Search results for: Simon Byrne
Sham Contracting Exposes Workers to Being Sued
WORKER’S RIGHTS Sham Contracting Exposes Workers to Being Sued by Simon Byrne. Our regular readers would know that CX often bangs on about casual labour being essentially forced to get an Australian Business Number, or miss out on the work offered. This is sham contracting. It is where a worker is engaged as a contractor…
Read MoreCX144 February 2019
NEWS RIP Peter Hassall DQ take on Protos PSAV acquire Encore Event Technologies The P.A. People, Bose, and Sydney FC Roady4Roadies NEW GEAR FEATURES Sydney Dance Company – Bogota To Caracas, 1992. By Roderick van Gelder The Touring Games. By John O’Brien Blowing Up – It Wasn’t…
Read MoreTech Tips
Tech Tips with Simon Byrne. Here is this month’s collection of random tech tips to make your life just a bit easier from us, and you, our fine readers! Professional Approach Julius spotted a recent post from Matthew Cutlass in the Live Sound Engineers group on Facebook on how he deals with punters at…
Read MoreRisky Business
Risky Business by Simon Byrne. The live production industry carries significant risk. Large amounts of equipment, temporary engineering, big power in use, time pressures and audiences combine to make an environment primed for an incident. Whether an injury, an event cancellation, equipment damage or theft, they all represent risk. The riskiest of events are the outdoor…
Read MoreHistory: Talkback Systems Compared (1999)
HISTORY: 20+ YEARS AGO In July 1999 Andy Ciddor conducted a comparison of available talkback systems as part of his regular lighting column in Connections Magazine (CX’s predecessor). BTW, this edition also incorporated the first edition of PresenTech dedicated solely to the AV industry… Reading note: the resuscitated article includes a few endnotes and possible text conversion snaffoos Talkback…
Read MoreCX143 December 2018
NEWS I saw a Pretty Woman in New York Hitachi Projectors rebrand The P.A. People ShowMatch Sydney Kings Australian Monitor’s new NSM TLC – The Lighting Collective Riedel for ACC NAS delivers d&b Soundscape Vale Scott Allan NEW GEAR LDI 2018 – Vegas Shines Bright L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Debuts In Australia ACETA Solves The Compliance Issue…
Read MoreHistory: Communications – A “How To” (2009)
HISTORY: 10+ YEARS AGO In June 2009 we ran a “How To” on communication systems that discussed basic principles and some advanced broadcast applications, including technology current in the market at the time. Communications – A “How To” by Jimmy Den Ouden. We all know a functional comms system is one of the most…
Read MoreTechnical Terms Used In Comms
COMMUNICATIONS Technical Terms Used In Comms by Simon Byrne. Mix-Minus A mix-minus, or clean feed, is a particular way to setup a mixing console, such that a mix-minus output of the mixer contains everything except the associated input. For example, in a teleconference, the remote presenter’s audio is fed into the PA system, whereas the…
Read MoreAudio Transformers
TECH TALK Audio Transformers by Simon Byrne. The humble transformer often has a bad name in professional audio, and in my view, it is unwarranted. A well-built transformer will solve a lot of problems with little or no signal degradation. Audio transformers can: • Raise (step up) or lower (step down) a signal voltage •…
Read MoreComms – On Devices You Already Own
COMMUNICATIONS Comms – On Devices You Already Own by Simon Byrne. I love how the internet and networking protocols are having a dramatic, and in my view, a positive effect on our industry. We are moving to a point where all our lighting control, vision, and audio travel across a single network backbone. But a…
Read MoreCX142 November 2018
NEWS Sydney Opera House projection protest Vale Addam Crawford and Kim Goodlet Tash Sultana European Tour L-Acoustics for Adelaide Oval NEW GEAR REVIEW: ‘Roadies – The Secret History of Australian Rock’N’Roll’ FEATURES: THE COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE How Collaboration drives Technology D2N – Next Gen Communications Comms on your own devices Optical Audio – Big Event…
Read MoreFrom Projector to Plate – Encore Serve up a Sensory Feast
