UK - White Light has recently held a series of open days across the UK to showcase and demo its latest technology. The company’s Audio KnoWLedge Day was held last month at WL’s Studio15. Working alongside some of the biggest audio manufacturers including Shure, Riedel, DPA Microphones, Yamaha, d&b audiotechnik, K-array and Astro Spatial Audio, WL hosted a day in which students could get hands-on with the latest audio technology, take part in Q&A forums as well as have one-on-one sessions with industry professionals. The day was organised by WL’s head of audio Lee Dennison who comments: “With the KnoWLedge Day, we wanted to offer students something which would prove invaluable yet which they wouldn’t receive anywhere else. It’s not often they get the opportunity to speak to industry leaders about their products so this was their own ‘audio trade s
Italy - Audio solutions manufacturer Outline has appointed Audio Effetti as the exclusive distributor of its products in Italy. With 20 years’ experience, Genoa-based Audio Effetti is a leading distributor of professional equipment dedicated to the theatre audio, video and lighting sectors, as well as accessories, lasers and special effects in general, also providing consultancy for the design of professional and special systems and after-sales assistance, with the aim of combining important creative and implementation experience built up in the entertainment and live event fields. Audio Effetti MD Marco Medica comments: "We’re particularly proud of having acquired the distribution of this historic Italian brand, which continues to make Italian-made products a rightful source of pride. As well as the well-known loudspeaker and line array systems, for which Outline is re
UK - German broadcast manufacturer Lawo has opened a subsidiary in the UK. Pre-sales and systems engineer Kadhim Boyd, solution architect James Walker and sales managers Olivier Hough and Devin Workman will form the core of the UK team. “Lawo is investing heavily in the UK as part of a drive to keep up with increasing activity and opportunity in the area of IP processing and distribution, and management of IP-based media workflows,” explains Craig Newbury, director of sales and operations, UK & Ireland, who is heading the new team. With his roots in IT development engineering, engineer Kadhim Boyd has extensive experience at Snell, including responsibility for management of and training for larger projects involving control and monitoring systems across the world. Before taking up his new role of solution architect at Lawo, James Walker worked as
Germany - The history of the Z-Bau Nuremberg, a former barracks, dates back to 1937. In the 1990s, the site was used by the US Army - its hall acting as an officers' casino and entertainments venue - before later becoming an arts and culture centre. Recently, the site was completely renovated to include a new stage, improved acoustics, electrics and lighting and sound technology. The company into>noise (Andreas Zeh and Tobias Förster) from Munich was responsible for sound reinforcement technology and relied on products from Coda Audio. The gallery, red salon and artists studios at the venue had been modernised two years ago during the first phase of renovation and Coda’s RX40, G712 and HOPS8 loudspeakers as well as U4 and G18-SUB were installed in these areas. The newly installed main system, serving a 1000-capacity space, consists of 2 x 9 ViRAY, 8 x SCP sensor-
China - The historic city of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, is preparing to host the 2022 Asian Games in the largest Olympic sports centre of its kind in China. The Tennis Centre, which belongs to this complex, has recently been inaugurated with the experience and support of DAS Audio systems. The sound system was put to the test at the official inauguration of the stadium for the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) held from 11-16 December 2018. The team at DAS Audio China worked closely with the local engineering contractor and both sides collaborated in the design and completion of the installation, which has been specially tailored for this multi-sport stadium. The HQ series speakers with IP54 certification were chosen for the installation. The HQ series are specially designed for medium to large size installations offering tightly control
USA - Penn State’s Nittany Lion athletics programme is fiercely competitive and well-supported by the school and its alumni. In that tradition, the Penn State men and women’s lacrosse teams now practice and compete in Panzer Stadium, a new multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art facility. Its 1,300 seats are close to the action, and the entire facility is wired for modern broadcasting, which will allow Penn State to host high-profile NCAA and Big Ten championship games. Pennsylvania-based AV design and integration firm Clair Solutions handled the broadcast infrastructure and sound reinforcement at Panzer Stadium, earning the job based in part on the proposal of Jim Devenney, Clair Solutions’ senior systems designer and in part on the successful completion of numerous other projects at Penn State. “We originally got involved because we’ve done a lot of other wor
