India - The Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET) in Hyderabad enlisted KVIK Infotel to equip the facility with an end-to-end Harman Professional Solutions audio system. An autonomous group under the Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, CMET is a research institute dedicated to developing materials for electronics using local resources and supporting India’s technological industries. Administrators at CMET wanted to utilise the facility’s auditorium for events including training sessions, conferences and seminars; however, the auditorium’s previous audio system lacked versatility for different types of events. To meet CMET’s goals, AV integration provider KVIK Infotel overhauled the auditorium with flexible and cost-effective JBL Professional, Crown Audio, Soundcraft, BSS and AKG audio solutions.
UK - Polar has announced the promotion of current national sales manager for integrated solutions, Will Turney, to the post of head of integrated solutions. Will joined the Polar team in 2017 as a business development manager after five years with HARMAN-owned AMX. Will Turney comments: “My role managing the integrated solutions division will include supporting and developing the sales and technical support teams at Polar in continuing to meet the challenges of a fast-moving technology sector. I will also be responsible for liaising with our brands to develop strategies for new product launches, as well as ongoing product updates. My task is based on taking a holistic view of the industry to help us develop in new areas and respond quickly, as a value-added distributor, to the needs of the market.” Polar managing director John Midgley adds: "In his time at Polar, W
Spain - Thirty-five years ago Amate Audio introduced its original TriPhonic 2.1 power amplifier design, an integrated L/R and sub solution for small sound installations. More recently the company revived the concept with a Class-D based design - the TPD - incorporating onboard loudspeaker management DSP and proving popular with installers and commercial audio contractors. Now the Barcelona loudspeaker company has extended the application potential of the platform with the launch of a higher power rated iteration of the rack-space, cable saving format. As the name suggests, the TPD3K provides in excess of 3000 W of combined power, with up to 750W continuous program power each for the left and right channels, and 2000W for the sub channel (at 4 Ω). Onboard control DSP offers much of the operational performance advantage of Amate Audio’s fully active loudspeaker system
USA - When San Francisco’s Tempo debuted in 2020, it had the connected fitness industry buzzing. The interactive personal training solution brings a team of expert trainers into the home virtually, with adaptive technology that delivers real-time guidance and creates custom workout plans around a user’s fitness goals. Instructors are filmed in a dedicated recording space in San Francisco, and audio is a key consideration in simulating the energy of an in-person workout class. To provide users ‘the ultimate sound experience’, the brand selected DPA Microphones. According to Cemil Revan, Tempo’s head of studio, the company first selected DPA 4288 and 4088 headset microphones to support its audio needs. Following a preference from instructors, the studio later incorporated a pair of 4017B shotgun mics in an XY pair overhead and 4098 gooseneck mics on the floor.<
USA - When the COVID-19 pandemic first swept across the nation last year, Flagstaff’s Orpheum Theatre had no choice but to close its doors to the public. For audio production manager Scotty J., this meant not being able to showcase the venue’s new KF810P PA system from Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW). While the Orpheum was closed, the theatre still produced some virtual events including about 25 webcasts during 2020 from its indoor stage with the new EAW system. The venue also created an outdoor space in the parking lot, which was first used for a two-day Halloween/Grateful Dead event last October. Today, with some restrictions easing, Scotty J. is able to show off the new PA system as the Orpheum re-opens. Scotty J. chose the KF810P Line Array and SB818P Single 18-inch flyable subwoofers from EAW with the help of Sound Image, a full-service audio, video, theatrical
USA - St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Oregon has served as the centre of the Archdiocese of Portland since the site’s dedication in 1926. For nearly a century, the intricately designed and stately cathedral has been the host of important ceremonies for the 400,000 Catholics living in the greater Portland metropolitan area. The cathedral has many ornate elements designed in the Romanesque style with a few Byzantine elements mixed in. These include remarkable stained-glass windows. an apse dome, and an expansive ceiling rising three stories high. Many original and historic components of the church remain intact – and the artistry in the design work is critical to preserve during any renovation. These architectural flourishes, coupled with the expansive size of the main worship hall, resulted in a cacophonous space where achieving inte
