UK - A ground breaking interactive audio installation is bringing China's 6,300 km Yangtze River to London Gatwick, using actual sounds recorded on the river.

Delta Sound have installed Bose FreeSpace DS100SEs along the length of the 194m Gatwick skybridge linking Pier 6 to Gatwick's North Terminal, to give passengers a real taste of the sounds of the river all the way from source to mouth.

The installation features over 100 hours of authentic sounds taken directly from 35 locations on the Yangtze, and complemented by a wall of colourful imagery showcasing the wildlife, nature and people who call the river home.

Called A Living River, the installation celebrates the work of HSBC's Water Programme and 15-year partnership with WWF, and was created by J Walter Thompson

UK - S+H Technical supplied 360m of their ShowLED animation cloth, 20m of 1 and 2m Pea-light strings and 2000 x 4-channel DMX controlled Pea-lights - used to decorate three Christmas trees - for The Abba Christmas Party, a TV special produced by Thames, part of FreemantleMedia UK at the London Studios on the South Bank. The show was broadcast on Christmas Eve's ITV 1 prime time.

Production designer Joshua Grace created the 'Abba Lodge' - a super Christmassy, fun-filled Scandinavian inspired environment - in a nod to Abba's Swedish roots - and Festive Cabin for presenter Paddy McGuinness, who was joined by a host of music, TV and theatre stars.

They performed a wide range of Abba songs and shared their own personal Abba memories in a series of chat-style session, all celebrating of 41 years since Abba released their Greatest Hits album in 1975. An exclusive inte

UK - Space Productions, the in-house company at off-West End fringe venue the Space, has brought an original play, The Lighthouse, to its boards for the post-Christmas period. The play is written by promising new playwright Rachael Claye, who was recently long-listed for the Old Vic 12 mentoring scheme.

Resident Space sound designer, Keri Danielle Chesser has defined a complex 3D soundscape for the production, bringing the play truly alive for the audience, and once again using TiMax Soundhub 3D audio showcontrol matrix.

In this production, Chesser connects sound effects playback directly from the QLab Macbook into TiMax via a MOTU UltraLite MK3 Hybrid interface, which also provides MIDI commands from QLab. TiMax Group faders are used for any live volume changes, while all other mix elements are handled within QLab, with TiMax providing spatialisation via MIDI trigger

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Case Study: Hans Zimmer Live

When award winning film composer Hans Zimmer brought his smash-hit tour Hans Zimmer Live to North America fall 2024, the show's audio team sought out to bring infrafrequency bass to the show to add new depth to the show's audio experience. The team chose Danley Sound Labs.

UK - HD Pro Audio has announced five new dates for Avid Venue | S6L training. The first session is being held on 26 January, with subsequent events on 29 February, 15 March, 19 April and 17 May.

The events will take place at John Henry's Studio Three in London N7 and will give engineers a comprehensive view of the features and operation of this advanced console, with some hands-on opportunity.

Training places are free, but limited, so anyone interested in attending should contact HD Pro Audio at info@hdproaudio.co.uk as soon as possible.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Snape Maltings Concert Hall is a world-renowned venue situated in the heart of the Suffolk countryside. Amongst its various performance spaces is the Britten Studio - a 350 seat venue that often plays host to full orchestral rehearsals, small-scale opera performances, piano concerts and literary festivals. Wanting to replace their previous dimmer system, Snape Maltings called upon White Light to provide the latest technology to fulfil their various lighting requirements, with the LSC GenVI Advanced Dimming System offering the perfect solution.

Geoff Spain, technical coordinator at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, comments, "We knew for some time that we needed to upgrade our current system as it hadn't changed since the Britten Studio first opened in 2009. As this was such a significant purchase, we needed to ensure that we made the correct decision hence we wanted to see

The Netherlands - VUE Audiotechnik has appointed Ron Vogel Audio (RVA), based in Zwanenburg, as its exclusive dealer for the Netherlands. RVA will facilitate distributor-like services such as sales demonstrations and service of VUE Audiotechnik products across the country, as well as specify VUE products for various permanent installation projects. The relationship will help reinforce VUE's presence across Europe, working closely with VUE Europa in Germany and augmenting existing distributor offices in Italy and Norway. RVA will present VUE Audiotechnik products at the upcoming CUE 2016 tradeshow taking place in Rotterdam on January 18th - 20th.

