TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL

WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM
MARCH 2014 ISSUE 175
LIVE EVENT DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY • MARCH 2014 • ISSUE 175

BACKSTAGE AT LA’S STAPLES CENTER

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

TPi AWARDS 2014 • IN PROFILE: EUROTRUSS • IN THE SPOTLIGHT: PRESONUS • THE NAMM SHOW
THE BRITS • CATERING MARKET FOCUS • LA CONFIDENTIAL • MOJO BARRIERS’ 25TH ANNIVERSARY
 THE PERFECT MIX
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 PRELUDE

WWW.CHAINMASTER.DE

Visit us
At The Frankfurt Fair
12th - 15th March 2014

• Chain Hoists
TROPHIES ALL ROUND... BGV-D8/D8+/C1
It’s been a hectic few weeks at TPi, to say the least; not only is this our biggest • VarioLifts up to 42 m/min
issue of the year, but we also managed to put on the most successful TPi Awards • JumboLifts up to 6000kg
to date - thanks in no small part to the stellar team behind it. Huge thanks to Event • Control Systems D8/D8+
Manager, Amy Wright and Production Manager, Liz Madden, for ensuring the night
• Wireless Control Systems
went smoothly and ran into the early hours. As you can see above, both the TPi and
mondo*dr crews had a blast, so thanks to our production suppliers and sponsors who
BGV-C1
made the event possible, and once again helped us celebrate the talent, creativity • Computer Controls SIL3
and expertise our industry has to offer. • Load measuring systems
And then there was Huey Morgan. • Rigging Equipment
“What better way is there to support
He came, he caused controversy and he • Accessories
conquered, all in a velvet suit jacket. You can each other than to encourage each
read the behind the scenes report on Pg.24. other’s passions?”
I’m very pleased to tell you that our new
editorial recruit, Patrick survived the afterparty, but a bigger test is approaching.
As you know, when Frankfurt was created, it was done so with the ‘baptism of Hall 9.0 Booth C91
fire’ label for our industry’s newcomers (I know after nine days on the job, it was We are pleased about your visit!
certainly mine!), so please feel free to welcome and overwhelm him at the show! The
Mondiale stand will be our usual pitch between Halls 8 and Hall 9, stand CO3.
From TPi’s accolades to The Brits (Pg.64), our cover story this month is the 56th
CHAIN HOISTS • CONTROL SYSTEMS • SOLUTIONS
Grammys, which were certainly a mammoth awards night. On Pg.50 we detail the
production and it’s impressive audio feat. Also in the Greater Los Angeles area,
Hannah and I continued our road trip diaries, this time visiting several companies
during our trip to The NAMM Show (Pg.96). And yes, with this issue’s seemingly
American theme, we willingly consumed a lifetime’s worth of Twinkies, Baby Ruths
and Reeces Pieces. Dan Duffell of Solid State Logic did throw a sneaky Cadburys fix
my way though...
Jet lag cures aside, there are much more pressing matters at hand. This month’s
PSA column looks at the growing concern for electricity-related greenhouse gas
emissions at off-grid outdoor events, and we introduce a new column, ‘Clocking
Off’ in which you, the readers and supporters of this magazine tell us about a worthy
cause you’re involved in once the day job is over. In this first edition, Ian Turner
of GLS Lighting and Monitor Engineer, Jac Nott tell us about their Cove Guardian info@chainmaster.de
duties in Japan. It’s a tear-jerker. If you’re reading this and are planning a charity or
environmentally-active adventure, please get in touch. After all, TPi as a brand is about
our community and strong relationship-building just as much as it is technology and
CHAINMASTER BÜHNENTECHNIK GMBH
design, so what better way is there to support each other than to encourage each Uferstrasse 23, 04838 Eilenburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 3423 - 69 22 0
other’s passions? That’s where great ideas begin.
Fax: +49 (0) 3423 - 69 22 21
Kelly Murray
E-Mail: info@chainmaster.de
Editor www.chainmaster.de

03
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 ITINERARY
CONTENTS 03/2014
EVENT FOCUS
CREW
a member of

06 Muse
Editor Muse’s Olimpico Stadium gig gets Outline’s
Kelly Murray cinematic treatment in Bicocca, Milan.
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360
Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 10 Maroon 5
e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk LD Eric Wade guides us through his design for
Maroon 5’s concert at Londons O2 Arena.
Assistant Editor
Patrick McCumiskey 14 uTRAC
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 The new software set to take the headache out of
Mobile: +44 (0)7929 249169
crewing admin.
e-mail: p.mccumiskey@mondiale.co.uk

International Advertising & Sponsorship 16 Mojo Barriers Turn 25

Hannah Eakins A look back at the development of safety
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 barriers.
Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230
e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk 20 Ehrlich Brothers
Elation Professional illuminates the Ehrlich
Advertising Sales Brothers’ magic stage show.
Kieren Gardens
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 PRODUCTION PROFILE
Mobile: +44 (0)7733 113284
e-mail: k.gardens@mondiale.co.uk 24 TPi Awards
We give you the in-depth coverage of the 2014
TPi Awards Event Manager event.
Amy Wright OTLIGHT
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580 50 The Grammys
e-mail: a.wright@mondiale.co.uk TPi goes backstage with the crew responsible for
the 56th awards night.
Graphic Design & Production
Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk 64 The Brits
Mel Robinson: m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk
Simon Duff reports from the production helm.
General Manager Justin Gawne
Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh IN THE SPOTLIGHT
76 PreSonus
Contributors PreSonus’ MD, Jim Odom, reveals all behind the
Simon Duff & Mike Clark ambitious Ai Series.
Intern Verity Carson
CLOCKING OFF
www.tpimagazine.com • www.tpiawards.com 78 Ian Turner of GLS Lighting and TPi Award-wining
Monitor Engineer, Jac Nott write about Sea
Cover Photography:
Shepherd’s plight in Taiji Cove.
56th Grammy Awards - Photo courtesy of The
Recording Academy® / Wireimage.com © 2014
Printed by Buxton Press COMPANY PROFILE
80 Eurotruss
Annual subscriptions (including P&P): Eurotruss sets the standard for the new European
£42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW). trussing regulations as it celebrates its 20th year.
Subscription enquiries to: Subscriptions,
Mondiale Publishing Limited, Waterloo Place, ON THE ROAD
Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, UK; 86 LA Confidential
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580; Kelly Murray visits JBL, All Access, Renkus-Heinz
Fax: +44 (0)161 476 0456;
and GLP for the latest territory installment.
e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk

Issue 175 / March 2014 EXPO

96 The NAMM Show 2014 direct from Anaheim, CA.
TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine,
published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited under licence. ISSN
1461-3786 Copyright © 2014 Mondiale Publishing Limited. All contents of PSA
this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction
in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the
102 The attempt to reduce energy use at off-
prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy grid outdoor events, explored.
in the preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Publishing Ltd,
nor the Editor, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential
loss or damage resulting from information published. The views expressed MARKET FOCUS
are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept
no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs,
104 Catering
illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. TPi delivers the best in tour catering.
Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published 12 times
a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited United Kingdom. The 2014 US annual
subscription price is 117USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent MOVERS & SHAKERS
named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, 110 The latest industry appointments.
Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431.
US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International,
Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, VITAL STATS
Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale
Publishing Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK. 114 Elation’s Marc Librecht takes the hot seat.
05
 EVENT FOCUS: Muse

CINEMATIC SUCCESS FOR MUSE

BEFORE A GENERAL 2K SCREENING IN 200 ITALIAN CINEMAS AND 700 WORLDWIDE A WEEK LATER, A
PREVIEW 4K SCREENING OF MUSE LIVE AT ROME OLYMPIC STADIUM (A CONCERT BEFORE 60,000 FANS
RECORDED IN ULTRA-HD IN JULY) WAS PREVIEWED IN JUST TWENTY CITIES WORLDWIDE. OUTLINE
PROVIDED THE CINEMATIC SOUND REINFORCEMENT TO ENHANCE THE LIVE CONCERT SCREENING. MIKE
CLARK REPORTS FROM MILAN.

One of the two UCI cinemas chosen in
Italy for this unique preview (UCI Bicocca)
was fitted out with an audio rig by Italian
manufacturer Outline to give the audience
a high-impact live sound for what the band
described as its best concert of the year.
Outline has been in the trade press news
in recent years for high-profile applications
of its sound reinforcement systems - such
as its GTO - by leading international rental
firms and on high profile events (including
concerts by Andrea Bocelli, Justin Moore,
Alanis Morissette, Will Young and Sting, and at
famous festivals such as Womad and Fuji).
Francesco Ferretti, of Outline’s R&D
department, told TPi: “Outline has designed
and manufactured dedicated cinema
loudspeaker systems since 2000. We have
carried out on-going upgrades to components,
such as the woofers and, thanks to their
vertical dispersion, the enclosures are
particularly suited to multi-screen venue rooms
which are often more steeply raked than the
seating in cinemas of the past.”
Distributor Nexo Digital decided to screen
the previews in two UCI Cinemas, not only for
the brand’s high profile on the Roman market
(27% market share) and in Milan (31% market
share), but particularly due to the important
innovative technological equipment in both
theatres, which was able to highlight the
projections of the alternative concert content.
These previews were to ensure the best
launch for the dates of the single projection
day scheduled for 12 November and tickets
sold out for both theatres in a matter of
hours. UCI Italia Marketing Manager Sonia
Fois stated: ”Since pop-rock concerts are
among the alternative content that perform
best, UCI has for some time been investigating
the opportunity of offering in the circuit’s
most strategic venues a unique audio and
video quality, on a par with seeing a real live
concert, and the collaboration with Outline
enabled us to offer our audiences this. Audio
and video play an equally important role as far

06

Opposite: The screening set up of Muse live at Rome Olympic Stadium at the UCI Biocca cinema in Italy; The movie poster. Below:
George Clooney attended the Outline-equipped Italian premiere of his latest film, Monuments Men.
as the viewing experience in cinema theatres is
concerned.”
As well as the Outline Movie enclosures
behind the screen at UCI Bicocca (six Movie B
215’s for low frequencies and three Movie H
102’s for mid-high frequencies), the set-up for
the Muse preview included four Outline LAB
21 HS SP (infra-low units), one of the world’s
most compact and lightweight subwoofers
with a 21-inch woofer.
Daniele Pagani of Outline’s Measurement
System Department described the control set-
up: “From the point of processing, there was
a Dolby CP750 and an Outline Genius M412
matrix (which processed four channels - left,
right, centre and subwoofers). The command
macros received from the DoReMi digital
cinema hardware completely change the halls’
sonic impact: each macro calls up a preset of
all the audio parameters (EQ, twin limiter) on
the Genius M412. The macros can also change
signal routing, enabling multifunction use of
the rooms. L, R and C are then processed by
Outline’s iMode modules, which in this case
are ‘just’ used for this activity.”
IMode’s dual-stage compressor / limiter
(RMS and Peak) enables sound pressure to be
pushed to the maximum with no distortion
and without putting the speakers at risk; even
with digital audio content. This compressor /
limiter set-up aboard each enclosure, along
with a diagnosis system monitoring impedance
and other important parameters, safeguards
enclosures and extends their duration through
time.
Pagani added: “This means no more amp
EVENT FOCUS: Muse
racks, but powered enclosures with iMode
technology, which allows the use of the AES
/ EBU digital input and Ethernet connection
for recalling functions via the DoReMi macros.
As well as solving considerable problems
in cinemas, and offering the possibility of
monitoring speakers’ health directly from an
iPad, the fact that iMode does away with the
need for racks of equipment could be a cost-
reducing solution for cinemas - self-powered
cinema systems plus iMode.”
“In the past”, explained Fois, “UCI has
screened live concerts by Italian singers, the
last of which was in 2013 with the group
Modà on the occasion of the preview event
for the film Bianca come il latte rossa come
il Sangue and we hope this trend increases.
At the same time, with UCI, singers are
experimenting with other forms of use of
cinema theatres. For example, for Valentine’s
Day this year, all the 447 UCI digital theatres
screened an exclusive preview of the video of
Per Sempre, the new single by Luciano Ligabue GLP impression X4
from his Mondovisione album. │
Outline-equipped theatres are also used
for other events, which recently included DROP BY AND CELEBRATE WITH US:
the Italian preview of the film Monuments
Men, attended by the complete cast - George
Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John
Goodman, Bob Balaban, Jean Dujardin and
Dimitri Leonidas - as well as the film’s co-
producer and screenplay writer Grant Heslov
and Robert Edsel, author of the book on which
the film is based.”
The Outline system - installed at UCI
Pioltello’s Theatre 9 just in time for the
07
EVENT FOCUS: Muse

Below: Outline’s Movie Series allow cinema-goers to enjoy a realistic live sound experience in the indoor venue setting.

Monuments Men - comprised three

Movie H 102 (Mid-High horns), three
Movie B 215 bass units, two Movie S
218 subwoofers and 24 Movie FX81
surround enclosures. The powerhouse
was a trio of Outline M5000-4 amplifiers
and control via Outline Genius M 412
DSP
Owned by private equity firm
Terra Firma Capital Partners, Odeon &
UCI Cinemas Group is Europe’s most
important cinema operator. UCI Italia is
the country’s market leader, with a share
of over 20% and 44 multiplex venues,
with a total of 447 screens.
Fois concluded: “UCI has a Digital
Team dedicated to the continuous
supervision, maintenance and fine-
tuning of audio and video technology. At
the moment, UCI Italia has two cinemas
whose theatres are all equipped with
Outline systems. They are our most
recently opened venues - UCI Gualtieri
and UCI Villesse - and in 2013 we also
began a plan for the conversion of
existing audio systems to Outline in five
other cinemas currently under way.”
TPi
www.outlinearray.com

08
 Se Boo
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20
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 EVENT FOCUS: Maroon 5

MAROON 5
THERE’S LITTLE DOUBT THAT MAROON 5 ARE RIDING HIGH AT THE MOMENT. THIS IS A BAND WHO RADIATES
CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ASSURED ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THEIR LIVE PERFORMANCES. HERE IN THE UK
AND EUROPE, JANUARY SAW THE ARTISTS COMPLETE A DATE SHEET INTERRUPTED BY FRONT MAN ADAM
LEVINE’S TV COMMITMENTS TO THE US VERSION OF THE VOICE. ANOTHER OUTFIT MIGHT HAVE OPTED FOR A
DOWN SCALE VERSION OF THEIR STAGE PRODUCTION FOR JUST A FEW SHOWS. NOT SO FOR MAROON 5 WHO
HAVE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY BEHIND THEIR TOURING LIGHTING AND VISUALS.

With a stage set, laser show, video and
lighting design by Eric Wade - a veteran
who has worked with the likes of Usher,
Mariah Carey and Eric Clapton - this was
a show to blow away all of those January
blues. Described by the London Evening
Standard as, ‘A lightshow which could
have illuminated the dark side of the
moon,’ Wade’s design was lacking only in
compromise. To compete successfully with
the video content, the lighting rig needed
to be able to hold its own with three of the
‘most high-definition screens this reporter
has seen at the O2 Arena’.
LIGHTING
“I am using a tonne of Clay Paky fixtures on
this show,” said Wade. “Probably the most
ever. There are Sharpys, Alpha Profile 1500’s,
Alpha Wash 1500’s and Sharpy Washes. I really,
really like the Alpha Wash which I specified
when I originally re-hung the rig - it does the
job better than anything else on the market. As
for the Sharpy Wash, it is simply an incredible
fixture; I’ve been able to swap out a good many
lights and replaced them with fewer of the
Washes.
“With such an intense light level on stage
and with live footage being integral to the
show, I needed a keylight that could really hold
its own. The Alpha Profiles have proved to be
just that and more. If a rental company didn’t
have them in their warehouse, I would insist
on a sub-hire or a purchase as a substitution
would simply not be acceptable.”
Wade is almost surprised by his Clay Paky
epiphany: “I admit to not being a veteran Clay
Paky user,” he conceded. “My background is
with another manufacturer but I confess to
being totally converted.
“The combination of high quality lighting
fixtures and a great crew from Neg Earth has
made this tour something of a joy,” Wade
continued. “I had very limited time to design the
show though I did a good deal of programming
in my basement in New Jersey. My console of
choice is an Ma Lighting grandMA2 - in fact it’s
the only desk I would ever use. I have one of
my own at home, probably one of the first sold
in the States which shows how confident I am
that it is a board that will remain the standard
everyone else will have to beat for many a year. I
guess it is the combination of simplicity and the
power to accomplish whatever you want that
does it for me. No other board comes close.
“I arrived in London to winter storms and
lost luggage. Things were not looking bright

10
 EVENT FOCUS: Maroon 5

Opposite: Adam Levine and his band were illuminated by Eric Wade’s selection of Clay Paky fixtures. Below: Chaos Visual Productions supplied the impressive video technology and provided crew to the
tour.

but as soon as we got into rehearsals I knew I could

relax. The Neg Earth guys were superb - nothing
was too much trouble - and then I discovered that
Ambersphere Solutions who provide support for both
Clay Paky and MA Lighting were just around the corner,
so I asked if they would let me have a look at the new
Clay Paky B-Eye fixture. They very kindly came over to
rehearsals and set up a demo for me. The light was just
as amazing as the press has said; I can’t wait to get it in
my rig!”

VIDEO
“Chaos Visual Productions have supplied me with the
perfect combination of great equipment and a fabulous
crew - I simply can’t fault them. Everything has been
efficient and stress-free since we started rehearsals -
they really know how to look after a jet lagged lighting
designer! Any problems simply get solved; for example,
our main screen won’t fit in a couple of the venues
on this tour but scaling everything down to fit is no
problem.” Straight talking Texan, Eric Wade, is currently
at the helm of Californian band, Maroon 5 as designer
of lights, video, stage, set, FX - in fact pretty much
everything except sound.
“Although this is not a long tour, we are very large
on this,” continued Wade. “This outing is really fulfilling
commitments from last year that were disrupted by
Adam Levine’s involvement with The Voice in the

Chaos Visual Productions Ltd

Bedford Technology Park // Thurleigh // Bedfordshire // MK44 2YP
P:+ 441234 780 120 F: + 441234 780 121 E: uk@chaosvisual.com

LOS ANGELES NASHVILLE UNITED KINGDOM

11
EVENT FOCUS: Maroon 5
Below: Maroon 5 opted to keep their production looking full, despite only playing a handful of European dates; Levine had Clay Paky fixtures in the show design; Below Left: Wade with his MA Lighting
grandMA2, supplied by rental company, Neg Earth; Eric Wade (LD), Alex Leinster (Chaos MD) and Andy Tonks, Crew Chief.
USA and - from both a performance and a
production point of view - we want to make
sure the audience get absolutely 100% from us.”
Certainly, Chaos contributed more than their
fair share. Rewarded with special praise by a
review in the London Evening Standard, the
video element of the show weaved seamlessly
throughout the set. The central screen spanned
the stage over an inverted arch truss that framed
the performance area of the band. At 48ft
by 24ft it was flanked by two smaller screens
stage left and right creating an exceptionally
wide stage; restricted viewing was definitely
not a problem at this show. All three carried a
combination of video content and live footage
which was also shown on two more IMAG
screens flown above the audience half way
12
down the hall. At every turn, Wade seemed to
intuitively have the audiences’ visual experience
as his guiding mantra.
“Video has been an integral part of any LD’s
box of tricks since the early 90’s,” reflected
Wade, “but in the last decade the progress in
what is visually achievable has really accelerated.
For this tour we’ve combined some of the
video from the last tour with lots of new stuff.
The Control Freak Systems servers are a very
clever piece of kit - I particularly like the effects
produced with the audio reactor - like the band
themselves they are both fun to work with and
very cool to watch.
“I work very closely with my Video Director,
Chris Keating and although the show is
programmed throughout we’re also able to
respond to what happens from night to night
in a very fluid manner. That takes more than a
little trust and cooperation and to achieve that
so quickly into a tour says a great deal about the
calibre of the people from Chaos UK that I have
around me. With two cameras FOH, two floor
cameras on stage, six statics and two robotics
in the truss I’m able to create the perfect
combination of live visuals and video content for
the audience - and that’s what we’re all here to
do.”
TPi
www.negearth.co.uk
www.chaosvisual.com
www.claypaky.it
www.malighting.com
www.ambersphere.co.uk
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 EVENT FOCUS: uTRAC

uTRAC
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS RENOWNED FOR CONSTANTLY PUSHING BOUNDARIES IN TECHNICAL INNOVATION;
FROM PINK FLOYD’S FLYING PIG TO U2’S ICONIC 360° STAGE, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING BIGGER,
BETTER AND MORE IMPRESSIVE TO TALK ABOUT. HOWEVER, AS THE INVENTOR OF UTRAC, RONAN MOORE
DISCOVERED, TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. TPi HEARS THE LATEST IN
CREWING ADVANCEMENTS...

