China - To create immersive, spectacular lighting displays for the reopening of the Shanghai Circus World, Guangzhou Bai MingHui Lighting Technology Co. equipped the venue with Martin by HARMAN lighting fixtures.
Built in 1999, Shanghai Circus World is China’s premier circus and home to the renowned Era - Intersection of Time show, which combines traditional Chinese acrobatics with Western entertainment.
Located in the heart of Shanghai, Circus World features an ornate 1,638-seat theatre with an elaborate architectural design and a distinctive golden dome roof. Over the years, the venue has become a cultural landmark and earned the nickname of the Golden Pineapple.
In 2018, Shanghai Circus World closed for a series of cosmetic and technical renovations, wh

South Africa - Cricket supporters have been entertained as the English cricket team, on tour in South Africa between December 2019 and February 2020, play four Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs), and three Twenty20 International (T201) matches. Cosmolight Quartzcolor LED lighting fixtures have been the performers of the day at the SABC, where commentary and live broadcast of the action is aired from their studios in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
For the past 35 years, Andre Rossouw has worked at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) as a lighting designer/electrician and head of electrical distribution on outside productions. His role includes the task of streamlining a system that keeps the power on, despite the current instability of the South African power grid.
“The studio, working in unison with an OB Van, operates via a 80kVA UPS, linked to

UK - Technical event production company Sterling Event Group has announced a partnership agreement with multi-purpose Manchester venue, Victoria Warehouse.
As part of the supplier agreement, which commences today (31January), Sterling Event Group will be the venue’s preferred technical production supplier and provide exclusive in-house rigging services for corporate clients across the venue’s wide array of unique spaces.
Richard Bowden, MD of Sterling Event Group, comments: “We are really excited to be back working with the team at Victoria Warehouse, a venue with their strap line ‘We are what you make us’, which for our projects team opens up a world of options for creativity.”
James Cohen, MD of Victoria Warehouse, adds: “We are thrilled to be partnering again with Sterling Event Group for production and rigging, their team have a genuine passi

Norway - An Allen & Heath dLive mixing solution has been installed at Share Oslo, a technology business hub and event space in the Norwegian capital, which has recently undergone a major audio upgrade.
Share Oslo’s facilities span four main zones and are used for workshops, live performances, yoga classes and business events. With many different clients accessing the venue, the system needed to be as simple to use as possible, allowing users to run presentations, control levels and choose sources without the aid of a technician.
The compact, flexible solution supplied by Benum Norway comprises an Allen & Heath dLive DM0 MixRack, fitted with a Dante card and three IP1 wall mounted remote controllers.
“We needed to design an audio distribution system entirely based on AOIP (Dante), but also needed features such as AMM, Dynamic EQ, freely configurable bu

UK - The award-winning Norwich Arts Centre stages a wide range of live music and theatrical performances.
In a bid to safeguard its reputation as 'Britain's Best Small Venue' (as awarded by the NME back in 2014), the venue recently commissioned Old Barn Audio to upgrade its outdated lighting rig as part of a venue-wide modernisation. Providing the cornerstone to Old Barn Audio’s solution was a roster of LED fixtures from Chauvet Professional that included eight Rogue R1X Spot, eight Rogue R2 Wash, 12 Ovation E-160WW Spot and 15 COLORdash Accent Quad fixtures.
In order to ensure a multifaceted solution for general stage looks and effects, Chris Packham of Old Barn Audio specified the combination of Rogue R1X Spot and Rogue R2 Wash fixtures, positioning them in parallel lines above and to the sides of the stage. In combining the R1X Spot’s gobo effects with the sat
featured content

ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

USA - The 2019 recipients of the annual Above & Beyond Awards were announced by the ESTA Technical Standards Programme (TSP) at the 2020 NAMM Show.
The awards celebrate volunteers, who have made a significant contribution or effort that advances the TSP, and are held in high esteem because the nominations are made by peers in the Programme.
The 2019 winners are . . .
Joseph Jeremy (Stage Machinery Working Group) as co-chair of the Stage Machinery Working Group, Joseph was cited for having been the principal author of the controls section of ANSI E1.42 - Entertainment Technology - Design, Installation, and Use of Orchestra Pit Lifts as well as significant contributions to a new standard currently in development - BSR E1.64 - Stage Machinery Motion Control
Chris Schmidt (Event Safety Working Group) was lauded for having kept the Event Safet

UK - On 23-24 January, Fineline Lighting hosted students from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School for a set of Introduction to Rigging Training courses at the company’s Clevedon warehouse.
The training is held annually for students at the school and provides an insight into the world of rigging and technical event production.
Rob Sangwell, director at Fineline Lighting, comments: “It was fantastic hosting the students from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, they all worked hard and learnt a lot. It’s always great to see new generations of technical production professionals expanding their skillset.”
“All the feedback from the students about the training was positive,” adds Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Tutor Frank Bradley. “They really enjoyed the sessions and felt they had learned a basic knowledge of rigging truss which would give them c
featured content

Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

Ireland - Set in Dublin’s Docklands, The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) is a multi award-winning venue that has hosted more than 1,850 events since it opened in 2010.
The CCD has recently invested in multiple DiGiCo S21 consoles, supplied by the manufacturer’s Irish distributor, Rea Sound. According to Pat Crowley, one of the venue’s technical production managers who specialises in audio, the CCD works with five-star equipment for a five-star venue, with high-quality sound and user-friendliness.
The venue had looked to DiGiCo from the very beginning, initially investing in an SD7 and three SD8s, but it had been looking for a smaller, more compact console for a number of years. When DiGiCo launched the S-Series, Crowley knew the S21 ticked all the right boxes.
“We have a lot of users who are AV trained, but not necessarily well up on the sound end of

Saudi Arabia - Technical event production specialist LarMac LIVE recently delivered its largest ever project when MDL Beast welcomed over 130,000 festivalgoers to the outskirts of Riyadh for three-days of electronic music - pitching the festival straight into the top three biggest EDM events in the world.
LarMac LIVE answered the call from LemonX in late September 2019. Only 10-weeks later, it was showtime.
Company co-founder Ian Greenway explains: “The backbone to our business is multi-artist, multi-stage shows - large-scale festivals and TV shows. We like to think that we know how to keep multiple artists and stakeholders happy, usually in very changeable environments, and all of these skills were used like never before here.”
Spread over five stages - ranging from the 2,000-capacity Saudi Beast to the 45,000-capacity Big Beast - the festival was held on a

Canada - Symetrix has announced the appointment of Quebec-based AVL Media Group as its sole distributor in Canada.
AVL Media Group caters to the live performance, broadcast, and AV integration markets across the country.
“Canadian customers look for high-value, high-quality products that offer long-term reliability and clear value,” comments AVL Media Group managing director Andrew Hope. “The combination of AVL Media Group’s strong national presence for sales, support, and service and Symetrix’s established reputation for high quality reliable and scalable DSP solutions is going to be a huge success.”
“AVL Media Group has a great team in place who are enthusiastic about Symetrix,” says Ty Robinson, Symetrix international & sales operations manager. “We are really looking forward to our partnership with AVL Media and seeing how far they ca

UK - Audiologic has been awarded exclusive rights to distribute QSC live sound products in the UK.
Harlow-based Audiologic has been a QSC industry market partner since June 2018, distributing the QSC Systems portfolio as well as providing system design and validation services along with commissioning support, warranty services, and training.
Andy Lewis, Audiologic’s managing director, comments: “Over the past two years, we have demonstrated real in-market value for QSC with their systems portfolio. We now look forward to providing the same high levels of expert service and customer support with QSC live sound products, to create the exceptional user experience our end customers have come to expect.”
Duncan Savage, managing director, QSC UK & Ireland, adds: “As the QSC brand grows, our distribution model and go to market strategies must evolve. Audio

USA - Bandit Lites has hired David Sloan as IT manager, presiding over the entire information technology department, including overseeing the company’s computer equipment, hardware and software needs.
Sloan has worked with The Learning Company as a quality assurance tester of foreign language software. He was promoted to QA tech, where he was responsible for building and maintaining the computer laps with prefabricated and custom computer set ups. Sloan also worked as a network administrator for both Mattel Interactive’s Knoxville office and East Tennessee Human Resource Agency (ETHRA).
“For the first eight years, I was the sole technical support for the whole agency,” explains Sloan. “ETHRA continued to grow over the nine additional years, and in the middle of a moving project, the opportunity to join Bandit Lites appeared. It was an opportunity that I did

UK - TechPro, a provider of lighting, video and sound services for the live events industry has announced Yvonne England as its new client account manager.
England, who brings more than a decade’s experience to the role, will be responsible for strengthening relationships with existing and new clients, as the business looks to build on its growing success working with live event agencies.
England comments: “TechPro appears to be one of the live event industries best kept secrets and ensuring prospects and clients understand everything we can do to make their lives a little easier will be an exciting challenge.
“Working closely with the directors and the marketing team, it’s important we not only explain what we do, but listen carefully to them to understand how we can make the workload of event agency teams simpler.”
TechPro director Rob Stokes

The Netherlands - MXL Microphones will showcase a selection of new web conferencing microphones and systems at ISE.
Products making their debut include the AC-44 USB Web Conferencing Mic and the MXL AC-44 LCR multi-microphone system for use with a Zoom Room Speaker Switch. MXL is also expanding on its AC-360 conferencing line with a new ceiling mount, giving integrators and end users even more flexibility for installation in a range of meeting rooms. The AC-360 will be mounted into the ceiling of MXL’s ISE booth throughout the show in order to showcase the mic’s versatile placement capability.
MXL will introduce the latest addition to its popular line of USB conferencing microphones, the MXL AC-44. With a compact footprint measuring only 2.5x3-inches, and 1-inch tall, the AC-44 is a solution for any limited space application including huddle and conference rooms. T

