Norway - The Amerikalinjen building located in the most central and vibrant part of Oslo has a rich and colourful history. It was inaugurated in 1919 as the headquarters of the Norwegian America Line, a successful passenger and freight shipping company that opened up the New World for hundreds of thousands of Norwegians. One century later the architectural landmark has been reborn as one of Oslo’s premier urban boutique hotels, complete with a comprehensive Genelec sound system supplied by Norwegian pro audio specialists, Benum. Occupying some of Oslo’s most prime real estate, Amerikalinjen - owned by the Nordic Choice Hotels group - has retained all of its authenticity whilst providing today’s travellers with a thoroughly modern experience. The remit was clear - Amerikalinjen wanted the best possible sound in all areas of the hotel, to match the rest of the hig
UK - Blitz, a GES company, brings Southampton’s unique history into the future with its three-day projection mapping experience, right in the heart of the town centre. Taking place on the evenings of 21-23 November, this spectacular visual experience was commissioned by GO! Southampton, the Business Improvement District for Southampton City Centre, and is the official launch of a series of illuminations happening all over the city this winter. Displayed on the iconic Grade I listed Bargate medieval gatehouse, the projection show told stories of Southampton’s past, present and future, narrated by the city’s mythical founder Sir Bevois, who regaled his tales to his friend - the Christmas Giant. Using mapping technology, the projections revealed a unique visual experience never seen in the city before bringing the ancient monument to life. But this
Canada - For 15 years, Musicopratik has been one of the premier band rehearsal studios in Montreal, and the only one in the artistically and culturally vibrant borough of Verdun. “We know we’re not the only game in the whole city, so we like to stand out by offering our customers very high-quality equipment to practice on, from backline to speakers,” says co-owner Patrick Mainville. Musicopratik recently swapped out every single main and monitor speaker in their rehearsal rooms for QSC CP12 compact active loudspeakers. “We have five rehearsal rooms, ranging from 15 by 15ft to about 20 by 24. We also have a recording studio with a prep area, and the CP12s went in all of them,” Mainville continues. “Since we started in 2005, we’ve owned many major brands of powered stage monitors except QSC. But when it came time to upgrade, we decided that the QSC CP12s sounded
Czech Republic - Adamson Systems Engineering has added BaSys CS s.r.o. to its global network as its exclusive distributor for Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Based in Prague, BaSys CS is a division of Swiss-based technology distributor BaSys, which represents a number of AV and consumer electronics brands in Central Europe. “We’re proud to represent a prestigious brand like Adamson in the Czech and Slovak markets,” begins Ondřej Tureček, the head of sound for long-time Adamson Network partner ZL Production and now the Adamson brand manager for BaSys CS s.r.o. “Having worked closely with Adamson products and representatives through ZL Production, one of the biggest Adamson rental partners in Central Europe, I’m very familiar with the brand and its many competitive advantages, and see plenty of exciting opportunities and potential for growth in our region.”
UAE - Allen & Heath has appointed Dubai-based NMK Electronics as its exclusive distributor for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Responsible for the full Allen & Heath range, NMK will offer a broad range of solutions to customers, from MI and pro audio through to AV installation. The partnership takes immediate effect, with plans for regular training and product support activities now in place. “We are extremely proud to partner with such a legendary brand. NMK has witnessed Allen & Heath grow at an increasing rate over the last few years,” comments Dino Drimakis, business development manager at NMK. “Thanks to the highly talented and friendly team at A&H and with the addition of Avantis joining the flagship dLive, SQ and Qu Series, we feel A&H perfectly complements the NMK portfolio and feel confident that we can continue to r
USA - Symetrix has announced the promotion of Tylene ‘Ty’ Robinson to international sales & operations manager. Robinson began her career in web design and digital marketing, graduating from the University of Advancing Technology with a BA in Digital Media (summa cum laude). She made her way up the corporate ladder at a fast-paced Seattle software company where she discovered a passion for project management and business operations. After joining Symetrix, Robinson’s focus on managing order and fulfillment processes while getting to know the key players in the global sales channel became a strategic objective. In her new role, she will direct strategic accounts and an international salesforce as well as driving global sales enablement programs and managing critical sales KPIs. “Symetrix is growing fast and expanding Ty’s role formally into internat
