UK - Luxury Icelandic winter clothing brand 66°North, has unveiled its UK flagship store incorporating an immersive sound experience. Teaming up with Marquee AV, and distributor Audiologic, 66°North has successfully recreated the atmospheric soundscapes of its Reykjavik store for UK shoppers. 66°North, a brand with its heritage dating back to 1926, established itself as a manufacturer of protective outerwear for fishermen and those braving the harsh elements of the North Atlantic. Today, the brand continues to make functional clothing without compromising on comfort, for a range of activities. The Regent Street store, located in the heart of London, represents 66°North's first venture outside Iceland and Denmark, making it a significant milestone for the brand. Genelec got in touch with their UK distributor Audiologic after 66°North was delighted with the Ge
USA - Soundworks of Virginia returned to the familiar 100-acre Maymont Park site in Richmond, VA to help stage the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival, an event for which they have provided sound reinforcement since 2017. Working for promoter JMI (Johnson Marketing Inc) they fielded their flagship Martin Audio WPL optimised line array on the main stage, deploying hangs of 12 WPL elements on each wing. These were underpinned by 12 SXH218 in cardioid formation - a move largely designed to prevent the stage from vibrating - with a delay tower of eight smaller WPS elements, set around 275ft back and with four WPS deployed along the stage lip as front-fills. Monitors comprised four WPS loudspeakers atop a pair of SXC118 subs, mounted both stage left and right for sidefills, plus 12 of Soundworks’ own SW2 proprietary wedges. Soundworks also equipped the second stage wit
UK - Rycote Windshields reports the resounding success of its recent ‘Meet the Team Event Day’. The event, held at Rycote’s new manufacturing facility in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, offered a hands-on experience that showcased the company’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and its close-knit partnership with its global network of dealers and on-location sound engineers. The event, which took place on 5 September 2023, brought together valued partners, dealers, and sound engineers, for a day filled with engaging activities and insights. The highlight of the event was a comprehensive factory tour that allowed attendees to witness first-hand the meticulous craftsmanship and technology that goes into every Rycote product. They in fact, got to experience production for themselves as they were invited to get hands on, on the production line and create their very own Softie.
UK - Depeche Mode’s sound has been a huge part of the electronic rock landscape since it hit the airwaves in the 1980s, and today, fans continue to amass in their hundreds of thousands to hear them perform. Led by production manager Tony Gittins and touring in support of their 15th studio album of the same name, band members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore bring Memento Mori to the live stage for another world-class feat. With help from Britannia Row productions account executive, Dave Compton, the touring audio team has specified a plethora of high-end tools including an L-Acoustics K Series PA system, and SSL and Avid control surfaces. Systems engineer Terence Hulkes comments: “Depeche Mode are a long-standing client of Brit Row’s, and as their crew, we aim to continue delivering (and improving upon) the standard of equipment and packaging that they hav
The Netherlands - At IBC, Sennheiser will preview the MKH 8030 RF condenser microphone with figure-of-eight pick-up pattern. The MKH 8030 will not only unlock M-S, double M-S, and Blumlein stereo recording options, but will also be a great choice wherever the highest attenuation of neighbouring sound sources is required - be it a PA system whose sound needs to be eliminated or an adjacent instrument that must not be picked up. The sound signature of the MKH 8030 has been carefully engineered to blend in harmoniously with the sound of the existing MKH 8000 series microphones. “We are thrilled to be previewing the MKH 8030, a microphone that the MKH user community has been expecting for quite a few years,” shares Kai Lange, product manager professional, wire-bound. “The extremely compact 8030 is ideal for field recording, sports and general broadcasting, theatres,
UK - Cornflake recently undertook an installation project for Maddux Creative X Fromental at the WOW!house design centre located in Chelsea Harbour, a collaboration of designers, craftspeople and specialist suppliers including Altfield, Charles Burnand, ecoScent, George Smith, Illuminationworks, K-array, Lutron, Optelma, Pierre Frey, Tom Faulkner, The Royal School of Needlework, and 2B Heard, who between them have created the 3am Room. The sonic focus of this project was the integration of K-array's miniature Lyzard loudspeakers, which ‘brought a new dimension of audio excellence and a relaxing sonic backdrop to the outstanding exhibit’. “We had been speaking with Maddux for some time and had been looking for a project to work together on for a while,” commented Cornflake design director Ben Rodrick. “This was a really good opportunity to showcase the benefit
