker technology – particularly the dominant line

array – has made sound quality even more consistent, processing is still a crucial component to give the audio more character.

Dave MacDonald, who has mixed front of house for Adele, Broken Bells and Frank Ocean, is not convinced plug-ins and new loudspeaker technologies have been a vast improvement for live sound and still sees a place for old-fashioned effects and processors: “I believe plug-in technology has made a lot of live mixes bland. The line array has made the art of live mixing a lot easier to gain a good result but without character, so outboard is a good solution to stand out from the crowd. Things such as old tape delays will always add an interesting flavour to a bland mix.”

The transition to digital with both consoles and DAWs took longer in live sound than in the studio, partly due to the longer development of specific systems and the wariness of many FOH engineers. “I was cynical about plug-ins, mainly because I wasn’t a Pro Tools user at the time [they started to come in],” says Simon Honywill, who started his career in 1979 with RG Jones Sound Engineering and lists Carreras, Chris Rea and Goldfrapp among his credits. “But when I got into it I was really blown away and never looked back.”

Honywill made the shift to digital desks through the Yamaha

Does traditional outboard gear have a place in modern live sound?

The rack of effects and processors next to the mixing desk was as much a part of the live sound experience as the main loudspeaker rig, overpriced beer and gaffer tape – and while not a thing of the past, outboard gear is not as dominant as it once was. Kevin Hilton plugs in to find out why

Getting on board Digital consoles vs outboard effects

No analogue EQs, gates or processors for sometime Pixie Lott engineer Steve Bunting: “[They’ve] virtually disappeared”

The prog pioneers-turned-unlikely pop stars were known for their precision in the recording studio, which was carefully translated to their live shows. Genesis’s four nights at the old Wembley Stadium in London, supported by special guest Paul Young, featured many racks of outboard gear, including four noise gates and four limiters, plus three Yamaha SPX90 effects units with different memory settings for each song. Also on hand were Roland ST3000s for long echoes and AMS systems on vocals and drum sounds. Genesis were mixed by FOH engineer Craig Schertz on a 32-channel Harrison HM5 console, with all stereo effects sent and returned through Harrison MP8 pre-amps.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: GENESIS AT WEMBLEY, JULY 1987



PM1D, 02R and DM3000, but it was the arrival of Digidesign (now Avid) in the live market that fully convinced him about the new technology. “The Avid stuff is still great, and I really got into the Sony Oxford [now Sonnox] plug-ins, but I would never consider using any outboard with one of their consoles,” he says. “With other digital consoles, I would generally

look to have a couple of Lexicon PCM91s because there are several manufacturers whose reverbs don’t really cut it.”

Ray Furze, whose diverse credits include the Spice Girls, Pixies and The Beautiful South, works predominantly on complex productions in arenas and stadia, which he accepts would be “difficult, if not impossible” with analogue.

Having made the transition to digital, he now almost exclusively uses onboard compressors and gates, but “on occasion” still takes an outboard tube (dbx or Summit) if the lead vocal is prominent in the mix.

“I try to use all onboard effects for convenience and recall of parameters scene by scene, which means you can make quite dramatic changes

between songs that you would never be able to achieve on an outboard unit, unless you MIDI it all up,” he says. “The few exceptions to this are for quiet concerts with an orchestra and vocalist. I like to take a Lexicon 960 or 480 or TC 6000 system, where I think the high quality of reverb can be appreciated. For louder rock or pop shows I like to take a dbx

120, which I use to give an extra dimension to the bottom end.”

David Millward, who has worked with Morrissey, Swing Out Sister and Tindersticks, observes that in the days of analogue consoles “outboard gear was essential to some degree” and that the choice of units would be based on what the engineers thought they needed and the budget available. “A lot

Frank Ocean FOH man and analogue diehard Dave MacDonald believes “plug-ins [have] made a lot of live mixes bland” and says “outboard is a good solution to stand out from the crowd”

Waves’ SoundGrid Server One. “Since albums are now crafted with plug-ins, the

overall sound has improved dramatically,” comments Waves Live’s Noam Raz, “and live productions are expected to follow suit and

deliver the sound of the album in shows”

“I prefer a console that [gives] me not only a good sound but has good built-in channel dynamics and a range of effects units, so I would only resort to outboard units for specific purposes” David Millward

of audio companies would have standard outboard racks with something like eight channels of compression, eight of gating, one DDL and one or two reverbs or multi-effects units,” he says. “One of the big advantages of digital consoles, and one that might be taken for granted now, is the ability to insert a compressor or gate on any and every channel at will and choose from a range of effects units, whether plug-ins or built in. I would prefer to

choose a console that gave me not only a good sound but has good built-in channel dynamics and a range of effects units, so I would only resort to outboard units for specifi c purposes.”

