USA - At the USITT Stage Expo in Ft Lauderdale, ETC presented Behind the Scenes with a cheque for $11,509.55, representing the most recent proceeds from the company’s iRFR and aRFR focus remote applications. Since the launch of the iRFR in 2009, ETC’s mobile app sales have generated an unbelievable $334,335 in donations. This generosity has kept families from becoming homeless, kept the heat on in winter, and made sure those who are ill can continue to receive medical treatment. Its effects are incalculable. The iRFR and aRFR mobile apps enable convenient, touchscreen-based remote control for Eos family consoles and controllers. You can learn more about the apps from the ETC website and download them from the iTunes or Google Play stores. Nick Gonsman, ETC field project coordinator, presented the check, saying, “Behind the Scenes is a crucial organisation that s
UK - Due to open in January 2019, Illuminate will be a dedicated, purpose-built conference and events venue spread across the top two floors of the Science Museum. It will offer flexible contemporary spaces with state-of-the-art production. White Light has been appointed as Illuminate’s production partner, meaning the company will be tasked with designing, integrating and operating a world-class technical installation within the various spaces. Ben Lheureux, head of catering and events at the Science Museum Group, states: “We spent a great deal of time developing the identity of our new dedicated events space to ensure we created something that is not only synonymous with the Science Museum Group and our brand values, but that resonates with the forward-thinking events industry. It was therefore essential that we chose trusted partners to help enhance our clients’ expe
Germany - Loudspeaker and amplifier manufacturer d&b audiotechnik has announced a series of landmark integrations between Soundscape’s central DS100 Signal Engine and digital mixing consoles from leading manufacturers DiGiCo , Avid and Lawo. The announcement was made at live mixing sessions showing the console workflows & mixing live multitrack recordings at a large-scale demonstration venue at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt. This follows earlier announcements of integration partnerships with QLab show control systems, TTA Stagetracker and VST plugin formats. The newly announced collaborations open up bi-directional interoperability between the DS100 via plug-ins operating on the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol. The plug-in allows engineers to work with their existing sound console and DAW workflows yet have access to a whole new world of creative potential
Germany - Adamson Systems Engineering has announced a new partnership with United Brands GmbH, as it takes the position of exclusive distribution partner for the German market. Based in Düsseldorf, the team at United Brands brings decades of expertise in the German pro audio market in addition to a well-established infrastructure and technical staff to support the Adamson brand. “We’ve enjoyed five strong years of growth both in Europe and around the world,” says Jochen Sommer, managing director of Adamson Europe. “With the addition of United Brands to the Adamson Network, we have the best opportunity to share the excitement growing around the brand with the German market. There are many stakeholders committed to building a lasting foundation and support structure geared to the highly skilled user base in Germany.” This partnership was made possible by
Europe - API has confirmed the order of the next Legacy AXS recording console for the European market. The new 15IPS Studios in Croatia will be taking delivery of a 32 channel AXS console, which is being displayed at Musikmesse in Frankfurt this week and shipped to the new facility in July. This is the thirteenth AXS to be delivered since the product's launch approximately one year ago. With an expanded and powerful feature set, the new AXS console continues API's commitment to an all-analogue signal path. Console frames range from 32 to 80 channels, with each channel offering dual input capability and access to two API 200 Series module slots. Previous deliveries include Made In Memphis Entertainment in Memphis, TN and the all new Studio Tanta, the first new studio construction in Tokyo in many years. “The AXS builds on the success of the Legacy Series consol
South Africa - With a reputation of offering clients the largest stockholding of LED Video Technology in South Africa, LEDVision, part of Gearhouse Group of Companies, has taken delivery of a Green Hippo Boreal Server. The Hippotizer Boreal, supplied and technically supported by DWR Distribution, has gone straight onto a popular television show, and is being operated by lighting designer Joshua Cutts. “This purchase gives us full control of all the screens whilst allowing Joshua to trigger the content from the Lighting Desk for the television recording. On a broader level though, the Hippo makes LEDVision totally self-sufficient so that we can relieve the pressure on our AV Department when necessary,” comments LEDVision’s Graeme Baker. “Of course, there is also more self -serving reason which is that it makes our team very happy. Our LED engineers who us
