Shaping sound with an iPad? Outline is already on the Apple store…
Tablet computers have been with us, in one form or another, for some years. The launch of the original Apple iPad in April 2010, (followed by the sale of three million iPads within 80 days and almost 15 million by the end of that year), marked the point where tablet computing morphed into a mature technology suitable for professional use. The launch of iPad 2, with a range of upgraded features and an ever-growing selection of available applications for every conceivable purpose, takes tablet computing even further.
Here at Outline, we believe that we are witnessing a ground-breaking moment in technology history, comparable to the arrival of CDs or mobile phones on the consumer market.
The combination of a uniquely intuitive user interface, long battery life, wireless and 3G connectivity, light weight and compact size, plus a robust and stable operating system, means that the iPad can be almost anything you want it to be, from a gaming platform to a serious tool for commercial use.
“On the one hand, iPad might seem to be simply a toy for ‘geeks’. Then, when you use it, you stay up late at night and discover that, as well for playing games, it makes even serious work enjoyable. You can also leaf through books, navigate, keep the house under control from a distance, check the weather forecast, make video calls, record videos, take photographs, enjoy a film or a nice cartoon (ideal for the kids on the back seat of the car during long journeys), watch the TV news and do thousands - literally thousands - of other things…they all have an app available on the Apple Store”, comments Outline’s Michele Noselli.
Remote access to system control devices is a crucial part of the modern system technician's toolbox, and the massive global success of iPad as the user interface of choice for so many applications makes it the obvious choice as a remote control platform for Outline products.
Consequently, Outline’s development team have written a dedicated app to control its Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode line array and, shortly, also the new iSM series of stage monitors (112, 212 and 115) ? which will facilitate full wireless control. The app is available on the Apple Store by following this link: http://itunes.apple.com/it/app/mini-com-p-a-s-s-linearray/id435900890?mt=8
“A direct connection between consoles and enclosures is the facility that enabled us to win an Award for Product Innovation at PLASA in London last year. Climbing aboard the ‘magic tablet’ was inevitable and relatively simple for our R&D team, thanks mainly to the iMode technology we launched in 2009 and which is gradually being incorporated in all our self-powered loudspeaker systems”, comments Noselli.
“iMode means having a computer in every enclosure, complete with web server and specific IP address. Users don’t access an enclosure, but a web page. And from that page they can control whatever they want, even from the other side of the globe, since the web knows no frontiers. Thanks to the eclectic iMode platform ? which is genuinely avant-garde ? it is now possible to do all this from an iPad, with a touch of the screen. This is what I’d call maximum digital interaction”, concludes Noselli.
At Frankfurt’s Prolight+Sound and Bergamo’s Show-Way, Outline showed clients and visitors what can be done with an iPad.
“In Frankfurt, we wanted to see the reactions of the public to this unique possibility. We didn’t expect to arouse so much interest and even a sort of physical pleasure ? even for ‘laymen’ ? regarding the control of an enclosure in real time by means of a tablet computer that can be carried around as easily as a diary”, comments Outline engineer Daniele Pagani, responsible for the project.
“Even using sophisticated FIR filters and carrying out complex operations really is child’s play…but the most enjoyable spectacle was seeing the look on people’s faces as they watched the ‘wings’ of our Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. move on the screen of the iPad a moment after having moved them by hand… this definitely enabled the concept of sensor technology to be instantly understood…”, concludes Pagani.
To discover more about the Outline app’s performance, write to info@outline.it
Outline’s all-in-one concept, pushed to the maximum - from console to enclosures in just one step.
The products Outline will exhibit on its stand (G35) at London’s PLASA Show from September 12th to 15th 2010 have a wide variety of applications.
Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode
Outline presents its “Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode” and receives a nomination for the famous “Plasa Awards for Innovation”.
Presenting a standard of loudspeaker enclosure control that has never before been achieved, Outline is proud to announce it has succeeded in an undertaking that was anything but easy, i.e. that of incorporating its most sophisticated technology - named “iMode” - in the most compact VLA in its range (what’s more, the only self-powered VLA on the market able to offer horizontal directivity that can be varied from 60 to 150 degrees).