Innovations are happening at every level of
of industry, even behind the scenes where
you may not even notice them. Whilst these
logistical innovations don’t have the visual
‘wow’ factor of their FOH counterparts, their
role in ensuring that the show goes on is
essential.
uTRAC is one such innovation developed by
Ronan Moore, who noticed a gap in the market
for a solution to the admin headaches inherent
with scheduling crew. uTRAC is a cloud-based
scheduling and workforce management tool,
with specific web apps for crew and supervisors.
“The crew are integral to making sure that
an event goes smoothly and opens on time, so
making sure they’re where they’re meant to be
at the time they’re meant to be there is vital,”
explained Ronan Moore, Managing Director of
uTRAC. “The nature of the live event industry is
that it’s always time sensitive, regularly hectic,
and frequently volatile in nature. With the
possibility of constant changes and alterations
to schedules, everyone involved, from
production manager to local crew, needs to be
up to speed to ensure an efficient show.”
Moore started his career as local crew
for Event Services Ireland (ESI) back in 1999
when the MTV Awards headed to Dublin. “It
really kicked off the industry in Ireland and the
noughties saw a huge increase in live events,”
Moore said. “Wittness kicked off in 2000,
turning into Oxegen in 2004. Over the same
period we went from one concert a year in
Slane, with possibly one other, to routinely
hosting several stadium scale events a season in
the Dublin area alone. This increase in activity
was great for the industry, but it really stretched
us logistically.”
Having worked in most areas from
stagehand to rigger and stage-builder to crew
boss, he found himself working increasingly
in an operational role, often battling with the
mountain of admin it entailed after the show.
It was during this time he began developing
his ideas to streamline the whole process. Now
Moore heads uTRAC’s team of five from its
company HQ in Dublin.
“The light bulb moment for an online
solution came during an Oxegen Festival load
out in 2008. The office was ringing me looking
for an update on everyone’s hours so that they
could start processing wages. It was going to
take that long to ensure everyone got paid on
time. I was stressed and up to my eyeballs in
a load-out and I realised that there just had
to be a more efficient system, whereby the
information I was using for scheduling could be
directly accessed for the admin team’s needs -
the rest grew from there.”
uTRAC links scheduling straight to invoicing
and features a mobile login for crew members,
meaning no more phone calls or forgotten
shifts. With festivals and tours getting bigger
and more complex annually, crewing companies
are scheduling thousands of hours per year.
They have become smarter in the way they
manage their workforce with businesses such as
Salima, Aiken Promotions, Pitman’s People and
Knight Rigging Services are all utilising uTRAC’s
software.
It was used by both Aiken Promotions
and ESI to manage the crew for five of Bruce

14

Opposite: Ronan Moore, uTRAC MD, in action. Below: The uTRAC programme in use on the iPad
and smart phone formats.
Springsteen’s spectacular sold out
Wrecking Ball shows last summer
across the UK and Ireland. The
logistical coordination was tight
- five gigs in five cities over five
weekends, all by the same teams
and suppliers.
During the run of shows uTRAC
managed unique large and small
teams of over 200 staff, assigned
to 3,500 shifts totalling more than
30,000 hours over the locations,
keeping the show on the road
without any complications.
Recently named TPi’s ‘Rigger
of the Year’, Sven Knight, Director
of Knight Rigging Services (KRS),
which was also awarded ‘Best
Crewing Company’, added: “We
began using uTRAC because we
were growing as a business and
were doing all of our payroll and
scheduling administration the old
pen and paper way which was very
hard to manage. One of the best
things about using uTRAC is the
level of customer service you get
from the team because they know
how the industry works so well.
Last year we were processing just
under 2,500 hours on a weekly
basis with uTRAC, it was such a
seamless transition from the old
system and we’d be lost without it
now.”
In the last decade there has
EVENT FOCUS: uTRAC
On the road…
with the right material
■ Flexible, tough multipair-cables
for permanent use
Frankfurt, Germany
■ Robust stagebox-systems 12 – 15 March 2014
Hall 8.0, Booth J40
■ User-friendly cable solutions
■ Customer oriented manufacturing
■ Big stock and fast delivery
HD-BaseT extender
max. 100 m
been a proliferation of technology
in FOH areas across festival
MADI connection
sites and concerts such as RFID systems
technology which is the buzz word
of the 2014 market. But only in
the last few years has this same
focus on technology really taken
off as an event infrastructure
application. Tighter deadlines,
and the ever present desire for
improved efficiencies, means that
any advantage to a smoother run
back-stage process is to be lauded.
With a projected 2.5 million users
of mobile workforce management Offroad fibre system,
solutions by 2018, it seems the IP68 protection class
events industry is starting to realise
the benefits.
“Scheduling seems like a
small part of an event, but it’s so
important to get right. Windows
of operations are minuscule in
the event industry. By making
everything run smoother, the
overall experience for everyone YOUR
improves,” concluded Moore. “The ORDERREE
event industry has seen at the very COS T F GUE !
O
forefront of technical development CATAL
in so many areas. Dreaming big
and embracing the dream is often
what separates this industry from
others. Now we need to take that
attitude with the smaller stuff too.” SOMMER CABLE GmbH
TPi Audio Video ■ Broadcast ■ Media Technology ■ HiFi
■
info@sommercable.com ■ www.sommercable.com
www.utraconline.com
15
b92,5x277_BV_EN_Prolight_140114.indd 1 14.01.2014 14:15:01
 EVENT FOCUS: Mojo Barriers

MOJO BARRIERS TURNS 25

THE HUMBLE STAGE BARRIER IS A FAMILIAR SIGHT AT FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS ACROSS THE WORLD,
AND IS SEEN AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF EVENT SAFETY. BUT THIS WASN’T ALWAYS THE CASE, AND AS MOJO
BARRIERS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS, TPi TAKES A LOOK AT HOW ATTITUDES HAVE CHANGED TOWARDS CROWD
SAFETY.

The Mojo Barrier was first developed in
1988 by John Mulder who was running
Netherlands-based promoters Mojo
Concerts. “It was the late eighties when
I first got the idea,” explained Mulder. “I
was working on a Michael Jackson gig at
the Rotterdam Stadium and 200 fans were
pulled across the ‘barriers’ after getting
crushed.
“Back then bike rack was used, supported
by wood. I remember saying to a colleague
that I was going to solve the problem. If there
wasn’t a suitable product available I was going
to design it. There’s no way that unsafe practice
could continue.”
With nothing available on the market,
Mulder set about creating his own. Of his
admittance the first design left a lot to be
desired. “It was so heavy it needed four people
to lift it,” he laughed. “So it was back to the
drawing board. But the first design showed me
exactly what needed changing and the next
version went into production.
“It was originally only meant for our own
concerts but orders were quickly coming in from
the world’s biggest acts; Rolling Stones, Pink
Floyd, U2 and Tina Turner. They’d all seen it in
action and wanted it. I set up Mojo Barriers as a
company in its own right and two years later we
were on almost every global tour.
“Those first few years were a lot of fun!
Travelling all over the world talking to music
production and event organisers who wanted
to understand the product. One memory which
particularly stands out was a Prince gig. He was
refusing to perform due to health and safety
concerns and I personally talked him through
the barrier and how it worked. The show, at the
Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam, went on.”
The original barrier was made from steel.
The aluminium version which is still used today
was introduced in 1998. The one-metre wide
sections feature perforated holes to allow
sound through (sound engineers were quick
to point out that flaw in the first design). The
basic principle is a vertical section bolted into
a horizontal floor plate. For quick set up it is
attached to the next section using just one bolt
and the base plate extends out to the front and
is stood on by the audience, keeping it in place.
It’s a design that has since been replicated
the world over. “Back at the start when the
first few copies came out I did take court
action,” explained Mulder. “But I soon realised
I didn’t want to spend my life in legal battles.
Competition was inevitable either way.”
Mojo Barriers’ current Managing Director
Cees Muurling, who took over the role in 2009
following the tragic and unexpected death of
Patrick Jordan, added: “The market has changed
extensively in 25 years and there are a lot of
competitors now. Competition is healthy in any
industry but unfortunately there are some good
and some bad. The difficult thing is that most
barriers look the same - how can you tell?”
Mojo’s barrier sections withstand a force

16

Opposite: Mojo Barriers at the Roskilde Festival, Denmark. Below: Cees Muurling, Mojo Barriers MD with ‘The Gatekeeper’; Jim Gaffney from the Mojo UK Operations Team.
at least five kilonewtons per metre and undergo
extensive initial testing using hydraulics to pull
back the straight section until the requested
values are reached. But there’s more to barriers
than meets the eye, and it’s the design of
configurations which can literally make or break
it when it comes to safety.
“The barrier is more than simply a
commodity,” explained Muurling. “There’s no
point having a barrier if you don’t have skills to
be able to design a suitable configuration which
offers optimum safety for artists, crew and
audience. So many things are looked at from the
demographic, ground type, scheduling of bands;
the list goes on. All of these elements need to
be taken into consideration, and you need to
have the data and the experience to create the
right designs.”
However, despite the vast improvement in
safety over the last two decades incidents can
and still do happen. Paul ‘Cookie’ Cook, group
head of health, safety and security at Live Nation
explained when his attention first turned to the
importance barriers played on site: “There was a
EVENT FOCUS: Mojo Barriers
barrier movement in 2005 at Manchester City’s
Eastland’s Stadium when Oasis played. The
incident was discussed right across the industry,
and everyone took a lot more interest and raised
questions on the importance of barrier layout.
“In my opinion the barrier did its job. There
were no injuries and only a slight delay. The
barrier moved - but it did what it was supposed
to do. There was a split in thinking though,
and some people thought it didn’t. Since then,
licensing has taken a lot more interest.”
Another crowd control incident - which
17
EVENT FOCUS: Mojo Barriers
Below: AEG Live UK’s International Production Director, Keith Wood; Mojo Barriers Founder John Mulder; Mojo Barriers at Reading Festival.
influenced the decision to cancel the following
year’s Glastonbury Festival - was Denmark’s
Roskilde festival in 2000 where nine people
tragically lost their lives. Roskilde was quick to
react and has since invested heavily into research
and development to improve standards of
safety.
This included working with Mojo Barriers’
Barrier Load Monitoring System (BLMS) which
the company launched in 2005. Incorporating
a pressure sensor into the barrier it has been
used at events including Roskilde itself and
Reading and Leeds Festivals; gathering data on
crowd pressure and understanding crowd flow
and movement which is then used to design
improved layouts.
AEG Live UK’s International Production
Director, Keith Wood, used the system at a
Linkin Park gig where the local council wanted
real time data on barrier loads. He said: “Mojo
started it all off. Their aluminium barrier is a
great product, which is why so many people
have copied it. These copies might look similar
but they generally don’t work as well. We first
used Mojo to create huge 500 metre golden
circles on big tours like Bon Jovi. There is a lot
more competition now which has seen Mojo
get undercut by copy cats that don’t necessarily
have the level of crew or skill set that they do.”
Jim Gaffney has worked with Mojo since
2002 when the company bought his business,
Pit Stop Barriers - which launched at the same
time as Mojo in the late eighties - independently
from each other. He’s been running the UK
operations ever since; this summer moving from
UK Director into a consultancy-based role.
“Attitudes have definitely changed,” Gaffney
confirmed. “Production and tour managers trust
my opinion and judgement. My background [in
security and health and safety] means I have a
18
deep understanding of crowd movements and
how barriers should be used. There used to be
reluctance but there is a lot more acceptance
now.
“I remember when we first introduced a front
of stage barrier thrust at Reading - where there
was a history of extreme audience movement.
The promoter resisted at first because it creates
a large space in front of the stage, meaning the
bands aren’t as close to the crowds as they’d
like. We need to find a happy medium and
compromise. But the bottom line is that it really
worked. This model, with thrusts, catwalks and
secondary lines, is now used across the world
and is an accepted option for a busy modern
festival site.”
Another example is Donington Park’s
Download Festival. Live Nation’s Cookie said: “In
2010 we had 110,000 people on site in front of
the double fronted stage for AC/DC. That meant
developing a particular front of stage barrier
design, with secondary and tertiary barriers.
There are a lot more companies in the field
now so competition is keen, but Jim [Gaffney] is
unique in his understanding of crowd dynamics
and how to get the best design to reduce
pressures and suit the audience demographic.
“Last year at Download we had 2,000 people
come over the FOS barrier during the Slipknot
set. The security team has to have confidence
in that barrier, so we all get involved from the
start. Jim designed the back step to suit their
needs. For me Mojo goes beyond just supplying
barrier, they bring their experience.”
So what’s in store next? For Mojo’s Muurling
there are some clear trends: “We started off
pure rock ‘n’ roll,” he commented. “But now the
products and disciplines can be seen across the
world at every genre of event from corporate
to sports. They’re even deployed during access
and egress at venues, such as our work at the
London 2012 Olympics channelling crowds from
the train stations.
“We developed our Gatekeeper 2.0 in part
to meet this need. Launched last year, it is an
intelligent turnstile system which links to a
centralised computer giving real time data on
capacity. The new system can host any scanning
software from RFID to QR and mobile and
has been used at events including the 50,000
capacity Graspop festival where it was used as a
complete access control solution.”
Emerging markets are also constantly looking
to improve safety at events and Mojo has
provided barriers in Indonesia, Malaysia and
Singapore for Metallica, going on to secure a
Malaysian distributor. This adds to a growing
network which includes Japan, Finland and
Spain amongst others.
For Jim Gaffney the future needs just one
thing: open communication. “Barriers are the
invisible hero of a show. They influence so many
decisions, but people don’t even know they’re
there half the time. Everyone needs to continue
to work together and raise any concerns they
have. That’s never a problem for me! If there’s
ever any issues it’s like, ‘come on, let’s sort this
out now’. At the end of the day people’s safety
is at stake.”
Finally, the man who started it all, John
Mulder concluded: “When I designed the
barrier all those years ago I didn’t realise the
impact it would have. It is great that the whole
industry was so willing to listen and learn and
accept something that required such a change
in attitude. A huge thanks goes out to all of the
production and tour managers who worked
with us to make this happen.”
TPi
www.mojobarriers.com
 EVENT FOCUS: Ehrlich Brothers
ELATION LIGHTING WORKS MAGIC ON
EHRLICH BROTHERS’ GERMAN TOUR
LIGHTING PLAYS AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN LIVE ILLUSION SHOWS; AND DYNAMIC LIGHTING
FROM ELATION’S PLATINUM SERIES MOVING HEADS ARE WORKING THEIR OWN MAGIC ON GERMAN
ILLUSIONISTS THE EHRLICH BROTHERS’ CURRENT TOUR.
Ehrlich Brothers Magic is a one of a kind
show - and with 60 cities on the schedule,
it’s the biggest tour ever by a magic act
from Germany.
Lighting, video and audio service provider is
Professional Event Solutions (PES), a full service
rental house based in Bünde, the same German
town that the Ehrlich Brothers call home. “Our
close relationship means we are more than just
a dry hire company for the Ehrlich Brothers,”
stated PES Managing Partner, Carsten Müller.
“We’ve worked with them in the past as
technical partners and are involved in many
other aspects of the show as well. A magic
show of this caliber requires an abundance
of supporting props and material. The Ehrlich
Brothers bring their illusions and the technical
elements needed to perform them, as well as
some decorative lighting, and we provide the
rest - that includes the Elation Platinum Series
20
moving heads.”
Because the technical aspects of the
illusions are big and heavy, the audio, video
and lighting gear needed to be easy to use
and set up. In the early planning stages of the
tour, the Ehrlich Brothers worked with lighting
design firm MO2 Design, headed by renowned
LD Ollie Olma, about an easy-to-handle yet
efficient lighting set up. MO2 suggested using
lamps from 700W - 1200W but PES came with
other suggestions, namely, the 189W Platinum
Beam 5R Pro and the 300W Platinum Spot 15R
Pro.
“We had used the Platinum Beam 5R Pros
on the Ehrlich Brothers’ first tour in 2012/2013
and were therefore familiar with them,” said
Müller. “We then talked to Elation Europe
about the Platinum Spot 15R Pro as well. We
ended up suggesting both these fixtures for
the tour because we knew they could compete
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Opposite: Elation Lighting provides the perfect accompaniment to the optical tricks of the Ehrlich Brothers live shows. Below: Elation Platinum Bean 5R Pros.
with 700W - 1200W fixtures as far as brightness
and power savings are concerned.”
The Platinum Beam 5R Pro features a sharp
and narrow 2.5° beam with eight dichroic
colors and eight gobo patterns while the
Platinum Spot 15R Pro is a CMY colour mixing
unit with 22 gobos and a 9° to 27° variable
zoom. Professional Event Solutions presented
the fixtures to MO2, as well as to the lighting
engineer and the tour’s Programmer / Operator
Daniel Gründler, who expressed satisfaction
with the speed and output of the fixtures.
22
“Brightness and speed were the main
decision points to go with the Platinum fixtures
but ease of use was also important,” Carsten
explained. “Each venue on the tour is different
and the lighting fixtures need to be repositioned
at each, but Daniel has very limited time for
that. The Platinum moving heads are easy to
handle, making set up a much easier process.
And with trim heights of up to nine meters,
there is no problem getting efficient bright
beams out of them.” 16 Platinum Spot 15R Pros
work from above the set with eight positioned
on the floor and eight Platinum Beam 5R Pros
mounted in the scenery.
The Ehrlich Brothers tour is an ambitious
outing with 90 shows on the schedule and
often two shows per day. Carsten added: “The
Platinum fixtures work about 14 hours a day and
have been very reliable.” The fixtures are used
for show and effect lighting, to set the mood
and to create excitement.
TPi
www.elationlighting.eu
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VTX_V20S25_TPI_022414.indd 1 2/24/14 11:55 AM

 PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014

THE TPi AWARDS 2014

THE WINNERS…

The Outstanding Contribution Award Favourite Rehearsal Facility Tour Manager Of The Year
Chris Mounsor Sponsored By Medialease Sponsored By VER
LH2 Glen Rowe

Tour / Production Coordinator Production Manager Of The Year Favourite Rigging Company
Of The Year Sponsored By LS-Live Sponsored By EFM Sponsored By Sunbaba
Helen ‘Hels Bells’ Smith Andy Cotton Knight Rigging Services

Monitor Engineer Of The Year Favourite Sound Rental Company Favourite Security / Crowd
Sponsored By Yamaha Sponsored By Harman Professional Management Company
Otto Kroyman Britannia Row Showsec

Favourite Transport Company Mark Fisher Set Designer Of The Year Favourite Crew Company
Phoenix Bussing Sponsored By Perry Scenic Sponsored By VME
Misty Buckley Stage Miracles

24
 PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014

Rigger Of The Year Favourite Video Company Front Of House Engineer Of The Year
Sponsored By Rigging Services Sponsored By Chauvet Professional Sponsored By Martin Audio
Sven Knight XL Video Snake Newton

Favourite Catering Company Favourite Power Supply Company Favourite Venue

Eat To The Beat Sponsored By SES Sponsored By CUK Audio
Buffalo O2 Academy Brixton

Favourite Staging Company Favourite Freight Company Stage Manager Of The Year
Sponsored By CGA:Live Rock-It Cargo Josh Rosen
StageCo

The Des Fallon Video Visionary Award Favourite Lighting Rental Company Lighting Designer Of The Year
Sponsored By Green Hippo Sponsored By Robe Sponsored By Martin By Harman
Richard Turner Neg Earth Oli Metcalfe

Favourite Set Construction Company Favourite Travel Company Live Production Of The Year
Sponsored By J&C Joel Sponsored By Private Jet Charter Sponsored By Chauvet Professional
Brilliant Stages Music By Appointment Arcadia Stage - Glastonbury

25
 PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014

THE TPi AWARDS 2014

ONCE AGAIN THE TPi AWARDS BROUGHT LIVE EVENT PROFESSIONALS TOGETHER FROM FAR AND WIDE
FOR AN EVENING OF AWARDS, ACCOLADES AND A 6AM FIRE DRILL. THE TPi EDITORIAL TEAM SPOKE
TO THE HARD-WORKING CREW BEHIND ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED NIGHTS ON THE INDUSTRY
CALENDAR.

On Monday February 10, the TPi Awards
2014 were held once again at London’s
Novotel West to a crowd of more than 1,100
guests. Since its inception in 2002, the TPi
Awards has become a staple of the industry
calendar serving as one of the year’s most
important networking events and social
outings.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals frontman and BBC
6Music DJ, Huey Morgan, returned for the
second time to host the awards, keeping
the audience entertained through all 27
categories.
Liz Madden, Production Manager, with
NoNonsense Group noted that: “Our industry
is a tough audience, especially as there are so
many awards. Mondiale Publishing asked Huey
back, and he is the only person to be invited
back. He loved working on the event and said
he had the opportunity to catch up with lots of
friends.”
At the helm once again, Madden - with
two decades of experience working on events
such as the London 2012 Olympics and Live 8 -
ensured that the event ran faultlessly. She said:
“After the success of last year, we didn’t really
implement any changes apart from getting
some new suppliers involved, but as I was
working with Amy Wright, the Event Manager
from Mondiale, it gave us the opportunity to
review the ways lots of things were done.”
Wright returned to working on the event this
year after a 10-year hiatus. Madden was keen
to elaborate on their new partnership, stating:
“Amy is a real pleasure to work with. We share
a need to work with lists and can’t rest until
everything is done! Nothing is too much trouble
for her and she just gets on with it. I’m really
looking forward to working with Amy again.”
Wright noted: “The last time I worked on
the Awards was in 2003. I think there were
around 500 people in the room that year, so
to be involved again and witness first hand
the development of the TPi Awards was truly
stunning... it’s more than doubled in size with
a production worthy of any live music venue in
the UK! Liz Madden’s attention to detail was
staggering, her knowledge and expertise make
her a joy to work with.”
As was the case in previous years, Madden’s
task was no easy one. “It’s not a case of just
deciding on individuals who you want to work
with, it is more about creating a team who will
work closely together to put on a great show.
There are some suppliers and sponsors who
have supported the event for years and we are
delighted to have them as part of the team.”
Madden was also keen to highlight a number
of companies wanting to be a part of the TPi
Awards for the first time: “We are all keen to
keep it fresh and keep bringing new companies
into the mix. We were lucky enough to be
approached by companies who wanted to get

