UK - Manchester-based sound design specialists and audiologists tube uk are supplying audio systems to eight popular Christmas trails throughout the UK and one in Germany this season - totalling an impressive 168 individual sound systems, consuming 1,681 loudspeakers. Working closely with the production team from Culture Creative, a specialist in creating trail experiences and numerous other live events, Melvyn Coote and the tube uk crew have developed a fully weatherised distributed sound system hardware concept for trail experiences. They have also optimised techniques for delivering the very best aural experiences for these creative and entertaining festive events. UK sites this year include Leeds Castle in Kent, Dunham Massey in Cheshire, Stourhead in Wiltshire, Bedgebury in Surrey, Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire, Chester Zoo and Heaton Park in Manchester, and K
UAE - Sennheiser was the official audio sponsor of the United States reception during World Radio Conference 2023. Organised in the opening week of the conference, the event was a resounding success, welcoming more than 1,200 delegates who enjoyed a captivating gig by the Sonic Crusaders. The band used Digital 9000 wireless microphones, with a hand-built WMAS development prototype ensuring crystal-clear digital in-ear audio for the band members. Dubai-based event service provider 3DB, with project manager Stuart Andrews, supplied all audio, video, lighting and stage production requirements for the event. “We are honoured that the U.S. ITU Association (USITUA) selected Sennheiser as the audio partner for its prestigious reception,” says Dr. Andreas Wilzeck, head of spectrum policy and standards at Sennheiser. “For the show part, we operated a hand-built broadban
UAE - Powersoft is further expanding its distributor network in the GCC market by welcoming Dutco Tennant as its newest distributor. The appointment of Dutco Tennant will play a significant role in strengthening Powersoft’s presence in the Middle East. The company will join historical Dubai-based distributor, Pro Lab, and Saudi Arabia based aDawliah. Established four decades ago, Dutco Tennant LLC has built a strong reputation in providing a wide range of products and services, providing audio, video and UCC (unified communications and collaboration) solutions in the GCC region. “We pick and choose our partners carefully after extensive research and Powersoft will play a vital role in our audio portfolio,” states Julie Thomas, product manager at Dutco Tennant. “Powersoft is highly respected in the industry for its reliability and is an incredibly valuable addit
USA - Snowbird Restaurant & Lounge opened aiming to bring the cocktail lounge scene to Frisco, a suburb of Dallas, Texas where the dining scene is booming. This 4,100sq.ft space includes dining seating, lounge seating, and a 35ft-long bar, aiming to set a sultry lounge setting with cocktails as the star. Bespoke Technology Group based out of Dallas, was contracted to bring this after-dinner destination to life by integrating the audio system. Snowbird has DJ booths upstairs and downstairs and had to have an audio system fit for dinner ambiance as well as for private events and all-day brunch events. Bespoke chose to go with 1 Sound premium loudspeakers for this lounge to offer high-fidelity sound quality and sonic intelligibility but with the capacity to get louder for high-energy nights. This was accomplished by utilising the Cannon Coaxial Series. The Cannons a
USA - Tempest enclosures have been used to protect Epson projectors at a projection mapping installation in Carmel, Indianapolis. EOS: The First Dawn is a permanent installation created by Blockhouse Studios and features 12 Epson EB-PU2220B 20,000-lumen large venue laser projectors, each safeguarded by a Tempest Cyclone enclosure to ensure they run at peak performance. Mounted on the roof of the James and Tarkington buildings, these powerful projectors tell the theatrical story of Eos, Greek Goddess of the Dawn, presented in a dream-like projection onto the face of the Carter Green Palladium. Blockhouse Studios owner, Kevin Winkler comments: “We have four full seasons in Indiana. Temperatures can range from -15 or more in the winter, and upwards of 100 degrees F in the summer, with high humidity. The Cyclone enclosures are perfect for these tough conditions
UK - Georgia Browns in the town of Hindley, Greater Manchester is a destination sports and entertainment venue. Recently re-furbished and re-launched, and featuring a large media wall, the venue also hosts multiple additional screens showing a wide range of sports, as well as staging live bands, DJ sets and karaoke. The team at Georgia Brown gave careful consideration to its technical needs, and having invested in its media wall through Richer Sounds, consulted with the company’s custom installation design team over the best way forward for its audio requirements. Richer Sounds recommended an Optimal Audio system to deliver the venue’s requirement for background and party level music. Custom installation manager Tim Smith and his team designed the system in conjunction with the venue, and engaged experienced subcontractor James Mahon of Hi-Tech AV to install the sy
