Hong Kong - A charity concert aiming to raise funds for industries hit the hardest by COVID-19 recently employed an array of SSL Live consoles for the historical event. The Live is so much better with Music Eason Chan Charity Concert was the first ever event held by the HK LPPIA - Hong Kong Live Performance and Production Industry Association, and was streamed worldwide on YouTube, Facebook Live and Tencent QQ platforms with an estimated 10m live views. The consoles were supplied by Miso Tech Co Ltd, Hong Kong. The event was in fact made up of two separate shows. The first was a sunrise show broadcast from Victoria Dockside against the backdrop of the Hong Kong skyline, which was recorded in one take on the previous day to prevent the gathering of large crowds. The second show at sunset was a rebroadcast of the sunrise show, followed by a fully live performance
UK - As part of the #WeMakeEvents campaign, Calrec lit up its historic Nutclough Mill building in red on the night of 11 August to help raise the alarm for the live events and entertainment sector. Backed by a wide range industry bodies and companies, a series of events was held on Tuesday across the UK to highlight the plight of those struggling for work as a result of the pandemic. The live entertainment sector has been particularly badly hit, with calls to the government to step in and provide more assistance. Sid Stanley, Calrec’s general manager, comments: “This has affected our customers in every territory, and the impact on live events like sports and entertainment has been devastating. In the UK alone there are over one million people employed in delivering events, 72% of whom are freelance, and many of which have no access to any financial support. We work
Belgium - Pro audio manufacturer Audac has launched the ATEO2S into the market, a ‘click and play’ solution featuring the ATEO2 design wall loudspeakers. This compact loudspeaker is equipped with the innovative ClickMount mounting system, which is specifically designed to make mounting the speakers in corners an easy task. The ATEO2S includes both the speaker and the mounting system bundled together. The professional system has the advantage of making the speaker cabinet click onto its mounting bracket either horizontally or vertically via a 6.3mm jack connector. After installation, the speaker angle can be adjusted by using the bracket arm, allowing the speaker to be inclined in any direction you choose. The ATEO2S’ versatile mounting system allows the loudspeaker to be used in various fixed indoor applications like modern residential environments, retail stores
Brazil - Broadcaster Rádio Itatiaia, with a network of 52 affiliate stations in the state of Minas Gerais, has installed a new Lawo routing system to switch, process and distribute programming from its headquarters in Belo Horizonte. Lawo integration partner Rádio Partes installed the system, which features Power Core mixing engines, Nova17 routing frames, and custom touchscreen controls designed with Lawo VisTool Unlimited graphical control software. Project planning began in 2018, with the goal of replacing an aging digital router with a true AES67 system that could work with AoIP equipment from a variety of manufacturers, and be easily expanded to accommodate future needs. Itatiaia also wanted a system with DSP capabilities to enable audio shaping of sources on-the-fly, and, being a network content provider, operational redundancy at every level. Rádio Ita
UK - Audience and community engagement, music education and global co-operation have always been at the heart of the London Symphony Orchestra’s activities. Working with long-term partner Yamaha, the orchestra has accelerated its digital outreach programme in recent months, helping its musicians to perform together again and for worldwide audiences to enjoy the unique experience of live classical performance. Familiar to millions through its music for films, including the Star Wars and Harry Potter series, as well as classical music fans, as lockdown took hold the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) was reaching out to new and existing audiences through online archived performances. Working with Yamaha, a commitment to taking its live performances to a global audience is now bringing musicians and music fans closer together in these challenging times. A nu
Thailand - The Bangkok headquarters of TMB - previously known as the Thai Military Bank - is a 33-story building located in the Chatuchak district of the city. Inside the facility is a 500-seat, multi-purpose auditorium on its seventh floor that hosts conferences, press events, presentations, and even live music. “The auditorium at TMB sees some very diverse use and it gets quite busy,” comments Alfonso Martin, head engineer at Sonos Libra, the contracting firm that designed and installed the Dante-based audio network. “We knew from the start that the AV system needed to be cutting edge, it needed to be scalable and it needed to be high quality. When we submitted a bid to upgrade the facility, we knew from the start it needed to be done with Dante.” Martin believes his company won the bid in part because they can offer Dante capabilities that enable flexible a
