USA - As the bassist and backup singer for Bon Jovi, Hugh McDonald admits that his performances rely on trusted legacy equipment and he doesn’t concern himself too much with following the latest performance gear and technology. But after a year of cancelled tours and countless hours using the integrated webcam and microphone on his laptop, McDonald recently recognised that, in his own words, “There has to be a better way to do this.” After a brief chat with some industry friends, he found the upgraded gear he needed: the ClearOne Aura Versa 50 audio and video solution. “When I finally had to do a recording, and I was setting up the laptop, positioning it in the room, it really felt cobbled together, like a subpar solution,” McDonald said. “The band ended up doing a lot of video from our homes for various organizations, plus solo videos to prepare for a liv
China - Installed for China’s Consumer Rights Day gala, a 1,000sq.m LED wall dazzled viewers with graphics, all powered by Pixotope. Broadcast live on 15 March, the two-hour slot was dedicated to “informing consumers of consumer habits and business practices from major brands”. Great Wheel, a production company working within China Central Television (CCTV), designed and implemented the live graphics using Pixtope’s engine. Since early 2020, China Central Television has been rapidly expanding its virtual production capabilities for its programme delivery, with Pixotope becoming the station’s primary virtual production solution for a range of AR projects. Traditionally, CCTV opted to build real-world sets for its Consumer Day television broadcast, but the studio found it could significantly improve both the quality and flexibility of its productions af
UK - Channel 4’s Lucy, the Human Chimp documentary aired this month with a mix of archive footage and newly filmed ‘jungle’ reconstructions, with the latter made possible by Bristol-based virtual production studio Vero. The film, which tells the real-life story of chimp Lucy’s return to the wild after being raised in human surroundings, required cutting edge technology to re-enact scenes of Lucy’s carer, Janis Carter, living on an uninhabited island off the coast of The Gambia. Production was scheduled to take place in the real-world jungle surroundings but, due to the COVID pandemic, had stalled. With no international travel permitted, and flights grounded, the team were searching for a new solution. Multi-award-winning production company KEO Films approached VERO on behalf of Channel 4, with a view to using Vero’s pioneering studio space. Thi
USA - The Denton Bible Church (DBC) in Dallas, TX recently underwent a large redesign of its audio capabilities and added a new DiGiCo Quantum338 console for both front-of-house and monitor mixing as well as a new DiGiCo SD12 console as its new broadcast audio console. The 3,500-seat sanctuary is tied together on an Optocore Digital Fibre network, at the heart of which is one of Optocore’s new AutoRouters. The audio network was installed and set up by Digital Resources, who are based close by in Southlake. Lance Eddleman, audio sales manager, implemented the Optocore AutoRouter solution for the church when he was presented with its ease of use and flexibility. Lance worked closely with Optocore North America’s Brandon Coons and Group1 Ltd to ensure the AutoRouter would be a good fit for the church. The AutoRouter works as a central patch bay and replaces the typi
Italy - More than 200 years old, the Teatro Donizetti opera house in Bergamo, Italy, recently underwent a comprehensive three-year renovation and restoration project. The work was aimed at upgrading every aspect of the historic venue, from structural and safety considerations to improving the functionality of the building for the benefit of artists, audiences and the in-house staff. Detailed attention was paid to every aspect of the renovation, which was completed during the venue’s Coronavirus pandemic-enforced closure. A fundamentally important part of any music venue is its audio system and following extensive work on the acoustics of the horseshoe-shaped, three-tiered interior, integrator and specialist in theatre technology Decima 1948 was appointed to install a new system. Decima has wide experience of handling sensitive projects in heritage settings. As a syst
Qatar - In the main hall of the Qatar University Sports and Events Complex (QUSEC) a combination of close co-operation and Yamaha and Nexo audio technologies saw systems integrator and installer Techno Q win the award for Best Flexible Space Experience for the project at the 2020 AVIXA AV Experience Awards. The main hall at QUSEC was designed to host sports like basketball and tennis, as well as exhibitions, banquets, conferences, presentation ceremonies and more. To deliver sound that matches its construction quality, a major, multi-functional Yamaha AFC acoustic conditioning system, using Nexo loudspeakers, is a feature of the design. One of the main audio challenges for Mohanad Is-Hak, senior projects manager at Techno Q, was that the space would vary in volume between 22,400m3 and 35,900m3, thanks to a 70m x 40m height-adjustable ceiling, which created obvious acou
