Category: Equipment

Audio production for Kylies’ triumphant Showgirl Homecoming tour, which kicked off on November 11 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre was supplied by Jands Production Services. Front of house engineer Chris Pyne specified an L-ACOUSTICS system consisting of 48 V-DOSC elements, 32 SB 218 subs, 16 Arcs and 18 dV-DOSC cabinets. The system is powered by 66 Crown MA5002 amplifiers.

JPS used the Kylie tour to debut one of its new Dolby Lake Processor (DLP) drive racks made up of 4 x LP4D12 units and a Motion 1200 wireless tablet.

“They sound very, very nice,” said Pat Richardson, JPS’s crew chief. “I believe that they are quite a marked development audio wise and you can definitely hear the difference.” Other JPS crew on the tour includes Cameron Elias, Dave Richardson and Simon Farrell.

Chris Pyne is also trialing an experimental convolution reverb that Dolby/Lake has produced

“As far as I know it’s the only one that exists,” Chris revealed. “It can alter parameters by computer, convolution reverbs are usually just a sampled space such as a room and that’s all you get. This model has sampled spaces that you can adjust the parameters on and that’s very interesting. Bruce Jackson, who works for Dolby, spoke about this prototype when I visited him in the US recently where he is doing front of house for Barbra Streisand.”

Dolby Live Sound

JPS has upgraded its monitor systems with the purchase of an additional 32 Clair Brothers Audio (CBA) 12AM monitor wedges, 48 Crown MA3600 amplifiers and 12 CBA custom Dolby Lake Processors.

Photo: Jim Straw, JPS General Manager, Justin Baird, Product Manager, Dolby Live Sound Group, and Brad Adamson, JPS Operations Manager, show off some of the new monitor racks.

The new monitor racks debuted in September on a national concert tour by Australian electro-rock band Rogue Traders. ‘This is the best monitor system I have ever heard, they sound absolutely fantastic.’ said monitor engineer Ben Shapiro after the event. ‘After I ran the 12AMs with the new Clair Dolby Lake Processor presets, I left my outboard equalisers back at the shop.’

The Dolby Lake Processor provides a unique set of features for monitoring applications, including reference quality audio converters, the Iso-FloatT ground isolation system, and patented low-latency sample rate conversion. Coupled with the SmaartLiveT Controller, the Dolby Lake Controller integrates RTA and Spectrograph displays within the EQ user interface to provide immediate identification of feedback and spectrum analysis.
Dolby Live Sound

Christian Heil of L-Acoustics has posted on open letter regarding the use of second-hand and non certified V‑DOSC systems. A short extract is reproduced below, for the complete article click on the link at the end of this item.

In order to clarify the current situation L‑ACOUSTICS would like to use this opportunity to clearly set out our intentions with regard to second-hand and non certified V‑DOSC systems and their owners.

The complete statement is available on the L-Acoustics website:
www.l-acoustics.com
For a list of official V-DOSC Partners:
International V-DOSC Partners List

JPS has expanded it’s rental inventory with the addition of 2 of Yamaha’s newest digital mixing console, the PM5D-RH . They were specified as the monitor mixing consoles for the upcoming arena musical spectacular, Grease. This musical production will tour major concert venues throughout Australia’s capital cities during May & June 2005. This production is an adaptation of the 70’s box office smash movie and will consist of a live pit band and a large cast of 50 performers.

(more…)

Jands Production Services has added a Yamaha PM5000-52C console to their extensive range of consoles. The PM5000 was chosen for its sonic performance & digital control advantages along with Yamaha’s road-proven reliability. JPS has a long standing tradition with Yamaha PM Series consoles when the PM1000-16ch & 32ch consoles were first used in its rental inventory, beginning 30 years ago.
Since delivery, the PM5000 console has been used constantly on tours and events such as the ARIA Awards, Hillary Duff, Julio Iglesias (pics shown taken from the Sydney Opera House) & Live.