UK - In support of the PLASA-led #WeMakeEvents campaign, which culminated in a day of action coordinated across the UK on 11 August, Martin Audio joined other well-known entertainment technology manufacturers in backing the campaign. Alongside fully supporting the industry with social media - its Facebook posts alone reaching one million people on the day - Martin Audio helped organise a full TV production and livestream of the activities in London, including a helicopter swoop across the city. These included many of the capital’s major landmarks being lit up in red and people gathering along the banks of the River Thames and bridges, dressed in red t-shirts, wearing red masks and waving their own red lights. Martin Audio also supplied its loudspeakers as the main PA for the boat that took members of the press and industry professionals on a trip along the River Thames pas
UK - The UK events industry proudly came together in a show of solidarity under the #WeMakeEvents campaign banner yesterday (11 August) to ask the government to ‘throw us a line’ in the form of on-going and increased financial support. As part of the movement, over 715 buildings across the UK lit up in red to symbolise the imminent danger over one million people in the live events industry face unless the government provides additional financial support. 20 of the UK’s biggest cities hosted events to raise awareness of the struggling supply chain that facilitates events across the country. From the Minnack Theatre Cornwall to The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh, Principality Stadium Cardiff and the Millennium Forum Northern Ireland, the message was spread far and wide – the situation is urgent. In Manchester, 200 technicians pushed redundant flightcases through the c
USA - During the construction of The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Centre at Auburn University, Alabama, Taylor Dyleski, director of production, was searching for a coms partner to deploy and install an intercom solution for the large indoor/outdoor space. The Gogue found a dependable partner and the appropriate communications system with Pliant Technologies’ CrewCom wireless intercom system, as the manufacturer joined the project mid-construction and was able to provide a system that fit the theatre’s exact needs. “With Pliant being a local manufacturer, they came down to the construction site and we walked around the bare-bones, concrete building, taking measurements and readings, to figure out how much product we would need to build a dependable, full-coverage coms system,” says Dyleski. “Not only does Pliant offer a solution that fits our current ne
Poland - The town of Tomaszów Lubelski in southeastern Poland is home to a new, modern sports and recreation centre. The complex includes a large swimming pool, smaller recreational pool, 60m slide, multiple exercise rooms and a café. When local pro-AV distributor, ESS Audio, was asked to design and deliver a complete full audio solution for the centre, they turned to LEA Professional for their audio amplification needs. ESS Audio has been providing pro AV design, consultation, training and distribution services in Poland for 30 years. “We have worked with the team at LEA Professional in different capacities over the years and knew the wealth of their experience,” said Maciej Baranski, system designer, ESS audio. “They were the perfect partner for this unique installation.” This project features the addition of a new, six-zone, 100V audio system. So, th
UAE - As Middle East businesses reopen offices, Sennheiser aims to enable organisations to deliver ‘seamless virtual collaboration experiences in a reliable, safe and hygienic manner’. The company’s offering centres around its TeamConnect Ceiling 2 solution which elevates web and video collaboration - making virtual meetings more effective by ensuring optimum audio quality for remote participants. Because of the global pandemic, hygiene continues to be top of mind. TeamConnect Ceiling 2 enables touchless audio in meeting rooms - enabling employees to more easily maintain social distancing best practices while ensuring all participants experience clear and discernible communications. As it is ceiling mounted, the system does not require constant cleaning as table microphones would, and the fact that it reliably covers the entire room without the need for any re-adjustme
USA - ClearOne has appointed AV industry expert, Craig Paller as senior director for sales development. “ClearOne has always worked closely with partners to keep the sales organisation close to the pulse of the industry and providing that high-engagement our customers expect,” said ClearOne president and CEO Zee Hakimoglu. “Craig Paller fills a new position in our organization to engage even further with new verticals and new influencers– with the ClearOne mantra of approachability and support.” Paller joins ClearOne with over 20-years of professional audio visual experience. He has held leadership positions with Harman Professional, Listen Technologies, and Shure, Inc., and most recently served as GM, Americas and global business development for Music Tribe. “My background in sales, marketing and key customer development are crucial to expanding exi
