UK - The Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in Nottingham has selected Nexo’s Geo M6 compact line array system, with LS18 subbass cabinets, as the hands-on training inventory for its pioneering degree courses in Live and Technical Events. In September 2018, that GEO M6 PA system, along with Confetti and all its music and events students, will be relocating to a new £4m Contemporary Music and Live Events Hub in the centre of Nottingham. This summer, Confetti turns out the first BSc (Hons) graduates from its pioneering Live and Technical Events courses. With less than five such certified courses available in the UK, there is great demand for such practical learning and students go on to work in a variety of jobs from live sound engineers to video technicians. Now part of Nottingham Trent University, Confetti has equipped an all-purpose teaching space with the
UK - Since 2000, the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) and its patron, The Who's Roger Daltrey, have been bringing the greatest global music and comedy talents to the Royal Albert Hall for an annual week of shows devised to raise money for young people affected by cancer. Befitting its 18th birthday celebrations, the 2018 series showcased one of the strongest line-ups to date, with UB40 (featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey), Nile Rodgers & CHIC, The Courteneers, Kasabian, Def Leppard, comedian Russell Howard and Daltrey himself as headliners. In previous years, performances by artists including Noel Gallagher and The Who have gone on to yield acclaimed live album and DVD/Blu-ray releases, so recording shows for posterity in the highest-possible audio quality has always been important. Given the charitable nature of the concert series, and the fact that shows are often recorde
UK - Stand-up comedy, for all its apparent simplicity in projecting the spoken word to large theatre audiences, can be anything but straightforward. The real challenge is to deliver an intimacy through coverage consistency and intelligibility because if the audience misses one word, the joke's not funny. Martin Audio loudspeaker arrays have proved their worth regularly, reinforcing a multiplicity of leading stand-ups - none more so than Michael McIntyre. In 2015 they successfully deployed an MLA loudspeaker array via their rental partners Capital Sound for the artist’s Happy & Glorious tour, and they have repeated the formula for the current Big World Tour. With the exception of play-in/play-out music, this is 100% spoken word. This time around, the comic had a different team shaping and powering his sound in the form of FOH engineer Steve Carr and
USA/Europe - Harman Professional Solutions has announced the immediate availability of the Studer Vista 5 Black Edition console. Built upon the tradition of the successful Studer Vista 5 M3 mixing console, the new Vista 5 Black Edition brings even more advanced capabilities to the platform with the addition of the industry-leading Studer Infinity Core processor. Studer Vista Black Edition consoles were designed to deliver the flexibility and advanced features of Vista mixing surfaces to a more cost-conscious market, bringing Studer’s legendary sound quality to even more applications, including radio and TV broadcast, OB trucks, houses of worship, performing arts, and more. “The response to the Studer Vista 1 Black Edition has been very strong,” says Mark Hosking, director, broadcast sales at Harman Professional Solutions. “The larger Vista 5 Black Edition open
USA - The TiMax Immersion Zone spatial reinforcement and immersive audio experience lands at Infocomm 2018 in Las Vegas, in conjunction with Renkus-Heinz in Demo Room N101. A selection of static and dynamic spatial 3D audio segments rendered by TiMax onto a multi-channel immersive audio system will feature as part of the Renkus-Heinz hourly loudspeaker demonstrations. Presenters will also be localised by TiMax object-based spatial reinforcement. In use will be the TiMax SoundHub 500Series software featuring StageSpace, the latest release for the globally renowned and evolutionary TiMax SoundHub suite of immersive audio processors. TiMax StageSpace groundbreaking AutoCalc tools provide automatic rendering of adaptive spatial audio objects for the product’s varied applications in professional audio Performance, Presentation and Experience sectors. AutoCalc adapts
Europe - In the field of outdoor event and broadcast production, adverse climate and other environmental conditions can impact negatively on the performance of equipment and the ultimate quality of production work. Environmentally sealed connectors are in great demand for heavy-duty and harsh environment applications with entertainment equipment like PA systems, lighting, signage and LED screens. So, for critical production applications, in the most challenging conditions, there is now a range of resilient and reliable solutions, in the shape of Neutrik’s new TOP product range. The new series includes the powerCON TRUE1, etherCON and XLR products, which have been certified in accordance with IEC 61076-2-103, IEC 60320, UL 1977 and UL 498, and which now also meet the requirements for outdoor use and UV resistance as laid out in UL50E. “It is now possible to