Of the younger generation of live sound engineers, Steve Bunting agrees that “things have obviously changed” but observes that the reliance on outboard has not disappeared, merely shifted “from corrective tools to creative tools”.

Bunting has been a freelance FOH, monitor and systems engineer for eight years, with credits including The Original Wailers, Kim Wilde, Boy George, Pixie Lott and, most recently, Swedish jazz-pop group Bo Kaspers Orkester.

“Things like analogue outboard graphic equalisers, gates and bog-standard compressors, which now proliferate within digital consoles, have virtually disappeared,” he comments, “while there are more valve compressors and top-shelf effects engines appearing. In terms of rack-space, there are defi nitely fewer items than there used to be.”

In the last 15 years, Dave Swallow has moved from a predominantly analogue background and worked with artists from Amy Winehouse to Underworld, mixing on Yamaha, Soundcraft and Allen & Heath desks. “For my wish list, I would be really happy with compressors and a few Empirical Labs Distressors, which sound brilliant and are really transparent,” he comments. “But it depends on the music.” (See ‘Horses for courses’ box.)

While Swallow says using onboard processors is usually far more convenient, having outboard racks meant engineers could glance over and see what everything was doing, whereas integrated systems means going through everything one by one on the channel strip.

Over his 24 years in the live sound business, Oz Bagnall built up a sizeable collection of outboard gear, although he has sold some of this in recent years. “I used to have a set of AMS reverb–delays, which were 12-bit and sounded unique. But now they’re fully emulated by new plug-ins.”

Bagnall still takes out a Midas XL42 channel strip for the vocals of many of the artists he works with – who include Ellie Goulding, KT Tunstall and Franz

Ferdinand – as well as dbx 160 compressors and TC Electronic M2000 processors. He has mixed on most digital consoles but often prefers to use plug-ins, such as SSL tape saturation, rather than the onboard processing because he wants to “get some of the warmth back into the desk”.

A major infl uence on live sound today appears to be the expectations of concert-goers, who want to hear almost exact reproductions of the CD or digital download. “Since albums are now crafted with plug-ins, the overall sound has improved dramatically and live productions are expected to follow suit and deliver the sound of the album in shows,”

comments Noam Raz, market manager for Waves Live. “There is also the opportunity for pre-production – engineers can work on the sound in their home studios, preparing sessions ‘offl ine’ and therefore saving costs and time.”

Davy Ogilvy is a longstanding live sound engineer now working with a relative newcomer on the music scene, Tom Odell. Ogilvy says he has “completely moved on” from his earlier analogue desk and outboard approach to digital consoles and onboard processors, which he says he always uses if he can: “Onboards are enough to deal with most things.”

Ogilvy works with a range of consoles, including DiGiCo and Yamaha – very often the CL5. With Avid desks, he uses “lots of plug-ins” – but instead of the modern practice of applying them through


Broken Bells. Not pictured: Dave MacDonald and his huge stack of outboard

McDSP’s Live Pack includes the Channel G Compact, DE555, FutzBox, MC2000, ML4000 and NF575 plug-ins

DIGITAL MIGHT now be the norm in live sound, but sometimes it doesn’t always suit a particular band. When Dave Swallow mixed FOH on Manchester scene survivors James’s tour in April 2013, he felt a retro approach was the right way to go. “The band grew up in the analogue world,” he says, “and I took the opportunity to use older kit.” Swallow mixed on a Midas XL4, with an Empirical Labs Distressor [analogue knee compressor] and BSS 901 on Tim Booth’s vocal. He also had an SPX2000 and an Avalon 73, with the drums parallel compressed through two sub groups featuring more Distressors.

Swallow is currently working with The Bloody Beetroots (a pseudonym of Italian electro-house musician, DJ and producer Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo). The engineer says this act is more into bitrates, so it “makes sense to have that in the digital world”. For this tour, which runs until this August, Swallow is using an Avid Profi le, although occasionally he has to use a house desk.