26

Opposite: Host for the night, Huey Morgan welcomed the audience. Below: Huey paid his respects to the late, great Mark Fisher; The retro style visuals were created by Digital Insanity.
involved - this year we got the mix just right and
the atmosphere on site was really relaxed and
friendly.
“It’s all about maintaining the balance.
Guests need to feel they are getting value
for money, and this is the same for sponsors,
suppliers and supporters,” continued Madden.
“The challenge is creating a show that is totally
different
Blackout to last year. Having
'People' half-page LSI:Layoutcontinued:
different suppliers
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
involved can help with this, and it’s great when a conference room in a hotel - and one that
the ideas start coming together. I am not sure presents many challenges. The weight loadings
that the guests come to the event with a critical are restrictive and the low ceiling in the back
eye; they just want to have a great time and half of the room is not ideal, but no venue is
network. They expect us to put on a good show perfect and we just have to work round it.”
and hopefully we didn’t disappoint.” As with previous TPi Awards held at the
The Novotel conference room presented Novotel West, one of the principal issues was
a number of challenges for Madden, she achieving an equal distribution of sound.
1 11/2/14 “We have to remember
14:56 Page 1we are in “Sound has always been an issue at this event
The drapes
and rigging
people.
At Blackout we offer more than just the usual
event equipment hire. It’s not just that we’re
the only company in the UK supplying a
complete drapes and rigging service, we also
provide what others can’t. Our people.
Blackout people, from project management,
through warehousing and manufacturing to
rigging and installation, are skilled,
dependable and enthusiastic - in fact, we
thinkthey’re the best in the business.
Find out for yourself. To talkto Blackout about
your next project or event,
phone +44 (0)20 8687 8400
contact us at sales@blackout-ltd.com
or visit www.blackout-ltd.com
Where the people
make the difference.
27
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
Below: Production Manager, Liz Madden with host, Huey Morgan; The Pioneer-sponsored afterparty was held below the main function room.
until 2013 when VME’s Ben Hyman came on
board. VME’s careful planning and attention
to detail has made such a difference,” Madden
added.
With well over 1,000 guests in the room,
special attention was also given to the visuals.
“There are so many guests at this event and
being able to see is a key part of the evening
so we chose to go with larger screens for real
impact. CT’s Project Manager Nick Whitehead
wanted to transform the space; hence the white
voile drapes from Blackout were installed across
the width of the room behind the screens. The
lighting worked so well with this and created a
dramatic effect.
Siyan was this years lighting provider.
Madden added: “Sometimes less is more when
it comes to lighting and I think Siyan did an
28
incredible job this year. I hadn’t worked with
Nick Valdez and his team before but I hope it
won’t be too long before I have the opportunity
to work with them again.”
The event also became a focal point for
student, Nicole Reberio, who wanted to gain
experience with Madden in the production
department. She told TPi: “It was a fantastic
opportunity to meet and work with people so
skilled in their field, and I felt privileged to be
part of the team. Liz really took me under her
wing and showed me the art behind executing
such a successful event. What a great night!”
AUDIO
“It was a great opportunity for VME to get
involved in the Awards last year,” commented
VME’s General Manager, Ben Hyman who again
supplied the ceremony’s audio equipment. “It
was a very important event for us to get right;
there are a lot of eyes watching every aspect of
the production.
“We wanted to come back again this year
and improve on what we did previously, and
demonstrate that it wasn’t just a one-off that
we got everything so right in 2013. We are
still a company that is relatively unknown to
many industry personel, so there’s the obvious
marketing advantages associated with doing
this event, but within that, there is also the
potential for it to work against us if something
isn’t right.”
However, the sound department worked
fluently and the night went without a
hitch. “We made sure that we had the right
equipment and crew to make the event happen
I am
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
Below: The video crew, L-R: Nick Whitehead of Creative Technology, Digital Insanity’s Richard Bagshaw, Richard Shipman, Suzy Casserley of Green Hippo; The J&C Joel team hung bespoke fabrics for
the downstairs area.
flawlessly. We had the same crew as last year
working on the event, so everybody knew from
arrival what needed to be done, therefore it
made the project management aspect really
quite simple,” noted Hyman.
The crew was completed by Steve Brierley
as FOH Engineer, system techs Gareth Thomas,
Chris Snow and Mike Bell, and audio riggers
Steve Ness and Ben Gallagher.
Additionally, Toby Donovan from Martin
Audio was on site to assist with the setup of the
MLA Compact (MLAC) and the time alignment
of the whole audio system. Martin Audio’s
Nigel Meddemmen also gave technical support
to the crew. Explained Donovan: “I have been
using MLA a huge amount over the past year
on projects such as the Hyde Park Concerts and
The Killers tour at Wembley Arena. I was also
extremely impressed when I took the Compact
system out on tour with Joe Satriani early in
2013.”
30
Added Hyman: “With an event such as this,
it’s great to have an extra person that solely
concentrates on the setup and performance of
the system, whilst not worrying about rigging
and running cables. Toby was a great help.
“Events are all about having experienced
crew, and the correct number of crew members
involved, who truly understand the nature of
the event. VME has always had its foot in the
door with festivals and large scale PA systems,
this is especially true of the last couple of years
following our purchase of Martin Audio’s MLA
system. We’ve actually just doubled our stock to
cope with what’s coming up this year.
“For a typical corporate event, we wouldn’t
have three large hangs of line array as the main
PA, but this is TPi - a rock ‘n’ roll style corporate
event - so it required something a little extra.”
The audio setup was similar to last year,
certainly in the design concept of the main
and back part of the room. The main hangs
of MLA Compact were hung in a left, centre
and right configuration, with two rows of
outfill to cover the off-axis tables using Kling
& Freitag CA 1215’s. “We also used the new
Kling & Freitag Passio for stage frontfill, due to
its discreet size and high output,” said Hyman.
“We adjusted the design of the back part of
the room, increasing the overall size of all the
loudspeakers. We also used Kling & Freitag
CA 106 and CA 1001 to cover all areas of the
room, with each cabinet on its own channel of
processing and amplification from Lab.gruppen
FP 10000Q’s.
“Time alignment is such a crucial part of
this, and when there are 26 cabinets flown
across a large area it’s not exactly a five-minute
job to get it right. We wanted to have all the
processing in the room controlled centrally
from one laptop too, so we chose to use
Martin Audio’s Merlin controllers to see the
entire sound network in both parts of the room
 Uniting the
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
Below: Chauvet Professional sponsored a white London cab for some photobooth fun at the afterparty, this month’s prelude shows how the Mondiale team put it to good use!
controlled nicely from one point.”
An MA Display optimisation already existed
from the previous years’ awards, so the audio
crew had angles for the MLAC somewhat
mapped. Continued Donovan: “Nigel produced
a fresh preset for the show this year, just to
compensate for small changes in the trim height
which we achieved in the main room. I then
time-aligned the MLAC system, the Martin
Audio DSX subwoofers and the rest of the
loudspeakers in the lower section at the rear of
the room. I also used a network of five Martin
Audio Merlin processors, controlled from a
single laptop via Vu-Net software, for delay and
EQ of the entire system.”
“As far as the other suppliers go, it was one of the
nicest events I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on.”
So what did Donovan think of his first TPi
experience in a professional capacity? “I thought
the event sounded really good, the MLAC
covered the main space with an extremely
even SPL and frequency response. It provided
really good rejection in the small stage area,
and I know this made the unenviable FOH job
easier. The way that MLA can provide this even
coverage without the need for zoning the arrays
certainly made my job easier too, and worked
very well for this ‘corporate’ type of event.”
Audio playback came via QLab running
32
on a redundant pair of Mac Mini’s, and radio
microphones were Sennheiser Evolution G3
with 935 capsules. “Last year we provided
Sennheiser SKM5200 handheld microphones
with Neumann capsules, but once we heard
that Huey Morgan was hosting the event, we
were pretty sure he would do his ‘dropping the
microphone’ routine, probably more than once,
so we opted for a slightly more Huey-proof
microphone, and capsule!” laughed Hyman.
A Yamaha CL1 console was used at FOH to
run the show, with audio distributed via Dante.
Two Yamaha Rio3224-D Dante stageboxes,
one behind the main stage to feed the MLA
Compact, and the other at the back of the room
to feed the processing for the Kling & Freitag
cabinets were also deployed.
Concluded Hyman: “We utilised a lot of the
in-house unistrut in the back room area this
year to hang loudspeakers in better positions.
Previous suppliers to the awards had ratchet
strapped brackets to the columns, which we
did last year in similar fashion, but this year we
wanted to make it much more ‘proper’ in terms
of rigging. We increased the overall size of the
loudspeaker cabinets in the back part of the
room, to get even more level when required for
the stings.
“We received great feedback from the
audience this year, that extra attention to detail
is what makes it for us. As far as the other
suppliers go, it was one of the nicest events
I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on. We all
helped each other out, the banter was flowing
and everybody appreciated the necessity to
get everything perfect, therefore if anybody
could help somebody out to achieve this, they
certainly did.”
VIDEO
After a break from being involved with the TPi
Awards - although there was a double win for
the company last year - Creative Technology
(CT) reinstated its supplier status for the 2014
ceremony. Explained CT’s Nick Whitehead: “We
were showing off an impressive curved LED
screen on our PLASA stand last year when we
were approached by Liz Madden to come back
on board.”
“The initial inspiration for the Awards’ visual
theme came from the screen that was used on
CT’s stand,” commented Madden, “The colours
that Mondiale had selected for the Awards
branding were black and white and the film
theme evolved from there.”
“We didn’t use that particular CT screen in
the end as it wouldn’t have worked in the venue
but it was certainly inspirational.”
CT provided three flown high resolution
Barco C5 LED screens - one centre screen for
GFX and two side screens for IMAG, in addition
to a number of plasma and LCD displays. “We
 PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
Below: Robe lighting fixtures bathed the Novotel Conference Room in a delicious mix of colour.
also supplied the Green Hippo Hippotizer media
server replay system and a four-camera HD PPU
system – a Grass Valley Kayak system and two
Bradley Engineering HD robo ball cameras,” said
whitehead
With a total of 11 crew members plus
a project manager, CT provided a system
engineer, two video engineers, four LED
engineers and four camera operators to man
the production. White continued: “The biggest
challenge was getting the amount of equipment
into such a small space, and given the amount
of lighting and rigging being rigged on the
same day meant everyone was working hard. It
all ran smoothly on the night and it was great to
be involved in an event for our own industry for
a change. Many of our colleagues and friends
were in the audience too, which added a bit of
pressure!”
Providing the visual content on the screens
- which delighted the audience at various
points throughout the awards ceremony - was
Digital Insanity’s Richard Bagshaw and Richard
Shipman. “Our roles this year were concept,
video content and delivery, with myself taking
up the additional role of Hippo Programmer /
Show Controller and Richard taking his regular
role as vision director,” explained Bagshaw.
“When Justin Gawne, General Manager of
Mondiale Publishing’s Entertainment Technology
Titles, spoke to us back in November 2013
about themes, he had come up with the idea of
black and white.”
“Of course once you mention it to Richard
Bagshaw of Digital Insanity, things really start
to take off and his creative genius took centre
stage once again,” added Madden.
Bagshaw furthered: “The idea of old
cinema reel leaders then progressed into the
Grindhouse cinema vibe that everyone saw on
the night. The idea was quite literally, ‘a night
at the cinema’, hence the popcorn and the old
Pearl & Dean adverts dispersed with fresh new
34
TPi Magazine and sponsor branding, but still
sticking to the retro cinema feel.”
As for equipment, Green Hippo Hippotizer
HD’s were utilised for their reliability. Bagshaw
described the set up: “One Hippotizer HD was
running a dual output system, driving the main
screen and offering a separate 16:9 package
to the PPU to give Richard graphics to add into
his camera cuts. We of course had a backup
machine, being driven by Suzy Casserley of
Green Hippo.”
Green Hippo’s Codec FlexRes is a major new
feature in video quality output for its media
server range, and Bagshaw put it to good use.
“It’s brand new, only a handful of users have the
beta version of this and it worked a treat,” he
said.
“People seemed to like the cinematic theme -
it was different from the other eight TPi Awards
shows we’ve produced, and it went at a pacey
rate too, which is important when you have
so many awards to get through!”concluded
Bagshaw.
Autocue hire came from Autocue, with
James Hamling leading the way. The show caller
once again was Alex Clayton-Black.
LIGHTING
“I considered it something of an honour to
be asked, given the nature of the event,” said
first-time supplier to the TPi Awards, Nick Valdez
of Siyan Lighting. “I was keen to put our stamp
on the way the evening looked, to approach it
as an evening dinner event, rather than a rock
show.”
Valdez spent many hours in the venue using
Cast’s WYSIWYG for pre-production. “In the
real world, the warehouse team were working
on the show from the Tuesday before the event,
and James Scott, the desk programmer was pre-
programming for three days.”
There was a real team effort behind the
Awards build, which eased Valdez into his first
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 PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
Below: XL Video continued the relaxed retro house party vibe in its VIP area.
time supplying the lighting crew. “I would like
to thank and praise the other suppliers who
worked on the production. It was a pleasure,
and in the end about as stress free as it could
have been.”
Valdez had his own crew of eight working
on the event, including Crew Chief Karl Lawton.
Alongside Desk Operator James Scott was Matt
Morris on dimmer duties and the team was
completed by Dan Everitt, Joe Zilm, Anna Mac
and Dan Terry. Siyan’s Project Manager, Tom
Grant programmed and operated the aftershow
lighting.
The challenge of utilising a hotel as a venue
for Valdez and his team came during the rigging
process. Rigging was supplied by Blackpool-
based Knight Rigging Services, led by the TPi
Award winning Sven Knight. Valdez continued:
“The main room in the Champagne Suite
has plentiful rigging points, but getting the
weight distributed to the satisfaction of their
structural engineer was a challenge, especially
accommodating the 2,300kg of screens.
“I was very conscious that we had to deliver
on numerous levels. One of the main sponsors
of the event is a lighting manufacturer, Robe,
so this had to work for them too,” said Valdez.
Robe also had its own afterparty VIP lounge.
“While we are all familiar with Robe products in
a stage environment, I was keen to show how
effective they could be on an event such as this.
Hopefully we achieved that!” added Valdez.
In the main function room, Robe provided
a stylish lighting rig. The lighting design was
based around six trusses traversing the room
and two trusses - front and back - flown above
the stage. Three further trusses positioned
along the back wall picked up the main LED
screens.
Valdez furthered: “As far as the design
process was concerned, I think we had to keep
in mind the nature of the event, and to light
it accordingly. It’s also quite a busy build day
36
and so taking into consideration how the other
departments can work around what we are
doing is important. I kept the video screens
on three separate trusses to try and mitigate
any issues that they or we had during the
build.”
Robe Cycfx8 LED Batons were employed to
up and down-light the voile lined walls. While
10 units were rigged on each of the three video
trusses, six were positioned on the floor to cover
the caterer’s access and the remainder were
spread around the perimeter of the room to up-
light the voile drops.
The diminutive Robe Robin 100 LED
Beams were used primarily to illuminate the
tables throughout the two rooms. The two
real challenges being the lack of trim height
in some of the areas, and keeping the LED
Beams - normally used for their piercingly bright
beams - at the right intensity to maintain the
overall ambience whilst lighting the dining areas
sufficiently for the guests to see their food.
“I think we’ve discovered a far more flexible
modern replacement for the traditional pin-
spot,” commented Desk Operator, Scott. The
Robe Robin 100 LED Beams were used as a
general wash light and provide the main wash
for the B stage in the centre of the room. The
Robe Robin DLF Washes were used as the
main stage and runway key lights, whilst the
MMX Spots and Pointes were used to create
complimentary gobo looks across the voile lined
walls. The Pointes were also used in saturated
colours to cut through and contrast with the
general wash, adding bold blasts of colour
around the room.
A total of 16 Robe Robin MMX Spots
projected primary colours and hard edged
gobos onto the drapes from beneath the video
screens. Furthermore, six different lighting
themes were created for the different awards
sections and each time the video graphics
changed style, the lighting changed to suit.
EFM TPI Program advert_A4_HR.pdf 1 31/01/2014 16:24

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38
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
Below: Rider Provider’s retro TV wall.
The big overall challenge was keeping the
lighting interesting, exciting and fluid but most
importantly complimentary to the awards
ceremony itself. The 27 categories of winners
plus videologues meant the careful blending of
lighting with video content was no mean feat,
but was very well-received.
A total of 19 universes, driven by an MA
Lighting grandMA2 Light console, were
output via a mix of NPU’s and ArtNet boxes,
three Avolites Art 2000 dimmer distribution
racks were also used for data cabling. Valdez
confirmed that Scott used the grandMA 2 Light
because, “It’s a console he knows very well,
and, quite frankly, he is an absolute genius on
it!”
RIGGING
Kright Rigging Services (KRS) provided the
rigging elements to the event once again.
Owner, Sven Knight, explained that he enjoys
being involved in the Awards year after year
due to the industry-led nature of the event,
and working with the familiar faces of the
production suppliers and sponsors.
For the first time, KRS used uTRAC’s
workforce management tool to keep track
of staff locations on site. Billed as the easy
scheduling crew softwear, Knight made use of
the programme to enable the show’s fast, safe
and secure rigging procedures were executed
efficiently. Additionally, Knight recieved a
double win in the Rigger of the Year and
Favourite Rigging Company categories at this
years’ 2014 show.
Knight said: “KRS is delighted with the
outcome of this year’s Awards. The award for
‘Rigging Company of the Year’ was a highlight
to a busy start of the year and is testament
to the hard work and professionalism that
the office based staff provide. KRS is looking
forward to the new challenges 2014 will
bring and continue to embrace the exciting
developments in our industry.
“KRS continues its involvement with the
TPi Awards under the direction of Liz Madden.
We see the TPi Awards as the highlight of our
companies calendar,” he concluded.
STAGING AND DRAPING
The TPi Awards 2014 presented nothing that
staging rental company, LS-Live couldn’t handle.
Madden placed her confidence in LS-Live for
the third year running as she was happy with
the format from the previous year. Additionally
this year, further staging was required in the
afterparty area for a bespoke VIP suite for
sponsor, XL Video.
The install was managed by LS-Live’s Tom
Richter, Project Technical Support, who was
taken on in January 2013 after graduating
from Backstage Academy’s FdA Live Events
Production, after impressing Director Ben
Brooks with his performance during work
experience at the company.
Richter managed a team of two freelancers
to install the main stage, catwalk and B stage
for the Awards, and VIP areas and multi-tiered
staging in the downstairs bar for the after party.
Built using LS-Live’s industry standard staging
components from its rental stock, the company
provided a cost-effective solution that was
quick to assemble on the day, complete with a
black marley finish for a truly professional look.
LS-Live once again built an underlit TPi Awards
logo into the B stage.
Furthermore, LS-Live sponsored the Tour
/ Production Coordinator Of The Year award,
which was won by Helen ‘Hels Bells’ Smith.
In the main room, Blackout installed a truss
ground support for the perimeter of the venue
space and fitted it with 91-metres of black
wool serge drapes and 58-metre white voile.
Said Blackout’s Tim Searle: “Upstairs for the
champagne reception, we provided a pipe and
drape structure with a further 120-metres of
black wool serge and 30-metres of white voile,
whilst downstairs we supplied 150-metres of
black wool serge draping to create an exclusive
area for the afterparty.
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014

Opposite: The TPi Awards 2014 sold out faster than ever before and enjoyed an army of sponsored additions including the ethical table water from GLS Lighting; The afterparty bar, sponsored by
Pioneer Professional Audio, was a hub of networking activity; Nick Valdez led the lighting crew to its first successful supplier status at the Awards; Chris Mounsor collected the award for Outstanding
Contribution.

“The TPi Awards are always a highlight of
the music industry’s calendar, and it was great
to be involved once again in the production,”
he added. The portals for the drapes were
provided by S+H once more, under Terry
Murtha’s guidance.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Steve Kearney has provided Health and Safety
consultation and advice to the TPI Awards
for the last eight years, working closely
with the venue team and coordinating with
contractors to create an integrated event safety
management plan.
“Because suppliers are showcasing their
equipment and technical skills, communication
with the venue’s structural surveyor and H&S
team is crucial,” said Kearney. “All technical
suppliers provide detailed drawings and
specific methods of working, together with
risk assessments, which we then feed into an
overarching event safety management plan.”
The final document included details
covering the contractors’ responsibilities,
accident reporting and investigation, essential
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), event risk
assessment, access and egress, fire safety and
arrangements, evacuation procedures, general
venue conditions and facilities, and welfare.
Kearney continued: “We then submitted the
plan to the venue for scrutiny. The venue team
were very receptive to what we were trying to
achieve and co-operated all the way.” Once
the plan was signed off it was distributed to all
suppliers so that relevant information could be
shared with their crews. Kearney worked closely
with Madden, liaising with her regularly on all
safety-related matters. He oversaw the on-site
installation and ensured that any potential

40
TotalProduction_W210xH297mm.indd 1 21/01/14 09.59
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014
Below: Huey Morgan kept hold of his Sennheiser microphone this time; VME’s Ben Hyman and Steve Ness; The PSA’s Andy Lenthall paid tribute to some late industry professionals; The LiteConsole DJ
set up complete with Pioneer decks at the chilled-out afterparty.
hazards or risks were mitigated and controlled.
“Gallowglass Crewing supplied 38 crew over
a two-day period,” said Kearney, “They were
supporting Siyan, LS Live, Creative Technology
and Blackout, undertaking a range of duties
that included loading and unloading trucks,
lifting and carrying, assisting with AV, set,
staging and lights. During the show itself
Gallowglass was responsible for cable carrying
for the roving cameras and operating follow
spots.”
Kearney went on to add: “One of the major
challenges faced was the large number of
guests attending the Awards. The room at the
Novotel is almost at capacity every year. Access
and egress for guests and staff were constantly
monitored and we liaised closely with the
Banqueting Manager to ensure that the siting
of tables afforded sufficient access for waiting
staff during service.
“The demands of this event added a slight
additional psychological pressure,” conceded
Kearney. “Given the high profile of these awards
and the fact that all of our industry peers
42
and would be casting a critical eye over the
installation.”
SECURITY
It was a busy TPi Awards for Showsec Security.
Not only was it responsible for the event
security, but just as in 2013, it won the coveted
TPi Award for Favourite Crowd Management
Company.
Deyo Adelugba, Senior Operations Manager
at Showsec, stated: “We were required to
supply security to manage the TPi Awards event,
in total eight staff on the night. Our role was to
secure the entrance into the award ceremony,
during the build-up and breakdown, in the
aftershow and also for the VIP area. “Customer
service is very important and was adhered to on
the evening.”
BRANDING
For the third consecutive year, Sunbaba took
care of branding. Jonathan Booth, Director at
Sunbaba, enthused: “We’ve been involved with
the TPI Awards for three years and it is one
of our favourites, there is always a lively and
friendly atmosphere on the build. The awards
themselves were great fun and a reminder of
the depth of talent we have in the UK.
“The artwork for the TPi Awards changes
each year and our job is to make sure this still
fits well within the elements we supply for the
event.
This year we used Foamex boards in
exchange for the larger back drop that was
used behind the bar last year, the boards
respond better to the lighting set-up in
the Chablis Suite, we used specialist Urban
Trapeze Vari-Hite Grippers with 1.5mm cables
to suspend the boards and allow for height
adjustment after the boards had been hung.”
THE AFTERPARTY
The post-award antics took place in the
basement of the hotel, known officially as
the Chablis Suite. The whole afterparty and
the main bar were sponsored by Pioneer
Professional Audio. “It was great to be able to
participate in the TPi Awards, undoubtedly the
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014

Below: Dinner was served as graphics created by Digital Insanity adorned the three CT screens; Gallowglass were on-site during the build to provide health and safety consultation.

most glamorous event in the industry. We
definitely look forward to working with TPi in
the years to come,” stated Tania Lee, European
Marketing Communications Executive (Pioneer
DJ Europe).
The afterparty looked the glameorous part
too, with bespoke drapery was once again
provided by J&C Joel. Head of Marketing at the
company, Claire Taylforth, said: “It was great
to be involved in the TPi Awards again, J&C
Joel has attended the awards for many years
now and it is an important event within the
industry calendar, which celebrates many of our
customers and suppliers.
“For the past three years, we have been
proud to support the Favourite Set Construction
Company award. As well as sponsorship we
have manufactured drapery for the Chablis
Suite.”
J&C Joel manufactured nine bespoke
fabric swags from blue and yellow Jomeleon
(JOM604B, JOM600B and JOM609Y), a sheer
two-tone Trevira CS voile which, according to
Taylforth: “give fantastic iridescent qualities, ‘oh I had that TV when I was a kid!’ The
#40419 - DP544 ad - TPI_Layout 19/02/2014 11:05 Page 1
particularly when lit.”
THEMED FURNITURE
Furniture specialist Rider Provider supplied an
array of vintage sofas and accessories to add
to the ‘70s film theme that ran throughout the
evening.
“We have the largest selection of coloured
Chesterfields in the UK for hire, so we
showcased our orange, yellow, green and
purple sofas,” said Georgia Juett. “Our bespoke
80s Tube Fabric cube seating was an absolute
must have for the film theme, and our retro
armchairs are original ‘70s with reupholstered
covers and vintage fabric. We also supplied a
large selection of floor lamps, the Alfred Studio
floor lamps fitted the retro theme very well, and
they added a touch of glamour to a space.”
As for the bespoke retro TV and speaker
wall, Juett was pleased with the reaction it
received: “It worked so well for the TPi Awards
and is a great centerpiece and photo op - its
always fun to see people stopping and saying
moment we received the brief we knew we had
to roll it out.”
Juett was adamant that Rider Provider was
well prepared to see off any challenges which
the awards could have potentially thrown up,
and said: “Rider Provider has a 30,000 sq ft
warehouse filled with a vast array of furniture,
unusual props and dressing that will suit so
many themes.
It was just a matter of selecting pieces that
would work well for the theme, venue and
guests. We also create bespoke pieces for
clients as well as continually keeping our stock
fresh and on trend with new kit.” The only
logistical problem, she added, was: “getting up
at 3am for the load out!”
THE DJ BOOTH
For the TPi Awards afterparty - sponsored
by Pioneer Professional Audio - trussing
manufacturer Prolyte supplied a LiteConsole
MK2 DJ deck to accomodate all three Pioneer
CDJ-2000nexus multiplayers and a Pioneer
CDJ-800 digital turntable (all supplied by VME).

