UK - A new venue has just opened its doors in Chavasse Park in Liverpool, with décor inspired by a New England-style Hamptons beach house, so it is fitting that the sound system that was chosen by systems integrator Adlib was Bose. Coincidentally, Bose has its global headquarters in Boston, New England's gateway city in the US, so whilst it may seem unconnected, there is a neat synergy to the coming together of style and sound.

The Club House, a flagship venue owned and operated by New World Trading Company (NWTC) comprises a 200 capacity split level restaurant, bar, private dining, beer tasting room, and a huge outdoor area with a bar and BBQ, catering for an additional 400 covers, so the audio system had to deliver on looks, coverage and audio quality both inside and out. The striking interior features white panelled walls and an entrance foyer leading to a grand stai

UK - TAIT Stage Technologies provided the automation for a revival of Harold Pinter's The Caretaker as it begins its run at the Old Vic London.

When it premiered in 1960, The Caretaker helped change the face of modern theatre. Now, Harold Pinter's ground-breaking classic comes to The Old Vic in a new production directed by Olivier and Tony Award winning Matthew Warchus.

Ensuring the artistic vision of Rob Howell and Simon York, (set designers) the show makes full use of TAIT Stage Technologies BT2-290 winches to raise the roof of Aston's eclectic, junk-filled flat on one miserable rainy evening. Rising 5 meters above stage the specially crafted roof weighs 750 kg and is suspended over the stage throughout the entire production.

Ted Moore, director of rental services at TAIT Stage Technologies, comments, "Whenever we are approached by the Old Vic we know i

UK - PRS for Music Foundation, a leading charitable funder of new music and talent development across all genres, has launched the latest initiative in its Flash Funding programme.

Last week, music creators were able to apply for The Performance Fund, which is in association with Wigwam Acoustics and Musicians' Union and offers four emerging UK artists and bands access to bespoke monitoring packages (such as in-ear monitoring, microphones, control systems) worth up to £10k to ensure consistently great sound across live dates, plus advice and training on touring, promotional support and an additional £375 for touring costs.

This edition of Flash Funding recognises that the costs of touring for emerging musicians are not always being met by live income streams. In offering financial tour support, The Performance Fund will fast-track careers at a crucial early sta

South Africa - The vibrancy and creativity of African fashion designers adorned the runway at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg, by African Fashion International (AFI), from 10 to 12 March at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. Lighting designer Mauritz Jacobs from Dream Sets has become part and parcel of this anticipated event for the past eight years.

"This year I tried something completely different," explained Mauritz. "We used 16 Robe ColorWash 2.5 K and 16 Robin 800 LEDWash to do the job, enabling the correct lighting for photographers while still adding colour changers and strobe effects." Programming was on a grandMA2 full size.

Mauritz used colour for backlighting. "We purely outlined the models from the back which worked very well while still using the desired colour temperatures, particularly for photographers, for the front."

With the audience sitting

Europe - French loudspeaker manufacturers Active Audio and APG confirmed at ProLight+Sound 2016 the signing of a strategic alliance. While both brands will remain independent in their respective activities - and through distribution channels - Active Audio will continue to focus on the Public Address market while APG will still cater for live events and large venue installations. The decision to join forces will foster critical synergies between both companies in R&D, production, financing and ultimately global reach.

As a result, with immediate effect. Active Audio will now hold 60% of APG shares while APG's historical shareholders, Jean-Luc Moncel, Philippe Frarier and Grégory Dapsanse, will hold the majority of the remaining shares.

Commenting on the agreement, Régis Cazin enthused, "All stakeholders at APG and Active Audio feel elated to have this new all

UK - No less than nine DiGiCo SD series mixing consoles formed the backbone of the audio production at the annual Brit Awards, held at London's O2 Arena on 2 February.

The event's audio production management - headed up by Colin Pink - crew, control and loudspeaker systems were provided by Britannia Row Productions. The complex sound requirements of a televised major awards event, with performances by some of contemporary music's highest profile acts were handled easily by the DiGiCo consoles.

