Germany - Following the successful launch of Yamaha’s Rivage PM7 digital mixing system and other new products in February, there is much for visitors to look forward to on the company’s stand at ProLight+Sound 2018. Exhibiting on Stand E50, Hall 3.1, Yamaha is again exhibiting alongside touring loudspeaker manufacturer Nexo. The launch of Rivage PM7 was one of the audio highlights of the ISE show in Amsterdam and the new system will again be the focus of a lot of interest at ProLight+Sound. Yamaha’s entire range of digital mixing consoles will also be on display, alongside other new products, including the updated R series Dante I/O racks, Version 2 firmware for Rivage PM10 and the updated DXSmkII subwoofers. “ISE was an extremely successful show for us, with Rivage PM7 and our other new products generating a lot of interest,” says Nils-Peter Keller, se
USA - McNally Enterprises is a 30-year old family-run business that has grown into one of the biggest scenic event companies for corporate events in California. The company recently made a substantial investment in Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) loudspeakers by adding a 12 enclosure Anna Adaptive System supported by six RADIUS RSX218 dual 18-inch subs as well as 24 RADIUS RSX208L line array cabinets, six RSX12M stage monitors and four RSX12 subwoofers to their inventory. “My Dad started out years ago with EAW JF80s and KF300s,” explains Patrick McNally, director of events. “When we decided to upgrade to newer technology we checked out Anna and RADIUS. It was perfect, almost like coming full circle. Between both systems, we’re confident that we can provide our customers with the very best for years to come.” Anna made its McNally Enterprises debut at a pregame
UK - Yamaha Commercial Audio UK has a key commitment to training the sound engineers of the future. One of the ways that the company achieves this is through taking training ‘on the road’ to education facilities around the UK. BA (Hons) Live Sound degree students at the Plymouth campus of dBs Music have been the latest to benefit from a session, provided by Yamaha’s Tom Rundle and Chris Irvine. Founded in 1998, dBs Music provides a range of professional sound courses, aimed at students who want to be a DJ, composer, performer, producer, a live or studio engineer. The Live Sound degree course started in September 2017, with the emphasis very much on practical experience. dBs has invested in a Yamaha CL5 digital console, plus Rio3224-D and Rio1608-D I/O units, for the course. To give the Live Sound degree students a more comprehensive rundown on Yamaha’s digital
USA - The Cathedral Church of the Advent, a 3,600-member Episcopal church in Birmingham, Alabama, recently completed installation of an Allen & Heath dLive system with C3500 Surface, CDM64 MixRack, IP8 Remote Controller and eight ME-1 Personal Mixers for the musicians. Kent Michael, the Advent’s mix engineer, says, “We had recently ushered in a service on Sunday evenings that incorporated more modern instrumentation, so we needed a system that would be versatile and powerful enough to mix a full band for the evening service and simple enough to operate by our volunteer staff for the traditional services.” dB Integrations of Gainesville, Georgia designed the Cathedral’s new audio system, installing the C3500 Surface on a rolling cart to make it easy to access for the church’s modern service. They also provided an IP8 Remote Controller for volunteers to mi
USA - The Audio Engineering Society will hold its third International Conference on Music Induced Hearing Disorders at Columbia College in downtown Chicago from 20-22 June. The conference will focus on strategies and technologies for safer long-term hearing outcomes in the music industry and includes two days of papers and presentations augmented by lively panel discussions. Registration is now open, with Early Bird pricing through 15 April. The Conference on Music Induced Hearing Disorders will feature presentations by a roster of notable audiologists and researchers. The keynote speech, Music for Brain Health will be delivered by esteemed scientist, inventor, and musician Nina Kraus, PhD, of Northwestern University. Other notable presenters include Sharon Kujawa of Harvard, Dr. Marshall Chasin from Toronto, research psychologist Elizabeth Beach of Austra
Vietnam - Adamson Systems Engineering and its Vietnamese distributor, Van Lam Audio Equipment, have welcomed Ho Chi Minh City’s Van Nghe Music Centreas Vietnam’s first E-Series partner. Following the delivery of Adamson’s Applied Certification training for Van Nghe Music Centre’s technicians, the company will demo its new system at Ho Chi Minh City’s Demo ProSound in Vietnam 2018 trade show from 22-23 March 2018. “I had an opportunity to hear several products from Adamson’s E-Series and S-Series at an intimate demo in Hamburg last year, and was immediately impressed by the audio quality. I knew right there that we’d found the high-end system we’d been looking for that will help scale our company to the next level,” says Mr. Hieu Van Nghe, the owner and namesake of Van Nghe Music Center. “The support we’ve received from Van Lam, Sonos Libra in Th