UK - The recruitment network for creatives and freelancers Curtain Call has re-launched an improved membership platform to help link up freelancers with employers - and PLASA members benefit from reduced subscription fees. The network, which is free to join by freelancers, has a search and match algorithm that makes it easy for employers to find skilled available freelance technicians and creatives for project-based or long-term positions. Businesses looking to recruit need to subscribe to search the database, with PLASA members able to get 15% off for 12 months by signing up through the Pioneers programme. For every PLASA member company that signs up, Curtain Call will donate £15 to #WeMakeEvents, and for every month of membership, the network will plant a tree. Ea
Italy - Staged in the elegant courtyard of the Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza, the flagship performance of this year’s Notte d’Opera a Palazzo was a stirring representation of Puccini’s Tosca. The natural acoustics of the 16th century architecture were lifted powerfully yet naturally through TiMax spatial audio processing. Complementing TiMax’s sympathetic spatial amplification and to ensure complete audience immersion, impressive virtual scenography was video-mapped onto the imposing façade of the building. Federico Bianchi, designed the multichannel d&b sound system, drove the TiMax SoundHub processor and mixed the show on a DiGiCo console. With social-distancing maximised to ensure a Covid-safe environment for performers, musicians and the audience, positioning of the distributed loudspeaker system was inevitably challenged by an unconventional stag
UK - Dating back to 2009, the Rewind Festival is an annual ‘80s music extravaganza that today generally takes place in three different locations. Although this year Rewind Scotland had to be cancelled, the events at Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfield (Rewind North) and Temple Island Meadows, outside Henley (Rewind South) went ahead within a month of each other. The event is now back under the management of David Heartfield, whose leisure group Impresario Festivals had previously sold the brand to radio group Global back in 2017. The events’ long-term sound suppliers, Capital Sound were in action at both sites, and with the exception of an additional delay tower at Rewind South, fielded identical Martin Audio MLA PA rigs. Once again, they worked alongside production manager Keith Morris, of Riverside Productions, as they have on many previous occasions. Set on the
USA - SmartLabs has announced that Rick Sailor has joined the company as VP for business development North America & Canada. Gary Hamer, SmartLabs global SVP for sales and business development, says: “Service providers are facing some difficult challenges now about the best way to provide video; how to package channels and maintain costly equipment. At SmartLabs, we can help local providers address some of those challenges in a profitable way that gives them a competitive edge, thanks to our global experience. We’re delighted that Rick has joined us to lead our US and Canadian expansion at this pivotal time.” Rick Sailor adds: “The opportunity to lead the roll-out of SmartLabs to the US and Canadian markets was too good to miss. The company has been in the business since it was in its infancy and has such a good track record in multiple countries, operating
USA - Harman Professional Solutions has introduced the AKG Ara, a two-pattern USB condenser microphone. Ara lets content creators and musicians effortlessly capture studio-quality, 24-bit, 96kHz audio for superior speech clarity and stunning vocal and instrument tracks, says AKG. Two pickup patterns focus on a single source or everyone in the room. The directional Front (cardioid) pattern captures sound directly in front of the mic while rejecting sound from other sides, making it suitable for podcast hosts, bloggers, gamers, videoconferencing and for recording voice and instruments. The front + back (omni) pattern picks up sound evenly from all sides, making it suitable for recording interviews with multiple speakers. “What’s really great about Ara is that it can accomplish so many goals for a variety of users. It’s perfect for elevating interviews and video bl
USA - Dead & Company’s stadium tour is rolling into autumn, with more than 30 concerts scheduled and the grand finale on Halloween weekend. This latest iteration of the jam band is touring with audio production anchored by a Meyer Sound Leo system provided by UltraSound. Meyer Sound’s enduring relationship with the Grateful Dead (and subsequent spin-offs) extends back prior to the company’s founding in 1979, with company president & CEO John Meyer consulting on the legendary Wall of Sound. The band was often heard through the Meyer-designed JM-3 and JM-10 loudspeakers from McCune Audio shortly thereafter. “We’ve obviously been working hand-in-hand with Meyer for many years,” says Derek Featherstone, who doubles as both CEO of UltraSound and FOH engineer for Dead & Company. “I came on board in 1988, but I know UltraSound started developing prod