Germany - d&b audiotechnik has announced the availability of two new software enabling technologies: CPL for SL-Series (coupling), and Temperature Humidity Control (THC) realtime high frequency compensation for loudspeaker arrays. The CPL for SL-Series technology allows the extraordinary d&b SL-Series line arrays to be easily adjusted for specific venues. THC provides high frequency compensation due to temp/humidity as part of the d&b ArrayProcessing software: fluctuations in both temp/humidity can now be addressed in real time via the R1 Remote Control software - simplifying control and saving time. These software updates are available now. “Visiting many SL-Series installation sites and working with the users and tech teams in the field, we realized that there was still room to improve the system workflow,” says Werner ‘Vier’ Bayer, d&b produc
UK - Arena Birmingham has offered audio description to its visitors for the first time at Marvel Universe LIVE!. Following a request from a customer whose sons are visually impaired, Arena Birmingham partnered with VocalEyes to offer audio description of the action-packed show. The describers, who saw an earlier performance of the show and prepared a script, were able to offer the real-time description via headsets, making the show more accessible to those with all levels of visual impairment. The describer’s audio is broadcast using a digital radio system, ensuring a good quality reception with a range of between 50-100m. Claire Eccles, who wrote in to the Arena to request audio description, says: “It meant so much to my family that we were able to enjoy Marvel Universe LIVE! with audio description. My sons are both severely visually impaired and lo
UK - Pearce Hire was selected by the Royal Variety Charity as the sole contractor for the Royal Variety Performance post-show party. With the show taking place at the London Palladium, the after-party took place at the Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane where Pearce Hire’s project manager Jake Vernum and the Pearce Hire team were loading in a full production package including lighting, sound, AV and cameras. Giles Cooper of Giles Cooper Entertainment is the chairman of the Royal Variety Charity, and executive producer of the Royal Variety Performance and has been in this post for the past 14 years. He states: “My working relationship with Pearce Hire is long-standing as they are our main power and lighting suppliers on a year-on-year basis for many outdoor summer events run by my own company GCE LIVE, and so I know the Pearce Hire team to be amongst the best in the
USA - Robert Morris University is a private institution tucked into the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that instructs close to 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Although a relative latecomer to the scene, RMU’s men’s and women’s Colonials sports teams have made up for lost time, winning 45 league championships since joining the NCAA Division I in 1976. In support of its successful athletic programmes, RMU raised private funds to construct the new UPMC Events Centre, which includes the Peoples Court, a 4,000-seat arena for men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, an auxiliary gym, and other event and conference spaces. Local AV integration firm Horizon Information Services worked with the architect to design and install a highly-efficient, and thus value-engineered, sound reinforcement system that uses Danley Sound Labs’ patented point-
Australia - Following the successful integration of the largest TiMax TrackerD4 system to date into the TiMax SoundHub-driven spatial audio reinforcement system of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (see LSi December 2019 for more on this), the sound and logistical teams behind the event have also introduced its stage-tracking capabilities during its recent events in Sydney. Staged in the ANZ Olympic Stadium, the four ‘super-sized’ shows performed to a Sydney audience which featured over 1500 international performers. The event was scaled up at every level to accommodate a smaller number of shows in a much larger arena. The ANZ stadium presented a big step up for the team behind the Tattoo and therefor
UK - Audiotonix has reached an agreement for a next-stage investment from private investment house, Ardian. James Gordon, Audiotonix CEO, comments, “This is an outstanding opportunity to partner with Ardian to enable further growth, and it represents a significant step in the future development of Audiotonix. We have built an incredible infrastructure within the group in the past five years, which has clearly benefited all our brands with manufacturing know-how, developing new technologies, and growing their worldwide reach. Ardian’s financial support and advice, combined with Astorg’s, who are also remaining as an investor for this next phase, will help expand our brands and product portfolio even further.” Olivier Personnaz, managing director, Ardian Buyout, comments: “How people enjoy live, televised and streamed entertainment is going through a revolutio