USA - The World According to Sound is a San Francisco-based immersive aural romp of a public radio touring show. Co-creators Chris Hoff, a sound engineer, and Sam Harnett, a reporter/journalist, mishmash detailed sounds and present them in dramatic fashion to audiences ranging from 80 to 140 people eager to witness the extraordinary. Hoff comments: “Our show invites listeners to re-imagine the world through their ears instead of their eyes. We pass out eye masks, turn out the lights, and take sounds from all over the world and move them around the audience using a ring of eight loudspeakers – the Clair Brothers kiTCURVE12+. All these sounds will swirl around you while you sit in total darkness with only your ears to guide you.” To recreate sounds as diverse as bridges creaking, ants marching and mud pots gurgling to historic street sounds of Berlin, musica
UK - Sound and communication specialist integrators T.G. Baker have transformed the entertainment experience for Wolverhampton Wanderers FC fans, updating the PA/VA system at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton with a Nexo solution. Molineux, the club’s home ground since 1889, was the first stadium ever built for the Football League. It was one of the first grounds in the UK to install floodlights, and one of the founding hosts for European club games in the 1950s. Now owned by Fosun International, a Chinese conglomerate and international investment company, this 31,000-capacity stadium continues to innovate. Called in by Steve Sutton, Wolves head of operations, the T.G.Baker team was asked to design and install a new audio system for entertainment and public address/voice alarm. “Our old system was 24 years old, and well past its recommended working life,” says S
Indonesia - CSA Indonesia recently supplied Gamung Productions with a complete inventory of live audio solutions by Harman Professional Solutions. The Harman systems supplied by local dealer CSA Indonesia include JBL, Crown and Soundcraft solutions. Setiawan Winarto, CEO of CSA Indonesia, says: “An inventory of high-end products is essential to supplying performances with exceptional sound quality and coverage - no matter the size of the event. With the addition of JBL line arrays, Crown amplifiers and Soundcraft consoles, Gamung Productions gained an advantage over its competition, establishing a reputation for versatility and reliable service.” Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, Harman Professional Solutions, APAC, adds: “We’re happy to see our products being used by Gamung Productions, a leading touring and rental solution provider in Indonesia.”
USA - Psychedelic rockers, Portugal. The Man, have been on a charge. Fresh from collecting a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with the song Feel it Still, they're currently on a world tour promoting the band's eighth studio album, Woodstock. Front of House Engineer Charlie Izzo has chosen the SSL L300 live console as the right tool for this dynamic, multifaceted show. On this tour Izzo deals with anything from 40 to 60 inputs per show, depending on factors that include a steady stream of guests, choirs, and/or orchestras - variable according to the city they happen to be playing in. This, the wide range of material and styles that the band visits, and the fact the band refuses to use any tracks, makes for a challenging, and very 'live' show. "The set opens with a Metallica cover," says Izzo. "And they might do anything from an Oasis tune, some Be
Italy - At Prolight+Sound next month, Outline will introduce Newton, the company’s new FPGA-based processing platform. Designed to be “the management and control core” for audio networks in touring, broadcast and fixed installation applications and provides management of sophisticated audio systems by combining multi-format channel routing with simultaneous standards conversion and digital signal synchronisation. Newton additionally incorporates powerful new filter technology along with clock and powering redundancy in a 1U networkable chassis. A system topology is provided by very high-quality FPGA-based SSRC (synchronous sample rate conversion) and ASRC (asynchronous sample rate conversion) with outstanding dynamic range and ultra-low distortion. The unit supports up to 15 clock source options and a virtually unlimited number of filters using Outline’s
Germany - L-Acoustics will demonstrate its L‑ISA Immersive Sound Art technology at this year’s Prolight+Sound. The technology recently embarked on Lorde’s Melodrama tour across North America, as well as present new hardware and software tools – including the P1 networked digital audio processor, which begins shipping in June – that will make it easy for L‑Acoustics partners to realize optimised performance for their L‑Acoustics systems. Established in London in 2014 by L-Acoustics founder Dr. Christian Heil, L-ISA is L‑Acoustics’ immersive sound brand. L-ISA draws on extensive audio and psycho-acoustic research to develop sound design and processing tools for live shows, creative events and private residences. L-Acoustics will showcase the new L-ISA Island on stand C11 in hall 3.1. This complete integrated personal auditorium plays the hi
