UK - Brompton Technology has collaborated with White Light (WL) to showcase the new functionality of its latest Tessera V3.1 software release. The software’s new features, such as Frame Remapping and High Frame Rate+, have unlocked a number of virtual production opportunities. Frame Remapping within White Light’s SmartStage LED studio enables multiple cameras and shooting modes to each see their own render perspective. It also means that a live feed can be captured, fully utilising the benefits of XR technology, including reflections and bespoke lighting, while adding the capability to simultaneously shoot against a green screen to give options in post-production. Dynamic chroma key adjustments can be made, allowing any 24-bit RGB colour to be specified. For events with remote participants in different countries, the technology allows outputs to be tailored and reg
USA - As Cuba’s oldest brewery, Cerveceria La Tropical dates to the year 1888 when La Tropical founded the Cuban beer industry. The business thrived until the arrival of the Cuban revolution when the company’s assets were seized. Fast forward 50 years, which includes relocation of the founding family to Miami, and Cerveceria La Tropical has a new home. Cuba’s oldest brewery is now one of Miami’s youngest, and this new business has DAS Audio loudspeakers installed throughout the complex. Sound Investment Audio, a design / build AV integration and live event production firm with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Las Vegas, was contracted to handle the audio system design and installation at Cerveceria La Tropical. Jon Raymond, Sound Investment’s Chicago‐based national project manager, is involved in many aspects of the company’s projects
USA - For the past year, the world has been preoccupied with Zoom meetings. Disguise has been looking at a very different type of zoom. Instead of video meetings, disguise allows its users to zoom in and out of a virtual world on camera. disguise’s extended reality (xR) workflow, released to the general public in April 2021 through its new r18 software, includes this new feature which extends the virtual scene to allow cameras to zoom in and out of each scene. With these capabilities, the community of disguise users can now build even more exciting and elaborate scenes than ever before. xR pioneers and disguise partners, XR Studios, were among the first to incorporate the new feature into their current workflow and explore its full potential. Their first project using virtual zoom was with singer Katy Perry. For what is now the third collaboration with Perry, XR St
Canada - For Global Kingdom, the mid-pandemic upgrade to their audio systems is all about staying ahead of the curve and expanding the reach of the message they preach. While Coronavirus restrictions hastened the Toronto-based church’s efforts to enhance their ministry, using cutting-edge technology to do just that has always been an important driver for the growth of their congregation. Realising that during this challenging time, their ministry is more critical than ever for those who depend on their support, inspiration, and community, Global Kingdom pivoted according to the needs of the moment. Working closely with Apex Sound & Light and GerrAudio Distribution, they adopted a solution that serves the needs of today and tomorrow with the addition of a DiGiCo Q338 mixing console and KLANG immersive mixing platform. Tom Lodu, manager of operations & special
Germany - Expansive performances have been transforming the building and outdoor spaces at radialsystem, a former pumping station in Berlin-Friedrichshain on the banks of the river Spree, into a stage since 2006. As a creative production and event venue for the development of new artistic programmes and event formats, radialsystem also hosts numerous conferences, meetings and trade fairs, which often deal with innovation and futuristic topics. The large number and variety of events, with their associated demand for quality, means it is part of the radial DNA to constantly develop and challenge itself technically, and the venue is the first in Germany to boast a permanently installed L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound System. In total, radialsystem has around 2,500sq.m of usable event space spread over five floors. The L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound System has been desig
UK - The complex audio system for the 2021 BRIT Awards once again was designed, provided and operated by Britannia Row Productions. As in 2020, a Newton processor was specified to deal with a number of mission-critical tasks at the very core of the system. The 2021 BRITs was notable as one of the UK's first major indoor live music events in more than a year, following the impact of COVID-19. The event was staged with a limited live audience as part of a test by the UK government to trial the idea of crowds with no social distancing, along with the FA Cup final and World Snooker Championship final as events that would feature larger crowds than allowed by law at the time. The BRP show team included two system techs, Laurie Fradley and Adam Smith, system engineer Sergiy Zhytnikov and system designer / FOH engineer Josh Lloyd. “The Newton was used to handle the ma
