Germany - This month, Alcons Audio marked its 15th year of exhibiting at Prolight+Sound by showing new products, welcoming visitors from across the globe and hosting the traditional annual Alcons dinner. The new products being showed were the LR28/110 - a wide-dispersion version of the LR28 Larger Format Line Array; the QR24 Wide - an extension of the QR24 modular high-output line-source column and the latest software for the company’s Amplified Loudspeaker Controllers, ALControl release 1.4. Alcons welcomed visitors from across the globe - including China, India, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Poland, South Korea, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Austria (to name a few) - to the company’s stand, all keen to share and discuss a common bond - the love of excellent sound. On the second day of the show, Alcons hosted its annual dinner, where guests enjoyed sharing proje
Germany - The ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium received the Prolight + Sound International Press Award (PIPA) for Best Product of the Year in the lighting control category. Based on voting by over 100 journalists from specialized publications, the award was presented on 6 April at the Prolight + Sound show. “This award is a tribute to the ChamSys design ethos,” said ChamSys managing director Chris Kennedy. “ChamSys has been built on giving the end-user as much freedom and flexibility as possible, because we respect the creativity that’s inherent in the design process.” Featuring a built-in MagicVis 3D Visualizer with high quality renderings, dual multi-touch displays in full HD with adjustable viewing angles, an intensity wheel, 100mm split crossfaders for theatre control, 42 fader and executor playbacks for live busking, the 200- universe MagicQ MQ500 Stadium pr
Germany - On board the AIDA-fleet’s newest flagship, AIDAprima, sound solutions from Sennheiser prove their capabilities every single day. The audio specialist’s premium products help deliver high level entertainment on one of the world’s most modern cruise ships. Alongside Sennheiser’s reliable wireless technology, AIDAprima uses the innovative MobileConnect streaming solution, which has been recently updated to allow for seamless integration into existing networks. One of the most technologically advanced ships on the planet, AIDAprima has its own excellently equipped TV-production environment, the Broadcast Centre, which channels all picture signals and distributes them to the numerous clients on board. To monitor sound, this facility uses four Neumann KH 120 A active speakers. The newest addition to the Broadcast Centre is a Sennheiser ConnectStation CS1-M,
USA - Star power was out in force on 19 March, when the Geffen Playhouse hosted the 15th annual Backstage at the Geffen, a fundraiser that benefits the celebrated theatre’s artistic and community outreach programs. Quincy Jones and Mel Brooks were honoured; their awards presented respectively by Barbra Streisand and Rob Reiner. Aisha Tyler of the Emmy-winning CBS programme The Talk was the evening’s host. Bridesmaids director Paul Feig appeared, as did comedians Sarah Silverman and Dave Chappelle. This star-studded list of honorees and participants notwithstanding, as a charity event, Backstage at the Geffen had to be run with an eye toward controlling operating costs. For lighting supervisor Darren Rezowalli, this meant creating a compact rig that could be set up quickly, yet still deliver the sharp effects and rich colours that such a glamor
Australia - Crown Perth makes every demand of its lighting equipment a venue can make. With a 2,300 seat theatre, ballrooms, meeting rooms, hotels, nightclubs, bars and countless public areas, the staff at Crown can be called upon to light everything from foyer displays to Broadway musicals. With so much to light and so much flexibility required, all under the gaze of high-rollers and luxury hotel patrons, Crown’s AV staff recently purchased Elation SixBar 1000 and SixBar 500 LED battens. “We light banners, set displays, cars, and whatever else comes up,” said Crown AV’s Jeremy Prestwood. “Our LED bars might be rigged on a truss or set on the floor for a band, jazzing up a press conference, highlighting a gaming display, set up for a month in a car on display in the foyer as a prize, or set up and taken down again after a one-hour show.” Elation’s SixBar
UK - It may have been over 30 years since Depeche Mode last visited, but that lengthy absence has not diminished the enthusiasm of their Barrowlands audience. “It’s a classic gig,” said Antony King, the band’s front of house sound engineer. “Back in the day, if you were doing a tour of the UK, Glasgow Barrowlands was usually the best show of the tour. “Although the European stadium tour doesn’t start until May, we are in Europe for a few weeks promoting the new album, Spirit, doing a mix of TV shows and promo underplay concerts like this one for the BBC,” says King. “We are carrying control and monitors provided by Britannia Row. Brit Row have been with Depeche Mode for nearly 30 years and do a great job. It makes a huge difference hitting the road knowing that Bryan and co’ have your back. “With a band of this calibre and a mixture of ana
