When Electrosonic wasfounded there were no videorecorders, no microprocessors,no personal computers andno fax machines in normal offices.Video projection was possiblebut extremely expensive, rapidbusiness communication was byTelex at 50 bits per second.AV meant film and slides,media that remained importantto the end of the twentiethcentury.

Electrosonic was one of thefirst “AV Systems” companies tomeet the communication and displayneeds of corporate, cultural andentertainment clients and to applyemerging electronic technologies tothem. Today Electrosonic continuesto make use of new technologies inthe service of effective AV solutions– at the design stage, in systemintegration and in support services.

1

Today Electrosonic exploits the latest projection technology, ashere at the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center. See page 16.

In 1997 the original Newseum in Rosslyn VA set new standards in bigscreen display in museums, and one showpiece was this 130ft (40m)“Newswall”. Electrosonic was the AV systems integrator.

This amazing video pyramid wasbuilt by Electrosonic in 1988.

The “London Experience” multi-media show installed in 1977was one of many tourist attractions engineered by Electrosonic.

“Carouselvision”, a spectacular 40 projector show at Photokinain Germany in 1968, promoted Kodak’s new SAV projector.Electrosonic engineered the show system.

BATTLEFIELDS AND BEERVisitor attractions - Pages 11, 12, 16

THE NEWSEUMMuseums - Pages 13, 14, 15

ENTERTAINMENTLED displays, theater, casinos - Pages 3, 10

NETWORKED IMAGESCorporate AV systems - Pages 4, 5, 6, 7

BIG IMAGES, BIG SOUNDS Projection, big screens and audio - Pages 8, 9, 10

WONDER WALL Design - Pages 3, 5, 9, 11

This issue ofELECTROSONIC WORLDmarks the 45thanniversary of thefounding of Electrosonic.During those 45 yearsElectrosonic has provideda unique service tocustomers worldwide byproviding audio visualsolutions in thecorporate, cultural,entertainment andleisure markets.

Today

30 years ago

40 years ago

10 years ago 20 years ago

45 Years ofSolutions

NOW. Electrosonic groupheadquarters in Burbank.

Electrosonic was foundedin the UK in 1964. Its first“office” consisted of tworooms, originally intended tobe potato stores, above amarket stall in GreenwichMarket.

The company stayed inthe Borough of Greenwich forover 25 years, occupyingfour different buildings, butwith the majority (1972 –1990) at Woolwich Road. In1990 the UK operationmoved to purpose builtheadquarters at Hawley Mill,near Dartford.

Electrosonic Inc wasfounded in Minneapolis MNin 1972. In 1991 an officewas opened in Burbank CA,and now Electrosonic hasfive locations in the USA.During the 1990s it becameclear that a majority of thegroup’s business originatedin the USA, so the groupheadquarters moved to theUSA, first to Minneapolis,and then, since early 2008,to Burbank.

From Greenwichto Burbank

THEN. Site of the first “office”.

Electrosonic’s recently re-designed website givesdetails of office locations andnews of major projects.www.electrosonic.com

ISSUE NO. 15

2

COMPANY NEWS

Editorial

Electrosonic World - An occasionalpublication of Electrosonic

TrademarksElectrosonic, ES and the Electrosonic logo are registeredtrademarks of Electrosonic.

The trademarks of other companies, and other trademarks used by Electrosonic, are

recognized, and where known are identified by ™.

Electrosonic World is © Electrosonic 2009

Editor: Robert Simpson

Research and Production: Noel Packer

Design and pre-press: CIB

Printed in England by Southernprint

Electrosonic Officeswww.electrosonic.com

LOS ANGELES3320 North San Fernando Blvd.Burbank, CA 91504Tel: +1.818.333.3600Fax: +1.818.566.4923E-mail:information@electrosonic.com

MINNEAPOLIS10320 Bren Road EastMinnetonka, MN 55343Tel: +1.952.931.7500Fax: +1.952.938.9311E-mail:information@electrosonic.com

NEW YORK80 Broad Street6th Floor # 616New York, NY 10004Tel: +1.212.837.7923Fax: +1.212.837.7825E-mail:information@electrosonic.com

NEW JERSEY5 Terry Lane, Unit 12Burlington, NJ 08016Tel: +1.609.239.6930Fax: +1.609.239.0089 E-mail:information@electrosonic.com

ORLANDO4501 Vineland Road, Suite 105Orlando, FL 32811Tel: +1.407.839.1154Fax: +1.407.839.2055E-mail:information@electrosonic.com

LONDONHawley Mill, Hawley RoadDartford, Kent DA2 7SYTel: +44.1322.222211Fax: +44.1322.282215E-mail: information@electrosonic-uk.com

LONDON CITYRoom 47, Albert Buildings 49 Queen Victoria Street London, EC4N 4SATel: +44.207 653 1905E-mail: information@electrosonic-uk.com

EDINBURGH107-111 Whitehouse LoanEdinburgh EH9 1ATTel: +44.131.447.6211Fax: +44.131.452.8372E-mail: information@electrosonic-uk.com

HELSINKIKornetintie 3FI-00380 HelsinkiTel: +358.9.251.55500Fax: +358.9.565.1774E-mail:information@electrosonic.fiWebsite: www.electrosonic.fi

STOCKHOLMÅsögatan 155S-116 32 StockholmSwedenTel: +46.8.522.057.00Fax: +46.8.223.181E-mail: info.sweden@electrosonic.com

DUBAIElectrosonic LLCPO Box 62425DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesTel: +971.4.3324027 Fax: +971.4.3328871Email: infoUAE@electrosonic.com

SHANGHAISuite 1003, Block A Shanghai Universal Mansion172 Yu yuan Road Shanghai 200040Tel: +86.21.6249.2522Fax: +86.21.6249.3358E-mail:infoNEasia@electrosonic.comE-mail:infoCHINA@electrosonic.com www.electrosonic.com/china

HONG KONGUnit B, 12/F Shun PontCommercial Building5-11 Thomson RoadWanchaiTel: +852.2525.1828Fax: +852.2877.5811E-mail (sales): infoasia@electrosonic-uk.com

Entrance to the Hollywood version of the Simpsons Ride™ winner of a Thea Award, and voted “Best NewAttraction” by Theme Park Insider.

The ThemedEntertainment Association“represents the creators ofcompelling places andexperiences”. Every year itrecognizes the creation ofoutstanding visitorexperiences by its TheaAwards. The awards are givento the attraction concerned,but clearly those whocontributed to the creationof the attraction do bask inthe reflected glory of theaward, and in this respectElectrosonic is no exception!

The 15th Annual Awardswere presented in March2009. They all represent peerrecognition of jobs welldone, and their importancecan be judged by the factthat only 17 awards weregiven out of more than120 nominations.

Four of the Thea Awardrecipients were clients ofElectrosonic, and in eachcase Electrosonic made asignificant contribution tothe attraction concerned. Thecontribution was different foreach project, embracingnovel projection and optical

techniques, automated showcontrol systems, visitorparticipation exhibits andmedia management.

Thea Awards forOutstanding Achievementwere presented to TheNewseum (described in detailon Page 15) in the Museumcategory, The SimpsonsRide™ at Universal Studios inOrlando and Hollywood in theAttraction category, JungalaBusch Gardens (Tampa) inthe New Theme Park Landcategory and the Tree ofProsperity at the WynnCasino, Macau, in the Casino

Attraction category(described on Page 10).

The Simpsons Ride wasalso voted “Best NewAttraction” by Theme ParkInsider. In response to thisvote Mark Woodbury,President, Universal Creative,Universal Parks & Resortssaid of the honor, "TheSimpsons Ride representswhat Universal does best -which is to take pop culture'sblockbuster entertainmentconcepts and bring them tolife in wildly entertainingtheme park experiences".

On themoon 40Years Ago

Electrosonic’s longassociation with the AVIndustry was recognized atINFOCOMM 2009 by an awardto its co-founder.

At the INFOCOMMPresident’s VIP ReceptionRobert Simpson received theDistinguished AchievementAward, the highest honorbestowed on an industrymember by the association.

Electrosonic wasfounded in 1964 by DenisNaisbitt, Michael Ray andRobert Simpson.

INFOCOMMAward

Thea Awards go toElectrosonic clients

Electrosonic in the UK supports the annual AV Awardsevent, both by attending and by entering appropriatecategories. The awards are valued because they areindependently judged and entries are of a high standard.

Over the years Electrosonic has been successful inwinning many awards. In 2008 it won both the “SystemsCompany of the Year” award, and the award for “Business AVInstallation of the Year” (Advance Collaboration Environmentfor BP at Sunbury).

Electrosonic also supports the Museums & HeritageExhibition and Awards for Excellence event in London. It hasintroduced an “international award” to recognize exceptionalprojects outside the UK. The 2009 award went to Electrosonicas proxy for the Newseum.

UK Awards

This edition of ELECTROSONIC WORLD coincides withElectrosonic’s 45th anniversary, making it one of thelongest established businesses in its field.

Electrosonic has not been afraid of change, and overthe years has continuously adapted to new realities andnew opportunities. Some people still think of thecompany as the manufacturer of the celebrated“Rockboard” lighting control, the ES3601 slide dissolveunit or the PICBLOC videowall processor. The companywas all of these, but right from the start was a specialistin systems integration.

Today the company offers “Solutions” and “Products”.The products part of the business, based on imageprocessing and distribution for display, now operates as aseparate unit to fit better with the trade’s requirementsand expectations.

ELECTROSONIC WORLD has generally been all aboutsuccessful applications. So from this issue it is devotedonly to Electrosonic’s “Solutions” business. Broadly thisis supporting complex AV systems throughout their lifecycle, and embraces systems integration, lifetime service,and, in appropriate cases, system design.

The founders of Electrosonic often joked about beingin the “fairground business”. But it is precisely the “showmust go on” approach that has been the key to pastsuccess and will be the stimulus for continuing business.

Madame Tussauds inLondon was quick to markthe first moon landing withan exhibit featuringArmstrong and Aldrin withinits “Heroes Live” exhibit.

And Electrosonic wasthere (at MadameTussauds, not on themoon) with innovativeprojection technology.

The visors of the spacehelmets carried by theastronauts had backprojected images appearingon them – matching thereflections seen in thereal helmets.

Electrosonic devisedthe projection system basedon mirrors and projectorswith long focal lengthlenses hidden under the“moon surface”.

Robert Simpson (left) receives theDistinguished AchievementAward from INFOCOMMPresident Jay Rogina.

The Newseum in Washington DC was honored with a Thea Award in theUSA, and recognized by the Museums & Heritage Awards in the UK.

3

DESIGN

The Seminole Hard RockHotel and Casino in Tampa FLrecently expanded with a newentrance, and new VIP andslot areas. One of theconcepts of HKS Architects,and interior designers KlaiJuba Architects was for a“Wonder Wall” feature in theentrance. At the suggestionof consulting engineersMcClaren Engineering,Electrosonic DesignConsulting (Burbank CA) wasappointed by HKS to do thedetailed technical design ofthe feature.

The Wonder Wall is acylindrical construction 11 ft(3.35m) tall and 13 ft 6in(4.1m) diameter of which215° or 25 ft (7.6m) arclength is visible. The cylinderis transparent, but the insidesurface is covered by aTransVue rear projection film.

The exterior of thecylinder is a water featurewith individually controllednozzles behind a header atthe top of the screen. Thewater falls into a pool at thebase of the screen. LED color-changing fixtures in the pool

and behind the header lightthe water curtain from topand bottom.

Within the cylinder eightChristie DS+650 projectors aremounted on a steel structureto give complete coverage ofthe screen area. Theprojectors are sourced fromHigh End Systems Axonservers, which also providethe necessary geometricalcorrection to the images andimage blending to give anoverall seamless image.

The Axon servers storefiles and video effects thatcan also be combined withexternal sources, in particularthe Casino’s ownmultichannel TV system.