HORSES FOR COURSES


insertion points, he goes old-school by using the auxes for reverbs. “I put delays on Tom’s voice, and I’m still using auxes and returns to send out and bring back the signals,” he explains. “I never do it on the inserts because with 12 VCAs I’ve got control over all the returns and band groups. That means I can tweak things as I go along, but if they’re on the channel you have to play around with the machine itself.”

At DiGiCo, managing director James Gordon says the company’s consoles offer two insert points on every channel, which can be selected for internal processing, external plug-in effects such as Waves or any other IO. He observes that improvements in modern electronic circuits have given desks the power to process many digital effects at the same time as doing the basic heavy work of mixing.

While acknowledging that outboard gear “will always be out there”, Gordon says economic realities, as well as the convenience of onboard or plug-in technology, have had an impact on the more traditional effects market: “If you look at the R&D costs of developing hardware, it’s expensive, especially when the business depends on selling thousands of units, which isn’t going to happen now that every DAW and console has compressors, gates and de-essers built in.”

In some cases, particularly for small venues and tours, the desk and rack have almost become one, as with the Soundcraft Si Performer 1. “It is a 19-inch rackmount console that has the equivalent of 448 rack units of processing,” comments Soundcraft product manager Sean Karpowicz, “so a Si Performer 1 is approximately 1/56th the size of its equivalent outboard processing. And that’s without factoring in the mixing console bit.”

Derk Hagedorn, worldwide marketing manager for live systems and the Artist Series at Avid, comments that other practicalities have ensured digital effects are now the preference on live sound productions. “There are the logistical cost savings of not having to carry round racks of harmonisers and other processors,” he says. “All these things, like TC units, have plug-in versions and they’re not losing any quality. There are also workflow advantages from having integrated effects. Not only are you able to drive parameters from the console, you can link to snapshots and events without reaching over to a rack.”

Avid is working with many outside plug-in developers including Sonnox, Crane

Song and McDSP, which now supports Windows AAX and, through its HD product line, the SL3 live mixing system. Colin McDowell, founder and chief executive/technology officer of McDSP, agrees that the move to digital consoles and availability of plug-in options has reduced

the amount of outboard gear required. “There are still some pieces of outboard equipment that are either too specialised or have a spot in the signal chain beyond the console, but they are not numerous any more.”

The audio world is more consistent today, and Ray Furze

concludes by saying that better sound systems allow audiences to hear more of what the engineer has been listening to all along: “We always try to get the best seat in the house, but I have often thought that a lot of the subtleties and effects we try so hard to achieve got lost in the

vast acoustic spaces, so hopefully the increasing quality of PA and computer sound prediction are improving this. But with most of the punters being happy with the sound of MP3s, the cynical old sound man side of me sometimes has to wonder if anyone notices any subtleties at all.” PSNLIVE 2014

www.avid.comwww.dave-swallow.comwww.digico.bizwww.fohengineer.co.ukwww.mcdsp.comwww.ozbagnall.comwww.simonhonywill.comwww.soundcraft.comwww.waves.com



“There are still some pieces of outboard equipment that are either too specialised or have a spot in the signal chain beyond the console, but they are not numerous any more” Colin McDowell, McDSP

Theatre sound: Going to war with 14–18


RELEASED TO coincide with the First World War centenary events across Europe throughout 2014, the musical 14–18, produced by Studio 100, is currently running at the gigantic Nekkerhal venue in Mechelen (Mechlin). Its enormous stage, mobile stands, moving set pieces and an overwhelming sound and lighting set-up that takes the audience into the stupendous brutality of the Great War. 14–18 is Studio 100’s 11th musical and, as with the massive success story of Daens, de musical, which attracted over 220,000 visitors in 2008, the production company decided to continue with the creative trio of Frank Van Laecke (director), Allard Blom (script) and Dirk Brossé (composer).

One of the dominant features of the show, and a spectacle in itself, is a 1,880-seat mobile grandstand, built after a year of research and design. During the show, the moveable seating travels back and forth through the venue over a distance of 100m, as soldiers fi ght in front of the audience and the cavalry – with real horses – attacks from behind,

bombs explode and aeroplanes fl y overhead. A crew of 300, including some 70 actors and 23 chorists, take part in 14–18. Three kilometres of light trussing carries some 1,225 lights, while laser-controlled stage platforms move over the fl oor.

