Europe - Robe has introduced Cuete, a moving head spot light fixture designed for use in small- to medium-sized productions, performance spaces or installations. Cuete’s features include fast pan and tilt movement that is so essential for lighting all genres of electronic music, for highlighting the creative work of DJs and enhancing club environments. “Creating dynamic effects and projections is quick and simple with the Cuete, which offers a quality CMY colour mixing system and an impressive 4,200-lumen output of sharp, clear white light, making it stand out on any lighting rig,” says Robe. To achieve this output and maintain the light quality and consistency across any lighting rig or inventory, Cuete utilises Robe’s patented TE 120W White LED Engine which is at the core of the manufacturer’s Transferable Engine technology. The Cuete’s 16°
USA - Dallas Theatre Centre has selected the CO-8WD waterproof headset microphones from Point Source Audio for its challenging outdoor production of Working: A Musical, based on Studs Terkel’s bestselling book and with original songs by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked!), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights), James Taylor and others. Staged at the start of July, the production was Dallas Theatre Centre’s first to a live audience since March 2020. Working showcases the voices of teachers, waiters, truck drivers, and other essential workers, so the production sound quality needed to be befitting in recognition of their vital service day in and day out. Away from the sound quality, one of the main considerations behind the choice for the CO-8WD was the setting for the production. “This show is outdoors, in Texas, in the middle of
South Africa - Founded in 1998 in Witbank, Heritage of Faith Ministries International (HOFMI) started out as a slab of concrete, four walls and a tin roof. The intervening years have seen the church grow and develop into an auditorium that can seat up to 500 people, and more recently implement technology solutions to enable broadcast capture and playout. Stage Audio Works has been a key partner in the technological development of HOFMI for the last several years, the most recent being the implementation of a StreamWorks end-to-end streaming solution to allow direct communication with HOFMI’s associate church in Fort Worth, TX, USA. The experience was completed with a 5760mm x 3360mm Pixel Plus Xcell-i LED wall which forms an impressive backdrop to the stage. HOFMI technical director Matt Ratcliffe reports, “Our first engagement with Stage Audio Works was when we up
UK - The Kingshakes, an old-school neo rockabilly band has kicked off its post-pandemic gig calendar. Van Damme cables have been at the core of every performance, most recently at the Hot Rod and Custom Car Show in Peterborough. Formed in 2013 The Kingshakes are a three-piece ensemble, consisting of guitarist Andy Kandil, drummer Steve Clark and double bass player Dan Clark. Prior to the global COVID-19 outbreak, they played all over the world and across the UK. Dan Clark explains: “I’ve been using Van Damme cables since I was in my teens. I was trying out lots of different equipment and found that all Van Damme leads and jacks were exceptional. Ever since that day, all of the wiring inside my double bass has been Van Damme. I’ve never used anything else because the brand has never let me down - the leads have never broken, and none of the ends have come loose.
Dominican Republic - The Voice Dominicana, a singing national competition and part of the international TV series, has begun airing on the island’s Telesistema 11 with a large roster of Claypaky fixtures lighting the show. The series features a panel of four coaches who critique and guide the artists' performances throughout the season. As part of a worldwide franchise, The Voice Dominicana was tasked with maintaining the high broadcast standards of the series while showcasing the Dominican Republic’s unique musical style. AV equipment supplier and Claypaky distributor BM Eventos (BME), which also designed the stage set, provided 24 Mythos 2 spots, 36 A.leda B-EYE K20s, 20 Stormy CC strobes, 60 Glow Up battery-operated luminaires, 24 Show Batten 100 LED moving bars, and two Axcor Spot 300s. “When I was invited by Edwin Belliard of BME to parti
UK - As the official technology supplier-sound for Ascot Racecourse, Bose Professional technology was part of this year’s Royal Ascot meeting. The audio solution is bespoke, consisting of almost 1,000 surface-mount and in-ceiling loudspeakers throughout the racecourse, promenade and other public areas, including 250 private boxes. Founded on a bedrock of tradition more than 300 years in the making, racing first took place in 1711 at the behest of Queen Anne in the Berkshire countryside approximately six miles from Windsor Castle. With more than 600,000 visitors each year during the usual 26 days of racing, Ascot Racecourse reimagined what a world-class race day experience should be. “Bose innovation has allowed us to take people on a journey,” stated Craig Staddon, head of sales at Ascot. “Since we began working with Bose, our guests repeatedly tell us the audi