SouthAfrica - With an ever-increasing demand for events in South Africa, The Gearhouse Group of Companies has taken ownership of 142 Robe fixtures which form part of a lighting investment for their branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban as well as for their Inhouse Venue Technical Management team. The new gear will complement their service from supplying small functions like product launches or conferences to the larger events such as impressive stadium concerts. Listening to the wish list of their technicians around the country, and taking into account the rider requests, Gearhouse purchased 48 x Robe BMFL Blades, 46 Spiiders and 48 LEDBeam 150s from local distributor, DWR Distribution. “The BMFLs are currently the highest discharge light output in the JHB lighting arsenal, coupled with the fastest shutters in the game and high-speed precision movement
Oliviers Oversight - Organisers of Sunday's Olivier Awards have apologised for omitting director Sir Peter Hall from a tribute segment shown during the ceremony. "We are hugely sorry for the oversight of leaving Sir Peter Hall out of our In Memoriam," said the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) in a statement. The founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company and former National Theatre director died in September, aged 86. The failure to mark his death prompted dismay and disbelief on social media. Olivier-winning choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne said the omission was "unforgivable", while actor Christopher Biggins called it "disgraceful". The In Memoriam segment came midway through the ceremony, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London and subsequently broadcast on ITV. In a statement on Monday, SOLT described Sir Peter as "a wonderful and inspiring figure within the U
Serbia - AVL Projekt, a leading Serbian distributor, rental house and installation specialist for the entertainment industry, recently welcomed over 200 guests to its demo day at the Belgrade Belexpocenter for a hands-on presentation of the latest Chauvet Professional and Chauvet DJ fixtures. AVL Projekt has installed Chauvet Professional fixtures on several recent high-profile projects in Serbia such as the Green Love festival (Maverick MK1 Spot and MK2 Wash) and the popular TV show Veče sa Ivanom Ivanovićem (ÉPIX Strip Tour LED strips). The demo day provided the company with an opportunity to showcase its Chauvet products to lighting professionals in the Balkan region. Building on the success of two previous well-attended demo days, the AVL demo day saw guests from rental houses, technical directors and technicians from television studios, theatres and cultural in
USA - Audinate, developer of the industry-leading Dante media networking technology, has announced at NABB 2018 plans to support SMPTE ST-2110 in the Dante platform by the end of 2018. SMPTE ST-2110 is a new suite of standards developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers to support real-time media network distribution using IP networking technology. The update will include support for a number of relevant standards, including SMPTE ST-2110-10, 2110-30, and 2059-2. When released, the SMPTE 2110 feature will be enabled through the Dante Domain Manager software platform and firmware updates for Dante IP Core, Dante HC, Dante Brooklyn II and Dante Ultimo. These Dante technologies are featured in a wide variety of products used by the broadcast industry, and will be highlighted through Audinate’s participation in plug-fests and showcases. “
UAE - Clair Brothers has appointed Dubai-based Provision AVL as distributor for the UAE and Middle Eastern market. Founded in 2014, Provision AVL General Trading LLC, as they’re known officially, is a proven sales, distribution and design company providing high-end solutions for a wide range of engineering projects and applications in lighting, audio, and stage design in the Middle East. While Clair Brothers has been on Provision AVL’s radar for quite some time, pen was finally put to paper for a distribution partnership at ISE 2018. Explains Kevin Boujikian, general manager of Provision AVL, “The idea to approach them about distribution was always there since we met the Clair Brothers guys a while back, but it was at this year’s ISE Show where we decided to take the leap. The decision was very easy.” Clair Brothers represents the first pro audio brand
Germany - Follow-Me has announced its distribution agreement with A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd, who will demonstrate the remote follow spot control system at Prolight+Sound 2018 this week. Follow-Me is a network-based software package that allows the user to harness multiple moving lights from any manufacturer in any orientation to follow multiple targets or performers. Independent and flexible, the system requires no sensors, belt-packs or proprietary hardware, and provides seamless fixture takeover with any lighting console. The Follow-Me product line offers both creative and commercial benefits over traditional Front of House or truss mounted follow spots. Creatively these include freedom in lamp positioning; multiple fixtures following a single performer, improved follow spot angles; and consistent timing for cues. From a production perspective, oper
