As we touch base on Staging in this issue, one of the things I’ll be looking forward to seeing at InfoComm is Milan Manager, a shared project of L-Acoustics and d&b. I’ve followed the Avnu Alliance and the permutations of AVB quite closely over the years, even as the audio industry made Milan AVB a thing, especially for staging.
We’re used to the shifting alliances and collaborations that go with chasing the elusive network nirvana. Many AV professionals have been generous with their time on standards bodies (let’s add up those person hours!). Many proprietary alliances have worked hard to solve technical and marketing challenges. Many false starts have been made; many surprising accomplishments have been made as networking marches on its winding path.
But this latest Milan collaboration still stands out as a collaboration of straight up competitors. The first result of this alliance is a project to jointly develop a software platform designed to revolutionize the configuration and management of Milan AVB networks—the aforementioned Milan Manager.
L-Acoustics and d&b audiotechnik consider Milan AVB to be the most stable and open networking technology for live events. As such, they are codesigning a new software platform that addresses some of the challenges which currently discourage widespread adoption of Milan AVB technology. The software will be a neutral and free-to-use solution without branding affiliations to help further foster universal acceptance. Both companies are also encouraging additional contributors for collective advancement.
L-Acoustics and d&b audiotechnik are also collaborating with SoundPLAN on the key issue of noise impact, working to define an exchange format between professional audio manufacturers’ software and environmental noise simulation software. This is to address the safety and comfort of crew and neighbors—issues that companies have long struggled with and individually improved more recently with software of their own.
Another related collaboration was announced just as we were going to press, this time between L-Acoustics and Vectorworks. With this, L-Acoustics moves up to platinum partner status with Vectorworks and announces a bridge between their CAD software and Soundvision. Since most production professionals use Vectorworks to design their live shows – including the venue itself and all of the equipment, from seating, staging, and trussing to lighting and speakers, it seems natural and important to expand to acoustical support. Currently, you can use Vectorworks to drop in L-Acoustics speakers (and those of other brands), but you only get a visual placement and not the sonic prediction of a sound system.
Now, L-Acoustics says designers can export a show design from Vectorworks and import it directly into Soundvision. That will allow them to place speakers and get the coverage predictions.
It never ceases to amaze me how far things have come since I was designing theme parks and live shows. It’s a trend that will continue to move swiftly forward as software, and now AI, foster new tools and collaborations for better efficiency quality, and safety of audio-driven experiences.
