Sound

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27 June 2025

USA - For the owners of Milwaukee live venue The Rave – Joe Balestrieri and Leslie West – the installation of a pair of dBTechnologies VIO rigs is just one of many improvements made to the historic venue.

Since purchasing the property in 1991, restoring the former Eagles Club to its original glory has been a labour of love. “Many cities have iconic venues built in the 20s – Radio City, the Chicago Theatre, the Lyric Opera House, and Fox Theatres. In Wisconsin, this is the largest example of classic 20s architecture," Balestrieri says, adding that restoring the building to create an architecturally spectacular, state-of-the-art venue “was just the right thing to do. And we're still not done . . . with the new system, the sound in The Rave Hall and Eagles Ballroom is spectacular; equal to anybody's.”

“There are always improvements happeni

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27 June 2025

Switzerland - Building on the success of Pyramix 15, Merging Technologies is launching an update to its flagship media server and sequencer with Ovation 11. Ovation has been widely adopted across professional and commercial installation markets, and Merging’s new updates help transform the user experience for a range of AV applications.

With a new design and streamlined usability, Ovation 11 introduces a refined dark-mode interface and intuitive navigation that puts powerful show control and audio playback at your fingertips. The redesigned integrated mixer, panner, and renderer are now fully customisable – giving users complete flexibility to tailor buses, strips, and aux channels to their workflow, whether for straightforward stereo playback, multizone or complex immersive formats. Support for VS3 plugins with up to 32 audio channels ensures Ovation 11

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26 June 2025

Canada - Vertus Group, a division of Jonas Software, has acquired CAST Group of Companies.

CAST is an Emmy award-winning developer of software and hardware solutions for the entertainment, special events, and meetings industries. Its flagship products include the industry-leading WYSIWYG lighting design and pre-visualisation suite, and the real-time tracking platform, BlackTrax. These tools have earned the trust of top professionals around the world to design and execute complex productions with precision and impact.

“After more than 30 years of building, growing, inventing, and leading CAST, it was time to pass on the torch,” said Gilray Densham, founder of CAST. “We found the perfect home in Vertus Group. They will continue our legacy and drive the company forward through innovation, the very thing that makes CAST an industry leader.”

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26 June 2025

UK - Crystal Palace Park became the epicentre of ‘a sonic revolution’ as Polygon Live LDN delivered the UK's largest outdoor 360° immersive sound festival from 2-4 May 2025. The three-day event brought together artistry and spatial audio innovation, with artists such as Jon Hopkins, Max Cooper, Cosmo Sheldrake, and Halina Rice performing specially crafted sets within Polygon's signature hemispherical dome – a space where sound ‘moves beyond traditional stereo boundaries to surround listeners from every direction’.

For CEO Nico Elliott, the Crystal Palace event represents the culmination of nearly a decade spent reimagining how audiences connect with music. "We're creating audio environments where every element can move through three-dimensional space with purpose," Elliott explains. Since first integrating L-ISA technology at Thailand's <

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26 June 2025

UK - The ABTT Theatre Show 2025 attracted increased visitor numbers, record-breaking engagement and international draw.

There were over 3,200 people on the show floor this year, making the ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace busier than ever. With a 15.6% increase in unique attendees, a 16% increase in revisits on Day 2, this year’s event confirmed its growing importance as a central hub for live performance professionals.

The show welcomed over 200 global brands, featured a vigorous seminar programme, and hosted hands-on workshops led by renowned industry figures – all aimed at advancing careers, showcasing innovation and facilitating powerful new connections. 

ABTT CEO Liz Sillett commented: “My first ABTT Theatre Show as CEO was a whirlwind of excitement and brilliance. The buzz was incredible, coming from such a talented and insp

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26 June 2025

UK - A hat-trick of Powersoft amplifier platforms, including multiple models from the company’s Ottocanali series, are powering a new public address and voice alarm (PA/VA) system at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Complemented by Unica- and Mezzo-series amplifiers, also from Powersoft’s extensive fixed-install range, the Ottocanalis provide the amplification backbone for a safety-first, EN 54-certified PA/VA system delivered by UK-based system integrator ImPerium Integration.