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44
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014

Below: An MA Lighting grandMA2 Light console was chosen for the event, and was supplied by Siyan Lighting; The video control room during pre-production; Toby Donovan was the resident System
Tech; Robe’s Josef Valchez and Robe UK’s Mick Hannaford; Martin Audio’s MLAC was complemented by Kling & Freitag’s Passio system for stage frontfill.

At the heart of this model’s design are two
large aluminium trussing-style end sections that
give the MK2 its signature sleek yet industrial
appearance.
These distinctive sections were powder-
coated in white, combined with a contrasting
black top fascia panel with backlit laser-cut logo,
and a vinyl-branded front panel. To complete
the look, the LiteConsole was internally lit with
a subtle blue hue, creating a professional yet
eye-catching impression.
THE PHOTO BOOTH
Chauvet Professional, sponsored the ‘Live
Production of the Year’ category once again at
the TPi Awards. The luminaire manufacturer also
sponsored a fun photo booth to the afterparty,
supplied by Coco Photobooths.
Michael Brooksbank, General Manager for
Chauvet Europe, sees great value in sponsoring
the Live Production of the Year award and
said: “The TPi Awards 2014 ceremony honours
the talents of the production and event
industry. This is a great opportunity for us to
contribute to the industry which we service
and to highlight the Chauvet Professional brand
to premium players who design, supply and
operate some of the greatest live events.”
On that note, Sponsorship Manager, Hannah
Eakins added: “I’d like to say a huge thanks to
all of our sponsors for making this year’s event
come together. Their involvement is vital and
really shows how this industry supports and
encourages each other.”

46
PRODUCTION PROFILE: TPi Awards 2014

Below: The LS-Live team with Nick McGeachin; This year 27 awards were won; Huey squared up to the cameraman; The Prolyte Liteconsole MK 2.

LOGISTICS managed to get at least two trucks parked out www.blackout-ltd.com

Taking care of transport and trucking for the
Awards was KB Event. Stuart McPherson from
KB Event stated: “We were really pleased to
be involved again this year. An even larger and
more striking production demanded more input
from us, which we are always grateful for. To be
front when the fire alarm went off early in the www.ls-live.com, www.jcjoel.com
morning - and no we didn’t set it off!” www.sunbaba.co.uk
Madden concluded: “Based on the feedback www.gallowgroup.com
we’ve had in, people had a great night and are www.kbevent.com, www.showsec.co.uk
looking forward to what the team come up www.riderprovider.info
with for next year. It’s wonderful to see so many www.starcloth.co.uk
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“Based on the feedback we’ve had in, people had a great night and Details of the TPi Awards 2015
are looking forward to what the team come up with for next year.” will be announced shortly.

For ticket sales, please contact

Event Manager, Amy Wright:
involved in an Awards ceremony that recognises talented people and dedicated suppliers being a.wright@mondiale.co.uk
and honours the best in our Industry is very rewarded for all their hard work. Although it is a
0161 476 8889
rewarding.” very tough gig, it is a pleasure to be part of it.”
The Novotel venue, according to McPherson, TPi
threw a couple of logistical problems up for For sponsorship opportunities,
the crew: “The load in at the Novotel is tight, Photos: Jim Ellam and Kelly Murray please contact Sponsorship
particularly with a seven truck production. There www.tpiawards.com
is no parking available at the hotel for www.nononsensegroup.com Manager, Hannah Eakins:
loading in and out so we have to hold trucks www.digitalinsanity.co.uk h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk
off close by and call them in when space is http://uk.ct-group.com, www.siyan.co.uk 0161 476 8360
available and production are ready to load the www.vme-uk.com
equipment. Saying that, my operations team www.knightrigging.co.uk

48
 PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards

THE 56TH GRAMMY AWARDS

BILLED BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY AND HOST TV BROADCAST NETWORK CBS AS “MUSIC’S BIGGEST
NIGHT,” THIS YEAR’S 56TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS TELECAST WAS SEEN BY 28.51 MILLION US
VIEWERS, MAKING IT THE SECOND-MOST WATCHED GRAMMY SHOW FOR 21 YEARS. THE ANNUAL
AWARDS CEREMONY, PRODUCED BY AEG EHRLICH VENTURES FOR THE RECORDING ACADEMY, HAS
BEEN RECOGNISED WITH A TOTAL OF 64 EMMY NOMINATIONS AND 21 WINS FOR SOUND, LIGHTING, ART
DIRECTION, AND OTHER CRAFTS. TPi GOES BACKSTAGE AT LA’S STAPLES CENTER.

ATK Audiotek has been the audio production
provider for the Grammy telecast since the
show permanently moved to the Staples
Center in downtown Los Angeles in 2000.
“Having the same crew and infrastructure
helps on the install, for the amount of
time we get,” said Michael Abbott, Audio
Coordinator for the show.
“Audiotek started on Monday. I have a crew
that comes in on Tuesday to pre-cable - there
are 60 mults and fibres - then Wednesday
we have our full install. By the end of the day
we’re fully faxed out and ready to go the next
morning for rehearsals; it’s non-stop from that
point.
“Rehearsing 20-plus separate performances
before the Sunday evening broadcast is
challenging enough,” said Abbott, a veteran
of more than two-dozen Grammy shows. But
the fact that the rehearsals are initially out of
sequence adds a layer of complexity to what he
calls “a Broadway show on steroids.”
Abbott was still receiving amended stage
plots up to the last minute from artists
rehearsing off-site. The audio workflow at the
Grammys has remained largely unchanged
for several years. Basically, the lines from the
stage are split to FOH and monitors for the
audience and artist mixes, and to a pair of
Music Mix Mobile (M3) trucks parked outside
the venue. The music, mixed in 5.1 surround
by Co-Broadcast Music Mixers John Harris and
Eric Schilling in M3’s Eclipse truck, is then fed to
Broadcast Production Mixer Tom Holmes in NEP
Denali’s Summit OB vehicle. Holmes adds the
music mix to the production audio elements,
including on-stage podium and presenter
handheld microphones, and graphics package
playback tracks. Those production audio
elements are also split out to the arena, where
the FOH Production Mixer, ATK’s Vice President
of Special Events, Mikael Stewart, adds them to
the house music mix, created by Ron Reaves,
FOH Music Mixer, seated beside him.
During rehearsals, the live music mix
generated in Eclipse, with Harris and Schilling
typically mixing alternate acts on the Avid
D-Control console, is recorded to a Pro
Tools multitrack session. Each session is then
transferred to M3’s similarly equipped Horizon
truck, where the respective engineer continues
to work offline with the artist’s representatives
to create a production template from which the
eventual live broadcast performance is mixed.
ATK switched over to DiGiCo consoles in
2012 and this year provided an SD10 for Stewart
plus SD7’s with redundant engines for Reaves,
Tom Pesa, the A stage Monitor Engineer,
and Michael Parker, Monitor Engineer for the
B stage. There was one minor addition this

50

Opposite: The main stage during rehearsals. Below: (L-R) Daft Punk stole the show; Ron Reaves, FOH mixer with his DiGiCo SD7.
year, an SD8-24 positioned backstage at A2
World that enabled an assistant engineer to
more easily oversee signal distribution. Also at
A2, Brian Flanzbaum, M3 Preamp Technician,
manually adjusted the Grace Audio and Aphex
mic amps feeding 160 lines to Horizon outside.
ATK additionally provided two DiGiCo SD-
Racks - for a total of 14 - that duplicated the
sources from the A and B stages. In previous
years FOH and monitors shared the same head
amps; this year, said Jeff Peterson, ATK System
Designer, Reaves requested discrete control.
“Those are running MADI to Ron’s console,”
said Peterson. “Staying at 48k we get an entire
rack down one MADI cable instead of two.”
Four identical hangs of Harman JBL VerTec
VT4889 line-array cabinets and flown VT4880A
subwoofers, plus additional VerTec delays,
PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards
covered the audience of approximately 20,000.
Powersoft K10 amplifiers drove the entire
system, including stage monitors.
New this year was a pair of prototype
subwoofers designed and developed by ATK
in collaboration with consultant Mario Di Cola
of Audio Labs Systems in Italy. Each sub bass
cabinet incorporates a Powersoft M-Force
moving magnet linear motor with a 30-inch
polypropylene cone, driven by a single K10
amplifier.
According to Scott Harmala, ATK’s CTO
and VP engineering: “The motor’s strength
is somewhere in the order of 50 to 60 times
greater than even the best 18-inch driver on the
market. At 25 Hz it has eight dB more output
than two of our double-18-inch subwoofer
boxes.”
The next iteration will incorporate a specially
developed Powersoft amplifier module capable
of delivering 15,000W. The short transmission
line cabinet design will also be reconfigured
so that it can be easily flown and arrayed, and
more efficiently packed into a truck, Harmala
revealed.
Backstage, another Grammy veteran, RF
guru David Bellamy of Soundtronics, with
assistant Grant Greene, coordinated the
wireless microphone, instrument lines, and
in-ears for the event. Bellamy mapped out the
performances and available channels on what
he calls his “war board.”
Bellamy had surveyed the venue beforehand:
“I know what TV channels we’re going to be
operating in. I flesh that out with the frequency
coordination program, then I dial up all those
51
PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards
Below (L-R): B stage Monitor Engineer, Mike Parker behind his DiGiCo console; David Bellamy and Grant Greene took care of the wireless microphones for the spectacular evening.
frequencies and see if they’re legitimate in this
room,” he said.
Greene reported: “We’ve got 44 channels
of microphones, 20 channels of guitars, 20
channels of in-ear monitors, and over 200
frequencies of communications for PL codes.”
Communications are managed at a separate
position.
MICROPHONES
For the third consecutive year, all of the
artists and bands who performed using in-ear
monitors on the telecast used the company’s
PSM 1000 Personal Monitor System.
Shure vocal mics were in abundance on the
stage. Jay Z helped get the party started with
his Shure UHF-R wireless microphone system,
and was soon followed by Shure endorser
Hunter Hayes (UR2 transmitter with SM58
capsule); Robin Thicke (UR2/SM58); Keith
Urban and Gary Clarke Jr. (UR2/SM58); Shure
endorser Imagine Dragons (UR2/KSM9HS),
who performed with Kendrick Lamar (UR2/
SM58), and The Highwaymen (UR2/SM58). The
52
all-star Daft Punk performance featured Pharrell
Williams and Stevie Wonder (UR2/SM58); then
Nate Ruess (UR2/SM58), who performed with
P!nk; Ringo Starr (UR2/SM58); Chicago (UR2/
Beta 58); and endorser Sara Bareilles (UR2/
KSM9), who performed with Carole King (UR2/
SM58). Shure endorser Kacey Musgraves (a two-
time winner on the night) performed on a Shure
UR2/Beta 57A.
Bellamy also reported: “All the horns were
using Shure UR1 on high power in spectrum
with a high noise floor; and the equipment
worked perfectly.”
On a satellite stage in the audience, Lorde
sang into a wired SM58. Nine Inch Nails front
man Trent Reznor as well as John Legend and
Paul McCartney all opted for wired Beta 58’s.
John Harris, in the M3 truck, commented:
“For this years’ show, Eric Schilling and I
discussed using the Beta 181 on Lang Lang’s
pianos. Combined with the A75M clamps, they
provided a great solution for us, both sonically
and aesthetically.” The pianist performed with
Metallica, and used a Super 55 BRC, in one of
the Grammy Awards show’s signature artist
mash-ups.
P!NK, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Madonna,
Beyoncé, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and
Queens of the Stone Age all appeared on-stage
with Sennheiser microphones and wireless
systems. P!NK, for example, used a Sennheiser
HSP 4 cardioid capsule on a custom headset
before switching to a Sennheiser SKM 2000
transmitter with a custom MD 9235 capsule.
Bellamy deployed 22 channels of Sennheiser
wireless during the show and had several
Sennheiser EM 3732-II radio frequency receivers
in his rack backstage. “I am using channels
62 and 67 because of the high number of
RF devices in the show - these are the only
receivers that will hit these upper range
frequencies on the market, and I really need
them,” he explained.
Two channels were dedicated to show
host LL Cool J, also the star of the CBS hit
show ‘NCIS Los Angeles’, who made use of a
Sennheiser SKM 5200 transmitter coupled with
an MD 5235 dynamic microphone, in tandem
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards
with an SK 5212-II bodypack transmitter.
A combination of Sennheiser MKH 416
shotgun and Neumann KM 184 condenser
microphones brought the sound of the crowd
into the mix. “We use the MKH 416’s on the
front line, and the KM 184’s as surround mics,”
explained Production Mixer Tom Holmes.
“We always use these microphones because
they sound great and don’t get in the way
of the show. Our ultimate goal is to have
listeners at home feel like they are in the same
environment.”
Audio-Technica had a strong showing on the
backline, with various artists making use of the
AT4080 phantom-powered bidirectional ribbon
mic on guitars; AT4050 multi-pattern condenser
on guitars and bass; AT4040 cardioid condenser
on overheads; AE2500 dual-element cardioid
instrument mic on kick drum; AE5100 cardioid
condenser instrument mic on hi-hat and ride
cymbals; AE5400 cardioid condenser on rotary
speaker top; ATM650 dynamic instrument mic
on snare; and ATM350 cardioid condenser clip-
on microphones for the toms.
Radio frequency interference is minimal on
the arena floor, according to Greene: “We are
below ground, with 60 ft of concrete between
here and the outside world, and the glass is RF
reflective.” But an unannounced news crew can
certainly cause problems. “We’ve been chasing
54
them all week; it only takes one person to shut
a whole show down.”
With six of the performances taking place
out in the house, allowing time for set changes
on the main stages, Soundtronics deployed
its Phoenix Phase Four antenna system, as in
previous years. “We’re running 11 zones: 10 out
in the house and the eleventh for the Pauley
Perrette segments,” said Greene. Perrette, an
actress from the CBS primetime show ‘NCIS’,
conducted backstage interviews with artists and
presenters between performances.
“The stage is basically the same
configuration each year, but it always changes
a little bit in the final weeks of preparation,
because they start getting requests and / or
demands from different producers and bands,”
reported Bob Hughes, Senior Sales Executive for
All Access Staging and Productions, and VP of
the company’s proprietary Versa Staging.
The art department for the Grammy Awards
show - art directors Alana Billingsley and Kristen
Merlino, augmented for the second consecutive
year by Matt Steinbrenner - also handles the
Golden Globes Awards telecast, Hughes noted.
Because of the timing of the Winter Olympics
the Grammy telecast was moved forward this
year, leaving less time than usual between the
two awards shows.
“The band looks happened the final week
of preparation after the Golden Globes, before
the Grammys loaded in. I think we completed
the drawings for the stage after the trucks were
loaded on Friday night; our load-in was Sunday.”
Based on experience, Hughes said: “We had to
send enough gear to overcome any hurdles.” All
Access is busy for the entire week leading up to
the Grammy Awards show, said Hughes. “We
also do MusiCares, and this year on top of that
was the Beatles special.”
The Recording Academy’s charitable
MusiCares Foundation annually honours an
artist - this year, Carole King - with a tribute
concert the night before the Grammy broadcast
that features many of the performers from the
awards show. Some of those performers also
stayed on to record the TV special marking the
50th anniversary of the arrival of The Beatles in
the United States, which was produced in the
LA Convention Center, located next-door to the
Staples Center.
“One of my partners at All Access also
handles the Grammy Celebration [the Recording
Academy’s official afterparty],” hughes added:
“So we had between 12 and 15 semi-trailers full
of gear in downtown LA during Grammy week.”
The Grammy stage typically occupies one
end of the arena. “The stage is configured so
that it fills every nook and cranny around it,
along with a ramp and runway going upstage to
PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards
Below: John Harris in the Music Mix Mobile (M3) truck which handled the outside broadcast; A FOH teamshot backstage at the Staples Center.
be able to load gear,” he explained.
All Access has been supplying the stage
ever since the height was raised to seven ft,
in order to provide clearance for artists and
technicians, six or seven years ago. “They like
the fact that our structure allows them to have
clear walkways and tech space areas under the
stage. They use that for talent entry, tech areas,
loading people on lifts, special effects, and gags
that live under there.”
Hughes has been working on the Grammys
for many years, but for the first six years only
provided the rolling risers for the backline
equipment. The late Bob Keene, one of
television’s more prolific production designers,
liked the rock ‘n’ roll look of his risers, Hughes
recalled.
“But when I started doing the main stage
there was a change in the art world. Brian
Stonestreet ended up being the Production
Designer when Bob passed away. They went a
little more artsy with the steel deck packages
that John Bradley provides, he’s the staging
supervisor on the job.” Bradley supplied the
56
deck until it went to seven ft.
LIGHTING
Full Flood President Robert Dickinson was
the Lighting Designer on the show, with the
firm’s Jon Kusner acting as Lighting Director.
“We are the head of ‘Team Lighting’ because
these productions never occur without a lot of
people,” observed Dickinson.
As he also noted: “These are big hybrid
projects and they require a lot of vendors.”
especially with this year’s schedule, which
moved the Grammys to the week following the
most-watched sports event of the year. “How
do you gather around 1,700 lights and put
them into an arena at the same time that the
Super Bowl is loading out and they’re loading
in American Idol?” he pondered. “It’s a huge
amount of gear that needed to be in many
locations all at the same time.”
Entertainment technology specialist PRG
Production Resource Group provided a broad
assortment of Philips Vari-Lite fixtures including
175 VL5 Washes, 170 VL5Arc Washes, 150
VL3K Spots, 20 VL3500 Spots, 110 VL3500
Washes, 16 VL3500 Wash FX’s, and six
VL3515LT Spot luminaires. PRG also supplied
18 of its proprietary Bad Boy CMY Spot hybrid
automated luminaires, 75 Clay Paky Sharpys,
175 Leko Spots, 350 Barco Versa TUBE linear
LED fixtures, and 110 Martin Professional Atomic
Strobes. Followspots included seven Ballantyne
Strong Gladiator 3000’s, four Ballantyne Strong
Super Trouper Long Throws, and six Lycian M2
units. A total of eight Reel EFX DF-50 Diffusion
Hazers were available on request to add stage
fog.
Specials for specific band looks included
another 20 Clay Paky Sharpys, 10 Mole-
Richardson 10,000 Big Eye Fresnels with Martin
Professinal MAC Auras fitted inside, 36 generic
LED Strobes, 10 Coemar PAR Lite LED’s, 76
Solaris LED Flares, and 36 GLP impression X4
LED Wash fixtures.
PRG also brought in six of the company’s
Best Boy 4,000 Spots for positioning in the
‘mosh pit‘ for a shadow gag. Additionally, 40
Philips Vari-Lite VL3000’s hung on new FOH
trusses. Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s performance
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards
Below: Metallica’s James Hetfield and virtuoso pianist Lang Lang; Production Mixer Tom Holmes in the hot seat.
included Chauvet Professional Nexus 4x4 high-
output LED panels (which also featured heavily
in the Pepsi Grammy Half Time Show TV advert).
According to Lighting Director Andrew
O’Reilly, a veteran of “between 16 and 18”
Grammy shows: “I ran a PRG V676 [control
console] and controlled most of the stage
rig - all of the overhead lighting and all of the
back wall of lights. I also had a lot of the floor
lighting.”
He added: “There was another V676 run by
Harrison Littman. He controlled mostly the front
of house rig, all the stuff we used to light the
audience, and all the perimeter lighting. He also
picked up a lot of the band addition stuff.”
There were four V676 desks in total:
“We like to have a backup!” said O’Reilly.
Lighting Director Patrick Boozer operated a
pair of ETC Eos Ion consoles. “He controlled a
variety of things, including any conventional
instrumentation, of which there was actually
very little, some basic audience light, and some
58
band elements. He also controlled all of the
strobes for the show,” said O’Reilly.
Typically on the Grammy show an artist gets
90 minutes to two hours on stage for rehearsal,
including soundcheck, said O’Reilly. “But two
of the acts, the opening by Beyoncé and Jay Z,
and the closing Nine Inch Nails performance,
required extensive programming and rehearsals
off-site, with the artists and their own lighting
departments. That typically doesn’t happen. So
boards were brought in to execute what they
had programmed and to further refine it once
we were in the Grammy environment.” Both
acts used MA Lighting grandMA2 control desks,
he enhtused.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Metallica brought along their own laser show,
courtesy of London-based ER Productions. The
song they performed, One, also featured lasers -
provided by ER - on tour.
According to ER director Marc Webber: “We
supplied what we’d normally use on tour: six
high-powered white light OPS scanning lasers
and two of our special OPS Taipan gold lasers,
which were rigged really high in the lighting
truss.”
What was special was that ER made 20
special red ‘burst boxes’. Webber added: “Each
fixture has a 1W red diode and burst grating
and takes DMX in and out, which allows you to
put a laser into the audience in a safe manner.”
The design used was essentially the tour
programming, modified on-site, he said.
“There’s never really much time on shows
like this so we had to do it in visualisation first.
The Grammys were really helpful; they did give
us time one evening with extra crew so we
could get what we wanted out of it.”
But what was really special, said Webber,
was that ER was able to supply the lasers at
very short notice, and managed to get the rig
signed-off by the fire marshal: “We had all the
right measuring and test equipment to prove it
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards
Below: (L-R) Kasey Musgraves performed country songs for the live audience; Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds wowed audiences with his dramatic energy; Mike Parker in the monitor position; The
venue was lit by rental company PRG’s lighting stock.
was safe.”
Dickinson, who has designed everything
from Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies
to the gamut of televised award shows, noted
that a couple of factors outweigh all others.
“Number one, we have to do a television
broadcast. That includes a bunch of mechanics,“
Dickenson continued, “The first is, we have to
have enough exposure to be able to broadcast a
show. Second, what is the scenery about?”
But the defining signature look of an event
is not dictated solely by lighting and scenery, he
noted. “Screen content, graphics, and a lot of
other aspects all have to be harmonised.”
While once upon a time artists would
simply show up at the Grammys and perform,
these days they might be accompanied by
a professional lighting set designer, such as
Leroy Bennett. He told TPI: “We’re at a point
where probably 60% of the concepts for
music artists’ performances are offered by our
design team, and 40% are a negotiation, and
an understanding of the goals of the artist.
But I think that dialogue, even though it’s
only 40% of the creative, occupies 95% of the
time. Because the artists that really want to say
something are going to obviously need the most
60
attention.”
The Grammy production typically features a
massive backdrop of screens, and that too has
become a part of the design discussions, said
Dickinson. “There’s an ongoing conversation as
to how much to depend on them, who’s going
to do the content, and then how we realistically
modify the content. The screens, lighting and
cameras are no longer three independent
areas - they have to be tied together in a big
conversation.”
Ultimately, said Bennett, there were several
challenging performances this year: “Beyoncé
was incredibly challenging. Nine Inch Nails
required moving audience members out of the
way to put in lights so we could capture these
big shadows, and that was quite challenging.”
Daft Punk was astoundingly challenging; you
wouldn’t know it to look at it. Their stage set,
a mock-up of a recording studio that morphed
into a dance club, was technically challenging,
agreed O’Reilly. “Every surface, every line was
covered in Flex Neon, a bendable LED tape.
There were probably over 100 individually
controlled pieces.”
The set arrived in numerous sections,
recalled O’Reilly. “There was a ceiling that flew
in, there were walls that flew in separately, and
there were roll-in pieces. All the pieces had to
get on stage and then be connected together.
“In the running of the show I believe there
were 5.5 minutes to set that up. We didn’t think
it was going to happen, to be honest, because
it did not come together in the appropriate
amount of time during dress rehearsals.”
Nine Inch Nails’ performance involved the
band’s own screen backdrops and content.
“What they wanted to do really did not make
for easy television from many perspectives,”
Dickinson commented. “One is the amount of
setup time, the other is exposure differences.
The unfortunate thing about screens is that
they basically reduce contrast in the television
broadcast, because you have this gigantic thing
that is nothing but luminosity.”
But longtime Grammy show Executive
Producer, Ken Ehrlich has always encouraged
a spirit of collaboration, and commented: “I
thought that the compromise we achieved
allowed for it looking on television the way
that someone seeing Nine Inch Nails live would
think, that’s pretty spectacular, and completely,
radically different from anything I’ve ever seen.”
Queens of the Stone Age, performing with
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Grammy Awards

Below: Lorde performed and won a coveted Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance; Beyoncé and Jay-Z performed together, lit with Chauvet Professional Nexus 4x4 fixtures.

