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HARMAN’s Martin Lighting and HARMAN Professional Audio Components Go on a Sea Cruise with Royal Caribbean International

by Definition Branding & Marketing Posted: Friday, 6/14/2013

Royal-C-Cruise-2MIAMI, Florida — Royal Caribbean International is one of the world’s largest cruise lines, with 21 ships to its name that sail to the most popular destinations in the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, South America, the Far East, and Australia and New Zealand. The compnay goes all-out to give its guests the ultimate vacation with world-class restaurants, designer shopping, and entertainment including Broadway hit musicals – lit by Martin lighting with audio provided by a host of HARMAN Professional audio components and loudspeakers.

Royal Caribbean does things in a big way, with ships as large as 225,282 gross tonnage. Each vessel is equipped with several thousand Martin intelligent lighting fixtures, notes Paul Riley, Fleet Technical Operations, Sound, Lighting and Rigging. The ships use all types of Martin lighting including MAC Wash, Entour, Profile, Aura and many other LED, short-arc discharge and tungsten halogen lamp models. In addition, Martin’s LightJockey2 software-based control system is used in nearly all of the ships’ discos and smaller entertainment spaces.

On each ship Royal Caribbean has at least two shows in the main theater, one generally a higher-energy show with a rock edge, and the other a more theatrical production. “Three ships have actual Broadway productions on them, ‘Hairspray,’ ‘Chicago’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever,’” noted Riley. Shows on several ships also feature ice skating rinks with international skating stars, aerial acrobats and AquaTheaters, high-dive and water shows that are held in large amphitheaters at the back of the ships.

Riley likes Martin because of its value per dollar, rugged construction and easy serviceability. Like many pros, he’s specifying more and more LED lighting. While Royal Caribbean has been using LED lighting for years on its pool decks, adult and teen discos and smaller entertainment spaces, Riley felt that LED wasn’t viable for theatrical applications until a few years ago, but moving forward they’ll be using LED almost exclusively. “For us, LED is a no-brainer. Fuel prices are still quite high and since LED uses less power, it uses less fuel.” LED eliminates the need for large, expensive and power-consuming dimmer racks and saves a lot of money on lamp consumption, which is a big factor for Royal Caribbean as their larger vessels have more than 1,000 fixtures per ship. Riley notes that all outdoor lighting is IP-rated and that “all equipment that’s considered for shipboard applications must be robust and able to operate with power that can be inconsistent at times and fluctuate a bit.”

On the audio side, Riley points out that dozens upon dozens of JBL Control 23s series speakers and JBL Control 1s are installed in discos, lounges, sports bars, centrums and other areas. Royal Caribbean uses various Crown amplifiers almost exclusively in all the entertainment venues on its Vision Class ships and the Majesty of the Seas, and Riley points out that the Crown Macro Tech and Micro Tech amps that were installed in the fleet’s Majesty and Vision Class ships in the early 1990s are still in service today. A selection of dbx compressors and Lexicon effects units are employed everywhere from the largest theaters to smaller venues.

“BSS Soundweb London signal processors and audio networking products are the only DSPs we use in the main theaters, secondary lounges, studios and larger entertainment venues on all 21 of our ships,” Riley said. “The newer, larger ships use BSS products almost exclusively in every venue and all those systems are networked to provide extensive centralized audio control capabilities throughout each vessel. Royal Caribbean has been using BSS extensively on ships built since the early 2000s and nearly all older boats have been retrofitted with BSS gear.

“I think the primary aspect of the ships’ lighting and audio that might surprise many people is the sheer amount of equipment we have in use,” Riley concluded. “Many people think of a cruise as a laid back vacation on a ship that might have some entertainment offerings, but they might not think of the entertainment as a key feature of the vacation as it is on our ships. In reality, our guests are surprised to see the size of our venues, the intensity and quality of our productions and how technologically advanced our equipment is. Most any equipment you’d find in a major concert venue or the more modern showrooms in Vegas, you’ll find in use on our ships.”

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with Harman audio and infotainment systems. Harman has a workforce of about 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

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HARMAN’s Martin Lighting and HARMAN Professional Audio Components Provide Compelling Sight and Sound At Biltmore Baptist Church

by Definition Branding & Marketing Posted: Friday, 6/14/2013

Biltmore1ARDEN, North Carolina — Biltmore Baptist Church serves its 7,500 members with three houses of worship in North Carolina. In addition, the church maintains a strong online presence with live streaming video services, podcasts and original video productions. Its main Arden location has a 2400-seat worship center equipped with full audio and video facilities and has been using Martin lighting and HARMAN Professional audio gear for more than a decade for its sermons, concerts, church activities and theatrical and video productions.

