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
USA - The Behind the Scenes (BTS) Mental Health Initiative wants language about mental health and respectful workplaces “to become a part of every toolbox talk or safety briefing because psychological safety is as important as physical safety.” BTS says: “It’s not always an easy subject to talk about, so to make it easier for those delivering these talks we are suggesting topics and providing sample language that can be used as is or tailored to fit individual needs. “It is important to acknowledge the mental and physical stressors and challenges faced by all of us in the entertainment industry and offer your team tools to help them better manage and respond to these challenges. We know that the last months in particular have been very stressful and returning to work is bringing a new set of concerns for everyone. Many people are struggling with anxiety, gri
UK - Martin Audio has announced a ‘special event’ to take place on 16 February, 2021, to start its 50th Anniversary programme. The virtual presentation will provide ‘important updates, including the announcement of major new product and software releases’. The rationale for a virtual event is that with much of the global tradeshow calendar still in doubt, there are very few opportunities in the near future for in-person collaboration to highlight significant additions to the international pro audio industry’s arsenal. Dom Harter, managing director at Martin Audio, believes the event will demonstrate the resilience of the company: “This last year has been a challenging one for the industry as a whole, but at Martin Audio we have continued to invest heavily in R&D, with the positive outlook that companies continuing to create customer value will emerge f
Europe - Chauvet Germany GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of ChamSys’ parent company, is now exclusively responsible for selling and servicing the complete line of ChamSys products in the German market. In conjunction with this move, which reflects ChamSys’ commitment to building on its success in Germany, Frank Alofs has been appointed the German business development, training and support manager. Alofs brings considerable experience and knowledge to his new position. “We’re very excited to be direct in Germany and to welcome Frank to our team,” said Henning Oeker, operations manager for Chauvet Germany. In his new role, Alof will be responsible for conducting training sessions and tutorials that cover the full range of ChamSys consoles in German. Information on these can be found on ChamSys’ new German language website:
Germany - Prolight+Sound, along with a number of other trade fairs planned for April and May in Frankfurt this spring, has been postponed until April 2022. A statement from the organisers says: “Back in September 2020, a decision was reached by Messe Frankfurt and the industries involved to forgo any physical events at our home base in the first quarter of 2021. Now, following close consultation with customers, it has become necessary to postpone the international physical trade fairs planned for April and May – Prolight+Sound, the International Consumer Goods Show, Heimtextil, Techtextil and Texprocess – as a result of the regulations and travel restrictions that have been imposed. “There is currently no end to the pandemic in sight. Events are effectively banned in Germany, and ongoing international travel restrictions mean that it is impossible to make any t
UK - The Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers (ISCVE) and the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) has announced the launch of a new ECS AV Engineer card for existing and newly accredited ISCVE members. This recent introduction of the ECS AV Engineer card is in addition to the existing ECS card for sound engineers which is available exclusively through the ISCVE. Administered by the Joint Industry Board (JIB) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, ECS is the sole ID and competence card scheme for electrotechnical related occupations which is recognised and endorsed by the industry. ECS is a partner of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), issuing cards for those working in an electrotechnical related occupation. The term ‘electrotechnical’ covers many occupations including electricians, sound engineers, network infras
UK - Although 2020 was a dark year for many, there have been glimmers of light along the way; software provider Stardraw.com has been pleased to record two significant milestones during the 20th anniversary year of its incorporation. First, in 2020, for the first time in the company’s history, more than 250,000 user sessions for Stardraw Design 7 were logged. Secondly, as a result of new processes and practices introduced in 2019 to streamline the Product Request Service, the queue of approved product requests was reduced to zero for the first time ever. “While we may not have felt like celebrating our 20th anniversary and, like so many others, our business has been impacted by the pandemic, we’re thrilled to have achieved two landmark milestones during what was inevitably a difficult year,” says Stardraw CEO, Rob Robinson. “A ‘user session’ is defined as someo
Israel - Over 150 theatrical venues, concert halls, music clubs and sport arenas across the whole of Israel – in cities and communities large and small – were lit up in red on 26 December 2020 in a ‘Red Alert evening of action’ designed to highlight culture and the arts and the immense amount of enjoyment, entertainment and value that it brings to all. The spontaneous event – that began like so many of these organic movements as an animated conversation – was organised by multidisciplinary artist, musician and lighting designer Nadav Barnea, together with lighting designer Baruch Shpigelman, and it energised and united engineers, technicians, designers and directors working in every discipline in the sector - lighting, sound, video, staging, rigging, visual, scenic, cameras and broadcast. Delighted to participate was another leading Israeli lighting design
