UK - Over 10,000 people attended the inaugural Abingdon Summer Fireworks Festival which saw four showcase firework displays choreographed to music, culminating with a spectacular performance from the evenings’ hosts, double British Firework champions, Illusion Fireworks. Quality audio plays a key role in the success of the event, so Illusion turned to AV productions specialists, Surrey-based Sound Solutions who provided a significant Halo-C line array system from EM Acoustics. Sound Solutions’ James Richardson explained that Illusion came to them having been impressed by the clarity of the audio on other fireworks and pyrotechnics shows that both companies had supplied. “They know that we do a good job, and they wanted the same audio quality for Abingdon - for shows like this, what you hear is almost as important as what you see, so it had to be absolutely top qu
USA - As the co-founder of Diablo Digital, which provides turnkey live recording systems and services for concert, touring, festival, installation and broadcast applications, Brad Madix has accumulated an impressive resume. He has worked alongside artists such as U2, Shania Twain, Shakira, Van Halen, Rush, Alanis Morissette, Jessica Simpson, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and many more. In his current role as live FOH engineer for Florence + the Machine, Madix relies on a range of DPA Microphones to help deliver pristine percussion to audiences. For instance, he depends on the company’s 4099 Instrument Microphone for the drum kit and the brand’s 2011C Compact Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Mic for overheads, which pick up the sound from the band’s various percussion instruments including cowbells, cymbals and a wood block. He also positions a pair of 2011C’s above t
USA - SRB Consulting & Design recently installed a Martin Audio system consisting of WPC line arrays, SXH218 and SX118 subs and CDD12s as part of an upgrade at the Speaking Rock Entertainment Centre in El Paso, Texas. Describing the venue, SRB owner Scott Brown explains: “Speaking Rock is located on a native American reservation and they have live entertainment seven nights a week with outdoor concerts once a month in their parking lots and a large park nearby. It’s the ‘go to’ area for entertainment because people know there’s always something going on there.” Concerts at Speaking Rock include a wide variety of artists such as Chubby Checker, P.O.D., RATT, Molotov, Buckcherry, Sammy Hagar and more. In terms of the performance venue, Scott explains, “The main room has a kind of large club atmosphere with two storeys and wraparound balconies, a main st
Europe - Allen & Heath’s compact SQ digital mixer recently wrapped up a 22-date European tour with Brass Against, including working FOH and monitors for the band’s support slot with Lenny Kravitz at London’s O2 Arena. The band called upon Production & Touring Ltd. (P&T) to support their shows on both sides of the Atlantic. “At P&T, we work with artists all over world, from first timers to larger seasoned acts, and our goal is to make it financially viable to tour without compromising on expertise or gear,” explains P&T’s director, Mike Taylor. “Brass Against needed an affordable package that had to facilitate everything from a 500-capacity venue right up to the O2 Arena and festival stages. The final kicker was that the whole lot, including the backline, had to fit into a bus bay.” In designing a compact, cost-effective system
Finland - Established in 1872 in Helsinki, the Finnish National Theatre is the oldest Finnish-speaking professional theatre in the country. Its current venue was built in 1902 and the combination of Alcons Audio Q series and L series pro-ribbon loudspeakers means the 900-capacity main stage enjoys quality sound and coverage, without impacting on its historic decor. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium has three balconies, providing a challenge to projecting seamless, high quality sound to every seat. This was solved when sound and lighting specialists Electro Waves installed an Alcons QR series pro-ribbon system several years ago. This comprised L-C-R arrays of QR36 modular line-source array columns with QM36 modular line-source LMF array extensions. QB363 modular low-frequency array columns were added to the centre cluster, all powered and controlled by Alcons Sentinel3 and Sent
Australia - The popular Spin Off festival returned in 2019 with an of over 20,000 at the massive 84m x 64m mainstage tent, presenting organisers, Five-Four Entertainment, with major technical requirements where the need for screens was paramount. To meet this demand, technical provider, Adelaide’s Novatech Creative Event Technology, employed two onstage ROE Visual Carbon 5 IMAG screens, an upstage screen, a delay screen behind FOH and two delay screens outside of the tent, controlled from two Brompton Technology SX40 processors with three Brompton Tessara XD distribution units vastly simplifying cabling requirements. “With such a big footprint, we needed to ensure that not only everyone inside the tent could see a screen but also outside,” explains Phil Pieridis, senior video project manager from Novatech. “Using many screens generates a lot of signal distribu
