Though mastering, as a discipline still hasn’t caught up with the Indian audio and sound industry, the awareness levels have surely skyrocketed. Thanks to numerous institutions and well-heeled producers, composers, today we have tracks and albums mastered with great audio quality, leading to an excellent aural experience. Taking forward this very standpoint, Mastering World, a UK based online mastering network, has launched Audio-Pro, a new business website for sound engineers. Audio-Pro is a new online website for sound engineers which comes equipped with a custom website builder, social media integration, file transfer tools, invoicing, online payments, news and blogging tools and lots of other neat things. Audio-Pro lets freelance music professionals run their whole business from one website on any device, freeing up their time to make more music. Mastering World has further partnered with the Indian webstore Sudeep Audio for allowing easy access and response time for Audio-Pro. The partnership is aimed at a better reach and easy processing for the Indian customer base. This will help amplify Mastering World’s reach and add on to their current set of offerings. Audio-Pro’s founder, Donal Whelan has worked in the music industry for over two decades, starting out in London before freelancing and opening his own studio ten years ago. One can be assured that the online tools that are a part of Audio-Pro have been perfected by years of running studio business and collaborating with clients online by Whelan and the folks at Mastering World. The official launch at The Taj, Colaba on the 29th of October was hosted in conjunction with the reception of the First Minister of Whales, who also introduced the first look of Audio-Pro. Singer-Composer Kailash Kher, Vijay Benegal of OdBle, Ashish Manchanda of Flying Carpet Productions, Ashish Saksena of Purple Haze Studios, Composer Gulraj Singh, etc were present, extending their support to this new venture. The launch party at Indian Education Society, Bandra Reclamation on the 1st of November saw the presence of some of the top honchos of the industry including Composer Lesle Lewis, Music producer Tarun Shahani, Singer Vasuda Sharma, Atul Churamani, MD, Turnkey Music & Publishing, etc. The launch started off with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony and then was inaugurated by Kersi Lord, veteran music arranger. On the occasion of the launch, Whelan says, “We have a good core client base in Mumbai but we would like to reach further afield and find new clients – that is the vision with which we have launched Audio-Pro. Our long-standing association with Sudeep Audio is to ensure that our delivery and services are offered in the best manner possible.” You can have a trial of Audio-Pro by visiting https://audio-pro.com/
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Most marketers would agree that satisfying their potential consumers have become a tougher quest than ever. Digital and live events, when appropriately executed, can help lessen the battle and provide the most sceptical attendees an experience that sticks to their mind once and for all. It’s all the more lasting when that experience includes a taste of some of the newest technologies on the block. Some technologies if prudently incorporated can result in immense customer engagement and cutting-edge tracking and measurement. EE lists out some technologies that that are poised to shape the future of events and experiences. As our digital lives become more and more intertwined with our lives in the real world,technology has gained the potential of changing the face of events in times to come. May it be gesture recognition technology that allows users to manipulate an experience by waving their fingers or hands, or even their whole bodies, in front of a screen or virtual reality or display technology that begins from standard plasma screens to LCD panels and LED walls to laser phosphor displays, advancement in technology has no limits. Speaking to one of the experts in the field of sound, here’s what Warren D’Souza, Founder & MD, Sound.comhas to say. Certain technologies that can change the face of live experiences in the coming future in the sound-events domain are: Console technology will bring a lot of powerful features that were restricted to only expensive consoles now available in affordable models (not necessary the audio quality). Digital consoles usage in India is growing by the very minute and analog consoles will be obsolete in a few years from now even in satellite cities. There is continual improvement in features, speed and capabilities of the digital consoles. Digital audio transport technology will be much easily available and people will willingly accept it in time to come. The current trend is the ability to send multichannel audio over fiber optics over very long distances as well as the ability to provide redundancy. There is also a growing use of digital audio being transported on regular CAT6 cables, this too is multichannel and since this cable is easily available it is being regularly adopted by many manufacturers. Loudspeaker rigging and flying technology is going through a huge change in features, accuracy & safety standards. The first thing I see is that the rigging is nowadays designed to work very easily in the field and is integrated with the loudspeaker systems software to be able to give high degree of predictable coverage over large distances in stadiums and even to the smallest