Pop and classical music once again merged to create an unforgettable sound experience at the Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig venue. At the 16th POP MEETS CLASSIC event, some 5,000 enchanted spectators experienced the two music genres harmonizing magically.
Accompanied by the 60-strong Braunschweig State Orchestra and the POP MEETS CLASSIC band, solo guest stars including ESC participant Malik Harris and H-Blockx frontman Henning Wehland performed their songs in an extraordinary ambiance. The lighting and sound equipment contributed significantly to the spectacular show put on by event organizer Undercover. A special atmosphere was created by the lighting design by Lukas Kohlen (NEMEDIA), who relied almost entirely on Martin light fixtures, and the L-ISA Immersive Audio System from L-Acoustics.
A zactrack SMART system was used for the automated control of the lights and the video content as well as the audio signals.
The team around Production Manager Tobias Huwe (Undercover), LOUD and NEMEDIA started relying on the automated control of lighting via the zactrack SMART system back in 2023. That was the year that the tracking data relating to the main acts and the moderator - who was actually followed throughout using two trackers - was also used for the immersive sound experience provided by the L-ISA system.
Patrick Röling (NEMEDIA), zactrack product specialist, transmitted the position data from the SMART server to the colleagues from Groh-P.A. at the sound FOH rig so they could use this data for the automated positioning of the sound objects in the 3D audio space, enhancing the immersive effect even more.
For lighting designer Lukas Kohlen and producer Undercover, the strengths of the zactrack SMART showed not only in the automated lighting and audio data control but also in the indirect impact of the technology on the stage performance: "We said to the artists: 'Feel free to move around and take up the whole stage. The spotlights will follow you everywhere.' This definitely has a positive impact on the show and, when working at its best, ensures conscious interaction between artists and technology. And the use of the zactrack SMART cuts the time otherwise required for coordination and reduces rehearsal times."
For the 2024 POP MEETS CLASSIC event, LOUD GmbH - the service provider responsible for the lighting equipment - and Lukas Kohlen from NEMEDIA once again relied on a wide range of Martin lights.
The MAC Ultra Performance lights were used for classic spot tasks among other things, controlled via zactrack SMART in fully automated operation.
Further information:
Pop Meets Classic - Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig
Braunschweig, Germany
Photos: © loud GmbH