Metropolis Music announces its intention to make its open air shows in Bristol harbourside into an annual event, having already staged successful events with Paolo Nutini & The Pogues.
The original article can be found here: http://www.tpimagazine.com/News/2471173/metropolis_musics_bristol_summer_series_becomes_annual_event.html
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It wasn’t too many years ago that most shows were supported with trapezoidal point-source loudspeakers that were either horn loaded or front loaded. There were numerous touring companies providing proprietary loudspeaker systems, some well engineered and some not so well.
Rigging was often an afterthought, and many systems were ground stacked. Companies sprang up that did nothing but design and build aftermarket flying hardware to support both proprietary and manufacturer loudspeakers.
Depending on the combination of rigging and loudspeakers, the desired coverage might or might not be attained; we might or might not be able to get the exact coverage we were looking for, but because of the nature of point-source, a high level of precision was not required. Point and shoot was the order of the day. Eventually most of the manufacturers caught on and started producing fairly capable touring systems with rigging hardware included.
Then came the line array craze. Line arrays only work properly with precise aiming and rigging. All of the components must be vertically stacked and spaced within about one-quarter of a wavelength at the frequency of interest to couple and produce the desired “cylindrical” wave front. The splay between cabinets in the vertical domain has a large effect on how the array behaves. Point and shoot will not work.
The potential to create unwanted lobes and nulls in the coverage pattern requires a fairly sophisticated modeling program to predict the array behavior accurately. Some systems offer amplitude and frequency shading options. They also require rigging hardware that is precisely adjustable in single or even fractional degrees. Inclinometers and lasers have become part of the rigging toolkit.
Out Of Reach
Except for the very largest touring companies the engineering resources to create “home brewed” line array systems are simply not available. The CNC machines necessary to do complex wood and metal work are not in the inventories of most sound companies. Computer programming and software creation are not in most of our skill sets.
There are some prediction software “shell” programs that will accept data from a “one-off” loudspeaker, but the designer must also have the facilities and equipment to provide accurate and complete testing data not to mention paying a licensing fee to the software company. That puts line array development out of reach for most of us.
In many ways this is not a bad thing. From a provider point of view, a variety of quality solutions are available. As front of house mixers, most of us are familiar with many of the commercially produced systems out there, and this makes show advance much more predictable. Rigging is certainly safer. (And the loudspeaker manufacturers like it too!)
But maybe the pendulum has swung too far in the line array direction. Most of the major manufacturers offer many more line array products than large concert-level point-source devices. Few seem to be spending R&D dollars to develop new point source loudspeaker systems capable of doing major show reinforcement.
The bigger touring providers and many regional reinforcement companies have line arrays as their primary systems. Even riders for clubs and small theater shows list line arrays as their preferred equipment. Yet while line arrays are very effective tools for certain applications they’re not a “one size fits all” solution by any means.
The original article can be found here: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/prosoundweb/~3/21EWJS0bmI8/
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Every year, Miami’s show becomes the showcase for the rest of the season and the following shows. The best people combined with the best product enables ULTRA Music Festival to aim higher and become the inspirational hub for the industry and the global club scene.
The original article can be found here: http://www.tpimagazine.com/video/2452003/the_electrical_storm_part_33.html
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LAS VEGAS — How do you fit 13 years of Parnelli Awards shows honoring backstage excellence and innovation into a three-minute video? You can’t, of course, but for a cursory glimpse that gives just a hint of what the Parnelli Awards are all about, be sure to check out the video posted at the link below — and feel free to email the link to anyone who’s never attended a Parnelli Awards show so they can get an idea of what they’ve been missing all these years.
For more information, watch the video at http://www.parnelliawards.com/movie_2014-sizzle.html.
The original article can be found here: http://www.plsn.com/news/21-news/13759-check-out-the-parnelli-awards-highlights-reel.html
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The topic of sound pressure levels at live shows increasingly comes up in my conversations with audio professionals. There’s no firm direction or action that I see coming in the near future, at least with respect to the U.S., outside of specific local and/or venue enforced rules.
But given all of the talk on the topic of late, I thought it would be instructive to check in with long-time mix engineer (and LSI contributor) Dave Rat, who’s also the owner of Rat Sound Systems in Camarillo, CA, to get his take.
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Keith Clark: Are sound pressure levels too high at most pop/rock concerts?
Dave Rat: As with any perceptual-based opinion – “too loud, too soft, too fast, too dangerous” and so on – I have to say “it really depends.” If we can agree that the purpose of a rock concert is for people to gather together and share an immersive and memorable experience, and if we can agree that saturating the human sensory preceptors can increase our level of immersion in a given situation, then it would follow that higher sound volumes would be helpful in achieving a high level of immersion. At higher sound levels we can “feel” the music while masking any auditory distractions.
Just like the acceleration of a roller coaster or the simultaneous cheers at a sporting event increases our excitement level and narrows our perceptual focus to what we currently see, feel and hear, so does the saturation of senses at a rock concert. Bright lights, loud rhythmic music, and a mass of humans gathered together with a common focus all coincide to bring a memory so desirable that concerts have spread to and exist at every corner of the planet.
So as to the question of volume levels being too high, my response is that yes, painfully harsh, poorly mixed sound is always too loud. Is volume too loud as a generalized whole? In my experience, I don’t believe so.
Should we be concerned about SPL at concerts?