Opened in 1897 and originally home to a semi-professional rugby league team, Elland Road has been home to three-time English football champions Leeds United FC since the club’s formation in 1919. Like many heritage stadiums in the UK, Elland Road’s layout betrays its humble roots, with different parts of the venue having been updated separately in the 128 years since its

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26 June 2025

Japan - The Nagoya Betsuin of the Shinshu Otani-ha is a historic temple located in Aichi Prefecture’s Nagoya City. Affectionately known as Higashi Betsuin, it has grown into a central place of worship in the Japanese region since its construction in 1632.

As well as hosting Buddhist ceremonies and religious events, the temple is used for exchange events and markets, making it an important meeting place for the local community. However, the building’s distinctive architecture comes with complex audio challenges, including intelligibility in the main hall.

To resolve long-standing acoustic issues and improve clarity for attendees, the Taimensho reception hall recently enjoyed a significant upgrade with the help of Renkus-Heinz distributor Beetech, who installed an Iconyx Compact audio system.

The reception hall is a large, traditional templ

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26 June 2025

Austria - Prime Studio, one of Europe’s most scenic and technically sophisticated recording destinations, has once again partnered with Van Damme to bring high-spec custom cabling to its latest room: Studio C.

Located in St. Gilgen in the Austrian Alps, Prime Studio is known for its world-class acoustics, rare vintage gear, and surroundings. The studio’s founders, Bjorn Heitzer and Gerhard Buchbauer, previously worked with Van Damme on Studio A, and returned in late 2023 to equip Studio C; a mastering and post-production control room built around legendary Abbey Road EMI TG12345 MK IV and TG12410 consoles.

The new installation was completed using a range of bespoke Van Damme assemblies, including: EDAC looms made with 12-pair Blue Series cable, D-sub looms using both 8-pair and 16-pair Blue Series, AES digital connections using Green Series cable

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26 June 2025

USA - The Miller Centre for the Arts at Reading Area Community College in Pennsylvania is a visually striking, acoustically refined performing arts centre known for hosting a wide array of national acts, local productions, student showcases and community programming. With more than 100 ticketed events annually, and many more college and civic engagements, venue leaders sought to modernise its aging sound system to meet the expectations of both audiences and touring professionals.

Stray Production Services, a longtime user and integrator of JBL Professional products, partnered with the college to deliver a comprehensive audio upgrade anchored by the JBL VTX A6 line array system and Crown iTech Series amplifiers. The new setup provides pristine clarity, even coverage and a sleek aesthetic that complements the unique design of the room.

“This beautifu

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26 June 2025

UK - Solid State Logic has announced the launch of Oracle - A Future Analogue Console. “Delivering analogue sound with instant, effortless, and complete recall and reset across the entire console, Oracle fulfils the dreams of producers, engineers, and studio owners around the world: a true professional solution, delivered with SSL quality, reliability, and support,” says SSL. 

“Today, the company is proud to announce Oracle: a fully analogue in-line mixing console offering large-format features in a compact, AWS-size footprint, with instant, effortless, and complete recall of all processing, routing, gain, and pan settings thanks to the company's innovative new ActiveAnalogue technology.”

With the ability to instantly switch between mixing or tracking setups, change the session’s workflow in less time than it takes the artist to switch tra

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25 June 2025

Australia - Harman Professional Solutions has announced the consolidation of its audio and video control distribution in Australia. Effective 1 August 2025, MadisonAV will become the exclusive distributor for the complete Harman Professional audio and video portfolio across the region. Distribution of the Martin Professional lighting portfolio will continue with Show Technology.

“The Harman Professional portfolio is evolving in a way that R&D investments in new hardware and software platforms are reshaping the portfolio and our business,” said Amar Subash, vice-president and general manager, Harman Professional APAC. “As we look to the future, there are great benefits in consolidating distribution as it will allow us to leverage the full potential of the investments made to the portfolio, and I’m pleased that MadisonAV will carry us forward.”

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25 June 2025

Ireland - d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker systems have been chosen for installation in Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse, one of Ireland’s leading visitor attractions. Three systems, designed and installed by d&b partner Acoustik to meet a new live music concept from John Brady Events, plus new installations in two other visitor zones, were meticulously planned and predicted using d&b’s ArrayCalc software, and employ d&b’s installation-specific xS-Series cabinets.

Guinness Storehouse is celebrating its 25th anniversary as an attraction this year, having pulled in over 25m visitors in that time.

In 2024, Guinness Storehouse was looking for innovative ways to further enhance that visitor experience. Their aim was to introduce a lively new element of culturally relevant activities. The question was, how could they add to the mix on offer

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25 June 2025

USA - The Grammy-nominated Common Kings have toured with A-list artists like Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and Meghan Trainor – headlining shows and festivals worldwide.