USA - An eagerly-awaited return in the world of heavy rock finally happened in December 1922 as Pantera played their first show in over two decades at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest, with the band's new line-up featuring original members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown plus Charlie Benante and Zakk Wylde. Since, the band has continued to tour across North America in addition to a number of spring dates and festivals in Europe plus a number of shows opening for Metallica, to acclaim from their very loyal and international fanbase. System engineer Alex Hollinger has been using an Outline Newton FPGA processor at the heart of his control setup - he talks about how it is configured and also how its combination with the latest digital mixing console from Midas, the HD-96, offers a technical advantage that is presently unique in the world of live sound: “We are
Europe - Shure has announced that an agreement has been reached for it to acquire Ab Wavemark Oy, Finnish producer of software products for theatre, film, TV, broadcast, and content streaming applications. The acquisition will add Wavemark’s products to Shure’s professional audio portfolio. “The acquisition of Ab Wavemark Oy will further underscore Shure’s commitment to providing our professional audio customers with innovative solutions that enhance workflow,” says Nick Wood, senior director, wireless category, at Shure. “We are excited to expand our portfolio with cutting-edge and customer-centric solutions that enable creative productions across theatre, broadcast, and content creation.” The forthcoming acquisition further strengthens Shure’s strategic investment in software by providing audio technicians with the tools needed to inspire confidence
USA - Dallas-based production company Pittman Media Group is committed to going above and beyond to provide its clients with quality, reliable AV production solutions. The team at Pittman Media Group has come to rely on a selection of products from Eastern Acoustic Works. For Pittman Media Group President and Owner Zack Pittman, the decision to use EAW was an easy one. “We first began looking to invest in EAW back in 2018 and were immediately impressed,” he says. “EAW has always been focused on making really good sound. The ease of use of EAW’s gear is second to none, and we were excited to add them to our inventory.” Pittman Media Group currently has 24 NTX Series dual 10-inch powered line array loudspeakers, 12 SBX dual 18-inch high-output subwoofers and multiple RSX Series self-powered point source speakers in stock for its clients’ projects. “I
USA - It can take a while to get a group of people to embrace a new way of doing things, and it certainly doesn’t help when a two-year-plus-long pandemic complicates the process. However, it is easier when the new way is so undeniably amazing that everyone really does embrace it. That was definitely the case when Lorin White, brought on as the monitor engineer for the precursor set of shows for Lionel Richie’s current Sing A Song All Night Long tour, was ready to take off in 2020. The multiple Grammy Award winner and his band only managed to get one show in before the world shut down. Fortunately, White recorded that show, which became the basis for his initial experimentation with KLANG’s immersive IEM mixing system. “During the lockdown, Group One sent me a KLANG-equipped DiGiCo SD12 so I could do some test some mixes from that recording while at home
France - Digigram has acquired Grenoble-based audio networking solutions specialist AuviTran. This acquisition strengthens Digigram’s position on the audio pro market and marks the beginning of a development phase towards the market of critical communications. With the completion of this operation, Digigram aims to increase its sales and double its revenues within three years. Effective immediately, the acquisition reinforces the total headcount stretching from HQ offices in Montbonnot and Singapore. Operational changes include the appointment of Yves Ansade, founder of AuviTran, to the position of global R&D director, where he will oversee the technical strategy for the new entity. “Digigram and AuviTran’s combined R&D departments reach 40% of the global staff. Both companies will continue to operate their respective brands and clients, however the acqu
USA - Breakwater Hospitality Group - the Miami based team behind hotspots like The Wharf, Carousel Club, and John Martin’s - unveiled their latest concept, Regatta Grove, in Coconut Grove’s Regatta Harbour, this summer. The gathering spot offers four culinary outposts by Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-nominated chefs, live entertainment, and impressive waterfront views. Regatta Grove is situated on an approximately one-acre waterfront property. The venue features multiple decks, a walkway to the waterfront, direct access to the marina, and even dockage for guests who would like to arrive by boat. Green lawn areas for entertainment and wellness programming surround the space. “What sets Regatta Grove apart from any other venue in Miami is its location,” said Alex Mantecon, co-founder of Breakwater Hospitality Group. “The venue is inspired by the essen
