USA - Point Source Audio (PSA) has announced the recipients of its $10K Anniversary Giveaway in celebration of its 10-year anniversary and “give back” initiative to benefit the performing arts. Each of the Grand, Great, and Good prize winners will select from Point Source’s full catalogue of miniature microphones and headsets totalling their prize value of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively. The contest was open to public and non-profit schools, non-profit performance art and music-driven organizations, community theatre and performing arts groups and clubs, and church performance groups. “The award winners exemplified to us how it is possible to use the performing arts to entertain while also magnanimously create goodwill throughout their community,” said James Lamb, president of Point Source Audio. “It is heartwarming to see so much good being done day in a
Poland - The new Karova Club in Warsaw has opened, with an advanced technology infrastructure. As a central component of the AV fit-out, Phono Media, Martin Audio’s recently-appointed Polish distributor, supplied system integrator, LFX, with a CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) and BlacklineX solution to fulfil the owners’ request for the Martin Audio brand cachet. Explains Phono Media director Jacek Stanislawski: “This is a brand new club and the owner approached them for a quotation, believing that Martin Audio would be a perfect solution for the club sound. The owner, Marcin, has a lot of knowledge and passion for sound and he demands the same high quality as he would expect at home. His goal was to provide hi-fi quality to achieve the same result with classic club music. “Once LFX had made a presentation, showing references of installations at the Minis
Spain - Sonostudi, one of the Spain’s premier sound production companies, has joined the Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) Adaptive network. The Barcelona-based company recently acquired eight Anna array modules along with six Otto subwoofers. “The addition of Anna and Otto to our inventory will allow us to accommodate even more customers with high quality sound reproduction no matter the venue or space we are working with,” explains Jofre Morte, Sonostudi owner. “It will fit well into the needs any event requires plus the ease and speed that Anna’s software (Resolution 2) offers will simplify live event production.” Since Sonostudi was established in 1978, the company has prided itself on being at the technological forefront of the industry. As a result, they are known for providing the products and services their clients need to produce high quality audio-vi
UK - Sound Space Vision (SSV) acousticians and theatre planners worked as consultants with architects, MUMA, to provide an innovative and sustainable community space for Storey’s Field Centre at Eddington, on the University of Cambridge’s North West Cambridge development. Storey’s Field Centre is the dynamic hub of the community of Eddington, a new neighbourhood under construction as part of the North West Cambridge development. The Centre is a civic building in the heart of the new development and encompasses meeting rooms and a large multi-purpose hall for exercise classes, lectures, music of all genres, local festivities and events alongside a nursery. SSV joined the project to support the range of uses both in the acoustical design and the noise isolation and the activity-led design and specification of the technical fit-out of the building. MUMA design
UK - Part of this year’s Barbican OpenFest saw a major new Culture Mile light and sound installation take place in the Beech Street tunnel, opposite Barbican Underground. Culture Mile presented Tunnel Visions: Array which transformed the tunnel into an audio-visual performance space combining cutting-edge projection and sound technology with the Barbican’s distinctive brutalist architecture. Created by Tony Award-winning artists 59 Productions led by director Richard Slaney, co-produced with the Barbican, and with music by composer/conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, Tony and Olivier Award-winning sound designer Gareth Fry was commissioned to create a multi-channel spatial sound design for the immersive multimedia art project, using TiMax SoundHub-S64 spatial audio matrix and playback engine. TiMax directed the audio playback of 30 channels of audio stems and effe
UK - It is 35 years since Dreamgirls first hit Broadway. It was a sensational success then and the latest production at London’s Savoy Theatre is equally so. Sound designer, Richard Brooker, wanted an analogue sound to the audio, in keeping with the show’s 1960s/70s setting, but also wanted to benefit from today’s digital technology. He specified a DiGiCo SD7T to handle Front of House mix duties, which has the warmth of sound he was looking for with all the advantages of the digital domain and the theatre-specific functions of DiGiCo’s ‘T’ software. “No other manufacturer has put the time and effort into understanding the strange idiosyncrasies of the theatre world,” says Richard. “The SD7T has functions that are imperative when you’re working on musicals and that’s because the guys at DiGiCo talk to us, the people that use them, and make t
