Russia - On 24 June, a spectacular concert was hosted at Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd in honour of the 75th anniversary of VE Day. One of the only concerts allowed during Russia’s COVID-19 lockdown, it featured artists from Russia’s vibrant theatre, opera and cinema worlds, accompanied by the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra, which was conducted by Yuri Bashmet. The concert was also broadcast live on the state-owned TV channel, Russia-1. Rental company Stage Audio was chosen as a technical support contractor for the show. The audience was seated on the steps along the rectangular reflecting pool in Volgograd’s Heroes Square, with the artists performing in different locations during the concert, tens of meters away from each other. This necessitated special requirements for the mixing and routing system. Signals were received from four locations across the site
The Netherlands - West Side Studio is a creative partnership between four Dutch production professionals, specialising in post-production sound and offline editing for motion picture and television. Its most recent addition is a cinema screening room, where an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon 7.1 surround system has impressed the studio’s owners and clients alike. Located in the busy port area just north-west of central Amsterdam, West Side Studio is the brainchild of Evelien van der Molen, Mieneke Kramer, Lennert Hunfeld and Vincent Sinceretti. Featuring several edit suites and an ADR studio, for the new cinema room they wanted 7.1 reference monitoring, but with the quality and flexibility for future expansion to full Dolby Atmos specification. Cinema exhibition services specialists CinemaNext was contracted to supply and install the equipment in the new room and, after look
Croatia - The MS My Wish offers ‘a deluxe, intimate experience’ for its 38 guests. With an advantage due to its a smaller, yacht-like size, the ship can navigate narrow waterways and explore not only Croatia’s medieval cities but also its smaller, quieter islands hardly explored by bigger vessels. Boasting an onboard restaurant, a large sundeck, a rooftop hot tub, and a swimming platform for access to the Adriatic ocean, the MS My Wish needed an audio system that could match its design. “The Mezzo 324 and Mezzo 604 were perfect for the job,” said Captain Marin Crncic of the MS My Wish. The Mezzo series is Powersoft’s answer to providing the same sound clarity, reliability and build quality in a smaller install amplifier – just half of the rack unit form factor. All models come with state-of-the-art built-in DSP. It has two power sizes with a two or
Austria - As Vienna’s Rabenhof Theatre prepares to reopen its doors, audiences will soon be enjoying an audio upgrade, including a new 64 channel Allen & Heath Avantis mixer. Built as a workers’ assembly hall in the 1920s, the Rabenhof was converted into a theatre in 1990 and underwent a complete refurbishment in 2008, during which much of its art-deco character was restored. The theatre has earned a reputation for serving up an eclectic mix of experiences, ranging from contemporary theatre and musicals to puppetry and baroque opera. Almost every day brings another new performance to the Rabenhof Theatre, so head of sound, Josch Russo is accustomed to working with tight setup times and a high throughput of guest engineers. When the venue decided it was time to retire its aging digital mixer, speed and ease of use were high on the wishlist. Following demo
Indonesia - Opened late last year, the JIExpo Theatre is the new crown jewel of the Indonesian capital city’s Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) centre for meetings, events and arts performances. Among first events was a concert by illustrious cellist Yo-Yo Ma, whose dynamic performance proved an appropriate showcase for the venue’s Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system. Constellation and the complementary direct reinforcement system - based on Leopard line array loudspeakers - were provided through Meyer Sound national distributor Mega Swara and installed by Jakarta-based integrator Kairos Multi Jaya. With a capacity of 2,500, the JIExpo Theatre now ranks as the largest venue in the Asia Pacific region to offer the programming flexibility and superlative acoustic qualities afforded by Constellation. Jakarta International Expo is a private enterprise, owned by
UK – Martin Audio has announced the availability of its first ever iOS app, XP Connect, for control and streaming for its self-powered portable series, BlacklineX Powered. When BlacklineX Powered launched, users were able to access the built-in three-channel mixer and onboard Bluetooth streaming by utilising the rotary panel controls on the back of the loudspeakers. Now all of that functionality is brought to life in an intuitive, colourful app making it more convenient for the user, says the company. Announcing the app, project leader Dan Orton, Martin Audio’s product group manager, stated, “The user base of BlacklineX Powered has grown substantially since launch, and we thought it was now timely to introduce the app to the market, rewarding those users and encouraging others to the virtues of this series.” In determining the navigation path and User Int