Spain - Broadcast live for the first time in history from Seville, Spain, the 24th Latin Grammys trusted the Shure Axient Digital Wireless System and Shure software to enable quality audio for the biggest night celebrating Latin culture, passion, and music. Shure Axient Digital Wireless was selected for its robust and reliable signal quality. Sound company Fluge provided 60 channels of Shure Axient Digital Wireless and 32 channels of Shure PSM 1000 In-Ear Personal Monitoring System, delivering consistent RF coverage over the whole venue. “Shure PSM 1000 continues to be a consistently reliable piece of a complex live show puzzle, which demands both high-quality audio and rock-solid RF,” said Michael Bové, monitor mixer for Latin Grammys 2023. The technical team relied on Shure software, including Wireless Workbench (WWB) and WAVETOOL by Shure. Diogo Nunes Pe
UK - ABTT’s popular Pyrotechnic Safety Awareness Training was a sell out in September 2023, and booking is now open for the 2024 course which takes place on 11January at The Elgiva Theatre, Chesham. Equipment and devices used, demonstrated or viewed during the course include products from: Le Maitre: Pyroflash - ProStage II - Virtually Smokeless (VS) - Illusion - Skyhigh - Torch - Blakes - Viking - Theatrical Pyrotechnics - Wells - Ultratec - LunaTech - PyyroPak. The course will provide candidates with an opportunity to keep ‘up to date’ with ‘considered best practice’ and familiarise themselves more readily with new and current regulations, alongside forthcoming UK/EU legislation. The course will also serve as a refresher for technicians who have to produce certificates of awareness, to keep themselves ‘in date’. The candidates will also receive a
UK - Prolyte is set to collaborate with long-standing partner Stage Electrics, one of the UK's premier Prolyte suppliers, for two exclusive campus events in Glasgow and Birmingham this January. Prolyte and Stage Electrics invite industry professionals to join these insightful events, helmed by Prolyte's expert, Eric Laanstra. With over 23 years of expertise, Prolyte's seasoned product manager, promises a profound exploration into the intricacies of rigging, trussing, and staging. The Glasgow event takes place 23 January 2024 at RCS Glasgow; Birmingham’s venue is MAC Birmingham on 24 January. Both events will feature a comprehensive lecture, offering attendees profound insights into Prolyte's cutting-edge rigging solutions. These events present an opportunity for those seeking rigging or trussing solutions for their venues or to learn more about their curr
South Korea - The Starnetworks group has become the official distributor of Holoplot Matrix Array systems in South Korea. This marks Holoplot's first foray into the Asian live entertainment market. “Our philosophy is to look at sound as both an art and a science,” says Su Keun O, CEO at Starnetworks. “This philosophy aligns perfectly with Holoplot technology, which is science-based, software-driven, and hardware-enabled, offering unparalleled sound experiences through sound control.” The Starnetworks team had their first opportunity to witness the Holoplot X1 Matrix Array in action earlier this year at the ISE Show in Barcelona. “We were fascinated by how Holoplot could visualise sound dispersion and control the sound with such precision and the creative potential of this. Since then, we’ve discovered many more benefits of Holoplot technology with X1 and th
USA - The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) in Arizona, has installed two Solid State Logic Origin 32-channel in-line analogue mixing consoles in July. The two new consoles are installed in Studio B at the main CRAS campus in Tempe and Studio B at the satellite campus in Gilbert, where students are first introduced to the signal flow and operation of large-format recording consoles. “Students who enter our programme have access to both consoles,” says Robert Brock, director of education at CRAS. “On any given day, we're running the same class at both locations in parallel.” The two Origins have replaced a pair of 25-year-old consoles that were used by CRAS teaching staff to instruct students on the concepts of audio signal flow and the features and functionality of analogue consoles. With those two older consoles at the end of their serviceab
Germany - The artist Alligatoah is not easy to pin down. He marries rap with catchy pop melodies, slips into ever-changing personae and has been delighting large audiences for years with his overall package. The theatricality certainly suits him, and in 2023, this phenomenon of German rap will continue with the latest leg of his Retour, which will introduce tracks from the current album Rotz & Wasser. Christoph Schneider is responsible for the lighting design on this tour, which is promoted by ibb Booking and Boldt Berlin. He specified 46 GLP JDC1, 10 JDC Line 1000 and five impression X5 Wash to fulfil the artist’s vision. “Alligatoah is a very creative person who is heavily involved in the show design,” states Christoph. “He designed most of the set himself, as well as the intro and choreography for individual songs. To complement this, I cre