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 PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Brits

THE BRITS
THE BRIT AWARDS 2014 IN ASSOCIATION WITH MASTERCARD WERE HELD FOR THE 4TH YEAR RUNNING
AT LONDON’S 02 ARENA, DEMONSTRATING THE CREATIVE FORCE OF BOTH THE BRITISH RECORD AND
PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES. SIMON DUFF REPORTS FROM BACKSTAGE.

Presented by James Cordon, the awards
featured live performances from eight of
the world’s leading acts culminating in a
grand finale from Pharrel Williams and Nile
Rodgers. With television feeds going out live
the show demanded world class production
and precision change-overs.
Britannia Row provided audio requirements
including an L-Acoustics PA system, lighting
came from PRG Europe and included High End
Systems Hog 4 consoles. XL Video supplied LED,
screens and projection with ER Productions on
laser duties.
The award trophy for The Brits 2014 was
designed by milliner Philip Treacy, famed for his
fashion designs for the likes of Kate Middleton,
Alexander McQueen and Chanel. A sleek, shiny,
modern and triumphant design; it set the tone
for this year’s main event. From set design to
sound, lighting, video and special effects; the
event reflected all of those values. Production
Manager, Tony Wheeler from Nine Yards
Productions worked with Kate Wright and Lisa
Shenton of Papilo Productions to manage the
production of the event, contracted on behalf
of the BPI. Other key suppliers included Outback
Rigging, Steel Monkey, Blackout, Eat Your
Hearts Out, Show & Event Security, Showstars,
Stage Miracles, Oglehog (cameras and PPU)
and Lovely Things (furniture). StageCo created
a 30 metre by 60 metre stage structure and
an assortment of other structures including
FOH control which was designed by Peter
Bingemann, and featured curved LED elements
and a giant Brit statue. A crew of eight from
StageCo worked day and night shifts to get all
the structures built in four days.
SOUND WORLD
Derrick Zieba has been sound designer for every
Brits since 1994 and for 2014 was reunited with
Britannia Row and Sennheiser, a team that also
worked together on this year’s MTV Europe
Music Awards. An affable, good-humoured
natural leader and hugely talented designer, he
started his professional career at the Crucible
Theatre in Sheffield, before becoming head of
sound at the newly opened National Theatre
on the South Bank. He has gone on to design
some of the biggest and most complex events in
theatre, events and rock ‘n’ roll.
“One of my main challenges at The Brits
is to ensure great auditorium PA coverage for
the live show, without introducing too much
colouration to the live broadcast sound,” he
explained talking prior to the show. “I am a big
fan of L-Acoustics K1 system and in keeping
with last years Brit Awards, I specified a K1 line
array.” The main left and right hang comprised
16 L-Acoustics K-1 elements, along with four
L-Acoustics KARA and two sub bass hangs made
up of eight L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofers. For
the outer hang 14 V-DOSC and three dV-DOSC

64
 PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Brits

Opposite: Pharell Williams and Nile Rodgers; Ellie Goulding won the Best British Female Solo Artist award.

elements were used with similar numbers used

for the far outer hangs and delays. Distributed
front coverage consisted of eight L-Acoustics
108P in fill cabinets and eight SB28 subwoofers.
All amplification came from L-Acoustics LA8’s
with Lake LM26 processors. A Dante returns
system was employed throughout, with two
separate fibre returns for stage end and delays.
Zieba stated: “I have specified the same PA
that worked so well last year. Don’t try and fix
what isn’t broken! Nico Royan was my System
Tech from Britannia Row. He is an incredibly
skilled and experienced System Tech that I have
had the pleasure of working with for decades.
He was ably assisted by Cesar Lopez - another
very experienced System Tech with Dee
Miller working as Audio Crew Chief, a hugely
experienced Monitor Engineer in his own right,
having worked for the likes of Led Zeppelin at
The O2 Arena.”
Josh Lloyd from Britannia Row mixed for their quality, flexibility and reliability and the another Brit veteran, was Mix Engineer.
artists at FOH with Chris Coxhead handling fact that most of the ‘A List’ bands on this show “Preparation, preparation and more preparation
presentation, VT and playback mix duties, are on tour using these consoles.” is the key to all of the audio,” emphasised
another long-term Brit awards worker. Console Outboard audio consisted of a standard Zieba. To give an example he added: “For just
wise Midas Pro 9 and DiGiCo SD7 consoles were package of valve compressors and high-quality one artist collaboration on this year’s show we
the order of the day at both FOH and monitors reverbs supplied as standard plus additional have in excess of 24 stereo channels of in-ear
for the band mixes and a Midas Pro 2 at FOH for extras added at the request of specific artists, monitors in use. Wedge mixes are down this
Presentation microphones, VT inserts and walk- for example a FOH Waves Sound Grid Server year with less than 10 discrete mixes being
ups. Zieba added: “I have chosen the consoles package. In the monitor world Pete McGlynn, needed.”

65
PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Brits

Below: Ellie Goulding; Disclosure and AlunaGeorge.

All changeovers ran perfectly with both
Lloyd and Coxhead’s assured mixing at FOH
pleasing both broadcast demands and that of
an expectant arena audience. Zieba concluded
by looking back over the past 20 years with
the five audio technologies that have made a
difference to his sound design since he started
on The Brits.
He said: “Digital consoles, line array
loudspeaker systems, fibre optic multicore,
networked audio and Lake digital processors.”
Here’s to another 20 years of impeccable
ground-breaking sound.
what you hear is what you get. We tried it last shows, I always try to give the artists their own
year on The Brits in rehearsal but didn’t go radio frequency microphone preference, be it
live with it. This year I have 100% faith in it. Sennheiser, Shure, Audio-Technica or another
We have used it on the MTV EMA’s too and and to let artists bring in their own radio
Sennheiser used it on Eurovision this year so frequency if they wish. This gives even more
now we are at a point where we can go live of a headache to my excellent radio frequency
with it on a show like this.” Supervisor, Sapna Patel, who has to coordinate
“I have specified basically the same PA that worked so well last year.
Don’t try and fix what isn’t broken!”

MICROPHONES
All presenter microphones including James
Cordon’s were Sennheiser’s digital 9000 SKM
Series with ME 9004 heads. It’s a microphone
that Zieba has become very fond of: “It’s
extraordinary. It is the first microphone that
I have used for this type of work that has no
handling noise. So it is utterly silent in people’s
hands, which is really good. The quality of it is
just superb. There is no EQ on it, it’s flat and
Zieba has successfully worked with
Sennheiser as his radio frequency partner on
The Brits for over a decade. “Their logistical
and engineering help has been invaluable,”
he said. “There are now so many hand-held
microphones, instrument packs and in-ear
monitors on the show that supplying all of the
show’s needs would be impossible without
Sennheiser’s assistance. Unlike other award
frequencies and licensing between Britannia
Row kit, Sennheiser kit, the band’s own kit,
instrument kit from UK backline companies
and radio frequency products brought in from
the US. This is where Sennheiser’s assistance
comes into its own. Often when we have a
specially ‘blinged-up’ standard Sennheiser
microphone from the US, Andrew Lillywhite
will have to completely remove all of the US

66
PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Brits
Below: (top) Arctic Monkeys frontman, Alex Turner, had playful banter during his acceptance speeches for the groups latest accolades - Best British Group and Best British Album; The stage was
designed by Peter Bingemann and built by StageCo, it provided a grandesque centrepiece; (Below) Chris Coxhead, FOH Mix Engineer; Rudimental, winners of Best Single.
electronics and replace them with
UK licensable electronics just for
their one song in the show! We
often end up with a spreadsheet
showing over 150 coordinated
pieces of radio frequency kit just
for the live performance part of
The Brits, excluding any TV or
commercial use. The challenge of
achieving that on a live-to-air show
without a whisper of interference
is huge. I take my hat off to Sapna,
Mark Saunders and Andrew from
Sennheiser who make that happen
every year.”
LIGHTING AND VISUALS
Dave Davey was stage production
Lighting Designer with PRG
handling the lighting specification
and Dave Hallet as Project
Manager and lighting crew boss.
A huge amount of ceiling
truss hung over the arena to light
what is essentially a TV and rock
show combined. This included on
the stage rig were 44 PRG Best
Boy 4000 Spot luminaires, 54
Philips Vari-Lite VL3500 Washes,
24 VL3500 Spots, 12 GLP X4
impressions, and 24 Martin
Professional Atomic 3000 Strobes.
An impressive 70 Clay Paky Sharpys
were also used on the main stage
russes and a further 148 Sharpys
68
were used to cover the arena
floor table lighting. A total of 14
Virtuoso Node Plus were used for
data networking. At FOH High End
Systems Hog 4’s were the lighting
console of choice also supplied by
PRG.
For Clay Paky The Brits 2014
was a success in more ways than
the main event. In January, the
company’s new B-Eye’s were
installed on the lighting rig at
The Brits launch show held at ITV
Studios in Central London. Glyn
O’Donoghue, Managing Director
of Ambersphere Solutions, Clay
Paky’s sole distributor for the UK,
said: “The B-Eye is a whole new
category of fixture. Customers are
amazed at how versatile it is. It’s
really a perfect wash light with a
really powerful beam light with
a defined beam and super fast
movement, people really like this
combination.”
Back at The O2 Arena, XL Video
supplied the main curved stage set
LED pieces, made up from Absen
six mm LED tiles, 462 in total. The
circular closedown screen used
three Barco HDQ-2K40 projectors
and on the Brit statue, four Barco
HDF-W26 projectors. Side of stage
relay screens used two Barco HD-
20 projectors on each side. Centre
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Brits
Below: Beyoncé in the spotlight; Lorde picked up a Brit for Best International Female Solo Artist; Katy Perry’s neon Cleopatra inspired set was designed by Jonathan Perry from Perry Scenic; Bruno
Mars’ set was also designed by Jonathan Perry from Perry Scenic with set construction by LS-Live.
of House relay screens consisted of four Barco
R12+ projectors.
XL Video, with Paul Wood as Project
Manager, also supplied specific artists requests
throughout the show, including front projection
gauze screen and two Barco HDQ 2K40
projectors for Beyoncé.
The accompanying cameras, PPU and control
system were managed and supplied by Oglehog
and Chris Saunders who continued his long
relationship with The Brits. SNP Productions Ltd
supplied Oglehog with eight Catalyst media
servers and two Full Boar 4 consoles. SNP’s
Managing Director, Simon Pugsley was tasked
with programming SNP’s new HES Full Boar
4’s consoles and Catalyst media servers for
Beyonce’s performance working closely with
Paul Wood and his team to provide graphics
to the onstage projection and sculptural LED
screens.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
First to perform on the night were Arctic
Monkeys, complete with a giant flaming A
and M sign created and run by pyrotechnics
specialist FFP FX. For the third time in their
career they picked up the award for Best Group
and Best Album in the same year.
For Ellie Goulding, winner of Best British
70
Female Solo Artist, FFP used 10 LFM 1 liquid
flames and fabricated two dozen burning
drumsticks and several handheld pyrotechnic
devices as well as confetti rigged above
downstage and the presenter’s catwalk for her
set.
FFP also rigged 10,000 balloons above the
audience for the Pharrell Williams and Nile
Rodgers finale. In the arena and on the night
it has to be said that it was Beyonce who stole
“It was the quality of the OPS diodes that helped ER Productions
produce the TV white looks along with the vibrant colours required.”
the show with XO. The staging for her was a
triumph of modern theatre design powered by
a huge inspiring sound. Other notable award
winners on the night included David Bowie who
picked up Best British Male Artist; Rudimental,
Best Single; Sam Smith, Critics Choice and Daft
Punk, Best International Group.
Lasers had to be big for 2014 and to that
end, ER Productions - fresh from working on
the Grammys - supplied 23 high-powered OPSL
systems totaling 497W. Ryan Hagan Director at
ER commented: “Three artists requested lasers
for their performances and we worked closely
with Dave Davey to ensure all effects required
were executed correctly and safely. It was
the quality of the OPS diodes that helped ER
Productions produce the TV white looks along
with the vibrant colours required.”
Arctic Monkeys used three 21W RGB OPS
lasers systems up-stage centre, just behind the
band and used white and yellow colours. Katy
Perry’s neon Cleopatra theme suited the laser
looks incredibly well.
Hagan added: “It was important to achieve
different styles from the three laser rigs so for
Katy Perry it was decided to concentrate the
Congratulations to all the winners!

XL Video are proud to supply the BRIT Awards for the 12th consecutive year
PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Brits
Below: Josh Lloyd, FOH Band Mix Engineer; Ellie Goulding used extensive designs from FFP FX and ER Productions.
majority of the power on-stage. It was also
a great opportunity to utilise the large matte
white Brit Statue with some laser mapping
effects. This came from two 25W RGBYC OPS
systems with high-speed 60k scanners located
at FOH. This was a truly unique effect and one
ER Production’s has never delivered for a live TV
show. The neon theme also allowed us to use
really bright greens, magentas and cyan’s which
show up on camera really well. The end result
looked great and added an effective layer to the
laser display.
To top this up we rigged six 21W RGBB
OPS systems onto the curve trusss, stage left
and right with two 24W greens hung centrally
on a mid-truss. The focus for these were
the pit cameras, which shot up through the
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72
performance catching all the laser effects.” For
Ellie Goulding ER Productions used 12 21W
RGBB OPS systems and diffracted burst effects.
The lasers accompanied the track Burn with
white and yellow effects throughout with the
final verse using red diffracted effects.
DRAPING AND STAGING
Draping and rigging specialist Blackout created
a bespoke fabric backdrop for Beyoncé
as she performed a glittering rendition of her
empowering anthem XO - the first live TV
performance of the single. Led by Blackout
Project Director, Kevin Monks, who collaborated
with Brits TV and Beyoncé’s production team
to install an eight metre wide by 12 metre
fine gauze high speed roller screen which
dimensions SETUP
132’ X 56’
(40 m x 17 m) X16 16h00
dimensions SETUP
132’ X 56’
(40 m x 17 m) X16 16h00
became the centrepiece of Beyoncé’s simple yet
glamorous performance. In collaboration with
set company, Steel Monkey, the team installed
three steel boxes upstage of the screen, clad
with multiple layers of white voile to create a
series of projection surfaces for XL Video to
display creative content. At the opening of
the performance, Beyoncé stood between the
fine gauze and a giant close up of her face
was projected live onto the screen, appearing
to the audience as if suspended in mid-air. As
Beyoncé sang the lyrics ‘turn the lights out’ the
projection disappeared and the main central
set frame was revealed by a kabuki fabric drop
system and the gauze screen was raised at over
one metre per second by the roller screen
mechanism. Both systems were controlled by
SPEARHEADING
STAGING EVOLUTION
PRODUCTION PROFILE: The Brits
Below: The 2014 Brit Awards marked the ceremony’s 20th year; Fans enjoyed performances such as Beyonce’s, and the event was broadcast to a TV audience.
the Blackout team to reveal the singer in her
sparkling green dress. On stage, the three
2.5-metre square boxes were positioned behind
her and used to project stars, fireworks and
abstracts of the New York City skyline.
Monks commented: “Beyoncé’s performance
gave us the opportunity to use two of our
reveal products, especially our fast roller
screen system which is an ideal mechanism to
create dramatic effects or to deploy projection
surfaces within the content of even the most
technically challenging shows.”
Katy Perry wowed with her Egyptian themed
neon Cleopatra set design by Jonathan Perry,
Director of Perry Scenic, complete with a replica
Tutankhamun Chariot and 3D Sphinx Cats
perched upon stunning UV columns. Jonathan
Perry also designed Bruno Mars’ set, a New
York themed apartment that included a two
metre in length rotating fan. A late request
direct from Bruno saw the team work through
74
the night to create the graffiti themed effect always and we delivered the set the day before
that graced the stage. “It was a pleasure the show.”
implementing Bruno Mars’ creative vision and TPi
a joy for Perry Scenic to work with him again,” Photos: JM Enternational
said Perry. www.brits.co.uk
Working under time constraints, LS-Live was www.britanniarow.com
contracted by Perry Scenic to deliver structural www.blackout-ltd.com
requirements for Mars’ set, which included an www.er-productions.com
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for the musicians. LS-Live’s Director, Ben Brooks www.nine-yards.co.uk
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rental LiteDeck. We built the structure in line www.showstars.co.uk
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fixtures round the edges and an automated www.stageco.com
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industrial look. Time was tight, but the lines of www.steelmonkey.co.uk
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 IN THE SPOTLIGHT: PreSonus

PRESONUS
PRESONUS’ STUDIOLIVE ACTIVE INTEGRATION AI-SERIES LOUDSPEAKER RANGE, LAUNCHED AT NAMM
2014, CONSISTS OF THREE FULL RANGE SYSTEMS AND A SUBWOOFER. DESIGNED TO PRODUCE STUDIO
QUALITY SOUND FOR THE SMALL THEATRE, CLUB PA AND OUTDOOR PAVILLION MARKET PLACES IN A WIDE
VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS. SIMON DUFF TALKED TO JIM ODOM, PRESONUS’ MANAGING DIRECTOR, ABOUT
THE HISTORY OF HIS COMPANY AND THE AMBITIOUS AI SERIES.

Jim Odom, musician, producer, and
LSU graduate in Electrical Engineering
founded PreSonus in 1995 with the goal of
building professional and affordable music
production tools for musicians and audio
engineers. PreSonus began in Jim’s garage
and moved to the second floor of Causey’s
Furniture in downtown Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, where it stayed its first three
years. PreSonus’ first product, the award-
winning DCP8, digitally controlled 8-channel
compressor / limiter / gate, holds a patent for
analogue control over digital circuitry. Truly
ahead of its time, the DCP8 was designed for
the studio engineer to insert eight channels
of analogue compression with the ability to
save, recall and automate settings where
features only found in mixing consoles
costing more than $100,000 USD.
At Causey’s location, PreSonus designed
and built the ACP8, an analogue version of
the DCP-8, the BlueMax two channel tube
compressor, and the ACP22 dual compressor /
limiter / gate. In 1998, PreSonus moved to its
current location at the Baton Rouge Bon Carre
Technology Park. Subsidiaries have been set up
in Dublin, Hamburg, Boston, and Hong Kong
and the brand is supported by 53 independent
distributors which cover up to 62 countries
worldwide.
“The company was founded on the principles
of the intersection of art and technology,”
explained Odom. “We pay close attention
to the needs and desires of our customers,
while finding elegant solutions that combine
the latest in hardware research and software
design. We recently invested $200,000 USD in
the creation of a DSP research lab at Louisiana
State University. We have a strong commitment
to growing our software development in
Hamburg, which now employs some of the best
minds in digital audio software development
and design. We just finished construction of a
new facility in Baton Rouge that has recording
and performance rooms designed by world-
renowned architects, Walters-Storyk out of New
York. In terms of manufacturing we now have
six approved facilities in China that produce
our various product lines. We created PreSonus
Hong Kong, Ltd, to assemble and train a staff
of experienced quality engineers. This has been
very successful for us in providing continuous
oversight of the manufacturing process for all
of our products. Our company is staffed with
musicians, audio engineers and content creators,
giving us an internal product-research group
that insists on the best in product design and
usability.”
The StudioLive AI-series of powered
loudspeakers consists of three full range
systems and a subwoofer. Which model chosen
depends on where and how they will be used.
Based on a three-way technology that utilises
a coaxial driver and woofer, or pair of woofers,
to provide accurate acoustic reproduction over
the full acoustic spectral and dynamic range.
The StudioLive 312AI features a 12-inch ferrite
woofer and an eight-inch midrange driver and
1.75 inch titanium compression driver driven by

76

Opposite: PreSonus launched its Studiolive Active Integration AI Loudspeaker Series in January. Below: Jim Odom, Founder of PreSonus.
2,000W of triamped, Class D amplification.
Odom commented: “We chose the three-
way system architecture primarily because of
our dislike of how two-way systems reproduce
vocals and spoken voice. Most crossovers
are right in the middle of the natural acoustic
cavities of the human voice, rendering an
acoustic representation that sounded thin
and raspy to our ears. Being studio snobs, we
wanted a voice to sound like a voice, a sax to
sound like a sax, and so on. The three-way
acoustic crossover and powered system gave us
the tools we needed to accomplish this.”
The 315A1 features a 15-inch subwoofer,
along with the same coaxial mid / high drivers
and power amplification as the 312AI. For
smaller applications the 328AI pairs two eight
inch midrange drivers to deliver a powerful
and punchy low end. The rear of the StudioLive
AI series reveals a combo XLR / TRS line input
and an XLR microphone input with a Class A
microphone preamp and 12V phantom power,
as well as an XLR mix output, USB and Ethercon
connections.
Audinate Dante is the chosen digital
network protocol for the AI range. “Dante is
quickly becoming the ubiquitous choice for
audio networking and also has the most direct
experience in real-world system installations,”
said Odom. “We have worked with the
engineers at Audinate for several years and have
given them our input and feedback regarding
audio networks, dating back to 2007. The Dante
system is easy to set up, and the connection
management software is well designed. Our
goal for customers was to pick a solution that
is reliable and allows integration into larger
installations.”
StudioLive is suitable for a range of small-
scale applications such as theatres, bands, pubs,
nightclubs, outdoor pavilions, theme parks and
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market places that desire the most advanced
control and software configuaration available,
as well as amazing acoustic performance. Its a
product accessible to both venue owners and
rental companies alike. It allows the installer,
audio engineer, FOH engineer, and others to
configure and control an entire system, small or
medium-scale, with an iPad or laptop. Odom
explained: “Individual speakers can be soloed
and checked, auto-time-aligned, and spectrally
tuned, then placed back into an overall system
for global tweaks. A pub owner has ultimate
control over the system at all times and can
place limiters, check on transducers, and so on,
from the bar!”
Research into the StudioLive range began in
2009 and involved hundreds of prototypes and
five years of development. PreSonus partnered
with David Gunness of Fulcrum Audio for the
acoustic design and selection of transducers.
Odom claims that the product range has the
most advanced DSP and embedded architecture
ever built into a loudspeaker. He added: “It gives
us fantastic control over the acoustics of the
Live Sound Re-Inforcement
Microphones & Outboard
Communication Systems
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: PreSonus
entire system, including other speakers within a
system.”
Looking forward, Odom believes that for
pro audio advanced wireless communication
between products on a stage will be of
continued importance. He concluded: “We need
to communicate and transmit audio - without
running all of those cables! Seamless integration,
great sound, affordable, globally connected,
great service, expert advice, advanced acoustic
design, brilliant engineering will help define
our future. Our goal is to continue to research
and define solutions to the common and
uncommon problems in creating, mixing,
mastering, distributing, and performing music
and sound. Many of the common tools of
today will be integrated into a series of smart,
interactive products. I believe that PreSonus is
poised to advance the industry in many of these
categories and that our passion and connection
with both the art and technology of our craft
will lead us there.”
TPi
www.presonus.com
Audio Rental
Consoles
Speaker Systems
Monitoring
Concert Production
Showcase Production
Wireless Systems
Recording Services
DJ Equipment
77
 CLOCKING OFF: Cove Guardians

BY DAY, IAN TURNER IS A LIGHTING DESIGNER AND THE DIRECTOR OF GLS LIGHTING; HIS WIFE JAC NOTT IS
A TOURING MONITOR ENGINEER. OUTSIDE OF THEIR WORK IN OUR INDUSTRY, THEIR BIG PASSION IS OCEAN
CONSERVATION. THE COUPLE SUPPORT THE SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY, AND ACT AS DIRECT
ACTION CREW, VOLUNTEERS AND COVE GUARDIANS. GLS PROVIDED THE WATER ON OUR VERY OWN AWARDS
TABLES RECENTLY, WITH A NOD TO WATERAID BUT BEFORE PARTYING INTO THE EARLY HOURS WITH YOU,
THEY VENTURED TO JAPAN FOR A VERY NOBLE CAUSE. HERE, THEY WRITE FOR TPi ABOUT THEIR LATEST
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION TRIP IN THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF OUR NEW COLUMN, CLOCKING OFF.

Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society (SSCS) is an
international non-profit, marine wildlife
conservation organisation whose mission
is to end the destruction of habitat and
slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in
order to conserve and protect eco systems
and species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative
direct-action tactics to investigate,
document, and take action when necessary
to expose and confront illegal activities on
the high seas.
During January 2014 we travelled to Taiji,
Japan, to join the SSCS Cove Guardian program.
As Cove Guardians we are part of a constant
presence on the ground to document the
slaughter of dolphins and other small cetaceans
in this town. This slaughter runs almost daily
from September to March each year and was
documented in the Oscar winning documentary
The Cove.
The primary incentive for the Taiji hunt
is profit from the sale of dolphins to marine
parks throughout the world. This provides the
money, but the actual slaughter is something
the locals consider to be ‘pest control’ – killing
dolphins who are stealing the fishermen’s fish!
The government say that it is a traditional hunt
for meat, however this tradition only started
in 1969 (making the Rolling Stones a much
older tradition) and the meat is so heavily
contaminated with mercury it is unfit for human
consumption.
A day with the Cove Guardians starts early;
the team are on the ground every day before
sunrise, but the police have been watching
outside our hotel all night and are waiting.
Every movement is followed by armed police
in cars and on foot, every step filmed. Cove
Guardians even work in pairs with GoPro
cameras on for security.
We stand on the shore, in the cliffs, on
the harbour and we film, photograph, count
and livestream video. We witness laughing
‘fishermen’ deliberately driving boats over the
panicking dolphins ripping them with their
propellers. We watch the cove run red with
blood and hear the screams of the dolphins as
they die an often slow death in front of family
members, or get wrestled out of the water
and kidnapped for a life in the marine parks to
perform tricks for dead food (dolphins naturally
do not eat dead fish, they have to be trained
to do so). We operate within the Japanese law
so we document and we bring the sights and
sounds to the world’s attention.
This is where everyone else comes in and
we would both like to thank all our friends
and colleagues for sharing, tweeting, emailing
and generally telling the world what we have
witnessed so far. With condemnations from
so many people including the US and UK
ambassadors to Japan and the first Japanese
newspaper also recently condemning the
killings, we feel we might be approaching a
tipping point. Thank you all for your support.
Do keep an eye on the Sea Shepherd Cove
Guardians Facebook and Twitter feeds for
more news. The fight is not over but the Cove
Guardians will be there for however long it
takes.
For the oceans, Ian and Jac.
www.seashepherd.org

78
 IN PROFILE: Eurotruss

EUROTRUSS
IN THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESSION IN WHICH WE WORK, EUROTRUSS IS WAY AHEAD OF ITS
OWN GAME. THIS TRUSSING COMPANY IS PUSHING FORTH WITH NEW SAFETY STANDARDS, GAUGING THE
EXPECTATIONS OF THE TEMPORARY STRUCTURE SECTOR BEFORE THE OFFICIAL GUIDELINES HAVE EVEN
COME INTO PLAY. TPi’S KELLY MURRAY VISITED THE HEADQUARTERS IN LEEUWARDEN, THE NETHERLANDS,
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THESE NEW LEGISLATIONS AS THE MANUFACTURER LEADING THE WAY
CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY.

My first ever encounter with Eurotruss - a
manufacturer of aluminium truss systems
to the international live events market
- occurred on a stiflingly hot summer’s
day in Romania, almost three years ago. I
was attending the country’s annual dance
festival, the Liberty Parade. It was on the
festival site’s grounds, a beach no less, that
I was introduced to the concept of roof
structures, created from lightweight truss.
The company supplying the roof, full
service rental house, Fives, had invited me
to Romania to witness how they put on an
outdoor event with the best equipment in
the industry, in conjunction with the highest
levels of health and safety, regardless of the
weather conditions (even desert creatures were
suicidal in that heat). My first real lesson in
truss manufacturing was completed in the best
possible environment: a live gig, in the harshest
of conditions with the people responsible for
the roof - Owner and Founder, Martin Kuyper
and Director of Operations, Frank Schrage - on
hand to explain why their brand was the only
one in the whole of Fives’ truss inventory.
DUTCH COURAGE
This year, Eurotruss is celebrating its 20th
anniversary, which is an achievement in itself,
but is particularly heart warming considering
this is a company which came to life in a farm
shed with just three welders.
Back to the early days when Eurotruss began
to produce, trussing itself was a relatively
unknown product in the industry. So much
so that in the early ‘90s, the company drove
around with the product in the boot of a car,
like door-to-door salesmen for the rock ‘n’ roll
European staging industry.
“It all started at in my early twenties with
a rental company called Gigs Support in my
hometown, Leeuwarden,” explained Kuyper.
“The first steel truss was made by Henk
Vellinga who is actually still my friend today,
and business partner in a different business.
In 1992 Eurotruss was created as a separate
company department for trussing but in 1993
Gigs Support fell apart. Although I studied
economics and originally planned a different
path, the tremendous joy and excitement of
being a part of this crazy entertainment industry
got to me. I took Eurotruss out of the remnants
and founded Eurotruss BV on January 17 1994.”
The first large customer to team up with
Eurotruss was Lightpower, in Paderborn,
Germany. Every Thursday a truck would drive
across the border with the finished truss in tow,

80

Opposite: The Eurotruss HQ in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Below: Eurotruss Founder & Owner, Martin Kuyper; Director of Operations, Frank Schrage; Commercial Director, Peter Draaisma.
so was the primitive nature of the business back
then. The engineering behind the truss backed
up by Kuyper’s passion, determination, ambition
and, crucially, personal approach to business,
were the key ingredients that would inevitably
set this company up for a global future in the
live event sector.
“I’d be lying if I said I had a business plan
back then. I had two major challenges; to prove
to everybody that I could become successful
and that I had the ability to learn from people
who had an established status and clear vision
in our industry,” he added.
“I talked to my key mentor back in 1995,
Ralph Wezorke, of MA Lighting and Lightpower.
He helped me get comfortable in the driver’s
seat. I had passion for the product, the
Eurotruss customers, and the drive to tell
everyone that Eurotruss was the right product
and staging partner. Plus I had the joy of
IN PROFILE: Eurotruss
travelling for 200 days a year, meeting new
people and experiencing new cultures every
day. All of this has made the last 20 years go
by so fast, but I’ve always had a smile and a
clear determination of where to go next,” said
Kuyper.
COMPANY CHARACTER
Kuyper has recently moved from Leeuwarden to
Florida, USA, in order to set up the company’s
81
IN PROFILE: Eurotruss
Below: The Eurotruss welding staff maintain the manufacturing skills in The Netherlands, but the company is going from strength to strength and will officially open a US operation on March 1;
Eurotruss can supply bespoke installation pieces, standard truss systems and temporary structures, which are a key part of its business having recently supplied roofs to outdoor live events including
Bastille in South Africa and Rihanna in Israel.
US operation. With his location now across an
ocean, Schrage is adamant that this ‘hands-on’
mentality he was taught by Kuyper will remain
a key feature of the business model going
forward. “The office side of our work has always
been conducted by just a handful of core people
and because of this, the business has grown
exponentially in the last few years,” Schrage told
me.
“Firstly, there was a distinct lack of
knowledge with respect to the safety-side
of trussing at the start of this business. Not
only has Eurotruss succeeded in effectively
filling this gap in the market, but we also
know that customers value Eurotruss because
of this knowledge, because of our expertise
and also the technical support that backs up
our products. This remains something which
potential competitors from emerging markets in
other countries can’t provide on the same level.”
Schrage detailed the quality of the welders
in Holland as “superb”. “The welders are paid
decently here, and our approach to staff is
felt on a very personal level, much like our
customers,” he noted. “Welders must be treated
with a lot of respect, because respect in many
ways has a greater worth than money.”
Relationships outside the office are strong
too. Schrage takes the time every Monday
morning to walk around the manufacturing
82
plant and chat to the staff about their
weekends, bridging any gaps between the
office and the floor workers, and reinforcing
his appreciation for their skills. No doubt
this mentality will be a transferable attitude
across the Atlantic too. “Our stock availability,
level of service and hands on mentality has
already started to prove successful, in all our
subsidiaries” he added.
AMERICAN ADVENTURE
When I first met Kuyper, he had just sold the
company, although he would endeavour to
maintain his responsibilities. Just two short
years later, after seeing the company he created
venture into a direction he wasn’t entirely
agreeable with, he bought it all back, every
share. Kuyper expanded: “Each newly founded
and growing company goes through many
stages and at a certain point the founder - the
driver and the passionate one - should step
aside and let professional people in to help the
company successfully enter into the next stage.
A successful company like Eurotruss attracts
investors and management which I believed
could support me to push Eurotruss to be a true
global contender.
“This is a mistake lots of founders and
company owners make. I now strongly believe
all companies in our ‘small’ entertainment
industry need entrepreneurs to keep running
the company as the spirit and passion they bring
to the table is like fuel for a car.
“I am so determined to make Eurotruss the
leading truss and staging company in the world
that I could not let it slip by and simply blame
others. The responsibility was mine, and I took
it back. I realised that that alone would not
cement Eurotruss as the top player; I required
a strong management too.” The key personal
team is completed by recent addition Peter
Draaisma as Commercial Director and Henry
Schuil as Business Development Manager.
When I paid the HQ a visit, I was met by the
effortlessly welcoming Draaisma.
Continued Kuyper: “I learned that to lead
Eurotruss, our whole team had to be dedicated
and eager and for that you have to create the
right business environment to do so. Now I
want to get the bird’s eye view that doesn’t
require a daily presence in the office,” he said.
“We believe that setting up warehousing and
sales support as a hub is essential to a successful
and long term market positioning. Setting up
the American hub was very attractive to me.
The personal change and a strong business plan
convinced me to go the US.”
Officially, the US operation will launch on
March 1, just before Europe’s busiest trade fair,
Prolight + Sound opens its doors.
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IN PROFILE: Eurotruss
Below: The Liberty Parade, Romania’s biggest dance event where Five’s supplied a Eurotruss roof structure; Director of Operations, Frank Schrage noted that in The Netherlands, respect in the work
place for skilled jobs is worth more than currency.
A BRIGHT FUTURE
The show will mark Draaisma’s first time at the
event as a Eurotruss representative, having only
joined the company a mere seven months ago
- after being headhunted by Kuyper - to come
on board.
Draaisma told me: “Frank and Martin were
so busy with day-to-day operations that they
didn’t realistically have the time to project a
long term plan to grow the business. I brought
a different perspective to the company and was
able to broaden the perspective in terms of
moving the brand into the future.”
Draaisma’s reputation within the trussing
industry is well known, in both Europe and
North America, following his time working for
another trussing manufacturer and Doughty
Engineering.
Draaisma stated that an increasing focus
on the marketing of Eurotruss as a brand for
its preferred partners worldwide would lead to
more interaction with the industry on key levels.
“Martin has built a strong, solid and beautiful
company and it is our privilege to continue its
legacy in the next chapter. After seven months
I am still impressed with the high quality of
the products, the support and the staff and
Eurotruss has all the potential to become market
leader,” he said.
Back at the HQ, walking around the factory
floor - headed up by new Plant Manager,
Dominique Duijn - it’s easy to see that Eurotruss
runs on harmony. There are skilled workers in
every direction, building with true craftsmanship
the products that have put this manufacturer on
the map year after year. To give you an idea of
its capabilities, the Qatar National Convention
Center used an incredible 24km of box truss as
mobile rigging grids for all seven exhibition halls
of this unique venue. Be it custom constructions
or its flagship product - the FD34, currently
selling hundreds of meters on a daily basis -
Eurotruss is in a remarkable position to supply
rental companies, as its truss inventory is stored
in several locations around the world, for quick
84
access.
“I suppose that everyone wants to join
the winning team,” Draaisma continued. “For
example, at Frankfurt we have changed our
booth with increased seating and a bar area
that gives us the opportunity to host a network
event for our customers after the exhibition
closes, so that our customers can relax while
they talk business.”
This in itself is a pivotal task for the Eurotruss
team. Although the Eurotruss factory has the lay
out to do mass production, a major part of its
daily business is custom one-offs. The process
time from design and engineering, right up to
shipping, is minimal, proving that the Eurotruss
efficiency management is working. Schrage
commented: ”It is all about communication and
commitment. It’s part of the job to inform our
specialists in time, and with a twist of rock ‘n’
roll we can move mountains!”
Kuyper agreed: “In the coming years,
Eurotruss will grow further by offering the
market a local support with expertise. Within
three years I think we will achieve a bigger
market share in our existing markets, and
have seen successful entries into new markets
including North and South America, Russia and
Asia.”
NEW INDUSTRY STANDARDS
As suggested earlier, Eurotruss is ahead of its
game as far as rules and regulations within the
trussing industry go. Various incidents in the
past have acted as a catalyst to dictate that new
standards should be set. This is finally happening
this year and Eurotruss is at the very forefront
of putting these new industry standards into
practice.
“What we want to offer our customers is a
product that is certified by the TUV, complying
the standards,” said Henk Tiekstra, Technical
Manager within the Eurotruss Group. TUV is the
German technical association or Technischer
Überwachungsverein, the equivalent to PAT
testing.
“We’ve had our trusses tested and approved
to comply with the German standards because
the German market is a real hub for us, and our
distributing network is very important to the
longevity of the company,” he furthered.
This stems from the fact that the standards
used in our industry were the German Industrial
Standards, the DIN 4112 for temporary
structures like roof constructions for example,
and the DIN 4113 for constructions made out of
aluminium. Recently European Standards have
replaced and will replace the local standards like
the DIN standards but also the British Standards
(BS). The DIN 4112 for structures like roofs have
to be replaced by the EN 13814 (Fairground and
Amusement park machinery and structures)
and for trussing in general the DIN 4113 will
be replaced by Eurocodes EN 1990-1999, also
called EC0-EC9.
Since 2012, all aluminium structures such as
roofs, which are newly built or need a building
permit renewal must be in compliance with
EN13814. In practice this creates a big impact
for companies with existing structures, as they
have to be re-evaluated. The latest development
will take place by July 1 2014 when the DIN
4113 will disappear and all truss types will
therefore need to comply and be recalculated
to the Eurocodes. This will apply to all European
countries and allegedly be taken as the new
standard in ours, the entertainment industry.
Concluded Tiekstra: “Eurotruss complies to
all new standards as yet no other company has
taken the whole nine yards.”
As the evening sky begins to turn into a
pretty pink and the chilling winter air takes
hold, I leave the Eurotruss HQ after what can
only be described as a thoroughly educational
day. Make no mistake, this is a out-rightly
confident company, but it is also home to some
refreshingly insightful figure heads, who just
happen to have an encyclopedic understanding
of their field…
TPi
www.eurotruss.com
See us at
CABSAT Hall 7/ C7-30

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 ON THE ROAD: LA Confidential
LA CONFIDENTIAL
FORGET THE TOURIST PATH, TPi’S KELLY MURRAY SEEKS OUT THE PRODUCTION LOWDOWN IN TORRANCE,
SUN VALLEY, NORTHRIDGE AND ORANGE COUNTY...
The region of Los Angeles was founded in
1781 by Spanish Governor, Felipe de Neve
and 40 years later became a part of Mexico
following the Mexican War of Independence.
The Mexican–American War then resulted in
California as a whole being secured as part
of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, officially
becoming a part of the United States. California
was initiated into statehood in 1850, and in
a very short time became the centre of film
entertainment industry throughout the world.
From Charlie Chaplin’s move stateside over
a century ago to the saturated market of reality
stars today, Hollywood remains the number one
western destination for both veteran performers
and the ambitious stars of tomorrow.
Outside of its broadcast roots, Los Angeles
is also the prime location of the live and touring
sector. Sunset Strip in the ‘80s was a rock ‘n’ roll
haven, the ‘90s saw boy bands and female solo
artists fighting for the top spot on the Disney
Channel, and the ‘00s were home to some of the
biggest arena productions for some of those Disney
86
stars (even if they were in the midst of a public
breakdown…).
Fast forward to the present day, and with its
close proximity and easy access to Las Vegas, the
region of LA has become a huge manufacturing,
rental, production and creative touring hub for the
live event industry. Which could mean only one
thing seen as TPi was flying west for The NAMM
Show; we hired an SUV (somehow I don’t think we
passed for ‘soccer moms’) and drove to some key
manufacturers in the Greater Los Angeles area who
had an interesting story to tell.
LA is a place where vehicles choose not to
indicate, where traffic jams are lengthy, warm,
pits of despair, but is also a destination where the
population is still thriving with eagerness
to produce all manner of shows.
With beautiful scenery to the side and
uncharacteristic wind behind us, we hit the tarmac
for another ‘On The Road’ lesson in history, US
operations when headquartered in Europe, the
importance of safety in staging and the latest
technology in loudspeaker manufacturing...

http://allaccessinc.com
Staging giant All Access was founded in 1991
by Clive Forrester and his business partner,
Erik Eastland. All Access Staging & Productions
initially began its operations by renting
equipment and sub-contracting projects while
offering design abilities and expertise. In the
industrial scenes Torrance, we met with British
born Forrester, the company’s CEO.
He explained that at any given time, All
Access is able to achieve a huge task: to have
over 100 concurrent productions on its event
calendar from the rental and touring market,
to television sets, special events, corporate
function and the sports markets, it’s a staging
company with a mind-blowing daily schedule.
Plus, in addition to its line of rental staging and
gags there is the option to quite literally take
any idea and turn it into a bespoke reality at the
company’s custom manufacturing facility.
During a factory tour around the various
buildings that All access occupy, he explained:
“We used the expertise that we gained from
touring in the industry in our different capacities
to provide a superior staging product to an
industry that was looking for more versatile
solutions to the travelling challenges.
“Originally, All Access offered a different
variety of services, including lighting and
rehearsal space rentals for bands at our
headquarters; however, as time progressed,
the company has grown exponentially each
year into one of the top companies in quality
set construction and staging design,” said
Forrester. “In fact, industry demand drove us to
specialise in staging solutions, prompting the
development of our proprietary line of staging
products, the Versa system.”
Versa decks have become an industry
standard among a huge sector of the touring
market worldwide, and they have also become
indispensable in the television sector in the US.
“Our ‘80 / 20 Solutions’ have been a big part of
our worldwide growth allowing us to duplicate
the standard building blocks of our touring
systems worldwide. The artist ships the custom
supplements and is able to have an affordable
and identical custom set throughout the tour
with minimal transport costs and better value
for the money spent,” he added.
All Access has built its reputation as the
‘can-do’ company. An inexhaustible work ethic
coupled with attractive, reliable equipment has
enabled the company to become a leader in
the world of quality set construction and stage
design. “Our set pieces and staging equipment
have enhanced countless concerts, tours,
television sets, parties, tradeshows, as well as
a few beaches and sporting venues. There are
very few places our equipment and crew have
not been!” smiled Forrester.
ON THE ROAD: LA Confidential
According to Forrester, the All Access motto
really does encompass its business philosophy:
‘All Acces, All The Time, Don’t Even Ask’. As
we walk around the various departments of
the company, this motto can be seen on walls
and doors around the facility. “Our clients
can contact us at any time with virtually any
deadline, and we will make it happen. We
really are the ‘can-do’ company. From myself
to our on-site and set-up crews, everyone at
this company is a part of the All Access family.
Over the years, we’ve been given countless
awards for both set construction and staging,
and while we know the equipment definitely
has something to do with it, we would like to
think that the ‘heart’ of the company, and our
passion has distinguished us from the rest of the
competition.
“While our proprietary equipment designs do
set us apart from our competitors, our number
one distinguishing feature can be summed up
in one word: service. It is our commitment to
our clients that sets us apart from competitors.
Additionally, we are very proud of our Versa
stage system and our patented Versa Deck. The
Versa Stage decking system is the cornerstone
of the All Access operation and the pinnacle
in rapid deployment staging technology,” he
added.
The four ft by eight ft Versa staging decks
87
ON THE ROAD: LA Confidential
are encapsulated in an aluminum frame that
protects them from wear and tear. Complete
with air-force grade coffin locks and self-
locating pins, these decks slide together straight
and lock down to ensure a durable and quality
finish every time. Additionally, Velcro linings for
skirting and handrail slotting allow for a clean,
professional appearance.
“The Versa Stage System was named for its
versatility - applications include rolling stages,
spot platforms, risers, and tiered, multi-level
bleachers,” noted Forrester.
From set construction for the likes of
American Idol and Arcade Fire and stage and
www.renkus-heinz.com
When Harro Heinz founded a loudspeaker
manufacturing plant over 30 years ago, he set
out to create a business that would cemente
his passion for electronics. He began work
as an engineer at Grundig, a German radio
manufacturer, before becoming the President of
Rauland Borg, the very position he left to found
his own company, Renkus-Heinz.
Today, the offices are located in Foothill
Ranch, a district of Orange country, which is
engulfed by leafy ‘side walks’. TPi spoke with
Harro’s son, Ralph about where the company
sits in the industry today, and the thinking
behind its reputation for impact-making
technology.
Being digitally steerable and RHAON
enabled, Renkus-Heinz flagship product, the
IC2 (IC Squared) digitally steerable loudspeaker
leverages all of its Iconyx digital steering and
digital audio networking technologies into a
88
equipment rental to Jason Derulo, Germanys
Next Top Model, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The
Eagles - the latter of which was an incredible
rooftop production at LA’s Forum venue which
saw the roof being turned into a spinning
vinyl record - All Access has its sector covered.
However, to add another dimension to its
talents, it recently has branched out into the ice
rink building sector. After all, it’s another stage
in a live environment...
“When we learned about Ice World
International’s energy efficient, technologically
sophisticated product and their desire to expand
to the US, we felt that All Access would be the
compact, yet very high output loudspeaker. “It
is the most versatile system on the market,”
stated Ralph Heinz, Sr. VP of Renkus-Heinz and
a trained mechanical engineer. “The IC2 scales
to any application, from a single cabinet up to
digitally steerable arrays of up to 16 units tall.”
While the capabilities of the IC2 could be
considered revolutionary within the pro audio
industry, it is simply the latest evolution of the
Iconyx family of steerable arrays, which have
actually been in production since the early
1990s. “We’ve been doing this this longer
than many other manufacturers, and offer the
widest range of digitally steerable loudspeakers
available,” he added.
Providing innovative products is the
beginning of - but not the entire formula - for
long-term success, explained Heinz. “Our
reputation has been earned by providing
superior service, reliability and sound quality
perfect partner as we share a commitment to
building attractive, environmentally-friendly
structures for special events,” the CEO
explained. “It has turned out to be an excellent
match as we have been fortunate to be able to
provide the infrastructure and seasoned crews
to successfully create Ice-America in partnership
with seasoned skating professionals.”
And the plan is to simply keep on
improving: “We have many new products
under development to add to our product lines
which we will be pleased to reveal once they’re
tested and ready for industry use,” Forrester
concluded.
while being a proactive business partner for our
customers.
“Our core philosophy would be to create
something ‘new and improved.’ If a design
offers the potential for a truly improved
performance, sound quality, and reliability over
our previous or existing designs, we will pursue
it,” said Heinz.
Being a smaller, perhaps, more niche and
clearly focused player in a debatably crowded
pro loudspeaker field allows Renkus-Heinz to,
“pursue new and innovative ideas, rather than
‘me too’ products. Although we do offer some
of those as well, as standard,” said Heinz.
“From a product stand point, we offer
world-class products with exquisitely natural
sound reproduction capabilities. As a business
partner, we provide unparalleled application
support throughout the entire life-cycle of a
project - from system planning and speaker
 Channel 4, SU2C Live.
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PO28681 AvolitesMedia 92.5x136 - TPi.indd 1 30/05/2013 16:25