USA - Following formal training at the Blackbird Academy in Nashville, Dillon Taylor is opening a new high end audio recording and production space in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The multi-studio facility, being built in support of the vibrant local music scene, is currently under construction and is set to open in November of this year. Dillon's Garage is planned as a destination recording experience. With its private 15 acre facility nestled away, musicians can enjoy a full bus docking station complete with a 50 amp connection, three-acre pond with a pier and many amenities to elevate the creative process all behind a giant privacy fence to keep our artists in a private setting to enjoy all The Garage has to offer. Featured in the Studio A control room space will be an API Legacy AXS console. Prominent Nashville engineer and producer, Steve Marcantonio has been retai
USA - Hosted by virtuoso violinist and conductor Scott Yoo, the globe-trotting PBS Great Performances Series, Now Hear This could be an Anthony Bourdain travelogue, only with a focus on classical music instead of cuisine. Created by Harry Lynch of Austin-based Arcos Films, it compellingly explores classical composers’ works and life experiences in the places where they plied their craft. The intense travel schedule necessitates a tight crew, and Reid Mangan is tasked with recording both musical performances and dialogue. For the latter, he relies on Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless, specifically SRb and SRc receivers (slot-mounted in an SL-6 dock with a Sound Devices 688 recorder); two each of SMV, SMQV, and LT transmitters; and an HMa plug-on transmitter paired with a UCR411a receiver for occasional boom work. “For the music performances, I’m running
USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has announced Sound Technologies as its manufacturer’s representative for Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. “Sound Technologies’ Principal Jim Bobel not only spent four years as part of the EAW sales team but he has over 25 years of experience working with some of the top brands in the industry, so he brings in depth product and technology knowledge to the table,” says TJ Smith, president for EAW. “We are excited to once again be working with Jim as he grows his business. Sound Technologies will be a great asset in helping serve customers in the region.” Based in Chicago, Sound Technologies’ mission is to ‘support and serve manufacturers, integrators, designers, production companies, artists, and anyone looking to produce great audio’. “Earlier this year, it became very clear that our industry in pa
USA - Sound Particles, known for their 3D audio software, has released a free eBook entitled All You Need To Know About 3D Audio, with the goal of helping professionals around the world to transition into the immersive audio field. “With this new eBook, sound enthusiasts will be able to find all the answers they’re looking for in a detailed, complete and easy to read guide,” says the publisher. “Immersive Sound is the next big thing in audio. Cinema, TV, VR/AR, videogames, music, installations - everyone is moving to 3D audio as a way to immerse audiences and improve their experiences. “However, 3D audio brings new concepts and some new/old technologies that professionals may not understand at first, with buzzwords such as 7.1.2, VBAP, 22.2, objects, b
UK - Austrian Audio and UK distributor Sound Technology have announced immediate availability of the Austrian Audio Hi-X50 professional headphones. The Hi-X50s are closed-back, on-ear headphones built on Austrian Audio’s respected microphone manufacturing reputation. The Hi-X50 supra-aural, closed-back headphones provide on-the-ear comfort, as well as portability with a foldable hinge design, says the company. Metal parts are used for all critical elements in order to guarantee long durability even under rough conditions, be it in studios or tour buses. Developed from scratch, the all new 44mm Hi-X driver features a ring magnet system allowing improved air-flow and the strongest magnetic field in its class. This ring magnet structure, coupled with a copper-clad aluminium voice coil, reduces the weight of the membrane and the voice coil that sits on it. This allows th
China - Symetrix has partnered with EZ Pro International to bring the hands-on Symetrix Composer Certified Trainings to system designers throughout China. Starting in Shenzhen in July and continuing to Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Xi’an throughout the rest of the year, the Symetrix Composer Certified Trainings have been a hit throughout China - producing a cadre of qualified Symetrix system designers in the region. The trainings utilise small class sizes, flexible training sites, and expert lecturers including EZ Pro’s vice president Kane Zhang and brand manager Tim Wang. The innovative and informative trainings are divided into three levels - basic, certified programmer, and master. During basic training, students learn how to upload finished configuration files into their systems, make sure they are running smoothly, and learn Symetrix basic functions. This pr