UK - West London rental specialist Entec has announced the appointment of Daniel Scantlebury as its new head of sound, effective immediately. Scantlebury, who has joined after several years with Manchester-based dbnAudile as a senior project manager, says: “It was time for a new challenge and an incredible opportunity like this does not come along very often, so I’m thrilled. I’ve always respected Entec for its approach to business as well as its impressive history, and moving south to be closer to my family was also a consideration.” The news of Dan’s appointment coincides with another major move for the company’s sound department. A committed d&b rental house since 1995, Entec recently invested in the brand’s latest generation SL-Series with the purchase of 50 KSL line array loudspeakers - 28 KSL 8 (80° dispersion), four KSL 12 (120°) and 18 card
Czech Republic - Over 300 sound industry professionals from 40 countries recently visited Prague for Yamaha’s annual System Designers Conference. Immersive audio was the theme of this year’s SDC. Prague was an appropriate location, as the city’s long history of opera and classical music has seen many venues built with acoustics in mind. It was in the newest of these - the O2 universum, opened just six weeks earlier - that the conference took place. Featuring a wide range of conference facilities and a 4,500-seat sports arena, the O2 universum staged demonstration immersive sound systems in both the largest conference room and the arena, as well as comparing them to a large format Nexo L-R line array system flown in the arena. SDC 2019 featured a wide range of different presentations and demonstrations. These included the Prague Music String Quartet demonst
Italy - RCF Group has completed the acquisition of professional sound systems manufacturer Montarbo. From an operational standpoint, the brand’s running and distribution will be overseen by AEB Industriale. A statement from RCF says: “The incorporation of Montarbo into the group further expands our product range in a market segment that is demonstrating strong growth. The acquisition perfectly fits RCF Group’s strategy of selective M&A activity focussing on iconic brands that leveraging the Group’s competitive positioning, together with its technical and commercial expertise, fully exploit the growth potential contributing to the Group’s progress and value creation.” Arturo Vicari, CEO of RCF Group, comments: “We’re delighted to welcome Montarbo to our Group. It’s a historic brand that has contributed to the evolution of the music and profe
South Africa - As the year draws to a close, AV Unlimited and 24 Carrots Event Design helped a leading financial services provider remind its staff that there is still a lot of fun to be had at its year-end function, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Event manager at 24 Carrots Event Design, Mase Langa explains that the client’s brief was fairly simple - they wanted their team to have some fun. “The main idea was to deliver an event that was, above all else, about having fun after a tough year. We came up with a design that focused on colour, and the joy and elation that vibrant colour can illicit.” The team at 24 Carrots Event Design provided the client with some renders, which showed a playful set that was designed to inspire a sense of play and whimsy. “We introduced colour and playfulness though the set, decor and lighting, and the res
South Korea - Yeon Moo Dae Church is a church housed within a Korean Army training centre that draws from a mix of traditional and modern Christian influence. The construction of the church took 10 years to complete as it relied upon singular donations from nearly 10,000 individuals, over 600 Christian community churches and just about 600 church-related organisations. Most recently, the church built a new sanctuary with a seating capacity that can welcome its 6,000-strong congregation. The room itself measures a generous 66m wide by 55m deep with a ceiling height of 15m. After visiting other large sanctuaries and listening to their sound systems the church committee decided that Clair Brothers was the solution for their audio requirements. One of the locations the committee visited, the Joyful Church Training Centre, has the Clair Brothers CAT215 loudspeaker system in
UK - London-based Capital Sound, part of the newly-formed Solotech UK Group, has been successfully deploying its selection of Outline systems and processors with a diverse range of clients over the last few years. From the multi-national classical crossover vocal group Il Divo to Welsh rocker Kelly Jones, via the polished pop of Will Young to the recreation of Pink Floyd’s stadium shows by The Australian Pink Floyd, Capital’s Outline systems have consistently delivered the goods. James Lawford of Outline’s UK distributor CUK Audio remarks: “Tours equipped with Capital Sound’s Superfly / Mantas 28 combination have been able to play a diverse range of venues, from arenas such as Arena Birmingham and Glasgow’s SSE Hydro, to medium-sized spaces such as Ipswich’s Regent Theatre and Stoke on Trent’s Victoria Hall, each time using the same system in differen
