USA - Audinate has announced the availability of Dante Virtual Soundcard for installation in virtual Windows environments using Type-1 hypervisors. This update is especially important for customers such as broadcasters, educators and corporate users that want to deploy Dante networked audio throughout data centres, studios, server clusters and campuses, says the company. Dante Virtual Soundcard interfaces directly with audio software running on virtual machines, allowing distribution of media playback, centralised recording, and more.
Dante Virtual Soundcard turns any computer into a Dante endpoint for networked audio. It provides a standard WDM or ASIO audio interface that allows any installed audio software to send and receive up to 64 channels of lossless audio over a stand

UK - Outline has announced a major firmware (v95) and software (v1.9) release for its Newton multi-source audio processor.
Smaart API integration represents the quickest and easiest way for users to integrate Smaart measurement data into Newton and to plot it within the Outline Dashboard software environment. This new compatibility will provide a faster, simpler and more accurate method of system tuning for Smaart users.
“Outline has done an outstanding job of utilising the Smaart API to integrate Smaart measurement data within the latest release of their Dashboard control software,” comments Karen Anderson, CEO, Rational Acoustics. “This integration really highlights Outline’s commitment to providing their customers with powerful, forward-thinking professional audio tools and we are thrilled to see Newton/Dashboard added to the ever-growing list of Smaart API

The Netherlands - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) will exhibit an array of specialist TV, broadcast and film lighting solutions from leading brands including Chroma-Q, Vista by Chroma-Q, Quasar Science and RatPac on stand 12.D39 at IBC this week.
Chroma-Q will continue to celebrate its 15th year in LED lighting innovation. Drawing upon this expertise, its latest generation of award-winning solutions utilise proprietary homogenised optics, colour management and dimming technologies to deliver a superior quality of light output and colour consistency.
The new Chroma-Q Space Force onebytwo variable white LED soft light panel will make its IBC debut. Recipient of a Lighting Product of the Year Award at NAB, the unit is a modern replacement for traditional soft sources and is the ideal fit for creating a huge volume of light in standard room ceiling height studios

UK - Avolites will showcase the Q4 media server, the latest development in the Q server range. Q4 boasts four full 4K outputs, which will be able to drive three layers of visually lossless, 4K content to every output simultaneously.
It also features Avolites’ Ai software, built on the Salvation node engine, which provides the tools needed to create effective shows, whatever the requirements. The new server will ship with Modular Flex Inputs, allowing video inputs to be swapped in and out to suit every situation.
In addition, Avolites will demo Synergy with its latest integration between Titan and Ai. The software, which won a PLASA Award for Innovation in 2018, integrates lighting and video seamlessly, allowing users to turn their stages into one visual canvas. It has been used on shows and installations around the world, including the Temple Stage at Glastonbury th

UK - Following a critically acclaimed UK tour, the stage adaptation of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin promptly transferred to the West End for a recent nine-week season at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Lighting the show throughout has been Malcolm Rippeth, who as with the touring version, made heavy use of Martin by Harman’s MAC Encore Performance CLD and MAC Aura XB fixtures when the show moved to the West End - supplied as part of the lighting package by White Light.
Based on Louis de Bernières’ best-selling novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is a story of romance in the face of the Second World War, set on the idyllic Greek island of Cephalonia.
The creative team did justice to this epic story in just two and a half hours of stage time. “Consequently there were jump-cuts throughout the play, split screens, and montages of years passing,” say

UK - Leeds Trinity University has upgraded the lighting infrastructure of its TV studio facilities to next generation systems utilising Vista by Chroma-Q lighting & media control.
The university was one of the first establishments to have professional TV studio production facilities as part of its courses. Student applications range from live daily news and culture shows to interviews or scenes for documentary and film productions.
After upgrading its original tungsten lighting to all-LED DMX rigs, the university wanted to invest in a control solution which staff and students would find straightforward to operate, whilst also being widely used professionally.
They invested in new control systems for both TV studios which utilise the latest Vista 3 software, with hands-on controls provided by Vista MV control surfaces.
Mark Willett, the university’s se

Sweden - Yamaha VXL1 slimline line array loudspeakers are proving the solution of choice for many houses of worship, radically enhancing sound but without compromising the aesthetics of church interiors.
Opened in 1815, the current Gothenburg Cathedral is the third on a site in Sweden’s second largest city which dates back to the early 1600s. The building has seen a constant series of improvements, including being the first Swedish church fitted with central heating, plus a number of major restoration and renovation projects.
The latest upgrade has been to its sound reinforcement system. Installed 11 years ago - including a Yamaha LS9 digital mixing console, DME24N digital mixing engine and ICP1 surface-mount controller - the installed loudspeakers were lacking quality and coverage by today’s standards.
“The main need was to improve the intelligibility and