USA - Allen & Heath dLive Digital Mixing Systems were in use on multiple Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival stages in support of a diverse line-up of musical acts and production needs. Launched in 1999, Coachella has grown into a premier music and arts festival, grossing over $114m and drawing over 250,000 attendees annually. Coachella 2018 saw a large number of dLive artists on the line-up, including BØRNS, Hayley Kiyoko, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Nothing But Thieves, PVRIS and The Neighbourhood. Praised for its intuitive workflow and tiny footprint, the dLive C1500 Control Surface was a popular choice across Coachella festival stages. The C1500 is the first rack-mountable surface for the dLive system. Packed in a diminutive frame are 12 faders over 6 layers, built-in audio I/O, an audio networking port and a 12" capacitive touchscreen. All dLive Control Su
UAE - With the Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) industry on a steady growth curve, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE is encouraging events and equipment rental companies to obtain the radio frequency (RF) spectrum authorisations necessary for the operation of wireless transmission equipment. Though often overlooked by these organizations, proper spectrum authorization is essential to ensuring smooth operation of broadcast systems, safeguarding equipment investments and adhering to federal laws. Explaining the authority’s drive to create awareness Khalid Al Awadhi, manager broadcasting and space services at the TRA’s Spectrum Management Affairs Department said, “It is the TRA’s responsibility to ensure the best and most efficient use of radio spectrum. The Federal Law mandating all RF transmission to be authorized has existed
UK - The stand of A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd (AC-ET) will provide the UK show debuts of leading innovations across its product sales divisions, at PLASA Focus Leeds. Chroma-Q''s new Studio Force II is a powerful homogenised LED source for applications requiring high quality variable white light - complementing the multi-award-winning Color Force II RGBA LED cyclorama, wash & effects light. Also featured is the Inspire XT colour-mixing house light and Space Force variable white LED soft light. ProLights' new Panorama IP WBX LED moving light delivers a massive output and pixel ring "eye candy" effects in an IP65-rated fixture ideal for temporary outdoor events. The brand's other show debuts include the JetSpot4 powerful, fully-featured LED Spot in a compact design, and the RA3000 high precision LED Profile. Other models will be featured. Follow-Me's
USA - Silverdale Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently acquired an Allen & Heath dLive Digital Mixing System for its church campus in Ooltewah. A second dLive, in the church’s Creekside campus, will be installed at FOH soon. And, the church is in the planning stages for a third dLive to be installed in its main Bonny Oaks campus. Matt Johnson, Silverdale’s technical director and Mark Randolph, the church’s media minister, considered several digital mixers but chose the dLive after an on-site demo at Bonny Oaks. “The more we listened to it and played with it, the more we loved it,” says Johnson. He adds, “All Silverdale campuses have a band on the stage and the Bonny Oaks campus typically has a 30-40 person choir. But, our congregation is diverse. So we meet in the middle between traditional and contemporary styles. The dLive fit our worship needs
Europe - Despite only being launched in February, Yamaha’s Rivage PM7 digital mixing system is already enjoying tremendous sales success throughout Europe. AED Rent - operating in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK - is one of the latest major rental houses to invest. Established in 1985 as a Belgian lighting and sound dry hire company, AED Rent is now part of the larger AED Group and annually supplies production equipment to 60,000 shows and events. After many years of success with Yamaha PM, CL and QL series consoles, AED Rent has now invested in Yamaha’s new flagship Rivage digital mixing system, with the addition of the PM7 to its inventory. “AED Rent and Yamaha have had a strong relationship for a long time. We already have more than 20 Yamaha consoles in our rental inventory, which are used by customers all over the world,” says Pi
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds has begun its tenth birthday celebrations on 1-2 May at the Royal Armouries, Leeds. The popular entertainment technology trade show provides a stage for over 175 global brands, and the show’s reputation attracts thought-leaders and taste-makers who share their expertise through seminars and training sessions. The show floor will feature products fresh from European launches, and the seminar programme is overflowing with enriching talks and lively debates. The show caters to everyone from lighting designers and sound engineers, to riggers and production managers. Audio enthusiasts can get under the skin of digital mixers with Soundcraft’s Andy Brown and Sound Technology’s Ben Todd, and can get to grips with Line Array systems with Harman’s Ed Jackson and Sound Technology’s Stuart Strachan. Visitors can learn about frequency response wit