USA - Audinate is offering a free seminar during NAMM 2021 on the topic of Getting Back to Music Education and Professional Live Performances. The seminar explores how Dante is enabling many different types of live performances while maintaining social distancing and room occupancy safeguards for all. Also available is a new overview of the Dante AV video-over-IP solution from Audinate, and Level 1 and 2 of the popular Dante Certification Course. That means no matter where you are in the world, and no matter your familiarity with Dante, you can gain valuable training and practical insights on using Dante in real-world, AV-over-IP integrations, says Audinate. The seminar and training sessions go live on 18 January, however, video will be available on demand through February. Registration for the events is available now at
USA - Companies joining the Behind the Scenes Pledge-of-Support Programme make a long-term commitment to support the work of the charity through the sale of their products or services. The organisation reports that despite the unprecedented challenges of the past year, these companies stepped up to honour their commitment with 2020 donations and Behind the Scenes is extraordinarily grateful for that support. “Our deepest thanks go to Concert Shop, ETC, Evoke Collaborative, Gray Matter Visual, HG Lighting Design, InCord, J-4 Design, Light Touch Designs, Lightswitch, Litegear, Rosco, TMB, and Westview Productions,” says BTS. “We encourage you to support these companies in whatever way you can, because they are supporting you during good times and bad.” To join the programme, companies pledge a percentage of profits of the sale of a product or service to the chari
Europe - Elation Professional is set to resume its Innovation Hour livestream presentations on 21 January with a discussion of the various types of colour mixing systems found in today’s modern automated luminaires and the pros and cons inherent in each. The ability to create millions of different hues from a single lighting fixture is perhaps the greatest benefit of an intelligent luminaire. Elation national sales manager John Dunn and global product manager Matthias Hinrichs will be live on 21 January (Thursday) at 10:00 a.m. PST as they examine additive and subtractive colour mixing including the different types of RGB colour mixing systems, CMY colour mixing, DTW, and Elation’s proprietary SpectraColor system. The Elation Hour and Elation Innovation Hour are virtual presentations and discussions that address lighting and lighting markets, products and product
Germany - Coda Audio has announced the appointment of Wilhelm & Willhalm Event Technology Group as a dealer partner in southern Germany. Founded 30 years ago, Wilhelm & Willhalm is based in Munich and will offer the complete Coda Audio portfolio with immediate effect, including all high-end reinforcement systems for pro sound applications, as well as a comprehensive range of loudspeakers for fixed installation. Ton Groen, Coda Audio Deutschland managing director, is upbeat about the new sales alliance. “We are more than happy about this partnership,” he says. “Wilhelm & Willhalm has long been one of the most important players in our industry. We expect this new cooperation to result in an even greater market share for our high-quality systems, significantly widening distribution of our solutions. We have gained an excellent sales partner in Southern German
Australia - Meyer Sound has launched a direct, non-exclusive reseller network for the sales and marketing of its loudspeaker solutions in Australia and New Zealand starting January 2021. The new business model allows for greater factory-direct support to Meyer Sound customers in this growing market. “Audio Brands Australia has been a fantastic partner and has helped us grow Meyer Sound’s brand awareness over the past three years,” comments John McMahon, senior vice-president. “Learnings from the pandemic suggest that moving to a more direct model will benefit customers in this important market.” Over the decades, Meyer Sound products and technologies have earned widespread acceptance in Australia and New Zealand, with a number of systems installed in recent years. Examples include Telstra Theatrette Melbourne, Australian Outback Spectacular, and Townsville Ci
Norway - Chauvet has named Scandec as its exclusive distributor for Norway. The arrangement covers both Chauvet Professional and Chauvet DJ products. “Until now, lighting has been missing from our portfolio of products,” comments Roar Birkeland, CEO of Scandec. “Before adding any lighting brand, we wanted to be completely certain that it offered the quality that our customers associate with the Scandec name. The wide range, quality and reputation of Chauvet attracted us to them. Now we are very excited to offer our customers complete solutions that include excellent lighting products.” Stéphane Gressier, international sales director of Chauvet, adds: “We couldn’t be happier to have Scandec as our exclusive distributor in Norway. The dedication and energy that the Scandec team brings to the table will help us build on the momentum we have established in Nor
India - Assistive listening specialists Contacta Systems has entered the Indian market with a new partnership with pro-audio distributors, Audcomm. The relationship will introduce the complete Contacta range of hearing loops, RF, IR and window intercom systems to Audcomm’s customers across the country. Managing director, Puneet Kumar Kain, said the partnership will enable them to access new opportunities: “This is an exciting cooperation for Audcomm which will further strengthen our distribution network. “With more than five decades of innovation in assistive listening technologies, Contacta’s high-quality portfolio will assists us in maximising opportunities which we couldn’t previously because of not having the right products in our range. We will ensure success for Contacta in India and look forward to a long-lasting partnership.” During the
USA - When the 2021 NAMM Show had to be cancelled due to continued COVID concerns, the association pivoted its focus by creating a digital alternative known as Believe in Music Week, running from 18-22 January. L-Acoustics reports that it is fully supporting NAMM this month by sponsoring a virtual marketplace booth, where it will be hosting a comprehensive line-up of eight video sessions on a variety of topics, all with live Q&A. Visitors can also book online meetings with L-Acoustics team members, chat live, and receive special access to swag and an exciting giveaway. Of particular note will be the booth’s keynote session, Contour XO IEM Origins Story, moderated by FOH engineer Chris Rabold (Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé). This will be a Zoom ‘fireside chat’ discussion with L-Acoustics founder and president Dr. Christian Heil and JH Audio founder an
