Europe - Presented to the market earlier this year, Dynacord’s IPX multi-channel DSP amplifiers are now shipping. Incorporating Dante and OCA (AES70) audio networking technology, the amplifiers are accompanied by the 4.0 release of IRIS-Net software for system configuration, remote control and supervision as well as the ability to create customised graphical user interfaces with individual user access permissions. Engineered and made in Germany, the IPX Series comprises three 4-channel and one 8-channel amplifier model, offering a power density of 5 kW, 10 kW and even 20 kW from a single amplifier with all channels driven. Designed from the ground up for outstanding audio performance, integration flexibility and reliability, IPX Series amplifiers cover a wide range of demanding sound system installations from concert halls, art centres, theatres and houses of worship to di
Indonesia - Bandung’s GBI Aruna Church recently invested in a new audio system built around the IS-Series from Adamson Systems Engineering for a flagship 1,600-capacity venue. The church welcomes over 16,000 weekly congregants across its 15 campuses. Built in 2007, GBI Aruna has enjoyed significant growth over the years and its pastoral team made the decision to upgrade its house audio system for the second time in mid-2018. The church invited representatives from three loudspeaker manufacturers to demo their systems in the main sanctuary. After extensive evaluations, the IS-Series system comprised of IS7 two-way, full-range cabinets and IS118 and E218 subwoofers showcased by Big Knob Audio, Adamson’s Indonesian distributor, was chosen for the project. “The Adamson IS7 is so lightweight and compact, it’s amazing to experience such powerful sound coming fr
USA - TM Sound & Lighting recently updated Florida’s Jungle Queen cruise ship with a complete Harman audio solution provided by Kor Media & Lighting to provide a premium live entertainment experience for guests. Since 1935, more than 18m visitors have embarked on Fort Lauderdale’s Jungle Queen riverboat cruise and dinner attraction for an afternoon and evening of sailing and sightseeing through the ‘Venice of America’ to a luxury private island, where guests are treated to America’s longest-running variety show. The show features performances by jugglers and stand-up comics, and a live performance of classic songs by a live band. In order to provide premium sound quality with clarity and presence for such a wide range of performances, Jungle Queen hired TM Sound & Lighting to replace their aging sound system with a sound reinforcement solution fro
World - L-Acoustics has released a plugin to enable interoperability between its P1 processor and QSC’s Q-SYS designer software. The integration will enable users to control and monitor L-Acoustics’ P1 through Q-SYS. Jeff Rocha, director of product management for L-Acoustics, comments: “Following the successful introduction of a Q-SYS plugin for LA4X and LA12X in June, accompanying the P1 release with a complementary plugin seemed essential.” The L-Acoustics P1 plugin for the Q-SYS platform as well as the LA4X and LA12X Q-SYS plugins are available from the L-Acoustics website. (Jim Evans)
Japan - Rental company Super 4 has invested in a Martin Audio WPC PA to handle its many events and concerts. The company recently placed the order for 18 x WPC elements and six SX218 subwoofers with Martin Audio Japan. Super 4 is based in Takamatsu, Kagawa. Its vice-president Higasa comments: “It has been 18 years since we established the company, and during that time we have expanded from our first purchase of a microphone, up to the level where we can handle major events by ourselves. “All the while we have watched developments with Martin Audio, and having experienced MLA and MLA Compact, and understood the philosophy behind the consistency of sound as well as the capability to control noise spill.” He adds that noise pollution had recently become and issue. which convinced the company to purchase a WPC rig in order to achieve the required controllab
Australia - The KV2 Asia Pacific team recently gathered in Melbourne to demonstrate the new VHD5.0 Constant Power Point Source Array and the VHD2.0 Large Format Point Source System at the city’s best-known outdoor venue, the Sydney Myer Music Bowl. Loading in at 7.00am, both systems were flown and ready for operation by 10.00am. Angus Davidson, technical director for Asia Pacific and North America was in charge of the set up. “It never ceases to amaze not just how quickly these systems go up but how little tweaking is required once they are in the air,” remarked Davidson. “Basically, once you get the height right it is simply a matter of adjusting the tilt angle, which on VHD5.0 can be done via remote control as the fly bar incorporates integrated tilt adjustment.” A noise curfew was in place until midday, but everything was ready to roll as many of Australi