I believe we should be concerned about SPL levels at airports, car races and shooting ranges. We should be concerned with the speed and G-forces of roller coasters and the volume levels of screaming fans at sporting events. We should be concerned about the wind pressures on our ears while riding a motorcycle or driving on the freeway in a convertible. I also believe that the effects of prolonged exposure to high SPL levels and pressure change when flying in commercial airplanes are under rated, and further believe that the sound pressures on our ears in nearly all situations pale in comparison to the pressures and dangers to our ears while scuba diving. And I believe that when attending a rock concert, people should be aware and concerned about SPL as they should be in all of the above situations, because the same rules apply.
Being aware of auditory exposure is wise and the thought of municipalities purely focusing on rock concerts is concerning, especially since hearing protection is such a simple and inexpensive choice. When it’s cold, we put on a jacket, when it’s sunny, we apply sunscreen, and when it’s raining, we use an umbrella. If we get on a commercial jet, go to the drag races, or attend a rock show, if it’s too loud for our desired preference or personal exposure level, put in ear plugs. No biggie.
Why do you think so much focus is put on SPL at concerts versus other events and attractions?
That’s a good question. It’s weird to me – why is there not a big focus on SPL at drag races or NASCAR? Ever been? Now that’s loud! And just this past NFL season there was a “loudest stadium” competition with fans screaming their heads off in pursuit of “bragging rights,” with at least one stadium measured at more than 135 dB. Wouldn’t it make sense to focus on reducing those levels?
I believe the focus on concerts is based on several factors. Remember Beatlemania? Well, I don’t directly but I’ve read quite a bit about all of the concerns about those “long hairs” playing music. It may be a stretch, but to me it seems that in every generation the older and more conservative humans have a bias against the younger generations gathering in groups. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that volumes at rock concerts are a concern while volumes at sporting events seem to be a non-issue.
The original article can be found here: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/prosoundweb/~3/FxYDOILiFSQ/
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“La Voz Mexico” (“The Voice”), one of the highest-rated musical TV shows produced by Televisa, recently completed its third season lit by 28 ChauvetProfessional Nexus 4×4 luminaires, which played a prominent role in the show’s lighting design.
The original article can be found here: http://www.tpimagazine.com/News/2424811/chauvet_professional_nexus_4x4_shines_boldy_in_la_voz_mxico.html
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GATESHEAD, U.K. — For Goldfrapp’s recent U.K. and European shows in support of the electronic music duo’s latest album, Tales of Us, LD Rob Sinclair picks up on the album’s film noire imagery. He credited Philips Showline SL Nitro 510 strobe luminaires for delivering some of the looks he was after. Lighting director Louisa Smurthwaite also credited the gear, which was provided by Neg Earth.
More details from Philips Showline (www.philips.com/showline):
“Striking, stylish and slightly strange” are the words that established lighting designer Rob Sinclair uses to describe his eerie lighting design for musical duo Goldfrapp’s latest tour. Similar words could also describe the effects that he gets from the Philips Showline SL NITRO 510 strobe luminaires, which Sinclair has specified to deliver cinematic, crisp, cross stage washes alongside stark, ice white strobe effects.
Inspired by the ‘film noir’ artistry of Goldfrapp’s latest album ‘Tales of Us’, Sinclair’s high contrast lighting design uses 10 x Philips Showline SL NITRO 510’s to create unadulterated up-lit washes and acid-flash strobe effects that accompany some of the band’s most haunting tracks.
“We worked hard to create a lighting design that would complement Alison Goldfrapp’s double exposure photography, which is currently used as the artwork for the stage backdrop and also on the album cover,” explains Sinclair. “I wanted the atmosphere to come across as sinister and rural but with a slightly urban, man made edge to it.”
The SL NITRO 510s, which are supplied by lighting rental company Neg Earth, make up the bulk of Sinclair’s floor package: “We use the fixtures to deliver strobe effects at various intensities and full on cross stage washes,” explains Sinclair. “The SL NITRO 510s have a slightly narrower beam than I’m used to. The result is a longer throw that has proved really useful for lighting people from a distance. More traditional strobes often need to be very close to the subject and are then prove to be too hot. The NITROs performed brilliantly from the side of the stage, particularly during the song ‘Lovely Head’ – which has a number of entirely strobe lit sections.”
Sinclair’s overall design concept is built around an asymmetrical, dual purpose ‘forest of light’ that veers from providing subtle lighting effects to full on dramatically dynamic sets to disappearing altogether.
“Before the NITRO I’d been reluctant to use LED strobes,” continues Sinclair. “That was until I did a little shoot out at Neg Earth in December. What impresses me most about them is the sheer brightness of the strobe and the fact that it needs absolutely no recharge time.”
The tour’s lighting operator Louisa Smurthwaite is equally impressed: “What’s great about the SL NITRO 510s is that you can program them in a 4 channel Mode and pretty much get anything you want out of them quickly. I think it’s great that you can run video through them, although, due to the nature of this show, we’re using them in strobe and wash light mode only. As a strobe I am impressed, they’re great for lighting people and I really like how directional they are – it just keeps everything crisp and tight looking.”
Martin Palmer, Vari*Lite and Showline Product Manager EMEA for Philips Entertainment says: “We are delighted to see the SL NITRO 510s being used so creatively by Rob Sinclair on the Goldfrapp Tour. The array of over 1300 tightly packed, high power LEDs are giving him a maximum potential output of over 68,000 lumens and, as he says, even distribution of light across its six programmable zones. The fixtures are built for touring and are suitably robust and multi functional, potentially cutting down on the number of fixtures required. As Rob has proved they can be used as a high impact, directional strobe or a static white wash, plus of course there are the six controllable zones that can be used to pixel map effects.”
The original article can be found here: http://www.plsn.com/international-news/13241-goldfrapp-tours-with-philips-showline-sl-nitro-510-strobeluminaires.html
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