News about the Blog

Today i had a chat with Julius from CX magazine. We have reached an agreement to share content from each others web sites and also I will be writing the occasional article for CX magazine. This is indeed good news and was totally un-expected. I started this blog for the love and now others are loving what I am doing and giving me the support to continue with my writing in this area. Thank you to my loyal readers I hope to get more. Fell free to subscribe to this blog and recieve updates in your email. And thanks Julius for also believing in what I do.

Rudd’s Money- Nation Building

With the introduction earlier this year of  a cash injection for schools to build halls etc. as part of Kevin Rudd’s nation building concept. Have you wondered really how well this money is being spent, given the short time frame that they were given to spend this money. Now a know a lot of schools are building halls with a stage or performance space. Therefore you can sing and play netball at the same time. But are these schools getting the right type of advice in regards to the technical aspects of the performance area. How many dodgy companies have started up and are installing dodgy equipment that is not up to the job. Schools can be harsh on the equipment and the equipment needs to be good and tough. And how many people are working down to a price to get as much equipment into the venue, so the quality is down but the quantity is up. It should almost be mandatory that the audio system be of reasonable quality and sufficient to basicly work in a factory like space – lots of hard surfaces and large volume. Now so of this cheap equipment might sound great, but what happens when it breaks down? Will the schools have sufficient funds to repair or replace? Or will it fall into disrepair? Disrepair is whqat will happen I feel, this cheap equipment that is coming from overseas will look good and maybe sound good. But itis only a copy and often uses inferior components that will not last the distance of the equipment that they are copying. And these cheap Chinese copiers are also forcing some of the major  manufacturers to lower their prices and potentially lower their quality, so we all lose out.

So how do we know if the schools are getting value for money and has the government allowed provisions in the budget in future years to look after these venues and the equipment. We as tax payers need to ask our local members these questions. We do not want our children attending at school with what looks like great facilities only for them to break down and the school becomes even more in debt trying to maintain them. The schools need to be able to access quality equipment and advice, and to be able to put some of the funding away for future maintenance or a maintenance contract. How will this equipment put up with being belted with the odd basketball, especially if the lighting is exposed. Are these types of venues really ideal for schools, will be be sufficiently hands on for the students. Will students actually be able to access lighting bars etc legally? Because the purpose of these venues will be to teach students some technical skills. Or is there going to be a staff member sufficiently interested in the technical side and also possessing the necessary skills to use the equipment and make sure that it is maintained. Then you might have a school with no one that is interested in looking after the audio and lighting gear? What is going to happen to it? There are a lot of unanswered questions about this whole scheme. Is the money going to be wasted in a lot of these schools that are getting money through the Nation Building Scheme. some schools will make the most of it and will listen to industry professionals. but what about those who get in someone that is only interested in selling one brand, or is a music shop that does not have experience of venue installations and mainly sell amps, guitars and portable PA’s. Or the consultant that has no true venue experience as a tech. Hopefully the consultant will have access to engineers, good suppliers, has good insurance nad is willing to listen and to ask the hard questions and not be afraid to tell a client that installing rubbish is not the way to go.

If the government is investing in the nation’s children the investment needs to be ongoing one not a one of payment.

Your input on this topic would be gratefully accepted, this is an important topic.

Audix i-5 – a review

audix i-5 microphone

I got my hands on one of these the other day for a gig that I was doing. It was in place of a Shure SM-57. Well I will not be going back to a Shure SM-57 again if I have the choice. This microphone suited my style of sound that I was trying to reach when i am mixing. The Audix i-5 is a dynamic cardioid mic. i-5 more gain, lot of mid range more definition compared to sm 57. you might have to change you mix setting slightly to accommodate the slightly different sound that this mics produces in comparison to a SM 57. In fact it seemed to me that I had a bit more headroom before I hit feedback. This is always welcome. This microphone is really versatile, at least as versatile as the SM57. People might be thinking this is a direct replacement for the SM 57, it is not. It does have a different sound, in fact it make the SM 57 sound a little tired and old. This does the job a lot better.It has a lot better sound that is more in tune with the digital era that we are in today.

