Cambodia - Kampong Speu Provincial Stadium is located in Chbar Mon, central Cambodia. Completed last year at a cost of $4m, the facility aims to raise the profile of Kampong Speu Province and contribute to the government’s development of the Kingdom’s sporting culture as it prepares to host the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. Constructed in a little over six months, the Stadium covers 40,000 sqm, can host up to 3000 spectators and features a football pitch and public gymnasium. At the stadium’s inauguration, Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Chea Sophara, urged the provincial administration to use the venue for the widest possible range of events for the benefit of the local economy. Cambodian Premier League football club NagaWorld FC will play at the stadium. Essential for any modern multi-purpose stadium is provision for a high-quality a
UK - Following the successful formula first introduced at the recent ISE 2023 show in Barcelona - whereby non-attendees could share, remotely, the same product launch experience as those who made the trip to Barcelona, Martin Audio has laid out its stall for a similar online experience in advance of its biannual open days. These will take place at their High Wycombe HQ, the difference this time being that the visitor experience will take place within the company’s newly refurbished facility. “The international launch of our new Torus 8 in Barcelona was very much an experiment in the way we presented new products to both the market and the media,” said director of marketing, James King. “Fortunately both the real-world attendance at our booth and our demo room, alongside the number of logins and catch-up replays to the two streamed events fully vindicated our decision
UK - Born from the creators of Boomtown Fair Festival, Wake The Tiger Amazement Park is an immersive art experience in Bristol consisting of 27 different creative environments including artwork, installations, narrative, soundscape, secret passageways and more. Once through the portal you’re transported to the world of Meridia, a world not too dissimilar to our own, where you’ll discover an abandoned factory, a time capsule of messages, theories and wild experiments. AF Live, an award-winning technical production company, took on the project and designed a bespoke sound system suited to their specific requirements. Paul Rose, founder and director of AF Live comments: “AF Live has managed Boomtown Fair’s technical production for over a decade. So, when we were approached by Wake The Tiger in Spring 2022, we were already onboard to help create a sound syste
USA - The 65th Grammy Awards, which took place Sunday, 5 February at the Crypto.com Centre in downtown Los Angeles, was an even busier affair than in the past. While it may not have had as many individual song performances as past Grammy Awards events, it more than made up for it with more complex productions, most notably the 35 rappers and four DJs who turned the stage into a 15-minute-long history of rap. Getting and keeping all the audio together fell to a cohort of veteran mixers of the show and an all-star cast of DiGiCo mix consoles, provided through ATK Audiotek/Clair Global, the event’s sound-reinforcement vendor. Two Quantum7 consoles were located at front of house, manned by Ron Reaves and Michael Parker, who alternated mixing live performances by the evening’s artists, including Harry Styles, Bonnie Raitt, Lizzo, and Adele, all of whom were also categor
USA - Super Bowl LVII provided an opportunity for Green-GO’s LTE Private Wireless product to show off its capabilities. First introduced for use by the NFL for coach-to-coach wireless communications, the big game provided an opportunity to deploy the system on an even larger scale. “Wireless communications are always a vital part of any large broadcast event,” said Jim Casey, president at JAC Specialty Distribution, the US distributor for Green-GO Digital Communications, “and it’s even more difficult when there are multiple broadcasters coordinating frequencies and technologies over a large area.” The NFL has already benefited from using the Green-GO LTE products. CP Communications, a Green-GO Dealer, was in search of a wireless intercom solution that did not depend on the already-crowded 2.4 GHz and DECT spectrum. “We needed a secure, reliable wire
USA - On Sunday, 12 February, nine-time Grammy Award-winner Rihanna took centre-stage during halftime at Super Bowl LVII, which pitted the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles. Or, more precisely, she took off, riding a gravity-defying platform flown from the rigging of Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, in a production that was as stunning as her eye-popping red outfit. It was a performance that rivalled the game itself: 13 minutes featuring the best of her big hits, including Umbrella, Work, Diamonds and Run This Town, and a cast of an estimated 100 dancers, many of whom were also suspended in the air. Sound reinforcement was provided by an L-Acoustics K2 system deployed by ATK Audiotek, a Clair Global brand. The deployment of the halftime sound system was very different this year. In the past, the temporary music syst
