UK - Sound Control Technologies (SCT), the Connecticut, USA based manufacturer best known for their camera extension solutions has appointed CUK Group to distribute their products in the UK where distribution was previously handled by ScanSource. The addition of SCT to the CUK Group portfolio significantly strengthens the company’s video products offering which has grown through the recent addition of several brands and the purchase of York based distributor, Tukans. “SCT products are renowned in our industry not only for the problems that they solve for AV integrators but their rock-solid reliability.” states Stuart Thomson, managing director at CUK Group. “Our focus is to make sure that these products are backed with great customer service, technical support and of course fast delivery from our East Kilbride distribution centre.” Peter Nice, SCT’s b
Ecuador - Martin Audio has appointed Quito-based Mejor Sonido as its new distributor for Ecuador - the first time the British brand has had direct representation in this South American country. The move was confirmed by Berenice Gutierrez, director of Pro Active Latin America and Latam Sales for Martin Audio, who handle all Martin Audio’s sales activity on the continent. “This is the first official distribution partner in the country and I’m proud to get them on board, and into the LATAM Distributor Partnership,” she said. She said the groundswell of interest had been building in the country for some time. “Martin Audio had been approached by several system integrators, rental companies and major distributors due to the wider product catalogue and solutions that the brand has developed in recent years, covering markets such as installation, rental / touring,
USA - Michael von Keitz has acquired 100% ownership of the loudspeaker company VUE Audiotechnik he co-founded in 2012. Says a statement, “The integration of the entire value-added chain with the group’s significant engineering and manufacturing resources will drive the pace of growth of the brand’s renowned range of industry leading products and technologies. Customers will enjoy a greater competitiveness, a quicker time to market and an early extension of the product portfolio into installed applications. The integration of the sales and marketing departments will lead to greatly enhanced communications and increase the quality of customer support.” The brands now combined under one roof include VUE Audiotechnik, SE Audiotechnik and the high-fidelity product line mivoc. As part of that family Vue will enjoy “enhanced production capacities, larger R&D tea
Europe - The next Elation Coffee Break sees hosts Alistair Smyth and Frederik Afif examine three modern-day ellipsoidals from Elation Professional. With the WW Profile HP and CW Profile HP the traditional tungsten Leko has been re-engineered from the ground up with efficient LED engines, while the Fuze Profile CW takes the evolution even further with more features and fully automated performance. These LED framing fixtures, all with high CRI and outstanding output, are designed for applications where a top quality ellipsoidal fixture is required. The Elation Coffee Break on modern-day ellipsoidals will air live on Thursday, 4 February at 11:00 a.m. CEST. Join at www.facebook.com/ELATION.Pro.Europe/live - no registration is required. The Elation Coffee Brea
Malaysia - When system integrator Mahajak Trio was given the job of upgrading the audio monitoring, advanced broadcast control and technical display applications for Radio Television Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, the company found the answer it was looking for with TSL Products. The project was led by 20-year industry veteran Lee Chin Kah, general manager for broadcast, Mahajak Trio Electronic. As a full-service provider, the Mahajak Trio team was able to offer a turnkey power and monitoring solution to the Malaysian public broadcaster. “We turned to TSL Products because it is not only one of the most well-known and trusted brands on the market, but all of the audio monitoring tools available, such as comprehensive loudness monitoring, audio metering, phase metering and waveform, feature GUI and panel designs that are amazingly easy to work with,” says Lee. “All functions
Europe - Alcons Audio is to present a new series of online educational sessions, featuring industry personalities and special guests. The programme includes: Introduction to Pro-Ribbon Technology, (28 January, 11,25 February) includes the history of the pro-ribbon technology, features, dispersion characteristics and applications. Introduction to Residential Home Theatre Solutions (9,19 February) includes an introduction to Alcons pro-ribbon technology, residential home theatre solutions (C-series, CRMS series) and a look at applications and projects. The webinars are presented by David Rahn of Alcons Audio USA, with guest input from Alcons users, integrators and engineers, such as Greater Atlanta Christian School AV system tech, Ben Chambless and integrator Alex Fleming from Lodestar Labs. Input for the residential/studio episodes is coming from Wal