Overall show control is by aHigh End Systems WholeHog Super Widget andProgramming Wing. Thisarrangement outputs DMXwhich can directly controlthe lighting and theAxon servers.

A powerful audio system,with loudspeakers mountedon the screen header, is alsoinstalled. It is based on aPeavey Media Matrix NionDSP controller.

As systems designer,Electrosonic carried outextensive proof of conceptwork, including preparing 3Dmodels and building mock-ups. This work assured thecreative team that their ideaswere practical.

Under a separatecontract Electrosonic SystemsIntegration completed theactual installation, withengineering being supervisedfrom the Orlando FL office.

Located on 300 acres ofthe scenic Potomac River inPrince George's County, MD,National Harbor is the newgateway to the NationalCapital Region. It combinesa marina with shopping,entertainment andresidential areas.

Electrosonic DesignConsulting was engaged bythe Peterson Companies to

design a distributed audiosystem for the New Harborpiers, the Harborwalk and theAmerican Way shoppingcomplex, and to design alighting, audio and videosystem for the liveentertainment theater.

Electrosonic DesignConsulting worked on theproject from its outset,participating in the project

planning and design charette.The scope of work includedthe preparation of biddocuments, andrecommending specifictechnology solutions that hadminimum space requirements.Other members of thecreative team included SasakiUrban Design & Architecture,Sardi Design, NYX Design,Projects of Interest and E KFox Associates.

The installed system isbased on a fiber opticbackbone, engineered withWeidmuller components, thatcarries audio, lighting controland system controlinformation. Cobranet is usedfor audio distribution, and

the system supports 18universes of DMX for lightingcontrol. A Medialon controlsystem is used for showcontrol. Loudspeakers aremainly from Renkus Heinz,and include PN102 LineArrays for live entertainment.

The theater is equippedto meet the demands of smalltheatrical productions,presentations, conferences,music events, and evenmovies under the stars duringthe warm months. Videoequipment includes a ChristieHD30K projector and a GreenHippo Hippotizer server.Lighting control is basedon GrandMA consoles andETC dimmers.

Design for National Harbor

Wonder Wall atSeminole Hard Rock

The Show Lounge stage on the Baltic Queen.

The M/S Baltic Queen is the newest member of theTallink fleet, and started operating between Stockholm andTallinn in April 2009.

This cruise-ferry contains 1,000 cabins which canaccommodate up to 2,800 passengers. On board there are anumber of restaurants, a show lounge theatre, five bars,three shops, a children’s world, a spa/sauna and a modernconference center which can hold up to 450 guests.

Electrosonic was entrustedwith the design, installation,programming, andcommissioning ofentertainment lighting andAV systems in the theatre,nightclub, spa, conferencecenter and public spaces. In addition Electrosonic provideddigital signage in public spaces, shops and restaurants anda shipwide lighting control system in the public spaces.

The most demanding installation was the StarlightPalace show lounge where lighting, audio and AV equipmentwas integrated into one system. Here the audio system wasbased on EAW loudspeakers, Powersoft amplifiers, Peavey X-Frame88 processing and Yamaha mixers. The entertainmentlighting system included Martin moving heads, Pulsardimmers and a Jands control desk. CCTV cameras allowaudience and show images to appear on a large screenabove the stage.

AMX touch panels control and automate most ofthe electronics on board – for example at theconference center, which has demanding audiovisualpresentation requirements.

Digital signage systems were implemented for theconference center, shops, restaurants and reception. Theseare based on LG large screen LCD displays and Onelannetwork boxes and media distribution.

Lighting control is another system using networktechnology; Helvar Digidim lighting control covers most ofthe public areas including the bars and restaurants.

Electrosonic has been involved with ship-boardinstallations for many years. The Helsinki office hasinstalled systems on more than 40 ships (mainly luxurycruise liners and super ferries) over the past 20 years.

The Baltic Queen.

Baltic Queen

Part of the conference area.

Informal entertainment takes place in this bar.

Sun Microsystems recentlyopened a new ExecutiveBriefing Centre at itsLinlithgow EuropeanHeadquarters just outsideEdinburgh. Electrosonic wasthe AV systems integrator forthe new EBC, providing anexceptionally flexible systemfor a reception area, aTechnology Showcase andfour conference rooms.

The EBC is for seniorexecutives in user andpotential user organizationswhere they can learn aboutthe latest IT techniques, andhow Sun’s uniquetechnologies can improvetheir business. It consists ofa reception area, aTechnology Showcase, fourconference rooms and variousbreakout and support spaces.Linking the whole lottogether is a NetworkOperations Center (NOC).

The principle adopted isthat any image source,whether generated within theEBC or arriving from anexternal source, must beviewable on any display. Thusan image generated at one ofthe demonstration points inthe Technology Showcase hasto be available in any of theconference rooms. Similarly ascreen in the TechnologyShowcase might be requiredto show an externalapplication image.

The Technology Showcaseis based on 10 “pods” thatdemonstrate differentapplications and equipment.These have Sun computerscreens that can displayeither a locally generated

image, or an image sentfrom the NOC. Any locallygenerated image can besent to the NOC fordisplay elsewhere.

In the center there is afeature called the “LaunchPad” displaying the latestequipment. It is surmountedby four 32 inch displays. Inaddition there are three 50inch displays on theperimeter of the showcase.All these displays can show

specific programme content,but are often orchestrated towork together to support acustomer event.

The four conferencerooms are all equipped to ahigh specification. Acombination of DNPSupernova screens andPanasonic PT-5700projectors produces imagesbright enough for anylighting condition.

Each room is equippedwith a PolycomSoundstructure audioconferencing system withHDX suspended ceilingmicrophones. JBL Control 26Tloudspeakers are installed inthe ceiling for conferencesound, and a pair ofCommunity I/05Wloudspeakers are installed oneither side of the screen forprogramme sound. All roomsare equipped with AMX

NI3100 controllers and NXD700VI touch panels.

The touch panels areinstalled in generouslyproportioned lecterns. Thesealso house local sourceequipment such as PanasonicDMR-EZ48 recorders and Sun“SunRay” computers. Theinterface equipment requiredfor sending and receivingimages to and from the NOCis also housed here.

Within the NOC threeracks of equipment have beenfitted out by Electrosonic,and these provide the centralimage switching function andcommon source equipment.

The central item ofequipment is an Extron 32×32RGB matrix switcher. Allincoming and outgoing imagesignals are carried overCAT-5e cables using Extronbaluns. Control of theswitcher, central sourceequipment and EBC lightingis by an AMX N14100controller which also acts asa server to switching requestsfrom the four AMX systems inthe meeting rooms.

4

CORPORATE

The Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford is one of thehighest achieving state comprehensive schools in England; itspecializes in Business and Enterprise, Sport and Technology.In 2008 it moved into a striking new building (architect:Building Design Partnership) which is equipped to the higheststandards in respect of information technology infrastructure.Working to specifications prepared by PACS TechnologyConsultants Electrosonic installed the AV systems, whichcovered the needs of 57 teaching spaces, a building wide IPTVsystem, information displays, and AV systems for the lecturetheatre, boardroom, two drama rooms and a dance studio.

The teaching spaces are all based on a lectern or sciencebench with a standard set of equipment. Each lectern is fittedwith a resident computer. This is used as a presentationcomputer, as the means of local DVD playback, and forshowing material downloaded from the network. The lecternalso includes a facility to connect a “visiting” laptopcomputer, a simple control panel for source selection, audiovolume and power control and an audio power amplifier.

The lectern connects to theroom equipment throughsuitable floor plates. Theseprovide four Ethernetconnections, and connection tothe ceiling mounted projector(Sony VPL EX3) and to theloudspeakers (Tannoy i5AW).

All these systems aremonitored and managedcentrally using the ExtronGlobal Configurator application.Besides giving system statusinformation, this arrangementgives security, in that an alarmsignal is given if the lockedlecterns are tampered with. Italso helps minimize energy useby ensuring equipment isproperly shut down whennot required.

The Lecture Theater, a largeflexible space that can be used for assemblies, lectures andperformances, and the Conference Room are fitted out to thesame standards that would be found in a corporateenvironment. The Conference Room is equipped with a SonyVPL FX52 projector, Tandberg videoconferencing system,Symetrix audio processing, Extron video switching and an AMXsystem for overall control.

An IPTV system is available throughout the Academy. Thisis based on Cabletime’s Evolution technology which allowsmultiple video streams to becarried on the Academy’snetwork. Nine InformationDisplays are permanentlyinstalled. These are NEC 46inch Multeos LCD displayssited in the stairwells andreception. They are on theIPTV network and areequipped with Cabletimedecoders. They are used todisplay schedule information,but can be programmed tosupport special events.

The Technology Showcase. The circular display with blue lighting is the “Launch Pad”.

The Sun Microsystems European Headquarters

The principal members of the project team.

One of the smaller conference rooms.

Four Panasonic 32 inch LCD monitors animate the reception area.

Sun Microsystems EBC

Some of the teaching spaces arein the form of open “learningplazas”. Photo Leigh Academy.

Aspiring board members in theconference room. Photo LeighAcademy.

Client Sun Microsystems

Architect BDG McColl

Project Manager Heery International

AV Consultant Ceitronics

M&E consultant Blackwood Partnership

Main contractor Thomas Johnstone

AV integrator Electrosonic

The multi-purpose lecture theater. Photo Leigh Academy.

A view of Leigh Technology Academy.

Leigh Academy

The Java Coffee Bar is a popular port of call.

Not far from Kittiläairport, 100km north of theArctic Circle, the Levi SummitConference and ExhibitionCentre is one of thenorthernmost places you canfind a professionallyequipped conference facility.Electrosonic was responsiblefor the AV and lightingcontrol systems integrationin the auditorium andmeeting rooms.

The Levi SummitConference and ExhibitionCentre (owned by LevinLuontokeskus Oy and whosearchitect was UKI ArkkitehditOy) is situated on Koutale,high on the Levi hills, andforms the crown of one of

the biggest ski resorts inLapland. Looking up fromthe village it feels as if thecentre is built right on theledge of the steep hill.Looking out from thewindows in the centre itself,it seems as if the slopebegins right beneath yourfeet. The scenery, 300 metresabove sea level, stretchesover the Pallas national park.

The aim was to makethe centre as versatile aspossible, and for this reasongreat emphasis was placedon the AV systems. “We arevery pleased with theresult, since the system wasbuilt in an intelligent way,and according to ourwishes”, states Mr TeoJeskanen the Centre’sDevelopment Manager.

Working from an outlinespecification prepared byDecorat Oy, Electrosonic

designed, built and installeda comprehensive AV systemfor the 435 seat auditoriumand for seven meetingspaces. In additionElectrosonic supplied showlighting and lighting controlfor the auditorium, a digitalsignage system for the foyer,and house lighting controlthroughout the facility.

The auditorium audiosystem, which includes

permanent simultaneousinterpreting facilities for twointerpreters, is based onBiamp processing andamplification, and EAWloudspeakers; whereas themeeting room audio systemsare based on Genelecequipment. Room control isAMX throughout, and themain AV matrix switcher isExtron. Display andprojection equipment is fromSony and Eiki.

A special feature of thebuilding is the effect lightingbuilt in to the auditorium. Itenables the walls and theceiling to be illuminated withdifferent colors. “With the

built-in effect lighting wecan conjure the colorfuldisplay of Aurora Borealis ifneeded. With colors we cancreate very different moods.The lighting and soundequipment have enoughpower for all kinds ofperformances. Powerfuland impressive soundreproduction is especiallyimportant for us, since manyconcerts are held in thebuilding”, Mr Teo Jeskanensays. “The sound system inthe building is split so thatthe restaurant, foyer andexhibition spaces all gettheir individual music.”

Electrosonic suppliedMartin show lighting and aJands Vista control desk forthe auditorium. Houselighting throughout is underthe control of Helvar Digidimequipment, also suppliedby Electrosonic.