Projection From Projector to Plate – Encore Serve up a Sensory Feast Photo Credits: EventPix Encore Event Technologies invited corporate clients to ‘Experience Encore’, an evening of great food, wine and entertainment on Monday 10 September at the National Art School in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. Upon arrival, guests met in the courtyard of the Cell Block…
Read MoreChoosing the Best Projector
PROJECTION Choosing the Best Projector Mark Wadsworth, International Marketing Manager at Digital Projection, offers advice on choosing the best projector. For over 20 years, Digital Projection has delivered incredibly bright, detailed and colour-correct imagery to some of the most prestigious learning institutions in the world. From illuminating a 12-metre screen with lecture material regarding rainforest…
Read MoreTechnology Engages Students in Learning
Projection Technology Engages Students in Learning Keeping students focused has always been a challenge, but in today’s distraction-ridden world, it’s even more difficult. Presented by Optoma Technology can be a source of distraction, but when harnessed effectively, it can enable educators to adopt a more personalized approach to education. Research has demonstrated that engaging students…
Read MoreCreative Projection Mapping
Projection Creative Projection Mapping by Pete Lynn. Pete Lynn leads the TDC Creative Projection Technical Team in the latest advances in projection mapping and design. Pete is Projection Designer and Senior Technical Engineer in the areas of large-scale projection projects with a special interest in creative large format digital projection and media server technology. His…
Read MoreBorderless Projection in the Age of LED
PROJECTION Borderless Projection in the Age of LED by Norbert Schmiedeberg, Managing Director/CEO, ITI-Image Group Traditional projection screens have a black border surrounding the image area. This makes alignment easy, since slight overspill in the projection just fade into the black surround. However viewers are increasingly used to borderless LED displays or narrow bezel LCD…
Read MoreAntartica – While You Were Sleeping
PROJECTION Antartica – While You Were Sleeping by Cat Strom. Photo Credits: Joseph Michael Big Picture Australia & New Zealand and New Zealand artist Joseph Michael translated the scale and awe of Antarctica by using Auckland’s War Memorial Museum as the canvas for a full-scale 360-degree projection of a majestic iceberg. The multi-sensory experience was brought…
Read MoreVideo Projection History – The Talaria
PROJECTION Video Projection History – The Talaria by Simon Byrne. 30 years ago, the brightest video projector available for hire in Australia was the General Electric Talaria. In the late 1980s they cost about $180,000 and produced a massive 1,500 lumens! Yes, a $180,000, 75 kilogram machine produced less light output than your cheapest office…
Read MoreSnow Job – The Projector from the Smithsonian
DUNKS WORLD Snow Job – The Projector from the Smithsonian by Duncan Fry. It’s been a great season for the snowfields this year, so my gf said “Let’s go to the snow for a long weekend. We can stay in the town, and catch the shuttle bus up the mountain. What do you think?” Ah,…
Read More3D Modular Panels for Projection Mapping
Projection 3D Modular Panels for Projection Mapping presented by Backdrops Fantastic Australia. 3D modular backdrop scenic panels created by Gold Coast based event décor company Backdrops Fantastic Australia transform gala, conference and award stages into vibrant backdrops ideal for unique lighting and creative projection mapping. The panels come in eight versatile designs made of light…
Read MoreLet There Be Projected Light
Simon Byrne Let There Be Projected Light by Simon Byrne. Specifically, let there be focussed light through a lens to produce an image on a projection screen! Projection lenses work in reverse to camera lenses, but with a few key differences. In camera optics, the amount of light getting to the image sensor needs to…
Read MoreCX141 October 2018
NEWS Monitor City to Cover the Big Stages with Adamson Lexair bring NZ’s DMXking to Australia ChamSys Training Chroma-Q LED House Lighting for Auckland’s Victory Convention Centre NEW GEAR …
Read MoreCX140 September 2018
NEWS Melbourne’s Arts Precinct Redevelopment Jands to distribute Bosch Damien Juhasz joins Audio Brands Australia Industry experts join Harry the hirer Vale Richard ‘R2’ Pacholski LPA – you MUST pay contractor’s super Riedel for Macau’s ‘House of Dancing Water NEW GEAR FEATURES Steve Devine: Compliance for Australian Entertainment Products, Part Two Integrate 2018 All the…
