USA - St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan features a 250-capacity sanctuary replete with stained glass windows, smooth white walls, and an ornate baptismal font. It was built in the 1910s and continues to serve as a cornerstone of Catholic social life in Kalamazoo An outdated sound reinforcement system made it difficult to understand what was being said during St. Joseph’s services. Local AV integration firm, Sound Connections Group, remedied the problem with the installation of a single Danley SM96 loudspeaker. “St. Joseph Catholic Church had a handful of old loudspeakers in place that were blasting the room and walls with sound and adding chaos to the already poor acoustics,” explained Sound Connections group founder and owner Duane Davi. “To make matters far worse, the church’s priest, Father Antony, is a native of India. His accent made the
USA - Like many DJs, Brent Schmidt who has been side-lined by the Covid-19 lockdown, has taken to streaming performances every week, partly to stay busy, partly to reach out to friends and fans in his community. In the process, thanks in part to their attractive visuals, his livestreamed shows have actually resulted in new business. Sporting catchy titles like the Six Feet Apart Party, Schmidt’s streams emanate from his home studio. From a production standpoint, this ‘venue’ is a far cry from the rooms that he has worked while lighting major conferences like SkySprout, or touring with celebrated TV magician Rick Smith Jr. Still, Schmidt strives to give these online shows at least a basic level of production looks. “I love doing these streams, and I think it’s great that other DJ are going on line to do this kind of thing,” he said. “In my vie
Belgium - CC de Warandepoort Theatre in Tervuren near Brussels took delivery of Elation Fuze Profile luminaires shortly before performance venues went dark in March and looks forward to using the new full-colour framing moving heads on a variety of productions once the theatre can again welcome patrons to its stage. Warandepoort Theatre is a 370-seat performance arts venue and the cultural centre of the municipality of Tervuren, presenting both modern and classic theatre, concerts, comedy, dance, film, and the occasional corporate or community event. Although many of the productions the theatre hosts carry their own equipment, according to Alexander Remmerswaal, technician at the theatre, many do not. “When that is the case, we are glad to step in with technical support by providing our own equipment,” he says, clarifying that there is little budget for renting in
Germany - Hippotizer Media Servers were recently chosen to drive the visuals for the Cyber-Gen ShockWave tour. Featuring a line-up of Deutsch-rap and R&B artists signed to the Cyber-Gen music label, including YouTube stars TJ Beastboy, Young Mokuba, Wavvyboi and others, the tour played dates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland - and sold out in under 28 hours. Lighting designer Otto Schildknecht asked Emanuel Jörgner to programme and operate the show’s video and lighting elements. “Because we needed a high performance server, which would ensure all the live notch FX ran smoothly, we chose the Boreal+,” says Jörgner. “The other good reason for choosing the Boreal+ was the fact that we could deform the content with the FX library.” The display setup consisted of a 8m x 2.3m, 16mm pixel pitch LED wall positioned upstage, with alternative configurations fo
USA - For fans of Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Horned Frogs football team, this school year’s Big 12 conference football season was bigger and bolder than ever thanks to the kick-off of a $118m expansion of the Fort Worth campus’ Amon G. Carter Stadium. Among its many improvements, the first phase of this multi-year initiative notably involved a significant upgrade of the nearly 50,000-capacity stadium’s video and audio facilities, including a new L-Acoustics K1/Kara loudspeaker system designed and installed by local integrator Electro Acoustics (EA). According to EA Account Manager Ryan Walker, who has been with the firm for 20 years, the project actually marked the second L-Acoustics system to be installed on TCU’s campus. In 2015, the company installed a Kara loudspeaker system paired with SB18i subs at the school’s Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium,
Thailand - To create an immersive AV solution for a wide range of events, Mahajak Development Co equipped Modena By Fraser Buriram Hotel with a Harman Professional Solutions networked audio system. Located within walking distance of the Chang International Circuit racetrack and Chang Arena football stadium, the Modena By Fraser Buriram hotel features 152 guest rooms, a spacious foyer and a large ballroom and more. To deliver clear, detailed sound in the ballroom and throughout the hotel, Modena By Fraser Buriram hired AV integrators Mahajak Development to design and install a premium networked audio solution. Mahajak Development designed a networked audio system featuring solutions from JBL, Crown, Soundcraft and BSS. “To ensure consistent sound throughout the facilities, we installed a networked audio system using Harman’s industry-leading AV solutions,” s
