UK - The Architect is a celebratory and stirring immersive theatrical experience, taking place entirely on a London bus. Commemorating the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence 30 years on, and inspired by his ambition to become an architect, the show uses performance, music and spectacle to explore the lives of black Londoners, imagining the potential of uninterrupted black lives and the hopes, ambitions and dreams that accompany this. The lighting for this special project was designed by Chris McDonnell, who approached White Light, a d&b solutions company, to supply her lighting equipment. Unlike more traditional pieces of theatre, The Architect sees its audience members board a London double-decker bus which then travels to different parts of the city, as well as back and forth through time. So how did Chris approach such a different production? She explains:
USA - With an enduring legacy spanning more than five decades, the members of Chicago rock band Styx are still showing no signs of calling it quits. In fact, the group is currently out on the road supporting its 17th studio album, Crash of the Crown, in the final stretch of a 95-date 2023 US tour that runs into November. And while Styx may be relying on local “racks and stacks” at the various host venues on their latest trek, the band’s audio crew has opted to carry a Solotech-supplied control package built upon twin DiGiCo SD12-96 consoles for FOH and monitor mix consistency. Chris Hoff, better known as ‘Cookie’ has worked with the band on and off for more than half of its history, originally starting out as a stage patch/monitor tech in 1997. Following eight years as the band’s monitor engineer, plus various stints as systems engineer, Hoff has spe
UAE - Created by Tomorrowland, Terra Solis is a new multi-purpose venue located just 40 minutes outside Dubai. Featuring luxurious accommodation options, a swimming pool, and a host of Tomorrowland elements, including a restaurant, bar, and a shisha lounge, this desert oasis sprawls over an expanse of 371,000sq.m. Working in close partnership with L-Acoustics distributor in Dubai, Levels AV, has designed and delivered an L-Acoustics K3 system that injects the manufacturer’s sonic signature into the venue. "We were delighted when Tomorrowland's partner company approached us for this project," says Richard Prior, head of operations at Levels AV. "They wanted the very best audio for their venue, and as we have a long-standing relationship with L-Acoustics, we recommended them as the top choice, which perfectly aligned with their view of L-Acoustics as industry leaders.
Italy - More than 70 Claypaky lights were used to illuminate the inaugural Eurovolley match at the Verona Arena. The project was conceived by Mequadro Service’s lighting designer Andrea Coppini and the company owner Emanuele Mazzi, with support from Claypaky product specialist Alessandro Melegaro. The event marked the return of top sporting events to the temple of Italian opera, which was transformed into an open-air sports stadium in less than 24 hours. Emanuele Mazzi explained how the idea for this rig came about: “We were asked to include something awesome for this unusual event. In addition to illuminating the field, we put together lighting effects on the stalls and the audience, and created beams visible from afar to make the Arena look even more impressive.” “To create these effects, we chose the Skylos and the Arolla Aqua," Andrea Coppini continued. "We
UK - Creative Technology are a long-term provider of Audio-Visual services to the Ryder Cup with the 2023 edition being the 10th European competition the company has supported. Over a 36-year period the scope and complexity of delivery has increased massively from a single screen measuring 48m2 in 1985 to a 2023 equipment inventory including 2,500m2 of ROE LED display modules configured as 28 screens ranging in size from 21m2 to a massive 180m2 on the stage in the village used for the opening ceremony and as a central viewing area throughout the competition. All together a total of over 100 million pixels were delivered across the Maro Simone course. The screens however are only half the story, an additional 600 televisions (typically 55” and 65”) are deployed throughout the corporate hospitality and retail/merchandise facilities, all connected on a course-wide IPTV netw
Just For One Day - Live Aid, one of the most famous concerts of all time, is to become a stage musical in London next year. The original event, at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1985, was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The musical, called Just For One Day, will feature songs played that day by acts including Queen, U2, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Sting. It will be on at London's Old Vic Theatre from 26 January to 30 March. One thing that Geldof wants to make very clear is that there will not be anyone pretending to be the singers. "This isn't a tribute thing. I wouldn't have anything to do with that. So, there isn't a person dressed up as Freddie wearing a crap moustache. The songs drive the drama along," he says. The plot of Just For One Day, named after a line in David Bowie's Heroes, wi