The Netherlands - MOG Technologies, supplier of end-to-end solutions for professional media, will present its latest developments at IBC 2019 (13-17 September, RAI Amsterdam). The focus will be on the latest advances for the production management platform with MAM4PRO; a new professional media deck station; new enhancements to Vizzi online video platform, and various technical deployments throughout its solutions. MAM4Pro is an enterprise solution designed for managing and executing all media operations - record, ingest, play, stream, encode, transcode and decode - in a native virtualised environment. MAM4PRO brings to the market a set of software services that focus on asset management, resources management, and media operations. mDECK is billed as “the ultimate professional media deck appliance to record, ingest, transcode and play in any format of video con
USA - The latest addition to ADJ’s range of professional lighting equipment, the Starship, is a modern take on a classic centrepiece effect. Designed for installation in nightclubs, as well as for use as part of mobile lightshows, this fixture features six motorised bars loaded with quad colour LEDs that generate “a myriad of intense moving and colour-changing mid-air beams”. The Starship’s six motorized bars each offer independent tilt control with a range of 95° and are positioned in a star-shaped configuration extending out from a central hub. Each bar is fitted with four individually-controlled 15W 4-in-1 RGBW LEDs, which generate razor-sharp beams that cut through a haze-filled room. The combination of the six independent motors and 24 separate LEDs allows the Starship to create a wide variety of exciting effects that feature a mass of intense beams changing co
UK - Exhibiting at the upcoming PLASA Show (15-17 September, London Olympia), Coda Audio will be showing the recently-launched two-way arrayable point source, N-APS. N-APS is the smaller sibling of Coda Audio’s APS system. Where APS addressed the limitations of traditional point source systems by delivering unprecedented performance standards, to deliver a range of functions in small to medium-sized venues, N-APS places new patented technology into an even smaller box to offer incredible power to weight ratio and flexibility. For smaller venues or corporate events where, for example, the geometry of a space might be considered to make coverage awkward, N-APS provides an unobtrusive yet powerful solution, says the company. Complementing the tradeshow debut of N-APS, Coda Audio is also introducing the N-SUB, a 15” subwoofer that reaches as low as 30Hz. Like N-
Malaysia - Singesen Technical Production and Chan Lee Sound & Light selected a combination of Powersoft’s X8 and X4L amplifier platforms for American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, who stopped off in Kuala Lumpur for the third Asian date of his Good Vibes world tour. The main hangs at the arena were made up of 12 JBL VT-4889-1 per side, with eight JBL VT4888 flown per side as side-fill and six JBL VT4888 in the centre. The 20 JBL VT 4880 subwoofers were ground stacked at the side of the stage, while a series of Nexo PS15 wedge monitors were placed along the downstage edge. A total of six JBL VTX A8 were used as front-fill. The main system was driven by 11 of Powersoft’s X8 amplifier platforms, while a pair of the company’s latest touring product, the X4L (look out for a product review in the September issue of LSi, out next week) - were also use
New Zealand - When TV comedy show 7 Days Live, produced by MediaWorks NZ, visited the Queenstown Winter Festival, the festival’s production supplier TomTom Productions was on hand with its Hippotizer Karst media servers from Green Hippo. The Hippotizer enabled them to deal with the additional visual requirements of the television recording. “The brief was fairly simple,” says Hamish Edh, director of TomTom and designer of the festival’s live stage video elements. “Background eye candy that looks great on camera, as well as for the live audience, and having the 7 Days logo on the screens for the wide shots. “The design concept was based around mis-matching elements with different LED pixel pitches,” explains Edh. “To create contrast between the different pixel pitches, I use Martin Sceptron 20 battens in an array to complement the 6mm LED panels a
Australia - Huddle Room Technology (HRT) has appointed Jands Australia as its new distribution partner for the Australian AV and ICT markets. HRT is the maker of Huddle Hub One, a multi-session wireless presentation system that supports up to seven concurrent sessions on the same hardware. Jands is showcasing the Huddle Hub One and One Plus at Integrate Show in Melbourne this week (27-29 August, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre). “Having a partner like Jands with their extensive experience in the Australian market is a big win for HRT,” comments Stefano Spattini, CEO for HRT. “We are greatly looking forward to working with such a respected and professional distribution partner.” “HRT's Huddle Hub is an impressive innovation that further complements our existing AV conferencing product portfolio,” adds Phil Muffet, national sales manager a