UK - On 26 January, around 3,000 worshippers gathered at London’s SSE Arena for A Day of Prayer for Britain. Led by evangelist minister David Hathaway, the event saw Christian leaders from across the UK and from abroad coming together to pray for unity in the UK. Audio, lighting, and video for the event was handled by Subfrantic Production Services, whose Yamaha Rivage PM10 and PM7 digital mixing systems managed all live and broadcast audio. David Hathaway’s ministry approached Subfrantic because of the company’s work at The Experience in Lagos, Nigeria - an event which attracts over 500,000 worshippers - as well as its work on other religious events in the UK. The event ran for eight hours and featured a mix of Christian worship styles, with a band, choir, and worship leaders including David Hathaway, Betty King, Bishop John Francis, Lou Engle, musi
UK - Martin Audio has announced a new series of open days, taking place on 19-21 March at the company’s High Wycombe HQ. Martin Audio will showcase the full line-up of Wavefront Precision line arrays, including the new WPL, while the subwoofers will be headed by the new cardioid SXC118 and SXH218. In addition, there will be point source BlacklineX and XD Series with VIA amplifiers and DX4.0 controller, the self-powered point source CDD-LIVE and a selection of LE and XE stage monitors. 3D immersive Sound Adventures in partnership with Astro Spatial Audio, demonstrate wide stereo imaging. Dom Harter, Martin Audio managing director, comments: “Coming off a high at ISE 2019 earlier this month, this will provide a further opportunity for rental companies, sound engineers, system integrators and installation specialists to increase their understanding of our system
UK - The Digbeth district of Birmingham city centre has long been associated with the development of the British electronic music scene. Over the years, the regeneration of many of its old buildings has seen a vibrant club culture firmly established in the area. Located in a former church, The Monastery is described by some as the current Mecca of the Birmingham club scene. It was designed and constructed from scratch, by a team of determined, experienced ravers, motivated by a common aim to create the ultimate music destination that put art before profit. An instinct for moving with the times informed their decision to seek a new sound system for the popular 200 capacity venue. The Monastery chose a Pioneer Pro Audio XY Series system. The pre-existing system looked the part and had served its purpose reasonably well but the sense was that audiences have become far mor
The Netherlands - ELC Lighting, manufacturer of Ethernet networking solutions and DMX tools and the award-winning Green-GO digital intercom system, enjoyed a successful Integrated Systems Europe exhibition in Amsterdam and “unprecedented levels” of interest in its product ranges. The company, based in Gemert in The Netherlands, was on home territory at ISE. On the booth, and being continuously demo’d for visitors, were its popular new ELC GBX Distribution System, which is specifically tailored for live entertainment applications, and its revolutionary Ethernet-based Green-GO digital intercom systems, which have rapidly established a reputation for audio clarity, simplicity of use and robust reliability. As well as welcoming its growing family of distribution partners from across Europe, the team noted the greatly increased awareness and understanding of ELC and G
Germany - HK Audio has released three turnkey Linear 3 system packages for bands and DJs who want to take control of their own live sound. The German pro audio manufacturer has had considerable success with system packages in its Linear 5 family, and the concept has now been carried over to the Linear 3 line. Each of the competitively priced Linear 3 system packages offers a combination of various individual Linear 3 family components for either bands or DJs who regularly play gigs of a certain size. The L3 Compact Venue Pack offers enough power for bands who perform at small clubs or youth centres. The high performance pack has enough juice to rock venues for up to 500 people, while the L3 Bass Power Pack is designed for DJs who play bass-heavy music for crowds of up to 250 people. All three packs offer a plug-and-play solution for artists who have no tech
China - Shantou University in Guangdong features a 52,000sq.m sports stadium complex, the Shantou University Sports Park. It includes an international competition-standard gymnasium complete with basketball courts, multipurpose halls, swimming pools and VIP boxes. This year, the stadium played host to the university’s 2018 graduation commencement emboldened by the retirement farewell ceremony for Shing - complete with a substantial, and mobile, Clair Brothers C12 and C8 loudspeaker system. After several close inspection reviews of top brands, DMT, the Clair Brothers distributor in China presented the powers that be with a demo of components. “It was obvious,” explains Chris Fish, technical director at DMT, “that the Clair Brothers gear was making a real impression compared to the other systems.” The final equipment list at the venue consists of a 32