Pieter Begard, managing director of Studio Haifax, the contractor for sound reinforcement, says the musical’s production team opted for his company for the prestigious project because of their working experience with the Coda ViRAY system, found to offer the correct characteristics and dispersion for the size of the hall and production. Studio Haifax operates the biggest Coda ViRAY inventory in continental Europe, and the current production is undoubtedly the biggest Coda ViRAY set-up in the world.

The sound design was drawn up by sound engineers Marc Luyckx and Guido Olischlager. “Our fi rst assignment was to design an audio confi guration for the moving stands without using mounted speakers,” comments Marc Luyckx. “We looked at various solutions like

miniature speakers behind the seats and individual in-ear sets for the public.”

“The ‘lightbulb moment’ was to fl y all of the speakers in the venue’s roof, and then to have the stands driving underneath,” continues Pieter Begard. “Steered

by a main matrix system deciding which speakers to operate, the audience would then have a full surround listening experience without even noticing the difference in audio levels when the mobile stands are moving.”

In total, Studio Haifax installed and fl ew 108 Coda Audio ViRAY cabinets, 18 Coda SCV-F subs and 44 12-inch Coda G712 top cabinets in the roof of the Nekkerhal. Eight Coda Audio SCP 2 x 18-inch

subs are installed under the stands for extra low-frequency output for sound effects like bombs and explosions, and seven front fi lls (Coda Audio D5s) and four (Coda Audio G308) monitors complete the speaker confi guration. The FOH mix position is situated on the moving stands, with all of the cabling (audio–video–lighting) on a gigantic festoon. The maximum distance between the FOH console and the amp racks

14–18 is powerful audiovisual reminder of the horrors of World War I, brought to life with kit from

Coda Audio, Out Board, Sennheiser and DiGiCo

As of 20 April, the Nekkerhal in Mechelen has become the platform for one of Europe’s biggest-ever theatre productions – and audio reinforcement plays a key role in 14–18, notes (a slightly overwhelmed) Marc Maes

War story

Phot

o: L

uk M

onsa

ert

Guido Olischlager, 14–18 FOH engineer


measures over 300m, with both connected via fi bre-optics.

“The speakers are clustered in triplets, three on each row, offering suffi cient dispersion to cover the whole stands,” explains Begard. “Each row consists of thee Coda ViRAY cabinets, two central fl own subs and four G712 speakers. Some of the G712 cabinets are used as surround speakers for the stands, and then, when the stands move, act as extra monitor speakers for the artists on stage.

“With so many speakers, the challenge was to reduce visual hindrance for the audience – we wanted to create the atmosphere of a cinema theatre. The technical ceiling was completely painted in black, with sound baffl es on the ceiling and behind the speaker cabinets.” The Coda Audio cabinets are powered by 80 channels of Coda LINUS 10 amplifi ers – 14–18 is also the fi rst event to use the new LINUS Con loudspeaker management system.

Begard believes that for 14–18 virtually every ViRAY cabinet in Benelux is being used at the Nekkerhal for at least a six-month stretch. He adds that Studio Haifax has “immediately started negotiations on setting up an international Coday ViRAY network to mutually support ViRAY rental companies and exchange kit and experience”.

The FOH console, a DiGiCo SD5, is located at the top of the grandstand, requiring some 350m of Optocore digital fi bre cable to the amp racks and transmission equipment. “We have three main entries in the FOH desk, all 5.1, for the orchestra, the principals and ensembles and the sound effects,” explains Guido Olischlager, system FOH engineer. “The orchestra’s tracks have been pre-recorded at Galaxy Studios (see separate box) as there was no room for an orchestra in this

landscape. The same SD5 is also used for monitoring control – the complete audio production is now handled by one system tech, and an extra monitor desk would involve extra staff.”

A second challenge for Studio Haifax was to fi nd partner companies to fulfi l two other crucial elements in the sound design for the show: a reliable and high-quality wireless audio connection, and the right matrix to manage the extensive speaker inventory. “In addition to a substantial extra investment in Coda ViRAY speakers, we also decided to buy Sennheiser Digital 9000 and 2000 IEM series systems,” Begard comments.

Guido Olischlager says he opted to use the new Sennheiser 9000 digital system for a number of reasons. “First of all, the digital system offers uncompressed digital audio – what goes in comes out. There’s no compander/compression codec like with other analogue/digital systems. [Secondly], the musical often has more than 20 people on stage, and the D9000 system has more room for the voices over the peripheral noise of the on-stage props. And, of course, [there’s the] limited A-D/D-A conversion: the Sennheiser EM9046 receiver’s AES outputs are directly routed into the SD5 console, then channelled back to the speaker system and to the Sennheiser 2000-series in-ear sets.”