The Netherlands - Three festivals in a row on two weekends in August - that’s the order of the day(s) for creative event production specialists The Good Guyz of Amsterdam at the Velsen Valley.
Dance Valley, Dutch Valley and Latin Village Festivals share the same site which features multiple stages and attracts huge crowds. The three electronic music events move between genres and offer up the cream of Dutch and international artists.
The Good Guyz’ Arjen Ott, technical production manager for the three events, has been a fan of Pioneer Pro Audio systems since first hearing XY-3B at the invitation of Wouter Rouijter of Amsterdam Pro Audio rental company AVL. This year he took the decision to introduce an XY-3B system for the Club Onderste Boven stage hosted by SLAM FM, which would be used during the three consecutive Velsen Valley events.
Arjen Ott explains:
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Germany - After taking Las Vegas and London by storm, Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike Live will now move on to Berlin. Inspired by the hit Magic Mike film franchise, the latest production will open at the newly remodelled Club Theatre at Potsdamer Platz in November this year.
Having supported the London show since its opening last year, full service technical production company Hawthorn has been chosen to supply lighting equipment to the new Berlin production.
Conceived and co-directed by Tatum, Magic Mike Live is a large-scale, live production show featuring a group of extraordinary artists who perform an immersive 360-degree dance and acrobatic spectacular.
With a rig almost double the size of the West End production, 500 fixtures to be precise, Hawthorn is supplying lighting equipment to the specification of theatre lighting designer Philip

UK - Good times mixed with valuable insights at the grand opening of the ChamSys UK head office in Southampton's Brooklands Courtyard.
On 2 September, over 150 lighting programmers and designers from throughout Europe attended the inauguration of the new office, training facility and product development centre. Visitors participated in informative classes, think tanks, and training sessions focused on the new MagicQ and QuickQ software from ChamSys.
Adding a light-hearted touch of drama to the proceedings was a short skit presented by company team members on the history of ChamSys. The skit recounted how company cofounder Chris Kennedy developed his first console at the age of 10. Telling the story of a young man with big dreams, it showed how Kennedy achieved something beyond even his wildest imagination years later when an award-winning ChamSys console was used by A

Austria - The Austrian AV technology manufacturer AV Stumpfl recently announced that its US projection screen and media server distributor Evolve has invested heavily in the AT64-Shift screen system legs.
Orlando, Dallas and Las Vegas-based Evolve distributes and rents out video equipment for the live events industry and also provides industry training programmes. The company is now working to convert its entire inventory over to the AT64-Shift system by the end of the year.
"Our customers know that we are passionate about developing new ideas and products that deliver the best quality possible for their exciting projects around the world," comments AV Stumpfl Inc. MD, Todd Liedahl. "The AT64-Shift is such a truly exciting product that allows AV professionals to adjust the height of large mobile projection screens in record time, without them having to disassemble

UK - Lauren Drinkwater has joined TMB’s Global Customer Development Group. Lauren arrives with an extensive background in sales, support, and business management in the entertainment technology and production field. Drinkwater’s role at TMB is to build customer relationships, increase awareness of TMB’s products and service, and directly assist TMB’s European distribution partners. She will be based out of TMB’s UK office and will be at PLASA 2019.
Drinkwater brings years of experience to her new role at TMB, including management at City Theatrical, sales at Martin Professional, and accounts management at Sound Technology.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the European arm of TMB’s global presence,” she says. “I’m particularly excited about TMB’s emphasis on long-term personal interaction with top-flight professional companies. To this end, my exper

USA - Chauvet Professional has appointed Brad Haynes as its national resource manager, concert and touring. Haynes joins Chauvet from AC Lighting and will foster relationships between the company and touring designers in addition to creating a range of educational programmes.
“All of us at Chauvet Professional are excited about welcoming Brad to our team,” comments Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “We have a great deal of respect for his knowledge and integrity. His extensive experience in the concert and touring world will enable us to serve those markets even better than we do today.”
Prior to his experience at AC Lighting, Haynes was director of product and application support at Harman International, where he managed product training and demo programs for internal staff as well as lighting professionals. He also held a series of commercial positions at Marti

UK - Ocean Colour Scene's drummer, Oscar Harrison, leads a double life - he's the drummer and multi-instrumentalist with Birmingham's Ocean Colour Scene and a leading DJ in his own right.
Determined to make himself heard, Oscar has just taken delivery of a new rig from PA manufacturer, Yorkshire-based BishopSound.
Oscar says: “I recently found myself at a friend's wedding party and was stunned by the sound I was hearing. I was amazed at how the sound filled the room with over 400 people, with no sound loss or punch on sound quality. I got investigating. My friend was using Orion15" full range and Beta 18" subs from BishopSound. For me, the system ticked all the boxes.”
Oscar's new BishopSound rig comprises: two BO115A4 Orion 15A4, two BB218S, four BB118s Beta 118 Subs, two Beta BB115 speakers, two BSS4 Telescopic Poles plus assorted cables.
(Jim Evans)