Gibraltar - Pixel Artworks’ recently completed, immersive visitor experience at St Michael’s Cave on the Rock of Gibraltar, features a TiMax SoundHub-controlled spatial audio solution to complement the intricate projection-mapped visual show. The spectacular mixed-media show, created deep within the caves themselves, vividly charts the formation of Gibraltar, for visitors to the country’s most distinguishing feature, the rock itself. The ambitious project was commissioned by WrightTech Media, a local digital marketing solutions company. Viewing the final project before the attraction’s June opening, WrightTech Media director, Christian Wright, underlined the vital dimension audio adds to the visual element of the project, commenting, “The lighting is amazing, the projection is incredible, but the audio takes it to another level. There has never been a
USA - Shuttered since March 2020, Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre in Wilmington, NC enjoyed a spectacular reopening on 29 June 2021, with the first performance of Florida-based blues rock band, the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Martin Audio MLA Compact PA was selected by the artists themselves for its control technology, that would afford the capability of avoiding slap-back from the highly reflective building fascia behind the FOH mix position. This was supplied by Martin Audio rental partner RMB Audio, based in Raleigh, NC. The 1200-cap amphitheatre seating rises 11.6ft above the stage and at a distance of 95ft is the cinema booth, situated directly behind the audio engineer. Reflections from behind generally impair the engineer’s assessment of the mix. However, Martin Audio’s Display predictive software was employed from the stage position, the audience start and el
Italy - Based in Conversano, Bari, TeleNorba SPA has been one of Italy’s principal TV broadcasters since RadioNorba TV production began in 2012. The main studio at its headquarters, used for all TV production, was recently fitted with innovative new lighting effects from GLP - including KNV Dot and impression FR1 - supplied by its Italian distributor, Alto Lighting Srl. Alto Lighting has enjoyed an extremely good relationship with RadioNorba. “Therefore, when they started to think about the new studio, we were asked to provide support with the lighting,” said Alto Lighting CEO, Cristiano Perandini. He emphasised that since the studio was only three metres high, it had not been possible to create conventional beam effects. Therefore, designer Massimo Pascucci, one of Italy’s most experienced LD’s and DoP’s, looked no further than GLP’s KNV Dot modula
Spain - Higher education institutions had to rethink their education model and adapt to hybrid learning during the past year as COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. Pompeu Fabra University (UPF- Universidad Pompeu Fabra), selected Shure’s Microflex Ecosystem products as the best solution across campus to meet the needs and requirements of a successful hybrid learning concept. The UPF, established in 1990 and awarded as the 10th Best Young University in the world in the Times Higher Education World University listings, required a complete overhaul of the old AV system, which had only held physical classes. The adoption of hybrid learning across the Pompeu Fabra campus now means that all lessons are catered for by a cutting-edge AV system that exceeds audio requirements and provides the best possible learning experience for academics and students alike. For the ambitious
USA - A cheering crowd of more than 75,000 witnessed a choreographed Independence Day drone show in the Cincinnati suburb city of Blue Ash, as Verge Aero’s drones displayed patriotic symbols in the night sky. Two hundred Verge Aero drones were programmed to deliver a coordinated display, which included a 300ft wide ‘waving’ American flag as the National Anthem began. Verge Aero’s director of show operations, Mason Hayes, piloted the drone fleet. It was all part of the Red, White & Blue Ash show, held at the city of Blue Ash’s Summit Park. Brian Kruse, director of parks and recreation for the City of Blue Ash, says: “The incredible accuracy and scope of the drone displays is something you just have to witness in person. Only then do you realise how large the displays are and the remarkable pin-point accuracy needed to make the shapes move li
Portugal - The Teatro Nacional de São João (TNSJ) in Oporto, has increased its inventory of Robert Juliat Dalis Access 863 cyclorama lighting with the addition of a further 20 units after a comprehensive tender process which saw the Dalis Access fixtures hold their winning position against a number of alternative options. The purchase brings TNSJ’s total complement of Dalis Access 863 units to 34. This is more than sufficient to cover the theatre’s 12m x 9m cyclorama cloth and back wall from floor- and grid-mounted positions, plus fill in as ‘ribalta’ lighting when required. “Dalis Access is a very versatile tool which can be used as both cyclorama and footlight,” explains TNSJ’s lighting department coordinator, Filipe Pinheiro. “This is a real advantage for multi-purpose theatres with an eclectic programme of shows, conferences, debates and dance, a