Australia - Stampede has announced the appointment of former Hills Limited AV national sales manager Nick Cocks, to serve as general manager of Exertis Australia ProAV, the new name of Stampede Australia that is making its debut at Integrate 2019 (27-29 August). “Integrate 2019 marks the start of the next great chapter in the history of our company in Australia and southeast Asia with the rebranding of Stampede as Exertis, the global AV and IT distribution company that Stampede joined last year when it was acquired by DCC,” says Stampede president and CEO Kevin Kelly. “With this rebranding, we send a clear message to the Australian and southeast Asian region that the combined resources, and commitment, of DCC and Exertis are now being put to work on behalf of our resellers and end user customers throughout the region. Under the leadership of Nick Cocks, our cust
South Korea - To deliver arena-filling sound as efficiently as possible, TechData Co recently installed an end-to-end JBL Professional networked audio system at the Changwon NC Park baseball stadium. Changwon NC Park is a 22,000-seat baseball stadium which opened in 2019, replacing Masan Stadium as the home of the NC Dinos professional baseball team. The stadium features four tiers of seating that curve around home plate, leaving the outfield side open to the air. To deliver premium sound across every seat while minimizing sound leakage to neighbouring residential and commercial areas, Changwon NC Park required an ultra-focused, efficient and highly scalable sound system. To achieve the client’s goals, TechData designed and installed an extensive Harman networked audio system featuring JBL loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers, Soundcraft mixing consoles and BSS signal proc
Denmark - DPA Microphones has introduced the 2028 Vocal Microphone for live stage performances, broadcast and pro AV applications. The 2028 has been designed to provide the same sound as the brand’s flagship handheld mic, the 4018 VL. It has also been optimised, like the 4018, for the challenges of the live stage. “We have seen a need for an excellent vocal microphone that has the sonic qualities of our d:facto 4018 Series, but at a lower price-point,” says René Mørch, product manager, DPA Microphones. “At only $700 USD, this mic is an overachiever - it performs significantly better than anything else in its price range.” The 2028 features a new fixed-position capsule, as well as a specially designed shock-mount and pop filter. It exhibits a supercardioid polar pattern, with the DPA uniform off-axis response. “We've designed this mic so that it so
UK - The d&b audiotechnik A-Series is set to make its UK debut at this year’s PLASA Show (15-17 September, London Olympia), with visitors also able to see the new d&b series at the SFL and SSE booths. The A-Series introduces a new sound reinforcement concept: the augmented array. An advanced loudspeaker concept born from the d&b applied evolution system development philosophy. Combining variable splay angles, two approaches to acoustic optimization, and advanced waveguide design, the A-Series addresses applications where coverage flexibility in both the horizontal and the vertical is paramount. “PLASA Show is a great place to showcase some of the latest innovations, and we are delighted to be able to give our partners the opportunity to bring the d&b A-Series to the show and introduce it to the UK market,” comments Gianni Abruzzese, d&b commer
USA - Although Union College in Schenectady, New York, has only 2,600 undergraduate students, the private liberal arts college’s men’s ice hockey team competes successfully with much larger schools in NCAA Division 1. The Union Dutchmen even won the 2014 national championship over such sports powers as Minnesota, Boston College, and Providence. Four years later, the Upstate New York school brought in AV systems integrators Com Tech of neighbouring Albany to update the video production systems in Frank L. Messa Rink, the home of Union’s men’s and women’s hockey teams. As Com Tech’s owner Chuck Zarriello recounts, the project grew to include designing and installing a new audio system for the venue. “The old system was inadequate, with outdated technology,” Zarriello reports. “It had been slowly failing over the years and had issues with intelligibility
UK - London-based live AV production company, JD Pro Sound, is currently taking on the UK’s theatre circuit with the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons touring tribute show, Bye Bye Baby, and an Allen & Heath SQ digital mixing system. With more than 15 years’ experience, JD Pro Sound provides AV services for live music shows, private and corporate events, and touring theatre shows. Having worked with Bye Bye Baby since 2015, Jay Dimoff (owner and main touring engineer) has tackled audio needs for the production at 400 theatres around the UK, mixing exclusively with Allen & Heath consoles. Most recently, Dimoff decided to add an SQ-5 mixer to handle the current run of shows. “We’ve been working with Allen & Heath products since 2015 and we just love every single moment using all these fantastic desks and additional equipment,” comment
