The whole hardware installation was set up redundant and because MediorNet is a synchronous network, all the signals were transferred uncompressed and in real time. To guarantee a trouble-free event the entire system was set up with at least one layer of redundancy. Redundancy was implemented not only in regards to cabling but also on a hardware level. All the signals and fiber connections were monitored continuously and in addition the MediorNet offered a whole range of embeders, de-embeders, quad splits, time code inserters and video format convertors.
Also in operation were three jibs and a Supertechno crane from MAT. After each trial the artists and their managers went to a dedicated viewing room equipped with an HD display and 5.
One EVS IPDirector was setup to handle simultaneous playout to different screens across different XT2 mainframes and to overlook the content management of the recorded materials e. This contribution greatly impressed all the participating contestants and NDR included it also this year in the audio setup.
Great performance starts with proper working conditions on stage and is as important as the ability to produce a high quality mix.
That means that the first rehearsal will be exclusively devoted to the monitoring. This special IEM room contains all the technical pre-requisites for a good initial monitor mix, such as a separate mixing console Yamaha PM1D-V2 and all further necessary technical equipment. The console configurations of this rehearsal were saved in the form of a snapshot on a personal memory card, which then was imported into the monitor console Yamaha of the main stage.
This concept again has proofed that the artists could start and work with the technical equipment in a relaxed atmosphere before they had their first rehearsals with proven conditions on stage. The artists used the following tried and tested equipment on stage: the Sennheiser SKM handheld transmitters with the Neumann KK capsule head and beltback transmitters with HSP-4 headset microphones, each coupled with the EM receivers. All participants using a headset microphone received a dedicated unit to ensure the positioning of the headset microphone remained constant.
For the in-ear monitoring SR twin transmitters coupled with the EK beltpack receivers were used. The digital and analog outputs of the Sennheiser wireless receivers were used independently to feed an analog and a digital RockNet module. In this way hardware redundancy was achieved at the earliest stage.
With the Yamaha M7CL — the pre-check console — MM Communications performed the last wireless microphone check before the stage manager gave the go-ahead for the performance on the stage. The Containers had been especially arranged and purpose build for the ESC. They contained professional studio technology and offered the best possible acoustic audio conditions.
Two of the mixing consoles were for redundancy. The RL K 5. Geithain also co-developed the acoustic concept. The central playout center POC took care of the play-back feeds and was mainly equipped with the A! Tec EventDriver and ProTools systems, also fully redundant and with feedback-free linkages. Viewing Room The viewing room enabled the artists to evaluate their work on stage. It featured professional audio monitoring from Geithain and could be switched into stereo or 5.
To get an idea of the on-site audio monitoring situation, a synchronous comparison of the previously delivered full playback and the live recorded screen tests was available.
The mono mix could be evaluated via a small loudspeaker, to enable realistic audio monitoring conditions which are still true for many home TV sets. For all stage production related content NDR had hired Brainpool. Brainpool also hired Jerry Appelt for the lighting design and Wieder Design for the set design and production of all the creative video content, e.
More than 2, DMX controlled moving lights 5, fixtures total with almost 42, parameters allowed 43 countries plus three interval acts and an over-the-top opening performance to have a completely unique look during the 3-hour broadcast.
There is no room for an error in a show of this size. The MA system delivered a great result. Four operators ran the desks: one for video, one for effect light, one for white light, and one for audience and Green room. The team built moving paths for all moving trusses in grandMA 3D to show the exact positions of the lights in each song.
In April and May the programming commenced in the arena in Dusseldorf. In total there were 70 patched universes and 2, cues.
Approximately 8. The truss structure, approximately 20 metres directly above the stage, consisted of three rings of 10m, 16m and 30m diameter, with a fourth ring over the satellite stage used for hosts and some of the performances. The main stage centre rings held 60x Clay Paky Alpha series fixtures — a mixture of Alpha Wash , Alpha Beam and Alpha Profile fixtures, creating a variety of bright effects to the stage below. Moving truss sections were arranged like spokes from the ring trusses.
The truss sections held an additional 28x Alpha Wash and 36x Alpha Beam with four shorter truss sections holding 24x Alpha Wash fixtures. Additional truss stretching the ceiling to the perimeter of the arena held 35x Alpha Profile and 42x Alpha Spot HPE fixtures. An infinitely variable, rotating reflector produces up to 30 individual beams.
The fixture delivered an exciting punch to many of the songs on Eurovision with multi-beam effects in the shape of stars or flowers or just a simple yet powerful beam.
Cape Cross of Cologne, Germany provided all lighting and rigging for the show, sending trailer trucks, each with 40 tons of equipment.
Video equipment and servers were supplied by Creative Technology. The graphics were created by the screen design team from Gravity. Concert and Stage Producer Ola Melzig consulted with the delegations and artists regarding the details of each performance including lighting, video, pyro, sound and camera angles. After the first round of rehearsals there are usually several requests for changes — even Spain completely changed their content the day of the final broadcast.