The Netherlands - When Intronics, the tvONE distributor for the Benelux region, received an enquiry for a major order of tvONE’s CORIOmaster mini video wall processors, they called on the manufacturer to see what was possible. The request, from a major European integrator, was for 55 of the processors, destined for a single installation project in The Netherlands. It would be the largest ever single order of CORIOmaster mini units, and with just three weeks before the required shipping date, time was extremely tight. And there was an added problem: the order could not yet be confirmed. “Our customer told us that although they were 99% sure of the order, they did not yet have it in writing,” explains Intronics’ technical sales engineer Ben Franken. “Also, we knew that an order of that size would ordinarily take a few months to meet.” However, thanks t
Europe - Robe has revealed its new website, at www.robe.cz with ‘a fresh contemporary look that is action-packed with useful information and resources for all’. The site has been co-ordinated to coincide with the launch of a series of new products from Robe that are being revealed throughout the first half of 2021. Robe.cz is designed for speed, convenience, and ease of viewing, optimised for use with mobile devices. Faster access to a greater amount of product-related information is a cornerstone of the new architecture. The site is curated to offer a lively mix of interesting data and multiple layers of technical depth for those needing to drill down further into the complexities of products and Robe’s use of new technologies. An Innovation section will highlight Robe’s constant development and interest in harnessing new, emerging and more sustainable
USA - The DALI Alliance (DiiA), the global industry organisation for DALI lighting control, has announced the winners of the inaugural DALI Lighting Awards during a virtual ceremony. Held in association with arc (the international architectural lighting design magazine) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), the awards celebrate the best use of DALI control solutions in international lighting projects as well as recognizing the value of delivering quality illumination to clients and end-users. A broad range of commercial, architectural and industrial lighting projects linked with DALI technology were nominated. The competition selected winners in different categories for indoor and outdoor lighting alongside a separate category for projects employing outstanding use of certified Zhaga-D4i products. Judges for this year’s DALI Lighting A
Festival Blues - This year's Glastonbury music festival has been cancelled due to coronavirus, organisers have confirmed. Michael and Emily Eavis announced the news on the festival's official Twitter page writing: “With great regret, we must announce that this year's Glastonbury Festival will not take place.” It's the second year running that Glastonbury will not go ahead, after last year's 50th anniversary celebration was cancelled due to COVID-19. In a full statement on their website, the father and daughter team explained that in spite of “efforts to move Heaven & Earth”, the event would not be happening in 2021, adding that “this will be another enforced fallow year for us”. “It has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the Festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down. As with last year, we would like to offer all
UK - DiGiCo has launched New Hope, a giveaway that offers some much needed positivity to the pro audio community. The competition is free to enter, with entrants having to pick three 'lucky' numbers and complete a form to be in for a chance to snap up the gifts - a DiGiGrid MGB Madi to SoundGrid Interface; the first of the newly-launched KLANG Kontrollers - Serial Number 1; and a DiGiCo Quantum Range Console. “We wanted to look forwards and give a little hope for the new year, and we couldn’t think of better way to do it than by giving away three products that will be incredibly useful for the future,” says DiGiCo general manager, Austin Freshwater. “It gives all of us at DiGiCo, DiGiGrid and KLANG great pleasure to know that, when the world of live productions returns, we can provide the opportunity for the lucky winners to add an extra touch of magic to the
UK - Independent Venue Week 2021 (25 - 31 January) has announced the full schedule for its eighth edition, which will take place digitally this year due to the on-going pandemic. Over 141 virtual events are set to take place across more than 110 venues around the UK that have all signed up to take part by playing host to performances, ‘In Conversation’ interviews, panel discussions with industry professionals, and the official IVW Quiz hosted by Duglas Stewart of BMX Bandits. The week will also see the online premiere screening of On The Road with Independent Venue Week, with a live Q&A hosted by BBC 6 Music. The feature-length documentary, which counts Funktion One and Universal Pixels amongst its supporters, was filmed over two years with Philip Selway (Radiohead) and goes to the heart of independent music venues across the country, meeting