The i-5 mic brings a very clear sound into your mix.  It gives a nice crisp sound when used on a snare drum. It has a better off axis response so bleed isn’t such a problem. It is virtually bullet proof, surviving the odd belt from drum sticks really well. This mic is very well built and feels solid and workman like in your hand, it feels tough and ready to work hard.  It does have a swivel head shell cover.

The I-5 does have a pronounced proximity effect and there is  bass boost when the sound source is close to the microphone. But this can be a benefit if used well. And it is not a chore to roll a bit of bottom end out channel. You will find that this mic is going to work well on guitar cabs as well. Basicly where you use to use an SM 57 you can now use the i-5 , and to my ear, with a better and cleaner result. I have not run scientific tests on this microphone. I have used it in the field at a lot of live gigs and every time I used it I was amazed at the result. I and the bands were pleased with the sound that I was achieving with this microphone. And if the band is happy I am happy. So do yourself a favour and audition one of these microphones the next time you are doing a gig. you will be surprised by the sound. You will find plenty of uses for this very versatile microphone, and you will find some  more useful information about this mic on Audix’s website.

Now for the figures and specifications of this microphone:

• Transducer Type:               Dynamic
• Frequency Response:          50 Hz – 16 kHz
• Polar Pattern:                    Cardioid
• Output Impedance:           150 ohms
• Sensitivity:                        1.5 mV / Pa @ 1k
• Capsule Technology:          VLM Type B
• Off Axis Rejection:            > 23 dB
• Maximum SPL:                  ≥ 140 dB
• Power Requirements:        None
• Connector:                       Switchcraft® male XLR connector
• Polarity:                           Positive voltage on pin 2 relative to pin 3 of output XLR connector
• Housing / Finish:                Die cast Zinc Alloy / Black E-coat
• Weight:                            183 g / 6.5 ounces
• Length:                            141.5 mm / 5.6 inches

Well I suggest you go and grab one of these mics and have a load of fun, bring the joy back into your mixing

I give this mic an 8 out of 10

Techie Sayings

Some of these statements should keep you amused.

“Actors are props with dialogue”

“Beat to fit, paint to match”

“If force doesn’t work, you’re not using enough”

“Done is best”

“An actor without techies is a naked person standing in the dark trying to emote. A techie without actors is a person with marketable skills.”

“And on the first day the lord said. . . . . .LX1, GO! and there was light.”

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

“EVERY theatre company mirrors the muppet show, think about it.”

“John Wilkes Boothe should have shot an actor. . .”

“Love-it, Lock-it, Leave-it, Next. . . .”

“Let the actors finish it”

“I don’t make mistakes, I have unintentional improvisations.”

“Hmmmm. What would a smart guy do.”

“Our techies practice safe sets and Techies do it on cue.”

“Work sucks. I’m going to the theatre.”

“Life’s a stage and were constantly changing the scenery.”

“Extras are props that eat. . .”

“Umm, ’scuze me, your techies are showing. . .”

“If we could read minds, we wouldn’t need headsets.”

“Hey, I forgot my cue sheet, oh well, I’ll make it up. I wonder if they’ll notice?”

“All the girlies say He’s pretty white for a Fly Guy.”

“If I wanted to have people tell me what to do, I would have become an actor.”

“Techies are those people least appreciated, most abused, hardest working, in the entire history of the theater.”

TD is always right, if you think he is wrong, you must of misunderstood him.

“Gaffa tape is like the force – it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe  together!”

“F$$$ with me – and you’ll be dancing in the dark”

TV is furniture, Film is Art, Theatre is Life.

“Techies do it in the dark and don’t stop til the audience applauds”
“If all the world’s a stage then I want better lighting!”
“A stage manager is never late, nor are they early, they arrive exactly at the right time… Just like a wizard!” — said by the stage manager 

And then of course there’s :
“Lord, grant me the Serenity to accept the things that I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the Wisdom to hide the bodies of those actors….
… I just had to kill cause they pissed me off.”

And thestage manager’s prayer :
“May those that love us, love us
And to those that don’t, may God turn their hearts
And if He can’t turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles.
So that we may know them by their limping.”

Stupid mistakes are made by others; we only make unavoidable errors.

I’m not tired, I’m just caffeine deprived.

“Sleep is for the weak”

“put that down, it’s worth more than you are!”