USA - Some of the biggest names in Latin music landed in Las Vegas in January for a night to remember at the Calibash mega-concert. Held at the 20,000-capacity T-Mobile Arena, the spectacular staging featured an array of 18 LED screens with content fed from by Avolites Ai Infinity RX8 Media Servers. YC3 Lighting Design supplied the Ai servers to VJ director Richard Vicens, who oversaw the visuals for Latin/Urban music stars including Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Ozuna, Maluma and Bad Bunny. "All of the artists wanted to give their audiences an awesome show," says Vicens. "As VJ director, it was vital for me to be able to design and create pixel maps and LED processing that worked for everybody and be ready to backup all of them with Ai media Servers. "The show's size meant it was certainly a challenge - I have to go through every detail to make sure the audience
UK - Green Hippo held its 3D Projection Mapping Masterclass at Down Hall Hotel and Spa in Essex this month. The Masterclass training course explored all things SHAPE and 3D projection mapping and attracted participants from Dubai, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland and the UK. The 3D Projection Mapping Masterclass event involved 10 members of Green Hippo, plus two representatives from A.C. Entertainment Technologies, Green Hippo’s UK distributor and two trainers from Notch, the real-time visual creation tool that keeps up with your ideas. A special aspect of this course was the opportunity for attendees to get ‘hands on’ 3D projection mapping experience. At the end of the day, once classroom sessions, delegates headed outdoors to pre-prepared projection mapping stations, equipped with Green Hippo kit, and eight HD Panasonic projectors, provided by VER. The beginn
Iceland - The new Lava Centre in Hvolsvöllur is an interactive, high-tech educational exhibition depicting volcanic activity and earthquakes that traces the island’s creation over millions of years. The idea that gave birth to the Centre originated when one of the founders/owners of the exhibition was stuck in Florida in 2010 as a result of all flights being cancelled over the Atlantic Ocean (and in most parts of Europe) when Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted in April 2010. The location was chosen because it sits at the heart of some of the major Icelandic volcanos and allows five of the country’s most iconic volcanoes to be seen. The 2,500sq.m Lava Centre was therefore designed and built as a fully immersive show. The design, preparation, integration and finalisation of all AV equipment for the nine main show items took almost a year. Feris ehf
USA - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, one of the largest United Methodist congregation in the country, specified two KLANG:fabrik 3D IEM mixing systems from KLANG:technologies for both the church’s new main sanctuary and a second space. The KLANG systems were purchased through Raytown, Missouri-based Progressive Electronics, Inc. (PEI), which did much of the systems integration for the 3,500-seat main sanctuary at the church’s flagship broadcast location in Leawood, Kansas as well as the renovation of its former sanctuary, which is still under construction but will soon be used as a second worship and event space. The installation of the first KLANG:fabrik system was installed by the Leawood audio staff - lead audio engineer Tim Higinbotham and audio engineers Jordan Tracy and Steven Moduno - in the church’s main sanctuary and was, as Higinbotha
Norway - ARX has announced the appointment of Oslo-based Prostage AS as the new exclusive distributor of the ARX product range in Norway. The Oslo-based company will represent the full ARX range, including the AudiBox Series, with new models such as the ‘USB DI PLUS’ second generation USB ‘Plug and Play’ digital to analogue pro audio interface, as well as a new range of Dante enabled interface products. The ARX product range will add signal processing tools to a distribution portfolio that also includes Prolights, Yamaha, Lynx Pro Audio, Protruss, Lewitt, JTS, VMB, Enttec and Swisson among others. “Prostage AS is a well-known and respected distributor of professional audio, lighting and AV products and is the ideal partner to grow the market and user base for our digital and analogue product range throughout Norway,” says ARX MD, Colin Park. “Here at ARX
UK - Martin Audio has recruited Ben Tucker to its product support group. Tucker has a Distinction in Live Sound Foundation Degree from the University of Plymouth, a BTEC in Music and is an avid musician. He has worked for Millstone Sound and as a freelance live sound engineer designing, preparing and deploying audio systems for large scale events as well as carrying out console operation duties at both FOH and monitors for various shows. Dan Orton, head of the product support group, comments: “This appointment reflects the growth of the company and the demand for in-field support for live sound production and training. The now six-strong team is set up to be adaptable, in order to support customers anywhere in the world, rather than being region specific. This allows us to better balance different application demands coming from different regions at different times o
