One Night Stand - Around 5,000 people spent Saturday night at a gig in Barcelona after receiving negative results in same-day Covid testing. Spanish authorities let the concert, featuring band Love of Lesbian, go ahead as part of a pilot. Fans took a test earlier in the day and did not have to keep physically apart but they still wore masks.
It is one of the largest gatherings in Europe in more than a year since the pandemic began. "This is for one night only, so enjoy it," one of the hosts said before the concert started at Saint Jordi Arena. The gig was held as part of a research project looking at the viability of holding Covid-secure mass events following rapid-testing of guests. It follows a similar experiment in the Netherlands last week, when fans attended a two-day mus

USA - Point Source Audio has expanded its sales team with the addition of Forrest Breese as account manager for the Western U.S. Breese has been a familiar face around California’s pro audio industry for many years and brings with him considerable experience from previous roles with manufacturers, distributors, integrators - and on stage as a musician.
Starting his professional career as a manufacturer’s rep, Breese has worked across just about every aspect of the industry from sales to integration, and has extensive experience working with a number of microphone brands.
“I know the competition very well, they all make good products, but I’ve found that Point Source Audio has some advantages in tonal qualities and features, and it was that innovative quality that attracted me to the company,” says Breese. “I’ve always been a multi-brand rep, so I’m exci

France - The Crestron sales team has added Kevin Marchelidon as its new sales engineer in France.
Reporting to Alain Solomon, Crestron’s regional sales director in South West Europe, Marchelidon will be the go-to technical expert for customers, and will support the regional sales team.
“We're excited to welcome Kevin, who will be a great asset to our team in France,” comments Solomon. “He has been providing technical input for AV projects for many years and has a proven, excellent track record of customer service, project management and quality assurance.”
Marchelidon adds: “I am really looking forward to meeting all my colleagues and customers, and I am ready to provide my best assistance for all your technical requirements.”

USA - The web forum formerly known as Gearslutz has unveiled its new name - Gearspace - repositioning the brand to be more inclusive. As an established resource for audio engineers, music producers, audio schools and organisations, the forum will continue to be an open platform for discussing and learning about audio recording gear and best practices.
“After nearly two decades, it feels great to move forward with a more progressive and inclusive name,” says founder Jules Standen. “We’re certain our new name, Gearspace, will stand the test of time and provide a more all-encompassing platform for the pro audio industry. The change will affect the forum’s name, logo and URL. Gearspace will continue to offer the same audio-focused content and will strive to be the best online community possible for people of all genders and cultures.
“This change has been in t

Lithuania - Sonus Exsertus, based in Vilnius, is a specialist in stage technologies with a 20-year history of providing turnkey solutions for a wide range of venues, from theatres and houses of worship to cinemas, arts centres and retail settings.
The company also acts as a distributor for many leading brands across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and Georgia, offering comprehensive sales and servicing. For the last five years, Sonus has been distributing DiGiGrid products in the region, and has overseen a steadily upward trajectory in sales during that time.
Whilst recent world events have seen turbulent times across the industry, Sonus has adapted to circumstances and continued to perform well. Its sales of DiGiGrid units continued to grow strongly throughout last year, something that head of sales Ramunas Alenskas attributes to a combination of factors:
“As fa

The Netherlands - The sustainable AFAS Theatre, which is incorporated in the new HQ of software developer AFAS, named the AFAS Experience Centre in Leusden, has recently been equipped by Rolight with 74 Infinity TS-260C7 Profile engines from Infinity’s Signature series.
The AFAS Experience Centre has been designed from the ground up to create an “experience” for clients, employees and visitors - a complex that includes office space, meeting rooms, relax areas, demonstration rooms, fitness area, gym, educational spaces, studios, patio & atrium suitable for events, exhibitions and social gathering. The complex takes ecological and environmental aspects into account as much as possible.
Almost energy neutral, it is fitted with solar panels, sedum roofs, heat pumps, heat exchangers, triple glazing, a multitude of sensors and 50 charging stations for electric vehi

South Korea - Harman Professional Solutions recently partnered with MIX Media and TechDataPS Coto upgrade Seongnam Arts Centre’s AV system with AMX networked video solutions.
Seongnam Arts Centre is the largest venue for cultural arts in the city of Seongnam. The facility features a 1,804-seat opera house, a concert hall, ensemble theatre for smaller performances, two visual art galleries and an outdoor amphitheatre with seating for 11,000 people.
The centre hired MIX Media to upgrade its video infrastructure with a HARMAN networked VoIP solution consisting of AMX encoders, decoders and controllers supplied by TechDataPS.
To provide a scalable AV control platform with intuitive operation, network security and backward compatibility, MIX Media selected the AMX NX-3200 NetLinx NX Integrated Controller as the core of the AV infrastructure. For transmitting and rec