USA - UK-based loudspeaker manufacturer PMC has announced that pro audio industry expert Ted White has joined PMC USA as director of operations/chief engineer. PMC is currently heavily involved in the supporting immersive audio by partnering with Dolby and Universal Music Group to develop and promote the Dolby Atmos format for music mixing. “We are very excited that Ted has joined the PMC team in such a pivotal and dynamic role,” says Maurice Patist, president PMC USA. “While he was with Live Nation Studios he was responsible for mixing iTunes live concerts in surround sound and he is also very familiar with PMC products, having used them many times in studios and for trade shows and events. He is well known in the industry and incredibly well respected. “Having someone of Ted’s calibre in a hands on role spanning many different disciplines will be a g
Europe - DPA Microphones’ new 4097 Core Micro Shotgun microphone is being widely adapted into the television and film production world as a plant mic solution. Featuring the same sonic qualities as the brand’s supercardioid 4097 Core Choir Microphone, the compact 4097 Core Micro Shotgun has been optimised to pick up speech from a distance. “We spoke with professional sound engineers to find out what they needed in their toolboxes and designed the 4097 Core Micro Shotgun as a plant mic solution to complement their other equipment,” says René Mørch, product manager, DPA Microphones. “Ideal for miking in small spaces, the 4097 Core Micro Shotgun has a small footprint and clear audio pickup. “The sonic qualities of the 4097 Core Micro Shotgun are particularly beneficial for placing mics in inconspicuous locations as it enables location sound experts to captu
Thailand - To elevate experiences of its meeting spaces, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority in Bangkok collaborated with Mahajak Development Co to install Harman Professional Solutions networked AV and lighting solutions. Established in 1958, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority is a state-run electricity and power provider that services Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan. The facilities span across three towers and include a convention centre, an auditorium, a food centre, nursing home, an exhibition hall and multiple office spaces. To commemorate the enterprise’s 61st anniversary, Metropolitan Electricity Authority hired Mahajak to install networked AV and lighting systems throughout the facilities. “The client wanted sophisticated AV and lighting solutions to support their meeting rooms, offices and convention centres,” said Pongsakorn Kanchanachaypho
Canada - Scotiabank Arena sits in the heart of downtown Toronto, near the banks of Lake Ontario. A multipurpose arena hosting the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs games, the venue took centre stage in the 2019 NBA Finals when the Raptors clinched the franchise’s first championship. The Toronto community’s love of the Raptors was highlighted during that Finals not just by the fans in the building - but also those packing the public square right outside the venue. The Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) organisation provides a public area for fans to congregate during both home and away matches. The official name of the location is Maple Leaf Square - but when the Raptors play it transforms into the colloquially named ‘Jurassic Park’. The location provides a nearly three-story-tall, high resolution LED wall for viewing games outdoo
UK - Occupying around 14 acres of landscaped grounds known as the Armagh Astropark, and flanked by the Armagh Observatory, Armagh Planetarium, is presently undergoing a major multi-phased renovation as part of the Education Authority Northern Ireland. Long-standing local AV technology integrators and suppliers, Rea Sound, are on a select supply list for the complex, and having successfully tendered, have been upgrading the facilities with an end-to-end Martin Audio solution; this began over a year ago as part of what will become an advanced, site-wide audio-visual upgrade. The initial scope covers all spaces with the exception of the dome, which will be subject to a separate contract at a later stage. Rea Sound project manager, Roger McMullan, confirmed that his company has carefully tailored Martin Audio systems - from O-Line micro line array down to the new Ado
USA - Love Joy Church has been serving the spiritual needs of its Buffalo, New York congregants since the early 1980s. It has grown considerably from its modest living-room-based, Bible-Study roots and today occupies a 600-person sanctuary in Lancaster, a suburb of Buffalo. Love Joy’s upbeat services and talented praise band are the heart and soul of its diverse ministerial activities. However, until recently, Love Joy’s congregants regularly complained that speech and lyrics were difficult or impossible to understand. Local AV design and integration firm TSH Audio fixed the problem with new Danley Sound Labs loudspeakers and subwoofers that leverage Tom Danley’s patented designs to deliver speech and music that is clear and impactful. “The existing sound system at Love Joy Church was dated and the design didn’t work for the space from the start,” explained