USA - Danley Sound Labs has introduced the Danley OS-12CX, building on the success of the weatherised Danley OS-80 and OS-90 loudspeakers and the OS-115 subwoofer. Like its siblings, the OS-12CX is built “to withstand punishing rain, heat, and freeze/thaw cycles season after season after unrelenting season, while delivering a sonic performance that is closer to the sound in an audiophile’s listening room than to the egregiously band-passed outdoor PAs of the past”. The Danley OS-12CX uses Danley’s patented Synergy crossover design, Sentinel limiter protection circuitry and stainless steel mounting hardware that is prepared to brace the OS-12CX against mother nature’s worst. Mike Hedden, president and founder of Danley Sound Labs, comments: “The Danley OS-12CX is a compact yet powerful box for smaller outdoor installations like small- to mid-sized spo
UK - Allen & Heath has introduced new expansion and advanced automatic mic mixing (AMM) capabilities for its SQ digital mixer series as part of a major firmware update. SQ V1.2 firmware supports the DX Hub, a hardware expansion hub which allows multiple DX168 stage box expanders to be connected to an SQ mixer. DX Hub enables SQ users to source the full 48 channels from the stage, all at 96kHz, or to deploy up to eight portable expanders wherever required. V1.2 adds two independent AMMs, based on the proven D-Classic algorithm. The AMMs are part of Allen & Heath’s DEEP processing system, providing a zero-latency solution for mixing speech applications such as conferences, meetings, broadcast and panel discussions. SQ can handle two simultaneous meetings with up to 24 mics each, or the AMMs can combine to manage a single conference with up to 48 channels.
Germany - Astro Spatial Audio (ASA) will highlight its “brand agnostic approach to true object-based immersive audio” when it returns to Prolight + Sound at the Frankfurt Messe, from 10-13 April. Appearing on booth A33/39 in Hall 3.1, the independent solution in object-based 3D sound will offer special presentations throughout the show, highlighting the deep integration between ASA's SARA II Premium Rendering Engine and third-party systems including TTA's Stagetracker II next-generation performer tracking, Alcons Audio loudspeakers and QLab playback automation software. In addition, ASA will debut new v4.0 software, incorporating substantial improvements in loudspeaker management, matrixing and show control. An enhanced production module is also included within the update, offering advanced timeline editing in the shape of an automation editor, and a new event manager fu
UK - The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) commissioned West Midlands-based Central Presentations Ltd (CPL) to design and deliver all the technical elements for their 2018 annual staff conference and awards, inclduing sound, lighting, video, staging and rigging. The high-profile event for 400 delegates was staged in Warwick Hall at the NAEC, Stanleigh and comprised a seated conference presentation that was transformed into a glamorous setting for the evening’s dinner and awards. The client wanted to use the width-ways orientation of the venue for sightlines, so CPL’s project manager Lee Gruszeckyj proposed a widescreen video blend as a striking visual starting point to align with the geometry of the space. The 30ft wide by 10ft high upstage projection screen was flanked by gauze panels designed to take lighting nicely and elongate the spac
UK - Technical production supplier Blitz has installed a DiGiCo SD7 sound desk at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, for Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group’s production of The Phantom of the Opera. The DiGiCo SD7T replaces a Yamaha PM1D, which was retired after 10 years of service. The new system was installed over the course of a weekend, allowing the show performances to carry on uninterrupted. Mick Potter, sound designer for The Phantom of the Opera, said, “It’s been a great opportunity to upgrade to the latest DiGiCo SD7 sound desk, which has become an important part of my sound designs for many other Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh productions around the world. It has helped make a significant improvement to the quality of the sound at Her Majesty’s, and the fact we were able to achieve such a major changeover without losing any
Argentina - Martin Audio has appointed ARS Technologies as its distributor for Argentina. The Buenos Aires-based company, which also distributes Sennheiser, Allen & Heath, Neutrik, Studer, Rode, Thorens, Universal Audio, ART, Dynaudio, K&M, TC Electronic, RapcoHorizon, Sonifex, Lab.Gruppen and Orban, has extensive experience in the installation and commercial application of professional audio equipment both nationally and internationally and covers sectors including telecommunications, TV and post-production, industrial sound and special events. ARS’ Ricardo Pousa comments: “It’s a great honour to be named representatives of a leading brand such as Martin Audio. In addition to their prestige, history and renowned audio quality, it is unquestionable that they have the loudspeaker array with the highest technology to date - the MLA system - as well as gr