Audio engineer Tim Koch started working with the California-based Reggae group about four years ago, mixing some of their local events between tours. "I've been fortunate to be asked back as the band continues to grow," said Koch. "We've done some killer shows together. I've worked with them as an A2, monitor engineer, and occasional FOH as well."

Common Kings recently hosted a ‘takeover’ event at The House of Blues in Anaheim, CA - with the band hosting three separate shows in three different rooms within the venue for three consecutive days. The multi-room event proved to be an enormous technical hurdle, but nothing beyond what Koch and the team could handle.

"It too

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25 June 2025

UK - Tour and production manager Stewart Chown, who works alongside remote production manager Gareth Russell, has trusted Britannia Row's services with many of their touring acts over the course of their careers. So, when American singer, songwriter and musician Sharon Van Etten announced she'd be touring a new record with her new band, The Attachment Theory, Britannia Row's services were required once again.

"The band aspect is quite a new thing for Sharon, and our brief was to bring everything up to a certain production level," begins Stewart. "It's not a huge tour - our audio package is economical - but we wanted to make it as efficient as possible to give Sharon and the band the best production for their touring budget.

"We're good friends with our account executive Jonathan Dunlop, so he was our first point of call for audio. We've hand-picked o

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24 June 2025

China - The Spring Festival Gala took place this January for a spectacular Luna New Year’s Eve celebration. As the first year with established UNESCO World Heritage status, the Spring Festival Gala had unprecedented global reach. KV2 Audio was chosen to provide an audio solution to work alongside the visually captivating performances and impressive venues.  

Four venues joined together as branches of the main event in Beijing, and for the first time a Jiangnan city, Wuxi, was selected as one of these locations. The waterside town combines traditional Chinese culture with modern civilisation, providing an enchanting setting for the New Year’s Eve celebrations.  

On the shore of Taihu Lake, the Wuxi venue featured vast, outdoor performance areas. An audio system was required that would be able to cover the expansive spaces suc

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24 June 2025

USA - For Miami’s booming hospitality market, where lively nightlife and excellent gastronomic experiences are the order of the day, the expectations for atmosphere are high. For venues where every detail counts, sound quality plays a crucial role in shaping guest experiences.

Miami-based integrator Davel Rodriguez, principal at DRVCS, has turned to K-array to solve the challenges of balancing audio quality with aesthetics. DRVCS has been at the forefront of integrating these solutions across some of the most design-forward venues, not just in Miami, but nationwide, including New York City restaurant Mēdüzā Mediterrania.

“Miami is growing up to another level,” says Rodriguez. “Restaurants and bars are opening every day, and the design standards just keep on rising. Everyone wants to create something exceptional. K-array helps us get there,

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24 June 2025

UK - Martin Audio partner, Penguin Media Solutions, recently completed the third technical overhaul of pubs in the burgeoning 50-plus Laine Pub Company estate.

Both organisations are HQ’d in Brighton, and Penguin’s technical project manager Dylan Thompson says that since all three city centre pubs have their own identity and autonomy, an individual approach was required when it came to specifying audio. Martin Audio’s extensive portfolio afforded different options.

Penguin’s latest implementation was the Black Lion, a popular music pub nestled in Brighton’s famous Lanes. The client required better traffic flow to draw its clientele towards the rear of the room - where the intensity would increase - and avoid the current pinch point at the front. “The previous design was a bit lazy, with lots of mismatched 8in boxes scattered around and a

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24 June 2025

UK - Since opening its doors in 2012, RedX Dance in Bristol has taught street dance classes to hundreds of children and adults of all abilities. The award-winning company has its own studio in the Staple Hill area of the city, recently equipped with an array of Optimal Audio speakers and control solution.

With a requirement to deliver coverage over a large studio space and ensuring great-sounding audio to inspire dancers, suppliers Richer Sounds in Bath ultimately specified a quartet of Optimal Audio’s Cuboid 6 full-range, two-way wall-mounted speakers with a single Sub 6 ultra-compact sub-bass speaker.