UK - Dinosaurs come to life in an updated version of the theatrical event, Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular (see LSi November for a production report). Originating in Australia in 2007, and on the road for many years, the production is a $20m-dollar production which recently received a massive technological update in mechatronics, visuals, lighting, and the latest in realtime tracking. The high-tech upgrades are provided and managed by UK-based company, Sonalyst, owned by Rory Madden. Sonalyst provides all the lighting, rigging, sound and communications. They also provide their technical expertise to be sure to use the appropriate equipment needed to solve any issues and improve the performance of the s
UK - AED’s Luxibel Expo Tools range makes its UK debut at the AED Customer Night events this week, alongside a spread of new kit covering sound, lighting, rigging, display and accessories. The AED UK Customer Nights will be held on Wednesday, 20 and Thursday, 21 February at the company’s UK office, from 4pm onwards. On both nights, visitors can enjoy the best local brew and curry whilst experiencing Luxibel’s Expo Tools. The Prolyte range, the new Show Lift AED-SL18 - an automated motorised tower lift that can be controlled by DMX - and the AV Stumpfl Pixera range will also be on show. “In this fast-paced industry, it’s important for us to inform our customers about the latest products, technologies and services,” says AED commercial manager, David Baker. “It’s a great occasion for our customers to meet the AED team in person and to discover our A
Italy - A dBTechnologies VIO line array system powered the most famous music festival in Italy at the Ariston Theatre in Sanremo. For Sanremo 2019, the 69th edition of the Festival of Italian Song, the RAI (Italian national public broadcasting company) technical team relied on dBTechnologies to guarantee quality sound coverage for one of the most awaited and popular events among Italian TV shows. The Sanremo Festival brings together artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti, Renato Zero, Laura Pausini and Nek, alongside international stars such as Queen, Eminem, Robbie Williams, Luis Fonsi and many others. The versatility of VIO L210 allowed an articulated and complex composition that took into account the particular architectural features of the venue, including galleries and corridors and the ‘red carpet’ area. The PA c
The Netherlands - German fibre network associates Optocore and BroaMan combined their resources at the recent ISE 2019 expo in Amsterdam as part of the portfolio of brands distributed in the Benelux by the Ampco Flashlight Group. The stand was busy as it was visited by both recognised customers from the integration, event and broadcast sectors as well as newcomers seeking further information. Optocore showcased its new Festival Box, reporting high interest from both distributors and rental companies. The Festival Box allows all protocols to tunnel over the same fibre, with hot-swappable SFP optical module transceivers providing different conversion options to add massive savings in time and cabling to multi-act festival bills. As applications engineering manager, Maciek Janiszewski says: “While festival sound engineers can transport whatever signal protocol th
UK - Attracting over 1000 attendees, the Women in Data conference features addresses from high-profile speakers plus a range of supporting events. Held within the grand surroundings of Central Hall Westminster, London, the event included presentations, development sessions and an exhibition, designed to inspire the WiD community. Technical production specialists LFPS collaborated closely with the client and production manager Dave Parker to design the look and feel of the entire event. Providing a complete production package covering both equipment and logistics, LFPS supplied lighting, audio, video, rigging and staging. Working to precise schedules beginning with a 6pm time slot for overnight load-in and build, the team were ready for rehearsal at 6am, with everything in place ready for doors open at 9am. Commenting on working with LFPS, WiD co-founder Roisin Mc
Germany - The roots of Rock gegen Rechts (Rock Against the Right) go back to the rise of Britain’s Rock Against Racism movement in in the mid-1970s. The 30 April,1978, Rock Against Racism concert in Victoria Park in East London was a seminal event that, by 1979, had inspired the first Rock gegen Rechts festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Thirty-nine years later, Rock gegen Rechts was once again heard in downtown Frankfurt, in a one-day festival staged in the city’s famed Opernplatz. The audience enjoyed the advances in live sound since the 1970s as they listened to the day’s music and messages delivered with power and clarity by Linea Research amplifiers. Nearly 90 organisations were involved in the event. Its patrons included vice presidents of the Bundestag Claudia Roth and Petra Pau, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt Peter Feldmann, and other city officials. Thirteen musica