Hungary - KV2 Audio has appointed Megatone as the brand’s exclusive distributor in Hungary. Based just outside the capital of Budapest, Megatone is one of the country’s largest full-service production companies supplying a wide range of markets from event production to broadcast, to corporate AV and much more. Alongside this, Megatone also operates a thriving installation wing which handles AV installs from the initial project planning, to design, install and service. There is also a specialist lighting division and finally a distribution operation. According to KV2’s sales director for EMEA & Latin America, Alessandro Pagliani, Megatone was a natural choice. “Megatone has been working with our products for several years in the capacity of a main professional installer and dealer. Most of the recent installations in Hungary - such as the Opera Café in Budapest
Belgium - Biamp has announced a new streamlined European distribution model to strengthen the company’s sales, support, and product distribution in the region. Biamp has transitioned to either a sole distributor or dealer-direct distribution system to better support specific countries throughout Europe. The following sole distributors have been announced: Austria: Kain Audio-Technik GmbH Denmark: Kinovox Scandinavia ApS France: Sidev Germany: prodyTel Distribution GmbH Italy: Prase Engineering S.p.A. Norway: Scandec Systemer AS Poland: Konsbud Audio Sp. zo.o. Spain: AVIT Vision S.L. Switzerland: Show Supply GmbH The Netherlands: Mennegat Trading BV In Belgium, Luxembourg and the UK, Biamp will be transitioning to a dealer-direct distribution model. “We are thrilled to partner with this select group
Europe - Coordinating with Stefan Mehnert of Rammstein’s management and production director Nicolai Sabottka as well as the production’s design teams, Solotech and SSE Audio provided the audio and video gear and services for the German industrial metal band’s 2019 stadium tour. Solotech’s Holger Schader, senior consultant, concert touring and special events for the Live Productions division oversaw the account for Solotech and SSE Audio. The sold-out European stadium tour supported the release of the band’s seventh album, which is the first Rammstein studio album in a decade. The tour’s audio spec, put together by Rammstein´s longtime FOH engineer Olsen Involtini and systems engineer Andreas Vater, called for L-Acoustics speakers and Avid Venue control. Assisting Vater was SSE audio crew Chief Nick Pain, and audio technician Nils Knecht, who
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) recently supplied tour and production management company Patchwork London with a Shure PSM 1000 wireless IEM system to provide monitor duties for the >25th Anniversary UK tour of Skunk Anansie. Patchwork managing director, Steve White got in touch with Steve Eaton, sales executive in AC-ET’s Audio sales division after he was getting an increasing number of client requests for the Shure in-ear-monitoring system. He comments: “We've had an increased number of enquiries for the PSM 1000, so when a three-month tour hire with Skunk Anansie came in, it seemed like a good time to expand our Shure stock. Prior to this, we had tried out wireless mic systems and Shure’s Axient system was the one which best suited our needs, so we decided to go with Shure across the board.” The UK tour coincided with the release
Norway - DJ and record producer, Alan Walker is currently out on his latest Aviation tour across China, India and Norway, along with an Allen & Heath dLive Wings system handling both FOH and monitor duties. One of Norway’s biggest EDM music exports, Walker performs with various third-party software, as well as a live band and requires a complex setup. The engineers needed a small and lightweight system to fly around the world, which could also handle a high I/O count via several protocols, such as Waves SoundGrid, Dante and MADI in order to interface with third-party systems. Supplied by audio production company, Sonic City AS, the FOH setup includes a dLive C1500 fitted with a Waves card for virtual sound check and multi-track recording, paired with a DM0 MixRack, which is equipped with a fibreACE card for the digital split and a Dante card to facilitate externa
UK - Long-time DiGiCo user Stage Sound Services was one of the first companies to invest in the British console manufacturer’s latest Quantum 7 engine for its seven SD7s, stating that their belief in DiGiCo’s ability to continually upgrade its product made its most powerful engine to date a must have for the Cardiff-based rental company. “As well as the SD7s, we have a large stock of SD10s,” says Stage Sound Services' Phil Hurley. “When it was time to add more consoles to our inventory, we wanted to invest in the very latest technology and having seen the capabilities of the Quantum 7 it was an obvious choice. We knew that as soon as our customers saw Quantum 7 was available, they’d want to use its new features and capability to enhance their sound designs.” Two of the Quantum 7s were put to immediate use on the UK theatre tour of Dr Doolittle an