UK - The call for papers deadline for Reproduced Sound 2018 - Putting Sound in its Place is fast approaching. Abstracts (150 words) for papers plus a short biography of up to 150 words should be sent to linda.canty@ioa.org.uk by Friday 18 May 2018. Organised by the Electroacoustics Group of the Institute of Acoustics in collaboration with ABTT, AES, APRS & ISCE, the event is staged at The Bristol Hotel, Princes Street, Bristol, 27-29 November 2018. The 34th Reproduced Sound Conference will focus on all aspects of electroacoustics. Authors are encouraged to include practical elements in their presentations and could be allocated extra time if required. (Jim Evans)
USA - New York based ARX dealer Markertek has supplied the San Francisco Opera with the ARX USB DI Plus USB audio interface for its computer to audio system interface requirements. The USB DI Plus is designed to interface any USB equipped computer - in particular, notebook computers - with the balanced inputs of professional sound systems. The San Francisco Opera has been thrilling audiences in San Francisco since 1923 and is known for commissioning numerous world premieres, training some of opera's greatest young artists and being one of the world’s leading opera companies. Fitting perfectly into the theatre environment, the USB DI Plus features a straightforward ‘Plug in and Play’ design with a robust solid steel chassis and no external gain/volume control to make it as tamper proof as possible. As part of a range of Audibox USB Audio Interfaces from ARX, the
Singapore - Mahajak Trio recently supplied veteran audio director John Simpson with a Studer by Harman Vista 5 digital mixing console for the second season of Asia’s Got Talent. Asia’s Got Talent is the regional version of the popular Got Talent franchise. The show’s record-breaking first season established the live reality competition as the region’s most powerful platform for launching Asia’s next generation of star performers. Produced by Astro Productions, episodes are filmed live before a studio audience at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and Pinewoods Iskandar in Malaysia. Astro hired Mahajak Trio Electronics to provide the show with a broadcast audio mixing solution with premium sound quality and an intuitive user interface. Mahajak selected a Studer Vista 5 mixing console for its innovative features and user-friendly operation.
Italy - FICO Eataly World, billed as the largest agri-food park in the world, and located just outside Bologna, was opened on 15 November 2017. The new park showcases 150 Italian food companies to an estimated 6m visitors. The Fabbrica Italiana COntadina (FICO) Eataly World has two ambitious goals: to attract visitors from all over the world, and to represent Italy with all its top-quality products and biodiversity, mixing Italy's food and wine traditions with innovation and research in the agri-food sector. The park, jointly managed by the two major Italian food players, Eataly andCoop, includes two hectares of fields and open-air stalls, and eight hectares hosting: 40 factories; 40 shops, markets, and eateries; areas dedicated to sport, children, reading, and services; six classrooms; six large, educational ‘fairgrounds’, a theatre and cinema; a modular conference cent
UK - AV professionals and end-users now have access to EN54 compliant Dante solutions for AV and life safety with the availability of the new ASL VIPEDIA-12-PRO EN54 certified Dante enabled router. Operating at the core of ASL’s rack-based public address, voice alarm and commercial audio system, the scalable and versatile ASL VIPEDIA-12 router enables AV and life safety professionals to deliver safe and reliable systems for both centralised and decentralised configuration in a diverse array of applications, including stadia, education, transportation, hospitality and corporate. With the new, Dante-enabled VIPEDIA-12-PRO, emergency messages can be loaded into monitored on-board audio storage. The unit can interface with third-party fire and life safety systems and enables system-wide monitoring from microphone to loudspeaker. “Audinate is committed to equippin
UAE/Kenya - The region got its first look at the much-anticipated evolution wireless G4 series of wireless mic and in-ear monitoring systems at events recently conducted by Sennheiser in the United Arab Emirates and Kenya. The seminar in Dubai centred around the company’s audio for business solution range, while in Kenya, the event took a more technical approach, with detailed workshops covering all aspects of wireless audio capture. Hosted by Sennheiser’s long-standing UAE distributor Venuetech, the event in Dubai was attended by over 60 industry professionals from systems integrators and consultants. The key presentation, titled Wireless Microphones for System Integration was delivered by Kai Tossing, portfolio manager for Sennheiser Business Solutions and outlined the digital workflows for deployment of multi-channel wireless systems in education and corporate