Initially, the production needed 40 digital wireless channels, but the double use of some belt packs allowed Olischlager to reduce it to 32. “We wanted to limit the number of frequencies and keep things under control, budget-wise,” he explains. “The nine principals have fi xed belt packs, and some of the 23 ensemble members switch belts with children during one scene. We also need frequencies for the 12

Think you’ve got it bad? You’venever had to provide sound reinforcement

for the Nekkerhal

“By fl ying all of the speakers in the venue’s roof, with the stands driving underneath … and steered by a main matrix

system deciding which speakers to operate, the audience have a full surround

listening experience

without noticing the difference in audio levels

when the mobile stands are moving”

Pieter Begard, managing director,

Studio Haifax

RECORDING AT GALAXY STUDIOS

Both the music tracks for the musical and the content for the 14–18 CD were recorded, mixed and mastered at Galaxy Studios in Mol. The recording also marked a unique collaboration between Galaxy Studios and Sennheiser/Neumann.

The size of the production, and the large numbers of musicians and singers involved, meant Galaxy needed to use four of its recording studios in combination with two control rooms. Galaxy’s main fi lm scoring engineer, Tonmeister Patrick Lemmens, and Studio 100’s producer Jan Bernolet and music supervisor Kristof Aerts were assigned the project.

“What initially started as a standard assignment – recording a music score, which is our business – steadily developed to a major venture,” comments Tom Van Achte, studio manager at Galaxy Studios. “We recorded the whole score in three days [March 6–8], requiring a lot of technical and logistical preparation. The 14–18 score represented quite a challenge.”

For the recording, the 70-piece Royal Flemish Philharmonic orchestra, conducted by composer Dirk Brossé, played in Galaxy’s main studio while the choir and soloists sang their lines in Studio One and the vocal booths, respectively. “Initially to make the musicians and singers ‘feel’ the score, but also because we were recording the vocals for the CD,” explains Van Achte.

All the audio content was recorded simultaneously with both

analogue and digital microphones. “Actually, Sennheiser suggested we record the score with two different microphone confi gurations,” continues Van Achte. “We have a large inventory of analogue Neumann microphones ourselves, while the new digital microphones were supplied by Neumann. It was a unique opportunity and a formidable test case, with Neumann using the results in A/B testing to analyse the digital/analogue audio quality and possibilities for future reference.”

Galaxy Studios mainly used M 150, U 87, U 67 and KM 184 microphones for the analogue recordings and D01, KM and TLM series mics for digital.

Because of the specifi c character of the recordings, two separate control rooms were used: the analogue API room by Sennheiser/Neumann, engineered by Gregor Zielinsky – the API desk was only used for monitoring, as the recording went straight from the digital mics (AES42 standard) to several AES42/MADI converters (two Neumann DMI-8 and eight RME DMC 842 M) into Pro Tools – and the NEVE 88 D control room, the heart of Galaxy’s recording landscape, for the 14–18 production team. A video-link system established visual contact between the control rooms, the orchestra in the Galaxy Hall, the choir in Studio One and the soloists in the vocal booths.

The 14–18 CD album was released on 20 April, and is also available as a download on iTunes.www.galaxystudios.com

The 14–18 choir and soloists sang their lines separately for the CD recording

The 70-piece Royal Flemish Philharmonic in Galaxy’s main studio

Phot

o: L

uk M

onsa

ert


stereo in-ears – plus the wireless communication channels, security channels and for control of the moving stage parts throughout the venue, covering a total distance of some 260m – and it’s the fi rst time that we didn’t have any problems with the RF confi guration … for a musical of this size.”

Jef Verbeeck, responsible for all the wireless audio connections, echoes the same enthusiasm. “The high audio quality, in combination with the sturdiness of the Sennheiser 9000 beltpacks and MKE1 microphones, is unique, and the ease of use of the Digital 9000 system is incredible,” he says. “We have a fi xed spacing of just 600kHz between every frequency for the 9000 series thanks to the minimal intermodulation. With the Sennheiser WSM [Wireless System Manager] 4.0 I have full control and overview of the wireless situation, and Sennheiser’s technical team [provide] full support during the startup.”

