USA - DePaul University in Chicago, the largest Catholic university in the United States, recently presented its 14th annual Christmas at DePaul holiday celebration as a virtual event. Long before the semester began, the school’s administration knew it would need to make some big changes if the Christmas show was to safely go on during these unprecedented times. With some ingenuity and an assist from DPA Microphones, the school found a way to host the event virtually. Leading into the school year, DePaul University’s director of operations & events, Melissa Grady, knew it was going to be hard to gauge what would be possible in a COVID world. “We had to make the call very early that we were not going to have an in-person event this year,” she says. “The show’s artistic director, Tony Peluso, and production manager, Jamie Davis, both alumni of DePa
USA - Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia has purchased two KLANG:fabrik immersive IEM mixing systems for use in its main worship sanctuary. The units were acquired through Production/Co, the Chestnut Mountain, GA-based AV systems integrator, which also installed the system earlier this year, readying it for when the church resumed live capacity-limited and socially distanced services last June. Together, the KLANG:fabrik units provide a total of 32 inputs and 12 individual immersive IEM mixes for the church’s band members, connected through Lakewood’s existing DiGiCo SD9 FOH console. “They had taken their existing in-ear monitoring solution as far as it could go - they needed a more flexible and sophisticated IEM solution, and the KLANG:fabrik was it,” says Cason Cleveland, owner of Production/Co. “The ability for the musicians on stage to
Indonesia - UK manufacturer Prism Sound has appointed pro audio specialist ChandraCom as its exclusive distributor for Indonesia, with responsibility for its entire range of analogue to digital and digital to analogue converters and audio interfaces. Based in Jakarta, ChandraCom was established in 1997 by Setiadi Chandra and now services the recording, broadcast and HiFi markets. Its customers include sound engineers, producers, DJs and musicians, along with record labels, TV stations and educational institutions. The company also represents other high-end pro audio brands including SSL, Sennheiser/Neumann, Barefoot Sound, AMS Neve, Steinberg, Native Instruments and Arturia. With demo facilities and a seminar room in house, ChandraCom is well placed to introduce Prism Sound’s products to the local market. “Some Indonesian sound engineers have heard about Pri
USA - The World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, Florida already occupies 380 acres and is ready to grow in the coming years on an additional 300 acres. When it opens in January 2021, visitors from around the country and from around the world will be able to stay in a five-star hotel or claim a site in an expansive RV park. Over 2,000 stalls exist for the four-legged stars of the centre, and four indoor arenas and 17 outdoor arenas will showcase their talents. International AV integration firm All Pro Integrated Systems, of Pensacola, Florida, designed, and is in the process of installing, the sound reinforcement systems for the centre, relying on Danley Sound Labs’ fidelity, coverage, and weather resistance for all mission-critical outdoor systems. By the time it opens, over 200 Danley loudspeakers and subwoofers will be in place, supported by dozens of multi-channel Dan
Russia - Adamson Systems Engineering is reinforcing its presence in Russia thanks to a partnership with ARIS. The Moscow-based distributor has served the Russian pro audio market since 1990, offering support to an array of rental partners and boasting a renowned in-house installation division that has provided solutions for the Bolshoi Theatre, Patriot Park, Moscow State University, the Zaryadye concert hall, and many other high-profile venues. “We have 15 brands in our portfolio, but we realised we need Adamson because their technology and performance bring ARIS to the next level,” says Katerina Pogodina, ARIS’s general Manager. “Adamson is a technologically advanced manufacturer and they’ve always led with innovation. That’s important to us and to our clients and partners - we’re all looking to build toward the future and Adamson will help us get there.”