“Oh, so you want to die? Keep that up and it can be arranged.”

“Have you ever wondered what your insides look like, because I’d be perfectly willing to satisfy your curiosity!”

“Stay invisible”

“We have a fullhouse  tonight crew, never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups, so if you fu@k up, do it loud, do it proud, and make sure the actors see it, so that their laughter is commented on, rather than your mistake.”

“If all the world is a stage and we are merely players, doesn’t that make the technicians gods?”

“If I have done my job well, no one will know I’ve done it at all.”

We sold out tonight, so don’t screw it up. If you screw up remember that I know where you live!

“By the way, we don’t mess up. We just like improv sometimes.”

“I see the screw up fairy has come to visit us again”

“Your speaking privileges have been revoked”

“Your breathing privileges have been revoked.”

When in doubt, blame an actor.

If at first you don’t succeed, rigging is not for you.
No matter what…Stay Calm…as long as no one dies…there is no problem

I know my job looks like fun. I am working. Kindly do not f*ck with me.

(for electrical Fixes) “spit on it”
(for set fixes) “if they notices it the actor isnt doing his job”
(and of course) “i cant i have rehearsal”
(oh and for those stressful moments) “relax its not brain surgery”

“If the director doesn’t notice it, it doesn’t need to be fixed.”

---

News November 2009

Martin MAC 250 Beam™ Brings New Life to MAC 250 Wash™

Converts a MAC 250 Wash into a new beam effect in minutes

The MAC 250 Beam is a new member of Martin Professional’s popular 250 watt series, an extremely punchy and compact beam fixture that generates variably sized pencil beams as well as wash effects via a motorized frost filter. It is available as an easy and inexpensive upgrade that installs in only 5 minutes on any existing MAC 250 Wash™ fixture.

Simple, inexpensive upgrade
The MAC 250 Beam upgrade kit consists of a new front module with micro Fresnel lens and a set of six beam effect gobos/apertures. It converts any standard Martin Professional MAC 250 Wash into a MAC 250 Beam in a matter of minutes, bringing new life and value to existing MAC 250 Wash fixtures for very little cost.

Intense, tight beam
The MAC 250 Beam’s intense light output and tight beam make for an extremely powerful mid air effect. The brilliant output is optimized via a glass cold light reflector.

A large diameter micro Fresnel lens produces a distinctive wide beam look that looks great mid-air, the same fat beam look as you get from 300 watt fixtures. A long 3000 hour lamp life translates into a lower cost of ownership and a choice of lamp options provides added flexibility.

The MAC 250 Beam projects a very narrow 3 to 8 degree beam for a real pencil effect, especially at smaller gobo apertures.

Colors and effects
The MAC 250 Beam’s CMY color mixing system produces a broad spectrum of colors with smooth cross fades in between colors for spectacular mid air effects.

A gobo wheel with 6 static gobos/apertures plus open allows for wider or tighter beam effects as well as multiple beams or cone looks. A motorized frost filter can be employed for soft beam or wash type effects. A high resolution dimming system provides smooth dimming and fast strobe effects.

Low noise cooling
The MAC 250 Beam is exceptionally quiet with variable fan control that keeps noise levels low to suit theater and TV studio applications. It features all the remarkable speed and quiet movement of the MAC 250 Series and a high-speed, automatic reset function realigns the fixture in seconds.

Maintenance and service ease
The MAC 250 Beam’s modular housing makes service and maintenance simple with fast access to modules and critical components for lower service costs and total cost of ownership. Re-lamping is a breeze as well.

A multi position, tilt arm lock eases maintenance and handling further and a switch mode power supply guarantees complete worldwide compatibility.

Convertible
MAC 250 Beam components can be uninstalled and the fixture returned to a standard MAC 250 Wash configuration at any time.

Martin Web Site

American DJ ProPAR 56 LED

American DJ’s new ProPAR 56RGB is an RGB color-mixing LED fixture and the ProPAR 56CWWW is a warm/cool white LED fixture. Each features 36 1-watt LEDs: the ProPAR 56RGB has 12 red, 12 green and 12 blue LEDs and the ProPAR 56CWWW has 18 warm white (3000K) and 18 cool white (6,000K) LEDs.