USA - For Floridians, one of the perks of living in the perennially warm Sunshine State is that their concert season never needs to end, even during a pandemic, when shows can be taken outside and properly socially distanced year-round. Dr. Phillips Centre’s Frontyard Festival in Orlando, presented by AdventHealth, is a good example. The festival features more than 350 live performances, films, and other events, staged daily, on the front lawn of the Dr. Phillips Centre for the Performing Arts, with as many as 2,000 guests seated in distanced private boxes spread across the yard. To ensure that all productions over the festival’s six-month run would be heard loud and clear, local sound reinforcement provider OPAV has been deploying K2 and Kara loudspeaker systems from L-Acoustics. The performance area, known as the Mainstage at Seneff Arts Plaza, features le
Germany - Genelec has announced the appointment of Marcel Schechter as senior customer experience specialist, with special focus on the domestic German market. Based near Stuttgart, Schechter forms part of Genelec’s international marketing and sales team and will be working in close collaboration with business development manager Eric Horstmann and local German distributor Audio Pro, and will be concentrating on strengthening activities in marketing, education and customer support. Having graduated in Audiovisual Media, Schechter then worked as a studio engineer and lecturer, spending seven years as engineer at Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburg before joining Audio Pro in 2014 as Genelec product specialist. In this role Schechter gained a deep knowledge of the Genelec brand, specialising in assisting customers with loudspeaker selection, installation and room calibration,
USA - Bose Professional has unveiled the new AMM multipurpose loudspeaker line, comprised of two full-range loudspeakers - the AMM108 and AMM112 and a companion subwoofer, the AMS115. Featuring a coaxial two-way design, AMM loudspeakers are purpose-built to perform equally well in a variety of applications. They can be deployed as mains, monitors, fills or delays in temporary setups or permanent installations, such as houses of worship, music venues and auditoriums. Designed for peak flexibility, AMM108 and AMM112 loudspeakers can be deployed with a specific role in a system or used in multiple roles within the same system. Consistent voicing with the existing Bose AM array module line and Bose AMU utility loudspeaker line means system designers and installers can easily mix and match models from all three lines, saving time during system configuration, says the compan
UK - Audio-Technica has announced their appointment as distributor for Optimal Audio – Focusrite plc’s new commercial audio brand – in 17 territories across Europe and Africa. The company will assume distribution activities following today’s launch. Focusrite Group’s seventh brand, Optimal Audio has been in development over the past three years to simplify the often unnecessarily complex world of commercial audio, as Focusrite CEO Tim Carroll explains, “Optimal Audio provides a streamlined product offering working seamlessly together to deliver high quality sound that is easy to install and can be operated by anyone, not just engineers.” Dom Harter, now managing director for both Martin Audio and Optimal Audio, describes the focus of the brand as “offering a one-stop solution of control, amplification and loudspeakers for small to medium-sized commercia
USA - “Historically, younger engineers believe that it is impossible to record in a professional studio,” says Music & Arts Production Studio (MAPS) owner Mike Willson, who hopes to change this with his pioneering new business model. Keen to attract engineers and producers who don’t have their own space to develop their craft, MAPS offers autonomous access to the studio, whilst keeping costs down by removing the need for multiple, full-time staff members. After an induction - which includes a thorough training session on their AudientASP4816 mixing desk - MAPS clients are ready to access the space whenever they like. Mike explains, “All of our clients are freelancers that we’ve developed close relationships with. They just hop on our Producer Dashboard, book the session and let themselves in. “Luckily, the Audient is so easy to navigate and I always fee
USA - The town of Clinton, NY is the home of Hamilton College. Precision Audio Services has provided audio engineering services to the college’s Music and Theatre Department for several years, and this spring the company heads up a sound system upgrade in Wellin Hall. The 700-seat hall has served as the central hub of music education and concerts for the college since its construction in the 1980s. The bare concrete and polished wood walls combined with flown wooden acoustic panels above the audience creates a highly reverberant environment. However, these properties that make the environment desirable for acoustic performances, also make sound-reinforced events a significant challenge. "With an RT60 of almost 2.5 seconds, achieving a clear mix and vocal delivery is typically a major source of frustration for visiting mix engineers,” says Michael Lawrence from Prec
