UK - MDG is returning to the PLASA Show 2021 as an exhibitor (stand E19) and looking forward to seeing so many of its customers and colleagues face to face. MDG UK’s stand will be beside the Robe stand once again, with plenty of MDG products on show:
The ATMe haze generator will be shown alongside ATMe WPE, the IP55-rated weather-proof and dust-resistant version, designed specifically for the challenges of outdoor use.
The MDG’s Me2 fog generator produces a pure white fog with fine particles in unbelievable volume, governed by the finest of control, while theFAN, MDG’s ultra-compact, variable speed digital fan, can direct the output wherever it is needed.
MDG’s ICE FOG Q is capable of producing ‘beautiful low fog effects’ and will be shown in its high-

UK - Wireless LED lighting manufacturer Astera will highlight its three newest product innovations - all launched this year - at PLASA 2021 on the booth of its UK distributor, Ambersphere Solutions. PixelBrick, AX2 PixelBar and the AX9 PowerPAR will make their trade show debuts.
Astera’s sales director Sebastian Bückle commented, “PLASA will be one of the first established industry trade shows to take place as events and expos gradually re-start post-pandemic, and we know there is a huge enthusiasm from everyone in the entertainment sector wanting to finally get together and meet face-to-face again after such a challenging and uncertain 18 months.”
PixelBrick is designed for concerts, events, filming, or broadcast scenarios and can also be utilised as a compact, light (1.1kg) and y handy up-lighter like an AX3 LightDrop. It can be hung anywhere and become a univ

UK - In a post-pandemic world, Robe looks forward with a range of new products designed for ‘maximum performance, versatility and operational life aspects for the entertainment and production industry’.
Product wise, there is a big emphasis on Robe’s Transferable Engine (TE) LED technology on Stand E19.
The booth features another eye-catching design with The Show Goes On, inspired by - among other things - rapper Lupe Fiasco’s insightful Billboard Top 10 hit of the same name.
This year’s PLASA show has the additional dynamic of teaming up with ABTT who will be hosting their own theatre-dedicated Hub area of the show floor.
With the performing arts in mind, Robe will highlight its T range of luminaires designed specifically for this demanding discipline - notably the new T2 launched a few months ago and the soon-to-be-revealed T11 which will

Sweden - Improving the sound for the congregation in an ancient church can be a difficult task. But Yamaha’s VXL series slim line array speakers make it much easier, as demonstrated in the medieval church at Säve, near Gothenburg.
“The church’s audio system was at least 20 years old. It was outdated, with a non-standard mixer and speakers/amplifier designed for home use. So it could not possibly deliver sound of acceptable quality,” says Sten E. Ranwald of Gothenburg-based Ljud & Säkerhet.
Sten was asked to improve the 13th century church’s sound but, because of its historic structure and decor, it needed to be done very sensitively. “We could not interfere with the structure of the church or place any equipment that would have a visual impact,” he says.
“After the old system was removed and while the church’s electrical system was being

China - The Peacekeeper Elite League is the highest level of eSports competition for the videogame Peacekeeper Elite - the localised title of PUBG Mobile in the Chinese market. And while esports is a burgeoning market in the live production world, the production costs across these performances have traditionally been high due to the need for dedicated, on-site staff and expansive cable runs connecting many different video and audio feeds.
To mitigate this challenge, VSPN - a co-organiser of the Peacekeeper Elite League - recently experimented with a new way to host its events by relying on Audinate’s Dante for broadcast audio over a vast geographic distance.
On 3 May, the first weekly final of the Peacekeeper Elite League 2021 S2 season was held in Chongqing Banan Huaxi Sports Centre. Twenty professional teams from across the country gathered in the mountain city of

USA - Dierks Bentley’s current Beers On Me tour is providing an emotional and welcoming reunion for the singer/songwriter’s production crew, who are savouring the experience of being together on the road again connecting to fans and entertaining them after a long lockdown.
Contributing to the positive atmosphere at the shows is a deep and immersive Bruce Rodgers production design, engagingly lit by Chris Reade with help from Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Christie Lites.
“My job is to piggyback on Bruce's vision, and really push a perspective that pulls fans into the performance and personalities on stage,” said Reade, who with his partner Jay Ballinger, is the owner of Las Vegas-based KYVA Design, LLC. “This design is very much about angles that engage you visually.”
A key component of the set design is a V-shaped video wall. Roughly 50ft

South Korea - Blumano, entertainment industry consultants in safety and machinery design, is expanding into the Asian market with the announcement of Blumano East Asia. The new operation will work closely with Blumano's network of offices in Ireland, the UK, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Laurent Ste-Marie joins this organisation and brings with him 25-years’ experience and vast knowledge of the acrobatic rigging world
''Seeing how the entertainment industry is bouncing back from an unfortunate dip, the timing seemed right to take on a new and exciting challenge by joining yet another industry leader,” says Laurent. “Through our exchanges we realised that our passion for the industry, vision, and dedication for the promotion of a safe work environment would make a partnership between us a perfect fit.”