USA - Christie has announced the M 4K25 RGB pure laser projector, an all-in-one RGB pure laser projector that continues the original M Series, first introduced in 2007. “The M Series packed a lot of features in a small package,” explains Larry Paul, executive director, technology and custom solutions at Christie. “Features like the intelligent lens system and embedded Twist for blending and warping were unique at the time, plus its small size and weight, helped it to become Christie’s best-selling line of projectors and lenses.” RGB pure laser technology delivers twice the colour of the original M Series for vibrant, bright images that approach Rec. 2020 colour volume, a colour standard closest to what the human eye can see. With TruLife+ electronics all the needed connections are built-in, eliminating the need for optional input cards. TruLife+ also fe
USA - While on the road with Bruno Mars, Grammy award-winning recording engineer Charles Moniz and live sound engineer Chris Rabold rely on JBL Professional 708P master reference monitors to deliver sound for front-of-house mixing as well as recording backstage. Mars is known for riveting and tightly-rehearsed live shows with his backing band the Hooligans, and most recently, with Anderson.Paak as the R&B duo Silk Sonic. Mars and the band frequently work on new songs while on the road and needed a high-quality mobile recording setup that could be easily assembled in any setting. Moniz, who worked with Mars on his 2012 album Unorthodox Jukebox and 2016’s 24k Magic, selected JBL Professional 708P reference monitors for their studio-grade sound quality, high output and balanced coverage. Additionally, front-of-house engineer Chris Rabold uses them to dial in
USA - When Cooperstown, New York, came alive for the triumphant return of The Glimmerglass Festival, sound designer Andrew Harper called upon Masque Sound to provide a custom audio equipment package for the summer opera and musical theatre festival. “Normally all productions are done inside at the opera house where there is no amplification at all,” says Harper. “This year, the producers created an outdoor stage on the lawn, with the singers and audience outside but the orchestra was located inside. I was tasked with combining the two worlds of the singers and the orchestra, while also creating a great experience for the audience outdoors, all while keeping everyone socially distanced.” Harper had worked with Masque Sound previously and had full confidence they could provide all the equipment he needed to be successful. “I had the pleasure of working with Mas
USA - Danley Sound Labs and Dynacord are teaming up to bring complementary product combinations to the global marketplace. In what has been termed a strategic alignment, US-based Danley Sound and Germany’s Dynacord recently announced that they will be utilising each other’s strengths to offer sound system solutions. Danley loudspeakers will now be powered and optimised by Dynacord amplifiers, digital signal processing and sound system software. Danley loudspeaker settings will be available for all Dynacord amplifiers. “This is a big step forward for us, and we’re very excited about this development,” comments Mike Hedden, Danley’s chief steward in charge. “Working with Dynacord will change people’s perspective when they think about Danley, as it allows us to go wider and deeper with our product offerings.” Dynacord, part of the Bosch Group, is e
Italy - RCF has released a new update for RDNet networked management software with a new installer, improvements to the user interface, auto-updates, a beta testing program, and a new firmware manager. All designed to work together within the RCF RDNet ecosystem. Based on a management and monitoring network for RCF devices, RDNet includes system control tools, a line array design platform, and a complete audio analyzer in one software package. RDNet provides intuitive management of every connected device/object on the network for live and installed audio systems. A network user can control all DSP settings inside any compatible device, including advanced subwoofer configurations, from a single object to groups of objects. This new update has as its main objective to unlink future software and firmware updates, so the user will no longer be required to perform an RDNet
UK - Shure has announced that, in collaboration with Pro Audio Systems and PSA4AV, they have upgraded the microphone system at Lucky Voice’s Holborn karaoke venue, with the new to market SLXD Digital Wireless system. In 2019, Lucky Voice opened the doors to a new 5000ft venue in Holborn, which is home to 10 karaoke rooms and had a requirement for a minimum of 20 microphones. Supplied by Pro Audio Systems and installed by PSA4AV, Lucky Voice had a requirement for a high quality, wireless microphone system that was going to stand the test of time. Craig Walmsley, senior technician, PSA4AV states: “Lucky Voice have been previous users of Shure and we knew that was the only brand that was going to meet all the requirements of the brief. We were really pleased to be the first to get hold of the brand new SLXD Digital Wireless system, in partnership with Peter Butler at