Canada - The Jack Singer Concert Hall, the largest venue in Calgary, Alberta’s Arts Commons complex, has installed a new and highly “hybrid” Meyer Sound reinforcement system. It replaces a Meyer Sound system based on the same concept that had contributed to the success of the 2,000-capacity venue for more than 16 years. Both the new replacement system and the prior system were designed by GerrAudio, Meyer Sound’s Canadian distributor, in consultation with the venue technical staff. “Meyer Sound and Gerr had worked together back in 2004 on what proved to be a wonderful solution for this venue,” says Brian Beaulieu, associate director, venue operations at Arts Commons. “Everyone was very consultative and worked closely with our team to again come up with the best solution.” As before, the theatre’s system is anchored by a flown centre cluster, thi
Saudi Arabia - Connectivity for a massive Dante audio network, extending over some 15 kilometers of fibre-optic cable, during the 2021 Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia, relied on the robust, field tested dependability of Neutrik opticalCON DUO connectors. The site-wide audio, video, lighting and rigging infrastructure supplied and operated by Dubai headquartered MediaPro included their entire Middle East based stock of L-Acoustics systems - comprising K1, K2, KARAs, 112Ps, 5XTs, X8s, X15, KS28, SB18s and 20 LA RACK II, 13 Yamaha QL and CL consoles, with D2 racks, 15 of the company’s own network racks - connecting all of the various audio zones to the network - and a complete redundant Dante network. Commenting on the choice of opticalCON DUO connectors, MediaPro International chief operating officer Shaam Pudaruth says, “Connectivity solutions of the quality and rugg
UK - Nearly a year after Katy Perry’s virtual performance at the American Idol Season 18 Finale, disguise has announced the public release of its Extended Reality (xR) solution as part of its r18 software launch. The xR workflow utilised by XR Studios to power Perry’s performance has opened up a new world of opportunities in immersive real-time production in the past year, offering a safe and innovative alternative for shows and live events, allowing these to resume virtually, says the company. Backed by the Carlyle Group and Epic Games, disguise has powered over 230 productions across live entertainment, film and episodic TV, corporate events, and TV and sports broadcast to date. Over 165 disguise xR stages have been built in 35 countries to support the growing demand. First introduced at the IBC Show in 2018, disguise xR has since undergone intens
USA - Audinate has announced the immediate availability of the Dante AVIO USB-C adapter, the next evolution in the popular Dante AVIO family. The Dante AVIO USB-C adapter allows the latest mobile devices and computers to connect to any Dante audio network for playout or recording. The Dante AVIO family of adapters allow users to easily use non-Dante analogue, USB, AES3/EBU or Bluetooth audio equipment with a Dante audio network. The Dante AVIO USB-C adapter connects to devices with USB-C or A ports (cables included) to deliver and receive two channels of audio over a Dante audio network. It requires no additional drivers and works with any application, making it ideal for rapid setup of conference rooms, background music and more. The Dante adapter may be powered via USB or PoE. When connected to a PoE Ethernet switch, 7.5W of power is available to USB-C compatib
Germany - The School of Life Sciences is part of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Located at the Weihenstephen Campus in Freising, Upper Bavaria, the faculty offers degree programmes in the fields of organic, agricultural and nutritional sciences among others. In order to offer its students the best possible facilities for lectures and presentations, TUM recently equipped three of its lecture halls with the latest media technology. Overall responsibility for the installation rested with GSVA mbH/Klaus Kuttenhofer, who brought in Fürstenfeldbruck-based company into>noise, led by Andreas Zeh and Tobias Förster, to take care of the audio element. It was a demanding brief for which into>noise chose Coda Audio. Andreas Zeh explains the choice: “The task was a tough one. We needed to obtain the best possible sound, eliminate the possibility of feedback, an
Chechen Republic - The Sulim Kadyrov Mosque, located in the village of Oyskhara, has a capacity of up to 15,000 people. Opened in 2020, the RCF speakers project for the building was carried out by Master Sound with the assistance of the Moscow-based RCF distributor ARIS. In 1932, Sulim Kadyrov was convicted by the authorities for teaching the Holy Quran and religion of Islam. For his actions, he spent 14 years in the Gulag camps. The grand opening of the mosque took place on 21 August 2020, with the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov attending as a special guest. The celebration coincides with the 69th anniversary of the birth of the first President of the Chechen Republic, hero of Russia, Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov. The air volume of the hall, taking into account the under- and upper- balconies, is about 14,000m3, with a total surface area is 6,360sq.m. Ac