Not only were DiGiCo consoles chosen to mix the live performances, as well as the presenter and warm up acts, but seven of the 11 winners on the night are regular DiGiCo users.

Two SD7s were installed at the Front of House position, which were used to mix live performances by Adele, James Bay, Coldplay and Justin Bieber, with all four regular DiGiCo users winning awards on the ni

UK - Located just a stone's throw away from the hallowed turf of Nottingham Forest Football Ground, Trent Bridge cricket ground, Nottingham Rugby Club and Notts County's Meadow Lane Ground, The Southbank Bar in Nottingham is a mecca for any sports fan heading into Nottingham's city centre. Part of the Great Northern Inns group, The Southbank Bar is the latest within the group to receive a sophisticated AV refit in order to provide the best quality sports coverage.

As part of the recent refurbishment, Great Northern Inns turned to local AV specialists Cable Guys to provide an audio visual experience that would impress customers. The AV needed to deliver outstanding sports coverage and live entertainment to every inch of the bar. Cable Guys exceeded the client's expectation by installing over 24 screens, video walls and televisions to distribute high definition live sports cover

USA - The Media Networking Alliance (MNA) - the professional AV industry alliance established to promote awareness and uptake of AES67 - has announced that Calrec, Cymatic and NTP Technology are the latest leading international pro-audio and broadcast technology companies to join the alliance.

Celebrating 50 years in the audio industry, Calrec Audio is a leading manufacturer of audio broadcast mixing consoles, relied upon by the world's most successful broadcasters.

Calrec technical director Patrick Warrington explains the rational behind the company's decision to join the alliance, "AES67 is a call to arms for technology manufacturers in the crowded AoIP community. The adoption of AES67 is about giving our customers tools to do their jobs more efficiently, and the Media Networking Alliance exists to help promote that vision, as well as to provide education in this new are

UK - Leading provider of professional AV equipment, Audiologic has secured the exclusive UK distribution for Ely-based Spectra Displays. Spectra manufactures an extensive range of LED displays, signs, video displays and LCD media panels suitable for a large range of applications.

As Audiologic continues to expand the scope and facility of its AV operation, this relationship adds a significant and high-quality range of products to its visual provision, whilst for Spectra, entering a partnership with an established, well-connected AV distributor is set to open up and grow new markets. Audiologic's engineering and technical focus on customer needs and correct specification aligns perfectly with Spectra's own ethos in this respect and the potential for mutual advantage is clearly evident.

Andy Lewis, Sales & Marketing Manager for Audiologic comments on what he clearly sees as

Germany - Lawo's VSM Broadcast Control System is heavily used as part of the TV and entertainment system on board of the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas. US shipping company Royal Caribbean International is currently building this third member of its Quantum Class vessels at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

On board, VSM is used as the overall control system for the vessel's own TV system with 36 IPTV channels as well as routing of all cameras of the entertainment areas, like musical theatres or night-clubs. The Finnish systems integrator TV Tools Oy is responsible for the implementation.

It is common to all Quantum Class ships that all TV signals on board are processed in HD quality. As an independent control system, VSM easily integrates with all relevant technology on the ship in order to produce, route and transmit the TV-Signals as well as providing material in the th

India - International theatre consultancy practice, Theatreplan, has been selected to provide auditorium, conference centre and technology design services for Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir (VCM), the world's tallest temple under construction in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Vrindavan is the birthplace of Krishna and the spiritual capital of India. The project is the result of 30 years of work and investment by ISCKON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) who are managing the design and construction process.

ISCKON has built a design team with some of the world's leading design firms. Theatreplan was selected for its "world class pedigree, collaborative and creative approach" to auditorium planning and technology design.

According to Theatreplan's project director for VCM, Brad Maiden, "This project presents a unique opportunity for Theatreplan to emba

UK - The University of Cambridge celebrates its cultural and scientific heritage by playing host to e-Luminate, a week-long lighting festival aimed at connecting art and technology through the medium of light. Among the highlights of this year's event was a richly coloured lighting display on historic Guildhall that was created with a collection Iluminarc fixtures from Chauvet.

