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17 September 2024

UK - The Area Four Direct UK (A4IUK) team enjoyed a busy, productive and successful PLASA Show 2024.

This year saw a new immersive stand design constructed from Milos M520 Quatro truss, incorporating three video walls forming a vibrant backdrop of dynamic rolling video content – showcasing the Area Four Industries brand portfolio represented in the UK including Milos, Litec, Exe Technology, XStage, Tomcat and JTE.

PLASA London is still the most prominent national expo for A4IUK in the live entertainment, technology and rigging sector. It provided an excellent platform to showcase their products, connect with fellow professionals and engage in fruitful conversations on upcoming projects.

Area Four Direct UK, located on stand J20, enjoyed a buzz of busy footfall throughout the event. The stand had been designed to showcase key product lines i

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17 September 2024

USA - Brompton Technology has announced its new Q-SYS plugin integration, the Brompton Tessera LED Controller Plugin. As part of the Q-SYS Ecosystem, software and hardware manufacturers collaborate with Q-SYS to create market-ready solutions that integrate seamlessly with its cloud-manageable audio, video and control platform.

Brompton Technology worked closely with Q-SYS, who has fully vetted and endorsed the plugin integration with a Q-SYS Certified (developed with Q-SYS and supported by Brompton and Q-SYS) badge.

The plugin introduces advanced reporting and control features, creating a comprehensive solution for high-specification LED video installations. With simple configuration and setup, this powerful combination brings together Brompton's world-class quality, reliability and extensive feature-set with the capabilities of Q-SYS to meet the nee

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17 September 2024

USA - Renkus-Heinz has officially launched OmniBeam, a new beam-steering software tool available for free with the latest RHAON II 2.5.0 release. OmniBeam streamlines the workflow for beam-steerable loudspeakers, ensuring optimal audio quality with minimal time and effort.

OmniBeam delivers optimised audio performance with a simple press of the “Snap to Audience” button. The algorithm generates custom-tailored coverage precisely aligned to the exact geometry of any space, providing the most consistent front-to-back audio experience possible.

“The driving philosophy behind OmniBeam was to give consultants and integrators back their time,” says Renkus-Heinz CTO Ralph Heinz. “By taking the rocket science out of simulating and commissioning steerable arrays, Renkus-Heinz has demonstrated how beam steering is suitable for more venues than just d

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17 September 2024

USA - Mega-Lite has introduced two new fixtures: Drama EW 200 and Drama EC 200 luminaires.

Drama EW 200 offers daylight white light (6,024K) with 9,053 lumens at 19°, suitable for bright, natural illumination and perfect for gobo projections and creating vibrant atmospheres.

Drama EC 200 provides a mix of lime, amber, red, green, and blue colours, improving lumen output and efficiency without sacrificing colour saturation.

Both fixtures, featuring a 200W quietly cooled LED, are designed for versatility. They have a four-blade shutter system to project light where you want it and interchangeable 19°, 26°, 36°, and 50° lenses, making them ideal for churches, theatres, and other noise-sensitive spaces.

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17 September 2024

USA - Avid has appointed Alex Hofstrand as product manager for live sound after an extensive selection process. Hofstrand brings to the role a decade of experience with Avid’s live sound product line, having started in quality assurance for the launch of Avid Venue | S6L. He then moved into a product design role for Venue in 2022, managing new features and hardware updates to meet the demands of the touring and installed sound markets. 

“I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity to keep making Venue the best system an engineer can ask for,” says Hofstrand. “I’ve spent years on Venue systems because they just make sense. The Avid live sound team is a passionate group of people, always pushing to that next big thing to change the industry, and I look forward to delivering continued value for Venue customers.”

Rich Nevens, Sr. directo

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17 September 2024

Off The Campaign Trail - Former US President Donald Trump has been found liable to pay damages to singer and songwriter Eddy Grant for using his song Electric Avenue without permission. It has taken Grant more than four years to sue the Republican candidate in this year’s presidential election in the US courts, over his 2020 campaign video that used a 40-second clip of the song.

The video was viewed 13.7m times before Twitter, now known as X, took it down. A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Mr Trump breached Mr Grant's copyright for his 1983 hit and is now liable for damages as well as paying for the singer's legal fees.

Grant's battle with the former President began in August 2020, when he was seeking re-election to the White House. On Friday, Judge John G. Koeltl rejected arguments from Mr Trump’s lawyers that the Twitter video was shi

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16 September 2024

Spain - La Velada Del Año 4, the fourth annual Twitch-streamed, amateur boxing night took place on 13 July. Featuring some of the biggest streamers from the Spanish speaking community, the event was held in the newly refurbished Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid.

A huge DiGiCo team was fielded on the night, with a Quantum 7, seven Quantum 338s and an SD12, all provided by Twin Cam Pro and with technical support from DiGiCo’s Spanish distributor, RMS ProAudio, to ensure the event was heard live, captured, and broadcast successfully to huge numbers of fans across the world.