In fact, in the latest generation of its Mini-COM.P.A.S.S., Outline has fitted an ”embedded” computer, complete with Web server and sophisticated network facilities, for a control that could be described as “geographically limitless”. Christened ‘iMode’, this innovative, continually evolving proprietary Outline platform is the company’s technological top as far as the specific sector of IT applied to loudspeaker systems is concerned.
Outline’s R&D team has put into concrete form the idea of equipping each enclosure with its own “intelligence”, which, thanks to the Web, is able to receive all kinds of feedback from users (FOH and system engineers, audio consultants, etc.). For example, a setting, or any other parameter they need to “communicate” to the enclosure.
The system is also able to send feedback to users, providing them information on its operating status, with an unprecedented level of precision, data quantity and quality.
To understand Outline’s iMode’s potential, it’s sufficient to imagine the operation of a Web site, which can be consulted and updated in every aspect (parameter) from anywhere in the world using a normal Web browser. Exactly same principle holds for the Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode - each enclosure operates by exploiting its own on-board Web site.
Everything “runs” on a Linux operating system, with the advantages (well known in the most important IT applications, from military to hospitals) that this logic means in terms of stability and interoperability. In fact, Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode is a highly flexible product looking to the future, ready to “interact” with modern digital consoles, smartphones and “intelligent” devices of today and tomorrow.
For just one practical example, let’s consider a live concert. Then a modern digital console, i.e. the main signal control centre. Thanks to its digital inputs and the use of plug-ins, the desk will be able to control all Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode’s parameters.
The system has everything on-board: no software, matrix, DSP, amplifier or any other device is required in the audio chain, with obvious advantages in terms of costs and practicality. Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode ensures top grade audio (24bit/192kHz) - the highest quality currently available - and its key features include FIR filters and IIR filters with a resolution of up to 64 bit, a delay time of up to 2 seconds for each channel (normally only possible with a matrix), as well as a twin dynamic processor (peak/RMS), to ensure reliability.
As can be understood from the above, Outline has given concrete form to the “all-in-one” concept, pushing it to the limits of its expression. All-in-one, because it goes from console to enclosures in just one step.
Numerous other important details and unique characteristics of Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode can be found in the dedicated catalogue, a printed copy of which can be picked up at the Outline stand (G35) and will shortly be available on the Web site www.outline.it).
EIDOS
Presented in prototype form at Frankfurt, the EIDOS range met with even greater success than expected in terms of customer acceptance. It is now being launched at London’s PLASA Show in its definitive form, ready for sale.
The range features five models, equipped respectively with 10”, 12” and 15” loudspeakers, a sub with twin 15” speakers and one with a single 18”.
The lines of all the cabinets enable them to also be used as stage monitors. The wide-range models - EIDOS 10, EIDOS 12 and EIDOS 15 - are two-way units fitted with a passive crossover manufactured with top grade components (coils with very low resistance and metallized polypropylene capacitors).
The compression driver (with a 44 mm diaphragm) and the waveguide are the same on all three. The latter (90° x 60°) offers a great advantage for installations in small rooms or those with low headroom, as it can be rotated through 90° to ensure the necessary dispersion no matter what position the cabinet is installed in (horizontal or vertical). The mouth’s ample dimensions ensure effective directivity control.
The quality of the transducers used ensures excellent sonic performance when compared with the price bracket, in terms of overall timbre quality and as far as the ability to handle high power levels is concerned.
The two subwoofers are equipped with long-excursion loudspeakers fitted with demodulating rings, in order to handle (peak) power values that exceed the loudspeakers’ (electrical) power capacity. All the cabinets (including the subs) have integrated flying points for rapid suspension.
DVS 8-10 SP
PLASA visitors will be able to view the recently presented DVS 8 SP and DVS 10 SP models, both self-powered two-way enclosures. The 2010 release introduces a series of upgrades that put these units at the top of their class, not only in terms of sonic quality, but also as far as ergonomic lines and user-friendliness are concerned.
They reach 123 and 127.5 dB SPL respectively and, in spite of their dimensions, ensure unexpected dynamics with an insignificant distortion level.
Signal processing is handled by a modern (24 bit) DSP which also offers four presets (selectable at the press of a button), useful in the event of the EQ curve having to be changed during a show.
As far as electro-acoustic aspects are concerned, the cutting edge technology adopted by Outline in the molding sector has enabled the company to manufacture horns that are more rigid and lighter, with obvious benefits in terms of distortion and weight reduction.