USA - The Meyer Sound education team has returned with a series of MAPP 3D round table discussions every Thursday in September. Each session will welcome questions from attendees and be answered by a team of panelists. The sessions will also focus on different features of Meyer Sound’s new MAPP 3D system design and prediction tool. The first round table - which took place on Thursday, 3 September - addressed overall MAPP 3D help, feature requests and bug reports, main graphical user interface (GUI), viewports, importing CAD and SketchUp drawings, and SPL vs. Attenuation in model view. This Thursday, 10 September, the session will focus on primitives, modifiers, and tweaking SPL range and resolution for quick design. The third round table, scheduled for 17 September, will teach attendees how to interpret Δ dB and connect to the Galileo Galaxy Network Platform,
UK/EMEA - disguise has landed a spot in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 index, which ranks the top 100 British private companies with the fastest-growing sales over their latest three years. disguise was ranked at number 80 for the accelerated launch of its xR solution to meet the new market needs for immersive remote performance and virtual production. The company was also recognised as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2019 according to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 index released last month. “As technology continues to transform every aspect of how we live and work, visionary and ambitious companies will continue to be at the forefront of innovation,” says disguise CEO Fernando Kufer. “We are truly proud and humbled to be recognised for our efforts and to be included among these industry leaders. As a resul
Australia - ARX Systems has recently upgraded their MiXXMaker USB Mic/Line master mixer. The new version will start shipping this month. Responding to an increase in demand for a professional 1RU solution that can interface with smartphones, tablets, laptops and other MiniJack and USB enabled devices, the MIXXMaker is designed to deal with a wide variety of protocols and connectors. As consumer level devices have become the program source of convenience in audio playback across most applications, the MIXXMaker not only provides all the inputs you’ll need but also the independent controls that you want at your fingertips for a truly professional mix. The MiXXMaker integrates ARX USB, wireless and Analogue audio interface technologies into a compact 1RU package with a wide range of features including wireless audio, USB and MiniJack inputs, two balanced XLR microphone
South Korea - The Seoul Foundation for Arts & Culture (SFAC) recently commissioned the installation of a Martin Audio MLA Mini /MSX loudspeaker array in its new Youth Arts Centre. Funded by donations, the facility has been designed for young people in the Korean capital to fulfil their artistic potential, and put them in touch with other creative hubs around the world via the internet. Founded in 2003, the Foundation had been seeking to create Seoul as a platform where diverse values of culture and art could be expressed, and The Youth Arts Centre was created as part of this activity. The facility itself had originally been donated by a private school foundation named Wonsuk. Situated in the Chungjeong-ro district of the city, the 1,500sq.m space itself consists of a cafe, office, multipurpose hall, conference rooms and practice room, along with a complex fun
Germany - The City of Oberndorf am Neckar in the state of Baden-Württemberg this summer played host to a five-week programme of outdoor live entertainment labelled Kultursommer 2020. Created by events specialists dts Veranstaltungstechnik GbR, and taking into account the impact of the global Coronavirus pandemic, this ambitious undertaking required detailed logistical planning, careful organisation and the highest level of production support. The organisers assembled a wide-range of acts from a variety of genres for the outdoor shows, from top metal bands Rage and AXXIS, Classic meets Gypsy with Zorana Memedovic and Heinze Costabel, to comedy and cabaret with Heinrich del Core and Dui do on de Sell. With more than 25 years experience in the sector, dts recently invested in a Coda Audio system, and decided that Kultursommer 2020, with its requirement for versatile hig
The Netherlands/USA - British loudspeaker manufacturer PMC has been chosen to provide the speakers for the presentation of an immersive audio experience at the first international exhibition devoted to the life of The Rolling Stones. Entitled The Rolling Stones - Unzipped, this touring exhibition opens on 14 November at the Groninger Museum in The Netherlands. PMC’s speaker systems are also being used during the mixing of the audio soundtracks for the showcase event in Dolby Atmos at Capitol Studios, LA and PMC’s own Dolby Atmos mix studio at Highland Park in LA. The Groninger Museum was host to a legendary concert by the band in 1999 and will house the exhibition until 28 February 2021, before it begins a tour around the world. Fans of the band will journey through the band's legacy, ending with a special finale experience that takes the visitors into an i