Both feature 0-100 percent electronic dimming, a 10° beam angle and can run in six different DMX modes. They can also be operated without a controller in sound active, master/slave or manual modes and feature a 3-button DMX display panel on the rear, multi-voltage operation (100-240V).

AmericanDJ Website

Be Afraid, Very Afraid

This work of fiction is based on a true story. The names have been changed to protect the guilty. This is probably happening in a venue near you. A local group have hired the venue to raise money for a worthwhile cause. They have written a show or a review style show. The staff will be performing all of the singing and dancing roles. Can you see where this is heading? Some of the staff are reasonably talented but some are not. Due to the limited budget they do not have that much rehearsal time. The first night you get a running sheets and some notes. You know that you need soem extra gear, such as radio mics. So you have turned up at the designated start time with the extra gear, you meet and greet them all and start installing the gear and setting up anything else that they require, cool. Everything is set up, you are ready so to speak, so you look at the notes that you have been given. You have not been given the full script, just some pages of notes saying such things as :- when Alan says ” It must be so” , they want the lights to go blue, or when group moves around in circle the strobe must be turned on.  Now you wonder who Alan is- a character or the person playing the character. And how often will the group move around in a circle. And heaven forbid if you make a mistake, you will be told. Not their fault really, I suppose, they do forget that we are seeing it for the first time.  The rehearsal has started late, about 45 mins late. The rehearsal drags and people forget to tell you were you are in the show or what you are rehearsing. The supposed stage manager does not once pick up comms to tell you what is happening. They is a lot of yelling instructions back and forth. You need to explain in simple english to the cast that they should always pick up the same radio mic for the same item in the show each night. That is why they have numbers on and we cannot read their minds either.

So the first night you don’t rehearse every item, pity there is only two nights of rehearsals. But the first night only finish two hours late. So the second night rolls around, you think you are all prepared for what can happen – WRONG. The rehearse in a different order again. And again they miss a few items, this will make the next night, opening night, very interesting. You have not seen all of the items still and some of the cast have not yet performed on the stage. We all like exciting opening nights with challenges.

Opening night has arrived. Someone will be on headsets letting us know. The tech is still waiting for a correct running order, but spends the time explaining how to use headsets and mics. Making sure the AV is working and changing batteries. The show starts with no warning, and staggers along. No idea when the MC is going to speak, and agian the show order changes slightly. But everybody from the audience to the cast are happy.

Second and final night arrive.  The crew backstage are getting better at telling the techs when things are likely to happen. But now we get other voices over the comms telling us info. It is the director so we get the same info at least twice. Again the order of the show changes slightly. But again we get thru it, which is is not to bad since there was only one tech on duty. The tasks that this tech performed was lighting, audio and some simple AV. Lucky a member of the show could help with the adio or it would have been very hair-raising. One day clients will realise that sometimes they really should pay a little bit more for extra techs etc. to make their shows world class.

Review – EAW NT 59

I have been using these speakers for a while and I am still as pleased with them as I was when we first unpacked them and installed them. They are still performing flawlessly and sounding just as great even though I also use other brand speakers at other venues I am still in love with the audio that comes out of these boxes. They are installed into a small to medium size venue that has a ranges of shows from concerts to dance schools.

The key features are:

• 2-way full range
• 1 x 15 in cone, sealed
• 1.4 in exit, 3 in voice coil compression driver
• Portable & Installation
• 2 waySelf-powered bi-amped
• New digital filters eliminate transient smear and horn “honk
• Rugged, Baltic birch plywood enclosure
• Extremely high output-to-weight ratio
• Symmetrical shape allows mirror-image stage monitoring

The Specifications are:

• Operating Range 50 Hz to 20 kHz
• Beamwidth 90° (h) x 45° (v)
• Power Handling/Output Self-powered; 127dB SPL (long term)Peak 133dB SPL
• Maximum Output:  LF 63 V, 1000 W @ 4 ohm,  HF 45 V, 500 W @ 4 ohm

•  

  