A Victorian style natural stone building located in the centre of historic Cambridge and owned by the city, Guildhall provided an ideal backdrop for the interplay of vivid hues produced by the Colorist Pod 7Qa and Colorist Panel 8Q. Strategically positioned on the building's balcony by lighting designer Simon Cox, the RGBA fixtures accented the distinctive architectural features of the popular Cambridge landmark.

"The E-Luminate festival aims to highlight new energy efficient lighting technology usi

South Africa - Over 127 schools were invited to attend a Careers Day on 7 April, hosted by Silverstar in Krugersdorp - the focus on employment opportunities available within this casino. DWR Distribution was asked to be a sponsor and exhibitor, giving students the opportunity to consider working in the entertainment industry as a technician. The conference venue became a haven for 500 students, hungry for knowledge.

Thabo Ntsala, multimedia manager at Silverstar, who heads technical for events and conferences, was clearly chuffed. "Silverstar have hosted a day like this before on a much smaller scale," he said. Thabo explained that students would be exposed to various professions including marketing, events management and promotions and more.

As Silverstar is a popular venue for live entertainment and conferences, Thabo invited DWR Distribution to be part of the project, e

UK - The growing demand for line array systems has led West Midlands based MG Event & Sound to add an FBT Muse system to its hire equipment line-up.

MG's customer base is spread across the UK and includes both corporate and commercial as well as church and music events. The company offers both hire and installation services and has previously sold and installed FBT systems including Vertus, Verve, Mitus and J Series, so when proprietor, Mike Godden, decided he wanted to add a line array to his hire line-up, FBT was immediately on his list of potential purchases.

"I've been dealing with FBT for 18 years, previously for products that I have been selling and they've always impressed me. I wanted to have a line array in our inventory to enable us to take on bigger jobs, but I didn't need a huge system costing a vast amount of money. I wanted to deal with a manufacturer with go

USA - Rock veterans and 39-year touring pros Toto released their latest studio album, XIV. Since then, they have been steadily touring the world in support of the release. For the very first time, keyboardist David Paich has been taking the stage with in-ear monitors - The Sensaphonics 3D AARO Active Ambient system. Keyboard tech Jordan Rippe is also using the 3D system throughout the show.

Of course, nearly every major tour relies on IEMs, but like many old-school rockers, David Paich had never taken to the technology. But with side stage responsibilities for two keyboard rigs - David Paich and synthesist Steve Porcaro - Rippe decided it was time to step up his own IEM game, which is how he learned about the 3D AARO.

"As tour tech for both David and Steve, there's a lot to do," he recounts. "I talked to my friends around L.A. about in-ears and mostly heard the usua

UK - Perhaps it was the ushers dressed as beekeepers, maybe it was the rustic soundscape on the way into the venue, or that tens of thousands of the principle players weren't actually in the building. Whatever, as live performance experiences go this one looked like it was going to be a bit of a honey. And with TiMax SoundHub dynamic spatialisation, a 15.2 KV2 surround system and layered projection screens there was promise of quite the memorable multi-sensory experience.

Be Play One was an ambitious live reprieve at Nottingham Arts Centre of the Wolfgang Buttress-inspired sound and music-scape created for the UK Milan Expo 2015 pavilion, as part of his massive beehive and meadow installation which sought to highlight the significance and plight of bees in our food chain and ecology. The show played for two nights to sold-out audiences and received quietly rapturous rev

USA - Following the success of Halestorm's third studio album Into the Wild, the Grammy-Award winning band returns to the road for a rock tour that takes high-octane energy and powerful female voices, including special guests Lita Ford and Dorothy, and combines it all into one epic event.

Bandit Lites is providing a lighting package that brings mind-blowing visuals to Halestorm's hardcore sound. By using Clay Paky Sharpys, GLP X4S fixtures within black truss towers (evoking a modern, updated look to par ACL Bars), Martin Atomic 3000 Strobes, Bandit 5x5s and GRNLite LED Battens, lighting designer Julie Cox focused on creating a rig that could "push fixture capability instead of quantity", adding, "The fixtures are in their highest effect settings to really up the visual options."