Spain - An ancient olive oil factory near Seville was brought to life by lighting designer Yaron Abulafia in May, as contemporary Flamenco piece Agua was performed with a specially rigged array of fixtures from Vari-Lite. Billed as a ‘visual piece that drifts between dance, visual theatre, and art installation’, Agua was performed at the ‘La Aceitera’ space by Israeli artist Adva Yer in collaboration with Andrés Marín. As the title suggests, it is a water-inspired piece that explores movement, colour, texture and sound – with a nod to the famous Matisse painting The Swimming Pool. Leading the Vari-Lite luminaires was the VL5LED Wash, which beamed rich colour combinations across the derelict space, complemented by VL2600 Wash fixtures. A team of VLZ Profileand VL2600 Profile luminaires added front light and effects, with sidelight from the SL B
Finland - Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (New Music Contest), is an annual event in which Finland’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest is selected in a live broadcast by Finnish television viewers and an international UMK jury. This year’s Finals on 20 February marked the show’s 10th anniversary. The evening was broadcast live in four languages from Mediapolis TV studios in Tampere and televised on Yle TV1 to an audience of 1.7m viewers, breaking all records. Lighting designer, Pekka Martti of Aku’s Factory, turned to MDG haze generators to breathe life into his lighting design, using its pure white haze to show off a range of visuals that created a different look and mood for each of the seven contestants. With the help of MDG’s Finnish distributor, MSONIC Oy, Martti selected an MDG ATMe haze generator and an MDG theONE dual haze and fog generator for t
The Netherlands - The new Collection Centre of The Netherlands, or CC NL, is one of the most extraordinary repositories anywhere. Four different museums in The Netherlands, including the world-renown Rijksmuseum, use the new facility as a storehouse for a large proportion of their collections. The art archive is celebrating with a piece of art of its own, a permanent light installation across multiple façades of the building created by light artist Herman Kuijer using Elation Proteus Rayzor 760 luminaires. In 2018, Kuijer, known for light installations around The Netherlands since the late 1970s, visited the Elation booth at the ISE fair in Amsterdam, where initial discussions of the project took place with Elation key account manager for Benelux Bert Schmeits. During a subsequent visit to the Elation showroom in Kerkrade, it became clear to the artist that he could realiz
Japan - Yokohama Stadium has selected RCF as its sound reinforcement system for both sports and entertainment events. The stadium is one of the venues of the Summer Olympics and one of the leading sports facilities in Japan. It is primarily used for baseball as the home field of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. International artists who have performed at the stadium include Santana, David Bowie, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. Yokohama Stadium started in 1876 as a cricket ground. In 1929, it was reconstructed as a baseball stadium with 15,000 seats to host the country's most popular participatory and spectator sport. Then in 1978, Yokohama Stadium was rebuilt as the first multi-purpose stadium in Japan, officially named Yokohama Stadium. After a complete renovation started in 2018, Yokohama Stadium was selected as the venue for 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, postponed
USA - Last July in the middle of the pandemic, Northlands, a popular concert venue in rural New Hampshire began life as Drive In Live, offering fans a chance to enjoy live music from their cars. Today, with lockdown restriction easing, the site has changed its name and policy, allowing customers to take in shows by national acts from 10’ x 10’ pods following CDC safety protocols. The new setup creates a more engaging environment for enjoying live music, according to Brian Courchine, lighting designer at Northlands. Also enhancing the fan experience this season is a lighting rig that has been upgraded with the addition of eight Chauvet Professional Maverick Storm1 Wash fixtures. “As an outdoor venue, we placed a lot of importance on the Storm 1 Wash’s IP65 rating,” said Courchine, noting that the RGBW units are hung on downstage truss. “But the benefits go w
Korea - TechDataPS Co and Yeong Sound recently collaborated to equip Joodasan Church’s newest location with a high-quality, easy-to-operate live sound system featuring JBL Professional, Crown and Soundcraft audio solutions. Built in 2014, the chapel at Hwaseong-si in Gyeonggi-do province is the third facility constructed by Joodasan Church. With around 2,200 seats, including two-story balcony sections, the 1,500sq.m worship space regularly hosts a wide variety of spiritual events, in addition to musical performances and youth Sunday school. In order to accommodate the large space and growing community, the church needed a high-quality and easy-to-use sound reinforcement system capable of projecting consistently clear audio throughout the worship space. To meet these goals, TechDataPS partnered with Yeong Sound to design and install a complete Harman Professional aud
