UK - The Immersive Technology Experience Centre (ITEC) is a hub that brings together the latest immersive audio, video, lighting, and media technologies. Created by d&b group, its aim is to provide hands-on experience for new projects, and to fuel collaboration and research and development. LED screens driven by Brompton Technology processing are a key component of the space.

Opening at the end of April, ITEC sits within London’s Science Museum. It comprises four distinct spaces. At the entrance is a control room which features a Samsung all-in-one 110” LED screen, flanked by up-and-over Recience LED creative light boxes powered by a Brompton Tessera S8 processor, along with a transparent screen dividing the Production Control Room from the lobby, alon

Cambodia - The latest addition to Phnom Penh’s nightlife comes in the shape of the recently opened Ai Pub. As well as offering a rich variety of food and drink, the 700-capacity venue, located in the Boeung Kak district of the Cambodian capital, stages a wide range of live entertainment and has become an instant feature of the party scene.

Live bands, DJ sets and promotional nights cater for birthday and works parties, corporate entertaining and casual get-togethers with friends, in this 875m² open space, complete with sliding roof and giant air-cooling fan.

Given the emphasis placed on non-stop music and dancing, as well as the high-profile artists, DJs and brands on show, the team at Ai paid careful attention to the selection of an audio system that could comfortably meet the requirements of a very busy and vibrant environment. The venue’s foc

Germany - In August 2023, Dyn Media launched as a new broadcaster in European sports, aimed at giving sports beyond football exposure and viewership. The broadcaster is taking new approaches in the production of its content. NEP Germany was contracted as the production service provider to develop a remote production infrastructure. The technical concept, signal workflows, and process operations were also created in collaboration with Dyn. Broadcast Solutions served as the system integrator responsible for implementation.

The core of the entire infrastructure's audio workflow is a comprehensive system solution from DirectOut Technologies, featuring several of its multifunctional rodigy.MP, .MC, and .MX units. With a total of one Prodigy.MX, 20 Prodigy.MP, and 12 Prodigy.MC, this project represents the largest Prodigy installation for DirectOut to date.

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ETC Ministar

ETC introduces the High End Systems Ministar, a game-changer in our automated lighting product line. Ministar brings exceptional versatility and performance at an affordable price point; with a compact footprint, punchy output, and a professional feature set, Ministar fits the spec and budget for small to medium-sized venues.

UK - Visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds (14-15 May, Royal Armouries) who stop by the ChamSys Stand (N-B23) will have the opportunity to see something that will “take them to an entirely new place,” the company says.

ChamSys is promoting the UK debut of its new MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console at PLASA Focus Leeds with the slogan ‘Go Where No Other Console Has Gone Before’. The latest addition to the company’s MagicQ M series is capable of supporting 400 universes directly from the console without requiring external processing.

Along with showcasing this powerful tool in the UK for the first time, ChamSys will also be opening new vistas to show-goers with a series of educational sessions, including a guest LD session by Ed Warren, who has run shows by The Strokes, Interpol, Mumford & Sons and many other artists on ChamSys consoles.

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Norway - Robe has announced Oslo-based Prostage as its new exclusive distributor for Norway. Michel Arntz, Robe’s key account manager for Europe states: “Norway is an important market and in Prostage we have a strong and proactive partner to move our business forward to the next level and are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with the team there.”

Prostage AS was established in 2008 by CEO Gunnar Waldemar Naas to offer quality and cost-efficient professional lighting, sound and stage products. A full-time staff of 22 manage a streamlined operation, including a large showroom, and expansive warehouse facilities incorporating a service centre.

Prostage co-owner Carl Tidemann says: “We are super-excited to be working with Robe. We have watched the brand for some time and seen it become a market leader and a constant innovator

USA - Brompton Technology launched its new panel manufacturer partner programme at this year’s NAB Show, and welcomed its long-standing collaborator, ROE Visual, as the founding member of the new programme.

“As a company, we’re entirely focussed on providing high-quality LED video processing and supporting our customers,” says Richard Mead, CEO of Brompton Technology. “We do not make LED panels; our business model is to foster long-lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships with manufacturers building quality LED panels.

“We will continue to work with any panel manufacturer who wants to support our processing, but our new partnership programme enables us to recognise the close partnerships we have built with key panel manufacturers who have committed to working with Brompton in the long-term.”

The programme will have several lev

Luxembourg - Rockhal Club is amongst the latest to have taken stock of Ayrton Mistral S and Levante S fixtures, which were supplied to the venue through Ayrton’s Belgian distributor, FACE.

Situated in the Centre de Musiques Amplifiées on the Avenue du Rock’n’Roll in the industrial heritage area of Belval in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Rockhal has two main venues amongst its rehearsal and creative studios. The 6000-capacity Main Hall has seen many bands and performers pass through its doors, including Mariah Carey, Iron Maiden, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bryan Adams and Rammstein. Meanwhile, the 1,500 capacity Club has a fully-loaded and equipped stage with a fixed lighting rig and sound setup. As of now, a large part of this fixed grid is equipped with Ayrton fixtures, which replace outmoded stock.