Owner Ron Vogel has worked in the pro audio industry for more than 40 years as a front-of-house engineer, monitor engineer and tour manager for local and international bands. Ron chose to quit the road and became a sales manager for a m

USA - For the second straight year, the 2015 Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Orlando featured a Meyer Sound Leo Family loudspeaker system on its main stage. One of the most important electronic dance music (EDM) events on the East Coast, EDC Orlando showcased some of the biggest names in EDM including Tiësto, Calvin Harris, Kaskade, and Eric Prydz. The artists played to a sold-out audience of 60,000 over two days at Tinker Field.

"My first reaction to Leo is that I was working in front of a system unlike any other," says Fabrizio Piazzini, FOH engineer for international EDM superstar Calvin Harris. "It has precision, clarity and punch - and all of those elements are redefined by these loudspeakers. Also, the headroom is incredible - I don't think I hit the limiters on any component. The sound was very relaxed, even at high SPLs."

Piazzini has found that mi

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BikeFest Spain 2025 - Join the ride!

BikeFest Spain is set to return for its fourth consecutive year, inviting cyclists from across the industry to join the 360km ride towards ISE in Barcelona. From 31 January to 2 February 2025, riders will again rally in Valencia, cycling along the Mediterranean coast in support of industry causes.
For more information and to sign up, visit: www.joinbikefest.com

USA - The animated clock on the big building counted down as 2015 came to an end. A large crowd gathered in the streets to watch the glistening ball drop to welcome the new year. This was not Times Square, though - this was Baltimore. At GAME Sports & Spirits in the heart of the city between the Baltimore Ravens' M&T Bank Stadium and Horseshoe Casino, X-Laser projectors generated vivid laser effects to help create the atmosphere for Baltimore's first New Year's Eve ball drop.

X-Laser supplied the laser projectors and custom content to create a 20-by-40ft outdoor digital laser sign visible throughout the city. "Lasers are uniquely suited for long-distance, high-contrast projections and can render very large, high-visibility content quite easily," Dan Goldsmith, president of X-Laser, said. "The organizers of Baltimore's first ball drop were able to achieve their vi

The Netherlands - Being launched at ISE 2016 will be Baldwin Boxall's latest microphone which features a clear, seven inch, capacitive touchscreen display. Using the same sleek profile as the BVRD and BDM microphone ranges Baldwin Boxall's new touchscreen microphone will be compatible with established VIGIL2 systems, providing users with the option to swap out current microphones, should they wish to do so.

The new touchscreen microphone is easy to use and enables total control of a VIGIL2 voice evacuation system. In the event of a fire, or other evacuation emergency, the new microphone has the ability to take top priority, enabling the operator to take full control of the situation.

During the commissioning stage of an installation, it will be a straightforward procedure to set up the microphone for any size of system. The layout and display (like Baldwin Boxall's already p

Italy - With the release of the latest version of Armonía Pro Audio Suite 2.7.0, Powersoft's proprietary digital signage monitoring and processing software, the company has unleashed further major features and DSP power in its continually evolving roadmap.

The update, now available for download, includes the new speaker preset v2 (.spk2) file format; this file can be copied directly onto X Series amplifiers with a USB stick, to be recalled later on desired channels via the WebApp interface.

X Series and Ottocanali DSP+D amplifiers are now able to act as totally configurable Dante sources, with the option to stream out eight processed or unprocessed signals. Standalone analogue to Dante converters are therefore no longer necessary in complex installations, and direct monitoring of the DSP processing can be easily achieved in third party measurement software such as Smaart v7

The Netherlands - Ampetronic will launch its new D Series, Digital Signal Processing (DSP), networkable driver range, at ISE Amsterdam in February 2016.

