UK - Manchester-based audio specialist tube UK is the first sound rental and live-production company in the country to take delivery of Yamaha’s new Rivage PM7 digital mixing system, launched at ISE in February. tube’s Melvyn Coote comments, “We’re always excited to be among ‘the first’ to utilise new technologies and are delighted to be the very first company in the UK with a PM7.” He adds that although it’s a bold move, the console has “many excellent features, a great quality, a good price point and is underlined by Yamaha’s rock-solid reputation for reliability”. The powerful and flexible RIVAGE PM7 fills a gap in the product range left by the Yamaha PM5D, which was launched in 2004 and swiftly became a touring industry standard for digital live mixing and the go-to interface for a raft of top engineers worldwide. “We always said
Turkey - High-end restaurant The Galliard has opened a second venue in the north of Istanbul, complete with a Funktion-One sound system. After five successful years’ operating in the affluent Etiler district of Istanbul, The Galliard restaurant was recently joined by a sister venue, located in the new Vadistanbul development in the northern suburbs of the city. While the new Galliard Brasserie maintains the same emphasis on culinary excellence, it offers a more relaxed setting than its sibling, one which - towards the end of the night - shifts into a DJ-led bar/club mode, powered by the Funktion-One sound system. Taking its name from a Renaissance dance that swept through France, Spain and Italy in the 16th century, The Galliard family of restaurants waltzes its patrons through a rich menu of western European flavours. Walls decked with the works of respected artists
USA - WADE - Music for River and People is a music experience that has been installed on the centre span of the John R. Siegenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville. The project is part funded by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and free to the public. Expanding the definition of what is considered songwriting in music city, interactive music composer Aaron Hoke Doenges uses Nashville area rivers and the movement of people to compose constantly evolving and interactive music. Shifting notes and volumes are created in the work using the waters’ changing depths and speeds. To achieve this, Doenges downloads live data about local rivers from the United States Geological Survey website and translates the information into music. The music moves to reflect the changes in the waters’ flow as the online data is updated. Data from the USGS sensors in the Cum
South Korea - KLANG:technologies has appointed Sorinamoo as its distributor for South Korea. Busan-based Sorinamoo is managed by CEO Dosung Shim and represents Yamaha, Meyer, Inter-M and Harman’s JBL, Crown, DBX and Soundcraft, as well as Blackmagic Design, Avics and ETC. Phil Kamp, KLANG:technologies’ head of sales, comments, “We are pleased to welcome Sorinamoo to our expanding network of international distributors. With a great line of compatible brands, they are technically experienced and will bring our systems to the market with great presentation and support. I am confident they will do an excellent job in representing KLANG:technologies in South Korea.” Yonghui Kim, section chief, adds: “Sorinamoo is constantly growing and developing ahead of our customers’ needs and we are continually looking for advanced new products to introduce to our ma
Germany - With the first live presentation of the new grandMA3 series the MA Lighting booths at Prolight + Sound 2018 were a popular draw. Founded on the legacy of the previous grandMA consoles, the grandMA3 represents “a radical re-think of what’s possible from a lighting control platform”. The elegant new system-architecture incorporates new fixture, feature and effects-handling at its very heart. The system features concepts from top industry visionaries, presented within a refined user interface, and is designed to make practical tasks more intuitive. The physical design detail of the grandMA3 range is focused on delivering “the best possible user experience, now and into the future”. The interest of all visitors at the exhibition was very high, therefore all 13 grandMA3 hands on stations and the dedicated grandMA3 live demonstration auditorium wer
UK - Orbital Sound returns to PLASA Focus Leeds this year on stand N-C28. Featured on the stand this year is the Nemesis range of audio tools for use in theatre, AV, live music and more. Key featured product is the new ACS-1 Auto switch over unit that enables automatic switchover of the Nemesis range of Dante and MADI switches. A typical use for this unit is in computer playback systems enabling a dual redundant computer playback system to automatically switch to the Back-Up system should the Primary playback system fail. Come and see the new option boards for the very popular Nemesis CCS-2 Computer Switch adding more versatility and options, whilst the TCR-1 Time Code Reader adds an impressive feature list to a simple but effective solution. Full working demonstrations of these new products will be running on the stand daily. Also on the stand will be pro