Germany - Fine & Bright’s Hybrid Studio Berlin is located in the bustling heart of Germany’s capital. The new 425sq.m space is housed in a century-old former malt factory. Its black and white tile floor and industrial fittings serve as reminders of the building’s past, whilst its advanced design make it suited to provide clients with COVID-safe options for connecting to customers through virtual productions, or (once it is permitted by the government) with combined virtual/live events accommodating an audience of up to 50 people.
“We developed this studio with our partners ICT AG and the Malzfabrik, in order to offer our customers a high-quality and fully equipped space for digital and hybrid events during the COVID-19 pandemic,”explains Robert Ulm, CEO of Fine & Bright. “The studio has all the digital tools required for the quick and direct implementatio
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Germany - The CLW in Bonn-Bad Godesberg is a protestant free church and open to believers of all nationalities and generations. The parish has a church with an adjoining kindergarten and offers, among other things, services for the whole family every Sunday at 10.00 am. The Living Word (CLW) is an acronym for Centrum für Lebendiges Wort) is the focus of the services, in the form of sermons and musical contributions. The live music component in the church has grown steadily in recent years, so an upgrade of the sound system was necessary.
Julian Betker, trainee pastor and vicar at the CLW, states: "We have been working on a new sound reinforcement solution to meet our many requirements for a while. On the one hand, we wanted to use our existing technology, including mixing consoles, microphones and subwoofers.
“Our church lives through, and with, live music - which c

USA - Innovation Nation, the CBS Saturday morning TV show about change-making technologies, recently called on Verge Aero, to find out more about the new aerial technology.
Produced by The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Litton Entertainment, Innovation Nation presents stories of history’s technological turning points, as well as looking at the innovations that are changing the world around us. With drone light shows offering spectacular additions - or even alternatives - to traditional fireworks displays, the technology was ripe for further investigation by the educational programme.
Verge Aero’s drone fleets have been seen performing aerial celebrations at high-profile events including Joe Biden’s victory speech in Wilmington, Delaware, back in November. Presenter Alie Ward visited the company’s headquarters at Pennovation Works, part of the Uni

Europe - Typically utilised before and after performances and during intermissions as practical audience lights, house lighting has traditionally played only a minor role in creating the atmosphere of a space. With the advent of dynamic LED house lighting however, that has all changed. Today’s house lights have taken on a more flexible and increasingly important role as an integral part of a broader and more immersive lighting design impression.
In Elation’s 1 April Coffee Break, Alistair Smyth and Frederik Afif delve into the adaptable aspects of Elation’s colour-changing Fuze Pendant. This LED downlight produces high CRI variable tones to flood a space in hues of colour or functionally wash a venue in shades of white light. Add in a multitude of control, connectivity, mounting and lens options and it is the ultimate lighting tool for modern house and area lighting a

The Netherlands - The new MIMIK cultural centre situated next to the IJssel river in Deventer has been outfitted with a number of Infinity’s professional theatre lighting fixtures. TS-260C7 Profile Engines equipped with TLT-1230 Zoom lenses and Irises, TF-260C7 Fresnels with barndoors and TCYC-7 Cycloramas were used by Rolight to provide the desired illumination.
In the MIMIK, a theatre, four movie theatres, and a grand café are merged into a cultural experience. Open all day and easily accessible, its programme aims to surprise visitors time and time again. MIMIK follows up on the success of film house De Keizer (the emperor) and Theater Bouwkunde (Building Science theatre). Combining both with hospitable catering creates a vivid meeting place that ticks all the boxes for current and future generations.
The theatre is fitted with a retractable grandstand and can be

South Africa - When DWR Distribution needed a venue to host the Basic Rigging Training Course in Cape Town, the Cape Audio College in Observatory quickly raised their hand and offered their lecture hall for 15-16 March. This proved a good time to catch up, meet new faces and share knowledge.
"I have been in the industry since 1994, in various guises, and I can say that I wish Robert Izzett and DWR were offering their rigging course back then,” comments Ian Watson, head of live sound at Cape Audio College. “I found it super informative and useful. I will think twice before I set up any piece of gear. I now know that there is a limit to my knowledge, and that limit could be the difference between a successful show and an epic fail. Thanks to Robert and DWR for taking the time to make our industry a safer place. I cannot wait for the next offer."
In the South African

Australia - Cutting Edge has been a leading provider of sound and picture post production for the advertising, features and television industries, both in Australia and internationally, for almost three decades. The company recently announced Edge Lab, its newest venture in Virtual Production (VP) based in Brisbane, Queensland.
The facility is a research and development (R&D) hub for production industry professionals, developed in partnership with Big Picture, part of the NEP Worldwide Network, and motion caption integrator Logemas.
Brompton Technology processing is used for the main LED screen as well as ambient reflection and lighting walls.
Cutting Edge is able to facilitate all its clients’ needs across commercial, television and feature film productions. Now, the company can also tap into the latest technical innovations in VP with its Unreal Engine po