As Richer Sounds’ Bath store manager Tom explains: “One of the biggest challenges was making sure we could cover the whole studio while maintaining a reasonable speaker count. The Cuboid 6 sounds great and strikes an excellent balance between po

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24 June 2025

USA - Bose Professional has announced the appointment of Joe Falcão as chief financial officer. Falcão brings more than 20 years of international financial leadership to the role, having previously guided high-performing teams across the retail, e-commerce, telecom, and healthcare industries from offices around the world.

Previously, Falcão has provided financial leadership for global brands including Dunkin and Cabot Corporation and managed teams at Invensys, iBasis, Thrasio and Orva, among others. Falcão has a proven track record of driving operational excellence across offices in Brazil, Belgium and Malaysia and leading organisations based in the UK, India, China, the Netherlands and Japan.

“Joe’s leadership in scaling complex global operations will be instrumental at this point in Bose Professional’s expansion,” said John Maier, CEO o

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23 June 2025

Germany - The Sennheiser Group achieved sales of €492.3m in the fiscal year 2024. Despite volatile market conditions, the company says it was able to consolidate its position in the professional audio market and drive forward key future projects with innovative solutions and strategic investments. “In the year of its 80th anniversary, Sennheiser is thus continuing to fulfil its promise of creating unique sound experiences for customers around the world,” says a statement. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to €35.8m.

“2024 was a challenging year for us, as it was for many companies in our industry,” explains co-CEO Andreas Sennheiser. The company recorded a slight decline in sales across all regions, totalling 6.6 percent compared to the previous year. “But especially in a dynamic environment, it is crucial to remain a reliable

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23 June 2025

Japan - The Biwako Hall in Shiga Prefecture, celebrated for hosting some of the country’s premier opera and classical performances, has become the first performing arts venue in Japan to install the SPAT Revolution Wave Field Synthesis immersive audio system powered by Harman’s FLUX:: technology. This system enables an auditory experience that positions sound precisely on stage, creating a fully immersive environment that enhances the audience’s engagement, regardless of seating location.

Located 20 minutes from Kyoto on the shores of Lake Biwa, the 1,848-seat Biwako Hall is renowned for its diverse programming and its unique acoustics tailored to classical performances. The installation of the SPAT Revolution reflects Biwako Hall’s commitment to innovation in the performing arts. The system upgrade enhances the hall’s front-of-house package, intro

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23 June 2025

Sweden - At the beginning of this year, Swedish artist Thåström set out on a 14-date arena tour, which closed at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm on 15 March. Known for his gritty, emotionally raw sound and poetic lyricism, the singer brought fans closer than ever, thanks in part to an audio setup built around Allen & Heath’s dLive series and the RackUltra FX card.

FOH engineer Oscar Soederlund has worked with Thåström since 2021 and the highly experienced engineer elected to use a dLive S7000 control surface connected to a space-efficient DM0 MixRack, with a similar setup used for the monitor mix handled by production manager Henrik ‘Hambo’ Henriksson. Audio rental company Parashoot supplied the dLive control packages for the tour, while APM and Soundforce handled the PA.

For FOH, a DX32 modular expander was equipped with Prime inputs

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23 June 2025

Singapore - The Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), one of the leading professional theatre companies in Asia, recently deployed Clear-Com’s Arcadia Central Station, resolving persistent communication issues and streamlining coordination across departments. The upgrade was carried out in collaboration with Clear-Com’s regional partner, Electronics & Engineering Pte (E&E).

In a high-stakes theatrical environment, communication breakdowns can directly impact show quality. SRT had begun experiencing reliability issues with its aging intercom system, including occasional interference and wear that hindered clear communication among the production team. “Every cue matters during a production,” said Lee Kong Shen, technical manager at SRT. “Our previous system just wasn’t keeping up with our pace. We knew we needed a change, something dependable

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23 June 2025

South Africa - Across one weekend in June, Red Bull Symphonic took over The Montecasino Teatro, Johannesburg, with a blend of orchestral compositions and contemporary Amapiano energy.

Powering this much-anticipated performance was a complete Plus Audio sound system. A Stage Audio Works house brand, Plus Audio provided powerful audio across three consecutive nights, making a strong case for the brand’s high-performance capabilities at an accessible price point and highlighting its readiness for large-scale touring and live events.

“We’ve put Plus Audio through its paces before, but Red Bull Symphonic was the next level,” says Nathan Ihlenfeldt, technical director at Stage Audio Works and FOH engineer for the event. “Between the orchestral detail and the energy of Amapiano, the system needed to be exceptionally versatile. In short, it exceede