USA - Created in 2015 by the merger of two churches, worship at South Carolina’s Hope Church ranges from high energy music to spoken word sermons. A recent enlargement of its Simpsonville campus provided the opportunity to upgrade its audio system. An Alcons Audio pro-ribbon system provided a blend of power and clarity. The expansion of the single-story Simpsonville building enlarged the room’s depth by around 70ft and added gallery seating at the back, providing a total of 700 seats. The existing audio system was not adequate to cover the newly enlarged space with high quality sound for all styles of worship, so the church contacted AVL Solutions (AVLS), based in nearby Greenville, for help. “A challenge for the sound design was the pitched roof, which ranges from 15ft at the sides to more than 18ft in the centre,” says Chris Craine, AVLS designer / director
The Netherlands - The 2021 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) which took place at the Rotterdam Ahoy in The Netherlands last month, was coordinated under the direction of a team of experts with decades of experience. Among them were ESC head of broadcast sound Thijs Peters and ESC head of venue sound Jeroen ten Brinke, long-time, consistent users of the DPA brand. The show’s design team was further supported by Ampco Flashlight, the official technical supplier for lighting, rigging and audio, which provided one-hundred 4088 Directional Headsets and 40 d:facto 4018V Vocal Microphones from DPA Microphones for all of the show’s vocal performances. “I have over 25 years’ experience as a live sound engineer and designer, and I have been using DPA since it was B&K; the d:factos are great-sounding mics,” says ten Brinke. “It was an honour to work on Eurovision, o
Australia - The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra touts an impressive resume – not just due to its seven robust academic colleges of study, but because it is also connected to the Australian Government by way of its position across the river from Capital Hill, where parliament is located. The university often hosts high-profile meetings in the Mills Room, an ornate conferencing space featuring Tasmanian blackwood woodworking and capable of hosting up to 54 people. Located in the ANU Chancelry Tower, these meetings can include high ranking members of the government, making the Mills Room a premiere location of importance on campus. Because of its design and the fact that is has served as the location of significant ANU meetings since 1964, the meeting space is deemed by the university to have heritage significance. However, after decades in service, the
Italy - Fulcrum Acoustic has appointed Ligra DS S.r.l as its distributor for Italy. "Like Fulcrum Acoustic, Ligra is a rapidly growing company," says Gianluigi Cravedi, Ligra's CEO. "We have been looking for innovative loudspeaker technologies to offer to our customers. Fulcrum's unique blend of technology and performance provides the type of solutions that we were seeking." "Over the past year we have made good progress expanding our distribution in Europe," says Fulcrum Acoustic president Stephen Siegel. "Ligra is the perfect partner for us in Italy. We know that their energetic and capable team will represent us well and deliver top-quality solutions to their customers."
Italy - RCF has unveiled the ART 9 series, a range of six active loudspeakers that can be used as the main sound system, fills, or stage monitors. This is the ninth generation of the series, which brings speakers with 10" to 15" drivers and a new cabinet design. All speakers also feature a 2,100W two-channel Class-D amplifier with advanced DSP processing. RCF says ART 9 speakers are 50% more powerful than previous models, with “extremely high” sound pressure levels. The amplifier is energy-efficient so there is no need for a cooling fan. The circuit is attached to a solid aluminium heat exchanger in the back of the unit with no moving parts. Performance improvements are assured by new RCF transducers, featuring advanced materials such as kapton, titanium, and neodymium. The new 1.75-inch compression driver with polyimide-kapton dome features a new bonding te
USA - The Old Navy flagship store in midtown New York City was converted into a four-floor soundstage for a recent commercial shoot, and the production companies found a combination of Clear-Com wireless intercom technologies to be the right fit for covering the retailer’s closed set safely and efficiently. The project required a mix of pre-recorded segments with employee interviews and a celebrity guest appearance. The talent was staged on separate floors when off-camera, allowing the onsite technical crews to maintain proper distancing while still experiencing high-quality communications among each other and talent, as well as the remote producers and directors who were in Los Angeles. Gotham Sound & Communications was the lead production company for the shoot, with VP Peter Schneider managing operations remotely and independent sound engineer Ken Goodwin on-si