USA - The luxurious Sir Francis Drake has anchored the San Francisco’s famed Union Square since 1928. And since the landmark hotel’s opening day, Lizzie’s Starlight (originally dubbed the Starlight Room) has drawn hotel patrons and locals alike to the roof of the 21-story hotel for entertainment, food, drinks, and spectacular views. In 2019, Lizzie’s underwent a major renovation - torn down to bricks, bare floor, and bare ceiling and entirely remodelled. Ayre Productions of Chicago, the company behind multiple projects for owners Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, designed and installed a new audio system for the venue, driven by Linea Research 44C and 88C Series power amplifiers. “We worked on this project for two years, and the design has changed three or four times,” notes John Wagner who, along with brother Joe, is co-founder and co-owner of Ayre Productio
USA - The Springs Church in Colorado Springs, CO recently underwent an audio upgrade with a Martin Audio WPS system spec’d and installed by Sight and Sound Technologies, the first installation of the new system in the United States. Asked about the project, Sight and Sound COO Kris Johnson explains: “It was basically an upgrade of their PA. They had an aging left-centre-right line array system that in some respects was overkill for what they needed plus they were starting to have some problems with the speakers. They had a plan to repurpose them in another room which worked out really well timewise for us because we were able to pull the old ones down, test them out and re-install a handful of them in another room. “In terms of the main room or sanctuary, we had already installed the Martin Audio WPM system on multiple occasions and really liked it. Then we got t
Denmark - The global response to COVID-19 varies from country to country but it seems to be universal that large public gatherings are not permitted. This affects musicians very seriously but it also has implications when it comes to a national celebration. Social media has been awash with inspirational videos of Italians singing from balconies and virtual gigs from musicians and singers who just want to perform. In Denmark there is a popular tradition of ‘Fællessang’ which can be literally translated as “common-singing”, that is as popular now as ever before. The question is how to celebrate your Queen’s important birthday when public gatherings cannot take place and all of the celebrations are cancelled. The challenge of leading the nation in song was picked up by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra who wanted to capture more than 100 musicians and singers on
USA - Taking the stage at the Boulder Theatre in Frisco, CO, on Saturday 21 February, the six members of Eminence Ensemble likely had even more spring in their step than usual. The jam band was clearly on a roll. Their recently released first EP, Real News a mash-up of jazz, rock, electronic, funk and hip-hop, had cemented their reputation as one of the brightest rising stars in the West. The Boulder-based group was also about to embark on a national Road to Red Rocks tour in celebration of their first-ever appearance at the famed outdoor amphitheatre, which was scheduled for Saturday 25 April. Then Covid-19 happened, putting the tour, the Red Rocks show milestone, and every other live event on indefinite hold. Undeterred, the band continued to stay connected to its loyal fan base. A video of their Boulder Theatre show (the last before the lockdown) was posted
UAE - Martin Professional Middle East (MPME) and Scientechnic LLC recently deployed Martin by Harman lighting fixtures to illuminate Tolerance Bridge in Dubai with a dazzling lighting display. Tolerance Bridge is the first and only clear span suspension bridge in the Middle East. Named in honour of the International Day of Tolerance, the bridge offers pedestrians a 690ft-long walking and cycling path over the Dubai Water Canal. The canal is a three-kilometre long project starting from Business Bay into the Persian Gulf through Safa Park and Jumeirah. The canal comprises one shopping centre, four hotels, 450 restaurants, luxury housing, and various green networks, which allow pedestrians complete autonomy from vehicular traffic. In order to create a visitor experience, the Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) hired Scientechnic LLC to design a lighting solution, wh
USA - The Brothers: Celebrating 50 Years of The Allman Brothers Band show was staged at New York’s Madison Square Garden just before the state went into lockdown. Lighting designer Chris Ragan utilised over 100 Robe fixtures in his design for the epic four-hour performance which delighted Allman Brothers and Allman Brothers Band (ABB) fans from several generations and all walks of life. The Brothers’ cult status and their dynamic fusion of blues, jazz and country with their own distinctive rock sound have resulted in their music and influence being relevant long after their first period of ‘glory days’ in the 1970s. Chris has many connections and crossovers with several current members of the ABB, which has been a client for lighting rental vendor BML-Blackbird for 30 years - showing some impressive client loyalty. When the late Earl “Pappy”