UK - HIVE is celebrating the end of a busy summer. Over the past months, HIVE’s products, including its newly released BeeBlade series, have been deployed across a variety of projects from music festivals to interactive experiences. HIVE’s media engines have powered visuals to accompany several big-name acts at festivals in several countries. This summer, renowned electronic artist, Eric Prydz, took to the stage at Tomorrowland in Belgium, Sonar Festival in Spain and Coachella in the USA. His show, aptly named HOLO, utilises high-resolution, high frame-rate 3D animation. HIVE products played a pivotal role in enabling the playback of these visuals, with four Player_2 media players responsible for silky-smooth playback across enormous screens. Two Player_2 units powered the main show machines, while the other two served as backups, guaranteeing a flawless p
Hungary - Described as a “powerhouse of music and visual arts”, the four-day Hungarian INOTA Festival was a joint initiative between the European Capital of Culture (this year Veszprém-Balaton) and the electronic music scene of Budapest (Electronic Beats) - thanks to a collaboration between promoter collective NVC and video and 3D projection company Centrum Production. The objective was to establish Hungary’s largest audio-visual festival, focusing not only on top music acts but also light installations, pixel mapping and unique visual works. Located a short distance from Lake Balaton in Várpalota, the venue was the thermal power plant of Inota - the largest industrial investment in Hungary back in the 1950s, with its three cooling towers. Closed since 2001, and set on a 225,000 sq.m facility, the INOTA Festival brought the 6,000 sq.m Turbine Hall back to life
USA - ADJ has appointed Image Marketing as its manufacturer’s representative for Southern California. Image Marketing was founded by Bob Rufkahr in 1980, and since then has represented some of the most prominent manufacturers in the AV and lighting industry. The company offers a variety of services tailored to meet the needs of their dealers and manufacturers. Since inception, Image Marketing's mission has always been to represent quality products from manufacturers and to act as a conduit between manufacturer and dealer with the end goal being to ensure that both entities achieve sales and profit growth. Today, Image Marketing is led by Bob’s son, Tony Rufkahr. “At Image Marketing, we are thrilled to partner with the ADJ Group and represent ADJ, Eliminator Lighting, Avante Audio, Accu-Cable and Accu-Stand in Southern California,” comments Tony Rufkahr.
South Africa - Rental and production company Sound Stylists has invested in 24 Robe Painte moving lights, the first part of an order that has been delivered via South African Distributor DWR, with more to follow soon. The new moving lights join around 300 other Robe luminaires in the Sound Stylists inventory and will be used on their diverse mix of corporate shows and events. Owner and founder Kevin Glover explained that they are in the process of consolidating and rationalising the lighting kit as work has steadily returned after the pandemic. They specifically wanted a compact LED fixture with shutters, and “something bright, reliable and with plenty of features to service indoor venues with a headroom of around 6 or 7m”, a size and level that constitutes a lot of their work. They have also enjoyed a long history with Robe, purchasing the original Co
Australia - The SRS Group and Showtools International have announced their mutual partnership has been extended to grant Showtools International exclusivity to distribute all SRS Group brands including the SRS Rigging range of products for Australia. "Having established the SRS Power and SRS Lighting brands as reliable and affordable products for the Australian market over the last two years, it was a logical step to include SRS Rigging so we are able to distribute and promote the entire SRS Group portfolio from under one banner," comments Showtools International managing director Robert Runko. "SRS Group make great products that are industry-focused and deliver performance far superior to other products on the market, they are designed with a high degree of understanding and innovation, built tough to handle the rigors of life on the road and backed up by an amazing w
UK - The original Sugababes made their moving O2 homecoming on 16 September. The 15,000 fans in attendance on that Saturday night not only eagerly embraced that chemistry, they expanded on it as well, creating a warm, emotional glow that transformed the entire arena. Ed Warren felt the energy too. “I just loved how the whole thing came together,” he recalled. “It wasn’t just the lighting, but also the choreography, the music, the lasers, the confetti - and most of all, the beautiful harmonies of the three iconic singers.” As the show’s lighting and stage designer, he supported the stars’ performance with a production that reflected the redolent moods that ran through every song in their 90-minute set. Running his Colour Sound Experiment supplied rig on his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium, Warren created myriad looks that ranged from flashy disco-like