5

CORPORATE

The Global VisionSolution Center (GVSC) ofLockheed Martin Simulation,Training and Support (LMSTS)is located in Orlando FL. Aspart of a multi platformsimulation and trainingsolution that incorporatesdata generated from many

diverse data bases, the GVSCneeds a central displaysystem that brings all theaudiovisual data from manysimulators into theCollaboration andObservation Room (CORe) anddisplays it in real time todemonstrate the capability ofLockheed Martin’s powerfulintegration solutions.

The original CORe startedoperation in 2004 andincluded a large, three screendisplay fed by aninfrastructure of analogcomputer and video sourcesscaled and positioned by anElectrosonic Vectorwindowing processor. Theoverall display yielded amaximum resolution of 4200× 1050, but had limitationsin respect of the number ofsources that could bedisplayed, the use of threeprojectors, and the analogsignal delivery.

Working with Tom Lavely,Vice President of L2Industries, who is thecontracted Visual SystemsManager for LMSTS,Electrosonic engineered asignificant upgrade to thesystem that went online inJanuary 2009.

The idea behind thesystem is that there is onlyone display surface, and thatany required image canappear anywhere on thatsurface, displayed at anysize. The new installationuses a single Sony SXRD SRXS-105 “4K”projector. Its 8.8million pixels (nearly doublethe resolution of the originaldisplay system) are sufficientto support the display ofmany high resolution imagessimultaneously, and in theCORe the images appear on agiant 24ft × 12ft (7.3m ×3.6m) screen.

The Sony projector needsfour simultaneous highresolution input signals, andthese are derived from aVN-QUANTUM™ imageprocessor that can scale theimages and position themas required.

The most interesting partof the installation is its useof “virtual image switching”,one of the first installationsof its type to do so. In“standard” installationsimages would exist in theirhigh resolution digital oranalog form, and aconventional router (possiblyfiber optic based) would beused. This is an expensiveand inflexible solution.

At GVSC all images arriveover standard IP networks.They do this by using VN-MATRIX™ codecs. Thesedevices retain a high imagequality at moderate bit rates,have minimum latency, andare robust against packet losson standard IP networks.

Besides doing away withthe need for a big router,this approach gives LMSTSsome other significantadvantages. Images can beacquired from anywherewithin the Lockheedenterprise – often simulatorsare located at remote sites.Images can be displayed notonly in the CORe, butanywhere else where theymay be needed that has anetwork connection.

Electrosonic completedthe engineering of theCORe system by providingintuitive user interfacesbased on standardCrestron touchscreens.

Above the Arctic Circle

Lockheed Martinupgrades to 4K

The exterior of the Levi Summit Conference Centre.

The Sony SXRD 4K projectoris an essential component of

the system.

Group viewing in the CORe.

The main auditorium in use.

Another view of the auditorium.

The view across the Pallas National Park.

All photos courtesy Levi Summit.

6

CORPORATE

Thales has recentlyopened “Catalyst”, a newpresentation and simulationfacility on its Crawley site.Electrosonic engineered theAV system, notable becauseit is so bound in with theThales IT infrastructure. Allaudio, video, inter-communication and AVcontrol is carried on IP.

Catalyst is a purpose-built facility designed toshowcase Thales UK to civiland military customers alike.As a presentation facility, itis truly impressive: anexcellent resource fordemonstrating thecapabilities of Thales to high-ranking customers and VIPs.

It can be used to helpcustomers visualize ‘system-of-systems' concepts, makingit easy to see how systemsinteract with others. It is anexperimentation facility, too,where complex systems canbe tested against differentscenarios, and a wide rangeof demonstrations, tests andstructured experiments can beconducted. It is even possibleto take real products anddemonstrate them in asynthetic environment thataccurately replicates thecustomer's infrastructure orsystems. Finally, it can beused by armed forces toconduct realistic pre-deployment planning andtraining exercises: theultimate tool for answeringthe question ‘what if...?'.

Catalyst is a suite ofrooms, in total 450 sq m,

each of which can workindependently or in co-operation. An entrance lobbyand a central breakout areaserve the six principal spaces;five of the rooms are“experimentation” spaceswhere individual products orconcepts can be set up.

The largest space is the“Theatre”, which can hold up

to 24 people around a ‘U'shaped table or an audienceof 100. Its large “ControlRoom”, partitioned from theTheatre by a full width glasspartition, can be used as anobserver space. The screenarrangement consists of onelarge permanent screenflanked by two ceilingretractable side screens. Theside screens are served byprojectors that are each of1920×1080 resolution, andthe centre screen is served bya single Sony “4K” projectorof 4096×2160 resolution.

Each space iscomprehensively equipped inrespect of IT and AV allowingboth independent andcollective operation withinthe spaces and with the

outside world. Separate but

interconnectable networksallow different levels ofsecurity to be applied to eachroom or group of roomssimultaneously, and allowaccess to the wider world

through WAN connections.It is a fundamental

requirement that images andaudio generated within aspace are available withinany other space, and can beexported or imported to orfrom external sites. An earlydecision was that all audioand video (AV) content wouldbe carried over the network.For Catalyst this providessome significant advantages:

- A simpler infrastructure,based entirely on the ITstructured cabling

installation.- No need for any central

AV routing equipment, withits limitations on switchingcapacity, cable lengths etc.

- Greater flexibility inadding or re-positioningnodes (display or imagecapture) at any timewithout the need foradditional cabling.

- Easier ability to exportand import AV content to andfrom anywhere in the world.

- Easier recording ofpresentation and simulationscenarios using networkattached storage.

Electrosonic wascontracted directly to Thalesto realize the principal AVelements within Catalyst, andElectrosonic codecs andimage processing are used inthe system. The ITinfrastructure was the

responsibility of Thales. The audio elements

include speech reinforcement,conferencing, communicationand content playback. Thevideo (or “image”) elementsinclude projection, cameras,image processing and videoconferencing. The overall usercontrol system, and itsprogramming, was also theresponsibility ofElectrosonic, but the userinterface was developed withthe close involvement of theThales user.

Cisco in MilanThe main demonstration room at Cisco’s CBCC near Milan.

Cisco has recently opened a new Cisco BusinessCollaboration Center (CBCC) in Vermicate, near Milan in Italy.It is a sales resource to help sell Cisco’s technology andservices to end customers. The main technology promoted isCisco’s Digital Media System, where rich media of all kinds isdistributed over standard networks, so not surprisingly theCBCC has many displays, and many image sources (primarilyCisco’s own Digital Media Players and Digital Media Servers).

The CBCC has a lively reception area, two meeting roomsand a large demonstration area. The demonstrations aredesigned to replicate many different user scenarios. In thespecial case of residential applications there is a separate“connected home” demonstration area. There is also aTelepresence room, based on Cisco’s own technology; but thisis a “standard product” from Cisco, and it was installed as aseparate turnkey item by Cisco’s own telepresence team.

Cisco’s architect for the CBCC was Progetto CMR, and thefit-out contractor was GSP Italia. The overall design, and thecontrol programming, of the audio-video system were by CloudSystems Inc of San Francisco. Electrosonic was awarded thecontract to build and install the system.

Within the demonstration areas there are many laptopcomputers and keyboard/mouse sets that allow the SalesConsultants and users to emulate different user situations – inprinciple it is possible for any such “user point” to select anysource device to display on any of the many screens.

The demonstration roomitself has no less than 44Digital Media Servers as primarysources. Displays throughoutthe CBCC are LCD displays fromNEC, in a variety of sizes (21,32, 40, 46, 57 and 65 inch) andthe demonstration room alonehas 19 separate displays. Theseparate “Connected Home”area is designed round a 65inch LCD display.

The Reception area featuresa “media wall” of four 40 inchLCD displays accompanied by a20 inch Elo touch screen. Thisruns continuous programs either from Dataton Watchout, orfrom Cisco DMPs (Digital Media Players). Nearby a “Story Wall”uses one 46 inch and four 32 inch monitors.

The meeting rooms are fitted with twin 65 inch monitorsand comprehensive audio facilities. The audio facilitiesthroughout the center mirror the video facilities in functionality.Audio processing and amplification equipment is from Biamp,and distribution of audio is primarily over the network.

The functionality of the system is largely achieved by acomprehensive KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switchingsystem. This uses the installed CAT-5e cable plant, but isprimarily analog based on Avocent KVM transmitters, receiversand KVM switching matrices.

THALES CATALYST

The “connected home”.

The Reception media wall.

One of the meeting rooms at the CBCC.

Client and principal specifier Thales (UK BTC)

Architect/interior designer Hazle McCormack Young LLP

M&E consultant Bianco Sale

Lighting designer Hoare Lea

Principal fit-out contractor Crown House

Electrical contractor ADI

IT infrastructure Thales

AV system design and integration Electrosonic

The Thales building in Crawleythat houses Catalyst.

The lectern.

View from the control room.

Room layout and image screens at Catalyst. Diagram from Thales.

The Theatre at Catalyst. The screen system is 9m wide and can show more than 25 images simultaneously. Allphotos of Catalyst from Thales.

Fixed projection screen (16:9)

Retractable projection screen (4:3)

40 inch LCD display

7

CONTROL ROOMS

Lockheed Martin was themain contractor for thecommunications fit-out at aU.S. Northern Command(USNORTHCOM) facility atPeterson Air Force Base inColorado Springs, CO.Electrosonic was appointedsub-contractor for the over-view display systems.

USNORTHCOM wasestablished to providecommand and control ofDepartment of Defensehomeland defense efforts andto coordinate defense support

of civil authorities. Thecommander of USNORTHCOMalso commands the NorthAmerican Aerospace DefenseCommand (NORAD), abi-national commandresponsible for aerospacewarning and aerospacecontrol for Canada, Alaskaand the continental

United States.Electrosonic supplied five

multi-image displays. Theseincluded a videowall of 3×550 inch Planar rear projection“cubes”, and 2×3 arrays of40 inch and 57 inch PlanarLCD monitors.

Images are derived bothinternally and from many

government agencies, andinclude computerworkstations, off-air images,videoconferencing andnetworked images. In orderto make best use of thedisplays, and to ensure theimages “fit” the displays, VN-Quantum™ videowall imageprocessing is used.

US Northern Command

Chesapeake Energy, of Oklahoma City OK, is the largestindependent producer of natural gas in the USA. Themajority of its output is derived from the Barnett Shale ofnorth-central Texas, the Haynesville Shale of East Texas andnorthwestern Louisiana, the Fayetteville Shale of centralArkansas and the Marcellus Shale of the northernAppalachian Basin. But it has active operations andexploration activities in many other areas.

A central control room monitors pipeline anddistribution activities, and monitors events that may affectdemand. Electrosonic installed a new overview displaysystem that allows both real time video images and SCADAstatus display images to be displayed. A VN-QUANTUMprocessor is used to allow complete flexibility in thepositioning and sizing of images, and VN-GLIMPSE adaptorsare used to allow the SCADA images to arrive overconventional Ethernet.

Electrosonic delivered the complete display system,including a 4×2 array and a 2×2 array of Planar Margay50 inch videowall displays and two Planar 72 inch LCDdisplays. Winsted supplied the consoles for thecontrol room.

Chesapeake Energy

Electrosonic has provided AV systems for the renovationof the State of Oklahoma’s Emergency Operations Center inOklahoma City.

The facility, on the State Capital campus, was a former1950’s era bomb shelter. Mass Architects, the architects ofrecord, brought Electrosonic and general contractorAnderson & House of Oklahoma City on board the project,which is designed to improve resource coordination andinformation sharing among state and local agencies. TheCenter must be ready to muster resources for wildfires,tornadoes, ice storms, public health and homelandsecurity emergencies.