For Sennheiser, it was a major challenge to cover such a huge surface with wireless technology. The company’s Benelux technical team designed and developed a unique antenna distribution system allowing them to cover the whole area. “In total, we use six directional and two omni-directional antennas,” comments Christophe Van den Berghe, sales and marketing director at Sennheiser Benelux. “Thanks to the distribution system, we’ve really played it safe to have maximum reliability.

“An extra factor was the moving décor elements on the playground – like massive metal refl ectors. Knowing that Mechlin is situated in a very dense RF area … we confi gured the system so we can switch in a broad spectrum, allowing us to change frequencies if needed. The 4.0 version of Sennheiser WSM, used during the production, is now MAC-compatible and takes on full control of all Sennheiser wireless devices.”

In terms of wireless audio transmission, 32 channels of Sennheiser D9000 are used in combination with 32 SK9000 beltpack transmitters and 32 MKE1 microphones. The personal in-ear monitoring system comprises six Sennheiser EM2050 (12 stereo in-ear channels) together with 40 beltpack receivers (EK2000 in-ears and IE4 earphones).

The brain of the speaker confi guration is a TiMax2

Soundhub-S, controlling the Coda ViRAY cabinet’s roll out during the show. “Each speaker position has a specifi c delay and gain value towards the seats on the stands,” says Thomas Van Hoepen, TiMax engineer. “When the stands move under the cabinets, these values constantly

change – the TiMax ensures, by means of minimal crossfades, that the transition between the stands’ positions is inaudible for the public. We’ve achieved a delay time of 5m per second, which I gather is quite good, considering the kind of venue we’re in.”

Van Hoepen explains that a comprehensive scheme of the production’s images, positions and settings resulted in a timeline. “Drawing up a timeline is crucial to calculate the position of

speaker cabinets vis-à-vis the stands. This process has taken us weeks to accomplish and would have been impossible without the TiMax,” he emphasises.

Steven Kemland, sales manager with Face, distributor of the TiMax2 Soundhub-S, says 14–18 is the second big

live spectacle in Belgium using the audio matrix platform. “Alongside this, we have implemented TiMax in the country’s leading museums and theme parks as fi xed installations,” he says. “Sound designers Marc Luyckx and Guido Olischlager decided to use the TiMax Soundhub-S because of the specifi c demands for the event, with its live surround sound.” For 14–18, Face supplied the newest, fully MADI-controlled TiMax2 Soundhub-S 64 in/out.

“The TiMax allows us to re-create a new theatre on every new location where the stands hold, resulting in a tremendous surround effect and perfect intelligibility for all of the 1,880 spectators,” concludes Guido Olischlager.

With over 140,000 tickets sold at the time of going to press, 14–18 is poised to run until the end of summer, making it one of the Low Countries’ most successful theatrical productions ever. The positive attitude of audio equipment manufacturers and distribution companies, in combination with the expertise of the sound designers, specialised engineers and the drive of Studio Haifax as main contractor, results in a must-see/must-hear spectacle for the Great War centenary year.

A one-off English version of 14–18 was staged on 15 June. PSNLIVE 2014

www.1418.nuwww.face.benl-be.sennheiser.comwww.studiohaifax.bewww.viladco.nl



TiMax engineer Thomas Van Hoepen

Just married: they’re off to the Somme for their honeymoon

At 300 x 60m, the Nekkerhal provides a signifi cant technical challenge

Phot

o: C

arol

e Edr

ich

Phot

o: C

arol

e Edr

ich

THE SECONDHAND/USED equipment market is constantly evolving as manufacturers introduce new systems to the market. These systems can be quite expensive, and it is sometimes diffi cult for small- to medium-sized rental companies to raise the necessary fi nance for new purchases, so considering an alternative to buying new is sometimes a necessity.

These days, most manufacturers are acutely aware of the importance for supporting the secondhand sales market, as it helps them to grow their user base at all levels – plus, it’s important to know where used packaged systems end up after being re-sold so they can offer support and training to new users.

Here are a few good tips to take into consideration when buying used audio equipment.

LOUD AND CLEARLike buying used cars, you need to check the mileage, age and condition of the systems you are considering. There are several ways you can this.

Firstly, locate a reputable live sound broker who is selling the type of system you are interested in and request all the information and details, along with photos, of the systems for sale. If you have any doubts or are not sure about the overall condition of the system after reviewing the photos, arrange a visit to the supplier via the

broker, who in most cases will be happy to welcome you to their warehouse for a full inspection and a test drive!