USA - Lighting designer Benoit Richard specified two High End Systems Hog 4-18 lighting control systems for Rob Thomas’ Chip Tooth Smile Tour 2019.
“The Hog 4 controls everything in my design and has an extensive use of the pixel mapping engine on most of the fixtures in the rig,” the LD says.
Since his years as a former High End Systems designer and programmer, Benoit continued to use Hogs on projects ranging from tours and television specials to blockbuster films. “I was super happy when Bandit Lites purchased the two new Hog 4-18s for the tour earlier this year,” he says. “And I love the fact that they are manufactured in the USA.”
Richard programmed the show for the Matchbox Twenty co-founder with lighting director Patrick Hayes, who carries out his design on the road. Hayes was introduced to Hogs while participating (and winning) the inaugural

USA - Distributor Stampede is hosting eight Big Book of AV Tour & Conference Series stops in the United States and Canada, one US national sales meeting, and three summits for its United States, Canadian and Latin American vendor partners.
The Fall 2019 Stampede Big Book of AV Tour & Conference Series will make stops in San Diego, California, 19 September; Montreal, 17 October; Chicago, 24 October; Toronto, 13 November; Houston, 21 November; Miami, 5 December and Vancouver,11 December. Complete details on the fall tour can be found at www.bigbookofavtour.com.
The United States Vendor Summit will take place on 7-8 October at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Centre in New York, following on the heels of its United States national sales meeting on 5-6 October. The Canadian Vendor Summit will take place on 12 November at the Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport

Germany - State Automation has announced that BDL-KG in Germany is now a certified service centre for State Automation Lighting equipment. All European customers (excluding Scandinavia, where Bright Norway is the point of contact) should contact the company’s Wolfgang Kunwald to request repair services. BDL KG is also the point of contact and organises handling and logistics.
Repair and maintenance will be provided by BDL KG’s partner IBT Theatres and Broadcast Technology GmbH.

Canada - At a time when the background noise in audio is all about 3D sound and immersive experiences, arguably an extravagance suited to famous concert halls and exotic experimental music, it is contrary to the flow that a d&b audiotechnik Soundscape system is being applied at a church in Calgary, Alberta.
Thriving it may be, yet the pastoral team at First Assembly, Calgary is not prone to moments of irrational exuberance or wanton financial profligacy. For them Soundscape provided an entirely affordable solution to a seemingly intractable issue between acoustics, worship and sound reinforcement.
Justin Wells, First Assembly’s technical director, saw it as an uncomfortable divide between parts of their congregation and the heart of music worship. “Music is a huge part of what we do and within our church we have highly skilled musicians. For people who come fo

UK - Now well into its ninth decade of technical innovation, RG Jones Sound Engineering returned to Glastonbury for the eleventh consecutive year to support headliners Stormzy, The Killers, and The Cure on the Pyramid Stage, and to extend its expertise to the Genosys Stage and the new IICON stage at Block9, and a reconfigured West Holts stage.
RG Jones has enhanced the Pyramid Stage since 2007 in one of the longest uninterrupted runs of audio services of any sound company at Glastonbury in recent times. The 18-strong on-site team, headed up by production manager Ben Milton with production engineer Mark Isbister on stage, collectively brought to the largest green field festival in the world a wealth of expertise in delivering audio to an extremely large crowd under notoriously challenging climatic conditions.
The main aim of the system design, developed by festival soun

Australia - Expressions of Interest (EOI) are open for Vivid Sydney’s Ideas programme, encouraging innovative and thought-provoking individuals and businesses around the world to submit their ideas and concepts to be part of Vivid Sydney 2020.
Attended by over 2m people each year, Vivid Sydney is the largest festival of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere. Vivid Ideas brings together leading thinkers, creators and innovators to share their insights across technology, design, entertainment and culture to explore how they are tackling some of the biggest global issues in front of a live festival audience.
Minister for Tourism, Stuart Ayres, comments: “Vivid Ideas is a truly significant part of the Vivid Sydney programme and for the creative industries, it places Sydney and New South Wales as the creative industries hub of Asia Pacific.
“Vivid

UK - Entertainment Technology Partners has announced the launch of its new European division. Based out of the United Kingdom, ETP Europe will provide support throughout Europe to bring AV solutions to clients.
Industry veteran Paul Hutton will be joining as president of European operations. Paul has spent the past three decades creating and spearheading Blitz, one of the leading AV staging companies in Europe.
“We couldn’t be more excited about expanding ETP’s operations to Europe, especially with Paul coming on board to help lead the way,” said Les Goldberg, chairman and CEO of ETP. “We have been looking at a number of opportunities in Europe and expect to have more announcements of new brands joining ETP in the very near future.”
Entertainment Technology Partners was created in 2014 with the idea of like-minded owners joining together to continue

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