To that end Electrosonic furnished the Center with four2 × 2 videowalls of Planar Margay “cubes”. Two areinstalled on the north side and two on the south side ofthe football-shaped facility with its bullpen-style main areafeaturing 22 workstations. The videowalls are used todisplay data from computer sources such as weatherpatterns, forecasts and webcasts of breaking news, as wellas to monitor local and national news broadcasts relatingto emergency situations. An audio playback system,consisting of JBL speakers and QSC amplifiers, providesaudio support for the videowalls.

Electrosonic also provided seven LCD monitors ofdifferent sizes, used to show broadcast feeds, for auxiliaryrooms, including the governor’s secure conference room.All of the equipment is controlled, by authorized personnel,from two computers via a web interface which interactswith an AMX system.

Oklahoma EOC

The “Bullpen” at the Oklahoma EOC. Two of the four videowalls canbe seen.

The Enfield Public SafetyCentre (EPSC) is equippedwith a display wallengineered by Electrosonicunder sub-contract toSiemens BuildingTechnologies.

The idea at The LondonBorough of Enfield is aninteresting one. The cost ofrunning a 24/7 control roomis high, so it makes sense fordifferent services to poolresources. Initially EnfieldCouncil, First Capital Connect,the Metropolitan Police,Transport for London andBritish Transport Police are“partners” in the operation ofEPSC. However, it isenvisaged that in the futureother partners may join, andthere is provision for

considerable expansion.Currently the system can

view 1000 cameras on theFirst Capital Connect railnetwork, in addition to allthe security cameras inthe Borough.

The display system

engineered by Electrosonicconsists of 12 Mitsubishi 50inch XGA “cubes” fed from aVN-QUANTUM™ imageprocessor. This is configuredfor the display of up to 72simultaneous video imagesand six RGB computer

images. The cubes are frontaccessible for maintenance,so the footprint of the entiredisplay is kept to a minimum.

The display configurationis controlled by VN-COMMANDER™ software,but this is invisible to theoperators since it isinvoked through the CNLsoftware suite that controlsthe cameras.

Electrosonic has a lot ofexperience of this kind ofdisplay system, and can notonly install them quickly andefficiently, but also helpensure their effectiveintegration with the rest ofthe installation by providingcompetent and creativeprogramming services.

Enfield Public Safety

Helsinki Energy (HelsinginEnergia) is one of thebiggest energy companies inFinland. It sells electricity toover 300,000 clients andcovers over 90% of thecapital’s district heating. Itrecently upgraded its centralcontrol room in the Sähkötalo“Electricity building”,designed by Alvar Aalto backin 1973.

The technology hadbecome obsolete and newtechnology had to beseamlessly integrated, takinginto consideration thedistinguished surroundingarchitecture. Naturally thearchitect designing the workspaces (Architectural AgencyArktila Oy) paid greatattention to the ergonomicaspects of the new layout.

Working to designsprepared by consultantsYhtyneet Insinöörit Oy(United Engineers Ltd)Electrosonic delivered asystem based on Sharp 65inch LCD displays, chosen fortheir combination of high

image quality, quietness inoperation and suitability for24/7 operation. To make theoverall system easy to use, anAMX control system wasprogrammed with a customgraphic display to make thecontrol of the displays, theirassociated Extron matrixswitcher, and the audio

system as simple as possible.The lighting in the

control room was alsorenewed. Electrosonicdelivered a Helvar Digidimlighting control system forinstallation by the electricalcontractor. This wasintegrated to work from theAMX control system.

Helsinki Energy

Overall view of control room.

The display can show up to 72 simultaneous CCTV images and sixRGB images.

8

PROJECTION

A panoramic rear projection screen is the main feature of The Weather Channel set.

The Centre for VirtualEnvironments at SalfordUniversity (GreaterManchester, UK) hascompleted the installationof an ambitious virtualenvironment researchdisplay called the Octave.Electrosonic delivered theprojection and imagesource system.

The system is flexible inuse, so that different CAVEconfigurations can be triedout. (CAVE = Cave AutomaticVirtual Environment orComputer Assisted VirtualEnvironment depending onwho you talk to.) However,the Octave name is derivedfrom the fact that at itsmost extensive, the oCtAVEcan present an eight sidedprojected environmentthat completely surroundsthe participants.

The system consists ofeight mobile rear projectionunits plus one fixed ceilingmounted projector, and animage source system basedon Sun workstations on a10Gb/s network. Images arepresented in “active stereo”and head tracking camerasare used to ensure thecorrect viewpoint.

The mobile units allowdifferent combinations oflayouts, the most commonbeing the full octagon or twoseparate four-sided "CAVES",one with floor projectiononto a mobile raised floor.

The rear projection rigswere designed to achieve themaximum possible individualimage size within the roomspace which was 2600mm ×1950mm. All images aregenerated and displayedat the native resolution ofthe projectors which is1400 × 1050.

Four units are twin mirrorsystems fitted with ChristieMirage S3K projectors. These

have DNP wide angle screens.Another Mirage projector isused for the floor projection.All these projectors can show3D (stereoscopic) images andare run at 120Hz. Whenshowing 3D, the associatedworkstations are equippedwith emitters to operate theactive 3D glasses used toview 3D. The remainingrigs use Christie DS300+projectors with rearprojection onto diffusionscreens.

The source equipmentis a complement of Sunworkstations; there are ninedual processor slave unitscontrolled from a masterserver. These have NVIDIAFX5600 graphics cards whichprovide the VGA and 3Dsynchronization signals.Framelock cards have alsobeen fitted in all

workstations. Theworkstations and serverare networked together bya CAT5 network and a 10Gbfiber network. Electrosonicalso provided a Sun storagearray for the server. Theworkstations run LinuxRedhat and were configuredby Sun contracted throughElectrosonic.

Electrosonic used twosignificant sub-contractorson the project, SunMicrosystems and Paradigm.The latter supplied thescreen and mirror assemblies;these had to be craned intothe building via a corridorthat had the rooftemporarily removed.

The Weather Channel, theAtlanta-based cable network,recently moved into a newbuilding tailored for HighDefinition broadcasting.Jack Morton Worldwide’sProduction Design Group(PDG) of Manhattan designedThe Weather Channel’s newHD set, and Electrosonicjoined the team to engineerthe rear projection displaysystem that is centralto the set.

The display is based on a450 inch × 100 inch (11.4m× 2.5m) Stuart rearprojection screen. The

problem was to design acustom rear projectionsolution that had thesmallest possible footprint,since set space was at apremium. Working with LargeScreen Display Solutions,Electrosonic installed adouble-bounce rearprojection system.

Three Christie HD8Kprojectors are mountedalmost above screen level ina solidly constructedprojector housing. In thedouble-bounce system, theprojectors fire forward hittingthe first mirror. This light

path then passes througha hole in the floor of thehousing to another largemirror directly belowthe projectors.

The three images areblended using theChristieTWIST™ imageblending feature of theprojectors. The sourceimages feeding the displaycome from a Vista SystemsSpyder processor to deliveran impressive big-screenHD image to WeatherChannel viewers.

The Norwegian PetroleumMuseum (Norsk Olje Museum)opened in 1999 and itsunusual architecture hasmade it an exciting landmarkin the Port of Stavanger.Recently one of the majorexhibits has beenrefurbished to provide adiving bell simulationillustrating how divers carry

out maintenance on the oilplatforms in the North Sea.

Electrosonic workedwith designers Bright Whiteand production companyCentrescreen Productionsto design a panoramicprojection system for thedisplay. Peter Key was thesound consultant onthe project.

For projectionElectrosonic supplied threePanasonic PTD5700Eprojectors. These project onto a curved screen. Much ofthe show is of the murkyunderwater environment thatdivers have to work in, so agood contrast performance isessential.

In order to obtain thehighest possible imagequality the images areuncompressed. A three-channel Delta Server from 7th

Sense provides the three XGAimage streams, and thenecessary correction andimage blending to achieve aseamless image.

The server also playsback multi-channel audio;this is fed to a BSSSoundweb and Dynaudioactive loudspeakers (whichwere already installed at themuseum). The show can beselected to run in English orNorwegian and can beprogrammed to run thelanguages in any requiredsequence. A videocountdown clock tells awaiting audience the “timeto the next show”.

Virtual Environments

The Weather Channel

One of the display configurations. In actual use the overheadlights would not be on, and the screen representing the fourthside of the cube would be moved into position to completelysurround the observer.

Lining up the projection systemfor a five screen CAVE.

Undersea in Stavanger

Photos from Centrescreen Productions.

Layout of the Octave for a surround image.

Electrosonic was the AVdesigner and integrator forthe new purpose-builtsanctuary seating 3,000people at Northland, AChurch Distributed, inLongwood, Florida. A non-denominational church,Northland streams itsservices online andcoordinates with servicesheld at other locations.

Northland’s primaryrequirement was to make thenew sanctuary’s audio thebest it could be. Whileparishioners and visitorsusually notice the impressivevideo systems first,Northland was aware that ifservices sound bad, that hasmore impact than mostpeople realize.

To this end, Electrosoniccarried out the firstinstallation anywhere ofMeyer Sound’s Constellationsystem. Constellation isbased on the company’s VRAS(Variable Room AcousticalSystem) technology thatallows venues to alter theirreverberation characteristicsinstantly, and thus meet theneeds of different aspects ofNorthland’s services –intelligible speech requiringshort reverberation time onthe one hand, and choralmusic requiring a warmeracoustic with longerreverberation on the other.

At Northland theConstellation system consistsof 32 UPM-1P, 12 UPJ-1P and26 MM-4 loudspeakers and a

pair of Galileo processingunits. In addition thesanctuary is equipped with18 Meyer Milo clusters, sixM3D subwoofers, two CQ-1and two CQ-2 speakers forsound reinforcementand reproduction.

Meyer Sound microphonesare augmented by 26Sennheiser wirelessmicrophones used on stage.A Peavey Media Matrix Neonsystem controls audiodistribution throughout theNorthland facility.

Broadcast control includesa Euphonix Max Air 106-channel audio console, an80-input Digidesign Pro ToolsHD3 Accel system, MeyerSound HD-1 monitors and anN-Vision 416×384 audio and

video router.A 75 ft (23m) wide rear-

projection screen located atthe back of the stage displaysambient and scenic images aswell as song lyrics. It isflanked by two drop-downscreens at mid-stage whichdisplay live-camera images ofservice participants.Electrosonic installed sixChristie DS+ 8K projectors,four for the rear-projectionscreen and two for the drop-down screens. A Barco FolsomHD video controller handlesthe big-screen sources,including Ikegami HDcameras, DVD players and thetext generating computers.

Northland is linked byoptical fiber to offsitelocations where services mayalso be held, or wheremusicians and singers may beperforming remotely. Six RMEADI-648 digital “snakes” andtwo RME MADI bridgesprovide the connection tothese offsite venues.

Concept consulting designwas by Platt Design Group ofSierra Madre, CA. WOW!Worksof Clermont, FL, supervisedthe vendors and generalcontractor for Northland.

Electrosonic designed,engineered and installed thepark-wide audio system forthe new Freestyle Music Park(formerly known as the HardRock Park) which recentlyopened in Myrtle Beach,South Carolina. Spanning 55acres, Freestyle Music Parkcelebrates the spirit of rock’n roll through more than 50world-class rides, shows andattractions. It alsoencompasses other genres ofmusic including country,reggae, beach music, pop,R&B, alternative, Christian,and disco.

To ensure an immersivemusic experience,Electrosonic installed morethan 900 loudspeakers park-wide; throughout the guestentry area, on three liveperformance stages, alongwalkways, in shops,restaurants, bars, ride queuelines, gardens, restrooms, andcompletely surrounding thelake for the daytime lagoonand fireworks shows.

Loudspeakers arepredominantly models fromPeavey (Versarray®, PR 15T,and Impulse 6T) and JBL.Amplifiers are predominantlyfrom Crest Audio.