Australia - Audinate Group Limited (ASX:AD8) has announced that during the company’s 2023 fiscal year (FY23), which ended in June, it had shipped more than one million hardware and software units of its AV-over-IP solution, Dante. The one million units is the greatest number of Dante units ever shipped in a 12-month period. The list of Dante products includes software, chips and modules that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) integrate in their products to create Dante audio and video hardware solutions for end users, as well as the Dante AVIO accessories built by Audinate. Currently, more than 550 OEMs license Dante technology, delivering over 3,800 networked and video devices, including video cameras, microphones, loudspeakers, and amplifiers. Semiconductor analyst reports in 2022 showed the supply chain challenge was more of a demand than a supply issue, and
The Netherlands - punQtum, a sub-brand of Riedel Communications that specialises in digital partyline systems, is launching an innovative new app at this year’s IBC show. The free-to-download app, which works as an intercom system over any IP network, will be available to android and iOS users with access to the brand’s new Q210 PW speaker station. The company will debut the wireless app at stand 10.A38 from 15 - 18 September 2023. This is the newest product from punQtum and will streamline workflow for users. By eliminating the need for cables, teams can easily control their system and communicate effectively over the app, which can be downloaded to any mobile device and simply connected to the brand-new Q210 PW speaker station. The easy-to-use station gives users full control through four-channel communication and programmable buttons that allow mics to be
USA - In the suburbs of Detroit lies Shelby Township, home to St. John Vianney Catholic Church. The quiet and unassuming church hosts a vast nave, with seating for more than 1200 people. The rectangular nave features brick-lined walls and soaring slanted ceilings that culminate in a glass-encased cupola, allowing natural light to bathe the altar below. Although open and airy, the vaulted ceilings and brick masonry compromised the speech intelligibility of liturgical services. Beam-steering arrays from Renkus-Heinz were the chosen solution to help solve the church’s audio challenges. Church staff contacted Robert Wisnieski, owner and system designer at RMW Productions, to design a new audio system for the sanctuary. Wisnieski recommended Renkus-Heinz’s ICLive X Series of steerable arrays to meet the church's goals of even coverage and high intelligibility. The ICLiv
UK - From the smallest comedy tent to the main stage, Nexo sound systems featured exclusively at this year’s Lakefest, a family-focused four-day festival attracting over 18,000 visitors to the beautiful surroundings of Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. The festival organisers and Bluestone Audio brought together no fewer than 13 UK Nexo rental partners to provide sound systems on the various stages. “Lakefest this year was a great festival for showcasing our Nexo Geo M12 line array with flown MSUB18s supplemented by cardioid pairs of RS18 subs across the front of the stage,” reports Bluestone owner Sam Brook. “We used Nexo Geo M10s for delays and Nexo P+ point source boxes as front and side-fills, and stage monitors. “When Faithless - Sister Bliss played her DJ set on Saturday night the sound and bass were amazing and had the whole arena up and dancing.”
Austria - The Bregenz Festival (Bregenzer Festspiele) has been a feature of the European cultural landscape for over 75 years. Hosting a wide range of musical and theatrical events during July and August in the Austrian city of Bregenz, the jewel in the festival crown is the Seebühne in the spectacular setting of the waters of Lake Constance. The largest floating stage in the world, the Seebühne, with its 6658-seat open-air amphitheatre, is the star venue for the festival’s musical and operatic productions, often with sets as stunning as the lacustrine backdrop. This year’s production was Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, staged on a vast 23m x 33m 300-ton set designed to represent a giant leaf of delicately creased Japanese paper. The technical challenges involved in a production of this nature are enormous, with sound being amongst the most critical. This y
India - The inaugural exhibition of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination, was lauded both for the scale of the exhibit and its engagement value. Kapil Thirwani, director of Munro Acoustics was tasked with fulfilling the audio brief which demanded an array of immersive soundscapes that segued from zone to zone. Calling upon the expertise of distributor, Alphatec, he quickly discovered that only the capabilities of TiMax SoundHub would meet the complexity of the audio solution in its entirety. The exhibition is curated by Vogue’s global editor, Hamish Bowles and presents a multi-zone exploration into the impact of India on global fashion and vice versa. Thirwani was contacted to deliver the audio solution in an eye-wateringly tight timeframe. On advice f