USA - Shure received a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. The results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how US-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the US and abroad. Shure’s efforts in satisfying all the CEI’s criteria earned a score of 100 and the designation as recipient of the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion. In addition to Shure’s LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, the company has also implemented a specific employee resource group called the Pride VIBE (Values, Inclusion, Belonging, Equity). This group cultivates an inclusive environment where community members can celebrate their authentic selves to create a safe and welcoming culture for all as
Australia/USA - RØDE Microphones has announced the acquisition of US-based pro audio pioneer Mackie from Transom Capital Group. “I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Mackie to The Freedman Group’s roster of iconic audio brands,” says founder and chairman Peter Freedman. “They are true legends, with a pedigree of live sound expertise that is simply unmatched. Today, RØDE and Mackie are both leaders in audio, and we share the same passion for creating innovative, high-quality products with a strong customer focus. “With this acquisition, The Freedman Group is now a premier audio technology company offering world-class products to an even wider range of customers, from up-and-coming content creators to professionals working in live production and everyone in-between.” Since 1989, Mackie has been a leading designer and manufacturer of pro audio products
Sustainable Theatre - Bristol Old Vic has installed solar panels on its roof as part of its commitment to sustainability. A redevelopment in 2019 allowed the installation to happen, which was carried out by Solarsense. Productions and operations director David Harraway said: "The phase of refurbishment we completed five years ago helped ensure our building was working hard to be as sustainable as possible, but this was a missing piece until now." He explained that previous renovations have seen the building install LED lighting, a community greenhouse, automated building management systems and passive ventilation, which all contributed to the venue’s commitment to sustainability. Stephen Barratt at Bristol’s Solarsense said: "We pride ourselves on a solution-focused approach to buildings like the Bristol Old Vic. Working around an entire theatre set that arrived a
UK - The University of the Arts London (UAL) recently sought to update its audio-visual systems in classrooms at three key campuses. London-based integrator, Tateside, was approached directly to work on the project. “The project encompassed classroom refurbishment works at South London-based campuses and a full installation at a further campus in High Holborn,” explains Joby Morris, audio visual and networks specialist at Tateside. “We selected Tateside because it was clear from the start that they really understood our vision for using NDI and Dante to create learning environments that had the flexibility of AVoIP without the vendor lock-in of other protocols,” explains Tom Lynch, technical manager at UAL. “Also, as a London-based university, working with a London-based AV Integrator is super valuable and quite rare.” The most significant part of t
Germany - The 12th season of the annual Rocket League esports Championship took place in August 2023 at Düsseldorf’s PSD Bank Dome. The tournament marked its biggest season yet, with $6m in prize money up for grabs. bright! studios - a visual design and technology studio based in Frankfurt - created engaging visual ‘hero shot’ content for the tournament using innovative show control software from Stage Precision. “We were tasked with creating modern player introduction videos that were shown before each team to hype up the crowd,” explains Leon Herche, creative producer at bright! studios. “The team at Rocket League used a completely new approach at this year’s tournament. We began by building different scenes in Unreal Engine and playing the content through LED walls. We used motion control systems from Marc Roberts and used the tracking data to
UK - As Optocore dealers fac365 end the year, they can reflect with satisfaction at having further helped to establish the company’s portfolio, notably Festival Box - not merely during the festival season - but for major international tours with bands like The Killers and Coldplay, with four Festival Boxes making up Coldplay’s control package and network infrastructure. One major source for this success has been fast-expanding rental house, Solotech UK - which has a historic relationship with Optocore - supporting production with gear supplied from four warehouses spread across the UK. “We have sold a large number of items to Solotech over the past two years,” confirm fac365 operations manager, Richard Newall, “most recently an M8 [MADI] package for a touring playback rig and X6Rs for their Control/Drive racks.” In the north of England, prior to beco