USA - Harman Professional Solutions reports that JBL Professional and AKG products earned honours at the 36th NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards. The annual TEC Awards honoured best-in-class products in the professional audio community, and were presented at The NAMM Show 2021’s Believe in Music Week. AKG Lyra USB microphone received the 2021 NAMM TEC Award in the category of Microphones, Recording. JBL EON ONE Compact personal PA received the 2021 NAMM TEC Award in sound reinforcement loudspeaker category. AKG K300 Series headphones and JBL DSi 2.0 amplifiers were also winners. “On behalf of the entire Harman team, I would like to say it’s an honour to have been recognised by the industry across these four very important audio categories,” said Karam Kaul, vice president, audio, Harman Professional Solutions. “We would like
France - Robe’s new flagship, high powered, TE (Transferable Engine) LED luminaire – the Forte – has made landfall in France where the new units have been delivered from the Czech Republic via Robe France to rental and technical production specialist Concept Audiovisuel. The 40,000 lumen fixture features Robe’s new 1000W white LED light engine, complete with independent zone control for even higher output when zoomed in. The engine is fully and easily replaceable – extending the lifespan of the fixture. Concept Audiovisuel is based in Niort, western France, and was founded in 1998 by Pierig Burgin and Hughes Mongrand as a design rental and installation company. The usually busy schedule sees the delivery of lighting, audio, staging and rigging solutions for a wide range of rental and installation projects covering concert touring, live events, and fest
USA - Calrec’s Artemis Beam audio console is proving to be a success for Sean Prickett, owner of broadcast audio engineering company and rental service Drop Ship Audio in Los Angeles. With 340 channel processing paths and powerful Bluefin2 and Hydra2 technologies, the new Artemis console is being used on a popular reality show in its fourth season, installed in a studio with a major US network. Drop Ship Audio is no stranger to Calrec. The company owns two Brio digital audio consoles, the most powerful and compact console in its class, and previously a Summa console. With regard to its new Artemis Beam, Prickett said, “We’d been looking for a larger, full size fly-pack console to replicate more of the experience you would have in a traditional TV truck. I mixed the previous three seasons of this reality show for a major network on an Apollo and the ability to have the
World - DPA Microphones and Rycote have announced the winners of the Pay-It-Forward Film Contest Giveaway. The brands joined forces to support the film industry during these unprecedented times by offering first-time and indie filmmakers the opportunity to win a customised DPA/Rycote filming kit. The winners of the contest are Jacob Deming of the United States, Lijie Cheng of Singapore and Sergey Martynyuk of Austria. The winners will receive three DPA mics - the 4097 Micro Shotgun, 4017 Shotgun and 6060 CORE Subminiature - along with an array of Rycote accessories. Aspiring and indie filmmakers around the world were encouraged to participate in the DPA/Rycote Pay-it-Forward giveaway campaign, which concluded late last year. The applications were reviewed and judged by representatives from both brands, as well as a group of film experts, comprised of Tim
UK - Lighting rental house MBSE has made a significant investment in over 500 Luminex network and lighting distribution devices. This substantial acquisition was supplied by sister companies A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) and A.C. Lighting to the MBSE technical teams on both sides of the Atlantic. Created specifically for the entertainment industry, Luminex products are becoming increasingly responsible for managing the data behind many of today’s fixture heavy productions. AC-ET’s brand development manager, Neil Vann comments: “In my opinion, Luminex has established itself as arguably one of the industry’s leading standards for data distribution. The attention to detail and ability to make sure that everything on set reacts as it is supposed to, exactly when it is supposed to, makes these products an incredibly important part of an installation. When
UK - 3LR Lighting has received Albert Certification. Albert is the authority on environmental sustainability for film and TV, whose role is to advise stakeholders in the industry on effective measures to reduce carbon footprint. 3LR achieved its certification as a result of its commitment to the promotion of green products and methods across every area of its business. MD Matthew Lloyd is very proud: “The brands we represent all strive towards creating environmentally friendly products, and the 3LR team has vast experience of helping to deliver green solutions across the different sectors in which we operate. Albert is a BAFTA organisation, funded by the industry, which plays a very important role in offering training and advice to those involved in production, enabling them to develop and embed sustainability in all their practices. “At 3LR, we represent a number