Spain - Luis Ángel Rodríguez's latest business venture Shock Bilbao Club opened its doors in February 2021 in downtown Bilbao with music played through RCF TT+ Series speakers. Since the first conversation with Sonort Audiovisual, supplier of all the sound systems, Luis Angel Rodriguez asked for the best sound quality for his club. Ricardo Carus, founding partner of Sonort Audiovisual explains the design process. "Looking for clarity, uniformity, and sweetness, the only choice for us was RCF TT+ Series. We choose four units of TT 10-A for the dance floor combined with an HDL 12-AS subwoofer giving more power and range to the zone. For the bar zone and the restaurant area, we installed TT 052-A combined with a second HDL12-AS sub getting total coherence and equal timbral in the whole space." Carus continues, "For the processing and management of all the speaker system
USA - NAB has announced the cancellation of the upcoming NAB Show 2021, which was due to take place in Las Vegas from 9-13 October. The annual convention/exhibition, which in 2019 reported attendance of 91,000, is one of the largest events on the calendar for broadcasters and their technology providers. In recent weeks, the show had suffered exhibitor withdrawals - including Sony and Canon - due to the spread of the delta variant of COVID in the US, with the organisers opting to scrap the in-person event in favour of offering select virtual sessions through its Amplify portal. “For more than a year, we have worked tirelessly to bring our industry together safely in Las Vegas at NAB Show," say the organisers in a statement. "Unfortunately, the pandemic and surge of the delta variant has presented unexpected and insurmountable challenges for our global community. “As
UK - Martin Audio returned to its open days for the first time in two years, following the easing of Covid restrictions, which also included both a legacy product walkthrough and a party in nearby Marlow to honour the company’s 50th anniversary. The sessions adhered closely to all Covid guidelines, including tests on entrance, and at the end, MD Dom Harter gave a heartfelt appreciation to the audience. “It’s the first time many have been back in a room of loudspeakers for 18 months,” he said. “We are extremely grateful for everyone’s time and attendance - our industry will never be tested like this again.” Ninety minutes earlier he had opened proceedings with a background about company founder Dave Martin, emphasising that “his vision and many of his principles continue to be followed today”. Guests had already been able to enjoy a museum like walkthr
USA - When the time came for Colorado’s St Andrew United Methodist Church to evaluate the effectiveness of its installed sound system, it encountered a problem that will be familiar to houses of worship all over the world. While the style of worship practised at the church had changed over the years to fully embrace musical celebration including live performances and playback, the aging sound system was no longer fit for purpose, having been originally designed for more traditional spoken word sermons. Determined to transform not just the sound quality but the overall experience of the congregation, the church’s leadership began the search for a solution. The new system needed to deliver audio quality and flexibility without requiring any major construction changes to the church itself - a challenge that was given to regional systems integrator Equalized Production
Namibia - Located amid the African bush not far from Namibia’s capital Windhoek lies The Midgard Country Estate, one of O&L Leisure’s retreats. The estate, self-described as “a paradise where the earth rises again, fertile and green” appeals to a variety of potential customers, possessing 46 newly decorated bedrooms, a bar, two swimming pools and a host of other leisure facilities. Midgard’s audio-visual technology required an update, ensuring that guests are entertained, and conferences run seamlessly. Stage Audio Works’ Namibian office was responsible for AV design and integration, most recently providing a comprehensive turnkey Audac-based distributed audio system for the restaurant and bar area. SAW Namibia has been involved with the Midgard Estate since 2020 when they were first called in to update the AV systems in Midgard’s conference venues.
The Netherlands - Construction is underway and progress being made to build a new children’s transitional care unit in Amsterdam, showcasing how the AV community has come together to support the project with donations of product, time and services. In a joint venture between ISE, its co-owners CEDIA and AVIXA, and generous contributors from the industry, The Jeroen Pit House will be furnished with a state-of-the-art entertainment space for chronically ill children and their families to enjoy. The Jeroen Pit House, which is being built within the grounds of the Emma Children’s Hospital, will make the difficult transition from hospital to home easier, safer and steadier for chronically ill children and their families. Over 30 AV brands have committed to providing services and product for free to develop the media space, which will include a sensory room and home cin