UK - Exterior lighting solutions provider DW Windsor has unveiled its Light Responsibly initiative to support and promote responsible lighting practices. Announced at the LiGHT 23 Expo in London, the new initiative aims to provide lighting specifiers with the tools and guidance needed to eliminate light pollution, conserve energy, cut waste and help protect biodiversity. It consolidates several long-standing principles the British luminaire manufacturer upholds and underlines its commitment to delivering sustainable lighting solutions. The initiative outlines five key areas where DW Windsor can assist lighting professionals, helping to educate key stakeholders and support considered lighting designs. It includes the adoption of precise optics and light shields, warmer colour temperatures, adaptive lighting controls, highly efficient LEDs, and the embracing of circular
China - Located in Lujiang, within China's Anhui Province, the Shishi Zen Temple serves as a place of worship and to enhance both the vocal and musical experience, the Zen Temple made the decision to embrace cutting-edge audio technology. After conducting thorough research, they opted for the Martin Audio active MLA Mini array, complemented by Martin Audio's CDD series, as the basis for their new PA system. The choice of the MLA Mini was based on its sound quality and its ability to optimise coverage, consistency and control of sound for a room's own acoustics, dynamics and the position of the listeners. This was particularly crucial as it ensured that both those near the Buddha statue at the heart of the Zen Temple and those worshiping at a distance could enjoy the same high-quality music and Dharma teachings. The CDD series serves as an auxiliary system, delivering c
UK - Manchester-based dbnAudile has served as event technology providers for The Warehouse Project ever since the series of popular club nights debuted in 2006. This year, seeking a new linear lighting effect that could do more while ensuring operation in wet conditions, the company turned to Elation’s versatile Proteus Rayzor Blade. The Warehouse Project, which runs from September through New Year’s Eve, features acclaimed DJs and musicians as well as less established artists, and is continually rated as one of the best dance/DJ club venues in Europe. dbnAudile handles audio, lighting, video and rigging for the project’s run, which has been held in the refurbished Mayfield Depot in Manchester since 2019. Pete Robinson project manages the operation for dbnAudile and has served as lighting designer since The Warehouse Project’s inception. He explains that the
Denmark - Hip hop band, Suspekt, appeared in a one-off date at Copenhagen's 47,000 capacity National Parken Stadium in September. Suspekt is renowned for playing with cool lighting effects and Ayrton was delighted that its Zonda 9 fixtures were chosen for the dramatic lighting system that included 168 Zonda 9 Wash and Zonda 9 FX fixtures. Zonda 9 Wash is the first luminaire in a new family of Ayrton products devised for stage lighting, equipped with a high-performance 40W LED source with RGB+W additive colour synthesis. The lighting was supplied by VIGSØ, Denmark, and the striking lighting and stage design was provided by Johnny Thinggaard of CMY. Thinggaard elaborated on his choice of lighting: “The concert was a one-day event and the band's biggest show to date. I chose to use the Zonda 9 Wash because of its large light surface - I really like the way that the la
Japan - As one of Japan's top five film giants, Toei Tokyo is renowned for its comprehensive business in fields such as film, television, animation, manga, and music. At the end of last year, the company constructed Japan's largest virtual production hub, Toei VP Studios, marking the first independent operation of this type of facility by a film company in Japan. Anticipated to reach full operational status in 2024, the studio showcases a state-of-the-art LED wall comprising AOTO LED panels and powered by Brompton Technology LED processing. Toei VP Studios offers and practices efficient shooting methods, featuring the largest LED stage and one of the most experienced 16-strong teams in the country. The facility spans 640sq.m and utilises eleven 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors, along with 24 Tessera XD 10G data distribution units. “We have chosen an LED video p
UK - Following successful spoken word tours in 2019 and 2021 to promote his autobiography, in 2023 Status Quo’s Francis Rossi set out to do something a little different. Bringing anecdotes and acoustic versions of well-known songs to intimate venues throughout the UK, Francis Rossi Tunes & Chat has been the perfect task for the Yamaha DM3 digital mixing console. Featuring Rossi with studio collaborator/guitar tech Andy Brook and a pair of electro-acoustic guitars, the two-part, 101-date tour visited 400-600 capacity theatres in many of the UK’s provincial towns and cities. Long-term Status Quo Front of House engineer Andy May was asked to mix the shows, but his Yamaha PM5D - a veteran of many Quo tours - was obviously over-specced for this one. Instead he chose a Yamaha DM3, which packs a lot of technical punch into a tiny footprint, just right for mixing on ho