Audio distribution isbased on the use of Peavey’sMedia Matrix System,equipped with a customprogrammed graphicinterface. The system is easyto use, although it took

countless hours to program!The main sound source, amulti-channel backgroundmusic server supplied by PCMTechnologies, providesextensive track lists for eachenvironment. Its ability torandom shuffle keepssoundtracks fresh for visitorsand park employees alike.

The audio system is alsoused for announcements andemergency paging by zoneor park-wide. It mutesaudio in certain areas if liveshows or performances aretaking place.

9

AUDIO

900 loudspeakers inFreestyle Music Park

The 3,000 seat Northland Church features variable acoustics and a 75ft wide rear projection screen.

Video display control.

Auditorium 6 at the Mann Chinese. The loudspeaker array thatsurrounds the audience can be clearly seen.

The live performance stage (here shown with original branding).

Colorful attractionPole mounted loudspeaker.

Auditorium 6 of the Mann Chinese Theaters in the heart ofHollywood is now equipped with a 380 channel Iosono® audiosystem installed by Electrosonic.

The Iosono® system has been developed in Germany by ateam led by Professor Karlheinz Brandenburg. Its aim is togive true, natural “three dimensional” sound. A target marketis the cinema, since the system has the potential to give everyseat in the house the same 3D sound experience. The newinstallation is designed to help Hollywood sound designersassess the system, with a view to its ultimate adoption inpremium theaters.

The system has to be heard to be believed. It “places”sound in an uncanny way. It does this by surrounding theaudience with a continuous loudspeaker array – in the case ofAuditorium 6 there are no less than 380 discrete audiochannels. The system is based on the insight of ChristiaanHuygens, the famous Dutch contemporary of Isaac Newton. Hepostulated that, in respect of an advancing wavefront, at anyinstant every point on the wavefront is the source of awavelet which propagates outwards as a spherical wave. Hisobservations were made in respect of light as a wave, andthey helped explain the phenomena of reflection, refractionand diffraction.

The Iosono system represents an application of theHuygens principle applied to sound waves. A desired wavefrontis created by having a large number of closely spaced sources,each radiating a small part of the “sound image” – theindividual wave motions interfere with each other to producea single wavefront.

For the system to work a large number of individualsources are needed, depending on the size of the space. Atthe Mann Chinese 380 separate sound channels are used; with64 channels behind the screen, and the remainder distributedevenly either side and across the back of the auditorium.Each channel has a 3-way loudspeaker unit and associatedamplifier. The screen channels are rated at 200W each, and allthe rest at 100W. The system is augmented by “conventional”sub-bass loudspeakers.

Electrosonic has also been a key player in the renovationof the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Among theimprovements made was the installation of an Iosono systemin the Peltz Theater, the first theater installation of its kindin the USA.

The 300-seat theater was rebuilt to better meet theMuseum’s multipurpose needs. Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign was responsible for the interior design concept.Electrosonic was responsible for the design, engineering,fabrication, installation and programming of the audio-videosystems, with “the crown jewel” of the theater’s technologybeing the audio system from Iosono GmbH. Its 308independent audio channels and five subwoofer channels areentirely hidden within the architectural elements of thetheater to give an all-encompassing natural sound.

Close up of the loudspeaker array (left). View of the Peltz Theatertaken during installation of the Iosono system (right).

380 channel audioin Hollywood

Variable acoustics atNorthland Church

10

Wynn Tree of Prosperity

Old movie theater transformed

ENTERTAINMENT

The MGM Grand in Macau features a giant LED displayover the entrance, supported by “ribbons” of LED runningalong the building. Optotech Macau supplied and installedthis massive piece of signage.

Electrosonic was the sub-contractor for the video sourceand automatic playback system. This consists of fiveMS9500GL High Definition players, genlocked together torun in precise frame synchronization, and a VN-QUANTUMimage processor to scale the image sources to the displays.

Overall show control is based on Medialon, and there isprovision for connecting additional sources for specialevents. Electrosonic’s Hong Kong service office carried outthe installation of the source system and provides ongoingsupport.

Club NokiaClub Nokia is the exciting

venue in Los Angeles operatedby AEG. Located within it isan innovative interactiveexperience based on foot-controlled floor interfaces,touch screens, and a largeLED screen installation. Userscan scroll through the historyand the future of Club Nokiaevents. Fans interact with pictures, video, and textsubmitted by fellow concert fans and professionalphotographers, using their cameras in high-endNokia devices.

Electrosonic engineered the complete audio-videosystem associated with the experience (except the LEDdisplay itself, supplied directly by Lighthouse). Electrosonicwas a member of a team which included Graham Wickmanas AV Consultant, project manager Faithful + Gould, interiordesigner Eight Inc, content producer RG/A and fit outcontractor Murray Sandford Construction Company PCL.

Electrosonic World No 14 featured an amazing “SkyScreen” installed in Beijing. Now the company that wasbehind that project has excelled itself with another SkyScreen, this time in Suzhou.

Suzhou Time Square, located to the east of Lake GoldenCockerel in Suzhou Industrial Park, China, boasts a 3856 sqm video ceiling installed by Optotech (Suzhou office).Electrosonic supported the project from its Hong Kongoffice by engineering the image scaling system required fora 350m length of the Sky Screen, based on two VECTORimage processors.

The display uses Nichia 3 in 1 surface mount LEDs, witha pixel density of 952 pixels per sq m. Peak luminance is inexcess of 2000 Cd/m2.

Electrosonic providedaudio, video replay, mastershow control, an intercomsystem and a closed-circuitvideo surveillance system forthe complex Tree ofProsperity Show in the atriumof a new wing at the WynnHotel and Casino in Macau.

The show begins whenmusic starts playing. In theceiling a 20m diameter iris,with the Chinese horoscopesculpted on it, opens toreveal an LED display ofabstract video. The video isreplayed from six MS9200High Definition playersgenlocked together. Then theLED ceiling itself parts and a10m diameter chandelier, litby thousands of LEDs,descends. Now the actionshifts to ground level wherea copper dome, with theWestern horoscope sculptedon it, opens and a 20m tallgolden tree rises from a vaultbelow the floor. The magicaltree rotates to the musicuntil the show ends and allthe mechanical elementsreturn to their homepositions. Recently analternative show has beenintroduced, where the treehas been replaced by atraditional Chinese Dragon.

Electrosonic’s audiosystem, based on Crownamplifiers and JBL speakers,was extensive. Eight mainspeaker positions andsubwoofers are installed onthe mezzanine level to playthe music for the attraction.Four effects speakers, whichplay back sounds like“shimmers” are linkedthrough a slip-ringconnection. Three additionaleffects speakers and fourtweeters are suspended froma cruciform structure whichalso supports the chandelier.

Working to specificationsprepared by consultant JoelGread Associates,Electrosonic supplied anAlcorn McBride master showcontrol system with aCrestron touch panel as userinterface. This cues the AVplayback system and triggersthe sub-systems supplied byother vendors for the lightingand mechanical elements ofthe show.

A Clearcom intercomsystem keeps the technicalstaff in close communication

during the show. Acomprehensive closed-circuitvideo system also ensuresthat the attraction is workingas it should. Twelve cameraslocated throughout theatrium are routed to a 42-inch LCD display and three20-inch LCD displays in thesecond-floor control roomwhere technicians maintainoversight of the show.Mechanical engineering forthe Tree of Prosperity Showwas by McClaren Engineering,with fabrication andinstallation by Show Canadaof Montreal. Theautomation systems are byStage Technologies.

The Palatsi Music Theatrein Tampere, Finland, wasdesigned by Bertel Strömmerand built in 1929. Palatsiis a fine example of 1920’sclassicism, and the theaterhas now been renovatedand brought back to itsoriginal glory.

Electrosonic’sresponsibility was to designand build a suitable sound,light and show system;install it on site, program itand give the client guidancein its use.

The space is intended forversatile use; a consequenceof this was the specificationof an all-digital system,ensuring that cablingoccupied minimum space,and that the system couldexploit future developments.The installed system uses11.5 km of twisted pair cableand 800m of optical fiber.

Show lighting is based ona GrandMA console, Martinmoving lights and ETCtheater luminaires. Houselighting control is by HelvarDigidim. The sound system is

based on active line arrayloudspeakers from EAWplaced on either side of thestage. Audio mixing andprocessing equipment is fromBiamp and Yamaha.

The video system usesthree Sanyo projectors; onedirected at the backdropsilver screen, two directedto screens either side of thestage. In the ceiling thereare two remote controlledSony Dome cameras, withwhich events can be filmedand projected on thestage screens.

The Hollywood Casino atPenn National Race Course(HCPN) in Grantville, PA, is a365,000 sq ft (34,000 sq m)integrated thoroughbredracing and gaming operation.Working to the requirementsof HCPN’s entertainmentservices manager, John Wise,and specifications preparedby consultants Group SPI,Electrosonic engineered alarge video routing and RFdistribution system thatfeeds 600 displays sitedthroughout the complex.

An 83-channel digital RFsystem enables customers towatch live races at HCPN, orfollow action at other tracksvia an L-band satellitesystem and RobertsCommunications’ simulcastdecoders. For example, theraces are displayed on 25019-inch Samsung LCD TVs inthe Box Seating and TerraceDining areas. The displaysfeature the latest QAMdigital tuners to match thesystem’s use of Z-Band RF.Each simulcast decoderrepresents a race track, likeAqueduct or Belmont Park,and each race track becomesa TV channel. The RF systemalso distributes Comcast andDirecTV feeds of sportsprogramming andPay-Per-View events tothe Sports Bar.

A separate video routingsystem is based on aMagenta Mondo 64×160matrix switcher with AMXcontrol. It distributes pre-produced video to thecasino floor’s Media Blitzarea. It also feeds customerinformation, such as specialplayer rewards and bigjackpot announcements, tothe gaming floor and toPioneer plasma displays ineleven locations in theelevator lobbies. Twenty-four 52-inch, and twelve32-inch, monitors displayraces day and night in theSimulcast Theater.

600 Displaysat PennNational

The new “Dragon” show.

The iris ceiling opening to revealthe video screen..

The Tree of Prosperity with giantchandelier.

Suzhou Sky Screen

MGM Grand LED

11

A new HeinekenExperience opened at thehistoric Heineken Brewery inAmsterdam at the beginningof December 2008. Designedand produced by BRCImagination Arts, it makesextensive use of speciallyproduced high definitionvideo programmes.Electrosonic’s UK officewas appointed by BRC asits principal sub-contractorfor audio-visual systemsintegration.

In an area themed as atraditional Amsterdam Barvisitors view a show called“Born in Amsterdam” wherethey learn about the originsand development of Heinekensince its founding in 1863.The presentation is informal,apparently given by a genialbarman standing behindthe bar.

Visitors enjoy the “BrewU” simulation ride, wherethey undergo the completebrewing process, from beingmashed up as barley, boiledup with water, fermented,stored and bottled. In orderto accommodate peak visitorflow there are three near-identical installations. Eachone consists of a spacedominated by a 3m widescreen. This presents a highdefinition film accompaniedby full 5:1 surround sound,and a raft of special effectsincluding lighting and waterspray. The audience stands ona platform which provides therequisite “shake, rattle androll” that is particularlyeffective when you (as thenow brewed beer) proceedthrough the bottling plant.

“Raised by the World” isa fast paced presentation

shown on eight screens thatsurround the audience. Itshows the impact of theHeineken brand in countriesall round the world, usingfootage from many sources.Four high definition players,each feeding two screensplay back the show.

Visitors get a chance totaste the product in the“World Bars”; one of theseincludes a pouringdemonstration. Video camerasallow visitors a close-upview on the LCD monitorsnear the bar.

Electrosonic wasresponsible for theengineering, supply andcommissioning of the mainaudio and video systems.

However, installation wascarried out by local companyMansveld. Some items fromthe “old” Experience, whichhad also been supplied byMansveld, were carried overinto the new show. Theinteractive displays weredeveloped by the companiesAlterface and Bitmove. Allvideo media and sound trackswere produced by BRCImagination Arts.

