France - L-Acoustics is to be the platinum sponsor of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) International Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement Conference in Le Mans France from 23 to 26 January 2024. Arica Rust, member of the Education & Scientific Outreach division at L-Acoustics is co-chairing the conference, whose objective is to bring together the minds of leading researchers and practitioners to discuss new ideas and to foster the next generation of industry innovators through the promotion of inclusivity and diversity. The conference organising board consists of members of the AES Technical Committee on Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement, among others: Arica Rust, Manuel Melon, Adam Hill, Elena Shabalina, Marcel Kok, Hannah Goodine, Etienne Corteel, David Williams, Peter Mapp, Eddy Bøgh Brixen, and Pierrick Lotton. The event will be hosted at and is being
UK - Focusrite plc has announced the acquisition of UK-based Sheriff Technology Limited, trading as OutBoard, the company behind both TiMax immersive audio solutions and OutBoard stage rigging motor control products and PAT4 enterprise electrical safety testing. They will join the Audio Reproduction division of the Focusrite Group alongside Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, and Linea Research. Founded in 2001 by Robin Whittaker and David Haydon, OutBoard is a UK-based company specialising in innovative entertainment technologies, which it sells globally. Operating under two sub-brands - TiMax and OutBoard - its products are vital for professionals in the audiovisual industry, particularly in live performances, event management, and the rapidly expanding sector of immersive sound experiences. TiMax are pioneers in immersive sound, specialising in innovative audio and show co
Eurovision 2024 - Olly Alexander will represent the United Kingdom at next year's Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden. The former Years and Years frontman will hope to improve on the UK's disappointing performance this year, when Mae Muller came second to last. Alexander is already known around Europe for hits including Desire, King and If You're Over Me. The star's participation was revealed during the final of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday, months before the BBC usually confirms its Eurovision plans. "I love Eurovision so much, it's a dream come true," he told host Claudia Winkleman. "I'm just so, so excited." In a press release, he added: "I really can't believe I'm going to be a part of such a special legacy and fly the flag for the UK in the gayest way possible. I'm determined to give it everything I've got and put on an excellent and unfor
Australia - Seoul-born but now Bondi-based artist Vicki Lee recently opened her new gallery space in the neon-lit landscape of Potts Point, Australia. A love letter to Sydney, the gallery celebrated its launch with Lee’s new exhibition The Sound of Yellow. Playing with solfeggio frequencies - which have been proven to reduce stress, improve sleep and increase creativity - Genelec helped plug guests into the introspective exhibition. The project began with Genelec’s Australian distribution partner Studio Connections, who were introduced to Lee through a mutual friend. Always advocating for the sonic power of Genelec, Studio Connections knew straight away that the brand would be an excellent choice for Lee’s immersive project. “It was a challenging concept which pushed us out of our comfort zone, but as we were relying on a Genelec system, we knew that the resul
Denmark - Forty Astera NYX Bulbs were central to a kinetic light sculpture that was created for London-based creative agency Audience’s design for a recent Deloitte Shared Services Conference (SSC) staged at the Bella Centre, Copenhagen. Audience’s project director for the event, Neil Scrivener, working on it for the third year, explained that the Deloitte team wanted the SSC’s plenary sessions to be staged in the round, which presented challenges for both set and scenic designs as nice clean 360-degree sightlines are vital. Audience’s creative team, led by client and strategy director Stephen McIntosh, proposed a scheme for a contemporary plenary space incorporating two large 20m-wide x 4-metre-deep LED screens with a special ‘light feature’ above the stage. They then worked with Neil and lighting designer Paul van dan Heijkant - working on the eve
UAE - In November 2023, aviation companies and organisations descended on the new Dubai World Central aerotropolis for the biennial Dubai Airshow. The 645,000sq.m site, which features a purpose-built 42,870sq.m exhibition hall - about the size of seven football fields welcomed some 1,046 exhibitors from 60 countries and drew a trade attendee intake of 60,692. Such a massive event required an equally massive amount of rigging, with Tarsus Group contracting Unusual Rigging and Engineering to handle the task. “In total we provided more than 900 rigging points - 750 of which are hoists, along with more than 2000 metres of truss”, said Unusual rigger, Khalid Ali. “The 2023 airshow has broken all records for us, with only the 2009 event coming close in terms of scale.” URE has been contracted to provide the rigging for both the Dubai Airshow and MEBAA for over