Germany - Adam Audio has announced the T8V studio monitor, the latest addition to its T-Series line of professional studio monitors. The T8V features an 8-inch woofer paired with powerful amplification and its power and lower bass extension make it a suitable choice for project and home studios, clients who work in bass-heavy music genres such as hip hop, dance, ambient, dub and EDM, and those who work in non-electronic genres like funk, metal, blues and pop. The new T8V offers a frequency response that reaches down 33 Hz and the ability to project an impressive SPL of 118 dB per pair. Adam Audio’s T-Series line of studio monitors was launched in 2018 with the T5V 5-inch woofer and T7V 7-inch woofer models, followed in 2019 by the T10S subwoofer. Like the previous two monitors in the T-Series line-up, the T8V makes use of Adam Audio technology developed for the comp
USA - Rising high over the flatland at the mouth of the Manitowoc River as it flows into Lake Michigan, the Briess Grain Tower in Manitowoc, WI, has served a familiar landmark for sailors and townspeople for generations. On the night of Friday 10 April, the venerable structure offered another kind of hope and reassurance. From 7:45 to 11 pm, it glowed in blue against the clear, dark sky as a show of solidarity and support for the healthcare workers and front-liners during the Covid-19 pandemic. Local businesses, The Wharf Manitowoc, Powerhouse Productions and Brennan Seehafer Productions, came up with the idea of lighting the tower, along with another landmark, the decommissioned WWII submarine, USS Cobia, to honour these unsung heroes. “They are making great sacrifices to ensure that things continue to function during the pandemic, and this is a way for our communi
USA - Created at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Bliss is a new musical fantasy full of emotion and humour that shatters assumptions about what a fairytale princess should be. The empowering tale had its world premiere run 7-23 February and was enthusiastically received for its catchy music and non-traditional storyline, plus its scenic and lighting design. The unorthodox ethos carried into the lighting rig as well where lighting designer Yael Lubetzky incorporated Elation Rayzor 760 luminaires in her design, an LED moving head fixture you more typically find in a concert rig, which is exactly where the LD first discovered it. “I saw a Rob Thomas concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York and saw the Rayzor 760 and thought these are exactly what we want in the show,” Yael shares. “When I saw the units sparkle effect, I was so surprised. I had never seen anyth
USA - Every day, dancers at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, in Sarasota, FL, gather at the company’s studio to rehearse intricately choreographed routines that will later be performed before appreciative audiences. On some occasions, the company’s studio in Sarasota’s bustling Rosemary District, will be turned into a performance space, either for a special dance, or a “behind the scenes” event put on for donors. When this happens those in attendance are invariably dazzled, not only by the graceful moves of the dancers, but also by the colourful and elegantly balanced lighting created with 20 Chauvet Professional Ovation P-56FC fixtures supplied by the New York-based Lighting Design Group. The studio, which opened in 2018, is stylish and comfortable, but its relatively low ceiling presents a challenge for anyone lighting a dance performance. Fixtures that are rel
China - JX Investment Group is one of China’s leading entertainment brands, with a range of chains throughout the country. It has recently launched JX EDM Live, new clubs where Alcons pro-ribbon audio systems are installed. JX EDM Live currently comprises two clubs, one in Yulin, Shaanxi Province and the other in Wúzhōu, Guangxi Province. Both are large venues, with a floor area of 640m2/6889ft2 and a height of 18m/59ft. Guangzhou-based EAD was asked by JX Investment Group to design audio systems that would deliver pure, driving low frequencies and clean highs seamlessly throughout the spaces. “In China, the EDM club market is very competitive. They are using high-end speakers because customers want the best quality music experience,” says Locky Deng, marketing manager at Alcons Audio’s Chinese distributor EAD. “After tests with two other leading loudspeak
Australia - Astera AX1 Pixel Tubes are doing their bit - both as energising effects luminaires and as practical lights - marking out the social distancing spaces - onstage at Delivered Live, a new performance-based web streaming concept for music and comedy. The show is broadcast weekly from The Studio at Harry The Hirer Productions’ HQ in the Richmond district of Melbourne. The project is being driven by artist agency Handshake Management, technical and production rental company Harry The Hirer Productions and The Victoria State Government, offering a mix of entertainment from some of Australia’s established and rising star artists who are based in and around the city. It’s also designed as a fundraiser to provide vital financial assistance for those directly impacted by the devastating effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the live show and events
