USA - L-Acoustics Creations has appointed Mike Sumner to the position of business manager, based in L-Acoustics Americas headquarters in Westlake Village, California.
In this newly created role, Sumner spearheads the growth of the L-Acoustics Creations brand throughout the United States and Canada, reporting to L-Acoustics Creations global business manager Nick Fichte, based in London, UK. Sumner’s remit includes exploring new business opportunities, developing sales targets and strategies, gathering and sharing market intelligence, building and supporting the brand’s Certified Integrator network, and collaborating with the manufacturer’s application and communications teams, among other duties.
Sumner brings over a decade of experience in residential audio to L-Ac

USA - Strand has announced the Acclaim LED Series, a complete range of theatrical luminaires designed for use in education theatre spaces, community stages, and small houses of worship.
“For over 25 years, the name Acclaim set the standard worldwide for 500W/650W theatrical luminaires,” states Martin Palmer, senior product manager, Vari-Lite and Strand Luminaires at Signify. “This new family of luminaires carries on that tradition, drawing on over a hundred years of theatrical lighting expertise to give maximum performance for small to mid-sized theatrical stages and studio spaces.”
The Strand Acclaim LED Series includes both a zoomspot and a profile light engine, as well as a true theatrical Fresnel and a cyclorama luminaire. Thanks to a custom LED multi-spectral light source, the Acclaim LED Series offers a consistent, high-quality experience throughout the r

USA - When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, television and radio stations across the country scrambled to find ways to keep delivering the news while maintaining the health and safety of its employees.
For Philadelphia’s NBC10 WCAU, that meant having their staff work from home. With this change in location, the station’s legendary meteorologist, Bill Henley, had to find an audio solution capable of delivering studio quality sound for his much-needed weather reports. Henley found the solution he needed for live weather broadcasts in the 6060 CORE Subminiature Lavalier and MMA-A Digital Audio Interface from DPA Microphones.
As vaccinations became readily available and the country began to return to some semblance of normalcy, Henley was eager to find out how his DPA gear would perform back in the studio setting. “I was excited to get back into the studio and see my cowor

Indonesia - To provide premium sound for the performing arts, PT Inti Megah Swara recently equipped British School Jakarta’s theatre with a comprehensive array of Harman Professional audio solutions.
Established by the British Embassy in 1973, the British School Jakarta (BSJ) is an international school in Greater Jakarta that educates children from around the world. Because the performing arts are an important part of the school’s culture, BSJ required a dedicated audio system for its theatre. BSJ hired PT Inti Megah Swara (IMS) to install a complete Harman Professional Solutions sound reinforcement system.
For sound reinforcement in the school’s main theatre, IMS outfitted the left and right sides of the stage with JBL JRX215 loudspeakers. IMS equipped the stage with JBL IRX112BT powered speakers to provide clear and accurate monitoring for performers. Additiona

The Netherlands - A technical upgrade at the Chassé Theater in Breda sees the installation of 12 x Zero 88 Chilli Pro 24x16A Bypass dimmers and five Zero 88 Chilli Pro 6x25A dimmers in Jupilerzaal, the venue’s main auditorium where they will be controlling approximately 309 channels of lighting and LED fixtures, including some moving lights as needed / specified by the production.
The venue is one of the Netherlands’ largest venues, with a total of three auditoriums and three cinema spaces, mostly a receiving house – anything from music and bands to drama and dance plus amateur and semi-pro performances as well as corporate and private events and conferences, so a truly ‘multi-purpose’ space that is also a diverse cultural melting pot.
The Chassé Theater also stages some of its own productions, and a typical (pre-pandemic) year would see around 350 live p
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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

UK - Six the Musical, has taken up residence at The Lyric Theatre in London’s West End. Currently running until the end of August, it follows the tale of the six wives of Henry VIII, with Tudor Queens and Pop Princesses ‘remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power’.
Long-time DiGiCo user and sound designer on all previous productions of the show, Paul Gatehouse, has chosen a Quantum 7T, supplied by Stage Sound Services, as the backbone of his audio design.
“I think I was one of the first people to programme and mix a major musical on the SD7 with Theatre software,” recalls Gatehouse. “Not many people know, but Love Never Dies (sound designed by Mick Potter), which opened in London in 2010 and on which I was associate designer, was one of the first in the world to use this console, so I

Australia Working with its dealer, ULA Group, ChamSys has increased its presence in that market by naming Audio Visual Engineering Pty (AVE) as a distributor of its QuickQ line of consoles. The company’s MagicQ products will continue to be represented exclusively by the ULA Group, which will also continue to serve as a QuickQ distributor.
As a result of this move, ChamSys says it will be in ‘an optimal position to serve the entire spectrum of the lighting console market in Australia, from mobile entertainers and users focused on small and mid-sized functions, to those working at broadcast studios and major arena tours’.
“I’m excited to see AVE joining the ChamSys family,” said Aziz Adilkhodjaev, international sales and business development manager for ChamSys. “With their full focus only on QuickQ range, I’m confident, AVE will help us develop the marke
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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