The church utilizes a variety of Martin intelligent lighting fixtures to illuminate its main platform area, which is 110 feet across and 45 feet deep with a 80-foot stage between the video screens which are located at each end of the platform. The church’s lighting array includes four MAC 500 floor-mounted spot luminaires with dual color wheels, dual gobos and a rotating prism for uplighting, two MAC 500s used as overhead wash fixtures and a number of MAC 575 Krypton 575-watt lights positioned throughout the church. The MAC 575s each feature two eight-position color wheels, six indexable rotating gobos, nine static gobos, an interchangeable rotating prism and built-in strobe effects. During the holidays, additional MAC 101 and MAC 301 Wash LED lights and MAC 700 Wash lamp lighting is rented to add festive colors and special effects to the church’s interior spaces.

“Our lighting requirements run the gamut from simple to highly elaborate,” noted Eric Alexander, the full-time Technical Lighting Specialist at Biltmore Baptist Church. “When the pastor is giving his sermon we just need some basic wash lighting to cover him as he walks around the platform – we want the focus to be on him and not the lighting and a couple of Martin wash lights are all we need to provide uniform and effective illumination.”

“For the praise band and choir we’ll get more creative and complex with effects and colors. In theatrical productions and concerts we’ll use the full array of colors, effects, movement and backlighting that Martin lighting provides, for a more powerful and exciting presentation.” Alexander has plenty of help from Zach Brady, the church’s audio specialist and front of house mixer, Technical Director Dave Duncan and a cast of volunteers that can number up to 20 during a Sunday morning service with choir, orchestra and praise band.

Alexander points out that, thanks to the variety of uses he needs from Martin lighting, he uses everything the church has, all the time, on occasion moving the fixtures from room to room. “I don’t keep anything in the back room.” Because all the fixtures are used constantly, dependability is paramount, and Alexander finds that with regular maintenance, cleaning and changing out lamps, motors and igniters on a regular schedule he can count on using the luminaires “until they fall off the truss.”

Asheville, NC systems contractor Real World Audio installed the audio for the Biltmore Baptist Church. Three columns of eight JBL VerTec VT4888 line array elements each are hung at stage left, center and right, and four VerTec VT4880 dual-18-inch line array subwoofers are placed underneath the stage. A variety of additional JBL VP (Venue Performance) and other speakers are installed throughout the church in the fellowship hall, youth area, gymnasium and other rooms, all powered by Crown amplifiers and connected via HARMAN HiQnet System Architect software. In addition, the church uses a variety of JBL VRX Series loudspeakers and Crown amps in its Swannanoa and Franklin campuses.

“My main consideration is that the lighting and sound must serve the message the pastor and the people on stage want to deliver without drawing too much attention to itself,” said Alexander. “The Martin lighting can provide an incredibly wide range of looks, colors and effects and the JBL loudspeakers provide stunning concert-quality sound, so we could really dazzle the congregants if we wanted to but that’s not what we’re about. We use lighting and sound to enhance the message we want to convey and if you do it right, it has a big impact.”

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with Harman audio and infotainment systems. Harman has a workforce of about 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

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Church On the Move Doesn’t Stand Still With HARMAN’s New Martin Lighting and HARMAN Professional Sound

by Definition Branding & Marketing Posted: Friday, 6/14/2013

MartinCOTM-copy-2TULSA, Oklahoma — The term “mega church” might have been coined to describe Tulsa, Oklahoma’s 12,000-member Church on the Move. At services, the church’s message is delivered on a scale that rivals major rock concerts, with full-scale lighting, sound and video in a sanctuary that’s bigger than many top music venues. The rock concert analogy is appropriate in more ways than one – the church’s audio and video staff rent rather than purchase most of their lighting, giving them access to the latest HARMAN Martin lighting gear to complement the church’s HARMAN Professional sound system.