Europe - Yamaha Music Europe has launched a YouTube channel to informally profile respected mix engineers, sound designers, technicians and other audio professionals. Titled In The Spotlight, the first video features Terry ‘TJ’ Jackson (Earth Wind & Fire / Michael Jackson), who discusses how he became a leading mix engineer and offers crucial advice to fellow colleagues and up-and-coming engineers alike. “We wanted to bring high production values to interviews with a range of audio professionals, highlighting not only the importance of their work, but also to draw the attention of the general public to how much work goes into the sound that they largely take completely for granted,” says Alex Warren, sales manager (UK and ROI) at Y
USA - Full Sail University has expanded its performance venue, Full Sail Live, with Calrec Audio’s Artemis and Brio36 consoles. Already utilising a Summa console for its show production degree programme and Brio console for its film degree programme, Full Sail knows Calrec’s advanced audio solutions. “The existing broadcast audio console in our performance venue was being maxed out, so an upgrade was in order,” says Scott Dansby, director, industry relations, Full Sail University. “We had an existing relationship with Calrec and knew its consoles had the right tools, functionality and features. Also, continuity was important to us as some of the students were already working with Calrec boards as part of their degree programmes. “By choosing Calrec’s Artemis and Brio36 consoles for the venue, we now have the ability to grow the system and scale it towards
Croatia - HUST d.o.o. has completed the design and installation of the audio and video systems for the new Šibenik Convention Centre at the Solaris Beach Resort. Located in Šibenik, on the Adriatic coast, the new venue is the first convention centre to be built since the independence of the Croatian state in 1991 and is now the largest in Croatia. The centre is designed for flexibility, by dividing or combining rooms to adapt the space for all types of events, conventions and exhibitions. With a total of 4,000sq.m of congress space, the centre encompasses 11 individual halls and rooms with an overall capacity for 2,500 people. In the design of the audio system, HUST added flexibility to the venue with zoning that could easily be switched and combined to match the space configuration used by any event. They chose a combination of distributed Apart loudspeakers for bac
Canada - Solotech has appointed Marie-Josée Primeau as business development director. In her new role, Primeau will work closely with the management of the sales and integration division to identify and develop new business opportunities. She has held multiple roles in sales over the last 25 years in companies such as Canon Canada and telecoms firm Telus. She also pursed her career for a few years with the Canadian Business Council in the United Arab Emirates and recently worked at Cognibox International Sales. (Jim Evans)
USA - Over the past decade, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon has emerged from the woods of Wisconsin as one of modern music’s most inventive songsmiths. Although his group’s musical path may have started out sounding something more akin to folk music, Vernon’s trajectory over the course of his last couple of records has explored everything from rustic chamber pop to haunting, textural collages of vocoders and electronica. With such a broad range of sonic elements in the mix, Bon Iver’s show at the Santa Barbara Bowl on an L-ISA Hyperreal Sound system recently served as an opportunity for 4,500 lucky fans to hear the group in an expansively panoramic soundscape for the first time. “Bon Iver’s records are amazing and Grammy Award-winning, but anyone who has seen them perform will quickly tell you that their live show is infinitely better,” says L-Acoustics
UK - Reece Productions invested in an Allen & Heath dLive Control Surface that has recently provided high quality sound for The Pineapple Thief's 2018 tour, closing with a triumphant performance at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Founder, James Reece-Ford commented: “We've been big fans of the (dLive) ecosystem. The whole console feels like it was designed with me in mind . . . The sound quality is way beyond my expectations.” FOH sound engineer, Simon Baxter specifically requested the console for the tour. He commented: “I chose the dLive as I needed a small footprint desk, but with the power and flexibility that it provides. I loved using it. The on-board FX are fantastic, the multi band EQ was really useful and I was impressed with the ease of the workflow throughout. Most of all, the sound quality was fantastic; such a transparent sound and sensitive EQ