UK - The Church of St. Nicholas in Grosmont, Monmouthshire, dates from the early 13th century, making it one of the oldest churches in Wales. The Grade II listed building’s large medieval nave is widely considered to be the finest in the country. During the late 19th century, the church was on the verge of collapse, but was saved by architect JP Seddon in a Victorian renovation which separated the nave from the transept and choir, leaving the nave – which is now used for village events, farmers markets, concerts, private parties and the like – in predominantly untouched original condition, while the church space remains as a place of worship. As part of a recent 15-year programme of modernisation, which included restoration of the roof and lime-plastering the transept walls, as well as new lighting, heating and toilet facilities, provision was made for a new soun
UK - Various landmark installations that have been lit with Anolis lighting fixtures have been turning blue on Thursday evenings for the Clap For Carers initiative in support of the National Health Service (NHS) and other essential workers. This includes Rhyl Promenade in North Wales where several key features are lit; Bromley High Street in Kent, a major thoroughfare in the heart of the city and popular live music venue the O2 Guildhall in Southampton, Hampshire. All the Anolis-lit areas across the seaside town of Rhyl are turned blue for the NHS including the Pavilion Theatre, Clock Tower, Sky Tower, waterfall, and seafront viewing shelters. The 80m-tall Sky Tower is highlighted with ArcSource Outdoor 48MC RGBW integrals which transform it into an elegant beacon of light at night with smooth and even coverage of lumens up and down the mast. The current Pa
UK - Stage Electrics has supplied High End SolaFrame 1000s to the Gala Theatre Durham, owned and operated by Durham County Council. The company’s Davie Bell says Stage Electrics “were able to demonstrate a number of fixtures to the Gala Theatre and assist in their process of choosing the right solution for their venue.” Tez Errington, the acting technical manager at the Gala Theatre who made the purchase decision, explains: “This unit was considerable quieter than its rivals, offering more features, with clean cut colours and great shutter control, too. But the thing that sold it was both the light output and how quiet the fixture was.” The venue purchased eight in total with flight cases. “Despite the difficulties facing everyone in the industry, I am pleased Stage Electrics was able to deliver these units ready for when the venue re-opens - let’s
Europe - American singer Halsey kicked off her Manic world tour in Madrid in February, supporting her just-released studio album, also called Manic. The tour spans 48 shows, with the next legs currently being planned for Asia and North America later this year. disguise gx 2c media servers were selected by All Of It Now to drive the show’s video and Notch IMAG realtime effects. Numerous features of the disguise solutions came into play for the tour starting in pre-pro. “The show’s video design used a multi-layered frame, and the 3D workflow of disguise Designer allowed us to create parallel maps that placed content on the screen spatially without requiring specific renders for certain songs,” explains Danny Firpo of All of It Now, a disguise rental partner and workflow specialist based in San Francisco, who did the tour’s video programming with Cade Mo
Canada - Toronto’s El Mocambo live music venue is set to reopen following a five-year, multi-million-dollar renovation by new owner Michael Wekerle, a Canadian financier and television personality. The building, originally constructed in 1910, has been completely gutted and rebuilt with three live performance spaces connected to an audio broadcast and recording control room equipped with a Solid State Logic Live L550 digital mixing console. “It’s not quite a club anymore. It’s an event space with a very beautifully designed interior inside a broadcast facility,” says Jamie Howieson, executive designer and production manager at the iconic venue, which has long been affectionately referred to as the El Mo.“The main reason I went with the L550 desk is that, when I was using it in the past, I never heard a better combination of preamp, clock and converter in a
USA - It was over two years ago that Dallas-based music store and AV integration specialist Romeo Music designed and installed a fully-weatherproof Danley sound reinforcement system to cover Madisonville High School’s baseball and softball fields. The project was a huge success. Not only does the system sound intelligible, punchy, and musical, but Danley’s weatherproof options have made the system resilient in the face of east-central Texas’s humid, stormy climate. Thus, when the aged sound reinforcement system at Madisonville High School’s 3,500-capacity football stadium was no longer acceptable, the school again turned to Romeo Music and Danley Sound Labs. “They love the baseball/softball system, which uses four fully-weatherproof Danley OS12CX loudspeakers,” explained Kevin Deal, regional sales manager with Romeo Music. “Their football stadium’s old