France - Closing out a year that will be remembered as the most disrupting for the live sound industry, L-Acoustics announced three new initiatives to help industry colleagues, partners, and clients. Recognising the impact that the COVID crisis had on live event production companies and venues which remained idle most of the year, L-Acoustics has announced a one-year extension of its five year product warranty. The warranty extension is automatic and applicable to all products still covered under the manufacturer’s warranty as of 1 January 2021. In addition, following a global survey and roundtable with certified providers conducted in the autumn, L-Acoustics notified its network of amendments to the company’s commercial terms for 2021. Says the company: “Adapting its discount structure to reflect the network partners’ lower expected turnover, L-Acoustics strives to
Europe/USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) and dB Technologies have entered an agreement to distribute each other’s products in their respective home regions. As of 1 January, dB Technologies will become the exclusive distributor of EAW products in Europe and EAW the exclusive distributor of dB Technologies in the US.. This agreement provides customers in each region with local order fulfillment and product support, leveraging the RCF Group’s extensive presence in both markets to support its growing customer base. “The dB Technology and EAW brands offer exceptional innovation and value to their customers and deserve the best chance to grow globally,” says Arturo Vicari, RCF Group CEO. “A lack of unified distribution in Europe has held EAW back here for years and the star power of EAW will be a big part in lifting the image of dB in the US, exposing the brand
UK - In a year like no other, disguise is celebrating a number of successes, where the company saw the sudden shift to remote performance, production and events, and a new partnership with Epic Games to enhance the delivery of its Extended Reality (xR) solution on a global scale. This year alone has seen over 200 xR projects powered by disguise and in excess of 100 xR stages built around the world in 30+ countries. In light of the continuing global health crisis that has brought the live events industry to a standstill, disguise has worked hard to provide a lifeline to its community of users. The accelerated development of its xR workflows has shifted the production journey and allowed a number of cancelled shows to resume in a virtual environment. disguise’s response to the COVID-19 impact was also recognised in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100, marking the third consecuti
France - Designed by architects Rudy Riciotti and Jean-Michel Battesti, 6MIC (pronounced ‘seismic’) in Aix-en-Provence has been turning heads since opening its doors for the very first time this summer. Its lichen-covered concrete structure - both a technical feat and a world first - is designed to give a mountain-esque appearance to the building, seamlessly blending into the natural landscape. 6MIC’s goal is to become an epicentre for music and culture throughout France. Therefore, they required a sound reinforcement system to reproduce various performance styles and keep a minimal carbon footprint. 6MIC chose to install L-Acoustics throughout all performance spaces to hit both of these goals. Although structural work commenced in 2018, it was not until September the following year that the 6MIC technical team started working on the audio concept. With an ambiti
USA - Founded in 1980, The House in Modesto hosts dynamic services that bring the community together with live music acts, special events and a diverse pastoral team. The church's recent PA upgrade to an Adamson system is changing the way that congregants in the 1,800-capacity auditorium can experience worship. And while the pandemic limited live services temporarily, The House has kept the community close with online worship and outreach. Jason Rightnour, audio director at The House, chose to install Adamson speakers in the auditorium after auditioning speakers from several other manufacturers. Rightnour was impressed by both the clarity and power of the Adamson product line: “I went to trade shows, conventions and speaker shootouts but I couldn't find a system that fit our needs until Adamson. Once I heard this PA, I was in shock with how clean the box sounded with its c
UK - Creative video specialist Observatory has expanded its senior team with the addition of Simon Harris. A well-known figure in the visual production world having previously worked for Bryte Design, Green Hippo and Avolites, Simon brings extensive technical video project management and production experience to his new role. Working closely with Observatory founder and principal designer Ben Sheppee, he will be responsible for expanding the global footprint of the business. “Simon brings a skill set that will strengthen and drive expansion for the business,” says Sheppee. “We have been looking to provide our clients with better technical consultation and end-to-end solutions for our productions, as we continue to innovate with emerging technologies. New and existing clients can look forward to benefiting from Simon’s in-depth knowledge and vision of engaging