“We rent 90 percent of our lighting and it gives us the freedom to change frequently and try new ideas and technologies. We don’t want to be left behind when the industry makes a major shift, ” said Andrew Stone, Church on the Move’s production manager and audio director. Renting also cuts down on the need to retain additional maintenance staff – the church can handle all its lighting needs with two technicians. “The rental model also lets us use high-quality gear without spending a ton of money. We can rent more equipment as needed for bigger events.”

Church On the Move utilizes a host of Martin intelligent lighting products including MAC III Profile lighting, MAC Viper Profile high-output 26,000-lumens fixtures, MAC 700 Wash 26,000-lumens lighting and TW1 tungsten wash lights. Stone and crew will buy equipment when it makes economic sense, and recently purchased a number of Martin VC-Dot 1 fixtures, individually controllable LED dots that are used to create customized video displays. The VC-Dot 1 provides new ways to integrate video technology into stage designs, ceilings and other structures. Church On the Move lighting designer Daniel Connell states, “We can use the VC-Dot 1 as a design element, as a backdrop or split it up for use in several auditoriums.. It’s amazingly versatile and enables us to easily add dramatic visual impact to a space.”

Lighting designer Daniel Connell notes that music is a key element of Church On the Move’s services and that along with the HARMAN JBL, Crown and BSS-based audio system, a major part of the Martin lighting is to create a modern concert looking feel. He doesn’t want “a lot of flash” but the ability for the lighting to set a mood or tone on stage and throughout the sanctuary. “We don’t have a backdrop or a physical stage set so the lighting is our set,” Connell said. “Other house of worship lighting designers don’t do it this way but we feel it’s an interesting and powerful way to do it.”

Connell finds Martin fixtures provide superior color range and saturation; while some fixtures fall off toward the saturated end of their range and some moving lights aren’t the best at delivering a certain color, Martin handles the full light spectrum equally well. Stone agrees, noting that the church has tried every brand of high-end moving light in the six years Connell’s been on staff and that he and Connell prefer Martin’s richer colors and better look and “feel.”

Reliability is paramount, especially with rented gear. “I don’t want rental fixtures dying in the middle of a service,” Connell states. “After a year of use you can start to have problems but I’ve never experienced that with Martin.” Like many organizations, Church On the Move is bringing in more LED lighting for its reduced maintenance and energy costs.

Since 2010 Church On the Move has enjoyed the sonic benefits of a large-scale JBL, Crown and BSS Audio sound system, comprising 38 JBL VerTec line array element hung in four clusters and complemented by 16 JBL ASB6128V subwoofers, 10 flown and six under the stage. Seven JBL AC28/95 speakers behind the perimeter of the stage provide front fill and the speakers are powered by 49 Crown MA5000i and 10 CTs 3000 and CTs 2000 amplifiers. The speakers and amps in the sanctuary and other JBL speakers and Crown amps throughout the church are linked by BSS Soundweb London BLU-160 digital audio processors, and all A/V is networked using HARMAN HiQnet System Architect software.

“We recently had a conference with 2,500 worship and creative directors from around the country, and have held many major events and big services,” Stone said. “Many people came just to hear the JBL VerTecs because of everything they’d heard about them, and that says a lot. Like the Martin lighting, the audio system has performed admirably.”

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with Harman audio and infotainment systems. Harman has a workforce of about 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

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HARMAN’s JBL CBT Series Column Loudspeakers Provide Powerful Outdoor Sound for the Prophet’s Mosque In Medina, Saudi Arabia

by Definition Branding & Marketing Posted: Thursday, 6/13/2013

ORLANDO, Florida — The Prophet’s Mosque is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world, built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the year 622 and enlarged over the centuries to where it can now accommodate up to one million worshippers during peak periods. Many devotees listen to services on the piazza outside the mosque, which is an integral part of the Prophet’s Mosque and was recently renovated with a number of upgrades including a HARMAN’s JBL loudspeaker system comprising more than 200 CBT Series column loudspeakers.

The previous loudspeakers had limited frequency response, especially in the low end, but had delivered adequate speech reinforcement until a series of canopies were installed around the outside of the mosque to shield worshippers from the heat and sun. These canopies were placed in front of the existing speakers and blocked the sound from them, resulting in the need for a new loudspeaker system. Ahmad Tekin Topuzdag, owner of Istanbul, Turkey-based A/V systems integrator Topuzdag, who is currently employed by Saudi Bin Laden Group (the company contracted to handle the operations and maintenance of the Prophet’s Mosque), was tasked by SBG to supervise and execute the system upgrade.