  EAW NT 59

When you first lift these beasts out of the box you realise they are weighty but it is not to hard to handle.  They have handles on the side and the speaker is reasonably balanced when you carry them. Putting them onto a speaker stand is a bit more differcult and I would recommend that you have someone assist you in lifting the boxes, these boxes do 29 kilograms which is a bit unmanageable when above shoulder height. They is a solid look about them, even if a bit boring. A rather bland dark grey black colour. At they do not have a bright blue LED on front indicating to all that it works.  One thing you really notice is the slanted sides. These boxes can also be used on their sides as monitors.All of the connectors are on one of the rear panels, which are basicly your input socket and a loop socket. You will also find the power socket here as well, this is a powercon connector not an IEC lead. At least it will not fall out mid gig, but if you do leave behind you are not going to be able to pick one up in your local hardware store. also on the back panel there are status LEDS for both built-in amps. There also LEDS to indicate clipping, signal and limiter activity. There are 2 selector switches. one for the high pass filter and the other for coupling if using the speaker with others.

The amps in the speakers are field replaceable which I have never had to do as they get on going.  and to quote the datasheet “digital signal processing sets it apart. EAW invented new, digital filter algorithms, called Gunness Focusing™, to generate precise, complex, filter responses. These filters provide the linear phase response needed for transient accuracy while eliminating coloration from internal phase plug and horn mouth reflections. Digital limiting, specifically tailored to driver limitations and to maintain sound quality, provides more usable output while reducing the risk of driver damage” . I don’t know how this “magic” works but these speakers do sound great.

The audio is very clean and lifelike. Your ears do not get fatigued listening to them for long stretches of time. They are a very easy speaker to live mix on. The sound is full range and crystal clear, you can easily hear the elements of the mix. All instruments are nicely defined with no smearing. Vocals also shine. These are a great all-round speaker that will give you and your ears a great deal of pleasure and long service. They will produce a sound that you will not tire of for many years. You can also get a companion self-powered sub that is perfectly matched to these NT speakers. With the subs in place you get a truly massive sound from what is essentially a small, easily toured system. The size of the system belies the sound that does come out of it. They also have Rigging/Mounting Integral flytrackand also a pole cup mount.

Well done EAW, I must admit I have a slight bias towards their speaker system but I think it is justified.

Get yourself done to your nearest supplier for a listen today, you will like what you hear. I rate them an 8/10

Contact:  EAW for your nearest supplier in your country, state or town.

lighting excess

Are we using to many lights to achieve very little. In these days of excess are we using to much gear and achieving nothing more than techie porn. Many years ago you usually did not have enough gear or budget but a good lighting designer made the lighting rig perform miracles. Then the budgets got bigger, and we got these huge lighting rigs but did they do anymore than what the simpler rigs did, or was that everything just got a lot brighter. The shadows disappeared. Everything was lit. And the light started to spill into the audience and the audience became part of the performance. Did lighting designers become lazy by just adding more gear and not using what they had very well.  And should the audience really be part of the show. The audience have come to see the show not to see other members of the audience. for a concert maybe the odd sweep into the audience is ok but to blind them and basically hide the performers in a mass of lights from the audience is not clever. A good show is were the performers stand out not the lighting. This applies to both stage productions and concerts. To me the art of good lighting is the use of shadows and colour without going over the top. so in these days of mega-wattage events the shadows have gone. Maybe in these days of global economic gloom we might get the shadows back. Lighting rigs might be parred down to the essential, designers will have to use a limited range of gear more effectively and creatively.

Weather and Outdoor Events

It is that time of the year when there is a proliferation of outdoor events. So what areas of OH&S should we be looking at. There are some more inherent risks associated with outdoor events and concerts. So we need to be more aware and alert during this period. There are more factors that can cause problems. So what are the obvious ones?
Well the event is outdoors so one of the key factors is the weather. This is the one variable that we cannot control. We can protect against sone elements but mother nature can soon change how an event will happen. You have to be concerned about wind, rain and the sun. So for each production there has to be a point at which the event could be jeopardised by the weather, and it is at this point the decision to cancel or postpone an event has to be made. now this decision should be made by the production manager in consultation with the authorities and the venue manager or owner. The safety of all of those involved is paramount. If people that are working on the event are covered by an award or enterprise agreement and these cover weather conditions, these also have to be adhered to.