ON THE ROAD: Los Angeles
placement, to proper configuration at time
of order, through to the alignment and
commissioning of our systems in the field,” he
furthered.
www.jblpro.com
The JBL Professional story is an interesting one
to say the least. The brainchild of a potentially
manic-depressive genius with an innovative
interest in electronics, James Bullough Lansing
the company’s founder unknowingly started a
legacy that would produce some of the most
iconic live events in concert history. From The
Grateful Dead’s ‘Wall of Sound’, 1974’s Cal Jam
to Neil Diamond’s impressive 1985 set up, JBL
has been on a pro audio journey to truly behold.
When we visited the JBL offices in
Northridge, its effortlessly fun, metal-loving
Marketing Coordinator, Becki Barabas led us
on a tour of the company’s HQ and showed us
what JBL has achieved in the rock ‘n’ roll audio
fame academy.
Today, the VTX Series is JBL’s flagship
touring product line and the brand is certainly
in use with some influential end users. The
Grammy’s were in process with a JBL system
in tow and The NAMM Show had just finished
90
This intricate audio journey for the Heinz
family is set to continue for another 30 years
the Sr. VP confirmed. “2014 will see more of the
same from Renkus-Heinz, because after all, why
some new launches, both of which has the
kind of reaction JBL had hoped for. “It was a
great opportunity to launch two major new
product lines - the VTX V20 dual 10-inch line
array and its companion S25 dual 15-inch
subwoofer along with the VTX F Series of
multi-purpose fill enclosures [F12 and F15 single
12-inch and 15-inch 2-way enclosures and the
F18S single 18-inch subwoofer],” stated Paul
Bauman, Associate Director - Tour Sound, JBL
Professional.
“Both product lines were featured on the
NAMM Grand Plaza main stage, providing an
opportunity for attendees to be able to hear
the VTX system in action under real world
conditions.”
According to Bauman, the core technologies
featured in VTX include the D2 dual diaphragm,
dual voice coil compression driver and
Differential DriveTM dual voice coil, dual magnet
cone transducers. “On the loudspeaker side, we
would we mess with a formula that’s clearly
working?”
have V25 [dual 15-inch] and V20 [dual 10-inch]
line array elements which are complemented
by VTX S25 dual 15-inch and S28, G28 dual
18-inch subwoofer models. From a sound
design perspective, VTX F Series provides
an effective fill system complement to VTX
V Series models while also serving as a high
performance stage monitoring solution. Crown
Audio VRack12000HD and VRack4x3500HD
turnkey power amplifier racks complete our
system solution offering along with JBL HiQnet
Performance ManagerTM software.”
Crucial to JBL’s commitment to audio
engineering is its detailed training programme
for both the VTX and VerTec systems which
is aimed at system engineers and technicians
who are working with the system on a regular
basis, as well as system specifiers such as FOH
engineers, sound designers and consultants.
Said Bauman: “We offer regular three-day
factory training sessions where we cover line
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ON THE ROAD: Los Angeles
array theory, simulation, suspension procedures,
sound design, subwoofer configurations, system
operation and optimisation.
“The main objective is to give attendees the
knowledge they need to get the best results
in the field. We’ll also be introducing remote
training to support VTX V20 where factory-
certified trainers will be available to conduct
two-day sessions at the client’s location and
show support.”
Bauman explained that training is extremely
important in order to get the best possible
results with JBL systems. “We place a strong
emphasis on this, in fact, in order to become a
fully certified VTX partner, training is considered
mandatory. It really is in everyone’s best interest
that the system is safely and optimally deployed
in order to obtain best results in the field and
92
training provides the foundation necessary to
achieve this,” he added.
The consensus at JBL, is that it is set apart
from the competition due to its proprietary
transducer technology and system integration.
“The D2 driver is truly a unique transducer
and it’s also a unifying technology. The same
large format D2430K transducer employed in
our flagship M2 studio monitor is also used in
VTX V25 and VTX F Series. This means that
what the artist hears in the studio on the M2 is
consistent with what is heard onstage through
the F Series stage monitors as well as what the
audience hears out front through VTX V25 or
V20 enclosures,” continued Bauman.
And there’s more… the second key
differentiator is the high level of system
integration that JBL is able to achieve by
working closely with its sister companies which
also sit under the Harman Professional umbrella
such as Crown Audio, BSS Audio and the System
Design and Integration Group (SDIG). “The fact
that we can work closely within HPRO allows
us to achieve a more integrated system solution
and Crown VRack plus JBL HiQnet Performance
Manager are good examples of the synergy that
results from close collaboration,” he stated.
The response since NAMM has been
“phenomenal” for the JBL tour team. “We’ll
be developing additional F Series and V20
suspension accessories and there will be new
JBL Line Array Calculator and Performance
Manager software releases in the future and
there is also an exciting VTX product roadmap
ahead so please watch this space!” enthused
Bauman.
ON THE ROAD: LA Confidential
www.germanlightproducts.com
Based in SoCal’s Sun Valley, GLP’s growing US
operation is ran by ex-pat, Mark Ravenhill who
since opening the office in 2010 has maintained
his role as US President. As TPi pulls up to the
hill-engulfed warehouse we’re met by the
friendly Brit, who has swapped the weather-
challenged isle for the bright lights of the West
Coast.
After several years working for another
automated lighting company, Ravenhill left to
spend time with his family. When some former
colleagues joined GLP, they head-hunted him for
a new venture with the company. “Initially I was
based in Europe, but it was under discussion to
begin an operation in North America. It’s a vital
market and if you want to have control over
your own destiny, then it’s the right decision to
make. We made that decision, and almost four
years later, here I am.”
GLP US is the exclusive distributor of both
GLP and G-LEC for the Americas. G-LEC is a
creative video company which GLP bought five
years ago and in the US, it also distributes two
other brands; Cosmic Truss which is a full range
of truss and support structures - branded as
Global Truss outside of the Americas - and a
range of products which are sourced under the
brand name of Scenex Lighting.
Ravenhill elaborated: “It’s all LED products,
94
but for scenic applications. More lighting is
being integrated into sets these days and all of
these products are to satisfy that market. From
our base in Los Angeles, we have warehousing,
full technical support and administration.”
Completing the core GLP US staff is Annalise
Laundrup, Operations Director and Carl Wake,
Technical Director, leaving the office in very
capable hands when Ravenhill is away. For much
of 2014, Ravenhill will be returning frequently
to his original home to ensure that both sides
of the Atlantic are taken care of. “I’m going to
get a lot less sleep, I think!” he joked. “There’s a
huge link between the US and UK markets in a
number of ways for GLP’s business and it is very
important that we are looking after both sides.
Being a UK native, it’s easy for me to adjust
and speak the ‘local language’, but my primary
role remains to ensure the ongoing success and
growth of our US operation.
“We are strengthening connections across
the globe and have a focus on building a lot
of new markets. We can feel the wheels of
the economy starting to turn again, and both
customers and competitors agree. So, we are
pushing forward, both in terms of business and
technology.”
At the time of going to print, GLP’s biggest
sellers are the impression X4 and the impression
X4S, as Ravenhill explained: “Honestly? In the
US I can’t keep them in the warehouse, which
I suppose is a positive problem to have! They
are part of our latest fixture series and have
really managed to tick all the boxes that a lot
of lighting designers were previously asking for.
We’ll continue to promote this range at Prolight
+ Sound in Frankfurt with the larger X4 XL
which was previewed at LDI 2013 in Las Vegas.
“There will also be some surprises too, but
you’ll have to come and see us at the show to
find out more! It’s actually a big celebration for
us; it’s our 20th birthday party!” he beamed.
If you can’t wait for the birthday cake, you
can have a taste of GLP’s US success so far this
year with a look at some high profile live events
that have already taken various GLP products on
the road. Billy Joel’s tour US tour and residency
at Madison Square Garden - designed by
Steve Cohen - and Britney Spears’ Las Vegas
residency at Planet Hollywood - designed by
Baz Halpin, Chris Nyfield and the team at Silent
House - are both well underway. Elsewhere
Bryan Hartley carried various GLP fixtures on
his recent jaunt through Europe with the Trans
Siberian Orchestra, (TPi’s February cover). “It’s
been very busy from the start of the year for us,”
smiled Ravenhill. “Of course we hope that it will
continue!”
WWW.TPIAWARDS.COM

WELL DONE
TO ALL OF
THIS YEAR’S
WINNERS FROM TPi MAGAZINE

SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

For all enquiries about the TPi Awards, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Hannah Eakins on +44 (0) 7760 485 230 or email h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk
 EXPO: NAMM 2014

NAMM 2014
THE OFFICIAL POST-SHOW FIGURES ARE IN, THE PRO AUDIO SECTOR IS THRIVING AND TPi’S PENCHANT
FOR AMERICAN CANDY CONTINUES... TPi HIT THE TRADESHOW FLOOR IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA TO FIND
OUT ABOUT THE LATEST AUDIO LAUNCHES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

As my first ever trip to the infamous NAMM
Show got underway, there was clearly
something in the air and the pro audio
industry was buzzing. As the week went on,
the home of Disneyland turned out to be
a great host and TPi was awash with that
positive American ‘can do’ attitude - not
to mention the scent of maple syrup laced
pancakes. NAMM, you certainly served us
well…
While the vast majority of the show is
dedicated to the MI industry, the pro audio and
lighting sector also hold an important place
on this show floor. Most major players were
somewhere to be seen, whether this was by
taking their own stand, on a distributor booth,
or in the case of Martin Audio, Meyer Sound
and DiGiCo to name but a few, taking up
residency at ‘Hall P’ (the informal networking
area of Marriot Pool Bar, that is).
According to the NAMM official post-show
press release, emerging brands, growth in pro
audio and the music technology category,
and an increase in international exhibitors,
converged for the second -highest exhibiting
companies ever. In total there were 1,533
exhibiting companies representing 5,010 brands.
Meeting those brands was a 2% increase in
buyers over 2013. Totalling 96,129 members
of the music product industry registered for
the 2014 NAMM Show. There was also a 6%
increase in international attendees and 636
exhibitors, from 49 countries made up over one-
third of the total exhibiting companies.
While a lot of the companies we met
with were waiting for ISE in Amsterdam and
Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt to make their latest
announcements, North America still holds a vital
position in the tradeshow calander for the live
side of entertainment technology. Here, we dive
into some of the show highlights…
Allen & Heath has introduced the 30 in /
24 out Qu-24 to its Qu series of compact digital
mixers, which also includes the rack mountable

96

Opposite: The busy ADJ stand; The Chauvet Professional team. Below: The DiGiCo presence on
the Group One stand; The Electro-Voice press conference.
Qu-16. Qu-24 features total recall
of settings (including 25 motorised
faders and digitally controlled
preamps), an intuitive Touchscreen,
Qu-Drive integrated multi-track
recorder, dSNAKE for remote I/O
and personal monitoring, multi-
channel USB streaming to Mac,
Qu-Pad control app, and iLive’s
renowned FX library to deliver
class-leading audio quality.
AJ McLean, singer with the
Backstreet Boys led a roundtable
discussion to formally present
Anvil Cases’ new line of Mobile
Device Protection and announce
his partnership with the company.
Anvil Cases’ VP for Mobile Jose
Beltran answered questions about
the company’s new Anvil iPhone
case, created specifically for
touring production personel.
Audio-Technica (Booth
6740), a leading innovator in
transducer technology for over 50
years, offers its BP894 MicroSet
subminiature cardioid condenser
headworn microphone. Inspired by
A-T’s popular BP892 MicroSet, the
BP894 features a rotating capsule
housing with talk-side indicator for
use on either ear and perfect polar
EXPO: NAMM 2014
pattern placement.
Avid showcased the latest
versions of some of its key audio
products on stand 6400 in Hall A,
including Pro Tools 11 and AAX
virtual instruments for MIDI-based
music creators, the Sibelius music
notation family the all-new Avid S6
mixing console and the Avid S3L
for studio-quality sound for live
performances.
Cerwin-Vega introduced its
XD loudspeaker series. The XD4
and XD5 full range systems and
XD8 powered subwoofer join the
existing XD3 powered speaker.
DPA Microphones, gave away
three d:vote 4099 Instrument
Microphones at the 2014 NAMM
Show.
Launching globally at NAMM
2014, the new ETX family builds
upon the industry-leading
innovation and 85-year heritage of
Electro-Voice audio engineering
to offer the most advanced
professional portable powered
loudspeakers available today. A
versatile high-end choice for live
entertainment venues, rental
companies, pro musicians and DJs,
and installed sound, the ETX family
97
EXPO: NAMM 2014
Below: The Laserworld team; DJ Mark Gallo on the Pioneer booth; QSC’s Phil Sanchez; Gioia Molinari of RCF; GLP US President, Mark Ravenhill with various Cosmic Truss products; AJ McLean of the
Backstreet Boys with the Anvil Cases and Calzone Cases team.
features three two-way models (10-inch, 12-inch
and 15-inch, all with a precision HF titanium
compression driver), a three-way model (15-inch
with a 6.5-inch MF driver and a precision HF
titanium compression driver) and two subs (15-
inch and 18-inch drivers).
Harman was selected to support the NAMM
GoPro Stage at the Grand Plaza this year;
the system included the new JBL VTX Series
V20 line array system and S25 subwoofers.
98
Additional equipment included Crown Audio
VRack amplifier systems, Soundcraft Vi Series
digital consoles and AKG wireless and wired
microphones. A full Martin Professional
entertainment lighting system was used and
featured MAC Viper, MAC 700 and MAC 301
fixtures operated by an M1 programmable
controller.
Midas unveiled its M32 digital mixing
console, featuring 40-inputs and a host of
connectivity options.
PreSonus held an exclusive series of semi-
private product demos for the media which
included Q&A sessions with the team.
QSC introduced its much-anticipated digital
mixer line - the TouchMix Series, offering
production professionals and live performance
venues the power and capability of a large
format console in a portable, integrated and
easy to use product.
EXPO: NAMM 2014
Below: The Sennheiser booth; TC Group focussed on vocal performance at this year’s show; The D.A.S Audio stand; The Solid State Logic crew with the company’s first showing of its Live console on
the west coast; Audio-Technika held an early morning press briefing for its latest launch, the BP894 MicroSet subminiature cardioid condenser headworn microphone; Megan Clisby and Margie Ulm
of Renkus-Heinz
RCF’s latest addition to its ART series, the
ART 745-A, was presented at on the stand.
A two-way powered speaker that includes a
4-inch compression driver.
Renkus-Heinz was part of the CMT NAMM
Canadian Reception, providing a full IC2 steered
beam line array system to the event which was
in the Plaza Ballroom of the Sheraton Park.
On the Riedel stand, the RockNet real-time
low latency audio distribution network was
presented alongside RockNet console interfaces
for SSL, Soundcraft Si, Studer and Yamaha.
Roland Systems Group showed its new
VR-3EX, the next generation 4-channel SD
performance mixer which features HDMI inputs/
outputs, USB streaming, HDCP support, built-
100
in touch multi-viewer, an audio mixer all in a
compact portable unit. Designed to be a live
production switcher thebuilt-in audio mixer with
up to four frames delay to ‘lipsync’ your video
source.
Solid State Logic presented its Live desk,
the company’s first console for live sound
production. This was the first West Coast
presentation of the console in a trade show
and thus the first opportunity for hands-on
demos for the professional live audio engineer
community in the region.
TC-Helicon, TC Electronic and Tannoy, all
members of the TC Group family of companies,
premiered nine new products at this year’s
NAMM Show. Spanning from vocal processing
and monitoring and a book release on all
aspects of vocal performance, a lot of ground
was certainly covered.
Waves Audio offered its eMotion Mixer for
SoundGrid systems. The line’s first products
were recently introduced: the emotions LV1
for live sound front-of-house and monitor
applications, and eMotion Studio, for recording,
mixing and post production facilities. Designed
to integrate seamlessly with Waves SoundGrid-
compatible I/Os, eMotion is poised to
revolutionise the world of mixing.
The NAMM Show 2015 will take place from
22-25 January at the Anaheim Convention Center.
TPi
www.namm.org
Live Ad_TPi_Dec13_Layout 1 16/12/2013 17:43 Page 1

www.solidstatelogic.com/live

SSL Live

live@solidstatelogic.com
 THE BIGGER PICTURE

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

REDUCING ELECTRICITY-RELATED GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS AT OFF-GRID OUTDOOR EVENTS
Carbon emissions and climate change - two terms sure to divide, frustrate and confuse. Despite their
lack of physical tangibility, money - perhaps unsurprisingly - can have a positive impact on their
reduction. If burning fuel is causing your emissions, cutting them can save you money - something
every event organiser is interested in. When it comes to events, savings on power will inevitably be
gained through better management and more sustainable approaches to energy use. One of the key
catalysts for such developments in the industry can be attributed to academic research with input
from suppliers. The De Montfort University has been working in partnership with Midas, providers
of biodiesel-powered generators, to gain insight into current use and make suggestions for future
improvements. Here is an extract from their research and findings:

De Montfort University has been monitoring SPECIFYING ENERGY EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT – SWITCH MODE AMPLIFIERS FOR STAGE AUDIO
data from electricity use at temporary
off-grid outdoor events since 2009. Over
200 electricity profiles of the minute by
minute electricity consumption of stages
(audio, video and lighting), traders (food
traders, non-food traders and bars) and site
infrastructure (production, lighting and artists
tour buses) have been analysed. We can now
better understand how electricity is used at
these events. We have also spoken with event
organisers, traders and power providers to
understand what electrical equipment is used
and for how long it is used.
The analysis of the data suggests
opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions by up to 50% by specifying more
energy efficient equipment, switching equipment
off when not in use, introducing battery storage, SWITCHING OFF STAGE VIDEO WHEN NOT IN USE
using renewable energy and sizing generators
more effectively. Below are examples of potential
savings:

SPECIFYING ENERGY EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT

Some equipment used at events is relatively
inefficient; for example incandescent lighting,
analogue amplifiers etc. Specifying more energy
efficient switch mode amplifiers can reduce
electricity consumption.

SWITCHING OFF WHEN NOT IN USE

There are opportunities to switch off equipment
when it is not being used and to switch it
completely off rather than switch it to standby.
An example is switching off stage video.

102
 www.psa.org.uk

SIZING GENERATORS MORE EFFECTIVELY MAXIMUM, MINIMUM AND INTERQUARTILE RANGE OF GENERATOR LOADING
Because of uncertainties over site layout and the
amount of equipment that will be connected to
generators, many generators are oversized. A
combination of earlier site planning and using
the electricity profile data should allow for more
accurate sizing in the future.

STORING ELECTRICITY
Generators often work at very low loads (and
therefore relatively low efficiencies) overnight.
Generators could charge batteries during the
day that could then meet the very low overnight
demand. For example, non-food traders.

SWITCHING FUEL
Some power systems with relatively low and
predictable demand could be met entirely by
renewable energy. For example solar PV and
battery storage for powering LED lighting.
STORING ELECTRICITY – NON FOOD TRADERS
POWER QUALITY
The monitoring has also identified power
quality issues with some systems. The types of
load at events are changing, for example, in
providing the power for stages. Incandescent
lighting is being replaced with LED lighting,
traditional amplifiers are being replaced with
switch mode amplifiers, and more LED video
is being used. Due to the non-linear nature of
such loads, harmonics are introduced into the
system resulting in distortions to the current
and voltages, over-current surges produced by
resonance, and poor power factor. Automatic
power factor correction and harmonic filters
could help overcome these issues.