Namibia - The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) is at the apex of the system of government in the Republic of Namibia. A historical building in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, OPM houses the first Cabinet Chamber and the Constitution Room, in which most of the country’s legislatures were drafted. The government recently elected to augment the Cabinet Chamber with a sophisticated sound reinforcement and visual display system to improve the meeting experience. Gadgets Namibia Solutions – a leading ICT products and services provider - were asked to source an appropriate solution, which they did through Stage Audio Works Namibia. “This was an interesting project as the multilevel and oval shaped seating arrangement made it impossible to implement a traditional projector and screen solution,” explains Joppie Maritz of SAW Namibia. “Furthermore, we were working
USA - Illuminarium Experiences opened its first Illuminarium in Atlanta, Georgia, with its debut spectacle, Wild: A Safari Experience. The immersive 8,000sq.ft entertainment complex on the Atlanta BeltLine will showcase the beauty and splendour of Africa’s most exotic animals in their natural habitats. Through a convergence of technologies, Illuminarium’s immersive venues ‘will transport millions of visitors to places that they previously could only dream of experiencing’. By enabling audiences to see, hear, feel, smell and even personally affect an experience, Illuminarium places the guest ‘inside’ the narrative using techniques from traditional motion picture production and virtual reality combined with interactive features that facilitate the experience of the real world. In essence, Illuminarium exemplifies a “VR, without the glasses” experience. W
Germany - Plans for this year’s Digital Signage Summit Europe, taking place on 29-30 September at the Hilton Munich Airport, have been revealed. The theme of DSS Europe 2021 is The New Agenda. The rules of digital signage have changed, and the pandemic has had a marked effect on how displays are deployed within retail, DOOH, transport and other sectors. DSS Europe will cover the significant technological innovations that are having a positive effect, will showcase the development of sustainable solutions (eliminating waste and re-using resources) and will reveal market insights and investor news. In a new development for 2021, the Innovation Stage, sponsored by Red Bull, will host sessions from a range of start-ups and innovators ‘with inspiring and unconventional solutions for digital signage’. Conference chair Florian Rotberg, managing director of
India - Boutique audio enterprise, Audio Academy in Bangalore added the compact Audient ASP4816 mixing desk to its setup last year. The facility offers professional audio education programmes as well as providing commercial recording, music production, sound design and Foley services, and the compact mixing desk has settled in very well. “We were looking for a console that would serve as both a teaching tool as well as a highly functioning mixer for professional studio bookings,” explains studio manager Gautham Pattani. Part of a hybrid setup in the studio, the analogue desk’s array of connectivity options means it can work easily with the outboard gear and send audio straight to their Pro Tools DAW. “Our multi-monitor setup helps reveal every detail in the recording and mixing process. Dedicated hardware controllers, industry standard converters, high quality
USA - Nearly 750 Martin Audio components have been specified and fitted as part of a complete AV integration at the new $700m Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia. The 510,000sq.ft Cordish Companies development is set in the City’s Stadium District. The audio-visual design and implementation was managed by ECI (Entertainment Consulting International) as are all the entertainment complexes and sports arenas within the estate of their parent company. Audio-visual requirements in the multi-zone space, incorporating a collection of sports bars and diverse restaurants, were specified by consultants, Las Vegas-based Coherent Design, with integration company, Metinteractive, providing the successful bid for the fit-out. At the business end, the work was overseen by Dan Defendorf, Director of A/V & Corporate Music Programmer for 130 or so Cordish Companies propert
Germany - Located on the banks of the Danube in central southern Germany, the city of Ulm is an economic centre for eastern Baden-Württemberg and western Bavaria. Recently a new audio system was installed at Congress Centrum Ulm (CCU), the main city centre venue for corporate events and entertainment, with a Yamaha solution chosen for mixing and control. Attached to the Maritim Hotel, Congress Centrum Ulm (CCU) features two main auditoriums, Einstein Saal and the smaller Kepler Saal, both with adjacent foyers, plus the outdoor Gartensaal. Einstein Saal can host gatherings of up to 1,500 people, with Einsteinfoyer able to accommodate a similar number for stand-up receptions. The upgrade to the audio system took place during a short pause in Germany’s COVID-19 lockdown, which made straightforward installation and programming of the system a priority. Karlsruhe-based f