South Korea - To provide the Go Out Camping Music Festival with immersive and impactful sound tailored for the outdoors, TechData PS Co collaborated with rental company Raffoler and Harman Professional Solutions to implement a range of JBL Professional audio solutions. With an attendance of 10,000 people over three days, the first post-pandemic edition of the Go Out Camping Music Festival took place at the Seokgangi Auto Camping Site located in South Chungcheong Province’s Taean County. Featuring a2n eclectic roster of artists from genres as diverse as R&B and indie - including Car, the Garden, Daybreak and more - the festival also hosted a wide range of outdoor activities including yoga, rock climbing and campfires. Given the stage’s limited truss height and seaside location, the festival required a live setup that was lightweight and easily transportable acr
Germany - POOLgroup has geared up for a healthy post-pandemic environment by having made a substantial investment in new Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers… including nearly 200 of Meyer Sound’s new flagship, the Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers. The new purchase encompassed 192 Panther loudspeakers, 166 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements, 82 Leopard compact linear line array loudspeakers, and 20 Galileo Galaxy Network Platforms. “We certainly have an impressive amount of high-quality loudspeaker technology,” says Carl Cordier, one of POOLgroup’s two managing partners. “We believe, much like a craftsman, that the quality of the materials affects the outcome, but must be coupled with expertise and quality service.” POOLgroup, under its original name of Westfalen Sound, has been using Meyer Sound systems since 2005. “We
Europe - Following the recent launch of the Pioneer DJ XPRS2 Series of active loudspeakers, the Pioneer PRO Audio team was in attendance at ISE 2023 in Barcelona to give visitors an up-close, hands-on experience of the new units. For Pioneer, the show proved an overwhelming success that saw sustained interest in both its commercial audio CM-Series speakers, which were available to examine on the joint Frenexport/Pioneer PRO AUDIO stand, and in the demo room, where XPRS2 was put through its paces under the strap-line ‘Versatile XPRSion’. Pioneer Pro Audio marketing executive, Federico Sidero comments, “We staged four hours of demos per day in our fully branded demo area, which featured a DJ booth to promote a genuine ‘club’ feel to events. The demos were broken down into half hour slots, all of which were expertly presented by our product specialist David Ferr
USA - Having grown up as musicians, it’s no wonder that George and Geoff Hazelrigg fully immersed themselves in the industry and every new opportunity it provides. Between being two-thirds of the Hazelrigg Brothers jazz trio, manufacturing the D.W. Fearn line of circuits and co-founding Hazelrigg Industries, the duo is familiar with every step of the musical process: from creation to production to performance. With 30 years of production experience and 15 years of high-definition recording knowledge under their belts, the Hazelrigg brothers are now tackling the newest force to take the music world by storm - immersive audio recording. For these recording projects, the duo relies on DPA Microphones’ 4006A Omnidirectional Condenser Microphones and accompanying nose cones. “These mics are just so quiet,” explains Geoff. “When we record in DSD, an extremely high
The Netherlands - As one of the five largest theatres in the Netherlands, Theater & Concert Orpheus takes the responsibility for the safety of its visitors very seriously in its three halls with a capacity between 242 and 1286 seats as well as the affiliated restaurant. When it became time to replace its aging evacuation system with one that would meet the latest safety standards, Bosch Praesensa was chosen. The requirement was to upgrade the current solution to meet the necessary regulatory requirements for public buildings and ensure it received the required EN certification. The main challenge for the theatre was the integration of the house PA and background music system with the voice evacuation system. The aim was for a solution that would give the theatre complete control over all of its Dante-based audio facilities from one interface. Achieving this
USA - Beyoncé was not the only one who broke records at the 65th annual Grammy Awards that took place last week in Los Angeles. Austrian Audio mics have been a staple at previous Grammy Awards, but this year they broke their own record. Twelve OC818s and 12 CC8s mics were used on stage, primarily to record the drum kits for the performing acts that night. Michael Abbott, the chief engineer and sound designer of the Grammy Awards, has been relying on Austrian Audio quality for years. He and his team of engineers have always been impressed on how the hand-made mics from Vienna cover the drums. In such a widely broadcast event, quality and reliability are key. Handmade in Vienna, the OC818 is a multi-pattern dual-output condenser microphone equipped with a world’s first: optional wireless control, while its sibling – the OC18, is a cardioid pattern precision micropho