UK - When SSE Group were looking to replace their old intercom systems with a scalable, all-weather alternative, with both the festival season and the corporate and broadcast markets in mind, they set demanding criteria. The new system needed to be reliable, function both internally and externally, and be operable over IP. Their search took them to Pliant Technologies’ new wireless CrewCom system, distributed in the UK by Sound Technology. CrewCom is based on a new technology platform that offers “the industry’s highest user density, unparalleled range and scalability”. “This system looked very promising when it came to replacing our existing systems.” said SSE senior project manager, Miles Hillyard. He was soon talking to Sound Technology’s application engineer, Danny Kyte, before investing in four of the CrewCom radio packs and two transceivers, w
USA - Following a successful limited run world premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago in March and April of 2018, Pretty Woman – The Musical made its expected move to Broadway in the summer of 2018 enhanced by a comprehensive point source audio system from KV2 Audio. Based on the 1990 film Pretty Woman, the book for the musical was written by the film’s director, the late Garry Marshall, and screenwriter J.F. Lawton. The musical opened on Broadway in August 2018, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell and featuring an original score with music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and his songwriting partner Jim Vallance. Orchestration was by Will Van Dyke with sound design by renowned Broadway sound designer, John Shivers, and long-time collaborator, sound designer and audio engineer, David Patridge. Having used KV2 Audio gear for more than 10 Broadwa
UK - Shure UK has announced Aztec Event Services as its 2018 UK Rental Partner of the Year. The award was presented to Aztec's operations director, Steve Colesell in recognition of the company’s commitment to embracing new technologies that ensure the best results for their customers. Most recently, Aztec technical staff were quick to realise the potential of Shure's new Axient Digital wireless system, and their early adoption was crucial in staying ahead of the game. "The entire team at Aztec are a pleasure to deal with," comments Stuart Moots, regional sales manager. "At Shure, we've always advocated that continued commitment to education in the latest techniques and tools are paramount in delivering solutions fit for the challenges faced by today's production teams, and there's no doubt we see this commitment from the team at Aztec.” Steve Colesell comments: "Sh
USA - Central Florida’s Action Church is on the move, with three locations already established and another set to launch later this year, all of which rely on Allen & Heath dLive systems. First opening its doors not much more than four years ago in Winter Springs, the fast-growing upstart christened its second location two years later in nearby Oviedo, spanned out further in 2017 to another in Sanford, and is set to lay out the welcome mat at a new location in Winter Park later this fall. John Williams, the church’s music director, also steers the development of the audio systems in use at all locations. Working in conjunction with volunteers and the Bradenton, Florida-based Crown Design Group, Williams installed Allen & Heath’s dLive systems based upon their versatility, sonic quality, budget-friendly price point, and the unified approach they brought t
Germany - Audio rental specialists It’s A Bird, under the direction of Cornelius ‘Conny’ Vogel, are off to a flying start with their newly-purchased Nexo Geo M10 mid-size line array. Now entering his 20th year as a Nexo rental user, Conny Vogel added the Geo M10 system to inventory, seeing it as an alternative to the Geo S12 array that he has been using since 2008. “The new M10 weighs half as much as the S12 system, and it has significantly easier rigging,” says Vogel. “We notice a longer throw, especially for vocals, and a significantly better performance in the vocal range. Because it has a much better rear rejection, there are fewer feedback problems on stage.” A good example of Vogel’s observations was a sell-out concert by the internationally-successful German singer Ute Lemper. Performing at Raesfeld with the Russian Chamber Philharmonic St Peters
South Africa - Festival Sound has invested in additional L-Acoustics equipment to enable them to service more clients and offer flexibility to events. Petru Palmer, owner of the company, comments: “I purchased my first L-Acoustics system about four years ago. I initially bought two ARCS Wide, two SB18m and an LA4X amplified controller. I remember choosing the ARCS WiFo because it was the only system of its kind and did everything I needed in a PA System. It has been a great investment and I have only had positive results.” Festival Sound has now purchased ARCS Focus from DWR Distribution, the local L-Acoustics agents. “The ARCS are so versatile that you can use them, pretty much, for anything,” Palmer explains. “I wanted to expand on the system I already have and support the rest of the L-Acoustics network users with more equipment options. As for the L-Acous