UK - Peerless-AV has announced that Matt Nixon has joined the UK professional division as distribution channel sales manager. Matt is responsible for developing and implementing the long-term business strategy, broadening sales opportunities, managing distributor relationships and providing support for the ongoing growth of key accounts. “Matt is a great asset to the UK team, with the motivation, commitment and people skills needed to successfully manage and develop our distribution network,” comments Keith Dutch, managing director - EMEA, Peerless-AV. “He has demonstrated strong customer relationship skills and has a thorough understanding the AV and IT industry. His energy and experience will help us maintain our UK market leading position and explore new routes to market with our expanding portfolio.” Prior to Peerless-AV, Matt was a commercial consultant at
Europe - Building upon the popularity of its C8 loudspeaker, Clair Brothers is taking it on a tour to demonstrate precisely why this eight-inch three-way active compact line array speaker, with its variety of customizable horizontal waveguide options, has been making such a splash. Immediately following the stop in Germany during PL+S in Frankfurt, where Clair Brothers staged a private demo of the C8 for an invite-only group of key distributors and potential clients, the Clair Brothers C8 demo tour makes stops in at least six more European countries, including two recent stops in Poland – Warsaw and Katowice, hosted by Lauda Pro Audio. Coming up is a three-day event in Rimini, Italy as part of MIR and Live You Play 2018 on 6-8 May, presented by Prase Media Technologies. The next stops on the tour are Tallinn, Estonia on 11 May Riga, Latvia on 14 May, hosted by SGS Si
New Zealand - Forge Audio recently expanded their inventory with Soundcraft by Harman Vi3000 Series digital consoles. A full-service production company based in Auckland, Forge Audio provides event planners, festival organisers and concert promoters with complete live event production services, including audio, lighting and video. Offering flexibility for any production budget, Forge Audio offers professional equipment with expert support from engineers, designers and technicians. In order to better serve their clientele and ensure premium audio for a wide range of live events, Forge Audio recently expanded their mixer inventory with Soundcraft Vi 3000 Series consoles. “Our services are built around a comprehensive array of the best and most reliable audio, lighting and video solutions,” said Marc Benedict, owner of Forge Audio. “We’ve been using Soundcraft Si
USA - When ADJ first launched the AV Series it disrupted the LED Video panel market by introducing a product that had the brightness and resolution to make a serious impact at a price point that made LED video wall technology accessible for users and applications where it had previously been cost prohibitive. Now, ADJ is ready to push the boundaries of the market once again by introducing an innovative new range of LED video panels, the Design Series, that brings a whole new level of creativity to video and production designers. Based on the same foundations as the AV Series – quality, reliability and affordability – the Design Series comprises four modular panels of different shapes that can be combined together to create video screens of “almost any conceivable size and shape”. The DS4(square), DS4T (triangle), DS4QC (quarter circle) and DS4HC (rectangle) can
USA - At CinemaCon 2018, Samsung Electronics premiered its branded Samsung Onyx Cinema LED display, giving a new identity to a technology that already has generated significant interest and praise among theatre operators and attendees. The Samsung Onyx display amplifies audience immersion through true, deep and realistic black colours. When combined with an infinite contrast ratio and specialised low-tone greyscale settings, this pinpoint representation produces brighter and more detail-rich content that further makes viewers feel a part of every scene. Each Samsung Onyx screen features JBL Sculpted Surround sound from Harman’s JBL Professional brand, bringing scenes to life through clear and consistent audio. This integration enhances the listener experience while expanding the audio "sweet spot" within Onyx theatres, and ensures that all attendees can enjoy the sam
Canada - Adamson Systems Engineering has formally launched the IS7p and IS10p, a new pair of point source additions to its IS-Series of install-focused loudspeaker products. “The response to our IS-Series offerings from integrators around the world has been very encouraging since we introduced the series last year,” says Brian Fraser, product manager for Adamson. “Since the launch, our partners in the Adamson Network have made it clear that there’s a demand for high-powered point source models that match the performance of the other IS-Series products. These point sources not only offer unmatched audio quality in their field, but also exhibit a sharp but discreet aesthetic that keeps the focus on the architecture in any given application.” The IS7p and IS10p join the IS7 and IS10 two-way, full-range line array cabinets and IS118 and IS119 subwoofers in the IS