Luckily, we had a very talented crew and some of the best equipment available. In the end, everyone walked away completely satisfied. Two of the engines were used for broadcast graphics and two for the voting graphics always main and back-up. The workstations were controlled by laptops. The broadcast graphics were operated in the OBVan and the voting graphics were operated inside the arena under the supervision of the EBU. A Back-up system for the operations of the Vizrt Engines was provided for both — broadcast graphics and the voting graphics.
Digame, the company entrusted to secure the collection and transfer of the voting results, provided the raw voting data which then was graphically enhanced for the broadcast by Molden with the Vizrt Engines. All important positions at the event, from the director to the follow spot operators, were integrated into a comprehensive communications infrastructure including Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom, Riedel Performer digital partyline as well as digital and analog radio systems.
The distribution of this infrastructure was taken care of by Riedel Artist and MediorNet, translating into significant savings of time and effort during setup and installation. A Riedel Juggler interface and various Riedel RiFace modules integrated the radio infrastructure directly into the wired communications system. This allowed every unit of the mobile TETRA radios to easily communicate directly with dedicated intercom ports and vice versa.
We do not discriminate. If Moldova float your boat, so be it. It's nearly time! I'm going to take you through the first 90 minutes of this evening's show, which should cover most of the 25 glorious musical contributions from Europe's finest musical talent.
OK, maybe not, but I think the UK might do alright. The good news is, we can't do any worse than last place in , so hurrah. I haven't seen much by way of the performances this year, so most of what's going to occur this evening will be new to my unpolluted eyes and ears.
I've also heard bits of the UK entry, but not the entire song, so if there's bit in the middle where they all make a human pyramid with Duncan on top playing the spoons, my horror will be unfeigned. I have, however, made a note of the all the artists' names and song titles, so I don't waste valuable viewing time looking up how to spell something in Slovenian that sounds like it's just been coughed up by a horse.
Apparently it is currently packed to the rafters with lots of very excited people, some of whom are waving the flags of more than one nation.
And this, my friends, is the spirit of Eurovision. Also, Jagermeister. Whenever any of the following happens, you have to drink something.
Or eat something. Or just generally despair at the world a little bit. I will be doing the last of these suggestions, whereas Heidi will be wittering incoherently in no time:. Who the hell do you book to do the warm-up for Eurovision?
The Irish are drunks, the Italians are short and the British have no sense of humour. Oh, bravo. It's Heidi here now right through until 9. Live from the Espirit arena in Dusseldorf, which is apparently packed with 35, fans. Or so Graham Norton tells us, for he is in charge of UK proceedings.
Our hosts for the evening are Anka, who is wearing a red dress like a 70s shagpile rug and a over-tight ponytail; Judith, who is wearing Bacofoil and doing the French bits, and a man called Stefan who is the actual Swedish Chef off the Muppets. He is talking about TV vankings. I hope these are rankings. Ah, there's nothing like a bit of set-piece intro comedy, is there?
Lena can't perform last year's winning song, Satellite, because she is also competing this evening, so Stefan and Anke are performing a rockabilly version. And now the actual Lena, doing the final chorus. And a full swing band. And many, many, fireworks. Except you haven't seen any of the acts yet, but since when did that matter? You know you want to. Right, so basically it's about someone called Peter who knows each European country by heart.
He is off to save the planet, apparently, and we're all welcome to join him as long as we sing da da dum da da dum. I'm only going if Paradise Oscar doesn't wear that bloody awful shirt. Dino has a very skippy band, including a woman who appears to be bashing the hell out of a piano and Neil from The Young Ones playing the lute. Ooh, nice key change from Dino there. I love it. Graham Norton really likes this, but all I can hear is insipid blah about girls and boys in a crazy, crazy world.
It hasn't even finished yet, and I've already forgotten it. Also, they have stolen Jedward's hair, for which they should be ejected from the EU goes to check if Denmark are in the EU. But hey, it's her life.
I'm hoping some Tiesto bass is going to kick in, but alas it seems unlikely. But as Lithuanian power ballads sung in English and a bit of French go, she's definitely got lungs.
Imagine Beverley Callard bitching about how crap her life is - what about my life? What about my dreams? To demonstrate her suffering, a man in a white hoodie does somersaults, as a continent asks "What about the high notes? Love it, love it, love it. It is deeply disturbing on so many levels, and yet also completely amazing.
If ever there was an act born to win Eurovision, Jedward are it. They are singing "Lipstick", and by that I mean singing in the loosest possible sense, but it doesn't matter because they are bouncing around and pogo-ing like demented robots who've eaten too many Haribos and I LOVE IT. This HAS to win, surely?