Asia-Pacific - Adamson Systems Engineering has announced the appointment of Ayumi Hanano as education & support coordinator for the Asia-Pacific region. In her new role, Hanano will be assisting Adamson’s APAC team with technical support and is now the first point of contact for all training inquiries and initiatives in the region. “Ayumi has already proven herself to be a valuable addition to our diverse international team,” says David Dohrmann, Adamson’s technical director for the APAC region. “She’s incredibly smart, a strong brand ambassador, and will be a major asset as we continue gaining traction in the Asian markets and increase our global focus on education and training.” Hanano has already overseen the delivery of Adamson’s Applied Certification training for hundreds of attendees in several countries and will soon begin presentin
USA - Alcons Audio has announced the addition of Spoiled By Technology, Inc to its US network of representatives for the professional audio industry, covering the northern Illinois and Wisconsin region. Describing itself as ‘a professional sales organisation providing integrated solutions in a continuously evolving world’, the team at Spoiled By Technology (SBT) has over 50 years of collective experience within the professional audio/visual industry. The company has won many manufacturer and industry awards over the past two decades, highlighting its core values of open and honest communications, trust, respect and a determination not to rest on its laurels. On the subject of Alcons’ Audio products, SBT is clearly excited about bringing the many benefits of the company’s pro-ribbon technology to live sound suppliers in the region. "There is a lot of oppor
UK - Stage Electrics has been awarded the £2m technical contract to provide the infrastructure for production lighting, sound reinforcement and audio-visual services for the new £83.7m International Conference Centre Wales (ICCW). Set in the Coldra Woods just outside Newport, the ICCW is a joint venture between the Welsh Government and Celtic Manor Resort. The project features a state-of-the-art auditorium, main exhibition hall with capacity for around 5,000 delegates and associated meeting room as well as breakout facilities and will be capable of staging major party-political conferences. Being built by John Sisk & Son and scheduled to open in July 2019, it will be the largest facility of its kind in Wales and the South West of England. Stage Electrics has been working on the project since 2016 to develop the schemes and ensure allocated budgets are met. It wil
Canada - The President and CEO of Groupe Solotech Inc. (Solotech), Martin Tremblay has announced the appointment of Mickey Curbishley as president of Solotech’s US rental division. This appointment will be effective as of 3 June. Mickey has over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, working with the largest and most successful global acts. In recent years, he has helped the production needs for the likes of Madonna, Prince, Lady Gaga, Roger Waters, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi and The Eagles. Curbishley began his career in the mid 80s touring with some of the biggest bands of time. In 1994, Mickey was part of a team that proceeded to the acquisition of Light and Sound Design (LSD), where he played a strategic role in LSD’s international expansion. Following PRG’s acquisition of LSD in 1998, he filled leadership roles for PRG’s concert touring divisi
South Korea - Systems integrators Winmeditech and TechData, recently deployed a range of complete Harman Professional Solutions AV systems in the Seoul Dragon City hotel complex. Opened in October of 2017 by AccorHotels, Seoul Dragon City contains 1,700 guest rooms spread over four hotels, all within an interconnected series of skyscrapers. Billed as a lifestyle hotel-plex, the massive facility features 11 restaurants and bars, 17 meeting rooms, two multi-function grand ballrooms, and four full floors of entertainment in a Sky Bridge suspended between two of the towers. TechData and Winmeditech deployed a solution made up of 428 JBL Professional speakers, 31 Crown amplifiers, eight Soundcraft mixers, 35 BSS signal processors, 147 AKG microphones and accessories and 212 AMX control systems. “2017 has been a record-breaking year for AccorHotels in South Korea, h
Europe - Broadcast technology innovator Lawo has appointed the AVC Group as its agent for Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Slovenia. Prior to agreeing this new partnership, AVC had employed Lawo Nova73 routers, mc² audio mixing systems and VSM system control in a number of system integration projects at the request of the clients, proving the quality and reliability of Lawo technology and equipment - a key factor for AVC’s clients. AVC Group is a leading provider of audio, video, multimedia, lighting and telecommunication solutions in the Southeast Europe market, and has been the main supplier to the public and private broadcasting, and television stations in the area for the past 25 years. AVC - Audio Video Consulting - was founded in 1990 as a multinational group supplying and supporting the most modern au