UK - Having taken London’s West End by storm, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is also currently touring the UK, with full technical service provider Hawthorn supplying lighting equipment for the production. Hawthorn worked with renowned Lighting Designer Paule Constable to provide lighting equipment for her Olivier award winning design. This included supplying industry workhorses such as the Martin MAC TW1 and the ETC Source 4 Revolution combined with newer technology such as the ETC LUSTR 2 LED Profile and Clay Paky’s new moving light, the Scenius Profile chosen for its wide zoom, framing and high optical output. The remaining rig is made up of a number of conventional ETC Source 4 profiles and PARS, Selecon Arena 2.5K PCs, Rainbow 12” Scrollers, a Martin Atomic Strobe, Pulsar Chroma LED UV Floods, Studio Due Archibars, Viper smoke machi
UK - East Anglia-based CEG Hire & Productions has recently moved to new premises, as well as relocating their rental operation from Norfolk to Cambridge. From 1 March, CEG started operating from their new base – allowing them to push forward with their long-term growth strategy. CEG's director, Ben Bowles explains, “Since starting the business, we have continually looked to improve the service that we offer and one big way we can do that is by being situated conveniently for all of our customers. “Our new location is five minutes from the M11 and 10 minutes from the A14. This will provide fantastic access to both London and the South, as well as the Midlands and the North. We will now be within 45 minutes of the North Circular and 90 minutes of Park Royal. Beyond the improved journey times, our new premises will have better access, facilities and, mos
The Netherlands - Home to AFC Ajax, Amsterdam ArenA is a world class stadium and the preferred venue for the Dutch national football team’s international fixtures. As part of its ongoing upgrade, it recently installed a new audio solution based on the d&b Y-Series system. Production manager at Amsterdam ArenA, Tim Oosterop comments, “Like our LED screens, or escalators, audio investment is not something you can charge for, it doesn’t translate directly into revenue, but it does see the audience come earlier and stay longer. If they’re here that’s good for revenue, and makes best use of the facilities. “Ajax already has its own video production department and puts a lot of work into the pre-show environment. Entertainment is the key component and quality audio is a big part of delivering that experience.” Looking toward a new audio installati
UK - Manchester based lighting and rigging specialist dbn is joining forces with full service event technical company Audile, to create a new venture – dbnAudile. The merged company will combine a wealth of experience, skills and talents across the disciplines of lighting, audio, rigging and creative video all under one roof in central Manchester. dbn’s Stephen Page commented, “We have enjoyed a close working relationship with Audile over many years and we share the same principals of enthusiasm for our work in an industry that we love, a commitment to development and fair treatment of our people, a creative approach to productions and a goal to provide the very best service and technologies to our clients. This merger will allow us to widen our scope and improve our offer even further.” The increased scope and range of equipment, expertise and strong syn
UK - Epson and mclcreate have announced a UK wide partnership in the projection rental market. The agreement sees Epson’s installation projectors added to mclcreate’s already extensive portfolio of hire supplies which include audio systems and camera kit as well projection solutions. The agreement currently includes Epson’s EB-L000 series of laser projectors, specifically the EB-L1405U and EB-L1505U, which are ideal for the live events and installation market thanks to their innovative laser light source. A culmination of extensive research, development and testing, the EB-L1000 series of projectors marked Epson’s move into a new era of installation projection. With game-changing laser technology and a range of flexible features they offer a minimal fuss and an almost no maintenance solution. The range allows rental companies as well as visitor attractions, di
Germany - Production Resource Group (PRG) organized its annual summit for the members of its global partner network programme – PRG Alliance – during the Prolight + Sound 2017 in Frankfurt. Currently in its third year, the PRG Alliance has 15 members in 28 countries delivering high quality technical production services worldwide. The theme for this meeting was Building on Success, and celebrated numerous collaboration projects among the members, including some from Italy, Poland, and Portugal. During the summit, they shared success case studies and discussed future initiatives to promote greater business and information exchange. “The PRG Alliance is praised by our clients and the market in general. What started with a recognition of PRG partners three years ago, today is a substantial network of remarkable companies – and the largest resource pool