Any other outcome would be unacceptable. Just had a message from James in Dusseldorf - apparently the crowd are all on their feet for Jedward, and it's easily the best crowd reaction so far. Basically it's about how he will be popular. Maybe he wants more friends on Facebook. Personally I'd avoid befriending him purely on the basis of his burgundy leather jacket, but maybe that's just me.
Opening lyric was something like "don't tell me that it's impossible, because I know that it's possible". This is one way to resolve the issue of not much rhyming with "impossible" Except possibly "fossil fuel".
He should speak to Finland's Peter about saving the planet. I believe they are meant to represent Rockerfeller Street, which is what the song is called. Not my dance, his. Don't watch my dance, it's one of pain. Anyway, it's an odd mix of traditional Greek warbling from Loucas, interspersed with Stereo Mike rapping like a bear smashing its head into a tree.
And fire. Lots and lots of fire. I would strongly recommend watching the dancing. Do you feel my heartbeat, Europe? He asks. Never mind Europe's, mine's finally come out of its catatonic state. Alexej is quite hot and has a lovely smile, despite a dodgy Grease 2 outfit and a half-arsed quiff that looks positively feeble post-Jedward. Graham tells us that this is a Red One affair, i. I predict lots of shots of Alexej grinning and winking in the green room later, as this should do well. This year they are represented by Amaury Vassili singing Sognu, which is French for "tedious opera".
Apparently this is the favourite, but in my opinion it would benefit enormously from some backing singers in crotch-skimming frocks. Eurovision should be camptastic and spangly, not some bloke with hair like Aslan looking like an extra from Les Miserables. They are represented by Raphael Gualazzi singing Madness of Love. It's a jazzy little affair, with Raphael tinkling the ivories Jamie Cullum-style.
I have a jazz phobia, so have temporarily muted my TV. Talk amongst yourselves. Frankly I'm just glad the jazz is over. Mainly it's fairly inoffensive, much like the Swiss. My year-old daughter wants to vote for her because there are bubbles on the stage. Fair enough. Not in a Take That revival kind of way, obviously, it's more desperate than that. This is actually not a bad song at all, despite dodgy blue tailcoats and overtight trousers, and Lee's vocal being let's face it a bit squeaky in places.
Shame, because according to our man James Hodge in Dusseldorf, he was spot in in the dress rehearsal yesterday. We've just been congratulated as the winners by the Germans in front of us! Essentially a bunch of trumpet-playing gnomes in MC Hammer pants with giant cones on their heads, led by Jay Kay from Jamiroquai.
Oh look! It's Geri Halliwell on a unicycle. OK, I think I might be hallucinating now. Or dogging. Lena's dancers are wearing Hole In the Wall silver bodysuits. I'm guessing Germany don't want to win again. Apparently he went to Romania to help build an orphanage, married a local girl, and is now representing them at Eurovision wearing a pair of trousers that would get him beaten to a PULP in Co.
He wants to change the world, but he can't do it alone. Start small, David - change the trousers. Then the waistcoat. Doesn't time fly when your ears are bleeding. Apparently the secret is Love. It's alright, I s'pose. Just had a message from James in Dusseldorf - apparently the Austrians all have their lightsticks up.
All 8 of them. And one German in front of James is reading the paper rather than watching the Austrians. He is wearing the traditional Eurovision white suit, she is dressed in a lace nightie, that being the euro-frock of choice for They sing about how much they adore each other, whilst looking entirely dead behind the eyes. Perhaps they've just had a row backstage.
Right that's IT for me - what larks this has been. Over to Stuart for the rest of the evening! See you in the comment box! Heidi did well, didn't she? Now I'm here for The Boring Bit. Settle in, etc. According to her bio, this is the Slovenian Christina Aguilera. Not sure how accurate that is, because she hasn't roared like a wounded buffalo yet. Fantastic descriptive ability, Slovenia!
It's thrilling. Get used to this sort of thing. You've got a lot of it coming up. In brief: man writes song, man dies, friends sing song in tribute. And, lovely sentiment aside, it's actually quite a nice song. I mean, one of the singers looks a bit like James Corden.
And hat's all the reason I need not to vote for them. That and the fact that they're not Jedward, obviously. No, but if there was any justice in the world, someone would take the microphone away from you. I said that if there's any justice in the wo This is a lovely, happy little number that couldn't possibly be offensive to anybody in any meaningful way.
Then again, it does suffer by not being performed by Jedward. But what doesn't? And, look, it doesn't matter what the song is about, because everyone's far too busy gawping at the crazy lady off to the side who's scratching pictures into a sandpit with her fingernails.
She's very impressive, if only for the way that she hasn't caved in and drawn a picture of a willy yet. So be sure to tune in next year when the UK entry will be accompanied by a dog that runs between an old woman's legs a few times and then falls over. And what a jaunty tune this is.
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