The D Series range will initially consist of 10 and 14 Amp dual output drivers. At a maximum of 14 amps per loop output the D14-2 driver is the most powerful product currently available and both drivers in the D Series are class D products; meaning a 60%+ increase in energy efficiency over existing solutions and unparalleled flexibility come as standard, says the company.

In another first for high-power Class D Induction Loop drivers, installation can be performed with confidence as unique multi stage filtering ensures compatibility with other system equipment as well as global EMC regulations.

Commissioning a system becomes more streamlined with the new D Series drivers; test tones are built in and the amplifiers can be

USA - AV service provider LCD Vision works with many high-end clients, notably the aircraft manufacturer Airbus that entrusted the company with the organisation of several of its national and international events. One such event includes the recent International Congress of Airbus' Suppliers in Alabama.

The congress took place at the Arthur Outlaw Convention Center and welcomed more than 300 guests. For video live production, LCD Vision opted for Analog Way's Ascender 48, a powerful multi-screen seamless switcher with soft-edge blending capabilities.

Laurent Puget, founder of LCD Vision explains this choice: "We used to set up our events utilizing several Analog Way devices simultaneously: Di-VentiX II, Pulse and Orchestra; but control room started to become too complex, especially in terms of cabling. Thanks to the Ascender 48 we were able to easily achieve a demanding

UK - This week sees the launch of a new antiques quiz show, For What It's Worth. The series, for BBC One and produced by Tuesday's Child, is "a strategic quiz with simple games plus the thrilling play-a-long of guessing the value of interesting antiques".

Fern Britton takes on the role as quiz master and will be joined by a different antiques expert each week. Over three rounds, three pairs of contestants will compete to collect as many of the antiques on offer, hoping to bag the most treasurable items and avoid the tat.

For What It's Worth is filmed at Dock 10, Salford and lit by Roger Williams, supported by Richard Martin Lighting (RML). This type of show needs a modest lighting rig and the main unit used for this series is the MAC Aura.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Chroma-Q has announced the appointment of Jessica Allan, in a new international business development role.

With immediate effect, Jessica is responsible for overseeing development of the Chroma-Q brand in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) and APAC (Asia-Pacific) international sales territories. This position is a result of Chroma-Q's continued strong ongoing growth in the global entertainment and commercial lighting markets.

Based in the UK, Jessica will work closely with Chroma-Q's brand manager, John Fuller, to promote their fast-growing portfolio of lighting solutions designed for entertainment, film & TV, architectural and other key market segments.

Jessica established her career at Martin Professional, progressing during her 14 years from their UK subsidiary to the company's Danish headquarters. She then moved into an events and production-focussed busines

USA - Known for decades as an artistic innovator, Berkeley Repertory Theatre now becomes a world-leading innovator in theatrical technologies with the recent installation of a Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system. When it reopens for its first production, the renovated Peet's Theatre will be the first venue designed principally for dramatic presentations in North America to provide audiences with the sonic advantages of Constellation.

Constellation instantly transforms the acoustics of a performance space, enabling a venue to enfold audiences in a host of different ambient sonic characteristics. Constellation's ability to provide an optimum balance of late reverberant sounds for musical performances makes it invaluable for multipurpose halls such as UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall or Jazz at Lincoln Centre's Appel Room, but the technology is proving increasingly popular in s

USA - The ESTA Control Protocols Plugfest, the event where manufacturers and developers can test their products for interoperability with other manufacturers' products, is scheduled to take place 29 January 29 through 1 February at the D/FW Marriott Solana in Westlake, Texas. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Attendees bring controllers, intelligent lights, control protocol analysers, and various other tools and devices, in an effort to seek out and resolve interoperability challenges. People attend from all around the world to plug into this network and improve their products.

The Plugfest was originally created to support the Remote Device Management protocol (ANSI E1.20 RDM), but covers all ESTA Control Protocols Working Group (CPWG) standards, including the popular ANSI E1.31 Streaming ACN protocol.