The Netherlands - Drum ‘n’ bass fans were given an event to remember when the three-day Liquicity Festival was staged recently in Geestmerambacht Park in the north of the Netherlands. Begun in 2013 the first multiple day Liquicity took place in 2017 and today the event attracts daily attendances of up to 20,000. Martin Audio partners DSL and Stairway Productions collectively provided several hundred enclosures, plus amplifiers and accessories, site wide. This notably included a massive deployment of WPL Wavefront Precision line arrays by DSL for the premier two performance stages - and seven separate zones in all (including the food court) spread across a site that was suitably draped and decorated for the occasion. The main Galaxy stage saw 20x WPL left and right (in two box resolution), with 12x WPC for delays (also in two box resolution) and 21x SXH218 sub
Tunisia - The 42nd Festival International de Dougga took place between 27 July and 7 August this year in Dougga in northwest Tunisia. Qualified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997, the city is the best preserved Roman small town in North Africa, and festivalgoers enjoy music and theatrical performances on stages dating from Roman times. Performers at this year’s festival included Dhafer Youseef, noted for fusing eastern and western musical styles and introducing the traditional short-necked lute-type instrument the Oud into contemporary music, and Algerian Berber singer, songwriter and guitarist Souad Massi. Also appearing were Assyrian-Syrian singer Faia Younan, Mauritanian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Noura Mint Seymali and Tunisian musician, composer and singer Zied Gharsa. Sound for the festival was provided by local event technology specialists
The Netherlands - Radio Active Designs will showcase the UV-1G wireless analogue intercom system at Booth 8.D78 at the IBC show in Amsterdam. The six-channel intercom system - which operates primarily in VHF - meets the EU’s Low Voltage, RoHS, Radio Equipment, and EMC directives. It has been in high demand in Europe since its debut in 2019. “Since its European debut, the production community has embraced the UV-1G as the true problem solver it is for a crowded RF market,” explains James Stoffo, CTO, Radio Active Designs. “We have a great team in Europe and look forward to seeing everyone during the show.” The RAD UV-1G base station utilises Enhanced Narrow Band technology, which enables the unit to occupy a mere 25 kHz of bandwidth in the UHF range, severely minimising its UHF footprint. The body packs operate in VHF, which has more open bandwidth in Europe.
Ivory Coast- More than 60 Powersoft Quattrocanali 4804 amplifiers are delivering the power for an all-new PA system serving one of the biggest stadia in West Africa. Located in the eponymous suburb of Abidjan, the largest city in the Ivory Coast, the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé is the country’s national stadium, being home to Les Éléphants, the Ivory Coast national football team. The 60,000-seat venue was inaugurated on 3 October 2020, when it was given the additional name Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium (Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara), after the Ivorian president. It is expected to eventually form the heart of a vast, 287-hectare Olympic village, and will next year host the opening ceremony and final match of the postponed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The need for a new sound system so soon after the Olympic Stadium’s construction came aft
UK - In June, Wellcome Collection hosted the Land Body Ecologies Festival - a free, four-day event exploring environmental and mental health topics by incorporating elements of sound, touch, taste and vision. The festival, which included art installations, workshops, talks, films, and performances, focused on the connections between mental health and our ecosystem. The Land Body Ecologies (LBE) research group is led by Yorkshire, UK-based multi-disciplinary arts studio Invisible Flock and other partners, who were recipients of the Wellcome Trust’s prestigious Hub Award. The festival was produced by Unbox Cultural Futures and Invisible Flock. "The focus of all of our work looks specifically at the natural wild and the environment: the ways in which we interact with it and the ways we perceive it - or maybe don’t perceive it," explains Invisible Flock technical direc
UK - In step with the welcome return of the British summer, PLASA Show made a triumphant return to the Grand Hall of Olympia London from 3-5 September, spanning a third more floor space with a striking 28% increase in visitors. Lee House, operations director for Ambersphere Solutions, says: “I was struck by a sense of nostalgia and excitement - PLASA Show has made a triumphant return! The hall was bustling with a diverse array of exhibitors and, most importantly, visitors who were eager to engage in meaningful conversations about their technological needs for the present and future. It was a jam-packed, unforgettable three days that left us eagerly anticipating what next year will bring." Tom Mowat, hire account manager for Encore, concurs: “PLASA Show 2023 was absolutely incredible. It was fantastic to see the whole of the hall used by exhibitors. The attendance a