Topuzdag saw the opportunity to improve the system’s frequency response, coverage and overall sound quality. Because the piazza was more than 2,760,000 square feet in size, a large-scale loudspeaker system had to be deployed with amplifier power to match. After conducting an acoustic and architectural evaluation, Topuzdag determined that JBL CBT 70J-1 column loudspeakers and companion CBT 70JE-1 low frequency extension columns were ideal for the Prophet’s Mosque’s requirements. “The CBT 70J-1 and CBT 70-JE1’s specs indicated they would provide the full frequency response and bass performance we were looking for, along with powerful, intelligible sound over the entire area, which is very important,” said Topuzdag.

SBG installed 140 CBT 70J-1 loudspeakers to cover the piazza, along with 85 CBT 70-JE1 extension columns in areas where additional bass reinforcement was required. A key aspect of the CBT loudspeakers is their asymmetrical vertical coverage pattern, which sends more sound toward areas that are farther away than areas that are closer, resulting in more consistent sound levels at the various listening distances. Topuzdag noted that worshippers who are standing near the speakers don’t get overwhelmed with volume, while people who are more distant can still hear the speakers clearly. In addition, the CBT Series’ slim profile and white finish make them less conspicuous in blending in with the appearance of the mosque.

The speakers are driven by 32 Crown CDi 6000 amplifiers, connected to a BSS Audio BLU-160 Signal Processor with Digital Audio Bus, which provides system control, gain adjustment, delay compensation over the large outdoor area and control of other parameters.

The system has not only met but exceeded Topuzdag’s expectations. “The JBL CBT loudspeakers provide exactly what they were designed to deliver, with an excellent balance of volume and even coverage throughout the entire vast space of the piazza. Now, everyone who comes to the People’s Mosque can hear every word that is said clearly, whether they’re inside the mosque or worshipping outdoors,” he said.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with Harman audio and infotainment systems. Harman has a workforce of about 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

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HARMAN’S JBL Professional Expands In-Ceiling Loudspeaker Lineup With New Control 10 Series

by Definition Branding & Marketing Posted: Thursday, 6/13/2013

Control-16CT-angle2-grillORLANDO, Florida — At InfoComm 2013, HARMAN’s JBL Professional is introducing its Control 10 Series—three new in-ceiling loudspeakers that combine installation-friendly features with superior sound quality and value. The Control 16C/T, Control 14C/T and Control 12C/T are designed for applications where lower- to medium-volume music playback and paging is appropriate, including retail stores, restaurants, music/paging systems, airports, waiting rooms and many other areas.

“Blind-mount speakers tend to be the easiest and most cost effective speakers to install for projects that don’t require pre-installed backcan. The Control 10 Series models broaden our lineup with a new series of cost-effective blind-mount ceiling speakers, letting customers choose exactly the right loudspeaker for their requirements,” said Rick Kamlet, Senior Manager, Installed Sound, JBL Professional. “These are some very nice sounding speakers at excellent price points.”

The 2-way, 6.5-inch Control 16C/T coaxial loudspeaker, 2-way, 4-inch Control 14C/T coaxial loudspeaker and 3-inch Control 12C/T compact loudspeaker can be used in 70/100V distributed audio systems or with low-impedance direct operation. All models are available in either white or black. Each model has a blind-mount backcan for quick, easy installation and includes dual conduit/cable strain-relief clamps and removable locking speaker terminal connectors with screw terminals and loop-through terminals.

The Control 16C/T, 14C/T and 12C/T are designed to deliver clean, detailed, high-quality sound over a wide coverage area. The 16C/T and 14C/T’s woofers feature a lightweight, anodized aluminum voice coil former and high temperature voice coil for stable performance and reliability even under constant use. The woofer cones are made of water- and humidity-resistant polypropylene, with a butyl rubber surround that provides long-term durability and sonic damping. The woofer’s computer-optimized motor construction, cone geometry and linear suspension design enable an even frequency response and more consistent off-axis performance.

The Control 10 Series loudspeakers all feature an ABS baffle with a UL94-V0 and UL94-5VB fire rating and a zinc-plated backcan and all are UL1480 and UL2043 certified, with transformers that are UL1876 registered.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with Harman audio and infotainment systems. Harman has a workforce of about 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

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