The Hall at Patriot Place,a $22million investment bythe Kraft family, is locatedright next to the spectacularGillette Stadium inFoxborough MA, home to thefamous New England PatriotsNFL team. The Hall is acombined Museum and Hall ofFame. It opened in late 2008,and its interior architectureand exhibits were designedby Cambridge SevenAssociates. It makesextensive use of audio, videoand interactive media.Cortina Productions producedall the video content, andElectrosonic was the principal

AV systems integrator. The “Grand Hall” is

dominated by giant ceilingand floor projection screens.These show images ofPatriots, past and present.Projection is by 3-chip DLP™projectors of 16,000 and8,500 lumen light output todeal with the large screensize and relatively highambient light.

The 150 seat RaytheonTheater presents The Hall’ssignature film called “PatriotsWay”. Three projectors areused to create the image.

The Hall of Fame isdevoted to the all-time greatsof the Patriots team andcurrently there are 13 players

so honored. Four eleganttouchscreen units allowvisitors to select playerstatistics, biographical detailsand video clips.

The area is dominated byfour giant “video pylons”,each 30ft (9.1m) high and5ft (1.5m) wide that showthe selected action images.

The images are “back toback” so they are seen bothfrom the outside of thebuilding and within the Hallof Fame itself.

The pylon displays weresupplied under a separatecontract by Magink. They usea novel reflective cholestericLCD technology. This meansthat the display isilluminated either bydaylight, or by conventionallighting. The display is“tiled”, with each tile 17 ×17cm (6.7 × 6.7 inches).Pixel pitch is 9mm. Theoverall effect is pleasing,since the image brightnessrelates directly to theambient light. The effect isthat of a dynamic poster.

VISITOR CENTERS

New England Patriots

Heineken Experience

The “Raised in the World” show has eight synchronized screens in aspace dominated by a ceiling composed entirely of Heineken beerbottles. Photo BRC.

A scene from the “Brew U”simulator ride.

The “Terrorism in our times” exhibit uses ten 20 inch and nine 37 inchsynchronized LCD monitors accompanied by a multichannel sound track.

The Hall at Patriot Place. The video pylons can be seen throughthe windows.

The “New England Football” exhibit features the jerseys of the localhigh school teams. An interactive database is accessed by threelarge touchscreens.

One floor and three overheadgiant screens dominate theGrand Hall space.

Visitors to Denver’s newCenter for EmpoweredLiving and Learning (TheCELL) are plunged into amultimedia experiencedesigned to explore one ofthe most important issuesof our time: the threat ofglobal terrorism.

Founded by Larry A.Mizel, The CELL is a non-profit, non-partisaninstitution, located withinthe Denver Civic CenterCultural Complex.

The exhibit brings thepervasive threat of globalterrorism to life throughcompelling graphics,sophisticated computerinteractive displays andeffective audio and visualtechniques. DavisPartnership was thearchitect for The CELLexhibition space, andexhibition design was byHoughton Kneale Design.AV content was producedunder the direction ofRichard Trank.

Electrosonic wasinvolved with the project intwo ways. In the projectdesign and developmentstages, Electrosonic’sDesign Division worked upmany AV concepts forevaluation, and preparedthe final AV specifications.

This process took placeover a three year period.Electrosonic’s SystemsDivision was thenresponsible forengineering and installingthe AV systems.

Several differenttechniques are used at TheCELL. To emphasize the factthat terrorism can affecteveryone, visitors are givena magnetic card carryingthe biography of someonewho has been directlyaffected. The card is usedto activate the interactiveexhibits, and visitors learnmore about their adoptedvictim at each exhibit.

“A Delicate Balance”shows how governments arefaced with the difficultythat protecting citizensfrom terrorism and stillallowing civil liberties canbe conflicting objectives.The debate is presentedthrough three identical“touch table” exhibits(using Zytronic PCT™ touchtechnology) and is basedon experience in the USA,the UK, France and Israel.

The overall extent ofthe installation at the CELLcan be gauged by the factthat in the control room,which is visible to passers-by, there are nearly 100small LCD confidencemonitors that show thecontent of all the displaysin the exhibition.

One of the three “DelicateBalance” interactive exhibits.

The “Born in Amsterdam” show uses two 3m wide High Definition rearprojection screens. Photo BRC.

The “Hitting Home” exhibit is a powerful show presented on 30 screens.

The CELL

Robust interactive displays in the“Action Center” give visitors astrong message to take home.

Roman neighbors

12

VISITOR CENTERS

The projection screen is suspended over the mosaics at LullingstoneRoman Villa.

BBC Scotland’s newheadquarters at Pacific Quayin Glasgow is a benchmark interms of state-of-the-arttechnology and productionmethods, across TV, radio andonline. All BBC Scotland'snational broadcast outputcomes from here.

One of the facility’sobjectives was to bring BBCScotland closer to itsaudience, so the entrancefoyer is designed to be the“accessible front for BBCScotland” with free entranceand lots to see and do.Graven Images of Glasgowwas appointed exhibitdesigner for the visitorexperience, and Derek Kempwas appointed AV Consultant.As designs were finalized,Electrosonic was appointedthe AV Systems Integrator.Siemens was project managerfor the BBC.

BBC Scotland isresponsible for the content

shown within the exhibits. Itis carried on a Content MediaServer, and there is alsoaccess to the BBC’s “GeneralMedia Viewer” or GMV. This isa network based system thatcarries all the BBC’s output,so any display fitted with a“GMV interface” can accessany channel currentlybroadcasting. Additionalinteractive software andcustom applications wereprovided by Crash Media,Chunk and Stand.

The foyer is a flexiblespace and is used for specialevents and broadcasts. Whilethe exhibits all workindependently, it is arequirement that principalexhibits can have contentchanged instantly, forexample, the whole area canbe themed to match a“football week”.

The idea is that many ofthe exhibits are automatically

updated. Thus, for example,the “Monitors over” exhibithas a custom application todetermine how content isdisplayed, but the contentitself is “hot off the air”.

The main computerinteractive terminals are intwo groups of five, andsupport the “Learn about”facility, designed tofamiliarize visitors with allkinds of BBC “product”. As faras possible in the “learn

about” exhibit, all material ispresented in both visual andaural form.

The building features aspectacular open area at itscore that rises over five highfloors and is known as “TheStreet”. “Gateways” lead offthe street into productionand office areas. There aremany conference rooms,dressing rooms, green roomsand other spaces, including alarge staff restaurant at thetop of the building.

Electrosonic’s workincluded the installation of20 46inch widescreendisplays in the “gateways”, acomplete PA and AVpresentation system in theStaff Restaurant, 10 mainmeeting room AVpresentation systems and 20display systems in greenrooms and dressing rooms.

Electrosonic played amajor role in the new Worldof Coca-Cola, the $100million attraction in Atlanta,GA by providing all of itsmultimedia systems,including complete show andlighting control. The projectwas five years in the makingand is now attracting morethan a million visitors a year.Exhibition design and projectmanagement was by JackRouse Associates.

Visitors first encounterElectrosonic's work with a46-inch LCD monitor in the

lobby and six 40-inch LCDmonitors in the “Loft” pre-show area, filled with Coca-Cola memorabilia. These tellthe story of the famousbeverage's origins, preparingvisitors for the OpenExperience Theater wherethey are treated to a high-resolution, fully animatedshow, “The HappinessFactory,” which follows thejourney of a coin through aCoke machine. At the end ofthe show the screen, amechanism by Oceaneering,is hoisted up like a giant

garage door allowing visitorsto exit. As people file intothe central rotunda's hub,they see The Portrait Walldisplay which conveys Coca-Cola's charitable andhumanitarian efforts, aroundthe world.

The interactive“Milestones of Refreshment”exhibit spotlights the historyand branding of Coke. Twolarge-format touch-screensallow visitors to try theirhands at drawing thebeverage's logo.

From there, visitors walkthrough an actual bottlingplant for a close-up look atthe process. Four screens tellthe story of water filtration,Coke's secret recipe,carbonation and bottling.The images are displayed onactive LCD glass. This glassappears clear until peopleapproach it; then it turnsopaque and the rear-projection display explainsthe process the visitorsare witnessing.

Visitors exit to a Pop

Culture exhibit that includesa 46-inch LCD monitordisplaying avant-gardefootage shot by Andy Warholof people drinking Coke. Aninteractive area allowspeople to design their ownCoca-Cola ad. Two additionalinteractive stations enablethem to relate their own oralhistories about the drink.

“The Secret FormulaTheater” is an exciting “4D”quest to find the secretformula of Coca Cola®. 3Dimages, moving seats andspecial effects give visitors a

thrilling experience.In the Advertising Theater

visitors watch and hear apotpourri of Coke ads andjingles from around the world;

In the “Taste It” area,there are eight 46-inch LCD’s,configured as a horizontalvideowall. This gives a reviewof the 400 Brands in theCoca-Cola family. Sixteen LCDmonitors form a circle aroundeach of the five bigdispensing stations wherevisitors can taste the Coke-branded beverages availableon every continent.

BBC Scotland

The “monitors over” exhibit shows high contrast images in highambient light. Glass rear projection screens with 3M Vikuiti™ blackfilm are used.Just five miles from Electrosonic’s main UK office is

Lullingstone Roman Villa, one of England’s most importantRoman archaeological sites. Now under the guardianship ofEnglish Heritage, it has recently had a major refurbishmentincluding a new roof, improved visitor facilities and anenhanced exhibition.

The extensive remains of the villa include the foundationwalls, the heating system and a pair of magnificent mosaics.These can be viewed at close quarters at ground level, or, toget an overall view, from a viewing gallery. At regular intervalsthe lights dim, and an introductory film is shown on a screenthat floats above the mosaics.

The film explains the villa’s development over 350 yearsstarting in AD 75, and shows how people lived in the villaand its importance to the local economy. It also explains whythe villa shows some of the earliest evidence of Christianityin Britain.

The film makes use of re-enactments of aspects of dailylife, of 3D re-constructions of the villa that were made byEnglish Heritage, and of artist’s impressions of how the villamight have looked in its heyday. The film was made by CentreScreen Productions Ltd of Manchester, and Electrosonic wassub-contracted to Centre Screen to engineer the AV playbacksystem. It is based on a Projectiondesign F1 SXGA+ projectorsourced from a DVS(UK) Blade digital video player.

The installation is an excellent example of howcomparatively simple AV installations can, with high qualityproduction, make a major contribution to the success of anhistoric attraction.

“The Circuit” – a series ofworking historic exhibits. The spectacular “Street”.

One of the “Learn about”exhibits. All displays have theHigh Definition aspect ratio.

The World of Coca Cola

“The Loft”, the pre-show for “The Happiness Factory”. The “Taste it” area.

Exterior of The World of Coca Cola.

13

MUSEUMS

Believe It or Not® in London

The Orientation Center.

The new attraction at No1Piccadilly Circus (The LondonPavilion) is an investment byLondon Bridge EntertainmentPartners LLP, a franchisee ofRipley Entertainment Inc.formed to develop the“Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”®Museum in London.

Visitors enter the Londonattraction at street level, andtake an elevator to the fifthfloor. They then work theirway down through the 24,000sq ft (2,230 sq m) museum.

“Ripley’s Believe It orNot!”® claims to be the“Global authority on theweird, strange and bizarre”,so the exhibits defyclassification, although thegalleries do have themes. The“Clearing House” hasmysterious crates containingspecimens from round theworld, “Weird People” is justwhat it says it is on the tin,

“Art” includes works thatwould puzzle the TateModern, “Shrunken heads”are not for the squeamish,“Dungeons” includes chastitybelts and “iron maidens”,and there is a special sectionfor the “English” who areclearly no less weird thananyone else.

The London “Ripley’sBelieve It or Not!”® museumwas designed and producedby Jack Rouse Associates ofCincinnati, Ohio. The lead fit-

out contractor was ParagonCreative, and lighting designwas by Abernathy LightingDesign. Electrosonic wasresponsible for the mainAV installation.