Lets look at some aspects of weather in  relation to an outdoor event.

Temperature Extremes

Hot Days

The risk of heat stroke must be thought about. Dehydration is also a problem. Plenty of water and shade shouild always be available to people. If the performers need to wear costumes that have little ability to breathe or ventilate , this has to be taken in to consideration.

Cold Days

Again you need to provide appropriate facilities for people in these conditions. Shelter, protective clothing.

The risk assessment shall address control measures that may include rescheduling the performance or event to a different time of day, access to water, shade, fans, heaters, air conditioning, rest facilities.

Winds

High or gusting winds can create stress on portable or overhead structures such as lighting towers and other temporary structures. The risk assessment shall take into account potential hazards prior to commencement of construction and set out on-going risk assessment monitoring procedures that shall continue until such structures are dismantled. If forecast information indicates the likelihood of high or gusting wind, the production manager, in consultation with the venue owner/manager, shall assess whether the production needs to be postponed or cancelled and whether temporary structures need to be dismantled. Control measures must also be implemented in respect of securing any objects, including seating, fencing and stacked materials, that may potentially be blown over or otherwise moved by wind.

Lightning

In conditions of lightning or if lightning is forecast, special precautions must be made in relation to communication and lighting systems. Such precautions shall be set out in the Risk Assessment including the need for ongoing monitoring of weather conditions, the point at which lighting and communications systems should be disconnected and/or dismantled and/or the production/event postponed/cancelled.

Wet Weather

Slipping hazards are greatly increased in wet weather due to damp surfaces and reduced visibility. Electrical equipment and lighting established in areas exposed to weather present potential hazards. They must be protected to ensure electrical current does not come in contact with water. Residual current devices must be used at all times. In fact it is a good idea to plan for wet weather anyway. It is not only rain that can cause problems but sprinkler systems etc. can also play havoc with electrical. If the weather is also hot, some promoters will spray the audience with water this also needs to be taken into account.

Wet weather gear should be provided for work in rain. In heavy rain, consideration needs to be given to abandonment and/or the provision of sheltered space.

Tides and Floods

If a production or event is sited near water, the risk assessment shall take account of the possible impact of tidal activity and/or flooding.

Exposure to Sun

Consideration of sun exposure hazards shall have regard to the type of work undertaken, available shade, reflection, time of day/year, geographic location, access to fluids, altitude and PPE. Also equipment left in the sun can become extremely hot to handle and could also lead to injury.

Where sun/heat protection is required, appropriate clothing that covers the body and limbs, hats and sunscreen (Factor 15) and sunglasses shall be worn and fluids must be easily accessible. Appropriate PPE must be provided by the producing company.

Particular attention shall be paid to sun protection between 11 am and 3 pm.

As you can see that these considerations are a bit more complex due the mother nature and are not likely to be applicable to indoor events. In fact if you are doing a moderately sized outdoor event it might be a good idea to have a back up venue available in case of cancellation.

What was on Show at Jands @ Home

Soundcraft had on display si Series Digital Live consoles. This is a really nice console, maybe a bit on the large size. But it does have that nice solid feel to it. This desk does offer an easy upgrade path from a analog system. With this console you can take it out of the box and plug it straight in. The desk has all of the necessary analog connectors on the back. The layout is pleasant and easy to follow, a lot of it is self-explanatory especially if you are familiar with digital consoles and even if you were not, it would not take long to get a mix happening. Specs are below

• 48 or 64 Mono inputs
• 4 Stereo inputs
• Left/Centre/Right outputs
• 24 bus outputs (Aux/Group)
• 8 Matrix outputs
• 12 VCA’s
• 8 Mute Groups
• 4-band fully Parametric EQ with high and low cut filters.
• On-board dynamics
• Four independent Lexicon processors
• A physical output and meter for every bus.
• 8 assignable analogue inserts for additional outboard equipment
• 4 expansion slots for AES/EBU and/or MADI
• HiQNet connectivity
• Dual redundant power supply option

Si Series by Soundcraft

Shure’s UHF-R wireless microphone system was on display. To many this might be just another wireless system but as with technology there are always improvements and this set up represents Shure’s continued effort to improve an already good system. These are solidly built units that should easierly survive the rigours of touring.  Qouting from thier brochure “

Offering you more productivity, more reliability and more control, UHF-R is premier wireless technology that helps you master the complexities of large-scale wireless installations. UHF-R takes wireless to a completely new level.