USA/Europe - In an announcement made at both NAB and Prolight+Sound 2018, Stage Tec has become the latest manufacturer to join the RAVENNA partnership. The Berlin-based manufacturer of professional audio mixing consoles and routers is one of the leading pioneers in the transition from analogue to digital audio technology. “With our engagement in RAVENNA we are pleased to be able to offer an even wider spectrum of IP solutions to our customers”, explains Helmut Jahne, CEO of Stage Tec. We have been providing IP-based technology since 2012 with the NEXUS Dante card XDIP. With the launch of our RIF67 Router Interface in 2017, Stage Tec also offers IP audio transport via AES67. A second interface card to be introduced this year, the NEXUS Fiber and IP Interface (XFIP), will also feature full AES67 compatibility. Both cards are also fully RAVENNA-compatible.” Andreas
Germany - Adamson Systems Engineering is reinforcing the focus on its global education strategy with the formal introduction of its Advanced Certification training programme at Prolight+Sound 2018. The new training initiative builds on Adamson’s Applied Certification programme, which over the past eight months has been deployed in over 30 countries and attended by more than 1,000 technicians. “In 2017, we launched an initiative to build an education standard for our user base and network”, says James Oliver, director of marketing and sales for Adamson. “Applied Certification was its first phase, and today, we’ve already delivered this programme in more than 30 countries. As our network has grown, so has the demand for knowledge. The Advanced Certification programme is an indication to major productions that Adamson and its partner network are committed to imp
The Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) committee has announced that the inaugural Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA) will launch this year, culminating with a ceremony in Las Vegas on 20 October, timed to coincide with the LDI show. The competition, known for celebrating the work of lighting and video designers, will be co-produced by Informa, producers of America's leading event for lighting designers, the LDI show, and The Fifth Estate, specialist content creators and long-time managers of the KOI Awards in the UK. "We are thrilled to bring such high-quality awards ceremony to LDI," says David Johnson, managing director of LDI. "The KOI Awards are well-known throughout the industry as a reputable, high-class affair, and its special focus of honouring design work aligns perfectly with the goals of the Live Design franchise to raise awareness about this very specia
Tunisia - Clair Brothers has added Tunisia’s Pro Audio & Light (P.A.L.) to its growing international sales and distribution network. P.A.L. is a systems provider, consulting agency, and sole distributor of high-end products to the robust Tunisian entertainment industry. Founded in 2005 in La Marsa, Tunisia, the mission for P.A.L. was, and continues to be, to deliver the best products, expert service and smart solutions at the highest level of what the entertainment production market demands. “As market leader, we’ve come to be associated with always having the most innovative, highest quality equipment and technology on the current market,” explains Sami Sidhom, P.A.L. general manager “It’s why we firmly believe Clair Brothers is the right company for us.” When the team at P.A.L. got an earful of the new C-Series speakers, it made their decision to partner
UK - Adlib’s Scottish operation continues its active support and strategic partnerships in the region with another sale of premium brands L-Acoustics and DiGiCo to rental company AudioCP, a busy operation based in Glasgow and headed by Scott Young. AudioCP was founded by Scott in 2012 and specialises in providing carefully crafted sound systems for the live music sector. Scott, who originally studied popular music at Edinburgh’s Napier College before working as a professional drummer for 10 years, has also owned and run a recording studio and a rehearsal room. By late 2016, he was looking to invest in a premium audio system for AudioCP complete with a state-of-the-art mixing console to enable the company and its business to move up several levels, consolidate their current client base and also pitch for larger and higher profile projects. Coincidentally - ju
Canada - AV Stumpfl, the Austrian AV technology manufacturer, has announced the appointment of Theatrixx as its official projection screen distributor for Canada. The Montreal-based company distributes and manufactures technical equipment for the performing arts industry. Theatrixx Technologies also designs custom equipment that offers solutions for video, lighting, audio, power and cabling challenges. AV Stumpfl CEO Fabian Stumpfl comments, "Theatrixx has a great eye for detail, which is not surprising, given that they develop highly innovative AV equipment themselves. Our partnership started in 2017 when Theatrixx began to distribute our media server technology in Canada. The trust that was built during the past year makes this next step a natural development. We are confident that Jacques and his great team will be very successful in the Canadian market." Thea