Able to be used as stage monitors with two inclinations (25° and 45°), DVS 8 SP and DVS 10 SP also feature flying points with (M8) metric threads to facilitate suspension.
Outline will be on stand G35 and in the Innovation Gallery at London’s Plasa Show, from 12th to 15th September 2010.
INDONESIA : Located in Embong Malang in eastern Java, the Empire Palace is a multi-functional venue that is used for events as diverse as worship, wedding parties and corporate product launches.
The management team recently consulted Surabaya-based Melodia Sound & Lighting System on a new sound system to meet its many requirements.
A new Outline Audio MiniCOM.P.A.S.S system has ensured that live performance, playback and speech reinforcement have all been greatly improved. Twelve MiniCOM.P.A.S.S cabinets have been ceiling suspended in LR configurations and supplemented by a two per side Subtech 218SP subwoofer system, while delays are provided by Outline DVS12 speakers. Array configurations were determined using Outline Diva software, and this modeling helped to determine the eventual speaker positions chosen by Melodia systems engineer Budihardjo Sutanto and his team. In addition, Melodia Sound & Lighting System’s supplied Outline H.A.R.D 115SP stage monitors together with YAMAHA PM5D and IM8 consoles for FOH and monitors respectively.
‘We used and asymmetrical horizontal coverage pattern to change the reverberant nature of the venue’
Mr. Sutanto explained. ‘Diva works very well for us, and the services that are now conducted in the Malang Church have been a tremendous success, for which the hotel management team has congratulated us on the system that we supplied and installed. The MiniCOM.P.A.S.S system is a compact, lightweight and active speaker, which provides high-fidelity sound characteristics. Venues here in Indonesia really like it as it offers a plug-and-play solution with an ease of set-up’
Melodia Sound & Lighting System is a division of Melodia Musik, serving the entertainment, event production, and commercial installation markets throughout Indonesia.
Southern Italy’s most important amusement park chooses Outline
Molfetta (Bari), Italy – The latest reference point for amusement fans in Southern Italy is called Miragica, Terra di Giganti (www.miragica.it), a large theme park open eight months a year and covering and area of 100,000 square metres.
Miragica boasts nineteen attractions, which are a combination of shows and rides – some of which are “firsts” – including a Launch Coaster and a 4Dcinema, which are the largest in Italy. For the park’s more courageous visitors, there’s the “Torre di Caduta” drop tower (almost 50 metres in free-fall, with 2G acceleration) and the Diskò Coaster, a rotating platform that oscillates in all directions. There are also countless opportunities for amusement for families and kiddies, such as the classic trunks or the “Spaccatempo” spinning coaster.
As far as water attractions are concerned, Miragica is equally exciting: the Strozzagorgo River Ride astonishes with its ride aboard trunks with a 14-metre rise and then “The Rapids” (Mangiabiglie), with rafts at the mercy of the swirling current.
Excitement of another type is guaranteed by the performances of internationally famous Stuntmen, as well as shows in the indoor 700-seat theatre (Gran Teatro) by famous artists from all over the world. There is also a large outdoor theatre, which hosts events with a high scenographic and artistic profile.
The permanently installed sound reinforcement systems at Miragica are byOutline, whose staff also provided direct consultancy for the audio project’s design.
Starting precisely with the theatre, the main loudspeaker system consists in eight Outline Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. (four per side) and two Subtech 218 SP subwoofers (all self-powered enclosures). Four compact (self-powered) Micra II SP cover the front rows of the audience and four (self-powered) H.A.R.D. 115 SP are used as stage monitors.
For the Launch Coaster, eight enclosures from the DVS series (DVS 8) and two due Outline T4 power amplifiers are installed.
Ten more DVS 8 are used to reinforce the sound for attractions such as the Fiume Ride, Torre di Caduta, Diskò Coaster, Spinning Coaster and the 4D Cinema.
At the Dancing Fountains and the Show Area, there are four OutlineKanguro 1215 NET SP (a patented system consisting in a 15” sub able to contain another enclosure fitted with a 12” mid-woofer and 1.75” compression driver).
For the restaurant, rehearsal rooms, Fast Food Court, bars and shops there are twenty-six Outline IS 8 enclosures, eight ultra-compact IS 6T enclosures, eight ceiling-recessed IC 5T loudspeakers and three Outline (four-channel) D4-3K power amplifiers.