Poland - As the year draws to a close, clubbers eagerly awaited the conclusion of the Polish DJ Championships, organised for the fifth consecutive year by Clubsound Management. This hotly anticipated showdown brought together the most talented club players, all vying for the coveted title of the ‘Best in the Art’. Past champions Mave, SPLT, PLK, and Wilga have paved the way, and on 9 December, the next champion emerged at Warsaw's Explosion Club. The semi-final auditions kicked off at 11am, featuring 20 semi-finalists. In a format introduced in 2019, participants selected one of 10 flash drives with music and had 20 minutes to prepare their 10-minute competition set. The jury, consisting of renowned DJs, club residents, event organisers, and the editor-in-chief of DJ title, Shining Beats, carefully evaluated each performance. The top three DJs -Korn, DJ PLK, and D
UK - Free Your Mind: The Matrix is the immersive, dance-based reimagining of the ‘90s movie franchise, created specifically as the opening event for Manchester’s impressive new cultural space within Factory International. The brainchild of director Danny Boyle - who teamed up with choreographer Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy, composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante of Boy Blue, designer Es Devlin and writer Sabrina Mahfouz - the epic vision behind the production inevitably pulled the UK’s most creative talent into its orbit. Sound design is by Gareth Fry, who specified TiMax SoundHub to handle the complex spatial audio requirements of The Warehouse where the event’s main action takes place. The production moves from the smaller theatre space in Aviva Studios after the interval and significantly scales up into the vast 21m-high Warehouse, with its aircraft hangar proport
France - On 12 November in Paris, 163 Robert Juliat Dalis 862 footlights took part in the Chiroptera show, a collaborative project by JR, Damien Jalet and Thomas Bangalter. The public gathered at the Place de l'Opéra watched an impressive 20-minute ballet in front of the façade of the Palais Garnier, which was dressed in a huge trompe-l'œil fresco revealing the entrance to a cave, that masked the scaffolding currently covering the façade of the building as it is being restored. "We worked closely with the three artists behind the project, and came up with a very specific lighting concept," says Antoine D'Halluin, associate director of Concept K, a French company specialising in artistic creation. "We had to use lighting to serve the show while ensuring all the technology required for such a creation remained invisible to the audience. We therefore deliberately deci
UK - As the year draws to a close, Backup Tech warmly acknowledges the exceptional individuals whose unwavering dedication and adventurous spirit have helped to bolster the charity's fundraising efforts. "We extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has gone above and beyond to support our cause, from the passionate participants to the generous donors and committed supporters,” says Backup’s Jess Allan. “Together, we can truly impact the lives of individuals within our industry." November saw artistic creation, Black Hole - End of Time, conceived by award-winning lighting designer and musician, Paul Alty, return in spectacular fashion, captivating audiences with its immersive experience. Over three nights, the event raised funds for Backup Tech as well as the host venue, Old Christ Church in Liverpool. Paul's dedication to fundraising resulted in
Malaysia - Architectural lighting control manufacturer Visual Productions has announced a distribution agreement with Acoustic & Lighting Systems, a solution provider with headquarters in Malaysia and local offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. This collaboration marks a significant step forward for both companies in delivering lighting control solutions to the system integration market in South East Asia. "We are thrilled to partner with Acoustic & Lighting Systems, a company with a rich presence in the system integration market in South East Asia. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our vision of providing advanced lighting control solutions to architects, designers, and system integrators in the region," says Maarten Engels, managing director at Visual Productions. Eugene Yeo, general manager at Acoustic & Lighting says: "Acoustic &
Portugal - World Youth Day was first celebrated in 1985 at the invitation of Pope John Paul II, who organised a gathering in Rome on Palm Sunday to celebrate the Youth Jubilee of the Holy Year of Redemption. Sixty thousand young Catholics were expected, but 250,000 people from different countries came. Today, the event is celebrated every three to four years in a different country. In 2023, World Youth Day took place over six days in Lisbon, attracting over 1.5m attendees. The largest event ever to be hosted in the city of Lisbon, the expansive, 100-hectare riverside Parque Tejo served as the primary location, with a massive stage and a series of screens and audio systems set up along a 3.5km-long open-air space to accommodate the international audience. Supporting the event with concert audio capable of serving the massive crowds was an L-Acoustics K Series sound sy
UAE - The Laserworld Group and Pro Lab Trading, one of the region’s largest distribution companies for entertainment technology, have announced a new partnership to distribute laser systems in the Middle East. Pro Lab has a well-established distribution structure all over the region, matching the broad portfolio of laser systems manufactured by the Laserworld Group - from entry-level effects to high-end quality lasers. “It is great that we found such a strong, well-respected partner in the Middle East region, with offices in many countries with highly trained staff”, states Denis Phoenix, sales director of Laserworld. “It will be a great benefit to have a good stock holding in the region for quicker delivery and support for our customers. Pro Lab has a proven track record in the region, and our products perfectly complement their range of distributed products.”