UK - Martin Audio has reported sales growth following a series of product launches and an overseas expansion. The Buckinghamshire-based business has recorded a 22% increase in sales in its financial year 2017/18, growing from £16.5m to £20.1m. The company is now forecasting a further 20% increase in sales during 2019. Over the same period, Martin Audio has added a number of major global rental clients to its roster, including US-based Soundworks, Southard Audio and Twilight Audio which were part of efforts to consolidate the brand’s footprint in North America, where it is now established as a direct distributor. In addition, Jamaican brand Main Event Entertainment, and Dominican Republic-headquartered Group AR were also added joining the ranks of Martin Audio rental companies that manage tours, corporate events and major festivals including London’s British Summ
Europe/USA - Mark Knopfler is on the road once again, supporting the release of his new Down the Road Wherever album with an epic show presented in L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology by L-Acoustics. Having hit venues throughout Europe and headed to North America, Knopfler has once again raised the rock bar with a 10-piece band, and a 7.1 L-ISA configuration provided by SSE Hire, part of the SSE Audio Group. Front of house engineer Dave Dixon and systems engineer Ulf Oeckel specified L-ISA technology, with Maxime Menelec – an experienced L-ISA operator - joining during production rehearsals to take over systems engineering duties from the beginning of the tour, setting up the initial design with creativity and audience impact in mind. "The idea of moving to L-ISA technology is a direct result of a request made by Mark during the last tour," Dixon recalls. "He as
UK - Music for Dementia 2020 and Live Music Now have launched a new Musical Care taskforce with the aim to make music an essential element of dementia care. The taskforce, which brings together more than 60 leading representatives from across the music, dementia, health and social care sectors, will look at ways to bring music to people living with dementia who are not able to access music otherwise. A wide body of research has demonstrated significant benefits of music for people living with dementia, including reducing anxiety, depression and agitation, providing an alternative channel of communication and connecting people with those around them through shared musical moments. Music for Dementia 2020 is a campaign to make music available for everyone living with dementia by the end of 2020. To create this taskforce, Music for Dementia 2020 has partnered with L
South Africa - MGG is the first rental technical company in South Africa to invest in Braceworks, an add-on module for Vectorworks Spotlight, which helps ensure safety and compliance and is an easy way to assess a temporary structure under load. Gone are the days when a truck would arrive on-site and the technician would quickly chat to the client and only then decide where the stage and gear would be positioned. “Now everything is so well planned, right to the point of where the motors need to go,” explains Kevin Rieck, head of drafting at MGG. “Everyone can see what the final product is going to look like before the truck is even loaded, but with events getting bigger, we had to ensure safety first and this is where Braceworks comes in.” MGG recently took ownership of Braceworks, purchased from DWR Distribution, and have used it on shows such as Miss SA, Clas
USA - At the turn of the year, Lady Gaga kicked off two multi-year Las Vegas residencies at Park Theatre at Park MGM, both of which are presented in L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology from L-Acoustics. Lady Gaga’s first show, Enigma, which has now completed 18 sold-out performances is a nonstop, eye-popping spectacle taking its 5,200 audience members on a full-throttle, futuristic odyssey through two hours of her club classics. Her second show, Jazz & Piano, is a glitzy return to classic Las Vegas style with the artist accompanied by a full big band complete with string section. Alternating between stripped down solo piano and vocal arrangements of her pop numbers and swinging orchestral versions of Great American Songbook staples. Although the two productions could hardly be more different in terms of design and execution, the sound tec
Italy - The Milan Latin Festival is a 10-week celebration of Latin American artists. They converge on the external area of the Assago Forum in Milan for 66 days of celebration from mid-June to mid-August, to deliver a varied programme of concerts to enthusiastic crowds. Artists such as the king of Reggaeton, Daddy Yankee and fellow Puerto Rican, Ozuna, lit up the stage for sold-out shows. At outdoor events such as this, where the hazards of dispersion are more pronounced, the true qualities of an audio system are laid bare and event technology provider Suono e Luci, chose Coda Audio to ensure that every artist performing during the two-month duration of the festival was heard loud and clear. Claudio Saoncella, head of audio at Suono e Luci, customers of Coda Audio’s Italian distributor Decima 1948, opted for a ViRAY solution configured in Bi-Amp. The system was install