The Netherlands - The Apex CloudPower Series will debut at ISE 2020. The proprietary Class-D amplifier control loop features DirectDrive technology and low intermodulation figures resulting in wide stereo imaging.
Web-based control is easily available via the WebUI accessible from any HTML5-capable browser (MAC, PC, IOS, Android) thanks to the amplifier’s built-in WiFi hotspot, or via a standard CAT5 cable connection to a local area network. Multiple amplifiers can be controlled through the same webUI using the trusted and comprehensive workflow of Apex’s intuitive Intelli-Ware software package. By logging into the Apex Cloud, amplifiers can be remotely controlled and monitored from anywhere, thus saving integrators time and money by eliminating the need for a site visit to monitor performance or adjust settings.
Four models with power ratings ranging from 350W to

Australia - The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) is the largest facility of its type outside of a capital city in Australia. With event spaces including a main arena with capacity for 6,000, four exhibition halls, and 22 meeting rooms, the Centre hosts everything from major sporting events, to professional conferences, to small corporate meetings. It’s a major user of radio microphones, which might be called on for anything from a PowerPoint presentation for six, to the Eurovision 2019 Australia Decides contest, which it hosted in February 2019.
As part of its ongoing equipment life cycle management, the GCCEC has spent the last two years preparing and then rolling out changes and updates to all of its existing radio microphone and RF management equipment. With the Centre being a high-profile, high-density user, and the background RF environment of the

UK - Old Barn Audio (OBA) recently turned to Martin Audio’s CDD series to overcome a challenging situation at the refurbished St. Joseph’s College Chapel in Ipswich. The majestic Ipswich chapel, forced to close for three years when it fell into disrepair, has finally been brought back to life after a major revamp costing £750,000. Written into the upgrade programme was the provision for a new sound system.
The chapel itself belongs to the independent school, St. Joseph’s College, who approached OBA as the result of a recommendation.
OBA project manager Phil Clark’s first site visit revealed a pyramid shaped building, with no internal walls, and thus no fixing points, and a 60-metre high pitch. His solution was to install three clusters of three CDD8, pointing in each direction and carefully angled to suit the dispersion requirement. Two further CDD8 are positi

Tunisia - Famed for serving as Luke Skywalker's hometown of Mos Espa in the original Star Wars trilogy, Ong Jmal in Nefta, Tunisia, is a festival location like no other. Once a year, for the last three years, the area’s sand dunes and traditional domed houses become the temporary backdrop for a non-stop, 30-hour rave; this year featuring some 30 electronic artists including headliners Luciano and Apollonia, and a host of others such as Astrid, Ben & Lola, Mehmet Aslan and Fantastic Twins.
The festival, known as Les Dunes Electroniques, is organised by the team behind Plages Electroniques in the French Riviera, and has been touted as the event to put Tunisia on the global festival map.
After running into a handful of audio-related issues in their first two outings, this year the production team brought in PAL Pro Audio Light as the festival’s technical p

Belgium - Route 66 - the symbol of the American free spirit - served as an appropriate backdrop for the 2019 Hype-O-Dream festival, which featured EDM performances by stars like Nico Morano and Cherry Moon Trax. Bringing this thematic setting to life was a dynamic festival lighting rig designed and developed by Lieven Tacq, Thomas Vandekerkhove and their team at Creative Rental Solutions that featured over 470 Chauvet Professional fixtures.
Having worked on seven previous Hype-O-Dream festivals, Tacq and Vandekerkhove are familiar with the role that bold, original scenic designs play in creating the overall fan experience at these events. This year, at the centre of the impressive main stage was a massive video wall, flanked by Route 66 signs and other thematic scenic elements, such as mountains, gas stations and billboards.
Route 66 is also strongly associated with ne

Macao - To deliver intelligible sound for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Macao’s return to China, AV integrator Macao Chi Fu Lighting & Audio Technology Co recently equipped the Macao East Asian Games Dome with a JBL Professional by Harman audio system.
To mark the return, the former Portuguese colony held a dinner reception and inauguration ceremony at the Macao East Asian Games Dome. At the ceremony, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China delivered a speech honouring the anniversary and the inauguration of the fifth administration of the Macao Special Administrative Region.
AV integrators Macao Chi Fu Lighting & Audio Technology were commissioned to design and install an audio system featuring JBL loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers, supplied by Advanced Communication Equipment (Inte

The Netherlands - UK-based NST Audio will launch its new VMO16 16-in 16-out audio installation processor at ISE. Designed using NST second-generation DSP designs, the VMO16 brings no-compromise audio performance and system control to Dante networked audio installations, says the company.
“Our D-Net control software for PC, Mac and iPad gives complete control over ethernet and wi-fi,” comments NST managing director Dan Cartman. “The VMO16 is also fully compatible with our VR1 PoE (Power over Ethernet) remote control panel for simple, flexible user control, while control via third party systems such as Crestron is available via our simple ethernet control protocol.”
The VMO16 provides a total of 16 discrete inputs, and a full 16 x 16 matrix which allows any Dante network inputs to be routed to any of the 16 analogue outputs. All outputs are equipped with 16 bands

Latest Issue. . .