UAE - Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) has recently delivered a complete L-Acoustics touring system at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi ahead of their first large live event. CTME is an Approved Calibration Centre (ACC) and certified partner integrations (CPI) for L-Acoustics. CTME worked closely with L-Acoustics during the modelling of the system based on CAD drawings supplied by the arena. As the venue will be hosting a wide range of events, the design had to consider multiple configurations to suit various productions from indoor concerts to sporting events and much more. Craig Harvey, CT’s systems integration project manager, explains, “CT delivered the L-Acoustics system on behalf of the arena, verified, tested, installed and calibrated the equipment, making sure the system was responding as per the design.” As part of the L-Acoustics system,
USA - Studio 9 at Porches Inn in North Adams, Massachusetts was originally conceived as a dining and event venue. However, with installation of Meyer Sound Constellation active acoustics in 2019, it was transformed into an intimate live performance and recording space. With the addition of the Spacemap Go spatial sound design and live mixing tool earlier this year, Studio 9 has fully evolved into ‘a one-of-a-kind laboratory for musical innovation’. The principal partner in Studio 9 venture is FreshGrass Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to preserving, supporting and creating innovative grassroots music. Studio 9 is already proving a valuable adjunct to the FreshGrass Festivals - staged at nearby MASS MoCA since 2011 and now also in Bentonville, Arkansas - in developing and promoting new generations of roots music artists. “There is a shared vision and a shared e
USA - Clear-Com’s new Station-IC Virtual Desktop Client, a Mac- and Windows-based software application, is now available for the LQ Series of IP interface devices as well as Clear-Com’s Eclipse Digital intercom Matrix. Full integration with the wide variety of LQ interfaces offers channel-based routing which allows Station-IC to connect to Clear-Com’s Encore Partyline systems, TW Partyline, HelixNet, Two-Way radios, SIP telephone lines, GPIO signalling and to any other intercom, or audio, system via four-wire. Station-IC allows LQ users to assign up to 24 Channels with individual talk and listen keys and level control as well as optional Call signal, LQ Network Control Events and Remote Mic Kill keys for the individual channel. Stations-IC's Flexible application window can be scaled to the Desktop while the Compact Mode allows users to access their most importa
Belgium - Although Antwerp’s Olympisch Stadion was built as the main location of 1920’s Summer Olympics, it remains one of the city’s landmarks today, thanks to its status as the home base for local football team, K.Beerschot V.A. When the stadium’s management came to a point where they could no longer continue with their outdated sound system, they called on audio experts PFL and Face Projects to assist. “PFL – one of our preferred dealers – came to us for advice on their design and budget in reference to renewing the stadium’s existing sound system, which was about 25 years old at the time,” said Steven Kemland, manager at Face Projects. “Beerschot wanted to have an installation to improve quality of speech and to be able to play a good ambient sound; the latter of which was not really possible with the old system. “From the first design we wer
UK - Live music venue The Boileroom has been an EM Acoustics system user for over a decade. They’ve just taken delivery of a new flagship Reference Series R10 system. When the team at The Boileroom were producing a live streamed show with Newton Faulker at Guildford’s Holy Trinity Church earlier this month, EM Acoustics were stepped in and supported the venue and show. The show was covered by a pair of R10 3-way precision passive point source loudspeakers, with ST-215 subwoofers underneath. Monitoring was handled by a pair of M-C15 coaxial stage monitors, with DQ20 advanced system amplifiers driving everything. "The Boileroom is our local grass roots music venue, who have used our products successfully for over a decade,” says Mike Wheeler, EM Acoustics’ co-founder and operations director. “They had already decided to upgrade to a system based around R10s for
Switzerland - The Montreux Jazz Festival has launched its 55th edition which runs until 17 July, with Meyer Sound returning for its 35th year as a strategic partner and official sound provider. Although scaled back with fewer venues and lower capacities to meet local health and safety guidelines, the long-established Swiss festival nevertheless promises a new audience experience as the principal venue moves outdoors to the scenic shoreline of Lake Geneva. “This year we reimagined the festival to adapt to the times,” says Marco Güntensperger, production manager for the festival. “It was a major challenge, so it was great to again collaborate with our long-time partner, Meyer Sound. Their team was instrumental in finding the best audio solutions, such as at the new Lake Stage, to ensure a great experience for artists and fans alike.” The Meyer Sound system at th