Italy - D-Tools System Integrator is a comprehensive software solution for AV system integrators that improves operating efficiencies by streamlining the entire project workflow - all through a data-driven process that leverages an extensive, integrated product library which now includes Powersoft’s product range. Powersoft’s partnership with D-Tools provides D-Tools software users with Powersoft’s detailed specification, along with dealer-specific pricing, which minimises time users spend on building catalogues or AV proposals. The software benefits users further by managing budgets and sales, improving opportunities, accurately tracking revenue and expenses, and, due to all of this, increasing profitability, says the company. In the webinar, Powersoft will teach users how to work with Powersoft’s products within D-Tools’ software. AV system integrators wil
Pistol Package - Trainspotting director Danny Boyle is to make a six-part TV series about 1970s punk icons the Sex Pistols. Based on guitarist Steve Jones's memoir, it will star Anson Boon as John Lydon and Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes) as Sid Vicious. Filming is due to start in March for US TV network FX. No UK broadcaster has been announced yet. "Imagine breaking into the world of The Crown and Downton Abbey with your mates and screaming your songs and your fury at all they represent," said Boyle, announcing his new project. "This is the moment that British society and culture changed forever. It is the detonation point for British street culture, where ordinary young people had the stage and vented their fury and their fashion - and everyone had to watch and listen.” Air Conditioning - London’s 100 Club is to pioneer trials of
Europe - BroaMan and Spiritland OB will co-host a Zoom-based webinar on 14 January, at 14.00hr GMT (15.00 CET, 9.00 EST). BroaMan’s point-to-point fibre transport solution, based on the Repeat48WDM platform, was selected by one of the UK's leading OB trucks - Spiritland One - to provide a multi-format stagebox system to run multiple video, audio and data signals between stage and truck. Co-hosts, Spiritland co-founder, Antony Shaw, and BroaMan technical sales manager, Maciek Janiszewski, will present a case study on this advanced system design, and how they evolved such a compact custom solution. The session will incorporate an interactive Q/A. BroaMan itself offers customised fibre solutions as well as standard devices for every application that requires IP/SDI/HD/3G video transport or routing. Webinar is at
The Netherlands – Tasked by a Regional Public Health Service with finding an effective solution for a new COVID-19 testing centre to enable its 18 test bays to signal for technical assistance, Backbone International turned to tried-and-tested event production technology from digital communications specialist Green-GO. The company, a leading production management and temporary infrastructure specialist with operations worldwide, is well used to delivering the best technical solutions for any number of environments. Faced with this signalling challenge as part of a systems integration project for a testing facility in Eindhoven, they turned to Green-GO, and its Beacon call indicator units. Developed for the event production industry, the Green-GO Beacons have a transparent outer case and light up when receiving a call. Backbone’s Daniël Zwaan explains, “The testin
Norway - Bølgen Kulturhus in Larvik is a multi-purpose, multi-use venue that welcomes thousands of patrons annually for concerts, cinema, and theatre presentations, as well as conferences and events of all descriptions. With the recent installation of an Adamson Systems Engineering E-Series PA in its main hall, Storsalen, Bølgen has extended its already substantial capabilities to present the wide variety of programming it offers and the diverse range of events it hosts. Previously, Norwegian distributor Benum provided Bølgen with Adamson rigs for the venue’s other two, smaller performance/event spaces: eight IS10, four IS119 subs, four PC5, and two D120 amplifiers in ‘Sanden Scene’; and eight S7, two IS119 and two D120 for Blåboksen. In the Storshalen space, Benum has now installed a system comprised of 20 E12 (flown 10 per side), six E219 subs, and four S7p
Europe - German networked audio and interconnectivity specialist DirectOut has announced a collaboration with the Italian-based team of Vivivaldy to establish a tailored service for uncompressed audio transmission over public WAN connections. Driven by the success of the first Lockdown Rock projects which allowed artists and audio professionals to work together remotely in real-time, the experts from both companies decided to join forces and create an ‘out-of-the-box’ solution. Luca Giaroli, product manager at DirectOut, comments, “Our products deploying Ravenna technology have already proven their worth in remote production and broadcast environments. Since the constraints of the pandemic have forced large parts of the audio industry to shut down their businesses, we were thinking about lowering the entry-level of this technology for the pro audio industry. For
Europe - Global event production company PSAV has announced that it will begin to operate under the Encore name as part of a planned move to align its portfolio of companies, including Hawthorn and AVC Live, under a master brand. Announced in March 2020, the move “solidifies the company’s desire to unify its operations and deliver industry leadership through end-to-end creative, production and technology services to its meeting planner customers and hotel partners, taking them far beyond traditional AV services”. “This is an exciting day for our family of companies,” said Ben Erwin, president and CEO. “In a world changed by the pandemic, the Encore brand and new icon signal a forward focus. It puts our customers at the centre as we offer new platforms and tools to enable them to continue to meet and seamlessly connect in person and virtual audiences. We hav