UK - Part of the University of Surrey, Guildford School of Acting (GSA) provides its Theatre Production course students with a rounded education in all aspects of technical production. Part of this, is ensuring the equipment they learn on is not only cutting-edge but prepares them for their professional careers. To this end, GSA has recently invested in a DiGiCo Quantum 338, purchased through Autograph Sound.
“As a drama conservatoire, GSA is renowned for its musical theatre and actor-musician training, creating many opportunities for the Theatre Production students to support the sound needs of this diverse performance programme,” says Gareth Evans, teaching fellow in Sound at GSA. “When we were looking to upgrade our existing SD8, we knew we wanted a console that both represented an industry standard for our students and would support the efficient workflows needed t
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Australia - Marshall Day Acoustics (MDA) has announced that its Theatre & AV Design division, Marshall Day Entertech will be succeeded by new independent company Entertech Australia. The company will be led by former MDA staff members and theatre specialists Micah Johnson and Kate Kelly.
“We are thrilled for Micah and Kate and what this change will bring. On behalf of the board and leadership team, we thank Micah and Kate for all their efforts as members of the MDA team and look forward to seeing their new business develop in the future,” said Marshall Day Acoustics’ co-CEO Amanda Robinson.
MDA says it made the decision to split the company in order to increase operational efficiencies and return focus to the core area of the business, acoustics.
“Kate and I are excited to begin a new chapter as an independent business, after fifteen years as part of

UK - PLASA Show 2021 will reopen its doors this weekend to reunite industry professionals at Olympia London after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic - and time is running out for visitors to secure their free entry passes.
Taking place from 5-7 September, the show will welcome back leading brands from pro audio, AV, lighting and stage technologies, who will take up residence in Olympia’s Grand Hall alongside the ABTT Theatre Show which is relocating for one year only.
“In light of the monumental shifts felt by the live events and entertainment sector over the past 18 months, PLASA Show 2021 will be people-centred, with inclusive networking spaces, support resources and learning opportunities,” say the organisers.
Free registration ends at midnight tonight, 31 August – those wishing to claim a free entry pass should head over to

UK - ETC will be returning to the PLASA Show at the Olympia London this year for its joint ‘come-back’ industry event with the ABTT. ETC will be attending the trade show to connect and network with old and new faces, present in-depth product seminars and showcase newly launched fixtures on stand B29.
Sales Manager for ETC Ltd, Darren Beckley comments: “After a long and challenging period for our industry, we are really looking forward to returning to PLASA and catching up with our customers in-person. Throughout the past 18 months, ETC has continued to innovate and develop its product offering and we are excited to share some of those products with visitors to the show.”
Attendees will be able to join a series of seminars hosted by ETC product specialists during the three-day show. The available sessions will explore Comparing Moving Lights, Multi-em

UK - Avolites heads to PLASA Show in London Olympia this September (stand D17) as the company celebrates its 45th anniversary.
From humble beginnings underneath a Hammersmith railway arch in 1976, the company has been at the cutting edge of major developments in the lighting sector in the decades since. From the first programmable consoles designed to control the then-new intelligent lighting arrays of the 1990s, to the rise of the media server, the virtualised console, and the blending of lights and video into a single visual canvas, the company's products have been instrumental in the success of some of the biggest events in history.
As the industry starts to recover post-Covid, the latest generation Avolites technology is being used on some of the largest tours, stages, festivals, corporate events and cutting edge installs around the world. At this year’s PLASA

Denmark - Situated about 25km north of Copenhagen, Hørsholm is a community with diverse tastes in the performing arts and entertainment, and as such the small city’s principal venue, Kulturhus Trommen, hosts artists that span a broad spectrum of genres. To cater for anything from rock and folk to stand-up comedy, the venue recently invested in a new reinforcement system based on Meyer Sound LINA line array loudspeakers.
When the decision was made to replace the aging prior system, chief technician Thomas Love undertook a thorough evaluation of possible replacements from four other manufacturers before selecting the LINA line arrays. After a long delay imposed by the pandemic, the system finally was put to a grueling test during the reopening series.
“We had a full month of concerts with shows every day,” says Love. “We had everything from acoustic guitar and s

USA - There are some productions where lighting is so intricately woven into the story that it becomes part of the narrative itself. Pagliacci falls squarely into this category as it cleaves dramatically between the bright frivolity of a clown’s life and the dark madness of murder.
Keith Arsenault reflected this dichotomy in vivid fashion recently when lighting the St. Petersburg Opera’s production of the Leoncavallo opera. With help from a collection of Chauvet Professional Rogue fixtures, he used bold and subtle changes in colour and brightness to reflect the spiral of events that gives Pagliacci its compelling power.
“Although a ‘one act opera’, Pagliacci is very specifically divided in two scenes,” said Arsenault. “One is set in a bright, sunny Italian day; the other takes place while night is falling. The story gets darker and darker dr