South Africa - After many years of holding congregations in houses, school halls and tents, South African Christian church, Capital City Church International (3Ci), has realised their dream of inhabiting their own space. The client brought in Stage Audio Works (SAW) to provide audio-visual solutions for their new base in Pretoria. Involved in the process from the early stages, SAW played a large part in the planning and execution of the project - delivering a comprehensive PA system based on state-of-the-art d&b line array speakers, as well as a turnkey house lighting system and building-wide BGM and control. One of the primary considerations was audio clarity in the main auditorium, a large space with a maximum capacity of 2,500. Ensuring sound constancy in such a large space proved challenging, but the collaboration between SAW, 3Ci, the architect, Ferdi Le Gra
USA - When Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC), based in Dallas, TX, wanted to stage a large-scale Easter Sunday service at a 32,000-capacity stadium, it presented Martin Audio partner Alford Media with some different challenges. The stadium sits on a university’s campus and while Alford Media has provided audio reinforcement for a number of routine graduation ceremonies at the stadium, the emphasis this time was on providing premium audio - particularly with 600 socially distanced chairs set out for family groups on the field itself - according to Alford’s audio services manager, Ben MacKinney. Alford Media holds a considerable inventory of Martin Audio systems and MacKinney set about combining two - Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC) for on field coverage, and MLA Compact for the bleachers and stands. This provided the optimum outcome for a congregation
Germany - Coda Audio has announced the expansion of its HOPS (high output point source) range with the addition of the new HOPS12i. A high output, three-way point source, HOPS12i incorporates high performance 12” neodymium cone drivers with 4” voice coils adapted from those found in Coda Audio’s flagship line-array, AiRAY, delivering ‘power with clarity’. Versatility is key to the HOPS12i. As well as Coda’s latest DAC (Dynamic Airflow Cooling) technology, it features exchangeable and rotatable waveguides that provide various options for adjusting directivity, but unlike loudspeakers that ‘only’ steer high frequency – the HOPS12i waveguides control all the way down to 300Hz. 90º x 60º and 60º x 40º waveguides are available, and both are rotatable, giving four directivity options. The impressive low end of the full-range HOPS12i means that in many
Canada - Following Audio-Technica Canada’s recent announcement of its decision to streamline processes for its professional audio distribution operation, ATCA has revealed further consolidation with a move to new office facilities. This coincides with the appointment of permanent general manager, Kenji Yamabe. Yamabe – who comes from Audio-Technica Europe – takes over from Susanne Seidel, a business consultant who has been acting GM since June 2019. Commenting on her time at ATCA, Seidel states, “It has been my absolute pleasure to serve as ATCA’s interim GM; overseeing the development of a proficient organization that is ready for the next step of business growth”. She continues, “Although the circumstances created by Covid have not been ideal for anyone, I am proud of what we have accomplished as a team and delighted to be able to leave the comp
UK - Welsh rental house, Magnum PA has recently purchased a number of Powersoft’s T Series touring amplifier platforms after a consultation with partner – and Powersoft distributor – CUK Audio. The company initially ordered four T604 and four T602, though it soon added another T604 and has since revealed plans to add another three T602 in order to complete its inventory. “I’ve known of Powersoft for years and was well aware of their famous high power per rack unit reputation,” said Philip Hughes, managing director Magnum PA. “We had been looking for an option to streamline our main system racks for a while, but it was difficult to find an option that also met our requirements for Dante connectivity and failover. Although we didn’t quite have the need for the power of the X4, as soon as we saw the T Series we knew we had found the perfect solution.” H
Spain - The town of Altafulla on Catalunya’s Costa Dorada, in Tarragona province, is the spectacular seafront setting for the Pleamar Vintage Market. As well as a host of stalls selling all manner of vintage clothing, antique furnishings and other second-hand goods, the market hosts an entertainment stage, featuring live music, DJs and a programme of events, alongside a children’s area and numerous terrace restaurants and bars. Local event AV hire company Solucions so i il·luminació SCP provided various sound reinforcement systems for the annual two-day event in April, exclusively from Amate Audio’s contemporary Nitíd self-powered loudspeaker series. The entertainment stage FOH system comprised eight N208 line array cabinets and two N218 subs, with eight N12 2-way systems for front-fills and stage monitors. N12 systems provided the audio in various othe