Pakistan - Alfalite has announced its first project in Pakistan through its distributor World Wide Vision. The Senate of the Asian country has installed two 5 x 3m screens of the Alfalite Modularpix Pro 1.9 model with ORIM technology. The project has been developed by the brand's local dealer, World Wide Vision, based in IsIamabad, who is certified and trained by Alfalite to carry out the installations of the manufacturer's LED screens. The two displays, each with a resolution of 2560 x 1536 pixels, have a total of 120 Alfalite Modularpix Pro 1.9 LED panels and have been mounted on the plenary walls. The displays are managed by two Novastar VX1000 all-in-one controllers, also supplied by World Wide Vision. Luis Garrido, executive director of Alfalite, says: “We are very happy with this first installation in Pakistan and would like to congratulate our partner Wo
China - Opened in 2022, Pucheng Grand Theatre serves as a focus for cultural and performing arts activities for Pucheng County, in south-eastern China’s Fujian Province. As such, it hosts a varied programme of event and performance types. While its main auditorium can accommodate up to 951 audience members, the building also features a range of other event and performance spaces across its five levels, including a movie theatre and a conference hall. Unsurprisingly, its busy technical team must rely on solid communications to ensure smooth operations across the site. Responsible for the new venue’s audio system design, installation and commissioning was specialist AV solutions provider, EZPro. The company’s technical manager, FAN Gaoqing, says, “To meet the needs of the varied performances and activities, flexibility and stability is absolutely critical. The pr
UK - Widely known as the Home of Cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground is a 31,000-capacity sports destination that’s played host to some of history’s most noted matches. Since 2006, RH Consulting and RG Jones have provided Lord’s with bespoke audio solutions both on and off the pitch. This time round, a new Genelec loudspeaker system supplied by UK distributor Audiologic brought sophisticated audio to Lord’s members-only Long Room. The Long Room, once referred to as "the most evocative four walls in cricket", is known worldwide for its opulence. It sits as part of the Grade II listed Pavilion and frequently hosts elegant dinners, lunches and wedding receptions. The brief was for an enhanced entertainment system that could accommodate the events held in The Long Room. The space can quickly go from hosting grand lunches and dinners to jazz performances, small c
UAE - Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) has announced the expansion of its audio services through a substantial investment in d&b audiotechnik products. This strategic move positions CTME as the region's largest stockholder of d&b equipment. In 2022, CTME took the lead in introducing the XSL line array module to the region, showcasing their commitment to innovation. The expanded inventory includes an impressive range of d&b products, such as the AL-Series, Y-Series Point Source, V-Series Point Source, V-SUB, E-Series, S-Series, and D80 amplifiers. Wissam Shaheen, CTME’s head of audio, explains: “The debut of the XSL line array module has been particularly well-received, enabling us to deliver unparalleled sonic performance in even the most demanding environments. This, combined with our extensive d&b portfolio, ensures we are equipped to addre
Malta - Absen brought together over 100 of its European partners for a dedicated partner summit, at the end of September. Taking place on the striking island of Malta, the two-day summit provided Absen with the opportunity to convene with its high-level partners from across Europe, to share industry insights, to inspire new projects and to thank its partners for their on-going support. This year’s summit was sponsored by three of Absen’s key partners: Peerless-AV, Brompton and disguise. On day one, guests attended a conference with news, insights, panel discussions and interviews, as well as the opportunity to get hands-on with a range of Absen products, including the PL 2.5 Lite, Absenicon C138, KLCOB 0.9, CL 1.2pp and AX 1.5 powered by Brompton. In the evening and on day two, guests attended a host of networking and sightseeing opportunities to take full advantag
UK - Audiologic has announced a strategic partnership with Netvio, a developer and manufacturer of audio-video hardware and software solutions. As part of this collaboration, Audiologic will serve as the distributor of Netvio's solutions, expanding its portfolio of products and services to meet the growing demands of the professional audio industry. Netvio's specialised range of HDMI, HDBaseT, and AVoIP hardware provides comprehensive end-to-end solutions that encompass video, networking, software, and control. The H2, HT2, and JP4 series software products come with the latest configuration user interface, ensuring an optimal experience for installers, thereby achieving peak product performance. Inclusive, licence-free control applications allow for the seamless control of audio, video, displays, media sources, and third-party integration products, utilising the latest in us