USA - For Modest Mouse’s recent Lonesome Crowded West Tour, FOH Engineer Peter Thompson utilised Soundcraft audio control solutions. Founded in Issaquah, Washington by singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy, Modest Mouse is an influential indie rock band. While best known for their crossover hit Float On, the band has built a reputation for experimentation and overhauling their sound across every album, evolving from a post-grunge trio of high schoolers to a five-to-seven-piece band of violins, horns and percussionists. For long-time fans, however, the band’s sophomore album The Lonesome Crowded West - a ramshackle collection of songs about the struggle for self-understanding in an increasingly urbanized, consumer-driven and chaotic world -remains their definitive work to this day. To celebrate the album’s
USA - Weekends With Adele, her residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which comprises a five-month series of weekend-night shows between November 2022 and March of this year, is the next step in a singular career. Presenting Adele in an immersive-audio environment for the first time, and DiGiCo - in the form of two Quantum7 consoles supplied by Brit Row/Clair Global -are there with her to ‘assure a fantastic and flawless show’. In true Vegas style, it’s a big show, says Dave Bracey, who has worked and toured with Adele for much of the last 10 years, after stints with Depeche Mode and the Cure in the 1990s, and later with Robbie Williams, Björk, Massive Attack, and P!NK, among others. Ten weeks into the weekends-only schedule they haven’t yet had to move out to let the venue be used by another production during their breaks, but he estimates that
Spain - Following a successful year, Wharfedale Pro celebrated its extensive network of global distributors at an awards ceremony preceding Integrated Systems Europe 2023. The event was held on 30 January at the Barcelona Experience Centre, a venue created by Wharfedale Pro and their Spanish distributor Kinson specifically for the purpose of demoing Wharfedale Pro gear. Over 40 Wharfedale Pro distributors attended the event, representing many countries from across the world - a testament to the brand's global reach. This event, complete with keynote speeches from Wharfedale Pro team members, brought together the company’s extensive family of distributors. “It was rewarding that so many of our distribution partners and friends were able to make the journey to Terrassa and their support was invaluable,” says Wharfedale pro sales director, Simon Godfrey. “The pur
Mexico - Martin Audio has reorganised its distribution set-up in Mexico, appointing NTX Distribution specifically to handle the installation sector. Equally, sister company Optimal Audio also forms part of the new agreement to supplement the offering specifically towards commercial installation and small to medium multi-zoned venues. Confirming the appointment, Berenice Gutiérrez, founder and CEO of Proactive LATAM, who represent the two brands in Latin America and the Caribbean, stressed that negotiations had been conducted independently. “The move is highly significant for Martin Audio, as having had only one distribution partner for so long we can now focus on the important fixed installation market via NTX,” she stated. “But each brand has something different to offer and addresses markets not necessarily covered by other products in the NTX portfolio.” Th
USA - Just outside the bustling Houston metropolis lies St. Mary Magdalene Catholic church. The church was established in 1912 and would hold Mass in the homes of its parishioners until a sanctuary was built and consecrated in 1915. Now home to a thriving congregation, St. Mary Magdalene conducts seven worship services each weekend, and its sanctuary supports up to 1200 people. Stained glass windows depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross flank the sides, while an altar featuring an ornate carving of the Last Supper dominates the dais. The high-peaked, wood-panelled ceiling and other hard surfaces combined with an underpowered audio system resulted in low speech intelligibility, making it difficult for churchgoers to understand the worship service. Steerable loudspeaker arrays from Renkus-Heinz were installed in the church to improve intelligibility and enhance worship experi
Australia - Melbourne Catholic secondary college St Peter’s recently opened a new performing arts centre, designed by international theatre consultancy Schuler Shook. Located alongside its Clyde North campus in the south-east of the city, the Geode Centre features a full complement of pro-level AV technology solutions designed and integrated by local supplier/installer Factory Sound, including a Nexo Geo M12 line array system. Working closely with St Peter’s College, the team at Factory Sound were brought in early within the design process to evolve a technical fitout which would serve the school’s intentions for the space whilst ensuring budgets were always under consideration. Working directly for the school over the 18 months prior to construction meant many of the pitfalls which can occur when tech is considered ‘just another trade’ were avoided entirely. Facto