USA - Registration is still open for the New World Rigging Symposium (NWRS), produced by ESTA and USITT, which takes place online 6-8 April. The cost is $99 and the symposium carries up to nine ETCP education renewal credits for re-certification.
The event brings together a wide group of industry experts for a series of panel discussions and live Q&As on video wall rigging, automation and motorisation, performer flying and rescue, and types of ropes.
In addition, a case study will look into how the installation of a tension grid is working in a major facility, a group of structural engineers will answer your questions, rigging pros from the world of motion pictures will talk about some of their toughest challenges, and mental health professionals and advocates will discuss how to be

South Africa - As a direct response to the new pressures faced by businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Johannesburg-based AV technology solutions provider, Stage Audio Works, has announced StreamWorks, an end-to-end live streaming service.
“COVID-19 has changed the way we work forever,” says SAW’s group CTO, Nathan Ihlenfeldt. “Participation in virtual events and remote meetings via the internet has become the norm for most of us, and even when the world finally starts to open up again, will remain an important part of our everyday lives. However, public streaming platforms and the internet in general has come under increasing pressure, with embarrassing consequences to the host organizations.
“With vast experience in delivering video reliably to internet users, especially in Africa, we decided to take things a step further and launched StreamWork

UK - Dan Ridd, Steven Haynes and a team from Clearsound Productions in Shipston on Stour marked the culmination of a week of #LightItInRed ‘heart’ actions around the country with a livestream broadcast featuring mixmaster DJ Benji surrounded by a heart-shaped lighting rig designed by Steven and featuring Robe moving lights.
With overall direction by Dan Ridd and camera and humour direction by Andy Cox, the multi-camera broadcast included two drone feeds plus assorted visual highlights from the last year of #LightItInRed campaigns. These have focused on keeping the entertainment, production, and performance industry visible and relevant during the pandemic and consequent shut down, and this content was eloquently wrangled by #LightItInRed’s Sarah Berryman.
Working alongside Steven on lighting were two fellow Rose Bruford College students, Sam Jones, who programm

Saudi Arabia - Noor Riyadh is a citywide annual festival of light and art that showcases individual artists and talent and promotes creativity. The event produced by Balich Worldwide Shows (BWS) brings together artists from all over the world.
Star in Motion by renowned lighting designer Koert Vermeulen, is a powerful focal point in the middle of the city of Riyadh - a shining star, suspended from the top of the famous Kingdom Tower more than 300m in the air. Balich Worldwide Shows has worked with Unusual Rigging on other events in the past, and as such they were the natural choice when it came to rigging this spectacular installation.
Steve Porter, director at Unusual, explains: “Having worked with BWS on several projects in the past, when they approached us to hang the centrepiece for the festival, it was a pleasure to collaborate with them again. We were approach

Spain - Optocore has appointed RMS Proaudio as its new Spanish distributor.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez, CEO of the Seville-based company, comments: “We have known Optocore particularly from the relationship with DiGiCo, which we have distributed for more than 15 years, and we consider their technology to be excellent. For that reason we approached them, and it is an honour to now be able to provide solutions based around their advanced technology in our Spanish market. We know their products to be extremely reliable, and offer flexible audio communication solutions.”
Optocore sales distribution manager, Dawid Somló, is equally upbeat. “It is gratifying that such a serious and experienced company as RMS Proaudio has entered into this cooperation with us, and an honour for us to be an important part of their high level portfolio,” he says. “With Optocore solutions

UK - The National Theatre’s production of Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’ Death of England was performed at the Dorfman Theatre in spring 2020 before the venue closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one-man show was an intense study of grief and identity in Britain, performed in-the-round on a cross-shaped stage by Rafe Spall in an explosively energetic performance. Dyer’s direction, and Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and ULTZ’s stark set demanded equally dramatic lighting from the outset, which was provided by dance and theatre lighting designer, and NT regular, Jackie Shemesh.
Shemesh chose four Ayrton Diablo 300W LED profile fixtures as central features of his design, which he mainly deployed as followspots to track Spall’s every move.
The Diablo fixtures were rigged above the four inner corners of the cross stage, side-mounted and droppe

Italy - Outline has announced that its FPGA-based Newton processor has been awarded an Italian Patent. The company has also filed the appropriate application for an international patent.
Newton was introduced to the global pro-audio industry at Frankfurt MusikMesse in 2017. It has subsequently been adopted by a number of leading audio hire operations and system engineers
“It’s well-known that our company has been making a name for itself since the 1970s as a manufacturer of innovative audio electronics including modular mixers, parametric equalisers, encoders, tuners, crossovers, limiters, amplifiers and more,” says the company. “Latterly we have developed DSP and digital matrices, as well as futuristic embedded solutions connected with signal processing, including the outstanding ‘iMode’ technology that won a PLASA Award for Innovation at the London show i

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