- As live events return post-pandemic, production companies face the problem of supplying escalating demand while building resources to full strength.
- PRISMAX remains concentrated on its key strengths, upgrading its equipment to deal with changes.
- The Roland V-600UHD, V-8HD, and XS-1HD will continue to be products of choice for PRISMAX.
As live events return post-pandemic, production companies face the problem of supplying escalating demand while building resources to full strength. The obvious route is to do things more efficiently with one product and one person. Roland products like the V-600UHD are making their mark in this new landscape. Ruben Gorissen is Chief Technical Officer at PRISMAX, “Unreal Engine Wizards,” and experts in visual experience, virtual production, and VJing. He shares how the V-600UHD is helping them work more efficiently. Gorissen also explains how it played an integral part in one of their most significant events: Tomorrowland Winter 2022.
Early Days
Gorissen is a long-time fan of Roland products. It started with the Roland V-4 and V-8 at the beginning of his VJ journey in a Hasselt club. “There was a V-4 connected to some side screens and routed into a V-8 connected to the main screen,” he recalls. “Of course, then we were talking S Video and composite video. It was a different era.” He adds that “the V-4 is still unmatched when it comes to VJing.”
Since those early days, Gorissen has proved himself in video and visual production. At PRISMAX, he heads up projects for clients as diverse as Formula 1, Dubai Expo, and the Tomorrowland festivals. Like most production companies, PRISMAX had an uncertain few years due to COVID. However, they are now more in demand than ever.
We are using real-time engines, speeding up the rendering process, freeing up more time to be creative. Hardware is now scaling up to meet the job.
Live Events Return
“Everything is coming back after the pandemic, almost all at once,” Gorissen explains. “We lost some competition during Covid, so there aren’t as many companies around to supply the demand. It’s also difficult to attract new people to join the live events industry as they are worried it’s not stable.” He has a vision, however. “Maybe in the future, we have to do things more efficiently than before: using one operator for audio video and streaming.”
Focusing on efficiency means using technology well, analyzing workflows, and ensuring staff utilize time wisely and have the proper hardware and software.
“We are using real-time engines, speeding up the rendering process, freeing up more time to be creative. Hardware is now scaling up to meet the job. We use the Roland mixers and now have the Roland V-600UHD with 4K,” he says. “We have 4K processors at the end, and we switch them up with two computers coming in.” Gorissen stresses that it is a simple process. “Plug your computers into the Roland mixers, and you’re good to go. You still have the freedom to do external switching on the AUX bus. Grab a few SDI as well. It’s nice to have those tools.”
Focusing on Key Strengths
Due to the pandemic, many production companies focused on hybrid or virtual events. Yet, PRISMAX remains concentrated on its key strengths, upgrading its equipment to deal with changes.
“We don’t do a lot of streaming, but virtual production has become important. Virtual festivals or gaming events need a digital twin to the real-world event. Good hardware is still key to ensuring everything is stable. So it is integral to our workflow to have Roland mixers.”
PRISMAX has also been heavily involved in XR virtual production setups with big LED screens. Roland mixers are crucial to all PRISMAX projects, including corporate, live, TV, and feature films. PRISMAX has also done AR for Formula 1, using Roland mixers to take care of the routing.
PRISMAX has also been heavily involved in XR virtual production setups with big LED screens. Roland mixers are crucial to all PRISMAX projects, including corporate, live, TV, and feature films.
Tomorrowland
One major annual project for Gorissen and PRISMAX is the Tomorrowland Festival. The summer version, held in Belgium, attracts 100,000 visitors daily, making it the largest dance event in the world. The first event in two years was the winter version. Tomorrowland Winter Festival 2022 took place in the breathtaking French ski resort of Alpe d’Huez. 18,000 visitors and 100 artists participated over seven days. PRISMAX created all the content for the stages with LED walls: the main stage and the Cage stage.
“At Tomorrowland, we had two stages with a lot of LED: the main stage and the Cage,” Gorissen shares. “We used V-600UHDs because the main stage had 2 x 4K outputs (LED). So we used them as the mixer between the main and the backup server. They were also used for external routing to the OB vans to get the main image back, which they could overlay with the live feeds. On the Cage, we had some guest VJs. So we used one dedicated server, and as soon as the guest VJ arrived, he just needed one HDMI cable.”
The 4K workflow is a dream come true. The V-600UHD makes it possible without adding other stuff into the chain.
Setup Explained
Gorissen gives details. “We are also using the V-600UHD with 4K cameras connected. We had 1 x 4K camera feed coming in, which was a close-up for the DJ, and then we had 4 x HD operated cameras connected to the V-8HD, routed straight into the server.”
Using the V-600UHD at Tomorrowland made sense for many reasons. Having one box instead of several makes a difference when a gig is on top of a mountain. On the creative side, the V-600UHD delivers the 4K visual quality the event requires.
“One of the major things for us is now we can use one mixer to drive two 4K setups. If you need more, add another V-600UHD.” Gorissen stressed its value. “The 4K workflow is a dream come true,” he says. “We’re always pushing the boundaries regarding outputs. The V-600UHD makes it possible without adding other stuff into the chain. Stability-wise, workflow-wise, and quality of life. It’s a major improvement.”
In addition to the V-600UHD and V-8HD, the XS-1HD multiformat matrix switcher played an essential role in the timecode system. “The XS-1HDs we use as a little matrix between our timecode systems. Everybody inside the FOH can see what the DJ is playing, whatever track is playing, or when they start mixing,” he says. “It’s helpful to know when a drop or build-up is coming so the operators can anticipate that. We have two running in backup and connected to an XS-1HD, straight into a splitter. Then to the screen, using XS-1HD to switch between those backups.”
Tomorrowland has a summer edition with 16 stages and screens that we handle. We will have a Roland mixer on almost every stage.
Above Sea Level
The festival takes place 3330m above sea level in the winter. As a result, the risk of low temperature or air moisture affecting the AV equipment is a consideration. Even after running 24/7, the Roland products performed flawlessly. “We left all the equipment for 24 hours. With the drop in temperatures, it’s always better to leave power on to save condensation building up,” Gorissen explains. “We did have some heaters at FOH, but I never trusted them. We didn’t have any issues with the products.”
On this occasion, the FOH operator did not need to use the ROI (Region of Interest) function on the V-600UHD. They grabbed everything in and out and then manipulated that inside the media server. Still, PRISMAX has used the PinP and ROI functions in a corporate show where they needed to create a side-by-side shot of two speakers. “We used the ROI to cut out the images, so it looked like two cameras when there was only one, a handy feature.”
The V-600UHD will continue to be the product of choice for Gorissen. “Tomorrowland has a summer edition with 16 stages and screens that we handle. The LED supplier recently upgraded his LED panels, so there might be some more 4K in it. The main stage is 4 x 4K, at least three other stages with 4K and some HD stages,” he says. “For the summer, we will have a Roland mixer on almost every stage.”