‘The Night of the Year’ is organised by Ibai Llanos, one of the world’s most successful Spanish streamers who has over 30m followers across his internet platforms, and a mind-bending three billion views on his YouTube channel alone. The chosen inter

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16 September 2024

Puerto Rico - When Marcos Efraín Masís Fernández, known professionally as Tainy, and Lex Borrero teamed up to launch their music company Neon16, “a multifaceted talent incubator” in 2019, they adopted the motto “fear nothing, impact everything”.

This attitude was on full display at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot during Data Loading, the highly anticipated show from Tainy. The multi-Grammy winning songwriter and sound engineer mesmerized the sellout crowd with “a full throttled performance”, during which he was joined by stars like Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, Jhayco, Young Miko, Arcángel and Álvaro Diaz.

Helping to rev up the energy on stage was a relentless, fast-moving lighting design by Richard Vicens and ShowVault that utilised an impressive 450-fixture rig from Musique Xpress Lights.

Most of the rig w

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16 September 2024

UK - Offering considerable hands-on experience and the first steps into a technical career in the arts, applications are open again for Lighthouse Young Technicians, organised by Lighthouse Poole arts complex. It is a nationally recognised training course for young people aged 13-19 eager to get to grips with lighting, sound and stage management in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings.

“Since its launch in 2018, the Young Technicians course has proven to be a valuable, real-world route into a career in technical theatre,” says Charles Shenton, Lighthouse creative engagement producer.

Guided by industry specialists in a structured 12-week course, the budding technicians navigate all elements of technical theatre to gain the experience they need to pursue a future career, working alongside all technical departments in the build up to opening ni

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16 September 2024

The Netherlands - DPA Microphones has released its new 2061 Miniature Omnidirectional Microphone, a solution intended for individuals who work with professional-level sound capture of the voice, in all of its nuances.

The 2061 offers simplicity, durability and reliability combined with DPA’s natural sound. “We launched the 2061 to appeal to audio professionals who are not yet part of the DPA family and are looking to upgrade their audio quality with a crystal-clear, no-frills microphone,” says Helga Volha Somava, product management director, DPA Microphones. “With its durable and rugged enclosure and premier DPA sound, the 2061 does not compromise on excellence. This is a great miniature microphone that is a worthy competitor to other well-known and widely used models.”

Borrowing several design elements and principles from other DPA lavalie

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16 September 2024

The Netherlands - Wisycom has released its new MTH610 Handheld Wireless Microphone Transmitter, the latest addition to the brand’s Symphony line of products. Designed for professional wireless microphone applications, the new handheld features dual-band capability in the 470 to 1260 MHz range, which is essential for global events that cover a wide range of locations and frequency spectrums based on specific country regulations. The transmitter is suited to “any live sound production, including broadcast, theatre, concert and house of worship applications”.

“We developed the MTH610 to fill a need in the live performance industry for a wireless microphone solution that offers flexibility and durability,” says Leslie Lello, product specialist and project manager, Wisycom. “This new transmitter features an ergonomic design that makes it one of the li

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16 September 2024

Italy - In collaboration with Dolby, Powersoft is building on its recent growth in the global cinema market by adding support for Dolby Atmos Connect AES67 patching into the latest version of its ArmoníaPlus software, streamlining the process of connecting its amplifiers to Dolby’s cinema hardware.

Adding support for Dolby Atmos Connect AES67 into ArmoníaPlus 2.7.1 simplifies the patching process between Powersoft’s Unica and Canali-series (Quattrocanali and Duecanali) amplifiers and the Dolby Atmos processor, providing a more straightforward setup in cinema environments. The new functionality provides a quicker, easier and more reliable way to integrate with and configure a Dolby Atmos system.

“Powersoft's increasing presence in the cinema market highlights the importance of being compliant with Dolby Atmos,” comments Francesco Cionini, gl

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13 September 2024

UK - Elation has announced that Sound Technology has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Elation and Obsidian products in the UK and Ireland, effective now. In addition to its existing portfolio, Sound Technology will manage all aspects of Elation and Obsidian sales, service, training, and support in the region.

Located in Letchworth Garden City, north of London, Sound Technology is a leading distributor of high-profile brands in the professional audio, lighting, and MI retail sectors. The company is part of the Midwich Group, one of the largest specialist audiovisual distributors in the UK and Europe.

Marc Librecht, sales and marketing director for Elation and Obsidian in Europe, emphasised the partnership: “We are excited to have found a dedicated partner who can help us expand the Elation and Obsidian brands in this extremely importa

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13 September 2024

UK - Northern England music venue, Sage Gateshead, now rebranded as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, underwent an audio refurbishment to coincide with its reopening, culminating in the introduction of an additional two SD12 all-purpose digital mixers to its inventory of consoles from DiGiCo.