India - Slash Enterprises in Hyderabad has recently invested in a DiGiCo SD9 digital mixing console. It was purchased through India distributor HiTech Audio Systems Pvt.Ltd, New Delhi. “We were looking for something compatible for our line of work and were introduced to DiGiCo SD9 by HiTech,” says Ronald Daniel, owner of Slash Enterprises. “I was awestruck by the features of the console and instantly loved everything about it.” Slash Enterprises was found by Francis Daniel, who used to handle DJ events for weddings and corporate shows. The company has now expanded its sphere of work by adding mixing for live bands, as well as church events. Francis’s younger brother Ronald Daniel, an experienced sound engineer, then joined the team and gave the company a new vision. With his help and that of advanced technology and cutting-edge equipment, Slash Enterprises ha
Portugal - A range of top Portuguese singers, such as Paulo Gonzo, Diogo Piçarra, D.A.M.A, C4 Pedro and Marco Paulo converged on Gondomar´s Pavillion for Radio Festival Party, the biggest such event in the country. Brought in to energise the nearly 8000-strong crowd at this year’s Radio Festival Party in Porto were over 64 NEXT-proaudio’s loudspeakers supplied by Mega Ensaio Rental Company. These NEXT-proaudio systems included arrays of 20 LA212x three-way enclosures for main reinforcement. For low-end, 16 NEXT LAs418 subwoofers stacked by pairs of two units below the main arrays. Two-way Active Line Array LA122A cabinets were deployed as both side-fills, in arrays of four enclosures per side with four LAs118A Active Subwoofers. The monitoring included 12 active 14” stage monitors LAm114xA while the front-fill comprised four LA122A. The entire setup was p
UK - London-based Capital Sound Hire has added yet further to its Outline inventory with the addition of the Italian company’s latest multi-role processor, the Newton. Officially launched at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt recently, the flexibility of Newton offers “a new level of convenience and system integration possibilities to professional users throughout the audio industry”. Capital’s Paul Timmins reports, “We were introduced to the concept by the Outline team when we were buying into the Outline GTO C-12 system during late 2015 and early 2016. We took an immediate interest and, having then followed its development over the last two years, we are incredibly excited we have received our first production units.” Robin Conway adds, “My interest was immediately piqued during my first introduction to the unit and the concept, then our internal team
UK - KV2 Audio’s rise and rise within the Broadway, West End and UK touring theatre world has happened in no small part due to a band of sound designers willing to listen to products outside of the so-called established mainstays of the theatre market. One of these designers reaping the rewards of KV2’s True Point Source approach to loudspeaker design is UK based Tom Marshall. First exposed to KV2 in 2014, Tom has been specifying KV2 products with increasing regularity and currently has five UK-wide touring productions out with KV2 – An Officer & A Gentleman, Jungle Book, Sunset Boulevard, Crazy For You and Flashdance. These are in addition to numerous other shows at Leicester’s Curve, pantos in Richmond and Glasgow and the recurring UK winter tour of Nativity! The Musical2017-2020. “I was introduce
Denmark - With the summer festival season just round the corner, bringing live productions from small to huge out into the open air, sales of Yamaha’s new Rivage PM7 digital mixing system have made a strong start throughout Europe. In Denmark three companies have already invested in four Rivage PM7 systems. The first Danish company to take delivery of Rivage PM7 was Dansk Lyd og Lys A/S (Danish Sound and Light) in Odense, a company with 45 years at the heart of the country’s music and entertainment market. As one of Denmark’s foremost technical production companies, the company provides sales, dry hire and full productions to high profile national / international performers and corporate clients. ”We have been using Yamaha digital mixers since the LS9 and M7CL, through to the CL and QL series,” says Dansk Lyd og Lys chief operating officer and partner Kristia
World - Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of their eponymous debut album, Irish rockers The Script are currently on a world tour, with FOH engineer Steve Pattison (Amy Winehouse, Wet Wet Wet, Glasvegas) behind the controls of an Allen & Heath dLive system. Supplied by rental and production specialists Adlib, Pattison’s dLive set-up comprises an S7000 console, DM64 MixRack (with Dante, Waves V3 and superMADI cards) and DX32 Expanders. As Pattison explains, he chose the dLive primarily for its overall sound quality and powerful built-in processing. “The dLive system is really clear and open-sounding, so I can mould the sound and tones of the instruments to get the result I want,” Pattison says. “If I want to warm up an instrument and give it a valve edginess I can do that, just by choosing a preamp from the library and tweaking away. It’