FUTURE
It is now possible to monitor the output of
generators at off grid outdoor events on SOLAR PV, LED AND BATTERY STORAGE – SITE LIGHTING
a minute-by-minute basis. It is possible to
measure the current and voltage of every load
on the system. Consequently, the actual power
consumed by each part of the event can be
measured in real-time. This includes traders,
who are traditionally charged a fixed tariff for
their power. They can now be charged for the
actual electricity consumed and thereby given a
financial incentive to reduce their own electricity
consumption.
These power systems can also be operated
as smart micro grids. This could involve a smart
controller matching the electrical supply to
the demand with the aid of a battery. The
controller maintains the generator operation
at maximum efficiency by storing excess
electricity in a battery for use overnight. Other
power sources such as solar PV and wind could future. University.
contribute to the dynamic balancing of the For more information contact Paul Fleming:
system. A controller could also remotely switch SOURCES pfleming@dmu.ac.uk. Reference: Fleming P,
off un-essential loads for short periods of time, Professor Paul Fleming is Director of Sustainable Marchini B and Maughan C (2014) Electricity
when electricity demand is predicted to be too Development at the Institute of Energy related greenhouse gas emissions at outdoor
high. Such systems could provide up to 50% and Sustainable Development De Montfort events, Carbon Management.
reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from University, Leicester. www.future-science.com/doi/abs/10.4155/
electricity use at off grid outdoor events. This Dr Ben Marchini is a KTP (Knowledge Transfer cmt.13.69
work is now being taken forward working with Partnership Associate) working for Midas (the TPi
the Powerful Thinking campaign and we expect Biodiesel Generator power provider) www.
‘smarter’ systems in use at events in the near midas-uk.co.uk in partnership with De Montfort www.psa.org.uk

103
 MARKET FOCUS: Catering Services

CATERING SERVICES
BE’ ELZEGRUB www.beelzegrub.com

Meet Be’elzeGrub, an impressive new company with a fresh creative approach to on-tour catering, private
chefing and corporate events. Its combination of experienced staff and devilishly tasty creations are a recipe
for success. Its attention to detail coupled with its cleverly designed flight cases will transform even the
most uninviting of backstage areas into a cosy, welcoming hangout for the band and crew. The Be’elzeGrub
portfolio of clients includes the BBC, Lana Del Ray, Bjork, Mark Owen, Damon Albarn and The Lumineers.

BUY-IN-OUT clarealliston@me.com

Buy-in-Out is a new catering concept for bands on tour. It provides healthy hearty food served on plates with
real cutlery and napkins - no more rubbish take aways for the band and crew and no more tour managers
being nagged about the quality of the food a band gets. According to manager Claire Alliston, Buy-in-
Out strives to act as a headache removal service for tour managers. Having recently launched the service
nationwide, Alliston earned her industry stripes previously working with Eat to the Beat for 15 years. Recent
tours have included London Grammar, Kyan, Sub Focus, The Darkness, Park Life festival, Kendall Calling and
live at Jodrell Bank..

CRUNCHTIME www.crunchtimecatering.co.uk

Crunchtime Catering is a family run business based in Hampshire providing homemade, delicious and
nutritious food to event staff, stewards, security SIA, volunteers, artists and production crew at a wide
variety of events and festivals across the UK. With a growing list of clients from some of the UK’s largest
festivals, Crunchtime is quickly becoming one of the leading staff caterers within the live event industry.

EAT TO THE BEAT www.eattothebeat.com

TPi Awards 2014 winner of ‘Favourite Catering Company’, Eat to the Beat, is proud to celebrate its 30th
birthday this year. Eat to the Beat caters for tours, festivals, films, TV and major events based in Europe,
America, China, the Middle East and Brazil. Building on the success of its work during the London 2012
Olympics, Eat To The Beat has just completed catering for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The
180-strong crew looked after 2,500-production crew at over 11 sites including a fine dining restaurant.
Catering from three to 3,000 people, Eat to the Beat is fast becoming the global event catering company
with home cooked food still at the heart of everything it does.

104
 b a c k
Feed back
g i v e
Bespoke unique catering flight cases helping to
reduce our Carbon footprint on the environment -
just one of the ways Feedback prides ourselves on
exceeding your expectations.

www.feedbackeventcuisine.com
email: info@feedbackeventcuisine.com
mobile: +44 (0)7968 785969
MARKET FOCUS: Catering Services

EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT eyho@eatyourheartsout.com

TPi Awards 2014 nominee, Eat Your Hearts Out, is a supplier to some of the biggest touring events and live
productions in the European events calendar. Most recently, EYHO supplied catering to the crew working
on The Brits at London’s O2 Arena - officially the world’s busiest venue. Offering quality service, the finest
produce and creative menu ideas; EYHO remain a key contender for the rock ‘n’ roll business of backstage
dining.

EATOPIA http://eatopia.eu/

Having recently invested in modern kitchen and service equipment, Eatopia is now positioned to offer its
services to the live touring industry - providing its chefs with the ultimate in creative environments. Eatopia’s
success has been accomplished by offering significant savings to clients without compromising on the quality
of menu options or the professional service they require. Production teams have benefited from its highly
competitive pricing policy, its mix of high quality menus, friendly service and creative front of house décor.

FEEDBACK www.feedbackcatering.com

Feedback understands the importance of looking after the environment, and takes every opportunity to
minimise its impact upon it. Feedback works with local councils to ensure all waste is disposed of in a
responsible manner, recycling wherever possible. For example, its used cooking oil is passed on to bio
fuel centres to be converted into bio diesel. All its equipment has been chosen to minimise its energy
consumption whilst maximising productivity - its energy efficient Frima cooking stations and induction hobs
serving as just one example. In addition, its bespoke flight cases have been designed to reduce the volume of
cargo transported on tour, therefore having a positive impact in reducing its carbon footprint. Recent tours
include a six-month stint with Robbie Williams.

FLYING SAUCERS www.flyingsaucerscatering.com

Flying Saucers celebrates its 34th year in 2014. The company is currently on tour with Michael Buble, James
Blunt and Tom O’Dell, and has a busy year ahead. Val Bowes, Director, said: “Client needs and expectations
have developed over time, and it’s important to keep up with the changes this brings to the table (no pun
intended!). Food allergies and intolerances are considered and different diets are followed - one of the latest
of which is the Paleo Diet. While new dietary trends come and go, the dedication of the catering team,
however, is something that remains consistent.” An important part of any tour, the Flying Saucers team
provide the glue that keeps the tour family together, well-fed, healthy and happy.

106
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#40058 - PreSonus SL TPI.indd 1 13/11/2013 10:52

MARKET FOCUS: Catering Services

POPCORN www.popcorncatering.com

Popcorn Catering, established in 1989, is an award winning company specialising in tour and event catering
within the music industry. Popcorn sends out teams of caterers who bring a fantastic atmosphere to the
backstage vibe. Although expanding in recent years, Popcorn prides itself on its small company image
offering personal service, experienced staff and above all, value for money for its client.

SNAKATAK www.snakatakcatering.com

Snakatak Catering has provided a highly professional catering service for touring bands and festivals since
1985. Providing top quality, freshly prepared food is at the heart of its business. Snakatak’s hard-working
staff ensures that the different culinary and dietary requirements of the entourage are met, from the smallest
to the largest of tours. Working to the motto ‘always a pleasure, never a chore’; Snakatak takes great pride
in providing the personal touches that create a friendly and relaxed environment to help ease the pressures
of being away from home. Snakatak continues to attract work from across the spectrum and clients include
Justin Timberlake, Muse, The Script, Kasabian, Bruno Mars, Nitro circus and The Isle of Wight festival.

UPBEAT FOOD www.upbeatfood.com

Upbeat food is a unique tour catering company with crew that deliver. Having been tour caterers for the last
15 years, partners Hugh and Toni have an ever-expanding list of happy clientele. Chris Littleton (The Eagles,
Shania Twain) said: “Fantastic food and fabulous people sums up how I feel about Upbeat Food.” Bill Rahmy
(Red Hot Chili Peppers) stated: “I’m now back wrestling the Dixie highway.” Liam Birt (Rush) stated: “The
right people, the right skills and attitude.” Dominic Anderson (Lily Allen) conceded: “They might be kiwis but
they can cook.” Bob Whittaker (R.E.M) added: “Upbeat, priceless added value to a tour”. Recent Clients have
included Taylor Swift, Barry Gibb and Donny and Marie.

NEXT TIME....
In the April issue of TPi Magazine, we’ll be running a Market Focus feature on Live
Sound Consoles. If you are a manufacturer and would like to be involved in the
directory, please send 120 words of product description and a high res image
(300 dpi) to Assistant Editor, Patrick McCumiskey by March 18.
We look forward to hearing from you!

108
 MOVERS & SHAKERS
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Martin Audio has confirmed the appointment
of the experienced Andreas Weingärtner
as its new International Account Manager.
Based in Bremen, Germany, Weingärtner
brings more than 26 years of sales and
marketing experience in pro audio to the role
- covering all aspects of MI, rental and fixed
installations. “After all this time in pro audio
I remain excited by the possibilities, and this
has enabled me to constantly learn, not only
about new products but also the changing
needs of distributors and end-users,” said
Weingärtner.
Academy Music Group has appointed Nikki
Miles of Academy Music Group’s South Coast
venue, O2 Academy Bournemouth to become
General Manager of O2 Academy Oxford.
Miles has an excellent reputation and hands
on experience in live music and clubs, having
worked in operations across bars and venues in
Bournemouth for several years prior to joining
AMG in 2009 as Bars Manager and more
recently, Venue Manager.
In addition, Will Dore-Dennis has moved
from O2 Academy Leicester to take up his
position as General Manager of O2 Academy
Bournemouth. Prior to Leicester and over
the last five years, Dore-Dennis has held
management positions within the Group at O2
Academy venues in Oxford and Birmingham.
“Both General Managers have experience within
AMG, particularly the application needed within
the club business as well as live music, and
Students’ Union partnerships,” said AMG’s Chief
Operating Officer, Graham Walters.
Also within AMG, Sean Flanagan has become
Assistant General Manager at O2 ABC Glasgow
and O2 Academy Glasgow, with Keryn Ward
now Bars Manager across both Scottish venues.
B&C Speakers has appointed Dean Chiu to
the position of Sales Manager for the Asia-
Pacific region. “Dean’s unique skill set and
experience will make him a welcome addition to
our team. We are confident that he will improve
the level of service that we have in this rapidly
expanding region, making B&C easier to deal
110
with,” stated Ron Tizzard, Director of Sales
for B&C Speakers. Chiu’s background includes
International sales, ODM product development,
Quality control and sourcing. He is also a
musician with hands on professional audio and
MI retail sales experience. He will be based in
Taipei, Taiwan with responsibility for the entire
Asia-Pacific region.
Elsewhere, Cadac recently appointed
Soinua Pro as its new distributor for Spain
and Portugal. The appointment sees Cadac
switch its distribution to the Basque-based
sound touring and installation specialist,
headquartered precisely between Bilbao and
San Sebastián. Commenting on the decision
to switch distribution to Soinua, Cadac Brand
Development Manager Richard Ferriday said:
“It was a strategic decision in order to more
effectively focus our distribution on the live
production sector. This is where Soinua is
especially strong, being heavily involved with
sound touring and live event production
throughout Spain.”
D.A.S. Audio has announced three new
personnel appointments with the recent hiring
of Robert Almodovar, Javier Cabal and Darrin
Young.
Robert Almodovar is D.A.S. Audio of
America’s new Applications Engineer. Hired in
January, Almodovar is a graduate of Full Sail
and Interamerican Universities where he studied
music performance, electronic music, recording,
and post production. He has served as a
recording engineer and was nominated for a
Latin Grammy Award for his work on the Shakira
and Beyonce remix of Bello Embustero.
Having started with D.A.S. in October 2013,
Javier Cabal was brought on to oversee the
company’s involvement in the MI / Retail sales
sector. With the title of Sales Manager for MI
Accounts, his background includes pro audio
sales positions with Sam Ash Music, MARS
Music, and Space Music.
Darrin Young is D.A.S. Audio’s new Business
Development Manager for MI / Retail. Hired in
January, Young’s background includes positions
Sponsored by
www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002
with the Stanton Group as Market & Product
Specialist / Product Manager as well as Manager
of Sales and Training for the organisation. In
his new position with D.A.S. Audio, Young will
endeavour to increase the company’s presence
in the MI / Retail sector, where he will focus on
large accounts and restructure the company’s
sales and MAP policies.
With the start of a new year comes the
start of a new arrangement for Robert Juliat
in its distribution network as AED Distribution
takes on the role of official distributor for the
Benelux countries. The agreement came into
force in January when AED Distribution took
on responsibility for the Netherlands, having
represented Belgium and Luxembourg since
2011. AED Distribution will cover all markets
but is especially excited at the prospect of
supporting the theatre market with Robert Juliat
products. “We are very happy to bring the full
range of Robert Juliat products to the Benelux
territories, and in particular to the theatre
market,” commented Hans Vanderheijden, MD
of AED Distribution HQ.
TSL Lighting has welcomed Martin Locket
as a business strategist. Locket, through his
company Visible Spectrum, will be supporting
Managing Director Sam Tamplin and his team in
developing and growing the range of services
offered by TSL and the market sectors they
are active in. Locket commented: “I am really
looking forward to working with TSL Lighting,
as it is an exciting new approach to the lighting
rental industry and a strong team behind a
high quality emerging brand. There are lots of
opportunities available to the company and I
am looking forward to a long term involvement
with the whole TSL team.”
Entertainment lighting specialist, White
Light, has announced the appointment of
industry veteran Ken Berreen as the company’s
Distribution Sales Manager. Berreen brings to
the role more than 30 years experience with
lighting and sound technology having worked at
all levels of the entertainment industry. Previous
roles include project management, lighting
www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002 MOVERS & SHAKERS

Opposite: Martin Audio has appointed Andreas Weingärtner as its new International Account Manager; B&C Speakers has appointed Dean Chiu to the position of Sales Manager for the
Asia-Pacific region; Nick Cook has left his position as European Marketing Director for Commercial Audio at Yamaha to set up a strategic marketing and sales consultancy, NCM; TSL
Lighting has welcomed Martin Locket as a business strategist.

design, installation, hire, and sales experience
most recently as European Sales Manager for
well-known stage lighting manufacturers. “I am
happy to welcome Ken to White Light,” said
Peter Threadgold, White Light Sales Director.
“His experience on all sides of the industry
makes him a great addition to our team. I look
forward to working with him as White Light
continues to grow.”
Nick Cook has left his position as European
Marketing Director for Commercial Audio at
Yamaha to set up a strategic marketing and
sales consultancy, NCM. Cook, who had been
with Yamaha for eight years, was responsible
for managing and coordinating Commercial
Audio sales and marketing activities throughout
Europe. Prior to joining Yamaha, Cook was
already highly regarded within the professional
audio community having held a number of
senior sales and marketing positions with
leading manufacturing companies including
Solid State Logic, Amek and Fairlight.
In addition, Yamaha Music Europe has
recently announced changes to its marketing,
sales and technical support within the European
Commercial Audio organisation, which sees the
creation of new positions to underpin Yamaha’s
strengthening position in the installed and live
sound markets. The changes support Yamaha’s
expansion in the installed sound market by
adding dedicated Commercial Installed Sound
specialists to its Commercial Audio sales teams
in France and Germany.
Diamond Event Services has welcomed
Imogen Ensoll to its team. Having trained in
Stage Management and Theatre Production
Ensoll spent 10 years working professionally
in the field of Stage Management. She is now
looking forward to bringing this experience to
the role of Operations Coordinator.
Ben Hyman has been promoted to General
Manager, VME after several years as the audio
and lighting rental company’s Project Manager.
The Knutsford, UK, based headquarters has
recently employed a number of new staff which
now allows Hyman to oversee the business from
a managerial view point. This expansion will
establish a new era for VME and further develop
the company’s efficiency and performance,
which is especially important during the very
busy summer events season.
Last but by no means least, Larry Beck has
been appointed as Elation Professional’s new
PR and Communications representative. Larry
brings to Elation over 15 years of industry and
public relations experience having worked as
Martin Professional’s PR coordinator since 1998.
“I feel very fortunate to have joined such a
passionate and professional team,” he stated.
“There is real camaraderie at Elation that
permeates throughout all levels of the company.
I’m very impressed by the level of quality across
the company but none more so than with the
quality and character of the Elation personnel.”
TPi
www.tpimagazine.com/jobs

Join the Winning Team! ARCADIA SPECTACULAR

Arcadia fuse cutting edge sculpture, music, extreme aerial performance,
MUSIC Group’s PRO Division is hiring and special effects to create large-scale immersive environments.
See vimeo.com/80387221 to experience the ‘Landing Show’
20 Pro Audio Experts to create the Next Big Thing. www.arcadiaspectacular.com

Winners of ‘Live Production of the Year’

TPI Awards 2014
• Senior Manager, Customer Management (LU, US)
• Senior Manager, System Solutions (LU, UK) STAGE MANAGER
• Manager, Business Development (CN, LU, UK) Professional freelance Stage Manager required. Applicant must have
• Manager, Customer Support (CN, US) considerable experience working in high pressure environments in the
• Engineer, System Solutions (CN, UK) UK and abroad.

• Team Leader, Systems (UK) Role includes management of all disciplines operating on the stage during
install, rehearsals, showtime and de-rig.
• Senior Engineer, Software (UK, DE)
TECHNICAL PRODUCTION MANAGER
• Senior Engineer, Hardware (UK, DE)
Professional Technical Production Manager required with considerable
• Developer, iOS (UK) experience in the production & operation of Timecode, Lighting, AV,
Pyro, LASERS, and Sound.
Both roles must be available:
14th June - 4th July
Visit music-group.com to learn more about these 1st - 13th August
amazing opportunities. 25th September - 9th October
Plus gigs abroad moving into 2015.
Please send CV with covering letter detailing relevant
experience, skills and aspirations to ceri@arcadiaspectacular.com

111
 The TPi Production Guide

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Eat to the Beat 105
5 LMP
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Sennheiser
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Acorn Events 91 Eclipse Staging Services 75 MA Lighting 73 SES 30
All Access 51 EFM 37 Martin Audio 31 ShowLED 83
Allen & Heath 19 Elation 36 Martin by Harman 41 Silver Stage Event Structures 18 & 112
Arcadia Spectacular 111 Entec Sound and Light 112 Meyer Sound 2 Snakatak 98
B+K Braun 7 ER Productions 54, 71 & 112 Mike Moulds MM Band Services 74 SNP Productions Ltd - Catalyst 75 & 112
Blackout 27 ETC 53 Millennium Studios 83 Solid State Logic 101
Bob Kelly & Co 112 Euro Generators 112 Mojo Barriers 17 Sommer Cable 15
Bradley Engineering 93 Euro Screens 112 MTFX 100 Soundcraft 69
Brilliant Stages 45 Eurotruss 21 Music Group Services US 111 Source Distribution / PreSonus 107
Britannia Row 43 FeedBack Event Cuisine 105 Pearce Hire 58 Stage Line 72
Buy-in-Out 93 & 112 FFP Special effects 66 Philips 59 & 61 Stage Miracles 43
Central Presentations 112 Full Fat Audio 46 Pioneer Professional Audio 35 Tannoy 13
ChainMaster 3 Gerriets 112 Powersoft 55 Tempower 112
Chaos Visual Productions 11 GIS AG 89 PRG 115 The Powerline 56
Chauvet Professional 65 & 116 GLS Lighting 28 Prolyte 38 Total Solutions 8
Clay Paky 67 Hand Held Audio 40 RCF 62 Travel 4 Tours 112
Coda Audio 81 JBL Professional 23 Renkus Heinz 97 Universal Effects 112
Columbus McKinnon 93 John Henry’s 77 Riedel Communications 85 uTRAC 45
Coolux 52 Kinesys 99 Rigging Services 112 Video Illusions 49
Creative Technology 112 Knight Rigging Services 39 & 112 ROBE 29 WI Creations 34
d&b 63 Laser World 20 Rock-it Cargo 33 Wicked Technical Services 112
DiGiCo 9 Le Maitre 68 & 112 Rubber Box Co 83 XL Video 71 & 112
Doughty Engineering 49 Leisuretec 4 Rud 112 XTA 44

77
 VITAL STATS

VITAL STATS 156

Marc Librecht
Profession:
Sales & Marketing Manager, Elation Professional

Date & place of birth:

21 April 1978, Bonn, West Germany

How did you get into the professional lighting industry?

When I was 16 I worked in a club as a Lighting Jockey
(LJ) and after school I worked as a freelancer. I then had
my own small company working on events. After that I
started an apprenticeship in event technology and worked
for an installation and rental company for over 10 years.
That company was one of Elation’s biggest customers and
eventually Elation asked me to work for them, that’s where
I still am today. “If somebody had told me three years
Did you have a mentor of sorts? ago that this were possible, I would have
Not really. I knew what I wanted to do and I knew how to
get there! said they were from another planet!”
What event in your career so far holds fond memories for
you?
It was my first big project as a technical manager. Normally
that size of event was too big to handle for the company I
worked for, but we did it and our customer was very happy.
It was nearly 60 hours without sleep, but as a young guy it
was possible and I learned a lot from the event.
unbelievable. We also introduced tri white technology (CW, WW, Amber)
What influence do you think the European market has on the rest of the to achieve perfect step-less white colour mixing from 2700K up to 7000K,
world? and we are one of the leading developers in tri-quad and six-colour mixing
Europe is actually ahead of the rest of the world in adoption of new technology.
technology so people look towards Europe to see what is being used on I am also elated (pun intended) about our new TVL white light products.
high profile events. From soft light via Fresnel to a profile, these affordable units have a CRI
above 90 plus they are absolutely silent. If somebody had told me three
Where do you feel Elation’s latest products fit into the market place? years ago that this were possible, I would have said they were from another
That’s easy - with best in class performance and value. We provide products planet!
which the features lighting designers are asking for as solutions that allow
rental companies and installers to increase their return on investment. As you work in a sales and marketing role, in your opinion, what makes a
Elation products can be easily compared to all the top brands in the market successful manufacturer besides the product itself?
and we are ready for any shootout! We are also innovating, working closely We want to be more than simply a manufacturer or distributor. People
with key sub suppliers on lamp technology in both traditional discharge buy from people and the relationships we have with our customers means
and LED. everything to us, it is more like a partnership. That’s why we introduced our
Elation Total Support. We listen carefully, we are there in good times and
What technological advances have you seen develop during your time at bad, and we do everything we can to ensure customer success. We want
Elation? customers to be proud of being part of the Elation network.
Starting with a unique high-resolution moving head video panel, Elation has
developed new technologies across a variety of products over the years. What direction do you think live event design will take in the coming year
Elation was the first company to develop the Platinum 5R lamp technology with regards to lighting? Have you noticed any recent trends?
together with Philips and we used the Philips 5R lamp in our Platinum 5R We continue to see lighting incorporated as part of the scenic design - like
Spot long before other companies jumped on board. Now we’ve developed with our Cuepix Series for example - and beams are, of course, still very
our legendary Platinum 5R Beam further into the new Platinum Beam popular. Battery operated units and wireless controls are becoming more
Extreme. I love this unit. It has incredibly good optics and the output is and more popular as well.

114
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