auditoriums. The rigging is also designed to be captive so the aesthetic look of the speaker is not destroyed. Plug-Ins and Recording technology for live sound will keep getting better with each passing day. Earlier the hardware required to do live recordings were big, bulky and cumbersome to carry around, moreover they were unreliable most of the time. Nowadays every console manufacturer provides protocols for recording straight of their console and recording interfaces have compressed into very small sizes to become portable for travelling. However the biggest change I would like to see in India is the quality of the ‘Human Application Engineering’ of all these technology products. Humans need to pace up with the technology trends and evolve as quickly as the products are being developed. Commenting on the progress in use of technology in events & activation, Atul S Nath, Managing Director, Candid Marketing says, “Progress in technology and digital have brought astonishing changes in the last one decade. The evolution in technology has opened a range of avenues for the Event & Activation industry. Technology allows brands to arrest the attention of the consumers and interact and engage with them. And that is at the core of any experiential marketing campaign – engagement. Merging technology and on ground activation / events helps enhance the experience as well as boost consumer experience. Unfortunately, some agencies and brands are using technology for the sake of it rather than integrating it into the experience. Certain technologies that can enhance events are Interactive floors which is a new age interactive medium that easily turn floor spaces or unnoticed areas into an ongoing experience of movement, action, fun & excitement, stopping people in their tracks as they play , walk by and interact, thereby making the experience engaging. Also, interactive floors are attractive & eye-catching adding to the fervour of the campaign. We have been using it for Hindustan Unilever Limited events time and again. Another great technology that was used at Candid was 6 Axis IMU; Sensor based technology integrated with Kinect-based game development. The sensor based technology enabled a strong underlining of the features of the jeans thus enhancing the consumer experience. Another basic technology that has continued to beautify events and will do in times ahead is Croma screens which are being massively used for launch events these days. We have recently used Croma screen for Godrej No. 1 launch event to enhance the overall experience. LED screens will be taking over the hoardings markets very soon. Soon will come a time when there shall be only digital hoardings around. Also in the event space we see a rise in Mobile & digital Signage technologies and they being extremely pervasive. I believe these technologies will play a prominent in providing a 360 degree event experience, as they will facilitate marketers to connect with the prospects & share information in real-time.”
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Samsung is committed to develop new products and solutions that will help persons with disabilities access the benefits of the latest technologies, said Mr. Jinuk Shin, Vice President and Head of Corporate Citizenship Group, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Speaking at the international conference on “Role of ICTs (Information and Communications Technologies) for Persons with Disabilities” jointly organized by UNESCO and the Government of India, he elaborated how Samsung is extending its corporate social responsibility to its business and products. Samsung is an industry partner to the conference, which brings together experts in issues of accessibility for persons with disabilities from across the world. Speaking about Samsung’s focus on innovation, Mr. Shin cited the example of ‘Eye-can’, a Samsung solution which is an eye-controlled mouse that can be used by people affected by motor neuron diseases to control movements or enter text by blinking to an on-screen keyboard. Mr. Shin also discussed other Samsung solutions that improve ease of use for the elderly or the visually impaired, such as applications that read out what is on a smartphone or tablet screen, and hidden edge interfaces, where menus pop up easily by pressing the screen in any corner of a smartphone or tablet. “Samsung is working to develop products that ensure everyone can access the benefits of advanced information and communications technology,” said Mr. Shin. “We believe that everyone should be able to use technology to access the varied experiences it offers, and for the self-sufficiency that it can provide them. We are continuously innovating to make these technologies affordable for all.” Samsung also displayed at the conference exhibition some of its products and solutions developed to increase accessibility. The Galaxy Core Advance devices have several sensory enhancing accessories to improve accessibility for hearing or visually impaired people, such as an ultrasonic cover that detects obstacles up to two metres away or an optical scan stand that ‘converts’ printed material into text that users can listen to. In addition to improving accessibility for persons with disabilities through research and innovation, Samsung also supports their rights to lead a life of equality and dignity, and their ability to inspire. Samsung has been supporting the Paralympics since 2006. Samsung has, over the years, leveraged its legacy