Audio and video enhanceindividual exhibits, andanimate the galleries. The AVsystem is based on 16channels of StandardDefinition video and twochannels of High Definitionvideo, with accompanyingaudio. In addition there is

provision for 24 audio effectstracks and for programmedlighting control.

One of the HD systems isused in the “Mr Ripley’sOffice” exhibit. This is areconstruction of his studiowhere he drew his “Believe itor Not” newspaper strips.Robert Ripley appears “live”and retails some of hisadventures. The illusion(courtesy of a 65 inchplasma screen and Pepper’sGhost illusion) is excellent,especially where “real” propsare integrated into thefilm’s action.

The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles is a long standingclient of Electrosonic. Right from its opening in 1993 it hasmade extensive use of audio, video and interactive techniquesand Electrosonic provided the initial AV installations whichwere based on slide projection, laser discs and CRT monitors.

Over the years new exhibits have been added and oldexhibits refreshed. In 1998 video servers started replacinglaser disc players in new exhibits, and now all video is playedfrom servers. Similarly, LCD and plasma monitors have replacedthe old CRT monitors, and CRT projectors have been replacedby DLP models.

The most recent update was carried out in 2008. In thisupgrade all projectors throughout the Museum of Toleranceand the Holocaust exhibit were replaced with new PanasonicDLP™ projectors, the Orientation Center show that had beenbased on slide projection wasconverted to use 12 plasmadisplays, and the “Video Host”,formerly based on CRTmonitors, was converted touse LCD monitors.

In addition a completelynew exhibit is the PollingStation which uses touchscreens to allow visitors toanswer topical questions – thecumulative results aredisplayed graphically on anassociated plasma monitor.

Displayed over three floors of the historic White Tower ofthe Tower of London, a stunning exhibition celebrated the500th anniversary of Henry VIII becoming King of England.Some of the world's rarest arms and armor were selected fromthe treasures of Britain’s Royal Armouries and internationalcollections. The exhibition conveys the power, majesty, wealthand psychology of the man, the icon and the king - whoalways ensured he was "Dressed to Kill."

The exhibition was designed by Studio MB, withconstruction by Paragon, AV production by ISO and Peter Keyand lighting design by Nich Smith.

Electrosonic designed and installed the supporting AVsystem, which required four projected images, one plasmadisplay and multi-channel ambient audio.

The Science of… is a partnership between the worldrenowned Science Museum in London and the intellectualproperty management experts, Fleming Media. Its mission is to“ask the big questions about the world we live in”, and it doesthis by organizing high profile touring exhibitions that visitkey locations round the world, and which are supported byrelevant corporate sponsors.

Its latest exhibition The Science of Survival, designed byEnigma Creative Solutions, was considered so important thattwo identical exhibitions were built. Construction was carriedout simultaneously in the UK and USA. Electrosonic Ltd (UK)designed the AV system and built the AV system for the UKbased exhibition, which first appeared at the Science Museum;

while Electrosonic Inc (USA) built and installed the AV Systemfor the USA based exhibition, with its first appearance at theLiberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ. Interactive softwarewas by ico Design Consultancy, Spiral Productions andLuckybite, and video production by Griffilms South.

The theme of the exhibition is a look at what the worldmay be like in 2050. In no way minimizing the problemsahead, the exhibition demonstrates the ways by which Sciencecan help solve them. The idea is to show that everyone cancontribute to a sustainable future.

On arrival, visitors are given a card, this is an RF tag thatboth initiates the interactive displays, and allows responses tobe tracked.

The exhibition is devoted to five fundamental aspects ofdaily life. Drinking, Eating, Enjoying, Moving and Building.Each subject area poses some of the problems, and

demonstrates some of the possible solutions. The interactivenature of the displays encourages visitors to think how theythemselves can contribute to the solutions.

The finale of the exhibition is “Future City”; here thesolutions that the individual visitor has adopted areaggregated with other visitors’ ideas, and the resulting “FutureCity” is displayed, showing the kind of neighborhood that canbe expected in 2050.

The configuration of the AV system is based on the factthat the exhibition “tours”. Any central source equipment foran area is mounted in “road racks” to facilitate rapidinstallation and easy transport.

The exhibits are all networked (because the tag data mustbe transmitted between them) and this facility can optionallybe used for the central control of exhibit power up and powerdown routines.

“Your future food” exhibit.

The “Future City” builds up in front of visitors as they add theircontribution.

Science of survival

Museum ofTolerance

Dressed to kill

An electronic “lazy Susan” presents visitors with an internationalmenu. Fill up your plate and see the global impact of your choice.

The World’s Tallest Man (2.7m) Robert Wadlow, with his videophoto album.

Robert Ripley in his studio

The Video Host.

The Royal Institution ofGreat Britain (RI) is“dedicated to connectingpeople with the world ofscience”. Best known for itsChristmas Lectures, it isalso an important centre forresearch. Humphry Davyand Michael Faraday didtheir main work here, andtoday the Davy-FaradayResearch Laboratory has ateam working onnanotechnology.

The RI has been at itspresent location since1799. It has recentlycompleted a £20millionrefurbishment project withSir Terry Farrell as architect.This included restorationwork in the famous lecturetheatre, and a re-orderingof the spaces within thebuilding. A new museum,sited on three levels, hasbeen built with exhibitiondesign and constructionunder the direction of EventCommunications Ltd.

Electrosonic hascompleted two separatecontracts at the RI. Onewas to upgrade the AVsystem within the lecturetheatre, and the other wasto provide the principal AVelements within the new

museum. In fact themuseum is not all new.Formerly the RI hosted a“Faraday Museum” thatincluded Faraday’s originallaboratory. The newmuseum recognizes all thescientists who have workedat the RI while stillretaining the laboratoryand artifacts associatedwith Faraday.

The content for the AVand most of the interactiveexhibits was produced byCentre Screen of

Manchester, who alsoproduced the video contentfor the PDAs used forvisitor guidance. The PDAsystem itself was suppliedby Hypertag under aseparate contract withthe RI.

All AV elements withinthe Museum are on anetwork and are under thecontrol of an AMX controlsystem which looks aftersystem power control andsystem monitoring.

The London TransportMuseum, in Covent Garden,re-opened at the end of 2007after a £22millionrefurbishment and extension.The “new” museum makesintelligent use of audio-visualand interactive techniques,with over 150 exhibitsfeaturing AV elements.Electrosonic was the principalAV systems integrator.

The London TransportMuseum opened at its presentlocation in 1980 in what wasbuilt as the Covent GardenFlower Market in 1871. In2005 it closed for a two yearprogramme of refurbishmentand extension, during whichthe exhibition was completelyre-ordered. Principal exhibitdesigner was RalphAppelbaum Associates(London office), with ConranDesign Group as designer ofthe entrance feature “WorldCity Wall”.

The whole exhibitionrelies heavily on the use ofaudio-visual techniques toenhance and interpret theartefacts. Since its openingin 1980 the London TransportMuseum has had anexperienced in-house AVteam, so the AV systemdesign became a collaborative

effort between the Museumand Electrosonic, the AVSystems Integrator.

The AV content comesfrom many different sources.New content for majorexhibits was produced by ISODesign of Glasgow; but asignificant proportion of thecontent was produced inhouse, either as newmaterial, or drawing onarchives, or using elementsfrom the previous exhibition.Much use is made of audioto animate otherwise staticor mute exhibits withspecially commissioned soundtracks from Julian Scott andoverall sound design byMartin Pilton.

The AV hardwareinstallation follows currentpractice in taking a “hybrid”approach, intended tominimize the amount ofcabling required. Most sourcehardware is rack mounted andinstalled in four small controlrooms – however, asignificant proportion is sitedwithin the exhibits. Thereliability and very small sizeof current video playoutdevices and single boardcomputers, and the fact thatit is now easy to control andupdate such items overnetworks, makes thisarrangement practical. At theLondon Transport Museum aMedialon system is installedfor overall control. This isalso able to monitor systemperformance and allows for

the quick recall of settingsfor special events.

The Design for TravelGallery is based on LondonTransport’s emphasis on gooddesign. From the roundel logo

and Harry Beck’s iconicunderground map, to stationarchitecture, vehicle designand pioneering transportadvertising, the gallery showshow London Transportdeveloped a visionary stylewhich defines the identity ofthe city.

The gallery presents aselection of posters, originalartwork and artifacts, butthese are augmented bymultiple projected imagesthat seem to fill the space.Seven projectors are used,six projecting on the floor,and one onto a wall. Theshow explores several designthemes, and is run fromDataton “Watchout”.

Sound is used extensivelyto animate and interpretexhibits. Much of it issourced from accompanyingvideo, but “audio only” tracksare sourced from solid stateplayers. Many differentloudspeaker types are used,including Panphonic “SoundShower” directionalelectrostatic loudspeakersand Amina “Exciter”transducers fitted directlyto glass panels.

Loudspeakers are installedin unexpected places. Twohorses pulling a horse drawnomnibus have a chat(complete with animatronicmouths) and detailed scalemodels, for example of the“cut and cover” building ofthe first underground lines,can be viewed throughoptical viewers which includebuilt in loudspeakers.

14

London Transport

Royal Institution

MUSEUMS

Amazing floor projections in the “Design for Travel” gallery. Photo by Dave Patten, Science Museum.

An overhead view of some of the larger exhibits.

Faraday’s Laboratory at the Royal Institution features a ghostlyimage of the man himself, and touch screen displays.

The Royal Institution.

The famous lecture theatre.

The “Our Laboratories” show isgiven on two large screens inan area of high ambient light.Christie M Series projectorsare used.

“Connections” features a 4m diameter 3D model of London,surmounted by a large projection screen showing live video images.Actual commuter routes, matching the overhead images, areprojected on to the model. Photo: Andy Paradise. Copyright:London Transport Museum.

The World City Wall shows howother city transport systemscompare with London.

24 interactive “VisitorInformation Points” (above) andmany “Media Panels” (below) aresited throughout the museum.

“Science in the Making” uses multiple monitors and back projection.It tells how Royal Institution scientists discovered 10 elements andearned 14 Nobel Prizes.

The “new” Newseumreplaces an earlier version,sited across the Potomac inRosslyn VA, that ran from1997 – 2002. It is anextraordinary combination ofmuseum, conference center,media center, visitorattraction, party venue, diner,and hub of media politics.

The Newseum is run byFreedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicatedto the freedom of the press.Its position overlooking theCapitol makes it clear thatit is keeping an eyeon government.

Electrosonic is proud tohave had the same role inboth old and new Newseums,that of engineering theexhibit AV. This time the workconsisted of a 4D theatersystem, a custom engineered“Be a TV Reporter” system,the installation of newstickers and the building PAsystem, the audio-videosystems within exhibits, andthe show systems in 14 ofthe 15 theaters sitedthroughout the Newseum.

Visitors descend to theconcourse level; here they aredirected to one of three 45seat Orientation Theaters;three to ensure that nobodyhas to wait more than acouple of minutes to see theeight minute film “What’s

News?” This invites visitors toconsider the role that newsplays in their lives. Decadesof major news events basedon war and peace, love andhate, tragedy and triumph areboth uplifting and depressing– will we ever learn?

Before leaving theconcourse level visitors seethe Berlin Wall. Eight sectionsof the original wall and anoriginal watchtower areaugmented by three 42 inchdisplays that trace the role ofnews media through the riseand fall of the Wall. Onleaving the Wall, visitorsride to the top of thebuilding in one of threeglass hydraulic elevators.

At the top, visitors havea magnificent view of theCapitol from the PennsylvaniaAvenue Terrace, and in a longgallery can see facsimile fullsize versions of “Today’s FrontPages”. An “Early News”gallery features artifacts frompre-printing days, and the“Great Books” galleryillustrates the origins of thefreedom of the press.