Canada - Powersoft’s Ottocanali amplifier platforms have been chosen by Solotech as one of the cornerstones of the new audio system at Canadian casino and hotel resort, Caesars Windsor. The venue – part of the Caesars Entertainment empire – had its original audio system installed in 2008, but with the supplier having sent an end-of-life notice in 2018 and Caesars Corporate changing its minimum standards, it had to act decisively. “As well as the end-of-life notice, we soon realised that we couldn’t upgrade the Windows portion of the old system without upgrading the hardware to match,” said Brian Drouillard, manager audio visual at Caesars Windsor. Drouillard had already been working with compatriot company Solotech on upgrading the audio systems in hotel ballrooms and meeting rooms, and so spoke with its on-site technicians first to determine if they
UK - Austrian Audio and UK distributor Sound Technology have announced availability of the new Hi-X65 headphones. Building on the popularity of their Hi-X55, the Hi-X65 headphones are designed as professional monitoring headphones for mixing and mastering, the open over-ear design and the high excursion driver ensure transparent sound for sound engineers and audiophiles alike. The development of the Hi-X (High Excursion) technology results from “decades of experience and today’s state-of-the-art technologies”, and it’s the key to the detailed sound of the Hi-X65 headphones. All Austrian Audio Hi-X headphones feature a 44 mm driver and a ring magnet system. This design allows for improved airflow and includes the strongest magnetic field in its class. The ring magnet, combined with a copper-clad aluminium voice coil, reduces the weight of the membrane and the vo
Lithuania - Held annually in March, the Golden Stage Cross Awards is a night celebrating World Theatre Day by recognising the most significant productions, authors and professional artists in what has become Lithuania’s most anticipated performing arts awards. Due to the health and safety regulations, no spectators were allowed at the event this year, with the awards ceremony presented and broadcast live on Lithuanian national television, LRT. NGR Service worked with show organisers to provide the sound system, deploying a DiGiCo SD12 96-channel console with D-Rack and D2-Rack to broadcast the audio “as it should sound”. Traditionally held in a different theatre every year, it was decided to host this year’s awards in the same venue as last year, at the spectacular Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT), the largest theatre in the country. Most of
France - PRG and MADO XR has launched Virtual Production Studio-xR, a 360-° LED facility powered by Brompton Technology Tessera SX40 4K LED processing. The space “brings the power of virtual production to any type of pre-recorded or live production” and features ROE Visual LED panels, with multiple Tessera LED processors running the entire set-up. “Situated on the outskirts of Paris at the historic TSF Studios, we designed a modular studio of approximately 800m2 to provide full control over both the lighting and the filmed scenes in a realtime recording environment. We have put a team together that is fully dedicated to the studio and is composed of PRG and MADO XR staff who will be able to advise and guide you in the realisation of your projects,” comments Thierry Kra, managing director of PRG France. Louis De Castro, CEO and co-founder of MADO XR, utilised o
Thailand - Over the last five years, owner Mr. Nicha Uengkhao has built Jab Pae Chon Kae restaurant into a success by providing a fun, modern dining experience alongside live music entertainment that varies from pop and rock to EDM. Recently, when the lease expired on the Bangkok-area location, he took the opportunity to relocate to a new location in a high-traffic area adjacent to a popular community mall. The move proved to also be the perfect moment to upgrade the restaurant’s sound system, to provide patrons a better, more dynamic entertainment experience. A live music enthusiast, Mr. Nicha had been admiring the L-Acoustics sound at live events and festivals around Bangkok for years. In 2016, when he first opened Jab Pae Chon Kae in the original location, he had hoped to install L-Acoustics Kara, but was not yet able to make that dream a reality. But he kept in t
UK - Preevue and Race Furniture have announced a strategic partnership, bringing together Race’s decades of experience in theatre seating design and Preevue’s venue scanning and sightline analysis technologies. While the two companies will remain separate, they will collaborate closely on future projects where skills and resources can be shared, with Preevue services being integrated into Race’s offering to new and existing clients. Lucy Stokes, managing director of Race Furniture comments: “I am thrilled to announce this key partnership between Race and Preevue. Race has over 75 years heritage within theatre and venue seating and continues to grow. We view this partnership with Preevue as a major step forward not only in Race’s evolution but the evolution of the entire industry - for the first time ever seating design, layout and manufacturing expertise wil