of innovation to open newer possibilities for people. Through its corporate citizenship platform, Samsung places significant focus on improving education, employment and healthcare for people across the world. In India, Samsung focuses on providing underprivileged children a chance at quality education and in helping bridge the digital gap. This is done through Samsung Smart class, set up in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas across the length and breadth of the country. The Smart Classes are equipped with an interactive Samsung whiteboard, Samsung laptops for the students, a printer, wi-fi and a power backup to ensure continuous learning. Samsung has also collaborated with Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and state Departments of Technical Education to set up technical schools where youth from underprivileged communities can gain vocational skills that will equip them to seek job opportunities in the growing consumer electronics manufacturing and service sector
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DineDesk has been named a Hot100 technology company by CIO-Choice in their annual awards ceremony held in December. The award is presented in association with KPMG, Microsoft Ventures, Amazon Ventures and Netmagic. “We are proud to win this honoured title of Hot100,” said Clyde Vassou, Marketing Manager of DineDesk. “It showcases our excellence in innovation in restaurant technology and it recognizes our hard work in building a scalable company.” DineDesk offers an Online Reservations, Marketing, Guest and Table Management solution for restaurants. Using DineDesk, a restaurant can receive reservations from Facebook, its own Website, and partner websites. The built-in CRM, Table Management and Guest Management systems assist in seating guests, managing wait lists, and tracking guest preferences and other information, such as allergies. “Our team has put a tremendous amount of work into creating the DineDesk suite of tools,” said Bob Lawson, CEO of Dine Desk. “It is an honour to have an outside authority validate the quality of this work.” DineDesk also offers restaurants online marketing tools that can be used to promote a restaurant, including special offers and seasonal menus. Marketing options include social media, email marketing and SMS marketing. Restaurants can use DineDesk on a tablet, mobile phone, laptop, desktop, or any other Internet enabled device. No special hardware or software is required to use the cloud-based system. DineDesk received the award at an event that showcased leading technology companies developing solutions for the “Internet of things,” such as wearable technologies, and software as a service solutions that leverage cloud computing for various business verticals. Anoop Mathur, President of CORE, said: “I congratulate DineDesk on winning the elite tag of being Hot100. We had 60 days of campaigning with 26 Jury members to select the winners, who truly deserve the badge of honour. Selection was made based on a company’s technological innovation, team strength, opportunity size, and product value proposition. The Hot100 Awards measures business achievement across the board, championing innovation, enterprise and the people behind the company.” Dine Desk since its launch in 2014 has been rapidly growing its base. Currently it is operational in 5 countries and looking to expand in the North America and Europe. The ease of usage, hassle free setup, flexibility to work on any device and innovative technology has offered restaurants a very affordable alternative to other services providers like OpenTable.
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Cases of drunk driving in India are amongst the highest in the world and increase especially during the holiday season. The growing cab/taxi industry has also seen increased cases of drunk driving accidents by commercial drivers; fleet operators find it next to impossible to ensure that their drivers do not indulge in drunk driving. With this background – BeSecure solutions recently launched smartphone based breathalyzers. These breathalysers plug into the smart phone and the user blows into the device. User/ employer can check the level of Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in real-time through an app. This allows them to make smart decisions regarding how to get back home safely. The app can also be used to call taxis, hail a driver or find near-by restaurants to sober up. Taxi operators can use the app to deny assigning any trips to the driver if his results are positive. BeSecure partnered in “Respect the Road” campaign to curb cases of drunk driving this holiday season. As part of the campaign, they interacted with visitors at cyberhub (Café Delhi heights) and nearby outlets and engaged them through the use of the device and application. Over 100 visitors could check their BAC trends, before they sit behind the wheel. Many of them decided to hire drivers after knowing, while others with a low BAC decided to wait for sometime and grabbed some desserts before coming back to confirm that they were good to go. “We want more and more pubs/bars to come forward and facilitate/enable this for their customers to ensure ‘responsible enjoyment’ and a ‘perfect night-out’. Given the different requirements for different users, we have come out with applications for bars/pubs, individual drinkers, radio taxis to remotely monitor if their drivers are drunk etc.”, said a BeSecure representative.