New to this year's tour design was the addition of the Bandit 5x5s, a fixture that Cox s

China - Nexo's newly-installed public address solutions in one of the world's most modern airports have exceeded targets and expectations. Now up and running in the Mid-Field Concourse of the Hong Kong International Airport (Chep Lak Kok), the PA installation is the culmination of a six-year process, and is being described as a game-changer for public address intelligibility, quality and user experience.

The Mid-Field Concourse (MFC) is a new building which adds 30 gates to Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Initiated by the Hong Kong Airport Authority, the MFC is a key component of the airport's expansion plans, which include the opening of a third runway and Terminal.

In 2011, acoustics and AV consultant Arup Hong Kong started the process of defining a future-proof strategy and design for the MFC's public address capability, looking at all acoustic, technological an

Taiwan - As one of the most influential Buddhist organisations in the world, Taiwan's Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) embraces environmental protection within its Buddhist practices.

For two recent events - the second Global Followers Assembly and the annual Great Compassion Water and Land Dharma Service - DDM employed modern digital technology and LED lighting to conserve energy and reduce pollution, seamlessly integrating advanced science and art into their traditional ceremonies. ETC's Taiwanese dealer, Ming Li Engineering & Consultant Co, provided ColorSource and Source Four LED Series 2 luminaires and an Eos family control system to light up the two great events.

Both the Global Assembly and the Dharma Service were held at the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education in Taiwan. Approximately 10,000 followers from around the world attended the 2015 Global Assembly, and after

Czech Republic - Czech PA company, MB Agency, has invested in Allen & Heath's dLive digital mixing system as part of an upgrade to its hire stock.

The system was used for the first time when MB Agency was appointed by the Czech Forestry Association to manage the technical production of its 20th Anniversary Gala Ball, which took place recently at the cultural venue, Aldis, in the city of Hradec Kr

Copyright Row - Led Zeppelin founders Robert Plant and Jimmy Page must face trial in a copyright row over the song Stairway to Heaven, a US court has ruled. A Los Angeles district judge said there were enough similarities between the song and an instrumental by the band Spirit to let a jury decide. The trial has been scheduled for 10 May.

Stairway to Heaven, released in 1971, is widely seen as one of the greatest rock compositions of all time. The copyright infringement action has been brought by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe, who played on the same bill as Led Zeppelin in the 1960s, and claims he should be given a writing credit on the track. Led Zeppelin guitarist Page and lead singer Plant are reputed to have written the track in a remote cottage in Wales.

By Royal Appointment - Kylie Minogue will perform for

Italy - Japan's view of the world and the beauty of its nature has been displayed across seven giant pillars installed at Milano Salone 2016 - created using 140 Panasonic 55" inch professional video wall displays.

The installation is designed with the theme of K?KAN - the Invention of Space and sees 140 TH-55LFV5 panels arranged into seven pillars each over six metres high. It combines the traditional culture of Japan with state-of-the-art technology.

Milano Salone attracts approximately 310,000 visitors and 160 participating countries each year. It has a strong influence on the design industry as a launch pad for the latest global design trends. In recent years, it has evolved beyond its role as a design exhibition and is drawing attention as a platform of expression for many brands.

(Jim Evans)

Brazil - NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, has selected Lawo to provide VSM (Virtual Studio Manager) broadcast control and monitoring solution for its production of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, which take place in Rio de Janeiro in August. The production will also utilize Lawo's innovative IP Commentary System. The announcement was made today by Timothy Canary, vice president of engineering, NBC Sports Group.

With the selection of Lawo's VSM and its LCU, Lawo's IP Commentary System, NBC Olympics will implement new, enhanced control flexibility at both the NBC Olympics production compound within the International Broadcast Centre in Rio, and for the NBC Olympics' studios in Stamford, Conn.

VSM will be the overall control system for NBC Olympics' core routing and tally management, connecting to multiple 3rd party devices on an IP backbone, utilizing approx

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