New Zealand - The country’s musical summer took a turn for the better when for six weekends in January and February, homegrown rock sensations SIX60 took to the road for their SIX60 Saturdays tour. Playing outdoor venues with a stella line up of guests to the largest audiences the country has seen since the beginning of 2020, monitor engineer David O’Brien chose a DiGiCo SD7. With the console set up simply and using nothing other than an SD-Rack, it was used for both SIX60 and the support acts and, with the support acts changing for each, the tour ran much like a festival with mixes built on the fly behind the LED wall without any line of sight. “I chose the SD7 because it offered a few features I think make for a good workflow,” he says. “Having two master fader banks allows me to put the tech/shout mixes on the upper master bank while keeping the band outpu
France - Harman Professional Solutions recently collaborated with Produc’son and Freevox to outfit Stade Saint-Symphorien with a complete stadium sound reinforcement solution consisting of JBL Professional loudspeakers. Located in the city of Metz and home to France’s top division soccer team, FC Metz, Stade Saint-Symphorien is the largest sports stadium in the region of Lorraine. The stadium, which was originally constructed in 1923, was recently renovated to expand its seating sections and increase the overall capacity to 30,000. French integrator Produc’son selected JBL Professional loudspeakers supplied by Freevox to replace the stadium’s aging audio system. In order to meet international EN 54-24 voice alarm safety standards and ensure a world-class experience, Produc’son hired Laurent Delenclos, technical director of Freevox, to design the stadium’s n
Germany - Adam Hall Group has announced the release of the LD Systems IPA Series. Comprising the DSP-based 4-channel IPA 412 T (120W) and the 240W IPA 424 T, these installation power amplifiers promise AV system integrators a high degree of performance and flexibility in daily planning and installation operations. The amps are suitable for medium to large installations in hotels, conference centres, educational institutions, houses of worship, and more. Built-in card slots allow these Class D power amplifiers to be optionally equipped with Ethernet, or Ethernet+Dante expansion cards, thereby making the IPA Series a central signal component operating in the background of modern fixed installation projects and a versatile and scalable solution to complement the constantly growing LD Systems installation portfolio. The four-channel IPA 412 T and IPA 424 T have built-in tr
UK - Songwriter and producer Dan McDougall is saving plenty of time on projects thanks to his recent investment in a Neve 1073OPX Octal microphone/line/instrument preamplifier, which is specifically designed to meet the needs of a modern studio environment. Dan’s writing space at Hoxa HQ in London is primarily based around an ‘in the box’ workflow but if he needs access to a larger recording facility, he can easily tap into the Hoxa HQ main studio. This has a control room equipped with a vintage Neve 8058 console with 31102 channel mic pre-amp/EQ, the circuitry and sound of which is almost identical to today’s 1073 variants. “The Hoxa HQ Neve console sounds amazing,” Dan says. “The 1073OPX is the first Neve unit I’ve purchased, but I’ve always been a huge fan of the Neve sound so I am very pleased to now own my own mic pre.” As a multi-instru
USA - For Victory Church, Westminster, CO, entering the live-stream world was something that they aimed to achieve within the next few years, but when the pandemic struck, it was a shift that they needed to make within a few weeks. With a limited budget and requirements for wireless capabilities, Pliant Technologies’ MicroCom XR digital wireless intercom system was the chosen solution. With MicroCom XR, production staff and volunteers can deploy a reliable solution for clear communication, helping productions - both in-person and live-streamed - go on without a glitch. “The Pliant system was the first intercom to be deployed at Victory Church,” says Krystle Thompson, creative director at Victory Church. “When looking at our options, I knew we needed a system that could handle upwards of five users, while allowing personnel to move freely in order to have multiple wir
China - Christie has announced that its 1DLP laser projectors are delivering highly immersive visuals in a new digital experience pavilion at the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, the world’s largest single-building airport terminal. Featured works by Van Gogh and Monet are projected on the walls in the main gallery using Christie DWU850-GS laser projectors. Located on the second level of the sprawling terminal building nicknamed “the Starfish” due to its star-shaped design, the Journey of Light and Shadow digital experience pavilion provides visitors with an immersive and interactive space to appreciate and experience art through the use of cutting-edge projection, audio, and interactive technologies. The venue consists of a preface hall and main gallery lit by 15 Christie DWU850-GS 1DLP laser projectors supplied, installed and commissioned by Chr