Mexico - Xcaret México, a resort and amusement park, has upgraded its hotel entertainment venue, the Teatro del Rio, with an Allen & Heath dLive system. Due to the layout and distance between the stage and FOH, any Cat 5 run was impractical. As such, the installation included two dLive DM48 MixRacks, one positioned under the stage and the second in a control room at FOH. Supplied by Representaciones de Audio, the MixRacks are further equipped with Dante cards and connected over two underground fibre-optic links. dLive’s powerful scene management system enables rapid, complex changes on stage, while all signals are then processed and mixed locally with matrix outputs sent over Dante to the DM48 at FOH, where they are patched to a speaker processor. Sound engineer, Diego Andrade comments, “dLive is a complete and powerful mixing tool for both studio and li
UK - Shure has launched a free integrated systems certification programme to offer sales and technical advice about its products and solutions. Courses from the Shure Audio Institute (SAI) Integrated Systems Certification programme are available through Shure’s regional websites and are open to all clients looking to gain up-to-date knowledge on how to purchase, resell, and technically support Shure products in the integrated systems market. The microphone manufacturer has also launched a new training space at its UK offices at the I.O Centre, Waltham Abbey. It is fitted out with high-end equipment including Shure Microflex Advance MXA910 ceiling microphone arrays, IntelliMix P300 audio conferencing processors and ANIUSB-MATRIX for use in video conferencing applications, with a third-party DSP platform for voice lift. Those who wish to attend the training facility c
Argentina - The Lollapalooza festival, created by Jane’s Addiction front man, Perry Ferrell, is a global entertainment phenomenon that brings the world’s hottest music acts together. This year’s festival in Argentina saw the likes of Chance the Rapper, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Imagine Dragons, Wiz Khalifa, Lana Del Rey and so many more. Clair Brothers was there to deliver the sound to the thousands of frenzied fans in attendance. Although the 2018 festival didn’t make it to the final day due to severe thunder and lightning storms, that didn’t dampen the spirits of Fabian Giordano, owner of Giordano Sonido - Clair Brothers rental partner in the region, who has provided audio for Lollapalooza in Argentina since 2015. “Yes, we were disappointed about having to cancel the final day of shows, but the two days we did have were amazing. The Clair Brothers i218
Spain - Ultra Enterprises has spent its second consecutive summer in Ibiza, delivering nine-weeks of Resistance at the world’s largest nightclub. In keeping with the group’s consummate production values, a special Funktion-One Vero sound system was drafted in for each event. Key to the success of this Ibiza run is the stunning visual and acoustic canvas it provides for the top name artists who come to perform. The Ultra team pride itself on enabling the best possible audience experience by using the best technology available. According to Richard Milstein, creative director and director of design for Ultra Worldwide and Resistance, working with Tony Andrews and his Funktion-One team has long been a key part of achieving those high aspirations: “Sound is one of the most important components of this. Funktion-One - especially for our Resista
UK - Shure Incorporated has announced that Tuomo George-Tolonen has been promoted to senior director, pro audio sales, Western Europe. Tuomo has been with Shure since 2006, when he joined what was to become the Shure UK Systems team as an applications engineer. He previously worked at Genelec US. In 2008, Tuomo assumed responsibility for RF regulatory affairs, joining the BEIRG steering committee to jointly represent PMSE industry needs regarding RF spectrum allocation. “His enthusiasm, passion for technology, and ability to identify and realise new opportunities, led to this promotion,” comments Peter James, vice president of global sales, pro audio. “Under his leadership, Shure UK has experienced continuous growth in the pro audio vertical, and has been at the forefront of developing important relationships with the most influential people and organisations i
USA - At this year’s LDI show, CAST Group (stand 2255) will demo the latest from wysiwyg, BlackTrax and also present a new native software for broadcast. The company will also launch its global training programme. CAST will present release R41 of wysiwyg in the USA for the first time. On stand, the new BlackTrax V2.3.3 will be at the heart of a presentation designed by Dream Laser that will combine tracking with lighting, media interactivity, moving projection mapping, 3D positional audio and camera tracking for broadcast. Lighting for the demonstration - which will include the opportunity to get hands-on and will feature live performances and interactive games - will be powered by Luminex; media support will come from disguise and Notch; L-Acoustic will provide 3D positional audio; and projectors and PTZ cameras will be from Panasonic. Meanwhile CAST’s new broadca