USA - A new addition to the San Diego skyline, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park was built to host open-air concerts by the San Diego Symphony. The sheer size of the bayside structure - 57ft high, 92ft wide at stage front - makes it amenable to hosting large productions while enabling orchestra musicians to hear and respond to one other as well as they would in a top-tier concert hall. To create an optimum acoustical listening environment that can be fine-tuned for various performances, a Meyer Sound Constellation system has been installed inside the shell - making it the first Constellation system designed for stage acoustics in an outdoor venue. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park opens 6 August. Pre-opening rehearsals and online concerts have elicited effusive praise from orchestra principals. “The sound onstage is unbelievable,” San Diego Symphony music director Ra
Israel - Singer-songwriter Hanan Ben Ari kickstarted his tour in April after a long hiatus during COVID-19 lockdown, selling out the biggest venues in Israel. Hanan was the fourth most listened artist in Israel on Spotify at the end of last year and is now back on tour with his band. The tour's lighting rig was designed by Ronen Najar, co-designer at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. The tour features twenty-four Prolights Pixie WashXB spread around the back truss, giving depth and a range of colours to the show. “I was looking for a lighting fixture that will be small in dimension without compromising on quality,” said Najar. “The Pixiewash XB had all the qualities I was looking for - perfect size, a very wide range of colours, great light output and precision when working with it.” The Pixie WashXB has 280W single lens RGB and warm white source, with
USA - Created in 2015 by the merger of two churches, worship at South Carolina’s Hope Church ranges from high energy music to spoken word sermons. A recent enlargement of its Simpsonville campus provided the opportunity to upgrade its audio system. An Alcons Audio pro-ribbon system provided a blend of power and clarity. The expansion of the single-story Simpsonville building enlarged the room’s depth by around 70ft and added gallery seating at the back, providing a total of 700 seats. The existing audio system was not adequate to cover the newly enlarged space with high quality sound for all styles of worship, so the church contacted AVL Solutions (AVLS), based in nearby Greenville, for help. “A challenge for the sound design was the pitched roof, which ranges from 15ft at the sides to more than 18ft in the centre,” says Chris Craine, AVLS designer / director
The Netherlands - The 2021 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) which took place at the Rotterdam Ahoy in The Netherlands last month, was coordinated under the direction of a team of experts with decades of experience. Among them were ESC head of broadcast sound Thijs Peters and ESC head of venue sound Jeroen ten Brinke, long-time, consistent users of the DPA brand. The show’s design team was further supported by Ampco Flashlight, the official technical supplier for lighting, rigging and audio, which provided one-hundred 4088 Directional Headsets and 40 d:facto 4018V Vocal Microphones from DPA Microphones for all of the show’s vocal performances. “I have over 25 years’ experience as a live sound engineer and designer, and I have been using DPA since it was B&K; the d:factos are great-sounding mics,” says ten Brinke. “It was an honour to work on Eurovision, o
Australia - The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra touts an impressive resume – not just due to its seven robust academic colleges of study, but because it is also connected to the Australian Government by way of its position across the river from Capital Hill, where parliament is located. The university often hosts high-profile meetings in the Mills Room, an ornate conferencing space featuring Tasmanian blackwood woodworking and capable of hosting up to 54 people. Located in the ANU Chancelry Tower, these meetings can include high ranking members of the government, making the Mills Room a premiere location of importance on campus. Because of its design and the fact that is has served as the location of significant ANU meetings since 1964, the meeting space is deemed by the university to have heritage significance. However, after decades in service, the
USA - Bluegrass and orchestral music might come from vastly different places, but the two genres can happily share the same lighting rig, provided it has enough versatility designed into it. This was readily apparent on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville this Independence Day weekend, as foot stomping shows by Greensky Bluegrass were followed by a rousing performance by the award -winning Louisville Orchestra. Taking place at the city’s Waterfront Park, the bluegrass and orchestral shows were supported by a powerful and flexible rig anchored by 14 Maverick Storm 1 Wash and six Maverick MK3 Spot fixtures from Chauvet Professional. Supplied by C&H Audio Visual Services (the event’s production company), the IP16 rated RGBW washes were evenly spaced across 40ft downstage truss. The high output 820-watt spot fixtures, which were rented from 4Wall Entertainmen