Not only does the acquisition mark the venue’s transition to DiGiCo consoles in the two main halls but, following an overhaul of the cabling infrastructure to provide MADI across The Glasshouse’s performance spaces, the versatile SD12 models can deliver a variety of functions from various mix positions.

Located on the south bank of the River Tyne, the architectural award-winning building is one of the UK’s leading music venues, hosting a mix of high-profile classical and contemporary productions for the last 20 years, as well as a vast music-m

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13 September 2024

Vietnam - Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L) Group’s Vietnam team recently hosted an industry meet and greet with Vietnam’s creatives at Revons Studio in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City. The event, titled Spatial Visualisation, invited Vietnam’s top show designers, production directors, choreographers and technical directors to touch, experience and experiment using the BlackTrax real-time tracking and automation solution. 

Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L) Group is a value-added event technology distribution network, with a regional coverage across six countries in South-East Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and certified BlackTrax reseller for the region. 

For this event the Group’s Vietnam branch chose to showcase the company’s solution package of BlackTrax integrated with multiple

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13 September 2024

The Netherlands - The Schouwburg theatre in Lochem, eastern Netherlands, has selected 40 Source Four LED Series 3 luminaires, 12 High End Systems Halcyon Gold and 18 SolaPix 7 automated fixtures to upgrade its space.

ETC dealer Ampco Flashlight Sales delivered the fixtures to the theatre, which houses 400 seats for a variety of performances including cabaret and cover bands.

The venue originally housed tungsten lighting and following European legislations – which ban the use of halogen lights in the long run – decided to make the move to LED. Schouwburg’s team found that in comparison to their original tungsten lights, the addition of the Halcyon, SolaPix and Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures made a huge difference in saving power. The selected fixtures have been placed above the main stage, on the sides of the stage as well as above the audien

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13 September 2024

USA - The teams at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hawaii and the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium in Canada are doing their part to seek out discoveries every day. Recently, both planetariums went through retrofits to improve the facilities and the guest experience, and the teams turned to amplifiers from LEA Professional to provide the audio.

Both planetarium teams contacted George Barnett, co-founder and technical director of SSIA Technologies and their long-term technical provider, to help them improve their audio systems. The planetariums wanted a more reliable and robust system that could immerse their guests in the storytelling of the vastness of space.

“LEA won our hearts over with their first amplifiers,” said Barnett. “We just loved the engineering – it was fantastic. It had good power, a small chassis, lots of features, and a very

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13 September 2024

Portugal - Billed as a ‘destination hotel’, Immerso, Ericeira’s first five-star hotel, is a relaxed retreat away from the world’s hubbub but close to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Since premium audio forms a crucial part of the overall visitor experience, the Immerso team turned to Genelec’s 4000 Series installation loudspeakers.

Guests at Immerso can indulge in a range of wellness activities including sunrise and sunset yoga and pilates sessions on the beautiful wooden deck overlooking the valley.

For the audio system, the hotel owners contacted local Genelec distributor, Garrett Audiovisuais, on the recommendation of well-known music producer and composer Elvis Veiguinha, who was responsible for developing the hotel’s sound identity. “Elvis has known us for more than 30 years,” explains Garrett’s Raul Fernandes. “He introduc

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13 September 2024

UK - Robe lighting enjoyed “a brilliant PLASA 2024” in London Olympia, tapping into the hustle and energy of the show.

Four new products were launched by the Czechia-based manufacturer – the iForte Fresnel, the Painte Fresnel, the Svopatt and the SVB1 WashBeam moving light, all attracting plenty of interest as Robe continued the celebration of its 30th year.

Robe also premiered its new live exhibition performance extravaganza, The Fifth Dimension complete with three live performers including aerial acrobat and dancer Oskar Skrypko, who caused such a stir at Prolight earlier in the year!

All of Robe’s businesses – Avolites, LSC, Anolis and Artistic Licence – occupied their own areas surrounding the main Robe stand, demonstrating the bi-directional synergies between all of these and capitalising on the buzz and positivity o

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13 September 2024

Germany - Arri has announced the Arri SkyPanel S60 Pro. The latest addition to the SkyPanel family combines the benefits of the classic SkyPanel S60-C with innovative updates that service the needs of today’s professionals while delivering cost-performance and versatility.

To satisfy the increasing demands of production workflows, SkyPanel S60 Pro offers new and enhanced technical features. The digital twin, an exact replica of the luminaire in Unreal Engine, developed by Arri Solutions, offers “unparalleled customisation and control throughout the entire production chain”. This digital twin reduces workloads and improves efficiency in preproduction, on set, and in post-production by allowing crews to quickly synchronise real-world and virtual camera and lighting systems for live collaboration.

Enhanced serviceability is also featured with Clou