It is also a good idea to ask the supplier to open a few loudspeaker boxes so you can double-check that the components are of the correct factory specifi cation and condition is as described. You can also check the serial numbers with manufacturers to confi rm the age of the systems for sale.

Another good word of advice is to consider purchasing loudspeaker protective covers and fl ightcases, which add to the overall cost of the system but will help used equipment buyers to protect their investment – which, in turn, will increase the system’s resale value when resold.

DEALING WITH DESKSWhen buying used digital consoles, confi rm with the supplier that the system’s software is upgraded to the current factory spec and is fully operational. In the case of Avid and Digidesign, you will have to open a new iLok account and have the supplier transfer the registration to your new account at the time of purchase.

Another good tip when buying used consoles is to ensure the supplier packs the PSUs safely and, if possible, in touring fl ightcases to avoid any damage during shipping. It’s best that these are wrapped and strapped to pallets and kept off the wheels. European freight forwarders are not good at handling audio items on wheels, and the same goes for amp racks – better safe than sorry!

BRAND CONSIDERATIONWhen choosing a secondhand loudspeaker or mixing console brand, it is very important to consider the possible resale value and ensure that it will offer future sellers a good return on their investment. All brands vary according to the market demand, but some brands are more in demand than others –

so take a good look at the market and check which brands make it to the rider lists that land on sound rental companies’ desks before committing to purchasing a used sound

system or mixing console.

WARRANTIES ON USED KITNormally, when purchasing used equipment, there is only a short period to check over the system received and inform the

seller if it has any faults. If this is the case, the seller will want to be reassured that the fault in question is not the responsibility of the transport company handling the shipment. It is vital for the seller – or, in most cases, the buyer – to arrange for insurance cover before dispatch of the goods.

These days, some manufacturers over warranty periods of up to fi ve years.

These warranties are normally transferrable to secondhand equipment purchasers, but this might involve shipping the faulty goods back to the country where they were originally sold, repaired under warranty and then shipped back again. This is not the case with all manufacturers, however, so it’s a good idea to check this before committing to a used equipment purchase.

LIVE SOUND BROKERSOver the last fi ve years, there has been an emergence of live sound brokers operating in most countries throughout Europe and afar, most dealing with sound, lights, staging, etc.

My advice to anyone looking to invest in secondhand audio equipment is to fi nd a specialist who has a professional reputation and track record for

providing a 100 per cent backup service. When enquiring about used equipment with a broker, ask for some references and the contact names of some sound rental companies to which they have successfully sold used equipment in the past. Don’t send any advance payments unless you are absolutely sure you can trust the people you are dealing with and know where the equipment supplier is located.

Trust is the keyword! Dealing through live sound brokers can be a very worthwhile experience – if you just follow these few simple steps. PSNLIVE 2014

Bob Kelly: The secondhand market

“Take a good look at the market and check which brands make it to the rider lists that land on sound rental companies’ desks before committing to a purchase”

Bob Kelly tells PSNLive his top tips for buying secondhand audio equipment

Bob Kelly runs Bob Kelly Worldwide Livesound Brokers and has been operating in the fi eld for 13 years. Prior to this, he was an international market development specialist and introduced several brands to the marketplace, including Martin Audio, d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics and EAW. Before that, he was an “old road hog”, having worked in the ‘60s and ‘70s for audio companies like the Festival Group and Activated Air Audio services in Philadelphia (Traffi c, J. Geils Band), Heil Sound (Humble Pie), Dawson Sound (Steely Dan), FM Productions and Northwest Sound (CSNY, George Harrison) and The Rolling Stones in ‘75. “Back in 1970, I was also the original tractor/trailer driver for a new start-up company in Philadelphia called Ego Trips who provided the fi rst artic on tours with ELP and Pink Floyd,” he adds.www.bobkelly.co.uk

BIOGRAPHY

Used gear:how to buy

Follow Bob’s advice to buy used kit, like the ever-popular

Avid S3L mixing system (pictured), with confi dence


V FESTIVAL – UKThe biggest bands in the world, one of the biggest festivals in the world… V Festival sees a total of 172,500 people fl ock to its twin sites in Essex and Staffordshire. But for the privileged few, there’s so much more than global superstars.

The festival’s Louder Lounge takes the concept of hospitality areas to the next level. With free food and drink, plus gifting suites from fashion brands, free tanning and ice cream, there’s also a high likelihood you’ll bump into one of the many celebrities that visit the festival, or even some of the acts playing. The temptation is such you’ll never want to leave to go to the main arena.