Unparalleled control for complex installations. UHF-R automates setup and control operations to save you time and effort on even the most complex networked installations. UHF-R’s usability innovations include networked Automatic Frequency Selection with group scan, infrared automatic transmitter sync and smart menu-driven system operation for fast setup and intuitive operation.

Superior RF performance and reliability for every installation. With 3000 selectable frequencies across 75 MHz of bandwidth, UHF-R provides up to 40 simultaneous compatible systems per band. Advanced Track Tuning Filtering Technology, by shifting the RF filter along with the selected frequency, allows you to deploy this added bandwidth without audio degradation or interference. All UHF-R components – including the compact, sweat-resistant bodypack – are engineered to withstand the abuses of the road. You can rely on UHF-R for consistently reliable performance, always.

Crystal-clear audio that sounds more like wired. Shure’s patented Audio Reference Companding delivers crystal-clear audio transmission, far superior to conventional wireless. Unlike other wireless systems, Shure uses a variable companding ratio that responds to the audio level – eliminating wireless artifacts and substantially increasing dynamic range.

I think their words say it all. You can also get some great accessories. It also has two bodypacks  transmitters with switchable RF power. Also available is a variety of handheld mics such as SM58, SM86 etc. A very versatile system. Visit the Jands website to find out more.

Clear-Com were displaying the Encore Party-line  and Tempest Wireless comms systems. Now Clear-Com have been around for a lon time in the industry and their gear gets better and better. I have always been a fan of thier systems so it was nice to see what improvements they have been made over the years.

The Encore system is an improvement on the wired system that they have always made. And what a versatile system it is. It is also extremely robust and would take a rock’n'roll beating and still keep working. There are a lot of bits and pieces so that you can assembly a system that is just right for your situation.

Encore Wired System

The Tempest Wireless intercom products are also very neat. They do not work in the same frequency band as your wireless mics, so that you will not have problems with the frequency allocations. They work on the 2.4GHz band using digital frequency hopping technology. The system is very comprehensive. You can name beltpacks, control who mics are open etc all via software loaded on a PC or from a base station.

Tempest Wireless System

ETC also had some lighting desks on display.  There were 3 desks from the Eos Series, the Ion Control Desk, Element Control Console and the Eos Control Desk. As with all ETC desks these are well built and very functional looking.  They have a desk to suit everybody. A look at the tech specs will show you have useful these desks will be.

Eos Control Desk

Complete control of conventional and moving lights, LEDs and media servers. Supports multiple users with partitioned parameter control and full backup, multiple playback faders and cue lists in a tracking, move fade environment, with unique tactile response direct selects and encoders.

applications

• Theatre
• Television Studios
• Houses of Worship
• Corporate Theatre
• Exhibits
• Special Events
• Touring

features
• 4000, 8000, 12,000 or 16,000 Outputs/Parameters
• 10,000 control channels
• 12 Discrete Users
• Partitioned Control
• Master playback pair with motorised 100mm faders
• 10 100mm motorized faders x 30 pages for configurable
faders, submasters, masters and grandmaster control
• 2 full size LCD touchscreens for display, direct selection and
context sensitive control
• LCD direct selects with tactile response
• Four discrete palette types (IFCB)
• Presets function as “all palette”
• Effects provide dynamic relational and absolute progressive
behavior
• Central information area (CIA) accesses electronic alpha
keyboard, Hue + Saturation colour picker, gel picker, browser
and other controls
• 1 context sensitive LCD touchscreen with six associated
force-feedback encoders for non-intensity parameter control
• Configurable high-density channel display, with format and
flexi-channel modes
• User configurable topographical channel views
• List views of all record targets
• Mouse-less navigation of displays
• ETCNet2 and Net3 (powered by ACN) network protocols
• Show import from Obsession, Express/ion, Emphasis, Congo
and Strand 500/300 Series via ASCII
• Multiple MIDI and/or SMPTE Time Code Inputs, MIDI Through
and Output, Analog/Serial Inputs