USA - Greater Atlanta Christian School (GACS) is a PK-12 Christian school in Norcross, Georgia serving over 1,600 students. Since it was first established over 50 years ago, GACS has earned itself a reputation for utilizing advanced technologies in its quest to further the learning needs of its students. This dedication to providing high quality creative and technical facilities to support its arts and media curriculum, has led the school to invest in three Alcons Audio pro-ribbon sound reinforcement systems for its venues. The first of the three spaces to be installed with an Alcons system was the Artusa Hall Performing Arts Centre, a former chapel which the school repurposed into a performing arts venue. This included completely rebuilding the interior, adding a self-supporting timber framed balcony, and increasing the audience capacity from 700 to 950. The Alcons LR7 pro-
USA - Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas has utilized Audinate’s Dante in its music and sound recording technology programmes since 2018. In that time, Dante has not only become part of the curriculum, but has also enabled many of the university’s major live productions – including its impressive jazz performances. But in 2020, Dante took on an additional role for the music department: an enabler of safe social distancing. “When we looked at returning to classes in the Fall of 2020, we had to figure out how to hold music practice with safety considerations related to COVID,” said James F. Adams, assistant professor of music and director of sound recording technology at the university. “We knew we needed to separate students into individual rooms because of the nature of many of the instruments. And, not surprisingly, it was Dante that
Germany - d&b audiotechnik has partnered with Gareth Owen Sound to launch En-Snap cue automation software, a significant step in advancing the application of the immersive sound experience that is Soundscape. Since its launch in 2018, d&b Soundscape has provided audiences worldwide with an immersive audio reality that shapes deep and intense connections between audiences and artists. "En-Snap allows for even more efficient and seamless Soundscape integration within the wider entertainment technology ecosystem," the company says. Developed by Gareth Owen Sound for d&b Soundscape, d&b is working in cooperation with the renowned sound designer and his team to make the powerful En-Snap tool available free-of-charge to registered d&b Soundscape customers and users. Owen has already used Soundscape and an early version of the En-Snap tool to bring
USA - Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is known for its waterparks, family-friendly vacations, and comprehensive meeting and events facilities. Kalahari is also known for effectively tying all these uses together through a unified experience. This is done with curation of custom artwork from African artisans, music sourced from across Africa, and top-of-the-line technology and entertainment. “Every Kalahari location is different,” says Rebecca Fuchs, senior design consultant with Conference Technologies Inc. “Kalahari has made it a point to create an authentic and impressive experience at every location within a resort. That includes everything from the art and souvenirs, to the water temperature, to the AV they use.” Conference Technologies Inc. recently completed a full integration of the newest Kalahari resort in Round Rock, Texas. And for many locations o
USA - Zach Williams was out on a solo, headlining tour when the COVID pandemic began to peak. Though the remaining shows for the year were cancelled, Williams still yearned for the live stage and delivering his gift of song to fans. The Christian country/rock star, together with Big Daddy Weave, organised the Drive-In Theater Tour. Though social distancing protocols required smaller crews, which also meant less gear on stage, Williams’ FOH and monitor engineers were in agreement that the DPA d:facto and 2028 Vocal Microphones were key to the performances. “We had one 20x24 SL100 mobile stage, definitely smaller than what we’re used to, and all of the attendees would park and stay in or near their car,” explains Carson Brannock, monitor engineer for Zach Williams. “I didn’t even realise there were this many drive-in theatres still operating in the country,
UK - Shure and The VoiceOver Network have announced a collaboration to support the evolving voiceover industry. Shure and The VoiceOver Network will help to “bring the industry together by offering the best advice, training, events and on audio best practice within a friendly and supportive environment”. The collaboration includes educational programmes and workshops, social media giveaways and competitions, The collaboration will kickstart with social media giveaway to win an MV7 and a 3h online workshop. (Twitter @NetworkVO / @Shure). The VoiceOver Network began in July 2013 when Rachael Naylor started organising small meetups with a few other voiceover friends. “I started out as a voiceover artist over 12 years ago. Like a lot of people, I felt very comfortable in front of the microphone and have always enjoyed talking, so being a voiceover artist was th
UK - West End theatres must once again close their doors as London moves into the highest tier of COVID-19 restrictions from midnight tonight (Tuesday 15/12). Many shows – including Pantoland at the Palladium, Six and Les Miserables: The Staged Concert – had only just opened and were following strict COVID-safe measures. The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) said the move would cause “catastrophic financial difficulties" for venues, producers and thousands of workers.” Andrew Lloyd Webber issued a statement saying: “I feel devastated for all those in theatre who have tried so hard to provide entertainment for the Christmas season. Theatres have worked tirelessly to make themselves as COVID-safe as possible. It does seem arbitrary and unfair that people can jostle uncontrolled in crowded shops yet orderly socially-distanced theatre-going is banne