USA - COVID-19 has changed everything. “This pandemic has forced creative people to have to get creative about everything, even things we usually take for granted,” says Tom Worley, operations manager at 3G Productions, Inc. (3G), a live production, sales, and systems integration provider. Thus, this summer 3G turned its Los Angeles facility into Sixth Sense Creative House, a flexible production space able to accommodate live events, film and audio recordings, and live streaming from its sound stage. Key elements in the success of this initiative are two DiGiCo SD12 consoles and a new Quantum7 console, as well as two SD-Racks fitted with 32-bit Stadius mic pres, all on a single Optocore network. The desks are also equipped with DiGiCo’s new DMI-KLANG card, an immersive in-ear mixing expansion that can be mounted directly into a console equipped with DMI slots for nativ
USA - Danley Sound Labs has announced that Skip Welch, currently director of sales, will take on additional responsibilities as head of marketing. Welch’s new combined title will be director of sales & marketing. “Skip spent his first seven years at Danley in the roles of Eastern regional manager and national sales manager,” said Jeff Pulliam, general manager at Danley Sound Labs. “He knows the audio industry inside and out and understands the growing niche that Danley holds within it. That, together with his native marketing sense and artistic abilities, make Skip the perfect person for the new role of director of sales & marketing.” Welch added, “Although the pro audio industry, like so many industries, is facing difficult times, Danley is looking to the future with new projects and innovative technologies. Our team is energised and excited! I l
USA - Denny McLane has joined Symetrix as the new manager of the customer experience team. McLane began his career as the president and owner of Sound Techniques in North Hollywood, CA, where he designed and installed sound and video systems for churches, auditoriums, theatres, and provided live sound production for producer David Foster and his roster of artists. He later spent seven years at BSS Audio (Harman Pro) presiding over sales and support for Soundweb London for the Western US and most recently held the position of Consultant Liaison with Atlas-IED driving architectural projects toward their product offering. McLane is a true expert at bridging technical products and integrator/end-user needs. “We're very excited to welcome Denny to the Symetrix family,” stated Dan Lynch, Symetrix VP of marketing. “As the leader of the customer experience team, Denny's
UK - BrightSign has announced the BrightSign AU335, an audio player with ARC and eARC support that can distribute up to three zones of audio to soundbars and AV receivers. “Our new player strikes a balance between affordability and power, making it the ideal solution for virtually any setting where sophisticated, high-quality audio is called for,” explains Jeff Hastings, CEO, BrightSign. “Whether simply providing background music or powering the display of complicated consumer electronics products at retail, the BrightSign AU335 is up to the task.” Besides multi-zone audio support, the AU335 has physical buttons, proximity sensors and more via USB, GPIO or Ethernet connectivity. This enables customers to control the volume and toggle between devices with ease. The BrightSign AU335 includes a free subscription to BSN.cloud Control Cloud for easy access to realti
UK - Sam Jones has his own show on Insanity Radio, an award-winning FM and online station based at Royal Holloway University in Surrey. Since March, he has hosted Insanity’s Friday night Lockdown show - from Cardiff - with flatmate Alex Williams. Presenting a show remotely has its challenges, but Jones has done as much as possible to ‘studio-fy’ his spare room, excluding as much noise as possible. When the coronavirus lockdown struck, he had already taken the decision to invest in a new microphone, having suffered in the past from a few reliability issues. Looking for great value, great audio and a robust piece of equipment, he decided to go with the Mackie EM-91C large-diaphragm condenser microphone and loved what he got: “Just taking the mic out of the box gives you that feeling of solidity. I figured that if the audio is as good as the build quality, it’
Switzerland - Basel Music Academy’s renowned Electronic Studio Basel (ESB) is being upgraded with Lawo IP technology, enabling future prospective sound engineers to be trained on two Lawo mc²36 audio consoles and accompanying compact I/O units. The Lawo installation at the Basel Music Academy (Musikakademie Basel) will also be used for recording contemporary electronic compositions, performed by ensembles small and large, as well as entire orchestras. The new audio mixing system, which was installed by Swiss system integrator SLC Broadcast, includes two identical 24-fader Lawo mc²36 consoles and corresponding interfaces (supporting MADI, Ravenna, AES/EBU, analogue operation). The two stageboxes each provide 32 mic/line inputs, 32 line outputs, 8 digital AES3 inputs, eight digital AES3 outputs, eight GPIO, a Ravenna port, and a MADI Tie-Line Port (SFP). Also p