USA - Founded in 1842, Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, is the oldest university in the Western United States. With nearly 2,200 students, it offers a range of undergraduate and graduate courses in the arts and sciences, and post-graduate schools of business and law. When the pandemic hit last year, Willamette University looked for ways to expand and improve its remote learning capabilities. The school's 120-seat Paulus Lecture Hall in the College of Law needed a sound system upgrade to facilitate better remote and limited in-person lectures and discussions. Kyle House, the audio video specialist for Willamette University, worked with Cascade Sound in Salem, Oregon, to upgrade the lecture hall's sound system with loudspeakers from Renkus-Heinz. “Before we implemented the new system, we were using a pretty rudimentary pair of trapezoid box speakers which were
UK - AV and entertainment technology company Anna Valley has acquired event technical support provider Production Plus. The purchase will provide Anna Valley with additional staff and technical capabilities to support the company’s portfolio of venue clients. Production Plus has provided technical services to the events, hospitality, corporate and private markets since 1985. The company supplies video, audio, lighting, rigging and set design, build and staging services and equipment from a 20,000sq.ft facility in Hertfordshire and is the preferred supplier to a number of five-star hotels and venues. Like many suppliers in the sector, it has recently experienced difficult trading conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the last 12 months, the owners were forced to reduce the company’s full-time staff and re-evaluate the business, ultimately deciding to approac
Russia - Fulcrum Acoustic, creators of professional loudspeaker technologies, has appointed Pro Audio & Light Systems as its distributor for Russia. “Pro Audio & Light Systems has an extensive network and first-rate technical expertise,” explains Fulcrum Acoustic president and co-founder Stephen Siegel. “We are happy to have their support as we continue to expand our presence internationally.” “We have been looking for an installation-focused loudspeaker brand for some time now,” says Elena Korovina at Pro Audio & Light Systems. “The technology behind the Fulcrum Acoustic product line is impressive and allows us to provide innovative solutions to our markets.”
UK - Christie has announced a new UK partnership with Visualization. The UK-based company will be joining Christie as the UK’s technical distribution partner, offering a full system design, build and supply of services and products, to the integration and dealer channel. Visualization is an associate company of AV Rack Build and is able to draw on a long-established relationship with Christie and its products. The new arrangement gives integrators a one-stop-shop for system pricing, orders, and an opportunity to take advantage of additional AV engineering services and technical expertise each step of the way. “Christie products are respected across the AV world and their reputation speaks for itself,” comments Nick Pidgeon, managing director at Visualization and AV Rack Build. “We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Christie since early days wit
USA - As part of Better Hearing Month, 64 Audio, is promoting the importance of its hearing health initiative by offering free custom earplugs and all four apex modules (mX; m15, m20, m26) with the purchase of a custom 64 Audio IEM throughout May. “As a musician, your ears are arguably your most important asset,” says Vitaliy Belonozhko, 64 Audio founder and chief sound designer. “You spend hours rehearsing to perfect that riff, master that drum solo, or hit that high note. Your ears are your guide, your biggest fan, and your harshest critic. As such, ear protection and being mindful of your environment can help combat noise-induced hearing loss. There's no better time than the present to start protecting your hearing so you can enjoy and play music for years to come.” 64 Audio’s Air Pressure Exchange (apex) is a pneumatically interactive vent that releases a
Europe - DirectOut Technologies has further expanded the capabilities of its recently released Ravenna/MADI converter Exbox.Rav adding NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 support. NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) is a suite of specifications for stream discovery and connection management developed and maintained by the AMWA filling a gap left open by the AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110 standards. IS-04 handles device discovery and registration to support automation in setting up networked systems, while IS-05 covers the connection management between devices to allow creation and removal of flows between senders and receivers on the network. “We are seeing a lot of AES67 and ST 2110 projects coming up with requests and requirements for NMOS,” comments Claudio Becker-Foss, CTO and CEO of DirectOut. “NMOS is a public specification, which fits well with the open approach of