These small galleries arefollowed by the large “NewsHistory” gallery based on theNewseum’s collection of morethan 30,000 historicnewspapers. These can beseen in heavily protected self

retracting drawers. Electronicindexes on touchscreenshelp with navigation roundthe collection.

Overhead, 20 projectorsrun historic news film footageon screens either side of thegallery. Below the screens,display cases explore themessuch as media objectivity and24 hour news cycles.

This gallery has five“sidebar” theaters; each withseating for 25 people. Theserun documentaries on acontinuous basis. Titlesinclude “Sources”, “Bias” and“Getting it right”.

A major gallery is the“9/11 Gallery”, dominated bythe remains of the topsection of the transmissionmast that was atop one ofthe twin towers. It features a

wall of facsimile newspapersof the time, and a memorablevideo sequence of the lastphotographs taken by WilliamBiggart, a photo-journalistwho died when the secondtower collapsed.

The most moving show inthe entire Newseum is“Running towards danger”,an 11 minute documentaryshown in a small theater offthe 9/11 Gallery. Based onfirst person accounts fromjournalists who covered theattacks, the effect on visitorsis such that a box of tissuesis tactfully placed at the exitof the theater.

The most popular featureof the “Interactive NewsRoom” is “Be a TV reporter”.It consists of eight separate“chromakey” stages, each isequipped with a retro-reflective backdrop, a colorcamera with LED “ring” roundthe lens, a prompting system,playback monitors, operator’stouch screen controllerand audio system.

Participants give theircontact details to theattendant and choose a

background. Choices includethe White House, theNewseum, and the SupremeCourt. Participants can eitherread from scripts, or ad lib.When done they see aninstant playback of theirefforts and receive a photoof themselves on set. In the“old” Newseum they wereoffered a VHS cassette, butthe “new” Newseum putsthe recordings on a serverwhich can be accessed onthe internet.

The 535 seat Walter andLeonore Annenberg Theater isequipped as both anauditorium and a TV location.But for most visitors thisspace houses “I-Witness: A4D Time Travel Adventure”.Here only 200 seats are used,and, as visitors enter, theyare surrounded by imagery

that, besides providing a“pre-show” experience, masksoff the un-needed seating.

When the show starts theperimeter screens fly away,and the “normal” 25ft (7.6m)projection screen gives wayto a 57ft × 25ft (17.4m ×7.6m) monster. On it isshown a specially made 3Dfilm featuring pioneeringjournalists Isaiah Thomas,covering the Battle ofLexington, Nellie Blyinvestigating a women’sasylum under cover, andEdward R. Murrowbroadcasting from Londonduring World War II.

The Newseum is both amuseum and an event space.It can house manysimultaneous events in itsconference facilities, studios,theaters and public areas,placing huge demands on thePublic Address system whichuses 800 loudspeakers,covering 80 independentlyprogrammable zones.

15

The Berlin Wall exhibit.

“Media Towers” within theInternet, TV and Radio Gallery,feature 32inch CRT TV sets.

The Great Hall of News features anews helicopter, a model satelliteand a high resolution LED screen.

This is the NEWSEUMMUSEUMS

The Interactive Newsroom.

One of the “Be a TVreporter” stages.

Exterior of The Newseum.

The numbers are impressive. 250,000 squarefeet, 450 million dollars of investment, 130interactive stations, 100 new videoproductions, 100 miles of fiber opticcommunications, 15 video theaters, 14galleries, two broadcast TV studios and muchmore. Welcome to the Newseum.

"The new incarnation of the Newseum is dazzling,innovative and absorbing, a first-class addition tothe capital's cultural institutions." — HowardKurtz, The Washington Post

There are 130 racks behindthe scenes. Partial list of credits for The Newseum

Partial equipment list. Production items supplied by CEI. Exhibit, 4Dshow and PA items supplied by Electrosonic. The LED screen wassupplied under a separate contract.

Owner Freedom Forum / The Newseum

Architect Polshek Partnership

Exhibit Designer Ralph Appelbaum Associates

Main content production The Newseum

Production of “I-Witness” and“What’s News?”

Cortina Productions

Project Management Tishman Speyer

General Contractor Turner Construction Co

Exhibit Fabricator Kubik

Acoustic consultant SH Acoustics

Audio-video integration(production/broadcast)

Communications Engineering Inc

Audio-video integration (exhibitsand 4D show) and PA

Electrosonic

Projectors (4D show) Christie CP2000

Projectors (large screens) Christie DW6K

Projectors (small screens) Christie DW3K

Projectors (history gallery frieze) Christie DS+25

Projection screens for theaters Stewart

LED video screen Barco 6mm 40ft×22ft (12.2m × 6,3m)

News tickers Sunrise Systems

32 inch CRT displays Sony KV32F V310

42 inch and 47 inch LCD displays Samsung

19 inch LCD displays JVC

Production cameras Grass Valley LDK6000

Cameras for Be a TV Reporter JVC

2K uncompressed servers for4D show

DVS

Large screen servers,production servers

Grass Valley K2

Production recorders Grass Valley Turbo

Exhibit HD playback Doremi Nugget

Production switchers Grass Valley

Production audio Euphonix

Exhibit, show and PA audiorouting and correction

Peavey Media Matrix Nion

Exhibit control Electrosonic ESCAN

Array loudspeakers Dakota

PA loudspeakers Community CIS400; EAW WET2W8;Tannoy i8. Bag End subs

Show loudspeakers Renkus Heinz; Tannoy; Bag End

Amplifiers QSC and Crown

Motion seats Oceaneering

Communications RTS

The News History Gallery.

The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater viewed from the stage.

The National Trust forScotland recently completedits largest ever constructionproject, a new £9 millionvisitor center at theCulloden Battlefield, nearInverness. The centerincludes an exhibition thataims to offer a new level ofunderstanding of whathappened on 16 April 1746.

NTS appointed a teamthat included GarethHoskins as architect,Morrison Construction asmain contractor, RalphAppelbaum Associates asexhibition designer, CMCAssociates as contentresearcher and producer,Atacama and Nobles Gateas AV producers andParagon Creative asspecialist exhibit fabricator.Electrosonic joined theteam as the AVsystems integrator.

The imaginative andsubtle means by whichvisitors become acquaintedwith people who lived atthe time of and through thebattle are the 14 “CharacterStations”, spreadthroughout the exhibition.Each one consists of a 46inch LCD monitor installedbehind a diffusing panel togive a “ghostly” effect,compounded by the video

sequences themselves being“shadows”. Visitors selectthe character by means of atouch screen, and hear thecharacter speaking overdirectional loudspeakersmounted overhead.

In the “BattleImmersion” area visitorssee a reconstruction of thebattle. The intenseexperience lasts around 12minutes, and is presentedon four screens surroundingthe audience. Each screen isserved by two projectors,with image edge blending,to achieve a widescreenimage of high resolution.The show is accompaniedby a powerful multi-channelsound track.

A finale area includesthe impressive Battle Table.It is a graphicrepresentation of thebattlefield, and the courseof the whole battle isshown with explanatorycommentary. Visitors lookdown on a 4m × 2m tableon which dynamic graphicimages are projected bythree SXGA+ projectors.Not only does the exhibitmake clear what has gonebefore, it also preparesvisitors for their tour ofthe battlefield itself.

The new Visitor Center atGettysburg National MilitaryPark features the outstandingGettysburg Cyclorama, aninspiring widescreen film “ANew Birth of Freedom”, and astimulating museum thatmakes excellent use of videoand interactive techniques.Electrosonic was the AVSystems Integrator forthe project.

The site of a battle thatchanged the course ofAmerican history, and ofLincoln’s famous address,Gettysburg is one of the mostimportant historic sites inthe USA. A previous visitorfacility was both unable tosupport the number ofvisitors, and was on a keybattle site, so needed tobe replaced.

When visitors arrive atthe Center, they see anorientation show presentedon three 50 inch plasmadisplays, prior to reachingthe ticket counter whichitself sports informativedigital signage.

Visitors proceed to one oftwo 150 seat theaters. Bothshow the same 22 minutefilm so that there can be ashow start every 15 minutes.It tells the story of the Battleof Gettysburg, its causes andits consequences. Besidesdramatic reconstructions, thefilm includes extensivegraphics and contemporaryphotography. This led to theuse of a panoramic (3.6:1)screen format using threeprojectors with edgeblending, each sourced froma High Definition player, andaccompanied by a 5:1 soundsystem that does greatjustice to the sound ofcannon fire.

After seeing the filmvisitors take an escalator upinto the rotunda that housesthe Gettysburg CycloramaPainting, 377ft long and 26fthigh (115m × 8m) painted byPaul Philippoteaux in 1884.Conservation started in 2003,

and the 360° cyclorama nowlooks as if it was paintedyesterday. The paintingdepicts Pickett’s Charge, thepeak of the fighting at theBattle of Gettysburg.

A Sound and Light showbrings the Cyclorama to life.The sound design is complex;the requirement was for asystem that could makesound appear to come fromanywhere in the painting,and could achieve effectssuch as cannon shotsflying overhead.

The solution is a 34channel sound system with52 main loudspeakers andeight sub-woofers. Most ofthe loudspeakers are arrangedin pairs, with oneloudspeaker at the top of thepainting and one at thebottom. DSP is then used to

locate the sound at theappropriate height withinthe painting.

Visitors then move to theMuseum of the Civil War. Themuseum is rich in artifactsand contemporaryphotographs, but makesextensive use of video andinteractive exhibits tointerpret events and explainthe detailed progress of thebattle. Eleven touch screeninteractive displays are usedto explore subjects such as“Secession or Union?”, “A dayin the life of a foot soldier”,and “Signal flags”.

Two small theaters“Voices of the Campaign” and“Voices of the aftermath” aresited either end of the mainbattle description. Theiremphasis is on the spokenword, and visual support is by

modest 50 inch plasmadisplays showing standarddefinition video.

However, most of thetheaters use large (9ft and14ft – 2.7m and 4.3m)screens with High Definitionprojected images.

There are three “Battle”theaters corresponding to thethree days of the battle (1 –3 July 1863) and an “Afterthe War” theater thatcritically examines events inthe years following the civilwar. Two other largeelectronic images areanimated graphics. One is an“Animated Civil War BattleMap”, and the other is “FromGettysburg to Appomattox”taking visitors along atimeline to the end ofthe war.

The AV design for theCenter was by PPI.Electrosonic provided designsupport, and supplied andinstalled all the AVequipment used in thetheaters, the museum and inthe public areas.

Electrosonic also installedand programmed the audioand show control system forthe Cyclorama show.

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GettysburgThe new visitor centre at Culloden.

One of the Battle Theaters.

Visitors looking down on theprojected battle table.

Battle immersion shown on four screens.

BATTLEFIELDS

Visitors standing on the circular viewing platform enjoying the amazing Gettysburg Cyclorama sound and light show.

A scene from “A New Birth of Freedom”, a film with narration by Morgan Freeman that explains thesignificance of Gettysburg. The film is shown on a 47ft × 13ft (14.3m × 4m) wrap-round screen.

Photo National Trust for Scotland

Photo National Trust for Scotland

Photo Ewen Weatherspoon

Battle ofCulloden

End Client. A partnership betweenthe National Parks Service and theGettysburg Foundation.

Gettysburg National MilitaryPark Visitor Center,

Exhibit designer. Gallagher & Associates

Producer of “A New Birth of Freedom”, theCyclorama show, and the Museum theatershows.

Donna Lawrence Productions

Producer of the interactive displays anddigital signage.

Second Story

Lighting designer for the Cyclorama show. Ted Mather

Lighting designer for the Museum. Fisher Marantz

AV Consultant Bob Haroutunian, PPI

Exhibit fabricator Art Guild Inc

AV Systems Integrator Electrosonic

Typical interactive exhibit with a32inch touchscreen below a46inch slave screen.

Four of the “character stations”.