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Legendary singer-composer A. R. Rahman has a special treat in store for his fans today. On his Birthday, the two time Academy Award winner will take to Facebook to interact with his fans through a live chat on 6 January 2014. Bringing in his birthday with those that are his most ardent followers, the music maestro will chat and answer questions on his Facebook Page live from 8-9pm today. The chat will be hosted by celebrated singer-songwriter Salim Merchant who will mediate the interaction. This interaction HAS been initiated by Qyuki, a digital broadcast network/ MCN backed by A. R. Rahman, Shekhar Kapur and Samir Bangara. Qyuki helps creators build their fan-following by producing and distributing online videos with the aim to create enduring intellectual properties. Fans need to tag @myqyuki on Facebook and Twitter with a hashtag #HBDARR to be a part of the live chat between 8-9pm on 6 January ’14.
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Evolution is unavoidable. Technology is inevitable. Since early 1990’s, we’ve not only seen technology advancement exploding, but witnessed it becoming part of our lives. Today, technology somehow plays a part in every bit of work we do and conversations we have. The same is true for events. Every event, be it a wedding, corporate or entertainment, technology plays a key role in engaging and amusing audiences. It has become really important to understand and master the usage of technology in social events. Factors like light, video, AV, graphics and mapping technologies extensively affect the outcome of any event. Recently, an informative session was held during ACE 2014 event in Ahmedabad, at YMCA convention center on 12th September, 2014, on the usage of latest technology in events. During the session title ‘Technology: Spinal Cord of the Event’, industry experts and technology providers shared their views on how important technology is for any event. There is no denying the fact that technology impact on any event is noticeable and is only likely to increase in the future. What we have today is visually and aurally better than what it may have been a decade ago. The effects that technology provides today has the ability to evoke instant response from the audiences. However, this does not mean that technology has taken over the content. It is about striking a balance. Aural is one of the most important sensory aspect of any event, bigger the size of a venue, bigger the challenges to provide uniform audio experience. The amount of electronics and accessories used at any event is just phenomenal, a contrast to what is visible to the audiences, which are a bunch of huge speakers. However, Warren D’souza – Founder, Sound.com says “Never be intimidated by the size of a venue. Always plan ahead, plot a venue using technology and software, so every seat and every corner is covered. I call it democracy for listeners, be it the first seat or the last, everyone at an event has the right to hear quality audio equally. I plot 3D diagrams of a venue so every staff exactly knows what they need to do.” Staff members who work on a project are key to successful events. At times, automation helps achieve that success, but still, equipment handling and placements are pivotal. Talking about equipment handling, Warren says, “95% of the times when a failure occurs during an event, it is due to human error, mishandling of equipments by staff. These speakers and electronics are built to last.” Creativity is another aspect that is very important for technology providers. When faced with poor infrastructure, it is important to come up with creative solutions to achieve aural quality. Some of the factors that affect successful event in terms of technology are making use of top-notch equipment, safe rigging, good scaffolding, high-quality musical instruments and most importantly the right set of people who make it possible. Geometry of speaker placements and arrangements also play important part in getting an event right aurally. Visual effects is yet another important factor that decides the outcome of an event. Event managers have increasingly been using latest technologies such as 3D mapping to take event experience to a new level. It is not only about displaying great visual effects, but it is about telling good stories through technology on a large scale. But, technologies are only as good as a venue. Visual technology, especially 3D mapping has been a hit with the event industry. Nitin Chowdhry – Founder & Creative Head, The One Film Co., says: “95% of calls we get from clients ask for 3D mapping, it has become the must-have thing at events including weddings.” Although new technologies can amplify the experience of an event, but, it is important for event managers to spend some time with the technology understanding it, how it works and how best it can be integrated to an event’s theme first, and how they can provide better solutions to their clients. Technology only helps a product make better, not salvage it. So, knowledge of technology is key in getting maximum creativity out of it. Speaking on the use of ‘3D mapping’ technology in creating virtual 3D models of a to-be-constructed mall or a structure, Nitin says, it acts as a prelude to see and visualize what a structure may look like in the future.” He further adds, “the most important thing for any technology company is ‘tech run’, like a home run in baseball, if your tech run is good then your show is good Lighting forms the third most important sensory aspect of any event. Video mapping that was done in the London Olympics, where seats were beautifully lit up; it is the latest trending thing at large scale events, which brings the event alive. At the same time, video is taking over lighting as large scale displays have started to appear in events. At the same time we’re increasingly making use of LEDs almost everywhere and almost in all events. Viraf Pocha – Director, Landmark Productions, says: “Although we are moving to LEDs, it is not true light. It has lots of advantages like there is no heating, no danger of fire, electricity consumption is very less, but it is not true light. So, any environment that requires true colours, LED may not be the best choice.” However beautifully lighting may be done, using LEDs or near to natural light, storytelling is very important. The technology should not be the highlight of an event, but it should disappear while the content is being presented. If we take the example of a theatre, technology that enhances movie experience is a must, we don’t go through traffic, congestion and then pay an amount to just watch film, we could perhaps do that at home as well. But, it is experiencing content at a different level with the use technology that does not interfere, is what every event company should keep in mind.