“We have 20 Ayrton lights installed as perma

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Strictly FX Highlights

Strictly FX was founded in 1996 by industry veterans Mark Grega and Ted Maccabee. Our expertise and knowledge of the world’s leading pyrotechnic, laser, and flame manufacturers allows us to curate astonishing live events. With over 500+ shows performed a year, there’s good chance you’ve seen some of our work!

UK - Production Futures’ next On Tour event will take place at the AO Arena, Manchester on Tuesday 30 April. As its first arena outing, this will be Production Futures’ largest and most ambitious On Tour event to date. 

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who is a strong supporter of the Production Futures mission, and who opened the previous show in the city, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Production Futures On Tour back to Manchester for a third year, and to see huge growth in the upcoming show, now taking over the AO Arena, where so many major artists and shows have taken the stage.

“Greater Manchester is known around the globe as the birthplace of ground-breaking music, film, theatre, festivals, venues, live events and TV, but that’s only made possible by the expertise and dedication of thousands of people working behind the scenes

UK - RCF dealer HD Pro Audio has carried out a sound reinforcement installation at the Whitechapel Gallery in East London, using the Italian manufacturer’s flexible NXL 44-A active column speaker.

The team from HD Pro Audio had been discussing a substantial speaker upgrade with the gallery for several years, proposing various options. “We had originally been referred to the client by industry colleagues as being well placed to put a suitable PA package together,” states HD Pro Audio MD Andy Huffer, who managed the project.

The NXL 44-A - the centrepiece of a package which also includes floor monitors and mixing console - features three 10” neodymium woofers and is driven by a powerful onboard Class-D (2,100W peak) amplifier.

The pre-existing PA “wasn’t up to the task of modern event requirements” and the gallery was seeking the

USA - Originally established over 200 years ago in Raleigh, North Carolina, Edenton Street United Methodist Church (ESUMC) is reputed for its for its famous pipe organ, its alluring chandelier and its majestic stained-glass windows that dominate the sanctuary. To that, can now be added Martin Audio’s O-Line optimised micro line array, which blends discreetly into the 27” thick sandstone walls. This aesthetic, slimline, columnar solution was recommended and installed by local production house, RMB Audio.

The installation team were as fastidious in removing the old public address system, which had served the church so dutifully over an astonishing seven decades, as they were in installing the new rig, comprising two hangs of 16 O-Line modules.

The former system had originally been integrated within the chandelier during a rebuild of the church foll

Italy - British manufacturer of professional audio products and solutions, Wharfedale Pro, has just concluded another successful attendance of Music Inside Rimini (MIR). Following on from last year's success, Wharfedale Pro’s appearance at this year’s show included a full schedule of product demonstrations.

“Last year’s immersive and line array demos were so well received that we wanted to build on these successes in 2024,” says Peter Peck, marketing manager at Wharfedale Pro. “This year we planned a total of four unique audio experiences: our WLA-210XP and WLA-1A line array systems, immersive demos with our DP-N amplifiers and GPL series loudspeakers and column array demos with our ISOLINE-AX, showcasing the great versatility and range of Wharfedale Pro products.”

The WLA-210XP line array demos drew particular attention. This dual 10

USA – Jazz musician Brian Culbertson is out on his Trilogy Tour with a lighting system provided by Bandit Lites. Named for his Red, Blue, and White albums, the tour features a mix of songs from the albums, as well as the greatest hits from his catalogue.

For the tour, lighting director Terese Fensler sought to create looks with negative space and loads of energy, saying: “Brian's show is very funky for a jazz artist. With all the instrumental hits and solo moments, I tried to pull back some so that those short moments were bigger and had a time to shine.”

Bandit Lites provided Elation Smarty Hybrids, Elation CuePix WW4 Blinders, Elation Seven Batten 42, Martin Sceptron VDO 10 as well as a grandMA2 Ultralite for control. Towers were outfitted with the Sceptron VDO 10s and topped with Smarty Hybrids.

USA - Elation has introduced ColourTune Technology, a lighting fixture software that allows for “unprecedented control over output and colour accuracy” across Elation’s range of full-spectrum LED lighting fixtures.

“With ColourTune, users can customize lighting output to meet their exact needs, whether emphasizing brightness or colour fidelity. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, ensuring adaptability and colour precision for the highest quality lighting designs,” the company says.

Bob Mentele, associate product manager at Elation, was instrumental in ColourTune’s development. He remarks: “Our team has dedicated over a year to research, development, and testing to bring ColourTune Technology to life. This advanced software represents a significant advancement in lighting control and precision and will be a great benefit to the

UK - Optimal Audio has launched new accessories for its Up range of ceiling loudspeakers, with the addition of bezel-less grilles and pendant housings.

Grille 1 and Grille 2, available in black or white finishes, have been designed to enable all Up ceiling loudspeakers to achieve a bezel-less appearance. The inclusion of an installation ring with an intuitive twist-to-fit steel grille design, enclosing the original Up loudspeaker, provides installers with complete flexibility and allows for easy adaptation to any design brief.