Europe - Coda Audio has announced the addition of a new Application Examples section to its website. The section has been specifically designed to provide detailed insights into which elements of the Coda Audio range will best suit any given scenario. Utilising Coda’s proprietary system prediction software, System Optimiser, the examples show typical deployments of Coda Audio loudspeaker systems in their natural habitat, identifying which system components work most effectively in which environments, and graphically displaying the results that can be expected. Coda Audio’s global director of marketing, David Webster comments: “It’s one thing looking through at brochure-style presentations at the specifications of loudspeaker systems, but it can often be difficult to gauge which elements best suit a given scenario. The application examples now available on our website
USA - When Arizona Sound Productions was hired to provide video and sound production for a string of boxing matches across the US, they found themselves with new protocols, different challenges, and time to kill. “Working this year has been interesting to say the least,” said Jared Jasinski, owner and lead engineer for Arizona Sound Productions [AZSP] based in Phoenix. “With COVID restrictions we’ve been forced to be more creative and think outside the box. We’ve had opportunities to create something different for viewers at home, without an audience we can put a boxing ring anywhere [outdoors] and make it look great on camera.” On 15 August, 2020, AZSP set the stage in Oklahoma, making boxing history with what has been called the “street fight” concept. AZSP clients’ Holden Productions and Matchroom Boxing dropped a boxing match in the middle of down
USA - Thousands gathered on Washington’s National Mall in late September for a 12-hour-long event dubbed The Day of Return, a national and global day of prayer and repentance. The Return movement states its aim as being “an end-time movement with one purpose – the return to God, individually, corporately, nationally, globally, and the end-goal of world revival”. Speakers such as Jonathan Cahn, Dr. James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Ann Graham Lotz, Alveda King, Kevin Jessip and many more could be heard both inside and beyond the fenced-in ticketed area. MHA Audio provided Martin Audio’s MLA sound system. The main hang consisted of 11 MLA elements plus an MLD Downfill per side, with 18 MLX subwoofers arranged in a broadside cardioid array. “We were only covering 150ft because it was a small compound, but we also had to cover the crowds outside the compound,” exp
Germany - d&b audiotechnik has partnered with Gareth Owen Sound to launch En-Snap cue automation software, a significant step in advancing the application of the immersive sound experience that is Soundscape. Since its launch in 2018, d&b Soundscape has provided audiences worldwide with an immersive audio reality that shapes deep and intense connections between audiences and artists. "En-Snap allows for even more efficient and seamless Soundscape integration within the wider entertainment technology ecosystem," the company says. Developed by Gareth Owen Sound for d&b Soundscape, d&b is working in cooperation with the renowned sound designer and his team to make the powerful En-Snap tool available free-of-charge to registered d&b Soundscape customers and users. Owen has already used Soundscape and an early version of the En-Snap tool to bring
UK - Production Park has secured a £12million Government loan which it plans to use to expand and develop its Wakefield campus over the next decade. Production Park is one of the latest 11 major arts and heritage organisations across the UK to have received loan offers from the £1billion Cultural Recovery Fund, a combination of grant and loan cash from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), targeted to support a culture sector that has been devastated by the effects of COVID-19. Other organisations to have benefitted from the £165m in repayable finance – and a further £58m in capital funding for ongoing construction and maintenance projects in the sector – announced by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden include the Royal Albert Hall, National Theatre, English National Opera, Alexandra Palace and the Royal Shakespeare Company. “The
Italy - Outline has announced the arrival of the latest member of their Vegas loudspeaker line, the Vegas 4. Designed and manufactured in Italy, the Vegas 4 is a multi-purpose miniature loudspeaker featuring a single-driver design and employing a new 4” transducer created by Outline’s engineers specifically for the product. Its power handling, audio performance (even off-axis, traditionally not a strong point of single-driver designs), thoughtful design and robustness allow it to fulfil a huge range of roles in both fixed and mobile applications. Measuring 12cm x 12cm x 12.6cm and weighing only 1.6Kg (3.5 lb), multiple Vegas 4s can be deployed in projects where high quality audio is required but where minimum visual impact is demanded - for example, delays and surrounds in theatre, in corporate AV, leisure, retail, worship and much more. When combined with Outline