Spain - Milab Microphones has announced that The Deep Sound has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Milab products in Spain. “We are very happy to present The Deep Sound as our official partner in Spain,” says Mattias Strömberg, marketing manager for Milab. “They are an established company in the Spanish pro audio business and have the technical knowledge and customer base that I believe will make them a perfect fit for Milab.” Sergio Serrano, business manager for The Deep Sound says, "Our greatest ambition is to always put the needs of our clients first and to provide the best personalized solution for every situation. Our partnership with Milab will make our position on the Spanish market even stronger.'' The Deep Sound, located in Madrid, has been dedicated to professional audio for more than 30 years. The company offers a wide range of se
South Africa - DWR Distribution has joined up with Phil Blue from Green Hippo UK, to present a one day training session at their Cape Town (2 May), Durban (3 May) and Johannesburg (5 May) offices. The hands-on workshops will cover topics including Hippotizer Concepts & Terms, Hardware, HippoNet, Startup, Configuration, Output Manager, Media Manager and so much more. All delegates are requested to please bring their own Laptops along with the Green Hippo Programme on it. While the course is free of charge, booking is essential. Bookings can be done on-line via http://dwrdistribution.co.za/register/greenhippo/ (Jim Evans)
China - Building upon the English release in September 2016, global design and BIM software developer Vectorworks, Inc. has announced the release of the Chinese version of its Vectorworks 2017 software line, which includes Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Designer and Fundamentals. Part of a worldwide rollout, the Chinese language is the final installment to join other languages, including Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese and Spanish. To demonstrate the new technology features of Vectorworks 2017, Mad Macs Technology Distributions Limited, the Vectorworks distributor in China, will host a series of presentations across the country throughout April and May. Attendees of the launch events can enjoy free refreshments and will have the chance to win a free Vectorworks Fundamentals 2017 license. Space is limite
UK - An online auction of production and broadcast equipment which brought the curtain down at Fountain Studios raised over £670,000. The sale, organised by auctioneers Charterfields on behalf of Fountain Television, attracted worldwide interest with more than 450 bidders registering from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, USA, Italy and the Netherlands as well as the UK. Among the range of sound, lighting and camera equipment, the Calrec Apollo 72 fader digital audio console item led to the highest winning bid in excess of £85,000. Fountain Studios closed in December and is described as ‘the birthplace of TV talent shows’ after being home to some of the UK’s most popular programmes since the launch of ITV in 1955. They include TV classics such as On The Buses, Upstairs Downstairs and Opportunity Knocks to modern family favourit
UK - Source Distribution has taken on exclusive UK distributorship of Aphex Systems, makers of professional audio processors, preamplifiers and dynamics controllers. With an over 40-year history, beginning with the original Aural Exciter in 1975, Aphex equipment has become a standard presence in the racks of studios all over the World. The Aphex product range features powerful modern units evolved from popular classics of the past, incorporating many unique technologies pioneered over decades of research and development. These include the Channel Master Preamp & Input Processor, which includes many unique technologies making it an end-to-end solution for essential vocal and instrument recording and processing. In one rack space, it includes patented RPA tube preamp, EasyRider automatic compressor, patented logic-assisted gate, de-esser, and patented Aural Exciter a
USA - Fox Sports recently refitted Stage B at its Pico Studio in Los Angeles with nearly 100% Elation Professional products, an energy-efficient LED-based lighting system designed by award-winning Victor Fable with lighting supply by Kinetic Lighting. The new lighting system includes a host of Elation broadcast-optimized lights including one of Elation’s latest LED wash solutions, the Fuze Wash Z120, a PAR moving head with 120W RGBW COB LED engine. The Fuze light plays an important role in the install and is a fixture that LD Victor Fable is especially happy with. “I had given up on finding a light that had the same characteristics as a VL5, which has been a cornerstone of countless shows,” he says. “That changed when I was introduced to the Fuze Wash Z120.” On his search for a new colour-changing wash light with unique on-camera aesthetics yet one that was