USA - Harman Professional Solutions has launched a redesigned and streamlined web portal for its Education Alliance Programme (EAP), available to universities and colleges worldwide. The updated portal gives university and college AV and IT managers more immediate, at-a-glance access to rewards points, account management and an overall simplified user experience. For more than a decade, Harman’s Education Alliance Programme has been rewarding higher education institutions with its exclusive, industry leading customer loyalty program. Members can earn and redeem points for free products, access training and technical support, and gain recognition through sponsored case studies. Visitors to the EAP web portal can join the program, track and redeem their rewards points, and view and manage their account activity - all from a single location. At the newly redesigned EAP
Quarantine Regulations - Performing arts professionals are no longer entitled to a quarantine exemption when arriving in the UK, following a tightening of travel restrictions. As of now, anyone working in the performing arts that enters the UK, including performers, creatives and technical staff, must self-isolate for 10 days, according to regulations confirmed by the government. Performing arts is one of eight sectors that has been removed from the list of professions that qualify for quarantine exemptions, alongside television and film production workers, journalists and advertising professionals. The government has given no indication of the duration of this change. People working in the performing arts were added to the list of exemptions for England in December. The exemption covered individuals travelling for a paid work engagement in the UK, with both int
Europe - Ausma Lace, a recording engineer from Latvia, has been awarded the Sound For The Future Scholarship, which was set up by UK loudspeaker manufacturer PMC in association with the Audio Engineering Society Education Foundation. This $5,000 prize is given to an audio engineering graduate who is also a member of the AES with the aim of helping them further their studies. In Ausma’s case it is helping to fund a Masters degree in Sound Recording at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Currently in her second year at McGill, Ausma is studying recording techniques for various musical genres. “My course has given me the opportunity to explore different areas of the audio industry, including music production, immersive audio, audio for picture and live sound,” she says. “Recording and producing music is my passion and I am experimenting with the latest a
USA - Harman Professional Solutions has confirmed its line-up of special sessions and product spotlights for the 2021 NAMM Believe in Music Week, taking place now. “Harman Professional Solutions is pleased to be taking place in this historic event while helping to elevate our industry by supporting musicians and industry professionals who have been deeply affected by the pandemic,” said Frank Joseph, senior director, North America Marketing, Harman Professional Solutions. “We are thrilled to bring together a premier line-up of industry leaders and Harman experts to discuss the future of music creation, event production and live performance. Although this is an unprecedented format, we’re confident we can deliver a rich and engaging experience for our customers and partners at NAMM 2021.” The sessions, featuring in-depth interviews and Q&A with leading ex
USA - Meyer Sound will participate in the 2021 NAMM Believe in Music Week virtual show this week, where the company will debut two original content sessions, share product resources, and schedule one-on-one meetings with NAMM attendees. “Meyer Sound has seen great success from the NAMM Show over the past few years as it is a great place for us to showcase our products suited for this audience,” notes Meyer Sound director of global marketing Tim Boot. “Although we are unable to connect with our customers in person during this time, we are grateful that we have this opportunity at the virtual NAMM show to share what we have been working on over the past year, including a new variant of our best-selling loudspeaker and a new solution for the post-production and residential markets.” The virtual booth will feature product information about the award-winning ULTRA-X
Belgium - Theatrical musical producers Deep Bridge created a special streamed Home Edition version of their 2020 Christmas Show, with appearances and special Christmas collaborations from a host of celebrities and music stars, all presenting different festive musical moments. The event was recorded over three days at Deep Bridge’s HQ in Antwerp with lighting designed by David Smeets of event design and production company The Creative Factory, (TCF) based in Meerhout. David specified Robe moving lights including T1 Profiles, Spiiders, LEDBeam 150s, Tertra2 LED bars and BMFL WashBeams, all of which were supplied by rental company L&L Stage Services. The artist line up included a star-studded cast of Belgian singing and dancing talent. The challenges of the project included a tight turnaround time – just 10 days from when the idea germinated