Malaysia - Following a successful run of Atlona On-Tour Roadshows across India, the AV collaboration and control specialist continued its series last week in Malaysia with a renewed educational focus on today’s most pertinent industry trends. Attracting 20 regional systems integrators, dealers and consultants, the half-day event delivered a series of fresh presentations, hands-on product demonstrations and personalized networking opportunities. The overarching goal of the event was to educate on new business opportunities with emerging technologies, and problem-solve for today’s unique transitional challenges. Taking place at the Grand Dorsett Subang in Selangor, Atlona experts offered focused segments on networked AV and control and management, with specifics across applying Atlona’s OmniStream for AV over IP, the SW-510W for BYOD-powered collaboration, and the
Europe/USA - The Gorillaz tour in support of their latest album Humanz grew to be the band’s most successful and the hot ticket of 2017 in the USA and Europe. Part of that success is down to some nurturing tour-craft by production manager Joel Stanley. “The tour started off with some warm ups in little venues,” says Stanley. “Eventually that grew as we added flown scenic elements of video, more lights and ultimately a completely new, and to my mind, quite remarkable PA system. I know Matt [Gorillaz FOH engineer] is really enjoying using it.” Matt Butcher has been Gorillaz FOH since the band’s inception. Accompanied by Dave Guerin on monitors, neither are shy when it comes to extolling the virtues of their new d&b audiotechnik GSL System as provided by Brown Note Productions of Denver, Colorado. “It is quite a major step forward,” says Butche
UK - In October 2017, former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher released his debut solo album As You Were. The record went straight in at number one in the UK, and went gold in its first week, outselling the rest of the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart combined. It has since been certified platinum. Though the record is outstanding and has received much critical acclaim, Gallagher is in his element in the live arena. The guys responsible for helping make that happen are FOH engineer Shan Hira and monitor man Jon Simcox, both of whom are dependent on their DiGiCo mixing consoles. It was when playing in bands as a young man that Shan developed an interest in the technical side of the music industry, which began in the recording studio. “I was fascinated by recording and took an interest in what was going on; that's where my love of mixing desks and outboard was born,
Italy - Audio Precision has previewed its planned contributions to the 144th International AES Convention next month in Italy. Themed The Power of Sound, AES Milan will bring together audio professionals and advanced audio technologies from around the world for four days of audio immersion, experiences and networking. In addition to the three technical presentations, AP will exhibit on stand 213 with their partner in Italy, AudioLink S.r.l. Delivered as part of the Audio Quality session track (P02), AP’s first paper, An Auditory Model-inspired Objective Speech Intelligibility Estimate for Audio Systems, is scheduled for Wednesday, 23 May. The paper presents the implementation of a new algorithm for objective speech intelligibility, based on the modified rhyme test using real speech. On Thursday, 24 May, AP’s second presentation, The Evolution of C
Europe - Lawo, the German manufacturer of IP-based AV systems and control solutions, has appointed Craig Newbury to the position of director of sales and operations in the UK and Ireland. Newbury brings with him over 18 years of broadcast related experience across a range of technical, operational and commercial roles. After several years of experience in senior sales management positions across the UK and Europe, he most recently held the position of vice-president of sales and marketing for Wohler. Newbury comments: “Lawo is a progressive, engineering led company which holds values of innovation, quality and reliability at its heart. The company’s unique selection of solutions allows it to offer its customers a complete IP-based broadcast workflow across audio production, video infrastructure, control and analysis. Lawo’s technological innovation, future-orien
USA - Harman Professional Solutions has announced that JBL C221 and C222 two-way ScreenArray cinema loudspeakers are now shipping in limited quantities, with full availability in May 2018. JBL C221 and C222 loudspeakers help small- and mid-sized cinemas upgrade to next-generation JBL technologies for improved coverage and smooth sound reproduction at an accessible price point. Featuring patent-pending Dual Dissimilar Arraying and Acoustic Aperture Technology, C221 and C222 loudspeakers continue the JBL legacy of leadership and innovation in cinema audio, combining a compact design with the latest technology for superior performance and better coverage for raked seating. The JBL 200 Series was designed to offer cinemas an affordable solution for creating the best possible audio experience in small- to mid-sized rooms. By including new, patent-pending technologies that