UK - Ahead of the 2024 PLASA trade events, industry professionals and students are invited to shape their educational experience by sharing ideas via a short survey which closes midnight Monday 8 January 2024. PLASA Focus Leeds and PLASA Show London - which attract 2,000+ and 6,500+ attendees respectively - are renowned for offering free education programmes that enable individuals to learn from the best in the business and gain insights into the evolution of the live event and entertainment industry. The bi-annual education programmes are designed to provide deep dive sessions and practical experiences with experts, developing talent and generating fresh ideas. Previous content has included sessions with Ed Sheeran’s production team, this year’s Eurovision lighting designer and Stormzy’s Glastonbury sound engineer. To ensure that PLASA’s upcoming progra
New Zealand - The recent integration of an Allen & Heath dLive system into Kaylee Bell's Boots 'N All tour brought about a transformation, enhancing the performance experience for both the renowned New Zealand singer-songwriter and her band. As someone who wears multiple hats during the live show, Kaylee Bell's front-of-house engineer and production manager Joshua Anderson described the arrival of the dLive system supplied by Jansen Pro Audio as a game changer for both him and the performers. "Eliminating the task of maintaining show files for multiple consoles has saved me endless amounts of time and has brought a whole new level of consistency to everything,” said Anderson. One of the stand-out features of the dLive system is its DEEP processing capabilities, which have left the production team astounded. The ability to use onboard processing like DYN8, a pow
USA - Jackson Browne recently wrapped up another successful tour, including four back-to-back performances at New York’s Beacon Theatre with long time lighting provider, Bandit Lites. Bandit supplied lighting designer Chris Stuba with a package consisting of Ayrton Ghibli, Chauvet Rogue R2X Washes, Elation Seven Batten 72, Martin MAC Viper Profiles, Robe Robin LEDWash 600 and VL 3600 Spots. Browne’s long-time production manager Dennis Scrimo gave Stuba carte blanche with the lighting (“as long as it didn’t suck,” Stuba noted.) “I try to set a mood and stay out of the way,” he explained. “It is an old school show with very little movement: there is nothing symmetrical in the rig and I use no gobos on the band.” With Browne forgoing follow spots, Stuba relies on the VL 3600 Spots for key lighting saying: “They have a nice colour for an LED fix
Italy - Sondrio has been transformed into an enchanting Christmas landscape with a mesmerizing light show, made possible by the Prolights Mosaico range image projectors. The project, managed by communication agency Sviluppo Creativo and rental company Liteo Tech, turned Campello Square into a captivating snowy setting with projections of the Enchanted Forest, created using the Prolights Mosaico and Mosaico L projectors. In total, 13 units of projectors were utilised, customised with gobos and animation wheels, also crafted by Prolights. These versatile projectors designed for outdoor installations played a crucial role in establishing an immersive Christmas atmosphere in the main square of Sondrio. The decision to opt for Prolights Mosaico projectors was driven by the pursuit of flexibility and quality. Daniele Licchetta, the lighting designer of the Liteo Tech team, e
UK - Celebro is a global broadcast TV company that rents out production and studio space around the world. All studios are located in prime city centre locations in Washington DC, New York and London - and all boast quality broadcasting equipment, including a wide range of kit from Doughty Engineering. The London studio recently moved to a new location - from Portland House near Oxford Circus to the old Hospital Club in Covent Garden. And, because the team are such big fans of Doughty, they decided to take all their kit with them. Wesley Dodd, CEO, Celebro explained; “We have always had Doughty rails as part of our system and in Portland House, the ceilings weren’t particularly high so they did the job. However, in our new location, there was already an amazing Doughty Lighting Rail which was put in by the previous owners. This was essentially made from Doughty sca
South Africa - The Globe is a 2,200sq.m multipurpose event venue at the heart of Durban’s Suncoast entertainment and leisure complex. It’s one of KZN’s and the country’s most popular event spaces and recently took delivery of new Robe Painte and LEDWash 600+ moving lights. The new fixtures are part of an ongoing upgrade programme that ensures the venue systems stay abreast of the latest and most appropriate production technologies to offer their clients and guests, and were delivered by Robe’s South African distributor, DWR. At the centre of the drive to get the new kit was Thabo Ntsala, audio visual specialist / manager for Suncoast Casino, Hotels & Entertainment. As head of the technical department in Durban, Thabo is responsible for the technical teams looking after all the audio and visual infrastructure in the complex, its ongoing technical r
