UK - Martin Audio capitalised on its successful marketing formula by hosting three open days (split into five two-hour presentation sessions) at their HQ in High Wycombe, to coincide with this year’s PLASA Show in London. “The timing was perfect,” said MD Dom Harter. “Not only were many of our partners and customers already in town but it gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase, and in some cases give world premieres to nine new products.” Harter himself kicked off proceedings, introducing all four models in the new high-performance VIA amplifier range - designed to partner all Martin Audio systems beneath the Wavefront Precision line arrays, and in particular the new ADORN series as well as CDD and O-Line. Attendees didn't have long to wait before sampling Martin Audio’s signature sound, in the shape of the ADORN on-wall speakers. “The market
Thailand - Rental house Media Vision Co has recently taken delivery of the region’s first L-Acoustics K1 KX Standard system, which includes the recently shipped P1 processor, KS28, and LA-RAK II. Managing director Thanaruch Hongskule, aka Joe, cites the acquisition as the best choice for long-term investment for the company. “Media Vision already holds an extensive range of loudspeakers, but with business increasing it needed to expand on this,” explains Tanapat ‘Tony’ Mongkolkosol from Vision One, L-Acoustics’ certified provider distributor for the region. “To maintain its position as the number one rental provider for the region, a solution that matches international artists’ riders and can meet the demands of Thailand’s burgeoning EDM market was required. K1 fulfils both these requirements and would allow Media Vision to service the shows that comes thro
USA - As show lighting and video professionals prepare for the inaugural Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA), to be held in Las Vegas on Saturday, 20 October, 2018, the organisers have revealed the shortlist. Following the launch of KOI-USA back in April, nominations were received from across the US and around the world. Nominations fall into three categories - Theatre, Live for Broadcast, and Concert Touring & Events - and the shortlist includes some of the world's best-known names in lighting and video design: Concert Touring & Events: LeRoy Bennett, Bob Bonniol, Gabriel Coutu-Dumont, Ben Dalgleish, Patrick Dierson, Cory FitzGerald, Bryan Hartley, Sarah Landau, Francis Laporte, Matthieu Larivée, Robert Long, Nico Riot, Sooner Routhier, Rob Sinclair, Tom Sutherland, Jim Tetlow, and Andi Watson. Live for Broadcast: Yves Bélanger,
UK - PLASA has said the 2018 edition of the PLASA Show has been ‘the busiest and most vibrant’ show since it moved to London Olympia in 2016. PLASA 2018, which took place on 16-18 September, saw a 4% increase in visitors with a palpable atmosphere that was reminiscent of its popular Earls Court days. The show welcomed a stream of exhibitors and attendees from around the world, primed to explore the leading edge of live entertainment technology. The expo also confirmed its importance for networking and trade, with 63% of visitors being final decision makers or specifiers, and a quarter being business owners, managers and directors. Jonathan Walters, UK sales and purchasing director from A.C Entertainment Technologies comments: “This third year back in West London has really confirmed PLASA’s decision to relocate to Olympia, each show here has worked consi
Take That Back - Take That have announced a greatest hits tour to mark their 30th anniversary next year. Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen will kick off their UK arena tour in April with two shows at Sheffield's FlyDSA Arena. They will go on to play in Glasgow, their home city of Manchester, and six dates at London's O2 Arena. The tour will also see them perform in Dublin, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Bristol City, Norwich, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield. A new Take That album, Odyssey, is also being released on 23 November. It will feature 27 tracks spanning three decades of the band's history, as well as three new songs. Training Opportunities - Lighting designer Paule Constable has called on theatres to provide more training opportunities for emerging designers. Constable was speaking at The Stage Debut Awards 2018, where she p
UK - The Alan Turing Imaginarium is a flexible event space in the BBC’s Dock House at Media City, Salford. It is used for conferences, meetings and as a presentation and studio space from which to broadcast coverage on events such as the recent Winter Olympics and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Stage Electrics was contracted to install a lighting grid that would be able to meet the needs of such a multipurpose space. “The grid and all its elements were carefully considered to make sure they were both aesthetically pleasing and in keeping with the room,” explains Stage Electrics project manager, Matthew Addison. “For the times when the room is not being used as a studio, a simple infrastructure of distributed production lighting power and DMX was installed to support event and mood lighting.” The design had to take into account the shape of the room, which is