Ion Control Desk

features

• 1024, 1536, 2048, 2560 or 3072 outputs
• 10,000 channels
• 4 Discrete Users
• Master playback pair with 60mm faders
• Four discrete palette types (IFCB)
• Presets function as “all palette”
• E ffects provide dynamic relational or absolute
progressive action
• Central information area (CIA) accesses electronic alpha
keyboard, Hue + Saturation colour picker, gel picker, browser
and other controls
• Configurable high-density channel display, with format and
flexi-channel modes
• User configurable topographical channel views
• List views of all record targets
• Mouseless navigation of displays
• ETCNet2, Net3, Artnet and Avab UDP network protocols
• Show Import via ASCII from Obsession, Expression, Emphasis,
Strand 300/500
• In/Out: local DMX512 x 2, MIDI In/Out, Networking DMX,
MIDI, SMPTE, SERIAL and contact closure via Net3 Gateways

Element Control Console

FEATURES
• 1024 Outputs
• 250 or 500 Channels
• 40 or 60 Fader versions, pageable as channel or
submaster control
• Master Playback pair with 60mm faders, GO, STOP/GO BACK
• Intensity, Focus, Colour and Beam Palettes
• Stepped, Relative and Absolute Effects
• Hue+Saturation Color Picker and Gel Picker for LED, CMY
color mixing
• ETCNet2, Net3, ArtNet and Avab UDP network protocols
• Show import via ASCII from Obsession, Express, Expression,
Emphasis, Strand 300/500
• I/O: local DMX512-A (2 output ports), MIDI In/Out, Ethernet
• Distributed DMX, MIDI, SMPTE and contact closure via
Net3 Gateways

ETC also manufacture the popular Cono, Congo Jr, Smartfade and SmartFade ML. ETC products are extremely popular.

Also on display was the Vari-Lite VLX led wash light. LEDS are certainly improving. This lantern shows the way that LEDS could be heading, if no other technology knocks them out. A very nice piece of kit.

Vari-Lite VLX

Jands New Modular Lighting Bar…The JLX-PRO was also on display. This is a very useful for new venues being set up. This is pre-wired and all you do is rig it and run power from your dimmers to it. You can also have DMX and data in the bar as well, Jands offer it in several configurations. so there is bound to be one suitable for you. due to its modular nature it can be cost effective and you can build on the system.

Features

• Proprietary extruded aluminium spine for strength (Registered Design No. 302249)
• Durable construction & black low sheen finish.
• Distributed Loads of (up to) 100kg/m & Point Loads of (up to) 100kg.
• Three module lengths (2.35, 3.5 & 4.7m) and three outlet densities (low, medium & high) for simple user customised solutions from standard building blocks.
• Kits for flying from ropes or chains, for suspending from battens and for fixed installations.
• Industry standard Socapex cables, headers & tails.
• 10A (standard) & 20A (optional) outlets available.
• Compatible with Jands WM range of patch panels.
• User configurable Extra Low Voltage compartment using Jands SB plates and universal inlet kit.

   

  

  JLX-PRO Modular Lighting Bar

Jands also had some other interesting staging products on display. Jands are one of the big players in fitting out theatre venues and and they have the resources to back it up. They have some very interesting gear that will make a techie life so much easier and also reduce the OH & S issues with flying of scenery and the like. Items such as P 250TH servo – which is a motorised steel band hoist, H550P-VX – which is their Pile wind motorised hoist, controllers for these hoists.  This is some serious kit which I wish I had in some of the venues I worked in.

So you can see that Jands had a reasonable amount of gear to show off. Some of it I have not mentioned or otherwise this post would have gone on forever. But I will repeat myself and say I hope Jands will do this again for Adelaide, as this sort of thing is rare here.

For those that want more information I suggest you visit the Jands website and they will help you solve your technical needs. They can be contacted at Jands

or

Jands Head Office operates from 8:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday, Australian Eastern Standard time.

Jands Pty Ltd
ABN: 45 001 187 837

Jands Head Office
40 Kent Road
Mascot NSW 2020

Postal Address
Locked Bag 15
Mascot NSW 1460

Main Phone Number: (+61) 2 9582 0909
Main Fax Number: (+61) 2 9582 0999