The scheduled hours are 4:00-11:00pm on Friday, 30 January, 9:00am-11:00

Indonesia - A cutting-edge package of Clay Paky fixtures has been installed into a new super club in Jakarta that promises partygoers "an unrivalled audio-visual experience".

Owned by one of Jakarta's most prominent nightlife companies Alexis Group, Colosseum is a huge 1000sq.m arena with 16m high ceilings that hosts world class DJs, international artists and vast themed parties.

Spain-based multimedia production company and supplier LEDsCONTROL supplied and installed 30 of the award-winning Clay Paky Mythos, 16 A.leda B-EYE K20s, 16 Sharpys and 10 Alpha Spot 700 HPE fixtures into the space.

"Alexis Group approached us to support their vision of creating the most spectacular and trailblazing venue in Jakarta's club scene," explains project manager Miquel Perez de Hita. "We immediately put forward a lighting package of Clay Paky fixtures as we were

UK - Having piloted the mix for every tour the Stereophonics have undertaken since they set out two decades ago (hardly missing a show in the process), their FOH engineer Dave Roden has become perfectly at ease with the Martin Audio MLA system that seamlessly replaced the former W8L Longbow on the last tour.

"I knew I had backed a winning horse after being given the choice of which PA to move up to after Longbow. There were various options but I chose MLA and have had no regrets with that decision," he says. "I can now just sit back in my seat without needing to walk the floor, knowing the system will sound the same everywhere in the arena."

When he arrived at London's O2 Arena it was off the back of a gig at the Brighton Centre the previous evening where the experience had been matchless. "[Brighton] is such a lovely room to mix in and very like a s

South Korea - Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K10 luminaires are part of a sophisticated lighting system that provides visitors with an immersive viewing experience at Grévin Seoul, the first Asian location of the famous waxwork museum Grévin Paris.

Located near one of Seoul's busiest shopping districts, Myeong-dong, Grévin Seoul opened in July this year. It offers visitors the chance to take selfies with 80 life-size wax models of world-renowned public figures and celebrities. The exhibit is spread over four floors in different themed rooms.

Korean distributor Tongsuh Technology Co. supplied and installed 19 of the Clay Paky fixtures into the museum's Hall of Fame room. Situated on the second floor, this section displays waxworks of stars such as Angelina Jolie and Korean pop sensation Psy. It invites visitors to 'make unforgettable memories with your favourite

Japan - Japan-based rock band Crossfaith has built quite a name for itself at home and abroad since its founding in 2006. Featuring members Koie Kenta (lead vocals), Takemura Kazuki (lead guitar), Amano Tatsuya (drums), Tamano Terufumi (keyboards, programming, backing vocals) and Ikegawa Hiroki (bass guitar), the band's distinctive metalcore sound is delivered with Audio-Technica microphones on stage and in the studio.

Crossfaith uses a variety of Audio-Technica microphones, including the ATM250 hypercardioid dynamic instrument microphone, the AT4021 cardioid condenser and the AT4047 large-diaphragm condenser among others. Recently the band also started using the Audio-Technica System 10 Digital Wireless System for guitar and bass.

Kazuki notes, "Our stage performance means everything to us. We're all about moving all over and going crazy. So that's why we decided to us

USA - Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO), one of the world's leading manufacturers of electric chain hoist and rigging products, has pledged its support for ESTA's Technical Standards Program by becoming a visionary level 'Investor in Innovation'. By making a five-year pledge of $10,000 per year, Columbus McKinnon is helping to ensure the survival of a program that they have long championed.

On announcing the sponsorship Ken Tilson, vertical market specialist - entertainment, stated, "Columbus McKinnon is excited about the opportunity to support ESTA's TSP which is vitally important for the Entertainment Industry. The TSP members are entertainment subject matter experts who develop and create industry specific technical standards and recommended best practices. CMCO specifically participates in the Rigging Working Group and has actively done so for many years. We are com

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