Reselling Regulations - The UK's competition watchdog has said ticket resale firms such as Viagogo and StubHub should face tighter rules. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said current laws meant it was not possible to act swiftly and effectively against touts. Another problem came from resellers who speculatively sold tickets they did not own, the regulator said.
The CMA has previously taken action against both Viagogo and StubHub, which have made changes as a result. In February, a year after Viagogo bought StubHub for $4.1bn (£3.1bn), the regulator told Viagogo to sell all of StubHub's business outside North America to satisfy competition concerns. The CMA's latest intervention comes as big music and sporting events are set to resume in the UK in the next few months after the Covid pandemic, fuelling fans' demand for tickets.
The watchdog's recommendation

UK - Shure is launching its new Microflex MX415 Dual Cartridge Gooseneck Microphone, to provide ‘maximum versatility and a streamlined appearance for applications where great sound and great looks go hand-in-hand’.
Mounted to a single, flexible gooseneck, the sleek, low-profile dual cartridge housing ensures every word is captured simultaneously by two cardioid cartridges, each to a separate output preamp - ensuring reliable, multi-feed audio with a streamlined appearance for major broadcast events, corporate presentations, and all other critical use cases.
“The Microflex MX415 Dual Cartridge Gooseneck Microphone provides the same legendary audio quality customers have come to expect from the Shure Microflex wired line, delivering reliable, high-quality audio for high-stake moments,” said John Born, associate director, global product management, at Shure. “W

UK - Audient is offering a promotion to aspiring console owners in the UK who wish to upgrade their setup with one of the company’s ASP Series consoles. The offer is valid between now and the end of October, and Audient has teamed up with finance company Azule to provide bespoke financial packages to buyers of Audient consoles.
In addition to the finance, those who already own a mixing desk from any manufacturer can trade it in in order to bring the monthly payments for a new ASP4816 or ASP8024-HE down to a manageable level. The financial deals have the possibility of being underwritten by the UK Government Recovery Loan Scheme.
UK sales manager Bryn Wildish explains: “We want to assist the ongoing recovery of the audio industry by giving studios a helping hand. Being able to upgrade to your own Audient console for a relatively small monthly fee, means studio owner

South Korea - TechDataPS Co has installed audio systems from Harman Professional Solutions in its new showroom which aims to showcase the latest in audio technology to customers and visitors.
To demonstrate how Harman Professional’s audio technologies meet the needs of various spaces and events, from bars to major concert venues, TechDataPS decided to create a dedicated showroom facility. Opened in November, 2020, the showroom offers an immersive tour of Harman's audio, video and control brands such as AKG, JBL and AMX. With more than 200 products on display, including loudspeakers, microphones, audio mixers and more, the centrehouses the largest collection of audio technology products in South Korea.
The showroom is divided into several zones, each highlighting a different range of solutions. TechDataPS equipped the Performing Zone with JBL Intellivox Series, VTX

USA - Martin Audio PA rigs dominated three of the eight stages that made up this year’s four-day annual Lollapalooza Festival at Chicago’s Grant Park.
The event - staged by C3 Presents, which dates back to 1991 - features over 170 bands from all round the world and attracts an audience of around 400,000 people.
Martin Audio partner Technotrix, who have been supporting the event with barely a break for 25 years, provided Martin Audio’s systems for Tito’s, the BMI Stage and Bonus Tracks Stage (which this year replaced the former Kidzapalooza).
Technotrix hold a vast inventory of premier Martin Audio PA front-line systems stretching back several generations. For the BMI stage this year, audio department manager Brent Bernhardt and BMI stage FOH crew chief Joe Mion, opted for an MLA Compact rig (six elements a side) on this small portable stage. These were re

Germany - Magic Light + Sound GmbH (MLS) has invested in 88 Robe Esprites to facilitate its ongoing work in the television lighting sector.
After an initial dip in March 2020, business has now re-built. “Like everyone, immediately the pandemic hit everything slowed down,” explains co-CEO Marco Pütz, “but after a few months, the pace picked up again, so we re-scaled to suit the new circumstances and have now fully re-opened.”
Marco’s grandfather, Heinz Pütz, originally founded the company in 1961 to service the burgeoning film industry in and around Cologne. Marco Pütz is now a co-CEO together with Thomas Hessling.
Once things stabilised and were rolling again, Pütz and Hessling saw this time as an opportunity to invest in some of Robe’s latest LED moving light technology.
They wanted something new to boost their already substantial 3000 str

UK - HireHop has announced numerous new features to their equipment rental software which will be demonstrated on stand D15 (next to Avolites, Robe and Yamaha) at PLASA Show 2021.
The new features address online payments and multiple accounting software synchronisation. Additionally, there are new document generation features and calendar functions.
Users can now have multiple email addresses, so you can send emails from you@company.com as well as accounts@anothercompany.com and many more from within HireHop.
An improved document interface includes signed documents, document link sharing and the ability for documents to use the API. |There are more languages as well as documents available in multiple languages.
Different depots can now be linked to different or the same accounting software, like Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Online, Sage 50, as well as batch invo