Thailand - Mahajak Development recently installed a complete networked audio system by Harman Professional Solutions at Kasikornbank’s new HQ in Bangkok. Founded in 1945, Kasikornbank is one of the largest commercial banks in Thailand, recently relocated its HQ to a new 11-story office building in central Bangkok. Kasikornbank commissioned AV integrator Mahajak Development to design and install a state-of-the-art networked audio system that would provide more than 100 meeting rooms with high-quality audio and intuitive control. In order to ensure professional audio during meetings and conferences at the new facility, Mahajak Development selected a comprehensive networked audio solution consisting of JBL speakers, Crown amplifiers, BSS audio processors and AMX control systems. A bank spokesperson comments: “The new facility required a large-scale AV system th
Romania - When Romanian sound engineer Alex Serb left distribution and integration company Paradigma Teknik to become a freelancer, he soon started to provide technical support in live shows for Hard Rock Café Bucharest. He contacted his former colleagues to indicate the facility needed a new sound system - and Paradigma wasted no time in recommending a Martin Audio W8VDQ and CDD solution based on trust and the reputation of previous Martin Audio installations undertaken by the distributors. "They wanted to change the entire sound system with a new modern setup and we provided a solution. We sent a technical proposal, taking into consideration the specification put forward by Alex," recalls Paradigma general manager, Laura Angelescu. She added that the bid had been highly competitive, with several other front-line speaker manufacturers delivering proposals. Paradigma
South Africa - Rental dry hire and technical production company Sound Stylists has purchased DiGiCo’s new digital mixing desk, SD7. The investment, which is the first of its kind in the country, complements the company’s existing DiGiCo inventory comprising two D5s, two SD8s, an SD10, and two S21s plus associated racks and accessories. SD7 training will be offered in the near future, says the company. Kevin Glover, owner of Sound Stylists, comments: “The South African market is maturing and getting bigger. There were several international artists that we serviced with our SD10 last year, however, a number of them were looking for SD7s so essentially, we are answering that call. In addition, we also needed extra SD Racks and having the 32-Bit Mic Preamp cards also increases their desirability.” Kyle Robson of DWR Distribution, DiGiCo distributor in Afri
Ireland - Technical production company PSI is the latest company to join the Adamson network as a certified re-seller and rental partner appointed by Adamson’s UK distributor The Warehouse. With offices in Belfast and Dublin, PSI specialises in all aspects of event lighting, rigging and training and has recently added an audio department headed up by Adam Lee Collins, along with audio projects manager John Hesketh. Collins comments: “We looked at all of the leading brands of loudspeakers but felt that Adamson was the perfect fit for our new department. We see the brand growing steadily in the international market and want to be ahead of the curve, we’re initially adding a substantial inventory of Adamson S10 systems to support this. Relationships with like-minded people and companies are key to PSI values, and together with support from The Warehouse and Adamson
Spain - Valencia-based audio-visual equipment manufacturer WORK Pro Audio is today has announced two product additions to its innovative LightShark range of lighting consoles: the LS-Wing console expander unit, which is designed to complement and extend the original LS-1 console, and the four-strong range of LS-Nodes, affordable hardware expanders for the LightShark system that add extra DMX and Ethernet connectivity without the user interface and physical controls of the LS-1 and LS-Wing units. Launched in 2017, LightShark was the first DMX-based hardware lighting console range to offer wireless, browser-based control from a multi-touch smartphone or tablet, whilst also providing a rugged and intuitive hardware user interface in the form of the LS-1 unit. The new LS-Wing, which is slightly narrower than the original LS-1 but still comfortably holds a 12.9-inch iPad Pro on i
USA - Systems integrator OSA International recently deployed a complete Harman Professional Solutions audio system at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is one of the city's biggest tourist attractions, both in popularity and size. As part of a comprehensive redevelopment of the entire Pier, management decided to install a permanent audio system for the newly-created Polk Bros Performance Lawns, a free outdoor concert space designed to host artists from Chicago's vibrant local music scene, as well as occasional touring acts. Navy Pier has relied on Harman audio solutions for more than a decade, so when it came time to design the new system for the Lake Stage and City Stage, the Pier hired audio consulting firm Threshold Acoustics to design an all-Harman audio solution based around JBL Professional VTX V20 line-array louds