Outline, which has considerable experience in this sector, thanks to installations carried out at Gardaland (Northern Italy) and various foreign theme parks, decided to provide acoustic consultancy directly and, more in general, find the optimal audio solutions for Miragica’s various specific requirements.
The Outline equipment was installed and fine-tuned by Giancarlo Paladini of GP Tecnologie, another Brescia company.
Vendôme (France), October 2009 – The Minotaure complex just bought a new Outline sound reinforcement system, comprising twelve Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. speakers and two SubTech 218 SP subwoofers, controlled by an Outline Genius 26 unit.
Located in the centre of Vendôme, the ‘Le Minotaure’ complex has a total area of 1,500 square metres. It hosts a 769-seat theatre hall, a multi-purpose hall (holding 400 people seated and 600 standing), several smaller meeting rooms and a naturally illuminated foyer for exhibitions. ‘Le Minotaure’ was inaugurated in 2002, and has hosted numerous shows since – music, theatre, dance etc.
Nevertheless, the theater hall suffered from poor acoustics. The coverage was uneven, and the stereo image unbalanced. In 2009, it was decided to replace the front of house reinforcement system.
Several systems were compared – among them, a Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. vertical line array, lent by Outline’s French distributor Audio2 (www.outline.audio2.fr). This system passed listening tests and the theatre hall now hosts six elements per side, plus two SubTech 218 SP subwoofers and a Genius 26 controller.
The Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. is a bi-amped speaker enclosure equipped with a Double Parabolic Reflective Wave Guide (D.P.R.W.G.). This enables to adjust the horizontal directivity angle between 60° and 150°, in 15° steps. It is equipped with two high frequency transducers (compression drivers with a 1.75-inch diaphragm) and four low-mid (5-inch diameter) transducers.
The SubTech 218 SP subwoofer is fitted with two 18-inch loudspeakers in separate chambers. The Genius 26 processor (2-input, 6-output) operates at 24-bit/96 kHz, and implements many types of filters, with slopes of up to 24 dB/octave, and eight EQs with 2 shelving and 6 parametric bands each, plus limiters on every output.
For Sébastien Bargue, who works for Scène de Nuit (the contractor that supplied and installed the system), “The Mini-COM.P.A.S.S.’ asymmetrical variable horizontal directivity was one of the key factors for the choice of the system. Being able to control the dispersion is very important in halls with poor acoustics or inadequate treatment. The product solves this problem and gives a true stereo image, which is pretty rare for this kind of system.”
The huge tree at New York’s Rockefeller Center switched on: the sound rig was Outline
New York, 2nd December 2009 – Butterfly and mini-COM.P.A.S.S., two of the Vertical Line Arrays manufactured by Brescia’s Outline, were used on the occasion of the lighting ceremony of the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center in New York, at the crossroads of 50th Street and Fifth Avenue.
America has celebrated Christmas round this tree – the most famous in the world and decorated with 20,000 coloured lights – since far-off 1931. Once again this year, there was a show that attracted thousands of people: this was also thanks to the spectacular ice rink, which, since it was opened in 1936, continues to draw people of all ages.
On stage to celebrate the event, amplified by the “Outlinearrays” – as well as other world-famous systems – stars such as Aretha Franklin, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart and even the Muppets, all performing great Christmas classics.
The show, transmitted live onNBC, was dedicated to US servicemen and women, who, along with the Big Apple’s mayor Michael Bloomberg, turned on the lights of tree, which will remain in front of the RockefellerCenter until January 7th 2010.
The company responsible for the audio was PRG (www.prg.com) – a famous American firm with branches worldwide that works at top level in the entertainment sector.
The work of fine tuning the Outline rig was entrusted to PRG sound engineer Matt Bell, who stated: “I chose the Butterfly system because we needed a line array that was compact in design and high powered. We hung all of the systems from Genie lifts, so we were limited to how much weight we had available. The Butterfly system allowed us to hang the correct amount of cabinets to cover the space. We were all very impressed with the coherence and intelligibility at 70 meters for such a small array. The frequency response was very flat and stable which allowed me good SPL levels without interfering with the broadcast mix. This added to the success of the event. My thanks go out to everyone at Outline for their help and support.”