Canada - Martin Audio has appointed Erikson Pro as the company’s exclusive distributor for Canada. Erikson Pro is a division of JAM Industries and also distributes Allen & Heath, Audient, Chauvet Professional, Martin Lighting and Illuminarc. Commenting on the new relationship, Erikson Pro vice-president Christian Bouchard says, “We’ve been looking at Martin Audio for some time and have been intent on pursuing the line because of their innovative and appealing products that have the potential to be very successful in the Canadian market. “Going to the UK and experiencing the line in person really convinced us in terms of the Martin Audio sound signature being so uniform, from the smallest point source speakers to the largest line arrays. They have unique technology like Hard Avoid™ and the capacity to control the signal over specific areas. A lot of
USA - Lawo has welcomed Browning McCollum, David Desrochers, and Stanley Pan to its growing North American team of customer support specialists. “Lawo’s growth in the U.S. and Canada just keeps accelerating,” says Sam Schauland, technical director, Americas. “More and more broadcasters and audio production professionals are realising that true standards-based audio and video routing and mixing are the only way to go. That’s awesome, for the industry and for us. We’re adding more positions all the time.” Browning McCollum joins Lawo after a successful tenure with Viacom, Nashville, where he held the position of remote engineer in charge. McCollum, a 2016 Emmy Award winner for his work on Grease Live, also holds the distinction of having installed the first two Lawo mc296 mixing consoles. His role at Lawo will be as a broadcast technology specialist.
Europe - Second Warehouse is again simplifying pro AV cross rental as the service debuts on mobile and tablet. Based on a Progressive Web Application, Second Warehouse for mobile can be installed on your Apple or Android device with a single tap - no App store visit required. Now, even when you’re out on a job, Second Warehouse allows you to find and hire vital equipment within minutes while keeping your own inventory busy earning you money. Dedicated to simplifying and speeding up the essential but previously time-consuming and costly activity of equipment cross-rental between pro AV rental companies, Second Warehouse allows rental companies of all sizes to trade with one another in a safe, fast, monitored and extremely cost-effective environment. A rental company searching Second Warehouse for AV equipment will find what they need in a matter of seconds, while every item
South Africa - Alfacam SA, a leading industry supplier and operator of HD TV facilities for events and shows in the outside broadcast market in South Africa, has recently invested in a DiGiCo SD12, purchased through DWR Distribution. Alfacam is no stranger to the DiGiCo platform. In 2013, owner Greg Nefdt purchased OB16, now fondly known as OB1, with all associated equipment from Euro Media Group and founded Alfacam S.A., operating out of Bush Hill Estate AH in Randburg. Upon arrival, OB1 was kitted out with a Soundtracs DPC-II and a DiGiCo D1. These consoles had worked perfectly for many years on numerous successful gigs, but Alfacam’s Quentin Davis knew it was time for an upgrade. DWR has been dealing with Alfacam for the past year, assisting with possible DiGiCo solutions and, although Quentin had many different options available to him, his heart was set on DiGi
UK - Following its Northern Open Day held at Gateshead Sage in March, RCF has announced a similar two-day event in Guildford, Surrey. The Southern Open Days will be hosted by Yes Productions at the G Live arts centre on 4-5 June (times yet to be confirmed), with registration now open. Dean Davoile, RCF UK sales manager, comments: “We are delighted to be partnering with Tom [Chennells, Yes production director], and capitalising both on the momentum created by our Northern event and recent exhibition showings at Prolight+Sound and PLASA Focus Leeds. This will be the first opportunity for those in the southern half of the country to hear our ground-breaking new HDL 6-A and HDL 30-A in a real-world situation.” The systems will be r
Germany - The Voice in a Million charity concert drew 10,000 schoolchildren to London’s SSE Wembley Arena in mid-March for two nights of performances by the UK’s most gifted children’s choirs. With technical production on a tight timescale, an Electro-Voice X2 line array system (part of the X-Line Advance family) delivered punchy, even coverage across the arena, while Electro-Voice ND86 dynamic supercardioid vocal microphones ensured each child’s voice was captured in perfect detail. Founded in 2006 by Robert and Jo Garofalo, Voice in a Million is a charitable organisation dedicated to helping children who have been orphaned, abandoned or separated from their families at birth. Handling technical production for this year’s event was Birmingham-based DMX Productions, whose managing director, SJ Grevett, looked to front of house engineer Neal Allen