Read MoreProfessional Video Over IP
Video Professional Video Over IP by Simon Byrne. Unlike professional audio, pro video has stubbornly resisted the transition to IP (Internet Protocol) for a few reasons. Firstly, video over IP continues to evolve and, up until now, has had issues such as the lack of adequate bandwidth and too much latency. As the investment in…
Read MoreCX139 August 2018
EDITORIAL: Welcome to the new CX Magazine! NEWS disguise powers ION Sky VuePix and Infiled merge Steve Devine to shake up sales Helpmann Awards step-change Vale Warren, Mark, and Harry NEW GEAR FEATURES MCEC Chooses Roland: Hands-on with the V-800HD MK II IKONIX utilise Avolites Ai: “NDI is the future for media servers.” TEDx…
Read MoreTech Tips
Tech Tips By Simon Byrne and you, our readers! Here is this month’s collection of random tech tips to make your life just a bit easier from us, and you, our fine readers! Unexplained reduced RF performance from your wireless gear? As well as the usual suspects, try turning off the house lights to see…
Read MoreSafe Data at Live Events
Data Storage Safe Data at Live Events By Simon Byrne. Data storage plays a huge part in live events in this modern world. From digital audio desks to processors, lighting control, recorders, video processing, and display. In some way they all use templates, media, and complex configurations that are stored digitally. This brings enormous power…
Read MoreCXNZ July-August 2018
NEWS ENTECH NZ rolls in July Jands NZ Rebrands to JPRO MDR Sound and Lighting Transforms Wellington venue New Distribution News Staging Connections announce rebrand NEW GEAR ENTECH NZ Show Guide- All the exhibitors, and must-see gear! FEATURES InfoComm 2018: The view from Vegas Hooked on Power: NZ powerhouse spreads it wings Fire and Steam2018:…
Read MoreCX138 July 2018
NEWS Mandylights at Vivid Gearhouse Broadcast Digital RF TLC Global add two NEW GEAR FEATURES InfoComm 2018: The View From Vegas The Education Issue: Educators, courses, and pathways to employment…
Read MoreUse it or Lose it
Regulars Use it or Lose it. By Simon Byrne. If you are a small to medium profitable production company thinking of buying some new gear, this month is a great time to do it. The May Federal Budget extended the simplified depreciation rules allowing the instant write off threshold for assets up to $20,000 to…
Read MoreAutomixing – your extra hand
REGULARS Automixing – your extra hand Simon Byrne. I can see you’re frowning already. I’m the mix engineer! No computer algorithm can possibly do a better job than me! You are right… and wrong. In mixing high profile conferences and unscripted events, the challenge is that you don’t always know who is going to talk…
Read MoreCX137 June 2018
NEWS Helpmanns go South Adamson at Colour Conference Good reasons to move to Adelaide Twin Towns Light Show NEW GEAR FEATURES The Inaugural ACETA Convention Our peak body flexes its muscles Novatech, RACS, and ANZCA at the ICC How to survive a major conference! Red Hot Summer Tour Goes to Bali REGULARS How To: Configure…
Read MoreGet and Keep That Gig
EMPLOYMENT Get and Keep That Gig By Simon Byrne. I used to run a decent sized production company in Canberra. Our bread and butter was corporate AV events but we also did a lot of music industry gigs. At our largest, we had 22 full time staff and about 20 more casuals on the payroll.…
Read MoreTech Tips
Here is this month’s collection of random tech tips to make your life just a bit easier! Tech Tips By Simon Byrne. Protect your Ears! There’s nothing quite like the satisfying crack and thump of a live drum kit, the punch of bass and guitar amplifiers, and the energy of the vocals over the PA…
Read MoreCX136 May 2018
The Employment Issue: • How to get the gig, and keep it • What employers are looking for – industry leaders sound off • Get skilled – manufacturer training round-up How To: • Work with timecode on an MA Lighting dot2 • Mic speech with headworn and miniature mics PL+S 2018 All the big releases…
Read MoreTech Tips
TECH TOOLS Tech Tips Here is this month’s collection of random tech tips to make your life just a bit easier! By Simon Byrne. Y-CABLE INTO 2 CHANNELS Julius has this tip: I always Y split the main vocal input and had it on two faders if I was sending monitors from FOH because then…
Read MoreBatteries – Get Intelligent!