Jands Production Services have chosen Yamaha digital mixing consoles as the complete audio solution for the upcoming stage musical, Dirty Dancing. Closely following the original movie starring Patrick Swayze, Dirty Dancing the musical consists of several pit / onstage band configurations and a large cast of (33) stage performers. (more…)

Sydney Australia – After taking delivery of the first DiGiCo D5 96E-40 console to arrive in Australia Jands Production Services (JPS) spent over six weeks familiarising engineers and technicians with the console.
Read the complete article [PDF 68kB]

College Hill Productions of Auckland New Zealand recently hosted a presentation of L-ACOUSTICS WaveFront Sculpture Technology (WST) products to invited guests including leading New Zealand promoters, venue managers and audio industry professionals.
Jands Production Services, the V-DOSC Network Rental Partner, has established a relationship with College Hill to supply L-ACOUSTICS systems in New Zealand. College Hill, who have a well earned reputation for providing quality service and equipment will now be able to meet the demands for V-DOSC rental from both local and overseas productions.
The launch was conducted outdoors at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium and, undeterred by a flash thunderstorm, guests were able to witness firsthand, the remarkable power, pattern control and near field response of L-ACOUSTICS products including V-DOSC, dV-DOSC, ARCS, and SB218s.
Peter Ratcliffe and Wyn Milsom of Jands attended the launch and after the demonstration provided guests with an introduction to WaveFront Sculpture Technology (WST).
“As the Network Rental Partner for Australia and New Zealand we are very pleased to be working with College Hill,” says Peter Ratcliffe, of Jands. “They are a very professional company who have committed considerable resources to bring L-ACOUSTICS technology to New Zealand and to have their staff trained in it’s operation”.
“Every time I listen to the L-ACOUSTICS products I am reminded of how good they are,” says Chris Tate, General Manager of College Hill. “We wanted to be able to provide our customers with state-of-the-art technology. We wanted a product that would be suitable for Touring, Corporate, Theatre and Special events. L-ACOUSTICS offers a solution for all these applications.”
For V-DOSC rentals in New Zealand visit the College Hill Website.

The Australian sound equipment provider Jands Production Services has entered into an agreement with L-ACOUSTICS, the Paris–based loudspeaker manufacture, to purchase a complete V-DOSC system for use in it’s sound operation. In doing so, Jands becomes the network partner for all the V-DOSC rentals in Australia and New Zealand.

“For some time now we have been looking at what L-ACOUSTICS have achieved with their revolutionary Wavefront Sculpture Technologyâ„¢ (WST),” says Peter Ratcliffe, part owner of Jands and head of sound operations. “We were attracted to the compact size of the cabinets along with the V-DOSC system’s remarkable power, pattern control and near field response over distance. We wanted a system that would be suitable for Touring, Corporate, Theatre and Special Events. V-DOSC offers a quantifiable improvement in sound quality in all these applications”.
“The V-DOSC system is a complete solution including V-DOSC enclosures, SB218 subwoofers, dV-DOSC enclosures, ARCS enclosures, power amplifier racks, filter and EQ racks, rigging hardware and all necessary cables. In addition to it’s excellent sound quality the system typically occupies about half the truck space of a comparable sound system”.
“L-ACOUSTICS is very pleased to have Jands as a Network Partner,” says Dr Christian Heil, founder of L-ACOUSTICS. “They are a very professional company who have committed considerable resources to bring the V-DOSC technology to Australia and New Zealand and to have their staff trained in its operation. This training will ensure optimal use of the system in all conditions”.
The V-DOSC system is in increasing demand, mostly for Touring applications where its compact size and quick setup time result in significant cost savings. Promoters are also enthusiastic about V-DOSC due to its smaller size offering an unimpaired view of the stage from all sides without obscuring staging and lighting designs.
Theatrical sound designers are also embracing the benefits that the compact V-DOSC and dV-DOSC cabinets can offer. For example, the current West End Theatre production of Mamma Mia in London, England – also opening soon in Toronto, Canada – and the Witches of Eastwick – shortly opening in the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London – are both perfect examples of the successful application of Wavefront Sculpture Technology in the Theatrical domain.
L-ACOUSTICS manufactures a complete and comprehensive range of loudspeakers, each designed for multiple applications. The range comprises of three cabinets that incorporate Waterfront Sculpture Technology (WST), the well-known V-DOSC, the dV-DOSC (the V-DOSC’s little brother) and the ARCS. There is also the MTD108, and the multi-purpose MTD112 and MTD115, both with coaxial transducers. The dedicated 115FM floor monitor is fast becoming an industry standard specification and the SB115, MTD118 and SB218 sub bass cabinets complete the range.
The L-ACOUSTIC range of products offers both Designers and Engineers many exiting ways of providing Turnkey system solutions to any kind of audio application.
Jands Production Services in Australia is the leading supplier of sound equipment for rental. Founded in 1970, the company specializes in Touring, Theatre, Corporate and Special Event production.