GLASTONBURY – UKThis is the ultimate liggers’ festival. Everyone

from the creative and media industries joins (or tries to avoid) the likes of Prince Harry and Kate Moss backstage, in the area between the Pyramid Stage and the Other Stage or one of the other many hotspots, from

the campervan and RV park to the teepees. If you don’t have an invitation to somewhere you want to get into, you probably know someone who knows someone who does.

ØYA FESTIVAL – NORWAYRenowned across Scandinavia for great

line-ups, Øya festival in Oslo has a secret up its sleeve for international guests. If you are lucky enough to be invited to attend the event, the organisers also put together a programme of excursions and activities so you can make the most of your trip. From trips out on the fjord to backstage tours of the city’s extraordinary opera building, you can pack a city break in with your festival ligging.

COACHELLA – US This is the nearest civilians can get to really living the rock star dream, and it even kicks the legendary Glasto backstage well into the long grass. The Indio polo club’s gardens behind the main stage are given over to RVs for the bands – it’s easy to work out who’s

where as they all have signs on the windows – and there are easy chairs by a lake and barrels full of beer you can help yourself to. It’s actually pretty surreal just hanging around with Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse on one side, Zooey Deschanel on the other and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Robert Pattinson just wandering around. Here’s some advice, though: don’t camp next to Tommy Lee. We can’t reveal why.

ST JEROME’S LANEWAY – AUSTRALIAIt’s like an ASOS fashion show backstage

– which is funny because ASOS is a past sponsor. This Sydney festival is the most hipstery, and the backstage area is fi lled with lanky ladies in Megan-from-Mad Men hippie clobber. The backstage DJ plays cheesy hits by 80s Aussie soft rock bands – all the better to dance to – and the punters drink wine because Aussies love a drop – whether from a bottle or a goon box. It’s all a bit style over substance… but when everyone’s so good-looking and tanned, who cares?

SXSW – USOne of the best showcase festivals in the world, featuring what will no doubt be some of the hottest acts to hit a festival fi eld in the next few years. However, there are always queues for the biggest gigs and it can be frustrating trying to get in somewhere which reached capacity hours ago. So forget waiting in a venue all day to see the one band you’ve been desperate to catch – get yourself along to one of the myriad parties hosted by record labels, music export offi ces, booking agencies and more, where you can drink beer and whisky and eat barbecued meat from the moment you wake to the moment you fall into a food coma.

ROCK IN RIO – BRAZILSo, you’ve managed to tear yourself away from the beach and headed into

the festival. Make a beeline for the hospitality area. A huge temporary structure, it may look like the inside of a hotel lobby, but here you can escape the heat while grabbing a glass of something cold from one of the wine bars.

There are also chefs dishing up restaurant quality food and a viewing platform from which to watch the biggest bands in the world in comfort, never too far from the bar. This is a corporate festival, so provided that doesn’t irk you too much, this is one of the most comfortable ways to get your festival fi x.

ROCK AM RING – GERMANY Festival founder Marek Lieberberg is renowned for being a man of exceptional taste – not just with music (he’s promoted acts from Pink Floyd to Michael Jackson) but also with food. And it shows. The food here is among the best you’ll encounter at any festival. And it’s all gratis. Wunderbar!

SZIGET – HUNGARYFestival organisers are generally very friendly people, but the folks at Hungary’s Sziget (main picture) are probably the friendliest in the world. Their passion for the festival and their home country is so strong that nothing is too much trouble to ensure you have a fantastic trip. You want to head into Budapest for a sightseeing trip? You got it. Want to try some of the local delicacies – sorted. Another free glass of (local brew) pálinka? They’ll drink one with you and toast your health with it. It makes for a warm fuzzy feeling which lasts all week. PSNLIVE 2014

Festival frivolity


As the saying goes, the best things in life are free – and it applies more at certain festivals than others. Forget all the typical bugbears of a festival, and be transported into a world of clean toilets, free food and booze, exclusive performances and ultimate luxury. If you have the right connections, these festivals are the ones to pick for the ultimate backstage experience, writes Claire Evans

Liggers with attitude! The best festivals for blagging it

PSNLive 2014 digital edition

Documents

live sound business

live sound operations

different approach

pa companies

pro audio

youll nd

makers of psneurope

market report p6key