TECH TOOLS Batteries – Get Intelligent! By Simon Byrne. How many batteries do you think are sold each year into the Australian market? About 310 million units! And I’m talking only of your bulk standard AA, AAA, C, D and 9 volt batteries. And how many of those batteries are recovered and recycled? About 2.7%.…
Read MoreCX135 April 2018
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour- Tracking the Light Fantastic Mamma Mia- The ultimate feel-good musical A Blanck Canvas- White Night and Beyond Meyer Sound’s Australian Charm Offensive NEWS The Basement To Close Good News for Hills Positive Change – Listen Lists and Women in AV New Gear REGULARS Andy Stewart Simon Byrne ACETA Duncan Fry…
Read MoreBiz Talk: Contractor or Employee? It Makes a Difference
REGULARS Biz Talk: Contractor or Employee? It Makes a Difference By guest columnist Simon Byrne. As alluded to by CX Magazine in July last year, the government is getting serious about cracking down on compulsory superannuation avoidance and has provided money to the ATO to monitor and enforce non-compliance. A lot of our industry is…
Read MoreWind – A Lesson From Sandstone Point
TECH TOOLS Wind – A Lesson From Sandstone Point By Simon Byrne. Last month the Red Hot Summer Tour was slammed by an unexpected and severe storm at Queensland’s Sandstone Point. According to weather reports, the wind gusts in the area reached 110 km/h. To the production team’s credit (Powa Productions and Regional Touring), the…
Read MoreTech Tips
TECH TOOLS Tech Tips In what I hope will become a regular feature, here is a collection of some random tech tips to make your life just a bit easier! By Simon Byrne. TRAVELLING We love our Pelican and roadcases but they are somewhat heavy, and attract interest from potential thieves when travelling by air.…
Read MoreCX134 March 2018
NEWS ENTECH reveals statistics LPA rolls out Guides Jands take on Biamp Julius Grafton signs off NEW GEAR FEATURES ANT Live Taking Theatre to regions using video Top end AV For an Iconic brand Hearing Augmentation Technology and the law REGULARS Andy Stewart: Where do things GO in your mix? History: 5, 15 and 25…
Read MoreDisaster averted. A good news story!
Wind – A Lesson from Sandstone Point. By Simon Byrne. Over the weekend the Red Hot Summer Tour was slammed by an unexpected and severe storm at Queensland’s Sandstone Point. According to weather reports, the wind gusts in the area reached 110 km/h. To the production team’s credit (Powa Productions and Regional Touring), the stage structure…
Read MoreEfficiency is King – Or Should Be
Efficiency is King – Or Should Be By Simon Byrne. The production business is a great way to waste money if you let it. The temptation is to spend more time and money so as to improve what we do. They key however, is to be efficient with the resources that you have, so you…
Read MoreArt From Science: The FFT
Tech Tools Art From Science: The FFT By Simon Byrne. The progress of loudspeaker development has benefited greatly from computers. Once manufacturers had access to enough processing grunt, it meant they could develop their designs dramatically, both acoustically and electronically. For example, the concept of a line array has been around since 1957 when Harry…
Read MoreTech Tools: It’s not about you – Attitude
Tech Tools It’s not about you – Attitude By Simon Byrne. Recently one of my regular clients made the observation that I seem to place great importance on the attitude of my crew. I asked “What do you mean?” She responded with “you seem to hire staff with a can do, polite and friendly approach…
Read MoreComment: If I Don’t Have This Product will I Die?