USA - First Baptist Church Woodstock (FBCW) is no stranger to major undertakings. Spanning three centuries, the church’s current 16,000-member congregation worship in a 7,500-seat worship centre in its 435,000sq.ft building on an 80-acre campus in the North Georgia town of Woodstock twice each Sunday. Last year, FBCW notably became the site of the world’s largest permanent installation of L-ISA immersive sound technology, which is paired with DiGiCo Quantum338 consoles at front of house and monitors. Now, the church has embraced immersive mixing in the house and in the ears with its December addition of a DMI-KLANG module, supplied by the church’s integration partner, Diversified. FBCW’s monitoring landscape is certainly an ambitious one. Every Sunday, there are two completely distinct worship experiences. The first, starting at 9:30am, is choir-driven with a s
World - Genelec is marking its 45th anniversary this year by launching the Genelec 45 World Tour, which celebrates ‘truthful sound and the passion that powers it’. The extensive tour combines demonstrations of Genelec studio monitors with a programme of learning and listening experiences, complemented by a major global music collaboration. Central to the tour is the Genelec | Experience series of premium events, which includes face-to-face listening sessions at Genelec’s growing international network of Experience Centres, complemented by hybrid and virtual events, regional partner events and traditional trade shows. The Genelec | Experience will not only provide an opportunity for customers to audition Genelec’s studio monitors, but will also allow customers to learn about and experience a wide range of Genelec stereo and immersive loudspeaker systems in a controll
Norway - The story of Hitler’s first defeat in the Second World War is depicted in the new Netflix film, Narvik. This is named after the small town in Northern Norway where the Norwegian army and the Allies fought and won the first battle against Germany. The world premiere was held in Narvik itself with a big outdoor cinema especially created in the town square, which was free for everyone. The realism of the battle, and the associated sound effects, were authentically captured by a Martin Audio Wavefront Precision line array deployment in 5.1 surround, in a completely unique and unprecedented production. Stein Hjertholm from the event production company All-In, originally contacted Thomas Nordvik Olsen from Audiolight in Harstad and he, in turn, asked if Øystein Wierli, head of sound at Atendi, Martin Audio’s Norwegian distributor, could act as consultant
UK - Audiologic has detailed their work with ABC AV to launch a new permanent space themed immersive experience at The National Space Centre. Prepared to launch on a low Earth orbit cruise with Tetrastar Spaceport, visitors accidentally find themselves on a rescue mission to Mars. The team must work together to retrieve important research, survive disaster, and escape back to Earth. Tetrastar Spaceport combines immersive theatre, actors, realistic set design, projection mapping, spatial audio, real-time interactive content, motion seats and hands-on interactives with immersive storytelling. The 300m2 experience plays out across four main zones with 10 additional themed spaces allowing four concurrent pulses of 20 person groups. 11 projectors, 47 screens, 45 speakers, 50 media servers and computers, and 15k mapped RGBW LED pixels are seamlessly blended into the intricat
Belgium - In a city that’s famous for its breweries, the people of Leuven certainly know how to throw a party. The capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant welcomed in the new year with a free event for 10,000 people in the Oude Markt, featuring DJ sets from a stage in the centre of the square. With the audience located on both sides, an STM sound system deployed by long-time Nexo rental partner VDB-PA was required to cover two distinct areas. System designer Lennert Van de Velde takes up the story of how the VDB team took on the challenge. “Controlling the coverage and focussing the low frequencies were important at such an event, with strict decibel limits outside the immediate area. So, we used Nexo NS-1 to design the system and predict SPL coverage with a large audience filling the square. “The system comprised nine STM M28 per side for the
Belgium - Namur Grand Manège Concert Hall recently opened its doors following a major three-year renovation project. The ambitious €20m redesign transformed a historic military riding school into a modern cultural centre featuring an intimate 800-capacity auditorium, made exceptional by its acoustics and soundproofing. The venue’s AV team had only considered a traditional left/right sound system, but they were so impressed with L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound that the technology has become the centrepiece of the venue’s audio system. Situated in Namur’s city centre, the renovated Concert Hall hosts two complementary cultural institutions, the Centre of Vocal Art and Ancient Music (CAV&MA) and the Conservatoire Balthasar-Florence de Namur music school. It will also serve as a home for the city’s world-renowned ensembles, including the Namu