USA - Country-bluegrass band The Turnpike Troubadours are continuing their hit US A Cat in the Rain Tour with Ayrton Zonda 9 FX and Zonda 3 FX LED moving head washes, Bora LED beams and washes, and Khamsin LED profiles dominating the rig. The tour, which kicked off last summer, follows the August release of the band’s album of the same name. It wraps at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas just before New Year’s Eve. Nashville-based independent lighting designer and programmer Joshua Schultz has been working with The Turnpike Troubadours for the last two years. In designing the tour, he wanted to “keep the focus on the band and not go over the top with a gigantic rig. We have to be able to scale to the size of the venue, which ranges from 5,000-seat theatres to 14,000-seat arenas.” Schultz also wanted “an entire rig of Ayrton fixtures”, a goal he achie
UK - London’s Royal Albert Hall has continued its progressive upgrade to LED with the installation of 80 Martin Professional ELP PAR fixtures. The fixtures were supplied by White Light, via Martin’s UK distributor Sound Technology. Jon Vivash, lighting operations manager, Royal Albert Hall, confirmed the new fixtures have been installed in six groups of six in the gallery, a further six groups of six in the circle, and an additional four either side of the organ for the choirs. All are predominantly used for the lighting of audience seating areas. “The Martin ELP PARs have opened up a huge range of looks in the house for both spoken word, when soft audience glows are required, to rock’n’roll ACL looks and strong saturated colours immersing the audience,” Jon explained. The initial decision to upgrade the existing tungsten fixtures was partly influence
Canada - The Wolf Performance Hall is a concert hall, theatre, and meeting facility in downtown London, Ontario, located within the London Public Library. A fully accessible 369-seat theatre and cultural hub, Wolf Performance Hall’s tiered seating, excellent sightlines and outstanding acoustics make it one of the city’s most sought-after venues for performers and audience members alike. The venue recently upgraded to a full EM Acoustics sound solution, installed by local integrators, Armor Pro in collaboration with OCTAV Integrated Design and Contact Distribution. “The venue required a system that would provide even SPL coverage front to back without obstructing sight lines. Due to the multi-use nature of the venue, a left-centre-right configuration with a centre cluster dedicated to lecture and movie applications was also part of the initial brief,” explains V
USA - Four hours and twenty-two minutes is a long time; about an hour longer than it takes to fly from New York to Miami, almost twice as long as the average NBA game, and even longer than Bruce Springsteen’s longest show, a four-hour-and-six-minute performance that took place in Helsinki in 2012. Yet this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony ran that long without a dull moment. There was plenty to captivate the live audience at Barclays Centre, as well as those who watched the livestream on Disney+, from the touching (Adam Levine singing Faith to honour the late inductee George Michael), to the electrifying, when no one remained seated as Missy Elliot, decked out in a glittering gold suit and backed up by an abundance of dancers, rattled the arena with a fiery medley of her hits. Supporting the diverse marathon (there were 14 inductees, p
Argentina - UK loudspeaker manufacturer PMC has appointed Planeta Analogico as its distributor in Argentina, with responsibility for its range of professional monitoring products. Based in Buenos Aires, Planeta Analogico was established in the early 2000’s by CEO and founder Daniel Paracha. The company represents more than 40 high-end pro audio brands including API, Audient, Chandler, Crane Song, Eventide, Maselec, Telefunken and Weiss. Commenting on the appointment, Daniel Paracha says: “We are delighted to be distributing PMC as we see a huge potential for the brand in Argentina. PMC’s result6 nearfield monitors, along with the PMC6, PMC6-2, PMC8-2 and associated subwoofers, are all products that can open up the market because they are the best professional studio monitors you can buy at this price range. They are perfect ambassadors for the entire PMC profess