Tech Tools If I Don’t Have This Product will I Die? The live production industry is capital intensive and significant ongoing investment is required to stay current. It is complicated by the fact that most people in the business are there because they love it. That means the decision to buy the latest gear is…
Read MoreChicken Bosses Legs Found to be Tender
By Simon Byrne Years ago, we were hired to provide production for the NSW Sales Development Conference for a major chicken fast food franchise group at Salamandar Bay, north of Newcastle. The last morning of the 3 day conference was outsourced to a “professional motivational team”. On meeting the “team”, we immediately concluded that they…
Read MoreCX June 2017
NEWS After Manchester: what next? Adamson wins shootout U2’s massive PRG video Devine’s new business Bits, bytes and rumours FEATURES Mutimedia Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia AV with surgical precision at Monash Children’s Hospital Karma – missing in Macau What can possibly got wrong? Plenty if I am your event manager! REGULARS History! 5, 10…
Read MoreCX119 October 2016
CX119 October CONTENTS 6 Editorial: Awards Brain Snap, AV meets IT; History 8 News: The Hump turns 100; Former TCP owner guilty 9 News: Hills strengthen AV division; TDC to build d3 studio; Mirvac shaft venue 10: New gear 16: History. 5, 15 & 25 years ago in our pages 28: Listen Here 30: Toolbox…
Read MoreAES L.A. – day 3
LA MONDAY: By Simon Byrne In the world of networking it is clear that AVB is becoming mainstream. I noticed that many of the manufacturers such as Meyer Sound (including their new Galaxy processors), Avid and L’Acoustics are now producing products that support AVB. 4 years ago, I noticed that Dante was gaining adoption at…
Read MoreAES in L.A. – Day 2
LA SUNDAY. By Simon Byrne There is a lot to see and do at AES, least of which are the technical tours. One of the tours this year is the Microsoft Theatre (formerly Nokia Theatre) where the American Music Awards are staged and the Staples Arena which is home to the LA Lakers basketball team,…
Read MoreAES in L.A. – Day one
SATURDAY – LA. By Simon Byrne The Audio Engineering Society’s 141st International Convention kicked off today in Los Angeles at the LA Convention Centre. This event attracts an international audience ranging from audio veterans to students in all areas of audio including broadcast, recording, game audio and live sound. Over 4 days, the event includes…
Read MoreNoise. It is all NOISE!
By Simon Byrne Australia has no national framework for noise control, and national regulations and guidelines cover only a few aspects of the noise environment. When I set out to write this, my goal was to deliver a comprehensive state by state guide of the local noise regulations and how they applied to our industry.…
Read MoreThe Gaffa Tapes: Puttin’ on the Glitz
To some, it might have been as much fun as a funnel web spider, but for me it was a fitting finale to go out amidst the glitz, glamour and complexity of cabaret in the Starlight Room at Wenty Leagues
Read MoreCX155 February 2020
NEWS Sydney Coliseum Theatre Reveals L-ISA Hyperreal Sound System L-Acoustics L-ISA Updates ADJ for ULA MadisonAV launches, takes on Harman Installation range TiMax TrackerD4 at Sydney’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Juliusmedia and CX Magazine Sold 26 Years of Publishing Just Ended NEW GEAR FEATURES Robe Moves the Mountain at Masada L-Acoustics at Dark Mofo Hrafn:…
Read MoreTech Tips
Anytrans – I’ve been a Mac user for about ten years and appreciate how well they are built and generally speaking, I like how things are thought through. The notable exception is iTunes which I think is a train wreck! As a professional user, I often have to wrangle audio or video from, or to…
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