USA - ATK Audiotek recently deployed a JBL Professional sound reinforcement system at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, one of the first indoor live awards shows of the year.
Now in its eighth year, the iHeartRadio Music Awards honours popular artists across 41 categories, ranging from Song of the Year to the Icon Award. The 2021 ceremony, which was hosted by Usher, was held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles in front of a crowd of 1,500. Performers included The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Dan + Shay, Silk Sonic, Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato, H.E.R., Doja Cat and Usher.
With content ranging from acceptance speeches to high-energy musical performances, the event demanded a sound system with excellent dynamic range. And, with only the venue’s main floor and first of three balconies open, the event required a more focused sound system than a full-capacity show. To meet thes

UK - Industry charity Backup has long recognised the technical entertainment industry as an exciting, but challenging place to work and is committed to helping those who face the pressure and stress involved by providing further help and support.
Now, the charity has launched a free helpline that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide a centralised access point for both urgent and non-urgent well-being support.
The helpline offers a number of options, from a dedicated Backup counsellor, to direct transfer to other industry charities, including the Music Support Helpline, Theatre Helpline and the Samaritans. Upon selecting one of the above options, you will be transferred directly to the support you require.
The Backup Counsellor option is a free, independent and confidential phone service with a certified counsellor who has a broad experience

Europe - Yamaha has announced new additions to its line-up of professional audio speakers, the powered DHR series and passive CHR series, each with three models optimized to ‘meet the demands of a variety of sound reinforcement applications’.
Positioned between the flagship DZR / CZR series and the popular, affordable DBR / CBR series, all DHR and CHR units feature custom transducers, premium plywood cabinets and a tough polyurea coating.
The DHR15 and CHR15 two-way, 15-inch units are designed for front of house applications, including dual angle pole mount sockets, M10 rigging options and excellent full range performance.
The DHR12M and CHR12M are Yamaha’s first dedicated coaxial 12" floor monitors, delivering precise, phase coherent monitoring in a low-profile form factor. A side pole-mount adds flexible use as an outfill or a portable main PA unit.

USA - Chauvet Professional’s aptly named Rouge Outcast 1 BeamWash is a new compact IP65 rated fixture, which weighs only 20.2 lbs.
“The Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash breaks new ground,” said Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “By going beyond the standard beam/wash concept to include an outer ring, we’ve been able to offer designers a compact, but powerful, fixture that opens a world of design possibilities.”
Made up of 97 RGB LEDs, the pixel mappable outer ring features 12 zones of control and can be run independently from the centre pixel beam/wash. A stealth filter hides the outer ring when it’s not in use, so the fixture appears and works as a pure beam/wash.
Designers can control the background colour and foreground effects independently on the outer rim. This allows them to create complex multi-coloured looks on the rim whether they are pixel mapping

UK - The Royal College of Music (RCM) in South Kensington is home to various studio facilities, available for private hire in the heart of London. Services and facilities offered include music recording, video production, web streaming, audio-visual research and development.
The original studio was founded in 1967 and was the first electronic studio at any UK academic institution. Today, the studio complex is housed directly underneath the RCM Concert Hall. The Belle Shenkman Studio, a spacious live room, contains its own Steinway Model D grand piano, three control rooms linked to performance spaces around the campus, and three rooms dedicated to composition, production and editing. In addition to the core work within the College, RCM Studios offers a commercial service to clients including major broadcasters, record companies and leading international soloists.
Sam Gl

Poland - Puławy Cultural Centre, known locally as Dom Chemika, has been serving the cultural need of its local community in eastern Poland since 1984. A recent refurbishment has helped bring the centre up to modern standards and TW AUDiO has been at the heart of the renovations.
The idea of creating a cultural centre in Puławy was born in the 1960s as a place for entertaining workers from the local chemical plant. This led to the name of Dom Chemika (Chemist’s House) when it opened its doors in the 1980s. The facility focuses primarily on artistic education while supporting and promoting local talents. In addition to this, it hosts theatrical performances as well as concerts and film screenings.
The renovation project means Dom Chemika now boasts a 520-seat main auditorium, a 98-seat chamber hall, a music club named Smok and many smaller practice rooms for music and

USA - Forced from the road in early 2020 due to the pandemic, tribute band Brit Floyd is back after kicking off a world tour 29 July at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado beneath an all-Elation lighting rig.
The tour is produced and promoted by UK-based CMP Entertainment, who own and supply all of the Elation gear. Elation has enjoyed an excellent relationship with CMP over the years and many of Brit Floyd’s past tours have featured Elation gear.
Chas Cole of CMP Entertainment comments: "Eric Loader was supportive of Brit Floyd in its early days with great product at a great price and even though we’ve worked the equipment really hard it’s held together really well and allowed us to produce a great light show year after year."
Many have had a hand in shaping the Brit Floyd look over the years, a design that echoes Marc Brickman’s original and classic Pink

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