USA - The Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative has posted the Autumn schedule for online Mental Health First Aid training for entertainment industry workers in the US at btshelp.org/mhfa.
The Delta variant has now clouded the road map for the return to work and created additional stress and anxiety for those scheduled to resume work over the next few months, as well as those currently employed who are trying to cope with constantly changing safety protocols. Reports from around the industry show a rising level of concern for the mental wellbeing of industry workers, and individuals who have responsibility for others working with or under them are increasingly asking for training in how to provide support to those workers.
Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance us

Spain - Equipson's loudspeaker products were chosen by TecnoSonido when it was tasked with installing a new audio system at a five-star hotel on the Costa Blanca.
With a customer profile that includes both national and international guests, the SH Villa Gadea hotel in Altea, Alicante, was keen to ensure that its new restaurant, the Purple Rain Lounge, delivered a sophisticated and enjoyable ambiance. Sound was a key part of this requirement as the hotel wanted to ensure that customers could hear music being played, but not at the expense of their own conversations.
"When we go to a restaurant for dinner, we don't want to listen to loud music," says TecnoSonido's managing director Alexis Roldan. "What we are looking for, in addition to a good dish, is a pleasant atmosphere for all the senses. This is where sound plays a very important role."
TecnoSonido's brief for

USA - Cameron Birchill has been designing lighting for metalcore rockers Beartooth since 2018 and recently turned to an Elation rig of DARTZ 360, Artiste Picasso and Protron 3K Color luminaires for the band’s The Journey Below Livestream, where fans got their first chance to see and hear the band performing songs from their latest album Below. The livestream took place 14 July at the Clyde Theatre in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, an historic building that recently underwent a $9m renovation.
For their first livestream event, the band gave Birchill a blank canvas to design the type of show he thought would look best for an on-camera audience. The LD subsequently contacted New York-based rental company Squeek Lights and owner Victor Zeiser, who has worked with the band for years, including as lighting designer for a headlining 2018 tour.
Birchill has lit numerous l

Australia - Sydney's corporate event production specialists Sightline were early adopters of the Prolights EclPanel TWCJr, 1×1 LED soft light.
“The fresnels in our studio were giving us too many unwanted shadows so we were looking for a replacement,” explains Steve Hill, lighting director at Sightline. “We had used Chameleon's larger EclPanels and thought they were great however we only required the smaller model for our work.”
Sightline purchased eight Prolights EclPanel TWCJr along with 60° egg crates to create a narrower beam when required and barn doors to adjust the light beam.
“The first thing I noticed was that the colour out of them is amazing and the spread is incredible,” enthuses Hill. “Everything about the EclPanel TWCJr is great which is very impressive.”
Owing to Covid restrictions, a good portion of Sightline's events are no

USA - The recent Can’t Cancel Pride livestream fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ community created powerful yet graceful and moving moments that drew attention to critical issues.
Among the highlights of the virtual benefit, which was sponsored by iHeart Radio in partnership with Procter & Gamble, was a heartfelt performance by Leslie Odom of Hamilton fame at the historic Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. Reflecting the spirit of the event and the passion driving the Tony and Grammy winner’s performance was a balanced Will Chandler lighting design that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Envizion Group.
“This was an especially moving performance, since it commemorated the fifth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting,” explains Chandler. “The production designers created an evocative performance area that was surrounded by a se

Italy - In May of this year, MSC Cruises launched the Virtuosa, the fourth in its Meraviglia class of ships. Like its predecessors, the new 331.43m long luxury liner is outfitted with a host of amenities including 13 gourmet restaurants, spas, shops and pools.
Beyond these flourishes, however, there is another side of this regal ship, one that, although not readily apparent to those on board, incorporates the latest “behind the scenes” technology on their behalf.
Some of these features, like the closed-loop exhaust gas cleaning system that reduces sulphur emissions by 97-perect, protect the environment. Others are in place to ensure that passengers enjoy the most rewarding experience possible in the ship’s clubs, lounges and theatre.
On board the MSC Virtuosa, along with all the high-tech operational equipment, are 34 Chauvet Professional NET-X II nodes, su

USA - PreSonus is shipping the new Revelator io24 USB-C audio interface, which integrates high-headroom mic preamps, a two-channel loopback mixer, and extensive processing to deliver polished, professional-sounding results for streaming, podcasting, and music production.
Revelator io24 is designed for both recording and streaming. Its easy-to-use mixer lets you quickly record Zoom calls or Skype interviews and add backing tracks and sound effects for podcasts, live stream performances, music production, and more, says the company.
Two analogue mic/instrument/line inputs with PreSonus’ professional-grade XMAX-L microphone preamps which can be stereo linked, make Revelator io24 a high-quality production front-end. You also get two balanced 1/4-inch line outputs, a high-powered headphone output, professional metering, and zero-latency monitoring. You can record up to

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