UK - Manchester-based technical production supplier Sterling Event Group has invested in Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 series to enhance its audio offering. The investment, including EM 6000 digital 2-channel receivers, SKM 6000 handheld transmitters with MD 9235 capsules, SK 6000 beltpacks and L 6000 charging stations, will allow Sterling to “future-proof its inventory and offer clients a digital solution”. Sterling has also added additional Sennheiser 2000 Series IEMs to its stock. Ben Marshall, head of audio at Sterling, comments: “With increased restrictions on available spectrum for radio microphones and in ear monitors we needed a solution to give us the channels we require even in the most challenging RF environments. By utilising Sennheiser Digital 6000 which is intermodulation free we can place frequencies in an equidistant frequency grid to maximise chan
UK - The Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) has now announced its Sponsored Student Scheme for 2019 is open for applications. The scheme offers students who have not previously been members of the ALD to enjoy free ALD membership until the end of March 2020. Student members benefit from the increased opportunity to network with lighting and video production professionals at insightful events organised by the ALD, such as their monthly members’ socials and visits to shows and theatres. Member benefits for students also include complimentary copies of the ALD magazine, Focus, as well as full access to the ALD web site and the members’ own micro-site. Members also receive a 25% discount on the monthly or annual premium subscription fee for Mandy.com. Rory Beaton, of the ALD student and awards sub-committees, comments: “The ALD’s sponsored studen
UK - For the past four years, the Lightpower Collection has toured worldwide with In the Eye of the Rock ’n’ Roll Hurricane, an exhibition which shows the body of work from acclaimed rock ‘n’ roll photographer, Neal Preston. In it are more than 70 of his iconic pictures: legendary album covers, views behind the scenes, moments that made history - the essence of rock ’n’ roll and concert touring that has dominated out industry since the late '60s. Neal Preston’s fine art prints are highly sought after by collectors worldwide, and Lightpower Collection donates all proceeds from the sale of prints and merchandise to Behind the Scenes and Backup - two technical entertainment charities that provide relief for event technicians in need. At PLASA 2018, the Lightpower Collection was proud to be able to donate another £10,000 to Backup. The donati
Norway - Ayrton has appointed Bary AS as its exclusive distributor for Norway. Bary AS is one of Norway’s largest suppliers of technical solutions and equipment for concerts, festivals, events and other productions with many years of experience and expertise. Jerad Garza, Ayrton international sales manager, comments: “Bary is made up of passionate professionals whose ambition for excellence appear in their every undertaking. We embrace their values and love their energy, which make Bary and Ayrton a great fit. We’re excited to have Bary AS join the Ayrton family.” Morten Bakke, business development manager for Bary AS, adds: “We are delighted to start our journey as Norwegian distributor of Ayrton. This is the result of three months of intense effort from our development, sales and lighting departments during which time we thoroughly researched the lig
Europe - Audio-Technica has agreed to distribute Martin Audio in Germany, effective 1 October. The audio brand’s official distributor will be Audio Technica Germany, which also distributes Allen & Heath and Clear-Com. The new distributor will be responsible for sales in both the installation and rental staging channels. It has appointed Tobi Franzgrothe, who has long experience with Martin Audio after working with the manufacturer’s previous distributor, as brand manager. Matthias ‘Mex’ Exner, general manager of Audio-Technica Germany, comments: “It’s a case of two great brands joining forces to create an outstanding offering in both these sectors. Martin Audio comfortably bridges the gap between our great mics and wireless systems, through the A&H consoles, to the audience’s ears.” Bradley Watson, Martin Audio EMEA sales manager, adds:
Australia - Melbourne production and install company Monitor City has joined the Adamson network with an investment in a new E-Series and S-Series audio systems. Sourced through CMI Music and Audio, Adamson’s exclusive Australian distributor, the new package allows Monitor City to cover most venues across Australia while also offering the flexibility to break into smaller or distributed systems as required. Monitor City co-founders Adrian Barnard and Matt Dufty, who each boast over 30 years of experience in professional audio, carefully evaluated all the major players in the PA market before deciding on Adamson for their purchase. "We looked at factors such as the speed of deployment, the logic of the system, its capabilities, and sonic performance," relates Dufty. "Adamson stood out as the best choice. It's rider friendly and acceptable to touring professionals, an