South Africa - Vectorworks Trainer Francois van der Merwe presented Basic to Advanced training from 12 to 16 March 2018 at DWR Distribution in Johannesburg. As a respected lighting designer and a seasoned Vectorworks user, van der Merwe’s main concern was to assist delegates in increasing their workflow. Van der Merwe has presented training at DWR, distributors of Vectorworks in South Africa, since 2012. “The programme for every course is unique, and we go through all the changes, updates and added features of the software,” he says. “Vectorworks has been the platform to work on, and in my view, the best choice for our industry.” With many users relying on tutorials that are focused on architecture, van der Merwe instead demonstrates how to approach a show which is a very different process to how an architect would tackle a building. “Over the years,
USA - VER has entered into an agreement to merge with an entity controlled by Production Resource Group LLC (PRG). To facilitate the implementation of this pre-negotiated transaction, VER has filed voluntary petitions for reorganisation under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. These filings only affect the company's North American operations, says the company. The agreement is part of a transaction supported by VER’s second lien lenders, including funds managed by GSO Capital Partners. VER expects to continue normal operation during the restructuring and says clients “can be confident that their project will not be interrupted”. Digby Davies, CEO of VER, comments: "Entering into this agreement and undertaking the court-supervised restructuring process will greatly reduce VER's outstanding debt
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds is bringing the world’s latest entertainment technology to the North of England on 1-2 May at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds. Visitors can expect new releases from top brands, an array of immersive workshops, and leading-edge seminars covering lighting, live sound, rigging, AV and staging. The show is the perfect place to see brand new products for the first time in the UK, including the highly anticipated grandMA3 lighting console. Visitors will also see Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision Series, Vari-Lite’s VL2600 range, Sennheiser’s Wireless G4 System and Robe’s MegaPointe. The seminar programme serves many different tribes, from immersive audio and theatre refurbishment, to festival lighting and set design software. There is something for everyone at the industry leading show. The reinvention of the Chester Storyh
Italy - KLANG:technologies has appointed Mods Art as distributor for its advanced range of 3D personal monitor mixing systems in Italy. Mods Art will be adding KLANG:technologies to its portfolio of 15 premium brands, which includes Solid State Logic, Yamaha and Outline. General director and chairman Giacomo Larìa, comments: “I first heard about KLANG:technologies when working for Yamaha Music Europe and have followed its progress closely since then. We chose to distribute KLANG as they are innovative and establish new standards for monitoring. The products also offer the high performance and excellent build quality that are essential for the brands we offer our customers. We work with the best brands in the industry and KLANG is an ideal fit for our business.” Phil Kamp, KLANG:technologies’ head of sales, adds: “We are pleased to welcome Mods Art as our
UK - The Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) has launched #SaveStageLighting campaign to seek an exepmtion for stage lighting from the EU’s proposed Ecodesign Working Plan 2016-2019, which would require all light sources across venues and theatres in the EU to meet a notional efficiency target. The organisation says in a statement: “The #SaveStageLighting Campaign must demonstrate to the EU Energy Directorate the widest possible cultural opposition to these proposals. Theatrical performances rely on theatrical lighting - it is the glue that binds every aspect of a performance together. Theatre lighting relies on having the right tools available to create just the right effect at just the right moment. “A successful outcome to the #SaveStageLighting campaign is essential to secure exemption for stage lighting from these proposals. The consequences of failure w
USA - Allen & Heath digital mixers were once again in abundance at this year’s South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Mixers from the whole range were used in venues across the city, from corner bars and impromptu stages, right up to the British Embassy Music showcase which saw performances from rising stars like Che Lingo, Pale Waves and Idles, as well as established UK artists including Gaz Coombes and Frank Turner. Hosted at Latitude 30, the British Music Embassy showcase sees a new act and engineer every 40-minutes, so having a system that combines ‘walk-up-and-mix’ usability with extensive built-in processing is essential to the smooth running of the event. To accomplish this, British production company, CATO Music, installed a dLive C3500 system and two S3000 systems to cover FOH, monitors and house continuity. Ano