Guatemala - The Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City, also known by its abbreviated name UFM, is one of the top universities in Latin America. For 50 years, UFM has been ardently following its mission of teaching and disseminating the ethical, legal and economic principles of a society of free and responsible individuals. The university is the original founder of the ITA scholarship programme which identifies the most highly qualified and motivated students among Guatemala’s poorest and makes it possible for them to earn a life-changing UFM degree. Recently, the university’s IT and AV team worked with installer Farei to deploy Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) microphones in 52 of its classrooms and various faculty auditoriums. Whilst the plans for getting a new professional audio system had been in place for several years, the pandemic acted as
Australia - Location sound recordist Christopher MacGregor became the first customer to embrace Point Source Audio's Lavalier Switch Kit, a two-in-one lavalier and on-ear miking tool kit. Its value became instantly apparent with the included Embrace earmount put straight to work miking an active TV host of an Australian gardening show. "The gardening host I work with is often performing quite physical tasks so for some years, I've been concealing the microphone into his mop of curly hair using wig and hair clips," explains MacGregor. "This takes time and often requires readjusting throughout the shoot. So when the Point Source Audio Lavalier Switch Kit became available, I thought, 'that's going to make life so much easier.' I've probably got a dozen different methods of mounting lav mics and this has added another great option." The kit delivers the company's best-sel
Australia - When popular Australian Hotel and Resort, The Beachcomber, decided to completely gut and upgrade their entire audio system ahead of their busy season, local supplier Pro Sound and Lighting called on LEA Professional to amplify and transform the space. The Beachcomber Hotel & Resort, or as the locals call it 'The Beachie' is a waterfront destination located in the heart of the Central Coast, Toukley. The resort sits between two Great Lakes and the Pacific Ocean with nearly 100m of lake frontage and its own private pier. The sprawling complex was recently relaunched as a 4-star, 80-room resort offering multiple indoor and outdoor facilities. To carry out the extensive renovation work, the resort relied on local production company Pro Sound and Lighting to provide a new audio system for the resort's gaming and sports bar, DJ area, outdoor area and hotel lo
France - Paris La Défense Arena is a 40,000 capacity, multi-purpose indoor arena located just west of the Paris city centre. Opened in December 2017, the venue takes advantage of the “multiuse” component of its design. It has played host to The Rolling Stones, Kendrick Lamar, and Paul McCartney. It hosts rugby union fixtures for France’s national team, and is the home stadium of Racing 92, a rugby union team competing in the Top 14. The commitment to a multiuse venue requires a unified audio system that sounds great for live performance, offers intelligibility in the spoken word, and can be relied upon in the event of an emergency. The system needs to adhere, without compromise, to EN54 - a set of stringent European life safety product standards required by law, that dictate the performance criteria for a life safety audio system, which is to be used in the event of a
UK - Optimal Audio, part of the Focusrite Group, will hold it’s first open day at its UK HQ in High Wycombe on 9 September. The company, which is Focusrite Group’s seventh brand, was launched in April and offers a host of control, amplification and loudspeakers for small to medium sized commercial installations. At the open day, guests will be able to see demonstrations of the company’s controller, amplifier and loudspeaker offering, and see first-hand how it works to deliver simple-to-install sound systems that are easily operated by anyone, not just engineers. There will be three sessions, held at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30 respectively. Each demo will be capped at 40 visitors, allocated on a first come, first served basis. A supplementary ‘waiting room’ registration will be in place that can be utilised in the event that a registered visitor is unable to
Singapore - Martin Audio and Generation AV have announced the appointment of Spectrum Audio Visual as the distributor for Martin Audio products in Singapore, focusing on the installation sector. Spectrum Audio Visual will focus on the installation market in Singapore. Generation AV and Martin Audio will continue to support entertainment and touring partners directly where required. Wayne Soo, general manager of Spectrum, comments: “Being recognised by Martin Audio as their business partner, and trusting us to grow the business in the Singapore market, is something that excites the whole Spectrum team. Our MD Mr. Vincent Chua and I are really relishing this long-term business relationship.” David Wong, sales director for Generation AV and Martin Audio, adds: “We are very pleased to welcome Spectrum Audio Visual as our new partner in Singapore. Their energy