South Africa - A three-day Green Hippo Operator Certification course will be held on 14-16 May at DWR Distribution's Johannesburg address, Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew. The course will be presented by Suzy Stenning from Green Hippo and will cover a range of topics, from Hardware Introduction and Configuration, Media Manager, Output Manager & Viewports, Mixes / MixMaster, VideoMapper / Pixel Mapper / ScreenWarp, Timeline / DMX2 / Multicontroller, Visualizer & Custom Layouts, Shape Introduction / Configuaration/ Alignment. The cost is R2600 and includes lunch and refreshments. Attendees should bring their own Green Hippo Media Server or Laptop with Play Software Installed. For bookings online please visit
South Africa - DiGiCo Training will be presented by DWR Distribution’s Kyle Robson in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg in May. The two-day training session will cover everything from racks and solutions, the SD Series overview, connections and networking, recording and waves, both basic and advanced operation and then a Q&A Session. The dates are Durban on 10 and 11 May, Cape Town on 17 and 18 May and in Johannesburg on 24 and 25 May. The training will be hosted at the DWR offices. The cost is R1700 and includes lunch and refreshments. (Jim Evans)
USA - The Cincinnati Zoo features a world-class menagerie of animals from far and wide, including lions, monkeys, manatees, and a baby hippo named Fiona that has recently stolen the hearts of its 1.8m annual visitors. Emphasising an innovative approach, the Cincinnati Zoo emphasises education, outreach, conservation, and giving every visitor a unique experience with wildlife that they would not have anywhere else. What the zoo lacked until recently was a reliable audio system for delivering messages throughout its sprawling campus. “Innovation is one of our core values and something that we take very seriously,” says Chad Yelton, vice president marketing & communications, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens. “It informs everything we do, from our sustainability program and our green initiative to how we build habitats, to the people that we hire and every
USA - OSA International has purchased 248 Wavefront Precision Compact and Mini line array cabinets, making it the world’s largest rental company of Martin Audio. The purchase was complemented by iKON amplifiers, iK42 and iK81, as well as the new SXH218 high performance double 18” subwoofers, the first purchase by a rental house globally. Mario Educate, OSA president, comments, “We’ve used these speaker cabinets on several shows already this quarter, and the sound quality out of the Wavefront Precision arrays is unbelievable. They bring out the subtleties of the score better than any other line array we’ve used, so the audience can really immerse themselves in the meeting experience through the audio.” Dom Harter, managing director of Martin Audio, adds: “The trust and investment made by Mario with the support from Jim Risgin and the entire OSA team
USA - Orlando-based Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) has announced seven new products designed to simplify the deployment of wireless systems. The new PWS 4X4 provides quad antenna distribution for the Shure Axient Digital Quadversity wireless microphone system. The unit can handle up to four receivers and features 470-616 MHz filtering, bias power control/status LEDs for each input, rotary attenuators, and dual power inputs that allow for redundant power. The company has also debuted the V-IC, four-zone intercom multicoupler for the VHF range – designed for use with Radio Active Designs UV-1G wireless intercom systems. The unit is optimised for use in the VHF frequency range, filtered for 179-216 MHz. Four antenna inputs are combined, filtered and amplified to unity gain. Eight outputs supply signal for up to eight UV-1G base stations. The P-812S houses ei
UK - To strengthen its marketing and distribution efforts across the UK, Atlona has appointed Sahara AV as its manufacturer’s representative for the territory. Headquartered in London, Sahara AV will work closely with systems integrators, consultants and end users to demonstrate, deliver and support Atlona’s complete line of signal management and control systems, with a goal of moving more commercial facilities to AV over IP solutions. To achieve its goal of accelerating transitions to the network, Sahara AV will leverage Atlona’s strengths in AV over IP and networked control, including its Atlona’s OmniStream AV over IP distribution platform, second-generation Atlona Management Systems (AMS), and Velocity IP-based AV control solution. Shaun Marklew, Sahara AV sales and marketing director, comments: “By working with Atlona, we are now in a stronger position t