Finland - International sound engineers Heikki Kervinen and Temi Kinnunen, have recently selected Allen & Heath’s dLive digital mixing system as their mixer of choice following their experiences of using the system over the touring season. Heikki, who owns his own PA company, Kervinen Sound, purchased a dLive S7000/DM64 system in preparation for touring commitments with rising solo artist, Erja Lyytinen and renowned blues guitarist, Heikki Silvennoinen. Heikki travelled with the dLive system managing FOH in venues across Europe. Similarly, Temi engineers for some of the top Finnish bands including Vilma Alina, Neljä Ruusua, and Robin. Temi has been mixing Vilma Alina on dLive for all of her festival and tour dates this season, culminating in a major concert at the legendary Tavastia Club in Helsinki, which is one of the oldest rock clubs in Europe. (Jim Ev
Spain - Celebrating 20 years as a Nexo rental house, BTM Sound in Spain has expanded its investment in STM Series sound reinforcement systems with a new order of line array modules, including the STM M28 ‘omnipurpose’ loudspeaker. Based in Girona, on the Costa Brava, BTM Sound bought its first Nexo PS Series cabinets in 1997, commencing a long-standing relationship with Nexo distributor Doscientos Veinte Sonido SL. Since then, BTM has invested in all Nexo’s major loudspeaker lines: Alpha, Geo S8, Geo T, Geo D, and Gwo S12, as well as the 45°N-12 line monitors. In 2014, it became the first rental company in Spain to adopt the STM Series, choosing the STM M28 as the main cabinet along with B112 bass and S118 subbass modules. “This is very modular equipment, which allows us to move from a small event to a super-concert,” says Xavier Morell of BTM. “First ther
Potter Magic - Harry Potter And The Cursed Child won a record-breaking nine gongs at the Olivier Awards in London. The stage follow-up to the world-famous wizard book saga picked up prizes including best new play, and best actor for Jamie Parker, who stars as Harry. Co-stars Noma Dumezweni (Hermione) and Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) won in the best supporting actress and actor categories respectively. John Tiffany took home the best director award for the J K Rowling adaptation, which had a total of 11 nominations. Scooping nine prizes - which also included set design, lighting, sound and costumes - meant the two-part spectacular became the most successful production in Oliviers history. Winner of the best sound design award was Gareth Fry, while the lighting award went to Neil Austin. Rock ‘n’ Roll - Family, friends and fans paid their fina
UK - Lighting and rigging dry hire specialist Nexus Dry Hire has received a £1m investment from Evolution Funding, The deal, which sees Evolution secure a 50% stake, will enable Nexus to invest heavily in new equipment, as well as expand its team, increase warehousing space, develop advanced testing areas and progress supplementary services such as transport and logistics. Established in 2015 by managing director Tom Agar, Nexus has successfully bridged the supply gap for providers of AV equipment, allowing customers to acquire the latest lighting and rigging equipment without endangering their balance sheets. Jeremy Levine, CEO of Evolution Funding joins Nexus as executive director to deliver strategic and investment expertise. He says, “Tom’s entrepreneurialism and business acumen attracted our attention. He has already built up a successful and well-resp
UK - Version 2 Lighting and LED specialists LED Creative supported the crew and BBC Studios Production Team for Red Nose day 2017. This year’s star studded fund raiser was broadcast live from Building Six at The O2, London where a stellar celebrity line up gave their time to help raise over £70m, money that will be put to work transforming lives across the UK and in some of the world’s poorest communities. Broadcast lighting providers, Version 2 worked closely with Lighting director Oli Richards and gaffer Mark Gardiner to create the vibrant, versatile installation, designed to easily handle instantaneous shifts between an eclectic mix of moods as the show switched between comedy, interview, musical performance and the ever important reports on the difference that Comic Relief is making in the world. Scenic designer Josh Grace worked with LED specialists LED
USA - Theatres of one kind or another have long played a role in the growth of Christ Community Church. Just before Christmas 1984, the suburban Chicago church, which was founded by four couples, held its first service in a rented movie theatre. Christ Community has since grown into a thriving four-campus house of worship that draws 5,000 people to its weekend services. However, a theatre, albeit of a different kind, still occupies an important spot in the church’s mission. Over the past decade, Christ Community has been successfully engaging young people with its Hub Theatre, a student ministry meeting and worship area on its original St. Charles campus. Recently, the church took steps to make this space more relevant to teens by updating its lighting system with all-new Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by JR Lighting Design of Tinley Park, IL. “We had been