Austria - The Vienna Metropol Theatre is one of the most tradition-rich venues in the Austrian capital. Today, the Metropol provides a stage for national and international music acts, cabaret and theatre productions. The Vienna Metropol has three stages. The main stage with the big hall has an audience capacity of 700 standing or 550 seated. The stage is open on three sides and the hall has a comparatively low ceiling height. The audience sits around the stage in a 270° angle, which further complicates the sound reinforcement situation. The room acoustics are also unusual; It is characterised by a short reverberation time with pronounced diffusivity in the empty space. In short: a demanding task for every sound system. After various modernisations were carried out in recent years, it was the sound system’s turn in 2018. The Austrian distribution partner of Alcons Au
Taiwan - The third floor of Taipei’s Nan Shan Plaza - the second tallest skyscraper in Taipei after Taipei 101 - has been created as a vast and open exhibition space. With ceilings at an impressive 8.5m in height, the venue occupies a total of 56sq.m, but features no beams or support columns, creating a challenge to any sound design proposal. With the prestigious space earmarked by Taipei City Government to host an event cooperative to the New Year fireworks countdown, the challenging space required a sound system that was compact and stable, offering excellent sound performance, which to audio installation company, Imagepro System Technology Corp., Ltd., signalled Powersoft amplification. Working hand-in-hand with Imagepro’s Yung-Chin Hsu and the Plaza’s project leader Wen-Shan Tseng, Victor Shih of Powersoft’s distributor in Taiwan, Seapower Technology Co L
UK - December saw the newly restored Alexandra Theatre at Alexandra Palace open its doors after 80 years of darkness to reveal not only a stunning space that has undergone the most sympathetic of restorations, but a comprehensive technical infrastructure that includes audio system that delivers purity of sound and capabilities that will satisfy any visiting production. At its core is a DiGiCo SD12 mixing console supplied and installed by HD Pro Audio. The Alexandra Theatre was originally opened in 1875 and hosted pantomime, opera, drama and ballet. However, it struggled to compete with the might of the West End and its use as a theatre ended. Subsequently it was used as a cinema, a chapel, home of music hall stars and, more latterly, as a BBC prop store and workshop. In 2012 the decision was made to restore it to its former glory and with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fun
Brazil - API has announced the addition of a new distributor in Brazil, Just Pro Audio. Distributing professional audio brands for Latin America, Just Pro Audio’s extensive product line will now include analogue sound of API. Just Pro Audio focuses on musical production, broadcast, radio, and live audio, and offers a wide variety of services including consulting, systems design, integration, installation, training and technical support. “API is honoured to have Just Pro Audio on board to help us expand our sales into the very vibrant and growing Brazilian market,” noted API’s managing director Gordon Smart. “Just Pro’s level of professionalism and expertise is an excellent match for the API brand, and their timing is perfect with the arrival of three new API consoles over the past 24 months.” (Jim Evans)
UK - The first UK installation of Adamson Systems IS7 line array loudspeaker systems has been completed at Howden Park Centre in Livingston by Adamson Certified re-seller Live Systems Ltd. West Lothian's premier centre for arts performances and events Howden Park Centre was transformed in 2009 by architects Nicoll Russell Studios. The Centre was awarded the accolade of Building of the Year from the Edinburgh Architectural Association. Stephen Oakes and Cliff Carrie who form the core technical team at Howden Park commented: "Our existing sound system was failing and we managed to secure finance through West Lothian Leisure for a replacement. We demoed three major loudspeaker brands including Adamson, unanimously we decided that we liked Adamson the best. “The system was clean, controlled and dynamic, it delivered constant sonic impact from low levels of sound al
Europe - ISE 2019 saw the launch of the third system in the EM Acoustics’ HALO line array family, HALO-B. The move follows the introduction in early 2018 of the British company’s large format HALO-A arena system. As its name suggests, HALO-B sits between HALO-A and HALO-C in both physical size and overall system output, and as such is perhaps the most versatile system in the family. Built on the same ‘maximum headroom’ design principles as HALO-A to ensure consistent performance across all SPL levels and consistent horizontal dispersion pattern across the operating frequency band, HALO-B is a two-way reflex-loaded line array element featuring dual 8” LF drivers and four 1” HF drive units. Festivals, stadia, sports arenas, concert halls, theatres, houses of worship and corporate AV events are all candidates for HALO-B which is designed to be equally comfort