Europe - Government agencies, public institutions, and non-governmental organisations around the world have special requirements for conferencing systems. Historic and other special environments can pose installation and design constraints, meeting procedures may require a specific control layout, or the hardware’s appearance may need to complement the room’s interior styling. Shure has announced a hardware customisation programme for the Microflex Complete (MXC) Digital Conference System that enables the company to respond efficiently to special requests for unique hardware variations. Shure’s customised flush-mount conference units are available with a range of options to suit a wide variety of needs and installation scenarios, including front panels in sizes for user specified dimensions, multiple colours in both brushed and matte finishes, customer logo and
USA - Meyer Sound’s Summer Webinar Programme wrapped with a final Festival Friday roundtable session featuring the decades-long sonic explorations of Meyer Sound with the Grateful Dead and their related bands. The roundtable included special guest Derek Featherstone, UltraSound CEO and FOH mixing engineer for Dead and Company, Meyer Sound president & CEO John Meyer, and Bob McCarthy, Meyer Sound director of system optimization. The Friday, 7 August webinar explored the long strange trip with the Grateful Dead going back to the infamous ‘Wall of Sound’ days, and the related iterations of the band since the passing of founding member and lead guitarist Jerry Garcia 25 years ago. “The Grateful Dead were live sound pioneers and John Meyer’s involvement goes back to the Wall of Sound era, even before Meyer Sound was formed,” says McCarthy. “The Dead and th
USA - Recently wrapping up a multi-faceted renovation - its most significant project since 2013 - Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles now boasts an L-Acoustics K2 line source array sound system installed this summer, covering the stadium seating, and L-Acoustics A15i and X8 speakers covering the new Centerfield Plaza and existing Outfield Pavilion areas. Constructed in 1962, Dodger Stadium harkens back to an era when ballparks were designed and built solely to host baseball games. As many of these original venues have been replaced with new-build stadiums that are intended from the drawing board to be multi-use spaces for concerts, special events and other mass gatherings, Dodger Stadium remains one of the few ballparks to retain its original architecture and feel. With the addition of an L-Acoustics K2 system, Dodger Stadium keeps its original look, while updating its feel
UK - On 11 August (Tuesday), the live events industry across the UK will come together in solidarity to host a series of protests to help save the live events and entertainment sector, which is on the verge of collapsing without financial support from the government. Encouraged by the #WeMakeEvents and #LightItInRed campaigns, hundreds of venues are expected to light up red, along with other creative activities being staged in over 20 cities across the UK to symbolise the industry going into red alert, and a final call to action titled ‘throw us a line’ will be taking centre stage on London’s South Bank. The capital’s finale will begin on a boat at 20:20, as it makes it way down the Thames - passing Royal Festival Hall, the National Theatre and the Tate, and more all illuminated in emergency red. As the boat reaches key locations, such as Westminster Bridge and
Europe - Portuguese acoustic treatment specialist Artnovion (distributed in the UK, Spain and the Netherlands by Audio-Technica) has announced the release of its new MedLine range of cleanable acoustic treatment products. Featuring hospital-grade anti-bacterial coatings and hardwearing, washable anti-odour finishes, MedLine caters to a wide market at a time when every industry needs to ensure COVID-safe workspaces. The range comprises both fabric absorbers (Sparta AE, Troy and Azores AE products) and wood absorbers (Lyra 8 CL and Norma 8 CL panels), making MedLine suitable for a wide variety of applications including healthcare and well-being facilities that require the highest levels of cleanliness. Noise levels in today’s hospitals are the highest ever documented and have a tremendous impact on the privacy, comfort and stress levels of patients and staff. And in well-be
Australia - To future-proof classroom AV technology at CQUniversity, Videopro, has installed a Harman Professional AV solution that includes AMX SVSI Networked media systems. With campuses across 25 locations in Australia, CQUniversity offers undergraduate, postgraduate, short courses and certificates in engineering, information technology, business and visual arts, among others. As a pioneer in the field of collaborative learning, many of CQUniversity's campuses are home to multi-pod collaborative classrooms. Integrated with video conferencing facilities that enable high-definition audio and video connectivity, the classrooms allow students to connect with lecturers across CQU’s network of campuses. CQU engaged Videopro to develop the next-generation AV platform for these critical teaching spaces "The university's new collaborative learning environment required a r