UK - DiGiCo has announced the acquisition of UK-based live sound software developer and manufacturer, Fourier Audio. Fourier Audio’s team of software engineers and sound designers are focused on delivering live audio solutions that ‘enhance an engineer’s ability to create superior sounding performances.’ Over the last 24 months they have been developing a new platform bringing the power of studio audio software plug-ins to live engineers, codenamed Project Core. The Fourier team will present their new platform on the DiGiCo booth #823 at the AES New York conference later this month, with product shipping Q1 2024. Austin Freshwater, DiGiCo MD, comments: “At DiGiCo we are always looking at how we can enhance our customers’ ability to provide new and exciting possibilities in live performance audio. With Fourier Audio, we are investing in a team that will soo
USA - ClearOne has announced an updated line-up of online training courses. Open to participants worldwide, the ClearOne University October 2023 training schedule is now open for registration here. “As the AV industry continues to evolve through ground-breaking product developments and research, it’s crucial for manufacturers and AV professionals to prioritise ongoing education to remain at the forefront of innovation and expertise,” said Terry Mathis, technical trainer at ClearOne. “We’re proud to deliver an array of professional development and learning opportunities to our partners through ClearOne University, which builds on our investment in AV channel networks and business channels.” ClearOne University serves as a central hub where integrators can elevate their product knowledge, dive deeper into advanced AV concepts, and acquire hands-on experience
USA - Medical software supplier Epic has upgraded the audio mixing console in the multi-purpose audio facility on its campus in Wisconsin’s rolling farm country to a Solid State Logic System T platform. The new system, comprising an S500 large-format modular mixing console and dual redundant TE2 Tempest Engines plus various Net I/O interfaces, including MADI Bridge units, that handles a variety of broadcast, music production and multi-media post-production projects at the studio. Audio-visual media team leader Paul Micksch, an audio engineer, composer and producer who has been with the company since 2006, explains: “This space is used as the broadcast facility for the meetings that take place in the auditorium. I record and broadcast to 15 countries. In addition to that, I run the media team here and do a lot of production and post-production for our video media, i
USA - For over 22 years, Techrep Marketing has provided audio solutions to the live sound and commercial AV markets in the Ohio Valley region. With a focus on representing respected brands within the industry, Techrep offers the entire suite of Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) products, including its ADAPTive line and its newest KF210 line array, to its customers. Together, the brands are proud to expand this partnership, with EAW products now available to the professional audio markets throughout Indiana. “Our sales team is elated to bring the EAW brand to our Indiana customers,” says Chris Bednar, Techrep’s vice president of sales. “Techrep has had the privilege of representing EAW in much of our Ohio Valley territory this past year, and we now look forward to helping EAW realise their goals in the Indiana region, which is home to many key players in the live sound, c
USA - Joshua Schultz wasn’t overly enthused about lighting a show against a large, deeply rippled curtain background for his client, Turnpike Troubadours when they performed at New York’s historic Beacon Theatre. That quickly changed, however, when he saw how this billowy background played off against light. “I was sceptical, but I quickly fell in love with having another canvas to incorporate looks onto, said Schultz. “Too many times having just a black backdrop deadens the stage. This curtain added another dimension.” A big reason why the curtain worked magic for this Top 20 country rock band from Oklahoma can be found in Schultz’s inspired colour mixing. Overlaying light in subtly different shades of the same colours, he created deeply nuanced and redolent monochromatic looks that beautifully complemented the music and the venue. “I like to think
USA - Bandit Lites lit country singer Emily Ann Roberts at her album release concert at her hometown Knoxville’s Bijou Theatre. Before she even graduated from high school, Roberts made a name for herself on Blake Shelton’s team on NBC’s The Voice. As the runner up for the entire season, she went on to amass 19m streams and 16 performances on the legendary Opry stage. She’s now stepping into her own with a new album entitled Can’t Hide Country. “Emily Ann is a natural talent, period,” stated Bandit Lites chair, Michael T. Strickland. “She shared with the audience her journey of the last few years and it ended with Emily simply being exactly who she is. Emily delivers every note from her heart and the emotion attached is stunning. She is well on the way to the top of the industry and her show is a refreshing family friendly event suitable for eve