UK - Brompton Technology has been featured by The Sunday Times in its 18th annual league table of the top one hundred private technology, media and telecoms companies in terms of fastest growing sales over the past three years. The Tech Track 100 is compiled by Fast Track, and Brompton was one of 13 high-tech manufacturing companies to feature, with two others also doing business in the live event industry. This achievement by Brompton Technology further consolidates its position as a major player in its sector, for which it develops high quality LED video processing systems. Managing director Richard Mead comments: “It is always nice to have your achievements acknowledged, and everyone at Brompton Technology should be delighted with this national recognition. We have prided ourselves on excellence in both customer service and product innovation. This league r
UK - At PLASA 2018, J&C Joel launched a new grant scheme with the Theatres Trust, the company’s chosen charity for the year. The Setting the Stage Fund will provide up to £10,000 of in-kind support to one UK-based not-for-profit theatre. The support will be offered in the form of J&C Joel’s products and services which can include but isn’t limited to front of house drapery, masking and black out drapery, tracks and servicing of stage engineering equipment. J&C Joel CEO, James Wheelwright, comments: “Theatrical drapery and stage engineering are at the heart of what we do at J&C Joel. We are extremely proud to be able to work with the Theatres Trust to give something back to the industry which has been the key to our success. We hope the Setting the Stage Fund will make a real difference to a theatre in need whilst also benefitting the community
Argentina - Sistemas de Video Comunicación S.A. (SVC) has been appointed sole distributor for Clair Brothers in Argentina. The SVC team was introduced to Clair Brothers by Fabian Giordano, owner of Giordano Sonido, a Clair Brothers rental partner in the same region. Ricardo Pegnotti, director at SVC, explains: “In April of 2018, Fabian organised a visit with us to Clair Brothers headquarters in Manheim, Pennsylvania. This was such a big opportunity for us to join forces with one of the most iconic brands in live sound. I can’t thank Fabian enough for this opportunity.” SVC sells and distributes the Clair Brothers C-Series, the kiTCurve12 of the kiT Series, as well as a full range of Clair Brothers products including the popular 1AM and 1.5AM stage monitors, the conveniently stackable S2 PA System, iS218 subwoofers, coaxial cabinets that include the 5CX an
UK - The leading lights of the entertainment production industry descended on London's Eventim Apollo on Sunday night, where the winners of the 2018 Knight of Illumination Awards were announced. A record number of people attended the glittering ceremony this year, which brings together entertainment technology professionals from around the world. The Knight of Illumination Awards celebrate the achievements of lighting and video designers working in the fields of theatre, television and concert touring & events.
South Africa - Randburg-based AV equipment supplier Pristine Moods Productions has invested in a DiGiCo S31 and a dot2 console from South African distributor DWR Distribution. The investment has been “a long time coming” according to Lior Manelis, owner of Pristine Moods Productions. “These kinds of steps are daunting. But as your calibre of gear increases, so does your marketing capabilities, enabling you to work on bigger events,” he explains. Duncan Riley of DWR adds: “Both DiGiCo and MA Lighting are in the business of giving end-users longevity with products that won’t be constantly upgraded or replaced.” Gareth Chambers, recently appointed LD at the company, will run the dot2. Chambers was previously employed by DWR Distribution in the role of training and support, and his expertise will enable him to operate the console and share his knowledge
UK - Microphone windshields and suspension systems manufacturer Rycote has been acquired by The Vitec Group. The acquisition will enable Vitec, a camera supports maker and distributor, to bring complementary audio products to its customers whilst growing the Rycote brand, which will become part of the Creative Solutions division. Rycote MD Simon Davies will remain with the company. Davies comments: “We are thrilled to become part of the Vitec Group and I’m really excited and confident that we can continue to go from strength to strength; designing, manufacturing and selling our fantastic Rycote products. “We are looking forward to celebrating 50 years of Rycote next year and, as we enter into this new chapter, we remain committed to serving the needs of our professional audio customers and exploring other markets for our existing and new products.