Pendant 1 and Pendant 2 are designed custom housings which accommodate selected Up ceiling speakers, enabling them to be suspended as stylish pendants. Manufactured from UL94 V-0 rated materials and finished in UV-resistant black or white paint, the Pendants feature the same twist-to-fit grille bezel-less finish as the Grille a

Italy - Version 2.7 of Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus software, which adds support for its Verso gateway device, is now available to download from the Powersoft website. With ArmoníaPlus 2.7 users can take advantage of Verso, which allows T and X Series, Mezzo, Duecanali and Quattrocanali amplifiers to be connected to Powersoft’s MyUniverso cloud platform.

Verso gateway device is designed to enable users take full advantage of MyUniverso cloud platform, allowing monitoring and centralised remote firmware updates for the entire current Powersoft amplifier portfolio, as well as Powersoft’s Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) solution. Its robust logging and data storage capabilities ensure local continuity or service even during internet outages.

The update also provides users with improved alarms and status handling for all MyUniverso supported devices,

Seven Up - Sunset Boulevard was the big winner at this year’s Olivier Awards, equalling the record for the most prizes for a musical at the ceremony. Its seven wins included best musical revival and acting awards for its stars Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis, plus best lighting design for Jack Knowles and best sound design for Adam Fisher.

The musical’s seven wins means it ties with Cabaret, Matilda and Hamilton for the most trophies ever for a musical in a single night. The revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical was staged with a monochrome colour scheme and a minimalist set design. LSi’s current cover star, Sarah Snook, was also celebrated as Best Actress for her role in The Picture of Dorian Gray

USA - DPA Microphones will introduce its new AIR1 Universal Miniature Fur Windscreen at NAB 2024 (Booth C7307). Intended for quick mounting on round, omnidirectional headset or lavalier microphones between 0.1-0.23 inches (2.5-5.8mm), the AIR1 excels in the challenging environments of broadcast and professional content creation applications.

The patent-pending design provides efficient and consistent wind protection with acoustic transparency that solves all wind-related challenges of filming outdoors.   

The effective and uniform wind protection of the AIR1 is achieved through the fixed size of the air cavity surrounding the microphone capsule. This provides complete and consistent acoustical transparency that enables it to capture the voice with perfect intelligibility. Additionally, the sturdy handles at the windscreen opening ensure swift and

Canada – Montreal-based PixMob has been bringing its immersive crowd-lighting experience to the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) since its inception. PixMob already engaged more than 14,000 fans at the three home opener games in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal with its LED wearables. Now, the company is gearing up for the historic game between Montreal and Toronto on 20 April at the Bell Centre, where a new women’s hockey attendance record is expected to be set.

The partnership was born out of PixMob’s dedication to bring the same big league experience the company has created for the NHL, Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, NBA, and numerous other top level Pro Sports teams and events to the PWHL. By putting a spotlight on the under-represented talent of the PWHL’s athletes, PixMob’s lighting tech gives players and fans the electrifying experience

France - Digigram has acquired Grenoble-based OROS, the French specialist in noise and vibration testing systems. The amount of the transaction has not been disclosed.

Effective immediately, the acquisition expands the headcount to approximately 60 employees, with offices stretching from the headquarters in Montbonnot to the companies’ subsidiaries based in Singapore, the United States and China. 

Similar to the recent acquisition of AuviTran in September 2023, Digigram and OROS will now join operations, encouraging teamwork to boost synergies. OROS will retain its brands and identity.

As a result, OROS management will increase its human and financial resources to support its development. "Digigram's contribution is a valuable leverage to support both the technical and commercial development of OROS, as engaged in 2023 with the release of

USA - Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant, located in Oklahoma 80 miles north of Dallas, TX, is an entertainment destination, operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The 1,700-room complex features an expansive gaming floor and a broad range of amenities including a spa, pools, six movie theatres and more than 20 restaurants.

Choctaw’s 3,000-seat Grand Theatre, a two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) award for Casino of the Year – Theatre, is dedicated to bringing fans the best live entertainment experiences in Oklahoma and North Texas. To that end, the venue, a longtime Meyer Sound house, recently upgraded to a Panther large-format linear line array loudspeaker system.

Choctaw Casino & Resort and Live Nation recently inked a partnership deal to bring the biggest names in entertainment to the Grand Theatre. “We work w

Australia - Technical Direction Company (TDC) has announced the expansion and revitalisation of its in-house training programme, TDCT, with the engagement of Graham Henstock as training consultant.

"Technology constantly improves and evolves, and TDC is at the forefront of delivering the best possible results for our important clients, whether it be record-breaking amazing visuals for events, immersive experiences, film or theatre productions with TDC Studios," said Drew Ferors, head of technical services & training at TDC.

Graham Henstock brings over 25 years of industry experience and educational expertise to the team. His diverse career spans roles as an educator, designer, consultant, arts journalist, and technical manager. Henstock is one of Australia's prominent theatre professionals, highlighted by his recent tenure as director at the Nati

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