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Fremantle Media, best known for producing international brands like Indian Idol and India’s Got Talent have partnered with Mobile video streaming servce ZengaTV and YouTube MCN of India OneDigital Entertainment to announce the launch of first digital talent show in the world ‘India’s Digital Superstars’. A first of its kind Digital talent hunt where the audience will be the judging who is the next Big Digital Star. The show is presented by Amazon.in, powered by Gionee in association with radio partner RedFM. This digital show will be inagurated by Atul Khatri (winner of CEO’s Got Talent – 2014), Salim Merchant, Anu Malik, Music Director Duo Vishal Shekhar, Director & Producer Anubhav Sinha, Bhoomi Trivedi and Swaroop Khan (Singer, Tharki Chokro, movie PK). This will be a 14 week journey in search of a Digital Superstar where Musicians, DJ’s, comedians, mimicry artists, dancers, contortionists, jugglers, singers, acro gymnasts and many more across all ages are welcomed to participate. Indiasdigitalsuperstar began auditions from January 19th and will culminate with a finale in May. The winner will be given a contract worth Rs. 20 Lakhs from FremantleMedia and One Digital. The auditions are open to all Indians across the world. Auditions will span across 13 weeks. The 14th week is the grand finale to be held in Mumbai. The Indiasdigitalsuperstar.com platform will encourage participants to upload multiple videos of the talent that they wish to showcase, and will be judged by the audience through the number of views and likes across Youtube, ZengaTV and Facebook. Internet is a free, democratic, unrestricted medium and fresh videos can be uploaded until a week before Finale Night. The host will come online thrice a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for 10 continuous weeks starting from the 5th week of audition. Anupama Mandloi, Managing Director, FremantleMedia India says “After the super success of Indian Idol, India’s got Talent, we at Fremantle are delighted to launch a platform that will be accessible to everyone with internet access. Given that India is a priority market for FremantleMedia and a popular destination for many of our hit international brands, we want to continue driving our strategy of aggregating talent across media with India’s Digital Superstars. We have been instrumental in sourcing, discovering and unleashing talent across television and this is the obvious next step for us to take the talent hunt to the internet which is a world unto itself. ”Manish Kalra, Director Integrated Marketing, Amazon.in says “The digital medium democratises opportunities and choices and enables easy access to them for everyone like no other medium. We are very excited to be part of India’s Digital Superstar and support this effort to celebrate the immense talent that is waiting to be discovered Shabir Momin, MD & CTO, ZengaTV & OneDigital adds “The youth today is hungry for exciting and engaging content and ‘India’s Digital Superstar’ is an opportunity where every moment will count and adrenal will be on the high. This gives everyone a chance to showcase talent from anywhere in the world and be the next start in this world which has no boundaries.” Mr. Arvind.R.Vohra, India Head – Gionee Smartphones said “Digital as a a platform is connected to the youth of this country. IDS as a digital platform is the first in the country which creates the opportunity for the youth to showcase the talent and get recognized. We at Gionee are proud to be associated with IDS as this allows the youth to follow their passions and this has got a great synergy with our brand as we also want our consumers to follow the passions and we help them as an enabler for it” Mr. Gurpreet Singh, COO & Co-founder One Digital Entertainment says “With the unique format of the show specially created for the digital platform, India’s Digital Superstar will create opportunities for Indians globally to showcase their talent without having to stand in queues or reach specific locations at specific time. Moreover the show is not about highlighting only a couple of contestants but we want to showcase as many talented Indian creators, and that is why the call for entries never stops during the show. As long as the show is on, people can participate and stand a chance to win.”
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