USA - Charity Behind the Scenes has said the deadline for ordering its 2018 holiday cards is 4 October. Three card ordering options include personalised cards with a company logo and custom message, card packs of 10 with a standard greeting, and e-cards. Seven designs are featured this year. Perennial favourites Andrew Hefter and Robert Mendoza are back while Mount Vernon Senior High School is represented by Madelyn Plough. New contributors are Vicki Davis, Jocelyn Joyah Henry of Scenic Art Studios, Vicki Pui and Anastasia Vasilakis. Those interested in purchasing cards should place an order at www.behindthescenescharity.org/holidaycards. (Jim Evans)
UK - Blitz, the technical event production arm of global events company GES, has announced a strategic alliance with audience engagement and event analytics platform Glisser. This agreement will see Glisser’s audience engagement and analytics solution delivered and managed by Blitz’s in-house team of technical experts. Blitz has a longstanding reputation for technical innovation and has already successfully deployed Glisser’s complete audience participation platform - including live slide sharing, integrated live polling, audience Q&A, and social media walls - for a number of high profile customers. Mike Piddock, Glisser’s founder and CEO, comments: “We’ve worked with the Blitz team at numerous events since we launched three years ago, and have always been impressed wit
South Africa - Global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks has announced that DWR Distribution has been appointed an official distributor for Vectorworks Spotlight, Braceworks and Vision software in South Africa. The agreement will also facilitate greater technical and sales support with direct access to the team at Vectorworks. Tara Grant, director of channel operations at Vectorworks, comments: “DWR has demonstrated a strong commitment to Vectorworks and has deep roots in the entertainment industry, and it was a natural progression to have them officially join the Vectorworks family as a distributor. As the demand for our solutions grows and Vectorworks continues to expand, we are looking for strong distribution partners like DWR to provide local support in markets around the world.” Duncan Riley, owner of DWR Distribution, adds: “It
UK - The PLASA Awards for Innovation, organised in collaboration with LSi magazine, took place at the end of a buzzing Monday at this year’s PLASA Show. The Awards recognise and reward pioneering product designs and the people behind them, and are highly regarded as they are independently judged by a team of industry experts. This year saw 47 entries vying for the respected Awards, with the judges selecting eight winners and one Gold Award winner. The winners, along with the judges comments, are: TMB for ProPlex IQ Tester “The ProPlex is a data tool-kit that every technician should have, supported by a clear roadmap for future development and a really good price.” Bose for EdgeMax “The EdgeMax is a product which edges out the competition to flood the room with sound. The HF waveguide was particularly innovative, and the
South Africa - DWR Distribution has announced the grandMA2 Beginner to Intermediate Training, an intensive three-day course to be hosted from 10 to 12 October 2018. Presented by Jannie de Jager, a range of topics will be discussed from patching and fixture editing to tracking and cue list management. Delegates are requested to supply their own grandMA2 console and laptop for the MA 3D Visualizer. The cost is R2 550 and includes refreshments and lunch. The course will be hosted at DWR Distribution, Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Street, Laserpark, Honeydew. Bookings should be made on-line at http://dwrdistribution.co.za/register/grandma2-intermediate-training-october-2018/ (Jim Evans)
South Africa - As the technical supplier to most international Bollywood productions performing in South Africa, rental company Bass Mechanics have invested in additional L-Acoustics equipment to complement their existing systems. Besides new LA8 and LA12X amplified controllers, they have also purchased KS28, ARCS Wide and ARCS Focus from local distributor DWR Distribution. What started off as a mobile disco company run by 16-year-old Sushil Patidar in 1997, has grown as he has persistently invested back into his company to offer professional gear and service to the entertainment industry. “I was in standard seven (grade 9) when I started,” Sushil recalls. “We were all turning 16, so my friends were having birthday parties.” Before long he was doing his friends’ 18th birthday parties, 21sts and so it continued with him making a name in Lenasia, the neighbourh
